Hello students!

First of all, thank you for your ongoing support of Kotama and Academy Citadel and for the constant feedback you've shared with us. The Engineering Club is still working hard to fix various issues in the game. In this update, we’ve focused on optimizing controller support and enhancing the overall feel of combat to provide a smoother experience for all students.

The specific details of this update are as follows:

Added a Character Outline feature, which can be enabled in \[Settings] -> \[Game]. This significantly improves character visibility in complex combat scenarios. We will continue to optimize the overall performance of combat special effects. In some BOSS battles, effects can become overexposed or cluttered, making it hard to find the protagonist; the current outline serves as a temporary optimization.

Added Controller Remapping. Most button mappings, such as swapping the Left Stick and D-pad, are now supported. Functions for certain buttons like the touchpad, back buttons, and Right Stick cannot be changed yet; further optimizations and testing for more buttons are ongoing.

Added general keybinding support for mouse side-buttons and the Numpad area.

Optimized Kotama’s hit detection range to better align with the character model's visuals, improving intuitive feedback for combat and platforming.

Optimized the rhythm of the Dimensional Slash skill for the Aerospace Academy and Tower BOSSES, ensuring all hit detection occurs a short time after the attack warning.

Optimized the parry feel of the Umbrella Spear. If you input a glide while close to landing in the air, you will now land and parry immediately.

Enhanced the performance of the Umbrella Spear's Nullify and Ascension, slightly increasing the parry detection window.

Optimized Liquid Blade's Egoless and Flurry Ender performance. Slightly increased the invincibility duration, and continuing to input directions during Flurry Ender can now slightly extend that duration.

Fixed an issue where the visual effect of Chronofluid on monsters occasionally failed to refresh after a Fluid Detonation with Liquid Blade weapons.

Fixed a low-probability logic lock issue during the second phase of the Aerospace Academy BOSS battle.

Reduced the number of aerial shots during the first phase of the Aerospace Academy BOSS battle. This slightly reduces player waiting time, making combat interactions tighter and more fluid.

Reduced the hit detection range and duration for certain monster attacks, including specific moves from the hidden BOSS, Ship BOSS, Tower BOSS, Architecture Academy BOSS, and the Blaze Bird in the Biology Academy.

Enhanced the visual performance of screen prompts during Mind Acceleration in combat. This makes status tips and energy replenishment guidance much clearer.

Adjusted the invincibility effect of Kotama’s Liquid Dash. Slightly quickened the activation time to make the timing window more reliable in extreme scenarios.

Adjusted the Whip Hammer charge effect. Once charging is complete, accidental crouch inputs will no longer interrupt the charged state.

Optimized the visual effects for the Tower BOSS's weapon skills. There is now a greater distinction between the telegraphs of normal and enhanced versions, allowing for better anticipation and strategic response.

Added real-time votes display. The map interface now marks the required votes for specific gates.

Optimized trap trigger detection in platforming challenge rooms to be more forgiving.

Adjusted certain high-difficulty platforming levels to better align the gameplay experience with visual cues.

Fixed an issue where players could exchange Temporalis for Luminite at Saya's before fully unlocking weapon skills.

Fixed an issue where some text in the Database interface was displayed incompletely.

Added a new effect to the Memocard \[Early Academy Days]: the location of Artificial Gems will be visible when equipped.

Adjusted the effect of the Memocard \[Slicing Through]: Kotama will no longer enter a Stagger state when hit while carrying a shield.

We also have some more exciting news today: Steam Community items for Kotama and Academy Citadel are now officially live!This release includes: Emoticons, Profile Backgrounds, Badges, and Trading Cards. You can gradually unlock these Steam Community Items by playing the game, exploring Academy Citadel, and meeting partners with unique personalities throughout your adventure.

If you encounter any bugs or issues during your playthrough, please let us know via the forms[forms.office.com] below. We will review every report carefully as we continue to optimize the game experience and content.

Additionally, we will be keeping a close eye on player comments across all our communities. You are also welcome to join our official groups to chat and share your thoughts: Discord:

https://2pgames.net/discord

Hello everyone!

This is the Academy Citadel Engineering Club. Thank you for your support of Kotama and Academy Citadel; we have been closely monitoring the discussions among all students. First, we want to offer our sincerest apologies for the frustration you’ve experienced. This is our first Metroidvania game, and we are deeply aware of our shortcomings. Thank you, students, for voicing your concerns - this is the most important roadmap for us to move forward.

The following covers the issues you care about (Controller Remapping and Platform Jump Assist) as well as the specific details of this update:

To ensure your current experience remains as smooth as possible, our Engineering Club has already developed a modification plan. It is currently in urgent development. Because controller remapping involves multiple functional modules such as character control, button prompts, and UI interaction, we are unable to include it in today's patch. We sincerely apologize that our lack of experience has led to a poor experience for you; we hope for your understanding. These specific adjustments will be pushed as soon as testing is complete.

Current Temporary Solution:

Operating Guide: Right-click the game in your Steam Library -> Select \[Properties] -> In the \[Controller] tab, select \[Enable Steam Input], and click \[Controller Configurator] to open the settings interface. Once the window is open, click \[Edit Layout] to enter the detailed keybinding menu. You can then adjust the keybindings to best suit your personal preferences.

Additionally, we have noticed feedback regarding RT-type triggers encountering double-mapping or response anomalies after customization. We suggest following the adaptation process below:

We have added clearer prompts in the Central District and along other mandatory paths to ensure more players can easily find and use this tool. Additionally, we have now added the Platform Jump Assist feature to all difficulty levels.

If some students experience whitening or flickering on their screens, it may be because your PC has automatically enabled Auto HDR. This must be turned off manually.

Operating Guide: Open Windows Settings -> System -> Display -> HDR, and turn off the HDR function there.

New:

• Platform Jump Assist can now be enabled in all modes.

Fixes:

• Fixed a low-probability issue where the protagonist could get stuck in narrow passages when the dash has not yet been acquired.

• Fixed a low-probability issue where the protagonist's HP bar UI would disappear after defeating a BOSS.

• Fixed an issue in the Art Academy BOSS battle where the BOSS could clip out of the room, causing a logic lock.

• Fixed an occasional issue where the protagonist's input would lock after the opening dialogue of the Biology Academy BOSS battle.

• Fixed an occasional issue where the protagonist's input would lock during the opening dialogue of the Tower BOSS battle.

• Fixed several other bugs affecting the combat experience.

Optimization:

• Optimized the hit sound effect performance for the Art Academy BOSS.

To us, Kotama and Academy Citadel is more than just a project; it is a growing campus that we are building together with all of you. It is not perfect yet, but we will continue to optimize, fix, and add content. Thank you again for your passionate support, students. Please give us a little more time, and we will respond to every bit of your trust through our future updates.

If you encounter any bugs or issues during your playthrough, please let us know via the forms[forms.office.com] below. We will review every report carefully as we continue to optimize the game experience and content.

Additionally, we will be keeping a close eye on player comments across all our communities. You are also welcome to join our official groups to chat and share your thoughts: Discord:

https://2pgames.net/discord

Academy Citadel Engineering Club