Patch 08-09

• Both hunters roll crits on their shot. Only four paths in the whole engine ever rolled a crit, so seven of the nine hero skills couldn't — nobody decided that, it fell out of the code. It stays that way on purpose: attack isn't equally good on every hero, which is what makes a build worth discovering. Train crit and it's worth +1.8pp, or +4.6 with two hunters; leave crit low and you will not notice. Starfire still lands grey, and always will.
• Nobody meets a stranger on their first two roads. Run 3 meets the Stranger, guaranteed and alone — the family gets taught by the member that explains it hardest, on the run you can most afford to lose. From run 4 all three roll honest odds (7% / 13% / 20%) and nothing is ever forced again — about one road in three carries one.
• The Expedition's failed climb hurts someone now. It used to charge you storm tension — a price with no surface for four rounds, over a screen full of loot, which read as no price at all. Now the climb breaks off before the rich shelf and one hero limps home with 35% of their health gone. Rest mends it.
• NEW: the game has an address. thelongroad.game — the road, the places, the storm, and a devlog built out of these notes.

Kept rough on purpose: the mailing list isn't double opt-in yet, so signing up today does nothing except add a line to a file. No mail goes out until that's fixed.