Icy Veins

Chrono Odyssey Plans on Making BIG Changes

After several weeks of silence, the team at Chrono Odyssey just shared Part 2 of their Developer’s Notes, which includes a long list of planned changes coming to Chrono Odyssey. Part 1 of the Chrono Odyssey Developer’s Notes included mentions of changes coming to animations, combat responsiveness, performance, optimization, lighting, and other graphic enhancements.

Part 2 of the Chrono Odyssey Developer’s Notes are much, much more in-depth, and include the following topics:

  • Combat Systems
  • Content & Open World
  • Progression & Gameplay Flexibility
  • Technical Stability
  • Art (Design & Animations)
  • UI & UX
  • Balance
  • Social Features
  • In-game Guidance
  • Sound
  • Narrative

The team at Chrono Odyssey share these Developer’s Notes in a format that highlights the existing issues, and then their plan on how to handle them. We will be highlighting some of the major, most important (and surprising) changes below.

For a full list of all changes, be sure to check out their official Developer’s Notes #2: End of the Closed Beta Part 2 post.

Please Note: There are A LOT of changes coming to Chrono Odyssey. The listed changes below do not include all of them – just some of the ones that we believe are most impactful to the game.

Combat System Updates

Input Responsiveness

[Issues]

  • Long recovery frames made it difficult to input new commands during ongoing animations.
  • Certain motions remained unresponsive even after visual completion.
  • Weapon swapping and other combat actions suffered from input buffering, resulting in delayed response.
  • Some content felt sluggish due to latency issues.
  • UI interactions lacked clear visual feedback, making it hard to confirm whether an input was registered.

[Our Plan]

  • We’ll be adjusting the interruption timing for movement, attack, and skill animations to improve responsiveness.
  • The buffering window for inputs will be significantly reduced to prevent unintended actions from being triggered.
  • Colors and effects across all interactions will be adjusted, and a unified UI kit will be introduced to improve clarity and visual feedback.
  • A system-level feedback cue will be added when players attempt to cancel out a non-interruptible action.
  • To further improve input responsiveness, we’ll be reviewing client-server packet transmission and optimizing network performance.

Controller / Keyboard & Mouse Experience

[Issues]

  • The current UI was not specifically designed with either control scheme in mind, resulting in inconsistent and uncomfortable experiences across both setups.
  • Many in-game interactions were developed around controller input, making keyboard & mouse controls feel unintuitive.Controller users experienced difficulties with ranged targeting, and lacked access to fine-tuned settings such sensitivity adjustment, vibration/haptic feedback, accessibility options, and overall responsiveness.

[Our Plan]

  • Keyboard & Mouse
    • UX will be optimized specifically for keyboard & mouse environments.
    • Hold interactions, which are commonly used for controller inputs, will be minimized or removed.
  • Controller
    • UX will be optimized specifically for controller environments.
    • UI pages with inconvenient key mapping (e.g., Inventory) will be redesigned for better navigation.
    • Preset options inspired by Soulslike and MMORPG control schemes will also be added.
  • Universal Improvements
    • UI navigation depth will be minimized, and essential functions will be reassigned to more accessible buttons.
    • To support more personalized control experiences, custom key mapping options and various input settings such as sensitivity scaling and input inversion will be enhanced.
    • We’ll be improving the lock-on feature to reduce control inconsistencies during combat for a more seamless experience.
    • Skills will now consistently target locked-on enemies, rather than firing based on the current camera direction.

Damage Feedback

[Issues]

  • Damage feedback often felt weak, reducing the sense of impact when taking hits.
  • Incoming damage often went unnoticed when players were interacting with menus.
  • Misaligned hitboxes and network latency caused outcomes that didn’t match what was displayed on screen.

[Our Plan]

  • Damage notifications will be improved to ensure players recognize incoming damage, even while using the in-game menu.
  • Enemy attack motions, visual effects, and hitboxes will be aligned to improve clarity.
  • Client-server response times will be optimized to minimize hit and damage timing delays.
  • New hit reaction animations will be added based on the type of enemy attack, improving the visibility of effects like stagger and knockback.
  • Sound and camera effects will be enhanced to improve the sense of impact.
  • Baseline hit animations will be refined so that attacks produce a consistent and noticeable visual reaction.

Skill Synergies

[Issues]

  • Skill chaining felt difficult to execute due to lack of synergy between abilities.
  • Passive skill enhancements were often more efficient, reducing incentive to use active skill combos.

[Our Plan]

  • The skill system will be refined to support a wider range of playstyles, even within the same class or weapon.
  • Each weapon will support four distinct combat styles, allowing players to create builds based on their progression path.
  • Skill synergies will not be limited to a single weapon. Skills across different weapons will link together, opening up various combinations.
  • We will continue to develop skill chaining and progression systems over time, reinforcing a structure that’s easy to grasp yet hard to master.

Class Balance

[Issues]

  • All classes currently share similar roles (tank/healer/DPS), lacking distinct identity.
  • Ranged classes are easier to play compared to melee classes.
  • Monster AI does not pose a meaningful threat to ranged classes.
  • There are significant balance discrepancies between the three weapons available for each class.

[Our Plan]

  • Monster AI will be improved to ensure monsters respond more effectively to ranged attacks.
  • Introduction of the Matrix system (skill tree nodes)
    • The Matrix will allow players to choose specific roles for each weapon, reinforcing  combat style identity.
    • Even when using the same weapon, players will be able to choose from four distinct styles based on their progression path.
    • Based on progression paths, the same skill may deliver a different combat experience.
    • With the introduction of the Matrix system, all classes will be re-evaluated for combat balance.

Overall Difficulty (PvE)

[Issues]

  • Players encountered sharp difficulty spikes when entering certain content too early.
  • Lack of guidance on recommended levels or clear progression paths caused players to give up.
  • The game’s non-linear design contributed to uneven difficulty jumps.

[Our Plan]

  • First Chrono Gate (Thousandfold Piercer)
    • Players will now reach the first Chrono Gate around level 5 instead of level 3.
      • Additional progression paths will be introduced before entering the first Chrono Gate.
    • Players will have the option to enter the first Chrono Gate alongside an NPC for support.
  • Solo/Party Content
    • Solo and party content will have clearer rules and revised patterns.
      • Solo content such as Chrono Gates, Labyrinths, and Trials will be redesigned with deeper, technical combat rather than fighting enemy mobs
      • Party content such as Expedition and Time Portals will feature varied mission objectives that emphasize strategic, role-based gameplay.
  • Others
    • Core content will now include guidance for recommended party size, level range, and gear score.

Overall Difficulty (PvP)

[Issues]

  • It was difficult to recognize duel zones due to the lack of clear visual boundaries.

[Our Plan]

  • A visual barrier will be added to indicate the boundaries of the duel zone.
  • A warning notification will appear when a player nears the edge of the zone.
  • A result pop-up will be added at the end of each duel.

Content & Open World

Content Density & Regional Distinction

[Issues]

  • Low content density and a lack of regional distinction led to underutilized areas and reduced immersion.

[Our Plan]

  • We’ll be increasing content density throughout the world and introducing new exploration elements, such as themed caves and diverse exploration routes.
  • To help players navigate through the world more easily, we’ll be adding landmarks to complex or hard-to-navigate areas.
  • Gathering materials such as herbs and ores will have clearer textures to make them easier to locate.
  • We’ll be adding scenic viewpoints that reveal breathtaking landscapes as players turn corners or reach elevated terrain.
  • Guidance elements will be added to travel paths to help players discover core content such as Chrono Gates.

Bland & Repetitive Map Design

[Issues]

  • Despite the expansive open world, terrain textures felt repetitive and underwhelming.
  • Environmental details lacked polish, creating a noticeable gap between what was shown in trailers.

[Our Plan]

  • Region-specific features such as swamps, misty forests, wildflower fields, and grasslands will be further enhanced to strengthen visual identity.
  • A dynamic grass system will be implemented, and the wind system will be improved to create immersive environmental interactions based on player movement.

POI Exploration

[Issues]

  • POIs often lacked meaningful content or rewards, which led to a disappointing experience.

[Our Plan]

  • We’ll be introducing hidden caves, narrative encounters, and gathering opportunities to POIs to make exploration more rewarding.

Gathering Feedback

[Issues]

  • It was difficult to tell if gathering was successful due to a lack of clear visual feedback.
  • Gathering effects were too plain, making the overall process tedious.

[Our Plan]

  • Gathering animations, effects, and sounds will be enhanced to make the process more rewarding.
  • Visual and sound effects for material disappearance upon successful gathering will be enhanced.

Exploration Rewards

[Issues]

  • Exploration lacked meaningful ties to core content, which led to a weaker sense of purpose.
  • Rewards were not compelling enough, making exploration feel inefficient and less engaging.

[Our Plan]

  • New Dynamic Quests and Chain Quests will be introduced, unlocked exclusively through exploring specific areas.
  • Hidden rewards will be added to strengthen the purpose of exploration.
  • Rare achievements and titles exclusive to exploration will be introduced.

Content Engagement & Rewards

[Issues]

  • The value of rewards often felt underwhelming compared to content difficulty, diminishing the intended loop of challenge, reward, and progression.
  • The drop rates of high-value items were too low, making content feel more tiring than motivating.
  • Progression was heavily reliant on life skills, which reduced the appeal of exploration, combat, and co-op activities, especially in early stages of the game.

[Our Plan]

  • The progression structure will be refined to ensure players can progress through a variety of content, including world exploration.
    • Each type of content will feature distinct progression mechanics designed to boost motivation and encourage participation.

Repetitive Quest Structure

[Issues]

  • Local quests feel overly repetitive, making the overall gameplay experience less engaging.

[Our Plan]

  • Beyond the main questline, we’re adding meaningful events tailored to each region, along with quests that feature unique, memorable characters.
  • We’re also reworking certain quests so that player choices influence how they progress and conclude, aiming to create a more varied and dynamic experience.

Incoming Dungeon Updates

[Issues]

  • The current dungeon experience leans too heavily on combat, whether in solo or party play.
  • While solo dungeons received positive feedback, the overall experience still lacked depth and polish.

[Our Plan]

  • [Expedition Dungeons]
    • We’re introducing randomized gimmicks to make each run feel unique.
    • Depending on the path you take, you’ll encounter different bosses, treasure chests, and other events for a more dynamic experience.
    • To encourage replayability, additional rewards will be granted when completing the same dungeon multiple times.
  • [Trials]
    • We’re enhancing the overall atmosphere of Trials and layout variety across chambers to make the experience feel more distinct.
    • A new card system is on the way, offering buffs and debuffs that introduce a strategic, rogue-lite element to each run.
  • [Labyrinths]
    • More revival points will be added, allowing players to restart from the middle instead of going back to the entrance.
    • Levers will be replaced with platform-style buttons to keep gameplay flow smooth and uninterrupted.
  • [Time Portals]
    • Each run will include varied combat setups and new gimmicks to keep the experience fresh.
  • [Chrono Gates]
    • To support replayability, we’ll be adding new accomplishments and a variety of exclusive rewards.

Open-World Boss Rewards

[Issues]

  • Some high-difficulty content, like field bosses, often felt unrewarding relative to the amount of effort required.
  • On top of that, the lack of clear notifications made it hard to tell when or if rewards had been received.

[Our Plan]

  • Field bosses will now drop unique, boss-specific gear, making them feel more meaningful and worth the challenge.
  • Players who contribute to the fight will also see clear visual and audio feedback when receiving rewards, improving the overall sense of progression.

Progression & Gameplay Flexibility

Stat Effects

[Issues]

  • The lack of clear explanations for each stat led to confusion about their actual impact.

[Our Plan]

  • We’re adding detailed descriptions for stats and updating the UI so players can clearly see what benefits they gain.

B. Progression Curve

[Issues]

  • The EXP curve beyond level 10 made leveling feel unnecessarily slow.
  • After the second Chrono Gate, many players weren’t sure how to progress or where to head next.

[Our Plan]

  • We will be significantly reducing the EXP cost after level 10 to smooth out the progression flow.
  • Following the second Chrono Gate, new guides will help players stay on track and engaged.

Gear Farming

[Issues]

  • Repetitive farming loops caused the game to feel stale over time.
  • Core content like dungeons lacked replayability, with each run offering little variation in encounters or patterns.

[Our Plan]

  • We’re planning to increase incentives for exploring the open world, encouraging players to challenge themselves with a wider range of content.
    • Players will be able to obtain unique gear in the open world that includes additional passive effects. This will offer new goals and motivations for gear farming.
    • Beyond gear, rewards like Elixir Chests, Chronotector Enhancement Points, and Matrix Points will also be obtainable through open-world activities.
  • We’re also introducing an alternative path where players can trade in a set amount of collected materials for a specific item of their choice.

Enhancement System

[Issues]

  • Obtaining enhancement materials with Gold and having a 100% success rate made the overall experience less exciting.

[Our Plan]

  • Instead of making it a repetitive process, enhancement materials will be given out as a one-time reward.
  • Players will now be able to find enhancement materials by exploring the world.

Crafting Interface

[Issues]

  • The crafting interface lacked proper guidance, making it difficult for players to understand how the system worked or which materials were required.
  • Crafting levels and their effects weren’t clearly explained.
  • It was also hard to tell what each material was used for, which made crafting outcomes feel unintuitive.
  • Additionally, the item list wasn’t sorted in a meaningful way, forcing players to scroll through long lists just to find relevant recipes.

[Our Plan]

  • To better explain the benefits of higher crafting levels, we’re adding a dedicated page or interface section that breaks down their effects.
  • A new bookmark feature will let players track required materials for specific items, making it easier to follow the crafting process step by step.
  • We’re also improving the interface so it prioritizes recipes relevant to the player’s class and level, improving overall usability.

Gear & Skill Presets

[Issues]

  • Without a preset system, players had to manually swap out gear and skills every time they wanted to change builds, which was time-consuming and inconvenient.

[Our Plan]

  • We’re introducing gear and skill presets, allowing players to quickly switch between different playstyles.

Technical Stability

Frame Drops & Input Delay

[Issues]

  • Unstable frame rates during combat made the game feel less responsive than it actually was.
  • Certain skills and visual effects caused noticeable frame drops.
  • Additional frame drops occurred when large groups of players gathered, such as in party or raid content.
  • Frame drops led to delayed skill inputs and reduced responsiveness.
  • Network delays further impacted character movement, skill casting, hit reactions, and hitbox accuracy.
  • Timing, distance calculations, and collision detection were also affected, making combat feel sluggish and inconsistent.

[Our Plan]

  • We’re conducting a full review of background loading processes, especially those triggered during combat, to reduce frame drops.
  • The number of skill effects spawned will be adjusted to improve performance during combat.
  • We’re also analyzing and optimizing tasks that are delayed within each frame to improve the consistency and timing of server-side processing.
  • To reduce network-related delays, smaller zones and certain types of combat content will be migrated to dedicated servers for more stable performance.

Stuttering

[Issues]

  • Stuttering occurred due to delays in server-client synchronization.
  • Frame drops occurred upon loading new areas.
  • Real-time loading of world resources led to noticeable stuttering for some players.

[Our Plan]

  • We are optimizing server transitions to improve performance when crossing areas.
  • Client-side spawn logic will be refined during synchronization phases to streamline world resource loading.
  • Map data will be optimized and transferred more efficiently during area transitions to minimize frame drops.
  • We’re also optimizing world resources to reduce interruptions while moving between areas.

Art (Design & Animations)

UI Design

[Issues]

  • The current UI feels generic and lacks identity, coming across as too similar to other games.

[Our Plan]

  • We’re revamping the UI with distinct patterns, color palettes, and animations tailored specifically to Chrono Odyssey’s visual style.

Character Movement

[Issues]

  • Movement animations often felt disconnected, especially during sharp turns or rapid direction changes.
  • Sprinting and sprint-jumping caused noticeable breaks in animation flow.
  • Characters appeared to slide unnaturally due to excessive inertia at high speeds.

[Our Plan]

  • Re-syncing Animations
    • Character animations will be re-synchronized to reflect movement speed and direction more accurately.
    • We’re refining transition rules between skills and hit reactions by defining more precise conditions and tightening blend timings, ensuring smoother transitions.
    • Misalignments between animation and actual movement direction will also be addressed.
  • Animation Lock Adjustments
    • Animation locks that previously limited control, especially when returning to idle states, will be reduced.
    • These adjustments will allow players to regain control more quickly and fluidly.
  • Character movement speed will be adjusted to improve responsiveness.
  • Inertia will be either reduced or removed to prevent overextension when stopping from high speeds.
  • We’re reworking animations to resolve issues where characters appeared desynced during sudden direction changes.
    • By removing Distance Matching from regular movement and improving Pivot behavior, we aim to ensure that animation direction aligns accurately with player input.
      • What is Distance Matching?
        • Distance Matching is a technique that aligns the distance shown in an animation with the character’s actual in-game movement. While it enhances visual realism, it can interfere with responsiveness, especially during skill usage, terrain shifts, sharp direction changes, or real-time player input. We’re removing this system from general movement to provide players with more direct, responsive control.
      • What are Pivots?
        • Pivots are rotational animations triggered when a character changes direction in place. Refining pivot responsiveness helps eliminate awkward spins or sliding, making character movement feel more grounded and realistic.

UI & UX

HUD Updates

[Issues]

  • The HUD was too large, often blocking important areas of the screen during combat.

[Our Plan]

  • We’re reviewing HUD scaling and layout adjustments to reduce screen obstruction.
  • Notification priorities, such as level-up pop-ups, will be rebalanced. The size and design of HUD elements will also be refined to minimize visual interference during gameplay.

[Issues]

  • HP, buffs, and cooldown indicators were too small in proportion to the rest of the HUD, making them hard to track during gameplay.

[Our Plan]

  • The visibility of HP, buffs, and cooldown indicators will be revised for better visibility.
  • The stamina gauge will be reworked in terms of color, size, and placement to improve clarity.
    • The stamina gauge will remain visible even when the HUD is hidden.
  • Buff icons will be resized and repositioned to match the updated HUD layout.
  • Buff and debuff effects (FX) will be adjusted to make them easier to notice during gameplay.

Quest Navigation

[Issues]

  • Quest markers lacked visibility and accuracy, making it difficult for players to track and progress through quests.

[Our Plan]

  • The color scheme of quest markers will be adjusted to improve visibility.
  • All active quests will now have their markers displayed on the World Map for easier navigation.

Tutorial

[Issues]

  • Many players had difficulty understanding the game’s systems and content.
  • Early-game guides that appeared as pop-ups couldn’t be viewed again later.

[Our Plan]

  • The tutorial will be improved to provide clearer guidance, especially during the early stages of the game.
  • A new guide tab will be added, allowing players to revisit tutorials for core systems and content at any time.
  • After reaching the first Chrono Gate (Thousandfold Piercer), a progression guide will appear to help players navigate the next steps more smoothly.

Balance

Gold Updates

[Issues]

  • Players often acquired Gold without clear guidance on how or where to use it.
  • The overall structure for earning and spending Gold was underdeveloped, making it difficult to use currency effectively.

[Our Plan]

  • Gold rewards from Epic Quests will be increased to ensure players have enough during the early stages of the game.
  • Guidance will be added for content like Bounty Hunting, Local Quests, and Time Portals, where players can earn larger amounts of Gold.

Loot Values

[Issues]

  • The Gold value of loot was too low, making players feel that rewards were meaningless or not worth collecting.

[Our Plan]

  • We’re reviewing item values and adjusting prices so that loot can serve as a reliable source of Gold income.

Social Deatures

Party System & Social UI

[Issues]

  • The party system was not intuitive, making it difficult for players to understand or use its features effectively.

[Our Plan]

  • Social features will be expanded to chat lists and the player interaction UI.
    • Party invites, guild invites, and friend requests will be accessible through both the player menu and chat windows.
  • The UX for friend, party, and guild interfaces will be improved to reduce unnecessary steps.
  • The search and result windows for friend, party, and guild menus will be reworked for better clarity.
    • Sorting options will be added to social and search UIs.

[Issues]

  • The party UI and system guidance were lacking, making it difficult for players to coordinate effectively.

[Our Plan]

  • A notification system will be introduced to help party members share their status more easily.
    • Notification types will include danger alerts, location pings, and wait pings.
    • Notifications will appear through chat messages, sound cues, and compass markers.
  • When a party member is in danger, an alert will be sent to all other members to improve group responsiveness.

Communication (Chat Window)

[Issues]

  • Closing a chat tab would always default the window back to global chat, disrupting player experience.

[Our Plan]

  • Closing a tab will now return players to the previously used chat, rather than defaulting to global.
  • Drafted messages will no longer be deleted when switching between tabs.
  • Chat tabs such as global, party, and others will be visually distinguished using different colors.

In-Game Guidance

In-Game Guides

[Issues]

  • There was a lack of detailed guidance for core systems and content, making it difficult for players to understand progression and mechanics.

[Our Plan]

  • New guides will be added to support players during the early game and provide detailed explanations for various content and progression systems.
    • Early Game
      • Combat tutorials will be added, covering weapon swapping and related controls.
      • Control guides and system tutorials will be included to help players understand core mechanics.
    • Core Content
      • After reaching the first Chrono Gate (Thousandfold Piercer), progression guides will be introduced to help players navigate the game.
      • Key content for earning Gold, including Bounty Hunting, Local Quests, and Time Portals, will have dedicated guides.
    • Quests
      • Quest tracking will be improved to help players locate objectives more easily. (For exploration-focused quests, guidance will be limited to maintain a sense of discovery while still offering helpful direction.)
    • Other
      • A new guide system will allow players to revisit past tutorials at any time.
      • Additional guidance will be added for returning to inns. Also, visibility of the inn function will be improved for better accessibility.

Sound

[Issues]

  • Some weapons lacked audio that matched their visuals. Ranged weapons, in particular, felt weak when hitting targets, and the sound was often too quiet at long distances.
  • The BGM feels repetitive and lacks variety across different gameplay situations.

[Our Plan]

  • Weapon sounds will be adjusted to better reflect their visuals and sense of weight. A new firing sound will be added for crossbows to give them a more distinct presence.
  • The attenuation effect for ranged weapons will be refined so that hits are clearly audible, even at longer distances.
  • BGM delay times will be adjusted to improve flow between scenes.
  • More varied music tracks will be introduced, with BGMs assigned to smaller areas to allow for a broader range of music.

Narrative


The narrative of Chrono Odyssey is currently undergoing a complete overhaul. Our goal is to deliver a story that allows players to become more deeply immersed in the world and its lore.

As you can see, there are MANY changes coming to Chrono Odyssey based on player feedback. We’re excited to see the future development of Chrono Odyssey, as well as these implemented changes coming soon. Stay tuned for more Chrono Odyssey content!

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