Build 11 has a lot of enhancements, and is a definite step closer to alpha (I'm still aiming for April 2019, but that might slip).

• It now uses Unreal Engine 4.22 and Visual Studio 2019 for building. This brings a number of performance enhancements, and it
  is running a lot faster overall on my test system.
• If you use low detail, the game does a much better job of keeping the overall speed up.
• Popup status effects are easier to read, and are animated.
• Lighting in the sewers has more ambient component, so you can better see what you are doing.
• The overworld has better lighting, and a more ominous sky. It is also no longer drowning in completely unnecessary (default) fog.
• Manged to get an ocean material working in the overworld that puts waves at shorelines. Useless but pretty.

Town Portal Time

• In Wood's Edge, or after you have slain Princess Lustvol, you gain access to a "Netherton Portal" button. It takes you to a town interface, which is about 50% done at this point.
• The plan is to nerf the portal ability slightly in the very near future, so you can't just town-portal out mid battle (you will need to be eligible for time-based healing, which means no enemies in LOS).
• When in town, you can camp (free) and heal up. This also gives monsters on the level their health back.
• You can also spend 10 gold and sleep in the inn, giving you the Well Rested perk for a bit (and also heals monsters on the level). Well Rested is equivalent to a +1 on dice rolls for a while, so it's nice to have.
• In town, you can go to the shoppes. These weren't implemented in time for today's release - next week!
• In town, one can also go to the Tavern. The tavern's mood is governed by your progress in the game, with some (ignorable) flavor text.
• The tavern lets you buy drinks. You can either consume them immediately (which can grant some perks, still working on them) or have them appear in your inventory (since drinks are already good for recovering pools).
• The tavern also lets you buy rations, which appear in your inventory.
• At the tavern, you can bet on a dice game! It's primitive, but it's a fun start (basically craps). The visuals for it will improve immensely in the near future.
• At the tavern you can hire some help who come along with you as a friendly. This didn't make it to this week's build.
• In town, you can also access the crafting workshop - which is planned to drop the week after next (and is the last major game feature to code).

Ferny Ham

Ferny Ham is the first of the optional branches. The halflings are being enslaved by cruel baddies, and you can save them. Along the way, you run into the Resistance, various golem and orcish enemies, and the boss - Prince Gunther. Once Ferny Ham is freed, you (and your team) never need to worry about hunger again - you have a halfling supply chain at your command!

• Broke Ferny Ham out into separate level files for ease of editing/clarity.
• Gave Ferny Ham a complete makeover. Fixed LOD settings on Bog Myrtle bushes, they no longer vanish. Added foliage, fixed up some texture seams, and did a few tweaks to fix performance.
• Balanced Ferny Ham for players of around level 8. It's largely completable now, but not quite finished.
• Started introducing some unique elements for Ferny Ham, such as The Resistance. This is the biggest delay right now, making it interesting. :-)

**Misc. and Bug fixes**

• Automated test runs no longer appear in the leaderboard (oops - I had to delete over 100!)
• Corrected an unusual occurence in the sewer that allowed for the exit to be unreachable due to water, without a levitation potion properly appearing.
• Balance fixes up to Netherton Manor, so the entirety of Act 1 is both completable and roughly fair now. I'm aiming for not dying without being able to think, "you know, I could have done X" - rather than capriciously killing you! It's getting close; the last couple of times I've really tried to play (rather than auto-testing) have ended in a death I could have foreseen if I'd paid more attention.
• Made auto-play (my automated testing mode) a bit smarter. It won't sit around trying skills it can't afford anymore.
• Level message (that isn't a branch, requesting input) auto-forwards to the level 30 seconds after the level becomes available.
• The scoring system gives you a small bonus for keeping friendly units alive at the end of a level. This includes keeping them alive for multiple levels.
• Finished implementing the perks for killing Lustvol; Netherton Manor is now yours, and you can teleport back (think "town portal") to benefit from it. Everyone on the level becomes friendly once her mind control is eliminated, also - giving you a small army (unless you killed everyone...) for the next level.