Indie Archaelund: RPG that combines 1st-person exploration with 3rd-person TB combat - now available on Early Access

[Abu Antar]

Posted very early game screens in the Screenshot thread.

Performance is okay, put the graphics on Ultra, everything maxed out. After the first fight, I did have a graphical issue that mesed up my whole PC. It was like the screen was transporting me to either the afterlife, or a new dimension. Every time I pressed a button, the screen would go bananas. A reboot later, and a fights more never encountered it agian.

Creating a party was straightforward. Made a lizard barbarian, a gobbo burglar, a gobbo healer, and a minotaur body guard. I tried to cover as many non-coombt skills as I could. I don't know if I messed up my characters, but I feel like setting up a party wasn't too confusing, with easy to understand attributes. I haven't figured out if you can change the formation of your party, though. Fights have been pretty quick, but there are lots of misses from both sides. (I looked in the menu, and you can speed up combat animations up to 2.5X, but I haven't tried, yet. In one of the fights, the enemy got in a nice crit on my tank, with 12 damage. That tells me that I should at least look into having one good crit specialist in the party, because that was a significant damage boost. I have finall found real weapons for the gladiator, and burglar. Also one armour found.

I'm too early in to say anything about exploration. Still at the starting area, getting familiar with the surroundings. Environments look good enough for me. Loading screen art looks good. Music is solid. Menus are a bit ugly, but they have everything you need presented in an orderly fashion (other than the formation option, if there even is one.)

It's 3.30AM, which means I won't play more for now. Hopefully, I get to play some more when I wake up (or in a few days), and share more incoherent impressions. If anyone has any questions, or wants me to look up anything in the game, post, and I will do my best to accommodate your wishes.

What about UI/NPC icons/battlefield colors? From videos and screenshots looks like there are too many bright colors on screen when you're in combat and it feels a bit annoying and to mine immersivity. What's your opinion about it (if i made myself clear)?

I can't say that it really bothered me. I think that the UI could need a bit of visual rework for the final version of the game, but the screenshot below gives a fair picture of how colorful things are in combat.

 

[Iluvcheezcake]

Im just upset that best mages are barefoot bug eyed frogmen

 

[Iluvcheezcake]

Posted very early game screens in the Screenshot thread.

Performance is okay, put the graphics on Ultra, everything maxed out. After the first fight, I did have a graphical issue that mesed up my whole PC. It was like the screen was transporting me to either the afterlife, or a new dimension. Every time I pressed a button, the screen would go bananas. A reboot later, and a fights more never encountered it agian.

Creating a party was straightforward. Made a lizard barbarian, a gobbo burglar, a gobbo healer, and a minotaur body guard. I tried to cover as many non-coombt skills as I could. I don't know if I messed up my characters, but I feel like setting up a party wasn't too confusing, with easy to understand attributes. I haven't figured out if you can change the formation of your party, though. Fights have been pretty quick, but there are lots of misses from both sides. (I looked in the menu, and you can speed up combat animations up to 2.5X, but I haven't tried, yet. In one of the fights, the enemy got in a nice crit on my tank, with 12 damage. That tells me that I should at least look into having one good crit specialist in the party, because that was a significant damage boost. I have finall found real weapons for the gladiator, and burglar. Also one armour found.

I'm too early in to say anything about exploration. Still at the starting area, getting familiar with the surroundings. Environments look good enough for me. Loading screen art looks good. Music is solid. Menus are a bit ugly, but they have everything you need presented in an orderly fashion (other than the formation option, if there even is one.)

It's 3.30AM, which means I won't play more for now. Hopefully, I get to play some more when I wake up (or in a few days), and share more incoherent impressions. If anyone has any questions, or wants me to look up anything in the game, post, and I will do my best to accommodate your wishes.

What about UI/NPC icons/battlefield colors? From videos and screenshots looks like there are too many bright colors on screen when you're in combat and it feels a bit annoying and to mine immersivity. What's your opinion about it (if i made myself clear)?

I can't say that it really bothered me. I think that the UI could need a bit of visual rework for the final version of the game, but the screenshot below gives a fair picture of how colorful things are in combat.

Also, wouldnt hexagons work better than squares, whild being more pleasing to the eye?

Like in Blackguards

 

[Litmanen]

Posted very early game screens in the Screenshot thread.

Performance is okay, put the graphics on Ultra, everything maxed out. After the first fight, I did have a graphical issue that mesed up my whole PC. It was like the screen was transporting me to either the afterlife, or a new dimension. Every time I pressed a button, the screen would go bananas. A reboot later, and a fights more never encountered it agian.

Creating a party was straightforward. Made a lizard barbarian, a gobbo burglar, a gobbo healer, and a minotaur body guard. I tried to cover as many non-coombt skills as I could. I don't know if I messed up my characters, but I feel like setting up a party wasn't too confusing, with easy to understand attributes. I haven't figured out if you can change the formation of your party, though. Fights have been pretty quick, but there are lots of misses from both sides. (I looked in the menu, and you can speed up combat animations up to 2.5X, but I haven't tried, yet. In one of the fights, the enemy got in a nice crit on my tank, with 12 damage. That tells me that I should at least look into having one good crit specialist in the party, because that was a significant damage boost. I have finall found real weapons for the gladiator, and burglar. Also one armour found.

I'm too early in to say anything about exploration. Still at the starting area, getting familiar with the surroundings. Environments look good enough for me. Loading screen art looks good. Music is solid. Menus are a bit ugly, but they have everything you need presented in an orderly fashion (other than the formation option, if there even is one.)

It's 3.30AM, which means I won't play more for now. Hopefully, I get to play some more when I wake up (or in a few days), and share more incoherent impressions. If anyone has any questions, or wants me to look up anything in the game, post, and I will do my best to accommodate your wishes.

What about UI/NPC icons/battlefield colors? From videos and screenshots looks like there are too many bright colors on screen when you're in combat and it feels a bit annoying and to mine immersivity. What's your opinion about it (if i made myself clear)?

I can't say that it really bothered me. I think that the UI could need a bit of visual rework for the final version of the game, but the screenshot below gives a fair picture of how colorful things are in combat.

Also, wouldnt hexagons work better than squares, whild being more pleasing to the eye?

Like in Blackguards

Never played Blackguards but, generally speaking, I would prefer hexagons too, but it isn't strictly fundamental for me.

I had seen this screen and that was why I asked you that question. Maybe there is to much yellow. I can see why to use yellow in the combat log, but those yellow squares are really annoying for me.

Than, again: these are just small cosmetic nuances and this game will be my game of the year whenever it comes out.

 

[Abu Antar]

Steam doesn't show it, since my internet was down for a few hours, but I finished the beach area, and am now running around with a five man party. The party entered a dilapitated temple of some sorts, and we found a way to press on. It took me a good minute to figure out how to light my torch. Survivability is decent, but enemey crits like monster trucks.

I tried to spread non-combat skills, to cover everything. I have been mostly lucky with my rolls, except when my character tries to extract plants, etc.

One of my characters, I feel like I messed up. He has too little AP, and I can't move him from the back row. It seems like you can get good positioning in combat if you click on the enemies during exöloration. You can then back off and wait for the enemy to try reach your party.

I'm undecided if I will exhaust all EA content, or just play a few more hours, and then wait.

 

[DavidBVal]

One of my characters, I feel like I messed up. He has too little AP, and I can't move him from the back row. It seems like you can get good positioning in combat if you click on the enemies during exöloration. You can then back off and wait for the enemy to try reach your party.

You can alter party order and put him in front, in the "Party Options" menu. Enter interaction mode (Tab or right click) and it's the button to the right. You can drag them around.

If you added certain person to your party, it might also be a good idea to move him to the front.

 

[Abu Antar]

One of my characters, I feel like I messed up. He has too little AP, and I can't move him from the back row. It seems like you can get good positioning in combat if you click on the enemies during exöloration. You can then back off and wait for the enemy to try reach your party.

You can alter party order and put him in front, in the "Party Options" menu. Enter interaction mode (Tab or right click) and it's the button to the right. You can drag them around.

If you added certain person to your party, it might also be a good idea to move him to the front.

Thanks, having the tank in the front row will help a lot.

You have a real good game on your hands. and I hope everything goes well with future plans for it.

 

[mediocrepoet]

One of my characters, I feel like I messed up. He has too little AP, and I can't move him from the back row. It seems like you can get good positioning in combat if you click on the enemies during exöloration. You can then back off and wait for the enemy to try reach your party.

You can alter party order and put him in front, in the "Party Options" menu. Enter interaction mode (Tab or right click) and it's the button to the right. You can drag them around.

If you added certain person to your party, it might also be a good idea to move him to the front.

Thanks, having the tank in the front row will help a lot.

Only elves try to "tank" from the back.

Or frogmen in this game's case, I guess.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Only elves try to "tank" from the back.

Guess someone forget to tell them tank does not refer to storage tanks.

 

[Abu Antar]

Cross posting this screen.

I went further than this, but I took no more screenshots. I wandered around the city, and the outskirts for a little bit, and accepted some quests. For me, this game feels like the real deal in terms of being hyped about a game, and it looking like it will deliver.

Some QoL things, though: I did not find a way to sort inventory during my playthrough, other than manually moving items around. In dialog, once you exhaust the options of one conversation, the dialog ends. It would be nice if once you have exhausted all questions for one thing, to offer a "back" option. When selling items, I did not think about it then, but it would be quicker to allow to double click an item to sell it (if this is in, ignore this request).

I will try the game out again, once another big patch gets released.

 

[Iluvcheezcake]

Really looking forward to your game mister, bought it, played it a little and liked it but I will wait until 1.0 hits as not to burn myself out. Good luck

 

[Hydro]

Why can’t we have beautiful games anymore?

 

[Spike]

Why can’t we have beautiful games anymore?

I hope you mean "like this one"!

 

[belated]

Is there a type of respec option somewhere that I've missed? If not then I'll have to skip the joinable apprentice (with near identical skills/disciplines/spells to my own apprentice!) and go for the hunter instead.
Also, will there maybe be a new race added in 0.9 in addition to new classes?

Edit: Just read "You will be able to redistribute all companion skill points once." (from the next update) on the steam forum. Wonder if this include disciplines/spells.

 

[Abu Antar]

Archaelund
Announcement
A few details about next update
Hello everyone!

In my last news post back in december I estimated update 0.8.3 would be released in late February at the earliest, and things are going as expected. All the new scenery is 95% ready (and that has been a huge amount of work). Coding required for this update is nearly done as well, including the QoL improvements, new level cap and other stuff.

What remains to be done, then? writing dialogues, journal entries, planning and rigging encounters, and also implementing a few new effects and powers is, roughly, halfway done. Then doing internal testing of it all, and doing a full revision and adjustment of the new stuff. If nothing weird happens, a Beta will be out by late february or early march. If there's a delay, it shouldn't be significant.

Here is a provisional list of what will be included in 0.8.3.

-New outdoor region, plus several dungeons.
-Level cap raised to 6, new Rank III spells added.
-Balance adjustment: Characters gain 2 Skill Points at level 1 of any Career, be it at character creation or when a new Career is entered. The points are gained retroactively.
-You can now redistribute your companions' skill points once.
-A single Potion of Deep Breath now affects your whole party when consumed. The alchemy ingredients for producing it have been updated.
-Added an option to order your party inventory and stash by item type.
-Quests can now be filtered/searched by text.
-Hotbuttons can now be correctly used during combat with keys 0-9.
-You can now press 'Y' to delay your combat turn(can be remapped to any key).
-Added a new option to set more exact framerate limits in Settings.

This only includes the main items on the list, because a dozen bugfixes have been included, as well as many minor balance adjustments.

It's important to remember that I take my time when writing, and I often rewrite dialogues or entire quests from scratch. That's why there's a little uncertainty in how long it'll take.

Can't wait to release all the cool new stuff. See you in the forums!

--
David