KickStarter SKALD: Against the Black Priory - retro RPG inspired by Ultima

[flushfire]

What the hell man. I was impressed with the art direction when I first saw this. "This is how pixel art should be done" is what I thought. Now it's looking like every tryhard pixelart game out there.

 

[Contagium]

Skald: An Unknown Realm of Perilous Sieges, release date: unknown.

Is this ever coming out?

 

[grimace]

https://youtu.be/u3j74yZAEtM?si=XuluMb8v25dSyYXX

Let's talk with Al (Skald: Against the Black Priory)​

the Lost Sectors
1.79K subscribers

1,073 views Sep 24, 2023
I sit down to talk with Al from SkapeIt and Raw Fury.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

 

[Ranselknulf]

System Requirements​

Minimum:

• OS: Windows 7+
• Processor: x64 1 GHz or faster
• Memory: 1 GB RAM
• DirectX: Version 9.0
• Storage: 200 MB available space

Recommended:

• OS: Windows 7+
• Processor: x64 1 GHz or faster
• Memory: 2 GB RAM
• DirectX: Version 10
• Storage: 200 MB available space

"Skald: Against the Black Priory" is Copyright © 2022-2026 High North Studios AS. High North Studios AS logo and Skald logo are trademarks of High North Studios AS, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

[Melan]

Does the "2026" in "Copyright © 2022-2026" refer to the release date?

 

[cyborgboy95]

SKALD: Against the Black Priory will launch in Spring 2024!
Greetings, and happy Rawcember everyone!


Let’s dive straight into our big announcement for the end of 2023:
The launch of SKALD: Against the Black Priory is now officially set for Spring 2024!

Over the past year, Anders and the team have been hard at work on the game in order to craft a memorable adventure that we know you’ll enjoy, and we truly can’t wait for you to see and experience it by yourself.

To give you a glimpse of what to expect in the final game, we have put together a new trailer that you can see below

Every system in the game has undergone meticulous polishing and significant enhancements since we last showcased it back in January 2023. But that's not all—additional features and improvements are still in the works to ensure that you’ll have a blast playing through the final game, whilst exploring its world and uncovering its mysteries.

Our free demo has been updated and now features an early look at some of the new features mentioned above, including font customization options, difficulty settings, and other accessibility or quality of life improvements.

As we gear up for the launch, you can expect more frequent updates and new content drops from us, so stay tuned by wishlisting the game on Steam and following us on social media!

Also, don't hesitate to drop a comment to share your reactions or questions about the game if you have any.


We can't wait for you to experience SKALD when it launches in Spring 2024!


The Raw Fury team

 

[Abu Antar]

While it still looks cool, I disapprove of the new lighting.

 

[Contagium]

While it still looks cool, I disapprove of the new lighting.

What about it don't you like? It seems a little ill fitting with the overall aesthetic, is there anything more specific?

 

[Abu Antar]

While it still looks cool, I disapprove of the new lighting.

What about it don't you like? It seems a little ill fitting with the overall aesthetic, is there anything more specific?

I just like the previous look. It wanted to ape a certain era of games, while the lighting is a more modern thing. It doesn't mesh well.

 

[Tyranicon]

A new update for the demo apparently dropped and introduced new fonts!

Bad news is that the new fonts are basically just as bad for readability, and there is only 1 option for "technical fonts" but at least it's improvement!

 

[Morgoth]

If you use one of the bigger fonts, and blur it with the CRT filter, it becomes quite legible.

 

[Lyric Suite]

Can anybody explain why when i look at games from the 90s and 80s everything looks clean and easy to make out no matter how "primitive" the visuals may be while more than half of those "retro" inspired pixel art games look like a complete clusterfuck?

 

[Morgoth]

Can anybody explain why when i look at games from the 90s and 80s everything looks clean and easy to make out no matter how "primitive" the visuals may be while more than half of those "retro" inspired pixel art games look like a complete clusterfuck?

(Probably)

 

[Butter]

Can anybody explain why when i look at games from the 90s and 80s everything looks clean and easy to make out no matter how "primitive" the visuals may be while more than half of those "retro" inspired pixel art games look like a complete clusterfuck?

The modern devs try to include too much detail. Older devs knew how to suggest details without actually including them, understanding that the human mind can fill in the blanks. For example, a lot of sprites don't have noses or mouths in old games. That level of detail wouldn't add anything except noise.

 

[Ludwig von Eisenthal]

Yeah, it's definitely the details. It's just too much and thus clashes with the (pseudo-) lowres style. It's like if you want to paint Da Vinci's Last Supper in the style of Chauvet-Cave Art. Both artstyles have their distinct qualities and represent unique artforms, but if you try to mix them you'll get something awkward. That's what I unfortunately observed with growing discomfort here from update to update. It has completely lost its initial late 80ies aesthetics in my opinion.

 

[Tweed]

Bouncey wouncey sprites.

 

[Bumvelcrow]

Bouncey wouncey sprites.

That's the thing that annoys me the most about this game. Everyone is just bouncing around like they are on trampolines. It looks ridiculous. I quite like the new lighting, although it's looking less and less like the game I backed many years ago.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.skaldrpg.com/2023/12/project-update-new-teaser-demo-and-approximate-launch-date/

Project Update: New Teaser, Demo and Approximate Launch Date​

Season’s Greetings one and all!

Flashiest stuff first: I’ve spend endless hours writing coding and polishing the game and we’ve put together a little teaser for you all to show of a little sliver of it:





Secondly, we’ve officially set a launch-date for spring 2024. We originally had our sights set on late 2023 but the Elder Gods simply laughed. For me this is good news however as it will mean more time to make the game a great experience for all!

Thirdly, we’ve updated the demo on Steam and GOG (huzza)! This will be a lot shorter than the old demo but also a bit more representative in terms of features and gameplay. At the same time, development is still moving so rapidly that there is A LOT of stuff that we didn’t have time to get into the demo.

I can’t help it but I LOVE coding particle effects!

In Other News​

We’ve spent a lot of time doing quality assurance stuff lately. A game like Skald is a strange beast: There is a balance between making the game as accessible as possible whilst also remembering that this is a niche game.

Thankfully, a good solution to issues of accessibility and player on-boarding exists: Allow players to customize their play experience as much as possible!



Having good and readable fonts are super important to people! What constitutes a good font means different things to different people so we’re leaning hard into letting people customize the visual style of the game (within the constraints of the game’s core graphical style).

I’ve also spent a lot of time setting up systems for players to tweak the gameplay experience – including fully customizable difficulty settings.

The game also has a ton of mechanical complexity. In fact, I suspect there is a lot more going on “under the hood” than most people realize. The great part about it is that once you learn the rules, you can really start strategizing and enjoying the tactical aspect of the game. The downside is you have to learn rules. But fret not: We’re adding tutorials to the game!



I guess what I’m saying is that we’re trying to make sure we cater to a wide range of play-styles and experiences.

In Closing…​

I sincerely hope you all are having a good an peaceful December. It seems a lot like my December will be quite busy with making the Skald but rest assured: I’m loving every moment of it. I mean, just look at some of the art assets I get to be working with:

LOOK AT THIS GORGEOUS ART!!!!!!
In all seriousness, I also take care to have a good work-life balance. The game industry can be grueling and a lot of people underestimate the toll it can take on you mentally, physically and in terms of relationships.

I don’t! I believe it’s one of my stronger skills and one of the biggest benefits coming into the industry as an “adult”.

Now I’m off to make (and eat) gingerbread cookies with the fam.

Have an amazing holiday one and all!

---

To stay posted, be sure to follow the Skald Twitter and Discord and wishlist on Steam if you haven’t already!

Much love,



AL

---

Post Script​

We had a little bit of a stumble this week with our media. In essence out plan was to announce the trailer etc. on the Steam forums and Twitter on Monday and then do a devlog-post later in the week. This was due to my call that it would allow us to get more exposure but the result was instead that a lot of our most enfranchised (and important) community members received the news later than others.

This will not do. I apologize and promise to do better next time. Just to be clear: If you’re having a hard time following our news, the primary source for now, is this devlog. At some point in the future, Skald’s publisher may lean more into using the Steam forums but if that happens we’ll be sure to let you know.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Look at it this way; it is the only game they bounce and burn off calories.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Some things I really hope get improved for full release

1. Not having to click to continue every step of every action from every character, friend and foe alike.
2. Spellcasting
3. Ranged Combat
4. Adding in drag-and-drop for inventory when looting.

 

[cyborgboy95]

Project Update: Feature Highlights 1
Greetings one and all! I hope this finds all you fellow RPG nerds well! I think it’s about time for me to emerge from my developer’s cave and write a little bit of a project update!

Art by Gustav Samuelson / @MechaBarbarian

In case you’re reading this and don’t know what we’re talking about, you can start out by checking out the SKALD demo on Steam (and don’t forget to wishlist):
News

Skald has been making the news! We’ve gotten a round of some fantastic, organic coverage in the last few weeks and truly there is no better feeling for a solo-developer than to have people talk about your project in such glowing terms! A few of the bigger ones are PC-Gamer, Eurogamer[www.eurogamer.net] and CRPG YouTuber Mortismal Gaming.

And best of all: These are just the biggest ones! There’s been a score of other content creators and gaming-sites talking about the game lately and I truly couldn’t be happier.

In a world where discoverability is likely the largest hurdle to indie success, word of mouth has once again become tremendously important.

Feature Highlight

There are so many things I could (and probably should) be talking about that it’s hard to choose. True to form I picked some of the things that are at the top of my head and those are some of the secondary systems in the game. For today I chose camp mechanics, crafting and magic items.

CAMPING

The idea of your party sitting around a warm campfire with a belly full of stew and a pipe stuffed with fine pipe-weed sharing stories of battles past is just so appealing to me.

Beyond that, camping also serves as a way of reinforcing the game-loop that is essential to RPGs: You occasionally need to take a break from adventuring to rest, recover and restock!

Camping in Skald serves as a way to recover lost resources and clear the injury conditions that accumulate during combat: You can recover lost vitality easily enough (by using spells) but if you get hit hard enough you may end up with injuries. These make adventuring harder and eventually you’ll need to make camp to recover!

You can either pay to sleep at an inn or, more commonly, you’ll be resting in the wild! Most surface areas are usable for resting (no sleeping in dungeons).

During rest, you need to feed the party. If you have less than the required food available, the party will not recover fully (providing only 50% of the food will only restore 50% lost Vitality etc). This means that gathering and crafting food is a good idea (more on that later).

In addition to eating, your party can also be put to work with camp activities! Activities like foraging for supplies, fletching arrows and training or entertaining other party members makes different classes and skills shine.

Camp logistics not your jam? Well, the game comes with a powerful set of difficulty settings allowing you to disable the food requirement so you can get the exact RPG experience YOU want!

CRAFTING

As it’s already been featured in the demo, the crafting system is not really “new”. However this system has been recontextualized a bit with the introduction of camping because it influences the use of food in the game.

A character needs to eat 10 “points” of food per night. Eating a raw potato might give 1 point of food. Eating a bowl of vegetable stew might offer 10 points. So in other words, even though you can chomp down on raw ingredients, your characters’ lives become A LOT easier if you cook for them. Also, I’m making no promises here but I would just LOVE to give party members favorite foods. I’m trying to decide what Roland would like. Perhaps something sweet? Or sausage?

Oh and I also added alchemy to the game! Gather ingredients like flowers, monster parts and fungi and use them to create potions!

So how does it work?

Gather ingredients and examine them to learn which go together to craft new items! You can experiment with combining ingredients and you don’t lose them if you fail so there’s no reason to not play around. It’s a bit of a mini game and I find it to be a lot of fun. You can also find scrolls with recipes on them that automatically unlocks the recipe.

As it currently works, you always succeed at crafting if you attempt a valid recipe. However depending on your crafting skill and the item’s complexity there is also a chance that you get a superior result (more than one new item for instance ).

All in all, I’m happy with the system. It doesn’t take up much space and if you don’t want to deal with it you don’t have to. But if you do chose to interact with it, it adds a layer of logistics that I personally enjoy a lot in games like this. Actually having to plan out the expedition to the nearby dungeon adding in stops for resting and making sure you’re carrying enough raw materials to craft the consumables you need as you delve into the darkness is my jam.


MAGIC ITEMS

I’ve also been giving a lot of love to magic items lately. This one might be a bit divisive: There will be a lot of procedurally created and semi-randomly placed magic items in the game.

I know a lot of you don’t like this and I can certainly sympathize. In an ideal world, every item would be lovingly hand-crafted and placed in the world. The problem with this is that it takes a lot of time. As in A LOT a lot.

The result would be much fewer items to be found and after testing this game for hours on end my conclusion is that the game works better with more items even if that means they are procedurally created and placed.

Just to be clear: The fact that most items are procedural in the game does not mean there isn’t also the occasional hand crafted item to be found. Also, magic items are not dropped from random encounters. Once the game starts a set number of items are placed in the world and these remain static. The game does NOT feature Diablo-style grinding for loot-drops and there is no way to save-scum the system.

I’m going to make every effort to keep a close eye on the system here to make for a balanced and interesting distribution of magic items and I feel pretty certain that it will work out for the best in the end.


And there we go! A summary of three fairly nerdy subjects that I’m sure will be of interest to at least three of you!

To stay posted, be sure to follow the Skald Twitter and Discord[discord.com] and wishlist on Steam if you haven’t already!

Much love,

AL

 

[AdolfSatan]

Game’s supposed to release in Spring, and he’s still iterating on itemization?

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Game’s supposed to release in Spring, and he’s still iterating on itemization?

That's before another graphics change.

 

[adamantyr]

Well, give him this: He does give updates. Unlike someone else...

And we haven't had him on the retro roundtable talks in a long while; he's so busy he doesn't respond to direct queries.