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Not a single Heavy armor? 
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KickStarter Solasta Pre-Release Thread [GAME RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]
- Thread starter Safav Hamon
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- Jan 19, 2014
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https://forums.solasta-game.com/forum/dev-update-13-enter-all-ye-who-seek-knowledge
Hello people!
May is here, and summer is right around the corner. The team has been starting their work on Act II, and we've been polishing Act I as we go. Hopefully we'll soon be able to share some longer videos, so keep an eye on our Youtube channel if you're not already subscribed! Also, here is an obligatory picture of two of our furry companions during these hard times.
Linus & Oliver can be seen hard at work during most of the day. Sleeping that is.
Community Magic Armor Contest
April's Community Contest is over, and the winner is... Brightwall, by Nortar!
With more than 30% of the total votes, this runic shield will banish the darkness no matter how far deep underground you decide to venture. And with the ability to cast Daylight once per long rest, even magical Darkness won't hinder your party! We want to extend our congratulations to all participants, including of course the four runner ups: Greg W Pola with Armor of Shadows (23%), Jason Broom with Archer's Nightmare (22%), Resy with Cloak of Lightning (14%) and Lathaon with Scales of the Remorhaz (11%). As usual, we will be sending Forum Badges as a reward to all participants - as well as some bonus XP so you can level up and get access to more avatars!
Speaking of armors - even though the winning submission was a shield - here is a quick peek at the new armor icons that you will find in your inventory. We had hoped they would have been ready for the Community Magic Armor Contest, but better late than never!
We apologize but the summer catalogue didn't get approved by the adventurer committee, so no armored swimsuits
Power... Overwhelming!
Let's swap things around a bit this time, and start off with spells instead of finishing with them. Our VFX Artist has been very productive these last few weeks, and we have every intention of sharing her work with you! I present to you Frost Bolt, Guidance and Guiding Bolt!
We also have some more spell icons to share! Have fun finding out what spell each one represents. First one to get them all right get a Forum Title from yours truly!
Speaking of magic... Where did our adventurers end up this time? That's more books than you could read in a lifetime... several lifetimes even. I won't spoil too much about this location, but let's say if you expected Solasta to be all about going around caverns murdering orcs and goblins, Wendy you've got a surprise coming to you.
Caer Cyflen Wasn't Built in a Day - Part 2
Oh boy, more Caer Cyflen. Being the main city of our game, it's very likely that we'll keep polishing it while working on Act II and even beyond. That means you get to see it evolve alongside the development team in our bi-weekly Dev Updates! Hopefully that's something you enjoy, make sure you tell us how you feel about that in the comments.
The marketplace is slowly taking shape, now the next step is to add some life!
Fruits and vegetables aplenty! Tonight we feast!
As its name implies, the marketplace is where you will be doing most of your shopping. Fun fact: we used to have all the vendors scattered across the city so that they could each have their little corner with its own ambiance and decorations, but after playing for a bit we realized that running back and forth between the different shops was more tedious than anything else. The first time going around the city was great, but doing that every time you come back from an expedition was excruciating to say the least.
This is also when we decided to reduce the playable area of the city. Now that may sound like a bad thing to do, but think of it for a moment - larger cities don't necessarily make for a more enjoyable experience. Unlike playing on tabletop, you can't just skip the long and boring walk between the city gates and the castle - the DM isn't going to make descriptions of the same streets for 15 minutes every time you come back into town (at least I hope not). Adding fast-travel would be a work-around; but in that case what's the point of making a large city in the first place if players are always using fast travel after the first time? Therefore, we decided to pack most activities in a smaller playable area of the city - less time spent running is more time spent adventuring!
Here you can see the canal before adding the water, we'll have another screenshot ready for you once it's filled!
Welcome to the Art Corner
A Dev Update wouldn't be one without showing some of the fantastic work from our Art Team. Icons, concept art, 3D models - there's plenty of things to share with you!
Another example of Concept Art being made into an in-game prop by our wonderful 3D artists
More item icons, crafting components and potions!
Bloopers!
There's plenty more we could show, but we wouldn't want our Dev Updates to become too long now would we. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of bloopers at hand this time, so here is a doodle from the latest Tactical Skribblio showdown, where the artistic capabilities of each and every team member are tested and judged. And by that I mean the lack of artistic capabilities.
I'd say this drawing was already pretty high tier compared to everything else.
That's it for today! Hope you enjoyed our Dev Update, and make sure to drop by next week for May's Community Event. Here is a taste of what's coming up...
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Bara
Arcane
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- Apr 2, 2018
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- 1,341
Specialized sword vote time
When humans fled to Solasta it was not a matter of country or culture, it was a matter of survival. Centuries passed and much was lost, but more remains - if not among the living, then among the dead. Every ruin tells a story, but to the untrained eye of a looter, every blade is a sword. Most adventurers know better: a heritage, a legacy, many a thing can be found in a scavenger's bag.
Hello and welcome to May Community Vote everyone!
This time we have prepared a very special topic for our martial-loving friends: Exotic Weapons... And more specifically, Exotic Blades. Most of those who are familiar with Tabletop RPGs know that popular settings are often based on western culture - fairly logical considering most writers and players are American & European. I think it's safe to assume that it's much easier to introduce most players to a game where they can choose between a sword or a mace and run at the enemy, rather than have to explain the difference between a shamshir and a takoba (don't ask me, I'm not a specialist).
Now, 5e has streamlined quite a few rules to the benefit of game's flow, removing a lot of obscure and very specific rules. However, there are some of us who miss the large variety of weapons offered in 3.5... which led us to think "hey, why not add an exotic weapon to our game?". And here we are, with a selection of five blades from different cultures! Of course we'd love to implement all of them, but as usual we have to be careful not to overburden our development plans - so you'll have to choose which one makes it in! Note that I am by no mean an expert in ancient weaponry, so I apologize in advance if some of my descriptions aren't completely accurate (and if so, please feel free to mention it in the comments so that I can fix it!).
You have until May 25th, 11:59pm PST to vote!
Our first contender is the Khopesh (ḫpš). A one-handed Egyptian sickle-sword which apparently evolved from battle axes, the Khopesh is truly an ancient weapon - with the earliest known appearance dating from 2,500 BC. Sharpened on the outside portion of the curved end, the inside curve of the weapon could be used to trap an opponent's arm or pull their shield out of the way. Sadly, this fascinating weapon fell out of use around 1,300 BC.
Our second contender is the only non-human weapon in the list. The Elven Thinblade is a one-handed weapon that can be found in ruins of the old, now defunct elven empire - more often than not imbued with powerful magic. Very light and expertly crafted, many would kill to get their hands on such a weapon (and sometimes quite literally). On Tabletop, the Elven Thinblade first appeared in the Races of the Wild sourcebook (2005), and was quite ahead of the power curve when you consider that it was a weapon that dealt 1d8 dmg (like a longsword), had a 18-20 crit range (like a rapier), was versatile (could be wielded 2-handed for more damage) AND allowed weapon finesse (to swap strength for dexterity for damage). Now before you rogues and rangers start drooling, it will most likely not be as powerful in Solasta. Consider yourself warned!
Our third contender is the 2-handed Katana (刀) from Japan. Amongst all the foreign weapons, Katanas are probably the most well-known: a curved, slender, singled-edged blade with a long grip protected by a guard to accommodate two hands. With that said, the oldest Katanas from the 12th century may have been quite different from the popular image we have of it, as its design evolved multiple times over the centuries. They are rumoured to be among the finest cutting weapons in history, although many contest that statement.
Our fourth contender is another two-handed blade from Asia, the Chinese Da Dao (大刀)... which literally means "Big Blade" (大 = Big, 刀 = Single-edged blade, although nowadays it's mostly used for "Knife"). For those who are curious, it is indeed the 刀 from Katana - there are quite a large amount of words in Japanese and Chinese that are visually the same, although the pronunciation (and even the meaning) can differ. This large broadsword is characterized by the rings on the back of the blade (note that not all Da Dao have those), their purpose left to speculation. Some believe the noise helped intimidating opponents, others that it is a symbol of honour as the noise would prevent the wielder from attacking enemies in the back.
Last but not least is the 2-handed Falchion. There are many different type of falchions - cleaver falchions, cusped falchions... We decided to go with the blade illustrated in the 13th century Maciejowski Bible as we loved its design - although we swapped the handle for a more standard one (the original has a hooked hilt, which most likely would have caused clipping issues with character models). In 3.5e, Falchions were like the 2-handed version of scimitars - slashing, 18-20 crit range... however they only dealt a measly 2d4 damage, compared to the 2d6 (19-20 crit range) greatsword. Not to mention they were also more expensive (75 gp vs 50 gp) and weighted the same (8 lbs)! A cool weapons that definitely deserved a bit more spotlight.
So, which one tickled your fancy? Make sure to vote now!
I really wish they'd reconsider the flamboyant Dragonball Z casting animations. Spellcasting is my primary draw to D&D, but going super-saiyan to do 10 damage just isn't necessary. If you're elevating a spell to a slot X higher, sure, but all the bombastic pulsing circles of energy for low level spells is tedious and gives them a generic quality.
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"Elven" and "thin" are two adjectives no sword ought to have.
Da Dao looks cool, but Falchion is the true patrician choice here.
Bara
Arcane
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Well if we're lucky those who are voting silently are matching those talking about their votes in the thread as they all seem to be against katanas.
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I shall let my avatar reply to my feelings on this issue... :D
Rinslin Merwind
Erudite
1) there exist theory that khopesh was more of ritual symbol than battle weapon (connected to religion in ancient Egypt) and it does look like one, so I don't think it would fit for Solasta's setting.
2) How do I put that...I just can't see elves as good smiths, I just can't.
3) Katana owner has no chance to survive in world of heavy armors and European swords. Hard pass.
4) Dao dao looks nice, but the whole "nobody knows for what these rings for" does not inspire confidence at all. Also I think it's better for more "Eastern style" setting.
I vote for falchion. This sword will be blend in nicely with other weaponry, but still looking slightly different from "standard medieval stuff".
2) How do I put that...I just can't see elves as good smiths, I just can't.
3) Katana owner has no chance to survive in world of heavy armors and European swords. Hard pass.
4) Dao dao looks nice, but the whole "nobody knows for what these rings for" does not inspire confidence at all. Also I think it's better for more "Eastern style" setting.
I vote for falchion. This sword will be blend in nicely with other weaponry, but still looking slightly different from "standard medieval stuff".
fantadomat
Arcane
Katanas are really inferior weapons compared to most other shit during that time period. They were useful in japan because they didn't have quality iron and most of the soldiers run around half naked.
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They are an example of good metalworking moreso than an example of a good weapon, yeah. If you made one with actually decent steel I'm sure it would be a fine sword, but not any better than another sword made of the same steel, and pretty shitty against an armored opponent regardless.
cue the tired "katanas are underpowered" copypasta 
fantadomat
Arcane
Well calling them a good sword is a bit of a stretch tho. They were made to fight against undefended enemies,but still lack a lot of things like hand protector or a decent curve. Sabers,Yatagans and even the Dao are better at slashing,while its tip and fatness make it shit at piercing. On top of that it is firm and not elastic,thus easy to break in a real fight. Katanas are unique weapons that were really good for the isolated battlefield of japan. It is no surprise that during the Meji period military officers and officials made the change from katanas to western type sabers.They are an example of good metalworking moreso than an example of a good weapon, yeah. If you made one with actually decent steel I'm sure it would be a fine sword, but not any better than another sword made of the same steel, and pretty shitty against an armored opponent regardless.
cue the tired "katanas are underpowered" copypasta
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I mean they are basically a Messer with worse hand protection (although they've got more hand protection than a yatagan) and they are good for the same application- fighting lightly armored or unarmored opponents.
They would not have stayed on the battlefield as long as they did if Japan wasn't so isolated for so long, of course, but that is true of basically all "traditional" Japanese weapons, armor, and tactics.
fantadomat
Arcane
Still japs are pretty good soldiers,even managed to fight back a few mongol invasions.
As for the Yatagan,well it depends on the user. The angle of the curve could be seen as natural trajectory protection. While the linier nature of the katana means cut fingers. Tho both of those weapons are bad at hand protection in generally
.
When you get compared to a butcher knife...but as inferior lol.
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Grorious Empire's soldiers got with the program pretty quick after their isolation ended, like when they buttfucked Tsar Nick, so it's not like they lack military intellect, just had no reason to mess with their winning formula.Still japs are pretty good soldiers,even managed to fight back a few mongol invasions.
When you get compared to a butcher knife...but as inferior lol.
As far as messers go, if they were good enough for the Landsknechts I'm not gonna shit on them.
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I was mainly taking the piss because of my avatar and katanas have unfortunately become the Drizz't Do'urden of vidya in some ways. They have no place in a western rpg, hence my Oriental Adventures avatar. Buuuuuuut, inferior is a stretch. The high end ones were exceptional blades as far as weight / balance but not something you would hand to anyone that wasn't skilled enough to capitalize on that. Sort of like the English Longbow vs. the x-bow re: trained user vs. peasant weaponry.
Yosharian
Arcane
Weight/balance maybe, but that doesn't make them effective against armour, regardless of user skill
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All swords require more skill to use effectively compared to something like a billhook or an axe. Katanas don't require more skill than any other sword and they're neither any more effective nor any more versatile than something like a longsword (or most other swords, take your pick).
Dorateen
Arcane
There's not a problem in the world that can't be solved with a good hammer.
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True, at the end of the day any sword* is a sidearm, meant as a substitute when you don't have access to a real weapon.
*one-handed swords at least
fantadomat
Arcane
All the melee weapons need the same level of expertise to be honest,hammer,axe or sword,the trick is the same for all.....don't get you head chopped off. The whole "muh you have to be master" shit is retarded. Back in the day weapons were used by live long warriors and not by random peasants. There were no "you have be master to get a X weapon",back then it was shit passed down generation of knights and lords,they were pretty much versed in all weapons,after all it was their job. Same is all the other civilizations during that time period. There were ruling casts and warrior casts that were expert of warfare.
As you pointed out,they were like the katanas. They were used in the same isolated way like the katanas,only in the german lands and against other messers
. Tho the two handed one is a whole different thing . The short one is pretty meh because it is short and lacking in versatility.Prefer war axes,the best anti shield melee weapon. Also good for killing of armoured assholes.
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