KickStarter Stoneshard - open world roguelike RPG - now available on Early Access

[Salvo]

Tedium =/= difficulty lads

 

[Fedora Master]

I don't understand the balance they're going for. You can't do the first contract from the get-go so your only alternative is beating up random peasants that drop nothing and are worth no XP. Exploration is also mostly a no-go because accidentally running into wolves or a boar means you're dead too.

 

[oscar]

Yeah the economy feels a little odd. You now have to waste a skillpoint to learn to skin animals (what used to be your only really real early income source) while most attack types damage the hides. Now you've got perks about crafting sleeping bags and shit..

Does this game want to be about clearing tough dungeons or does it want to be UnReal World? I'd be happy with either focus but the game feels a bit awkwardly adrift between the two (am I a badass adventurer or some bum scavenging the forests for berries and rabbits to skin?). It also feels off thematically, you've killed hundreds of bandits and evil necromancers but a wild pig will destroy you in two turns flat. Avoiding wild animals while getting to dungeons is often more dangerous than the dungeons themselves.

It fits perfectly for something like UnReal where in dark age Finland taking down a bear requires good gear, planning and luck but doesn't really suit a high fantasy RPG.

 

[normie]

You can't do the first contract from the get-go

but I just did?

but a wild pig will destroy you in two turns

but it doesn't?

 

[Salvo]

Yeah the economy feels a little odd. You now have to waste a skillpoint to learn to skin animals (what used to be your only really real early income source) while most attack types damage the hides. Now you've got perks about crafting sleeping bags and shit..

Does this game want to be about clearing tough dungeons or does it want to be UnReal World? I'd be happy with either focus but the game feels a bit awkwardly adrift between the two (am I a badass adventurer or some bum scavenging the forests for berries and rabbits to skin?). It also feels off thematically, you've killed hundreds of bandits and evil necromancers but a wild pig will destroy you in two turns flat. Avoiding wild animals while getting to dungeons is often more dangerous than the dungeons themselves.

It fits perfectly for something like UnReal where in dark age Finland taking down a bear requires good gear, planning and luck but doesn't really suit a high fantasy RPG.

Let's not forget the retarded save system coupled with the swingy RNG

 

[Harthwain]

The game is made more and more tedious with each release, with annoying survival mechanics taking away from the meat of the action, aka the combat and charbuilding

Bullshit. The survival mechanics complement the game. You can pass time to heal up, but you need food and drinks to keep it up, meaning you need means to acquire these items. While you can hunt, steal or find them the most common way of obtaining them is money. You get money by doing quests and exploring locations. Hunger and thirst also work as timer of sorts by making sure you don't stand in place forever, because you will run out of money/food/water if you do.

You now have to waste a skillpoint to learn to skin animals (what used to be your only really real early income source) while most attack types damage the hides.

1) Obviously skinning animals is not supposed to be the only source of income.
2) Learning to skin animals is not strange (you had to learn it in Gothic 1, for example) nor is a waste considering it allows you to skin animals.
3) Complaining that the best way to not damage the hides is by using piercing weapons is strange, considering that bow and spear are two iconic hunting weapons.

 

[normie]

it's not fake news, m8s - I remember playing in January and everything was seriously overtuned to fuck, but I didn't think much of it because there's not enough game yet to go around and the initial difficulty hump felt like proper padding to overcome

yesterday coincidentally happened to be the day I decided to try out the new update, feeling that enough time had passed since the initial storm of hotfixes; I ran headfirst into a 3 skull contract expecting to be fucked and I wasn't
weird, I thought, going without much difficulty up until the third contract in the vampire stronghold, where the boss fucked me just 1 strike short of me fucking him, so I came back, did the thing again, identified the unidentified potion I didn't bother with first time around, IT WAS A FUCKING LIFEDRAIN potion, which I then used to proceed to lifesuck the fuck out of the bloodsucking apostate

on my way to the brewery, I avoided all wildlife, remembering even wolves were fuckers, but in one case I lead a couple of bandits back to a boar I had passed previously, and though it returned to being passive after we dealt with the bandits, I took the furry cunt on and... handled it without trouble? back from the brewery, I took all the wildlife on (NOT BEARS) I'd been avoiding on the way there and it wasn't shit

what's always been truly traumatic is the difficulty shift from Osbrook to Mannshine contracts - 3 skulls again, fuck it,

Spoiler

BINGO FIRST TRY

 

[Salvo]

it's not fake news, m8s - I remember playing in January and everything was seriously overtuned to fuck, but I didn't think much of it because there's not enough game yet to go around and the initial difficulty hump felt like proper padding to overcome

yesterday coincidentally happened to be the day I decided to try out the new update, feeling that enough time had passed since the initial storm of hotfixes; I ran headfirst into a 3 skull contract expecting to be fucked and I wasn't
weird, I thought, going without much difficulty up until the third contract in the vampire stronghold, where the boss fucked me just 1 strike short of me fucking him, so I came back, did the thing again, identified the unidentified potion I didn't bother with first time around, IT WAS A FUCKING LIFEDRAIN potion, which I then used to proceed to lifesuck the fuck out of the bloodsucking apostate

on my way to the brewery, I avoided all wildlife, remembering even wolves were fuckers, but in one case I lead a couple of bandits back to a boar I had passed previously, and though it returned to being passive after we dealt with the bandits, I took the furry cunt on and... handled it without trouble? back from the brewery, I took all the wildlife on (NOT BEARS) I'd been avoiding on the way there and it wasn't shit

what's always been truly traumatic is the difficulty shift from Osbrook to Mannshine contracts - 3 skulls again, fuck it,

Spoiler

BINGO FIRST TRY

Just play 2h maces, they're practically cheat mode

This is why devs should stop rebalancing everything every update lol

 

[The Wall]

I have to ask complainers: When was the last time you played game?* Updates changed and improved game a lot. It's hardcore game, main Dev is one of super rare Devs who didn't succumb to pressure of Steam Babies and didn't dumb down gameplay. Old Codex used to celebrate such Devs, but this is New Codex

*Why I ask? Because some of you are talking about "dumb save system". Now you have auto-save, can craft bedrolls and save whenever you want in wilderness, and still can save in taverns, of which there are more. System will be further improved by adding your personal caravan in next update. This is hardcore roguelike, NOT a pixelart Skyrim

TLDR response: Git Gud, Mofos

 

[Salvo]

I have to ask complainers: When was the last time you played game?* Updates changed and improved game a lot. It's hardcore game, main Dev is one of super rare Devs who didn't succumb to pressure of Steam Babies and didn't dumb down gameplay. Old Codex used to celebrate such Devs, but this is New Codex

*Why I ask? Because some of you are talking about "dumb save system". Now you have auto-save, can craft bedrolls and save whenever you want in wilderness, and still can save in taverns, of which there are more. System will be further improved by adding your personal caravan in next update. This is hardcore roguelike, NOT a pixelart Skyrim

TLDR response: Git Gud, Mofos

I'm playing rn you fag, bedroll takes half of your inventory space UNLESS you dump a precious skill point into being able to craft it

Next you're going to defend slow animation speed

 

[The Wall]

Don't exaggerate like when you're talking about your height or shoe size to ladies online. Bedroll takes more like 1/3 not half of your inventory. Acthually, even less. And that's without "dumping" """precious""" skill point to be able to craft it. "Precious" skill point? Is this Gollum's alt account? Skill points are earned often enough. If you do contracts, sell loot, hunt - you won't have problem with shortage of either money nor skill points

I repeat: dis ain't no Skyrim, muh nigga. Don't expect to go around, lvl. 3 and flex on bears, bandit leaders and vampire lords

 

[normie]

the bedroll shit is extremely murky business, but I kind of possibly will appreciate it if I ever set off searching for the far-off dungeons
I didn't mind lack of saving options from the get-go, was happy with the campsites as it was, and can see the sense of makeshift bedding as it is now

 

[Salvo]

Don't exaggerate like when you're talking about your height or shoe size to ladies online. Bedroll takes more like 1/3 not half of your inventory. Acthually, even less. And that's without "dumping" """precious""" skill point to be able to craft it. "Precious" skill point? Is this Gollum's alt account? Skill points are earned often enough. If you do contracts, sell loot, hunt - you won't have problem with shortage of either money nor skill points

I repeat: dis ain't no Skyrim, muh nigga. Don't expect to go around, lvl. 3 and flex on bears, bandit leaders and vampire lords

"Everyone I disagree with is a Skyrim playing casual"

 

[jackofshadows]

I have to ask The Wall: release when?

 

[The Wall]

Inventory space can be further freed up for loot by buying bags for gold or wooden holders for potions

I have to ask The Wall: release when?

I'd say by the time there is Russian flag flying over Odessa. Next year. That's for release. Finished? In 3 years. I'd expect last patch, update and DLC to be released by then. This is studio's first game

 

[normie]

the only thing bugging me is that lockpicking will prioritise the crowbar instead of lockpicks? I'd appreciate if there was a context option for forcing the lock (crowbar) and pick lock (lockpicking)

 

[The Wall]

As far as I understand, lockpicking system will be part of next update. Some systems are not fully implemented. This is Russian game developers, millenial not zoomer. Russian zoomers are brainded, noodle arms Callifornians. Millenials in Russia are living doomer meme and they are the ones fascinated by unrealized potential of RPGs like old skool Fallouts, Arcanum etc. They are notoriously prone to feature creep, which is why I love them. Sure, you have to say enough! at some point. But if you don't previously say moar! you never had ambition to begin with. Many good RPGs are made right now by millenial Russians

 

[Takamori]

I will jump in when the character creation is up. But at least reading the patch logs the game seems in a good shape? Friend of mine played it recently said game is taking shape but he rather wait the dev finish the balance touches feels they are not "there" yet.

 

[normie]

>always have more than enough bandages
>the one time I don't and have run out, the boss manages to bleed every body part but my head before he croaks

Spoiler

 

[Andhaira]

This is one of the best crpgs at the moment; my only problem is I'll have burned myself out on it by the time the full game comes out. Progress is too slow, they need to expand the team or something, they should have enough monies at this point.

edit: It would be an immediate all time classic if they would make it party based with full party char gen, but oh well. Maybe for a sequel in the same engine and world. The world building, art style and flavor is sooooo good.

 

[normie]

Fedora Master

FUCK YOU BOAR

Spoiler

FUCK YOU BEAR

Spoiler

WHY WOULD YOU CROSS A BEAR AND A HUGE CAT

Spoiler

 

[ERYFKRAD]

WHY WOULD YOU CROSS A BEAR AND A HUGE CAT

I mean, if you gotta get to the other side, you gotta get to the other side.

 

[Iskramor]

Game has only really 2 flaws slow animations and grind.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

I'd also count not existing as a flaw when it comes to games, but maybe I'm too harsh.

 

[Iskramor]

I'd also count not existing as a flaw when it comes to games, but maybe I'm too harsh.

?