KickStarter Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy - BG1-inspired low fantasy RPG from the ATOM TEAM - now available on Early Access

[Lyric Suite]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atomrpg/swordhaven-iron-conspiracy/posts/4076845

IN-GAME NOTE INFORMATION​

Hello, everyone!

Today we’d like to tell you more about the “Write an in-game note” reward, available for the Duke pledge tier and above.

Nova Drakonia is home to many secrets, plenty of which are transferred from person to person by means of writing. During your adventure there will be many occasions when you will stumble upon a cryptic riddle hinting at some buried treasure, a mysterious book disclosing the location of an ancient jungle temple, a map fragment showing the route to a barbarian village, a manuscript detailing a hidden combat technique, or even something as mundane as someone’s hundred year old grocery shopping list.

With the In-Game Note reward you will be able to pen something like this… or something entirely different! It’s all up to you.

If you are eligible for this reward, it means our writers will contact you soon after the campaign ends. Together you will brainstorm its contents. While general rules of the setting and its lore should apply—you will be otherwise free to let your imagination run wild!

Worldbuilding side by side with our players and backers has always been a priority for our crew, and we hope to do a lot more of it through this reward.

Stay tuned for the next update, where we will delve into more details about Swordhaven’s development and showcase some cool new content!

Yours humbly, Atom Team

This kind of shit never ends well. Don't allow the unwashed plebs to inject their shit writing into your game. That crap was horrific in Pillars.

 

[Mikeal]

Or in first Pathfinder. I still remember that giant faggot Darven.

 

[Tenebris]

This kind of shit never ends well. Don't allow the unwashed plebs to inject their shit writing into your game. That crap was horrific in Pillars.

I for one look forward to seeing another Firedorn style controversy happen again.

 

[Crispy]

They should just do the typical graveyard thing where all the morons who want their name in the game get it on a tombstone.

 

[mediocrepoet]

They should just do the typical graveyard thing where all the morons who want their name in the game get it on a tombstone.

I kind of liked the mausoleum thing where basically everyone gets jammed on to one thing that you can safely ignore and anyone who gives a shit can click through 43 pages of names-as-description to show their mom how special they really are.

 

[motherfucker]

They should just do the typical graveyard thing where all the morons who want their name in the game get it on a tombstone.

Do a joke area a la Cafe of Broken Dreams except it's a brothel and all the backers are troon whores

 

[Modron]

Do a joke area a la Cafe of Broken Dreams except it's a brothel and all the backers are troon whores

That's your answer to everything.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atomrpg/swordhaven-iron-conspiracy/posts/4079660

CRAFTING + LOADING SCREENS​

Hello, friends!

Today, we wanted to talk a little about the crafting/alchemy and modification systems in Swordhaven.

What you saw in the demo is somewhat rough, since it is, as you know, a work in progress, and because it was created before we had a chance to read some of your feedback.

But, without further ado, let’s go ahead with our attempt to paint the whole picture of what we have in store.

Note, this is a WIP sketch.

The design of the crafting window will undergo certain changes to make it more understandable, and easy to use. Each crafting station will properly display the items you can craft, colour-coding the items that can be created with the ingredients you possess versus something you can craft ‘in theory’ but lack the ingredients. The missing ingredients will be highlighted in the recipe pop-up, just as you suggested.

Right now each level in Crafting and Medicine skills grants you recipes. However, more unique recipes will also be scattered throughout the world for you to learn. Some will contain weapon schematics and brewing instructions to create special armaments and tinctures. For example, a potion that will grant you the ability to speak to animals.

Note, this is a WIP sketch.

Now, this feature is not present in the demo, but it’s something that we want to add already in Early Access: a way to modify your weapons. E.g., applying different poisons to the blade (you can already craft some of them), adding a better handguard to your sword, etc.

This will not require you to use a station (although the success will also depend on your Crafting skill), but rather you can modify your weapon right from the inventory. As long as you have the right modifications that you can find, buy, or even make yourself.

Note, this is a WIP sketch.

Last but not least, we’re also creating new loading screens that will showcase large art pieces. We believe that they will enhance the atmosphere, as well as give you something cool to look at. Here’s a work-in-progress sneak peek at one of the many screens we are working on!

All right, that’s all for today, but soon we will write a new update about the upcoming features. So stay tuned for that!

Yours truly,

Atom Team

 

[ds]

Atomboy, how do you plan to balance crafting with items you can find in the world or buy from stores? Will crafting be limited in what you can do, e.g. you can't just build a new weapon from scratch or perhaps only early game weapons? Or will crafting powerful items require unique/extremely rare resources? I ask because often enough in games that add crafting it either ends up as a pointless chore or is overpowered enough to devaluate exploration rewards. What is your vision for the role crafting should play?

 

[holla_cabezas_de_mierda]

Atomboy, how do you plan to balance crafting with items you can find in the world or buy from stores? Will crafting be limited in what you can do, e.g. you can't just build a new weapon from scratch or perhaps only early game weapons? Or will crafting powerful items require unique/extremely rare resources? I ask because often enough in games that add crafting it either ends up as a pointless chore or is overpowered enough to devaluate exploration rewards. What is your vision for the role crafting should play?

crafting that destroys the urge to adventure and or makes looting after battle boring and pointless is one of the worst design choices of modern gaming. Turning finding powerful weapons into finding dried hippopotamus droppings and balls of yarn that you carry around by the trunk full makes me stop playing an RPG more than almost anything else, and nearly all modern RPG's seem to have this 'feature'.

 

[luj1]

Don't go overboard with crafting please

 

[ERYFKRAD]

They should just do the typical graveyard thing where all the morons who want their name in the game get it on a tombstone.

I kind of liked the mausoleum thing where basically everyone gets jammed on to one thing that you can safely ignore and anyone who gives a shit can click through 43 pages of names-as-description to show their mom how special they really are.

Here lies Firedorn, a hero in bed.
He once was alive, but now he's dead.
The last woman he bedded turned out a man
And crying in shame, off a cliff he ran

 

[Maldoror]

Somehow had no heard of this, even though I bought and played both ATOM RPG 1 & 2. Guys, keep pushing!

First of all, loved the character creation screen. Very nice ambience with the trickling rain and background with the skull and window. Very immersive and cool.
Also thought that the animation/sound effect that plays when you select iron man mode is compelling. Nice touch.

 

[Kruyurk]

Don't go overboard with crafting please

Agreed, crafting an overboard à la Back to the Future would not fit the low fantasy setting, but flying carpets would be nice though.

 

[Lyric Suite]

BG2 did it well. You get a few key items you can then use to forge something special.

Items in those kind of RPGs need to feel special, like they did in Toklien's books. If you want to have us just loot endless trash it should at least be confined to consumables.

 

[mediocrepoet]

BG2 did it well. You get a few key items you can then use to forge something special.

Items in those kind of RPGs need to feel special, like they did in Toklien's books. If you want to have us just loot endless trash it should at least be confined to consumables.

I also don't mind valuable knick knacks, especially if they can be set to a filter to easily sell off or identify to drop to free up weight allowance. These can be anything from gems and jewellery to other random crap that may or may not be worth much of anything - carvings, art, clothing, dyes, spices, other trade goods, etc. Things that might be plausible to find and identify as being interesting to pick up, not just garbage.

 

[Lyric Suite]

BG2 did it well. You get a few key items you can then use to forge something special.

Items in those kind of RPGs need to feel special, like they did in Toklien's books. If you want to have us just loot endless trash it should at least be confined to consumables.

I also don't mind valuable knick knacks, especially if they can be set to a filter to easily sell off or identify to drop to free up weight allowance. These can be anything from gems and jewellery to other random crap that may or may not be worth much of anything - carvings, art, clothing, dyes, spices, other trade goods, etc. Things that might be plausible to find and identify as being interesting to pick up, not just garbage.

Yeah those are not bad, at least as long it doesn't get out of hand.

But i think the loot clutter is only part of the problem. There's also just something cool about finding that special weapon, with it's unique abilities (which sometimes require some creative thinking to make it fit a character) and history. Crafting your own weapon, especially if you are given the power to min/max everything just feels cheap.

 

[mediocrepoet]

Yeah those are not bad, at least as long it doesn't get out of hand.

By i think the loot clutter is only part of the problem. There's also just something cool about finding that special weapon, with it's unique abilities (which sometimes require some creative thinking to make it fit a character) and history. Crafting your own weapon, aspecially if you are given the power to min/max everything just feels cheap.

I don't mind item crafting, especially when weapon skill systems are involved, but anything crafted shouldn't be as good as the stuff you earn through exploration and encounters -- engaging with the game.

 

[General Disarray]

Backed at €20 . Good luck!

 

[holla_cabezas_de_mierda]

BG2 did it well. You get a few key items you can then use to forge something special.

Items in those kind of RPGs need to feel special, like they did in Toklien's books. If you want to have us just loot endless trash it should at least be confined to consumables.

exactly. Not no crafting, but crafting only very rare and made to feel special items so that it actually encourages and enhances exploration, not the opposite, which makes it mundane and trivial.

 

[Abu Antar]

Survey about the demo experience is up.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfWQvwis2C-OTolGSkyFsHnsDTzIExhex6Xv6HTJpA2R6c6A/viewform

 

[ds]

Statistics are the worst thing to happen to gamedev and software development in general.

At least there is a free-form question at the end but then you don't really need a form for that.

 

[mediocrepoet]

I should really try the demo since they're looking for feedback. How long is it?

 

[mediocrepoet]

Played it and quit after 90 minutes because I didn't want to spoil myself... filled out the questionnaire though. This thing looks like it's going to be great. There are a few rough edges and QOL issues, but what a great slice of gaming.

I definitely felt the BG1 and general classic CRPG inspirations.

 

[Hydro]

I definitely felt the BG1 and general classic CRPG inspirations.

Wow, this time for real?