Major Update 1.7: There and back again
This huge update introduces the new wayfarer roster system. Before, there was only one wayfarer in any given world at the same time. Now, if you start a new world you get to select a roster of 1 to 3 wayfarers with different backgrounds to choose from for each individual journey.
As you explore you will get the opportunity to recruit new wayfarers to the roster. If you return to the temple in Haven you can find them hanging out in the temple and you can simply walk up to them in order to switch which wayfarer is currently active. It’s a bit like a truly epic game of tag!
Rosters Bring Back Character Progression
The new roster system allowed us to bring back much of the character progression we had to cut before to deal with individual wayfarer’s accumulating way too much power and wealth. Each wayfarer has a number of skill slots and they automatically learn a new skill upon the completion of a quest. These quests replace the system of deeds we had before.
This progression comes at a price, however. The only way to recover from the Wounded status is to return to Haven and let another wayfarer bear the burden for a while. The new Weary status is similar: you can only recover from it by returning to Haven and rest for a while. You become Weary when your hope runs out and while you are Weary you cannot recover health from eating food.
Wounded and Weary have been designed to force you to invest in multiple wayfarers. Especially because the scars they leave will have a lasting effect on each individual character. This gives each wayfarer a natural life-span. At one point it will become better to retire them altogether. Especially as retirement allows you to pass on one skill from one wayfarer to another, increasing the latter’s potential considerably.
True to the Original Vision
We have chosen to introduce this system because it finally solves the problem we observed that many players would only ever try to play one wayfarer and complete the game without feeling the need to change characters. This was a flaw in the design we didn’t anticipate when we first launched the game. The original vision for the game was that you would embark on shorter quests using a series of characters building up to the moment where you’d think you’d be strong enough to handle the final quest to destroy the Staff of Yendor. Multiple wayfarers, being forced to sit one out once in a while, character progression coupled with lasting scars, and the option to pass on a legacy by retiring brings all of that back into sharp focus.
Streamlined Questing
Another important focus of this update was to streamline the whole experience of playing. This is reflected in many changes: levels got smaller to reduce generation and building times, combat mechanics have been simplified a little so they are easier to understand, and magic skills have been redesigned to make spellcasters a viable background option once more.
The most controversial change in this regard is the new quest system. By default, you can only leave Haven if you commit to a quest. And when you complete that quest you get the option to return to Haven immediately. Haven and the temple in Haven in particular, has become more like a traditional hub location where you choose a new quest and prepare for it accordingly. Each adventure you embark on has clearly defined beginning and ending.
However, for those of you who enjoyed the game for its open-endedness we have added an option that retains much of the game’s original character. This new ‘Open World’ option is available as a difficulty setting when you create a new world. With that option you are no longer required to commit to a quest before you can leave Haven, but you are also never offered a free ride back after you complete one. In this mode you can roam the world more freely and complete any quest goals you might encounter. Each quest will still award you skills, although some quests are only available if you committed to them beforehand.
Looking Ahead
Overall we are very happy with these changes. We genuinely feel the game is in a much better position because of it. Sure, there are still some loose ends: we have more recruitable backgrounds planned, and some of the older content needs to be brought in line with all the newly balanced systems. But we are confident that we can pick these up as we are preparing for the next big milestone: version 2.0!
Our main efforts leading up to 2.0 will be concentrating on the game’s content. The Empire is still underdeveloped. The Serpent Gates and the Spirit World in general haven’t gotten much love over the last few updates, and we need to look at how all recent changes affect the end game.
As always, we are happy to discuss our plans and curious to learn all about your suggestions for this next milestone. Our Discord server is the best place to contribute to the game and its wonderful community of players.
Below you can find a complete breakdown of all the changes going from 1.6.14.1 to 1.7.0:
Rosters
- Replaces character creation with a tab in world creation where you can choose your starting roster.
- The options for your starting roster are initially limited to the Adventurer, Disciple, Vault Warden, Farland Hunter, and the Groundskeeper.
- To switch between wayfarers you walk up to another wayfarer and interact with them.
- When you switch wayfarers, you automatically pass on items that are not equipped or assigned to a preset.
- You can encounter characters you can recruit to your roster in inns, roadhouses, and similar settlements.
- To be able to recruit a character you need to be friends with their clan.
- Recruitable characters you can currently encounter: Farland Hunter, Turnip Farmer, Elder Nomad, Free Sword, Relic Hunter, Dawn Stalker, Adventurer, Chronicler, West Wind Trader, Tinkerer, Crimson Crusader, Sky Summoner, Pyromancer, Groundskeeper.
- Recruiting new wayfarers adds their background as an option to the starting roster permanently.
- To recover from the wounded status, a wayfarer needs to spend time recovering in Haven (you should take another character).
- When you deplete a character’s hope, they gain Weary.
- To recover from the weary status, a wayfarer needs to spend time recovering in Haven.
- If there are no characters available a new rookie wayfarer will join the roster.
Quests
- You start each world inside the temple in Haven.
- You can only leave the temple once you have accepted a quest.
- The Loremaster offers main quests.
- The map in the library can be used to commit to any known quest based on the leads you have uncovered.
- Certain side quests only become available after finding the right leads.
- The First Lorekeeper is now the Keeper of the Codex and offers only diplomatic missions.
- At the end of a successful quest you can immediately pick a new skill.
- When you complete a quest you committed to, your max hope increases by 1.
- Upon completion of a quest the wayfarer gets the option to return to Haven.
- Tasks have been implemented for the Raaf Key, and the Raaf Temple quests.
- All steps of the main quest are now presented as individual quests.
- Many extra missions (to collect sigils or other treasures) are also presented as quests.
- Each quest description indicates a challenge level.
- When you finish a quest, your accomplishments are listed on the ‘win/lose’ screen.
- Clan leaders offer quests.
- Missions to claim keeps and discover possible mines must be accepted as a quest from a clan before they become available.
- Replaces the ‘Raaf Key’ quest with a simpler version that can spawn at a larger variety of locations.
- You can complete any one quest per destination (and gain the rewards) if you are not committed to another quest.
- The legacy chest has been removed from the vault. Legacy items appear in the regular chests should you die.
- The provisions available in the temple are replenished between quests / over time.
Open world option
- Adds an open world difficulty setting that lifts the restriction that you cannot leave the temple without a quest, and that requires you to make your own way back to Haven after completing a quest.
- Completing a quest you committed to gives you 2 extra hope points.
Backgrounds
- The starting equipment of the basic backgrounds has been reviewed and adjusted.
- The skill options of the basic backgrounds have been reviewed and adjusted.
- Each background starts with 3-5 specific skills slots that dictate what type of skills this character might learn while questing.
- The first character in a new world is now the ‘Adventurer’ (formally known as the ‘gate guard’).
- The Vault Warden has a new ‘signature skill’: Quick Retrieval (of thrown weapons)
- The Disciple has a new ‘signature skill’: Raaf Inspired
- Slight changes to the Free Sword
- Characters can have ‘bound’ items, these cannot be discarded, stored or traded away.
- You automatically pick bound weapons up from forges if you move away too far.
- The crimson crusader starts with honorable and regains their honor when they return to Haven.
- Adds a random personality trait to each background that grant an extra option to gain sparks: Scholarly, Challenger, Wildheart, Wrathful, Storyteller, Bookworm, Treasure Seeker, Shrewd, Gourmand, Fortunate, Grit, Sociable, and Belligerent.
Character Progression
- Reduces the standard starting HP.
- Reduces the standard starting Hope.
- Hope traits have been removed. There is only one hope bar.
- Brings back many combat skills.
- Adjusting loot tables so that good weapons and armor drop less frequently.
- Legacy has become a very rare attribute only found on mission critical items.
- Legacy signets have become rarer and only bestows minor legacy.
- Starting characters typically do not have well-made items.
- After you recover from Wounded you will gain one of the following ‘physical scars’: Scarred, Limping, Aching Bones, Brittle Bones, Fragile, Aching Muscles, or Painful Joints.
- After you recover from Weary, you will gain one of the following ‘psychological scars’: Unfocussed, Shaken, Disillusioned, Lackluster, Nervous, No Appetite, or Ragged.
- When your character has no more skill slots, they can pass on a trait and retire by talking to other wayfarers.
Knowledge points
- Returning books gives you ‘knowledge points’ rather than sparks.
- When you start a new world a few rumors in the starting region are automatically unlocked.
- When you start a new world you get 10 knowledge points to spend in Haven’s library.
- Knowledge points can be used to research inside the library (which no longer requires a test).
- Knowledge points can be used to buy leads when you open the map in Haven’s library.
- The range of Haven’s rumors has been extended.
Changes to the prologue
- The old prologue has been removed. You always start in Haven.
- While playing the prologue, only the Loremaster is available in the Temple. The other rooms are locked.
- Only one quest is initially available: a quest to retrieve Marang Machine parts that unlock the other rooms in the Temple.
- During the prologue there are no traveling merchants in Haven.
Regional Quests
- Regions can be much more dangerous and communicate these dangers in the info panel.
- One such danger has been fleshed out: Sentient Trees (which are tied to the presence of Doorn).
- Introduces a new travel hazard: Sentient Trees.
- Sentient trees have a presence on the map.
- Changes the way tributes at forest shrines and the Forest Friend condition interact with Hazards and Sentient Trees.
- Adds a new boon you can claim from Doorn: the Root Spirit Guide.
- Adds a new quest associated with the Dandelion Highlands.
- New quest item: the dandelion highland map.
- Dandelion seeds can be used to avoid hazards in the dandelion highlands.
- Updates the map presentation of Dandelion Highlands.
- Adds a new quest associated with the Broken Plains.
- Updates the cliff fortune.
- Climbing gear no longer has uses.
- To avoid cliff fortunes you need to have climbing gear and rope.
- New quest item: the Staff of the Surveyor
- Changes the way Dry and Sandstorm fortunes work.
- Introduces a new Thirsty status effect.
Magic Abilities
- Adds spell focus items that are designed to facilitate characters with spellcraft. Using the focus you can tap into the magic sprites and other magic sources.
- For every spell skill you learn you get a specific bound spell item that allows you to cast a spell directly or summon a sprite that will allow you to cast the spell using your spell focus.
- Spell skills have a number of charges that are restored when you rest.
- You can use sparks to cast depleted spells.
- Adds new magic skills: Spark Craft, Flame Protection, Flow Protection, Form Protection, Root Protection, Sky Protection.
- New and improved spell skills and associated items for the Sky Summoner, the Pyromancer, and the Groundskeeper
Combat Changes
- Exposed state lasts twice as long.
- The speed at which you can attack again has been lowered.
- Attack speed is affected by being exposed.
- Improves the particle effects of hits, blocks, and parries.
- Slightly increases the physical impact of attacks on both target and the attacker.
- Rebalanced core weapons: most weapons start with only one type of attack. Additional attacks or other abilities are added when you become more proficient with that type of weapon.
- Redefined the basic combat skills for main weapon groups: axes, swords, clubs, pole arms, bows, and throwing weapons.
- Added weapon mastery skills for individual weapon types: axe, war axe, pickaxe, sword, longsword, short sword, falx, spear, glaive, quarterstaff, club, great club, mace, bow.
- Removed obsolete combat skills: parrying, shielding, superior parrying, single-handed technique, two-handed technique, riposte, very resilient.
- Smarter selection of relevant combat skills when you learn a new skill.
- Adjusted to tutorial to reflect the changes to the combat.
- In combat practice you automatically gain weapon skills for the weapons you take out of the chest.
Other Gameplay changes
- Hazards no longer cause fatigue.
- Adds a new minor trade item that allows you to ignore the effects of hazards: offerings.
- You can only camp at designated campsites.
- The quick rest option is removed.
- Traders no longer have rumors.
- The price for rumors has gone up.
- The gatekeepers in Haven no longer offer a rumor.
- Ropes are now stackable items.
- Spider silk ropes are now stackable items without bulk.
- When you use a rope or spider silk rope to climb down a cliff, well, or vent. The game should be aware of the ropes nature (spider silk or normal).
- Refactors the way travel fortunes are selected. This makes the system more reliable and consistent, but it will take some more time to improve it further.
- Save game features must now actively be added to a world as an easy difficulty option.
- Minor improvements to cave templates where you frequently find ore.
- Reduces the size of many smaller locations so they generate and load much faster.
- Haven’s exterior has been reduced in size.
- Haven no longer has any basic traders.
- There are many more supplies in the vault at the start of a new world.
- If you enter the temple in Haven, damaged equipment is automatically repaired and you are automatically healed from status effects like poison and infection.
- The innkeeper in Haven no longer offers any rumors.
- The Staff is now kept secure in a dedicated room in the temple.
- Removes a few gameplay and difficulty options that are obsolete within the new framework.
- The alchemy curriculum and the marang omnibus can be donated to the librarian.
- The lost codex, the Raafi notebook, and the Bird’s Eye are now items you can study to gain an extra skill.
- The broken wing now is a magical scepter that automatically recharges when you rest.
- Reduces the price of bandages.
- Verdant cloaks, sun eggs, everfrost, mantle of eclipse, and shimmering shards are no longer legacy items.
Bug Fixes
- Marang puzzle boxes only stack when they are identical and in an identical state.
- You can no longer use the start journey option when viewing the map to cheat your way past the entrance gate to the first valley.
- Forgotten weapons quest closes correctly on completion.
- ‘Minor puzzle gates’ can be generated with the full scala of options once more.
- Clan leaders or no longer wounded in raids, so you can always talk to them.
- When pressing cancel in the menu to select a regional rumor you cannot accidentally get a rumor.
- Addresses an issue with the representation of bulk in combination with weapon grip and armored combat.
- A world spawns only one broken wing relic.
