Vapourware Unforetold: Witchstone (formerly Project Witchstone) - "living world" sandbox RPG with turn-based combat - CANCELLED

[cyborgboy95]

Dev Update #13: Let's Talk About Factions
Greetings Adventurers!

We hope you’ve enjoyed the last 2 dev blogs about the setting of Unforetold: Witchstone, the harsh and mysterious island-continent of Kalsundia. Collaborating with the legendary Ed Greenwood to create this world has been a dream come true and way more fun than anticipated. We hope you’ll also have fun immersing yourself in our universe.

Today, we’re going to dive a little deeper into a topic that’s been brought up a few times in previous posts: Kalsundian factions.

Three main factions vie for power on the island: the Free Legion, the Commonwealth, and the Brightwind Clan. At the start of Unforetold: Witchstone, there is an uneasy truce between them, but any inciting event could potentially trigger an all-out war. Due to their conflicting ideals and visions for the future of Kalsundia, this swing between war and peace has been happening since the last time they all fought together and forced the mainland empires to retreat from the island. The factions have divided the ownerships of towns among themselves but these ownerships can easily change through negotiations or battles.

The Commonwealth

The Commonwealth is the oldest faction in Kalsundia. Formed on Orwindar by Avondan political revolutionaries and prisoners, they were among the first people to live on the island in a few thousand years.

The Commonwealth opposes military leadership and instead prefers appointed leadership, which puts them in political opposition to the Free Legion. Their ideal is that the people need to unite and share, to serve a Greater Purpose. Gradually, in the last few years, more and more elves have become high-ranking members of the faction, to the dissatisfaction of a few.

In order to gain favor with the Commonwealth and get invited to join them, you will be asked to influence civilians to serve the Greater Purpose, negotiate with rival factions, and help the elven leadership.

The Brightwind Clan

The Brightwind Clan is the 2nd oldest faction in Kalsundia. Formed by Avondan wizards who discovered the secret to breaking the Compulsion-Bond, a mind control method used by Avondan leaders, using witchstones. By performing and teaching the ritual to Kalsundians, they gained the trust of people for many generations.

In the years since, the Brightwind has invented many witchadar devices to improve Kalsundians’ daily lives. Of course, they have also created witchadar weapons that they keep mostly for themselves. Their focus is on selling products and ensuring no conflict gets in the way of business.

The Brightwind Clan would appreciate you and include you as of theirs if you helped them keep the other factions from fighting each other and dealt with the Commonwealth members stealing witchadar weapons.

The Free Legion

This faction was founded by rebel Avondan soldiers who were stationed at the fort that has been renamed Free Fortress. Though the Free Legion despises the oppression, corruption, and manipulation of their former empire, it did keep and adapt their military training and structure. A leadership position is earned from battles.

A Free Legion soldier’s life revolves around training and discipline. They believe that a good fighter with a strong weapon can beat any Brightwind weapon. Therefore, they train and employ the best blacksmiths in Kalsundia. This belief also means that the Free Fortress loves to send troops into townships to take over other factions’ properties.

To earn the respect and friendship of the Free Legion and join their ranks, you will need to join them on their raids and strike down people who they perceive as enemies.

Which faction you decide to join (or not join) in Unforetold: Witchstone is completely up to you. Helping out to strengthen a faction without ever joining them is also a valid option. There are also other smaller factions in Kalsundia that might pique your interest, like the Luck Turner bandits or the Order of the Departed cultists. And there are factionless civilians that you can side with and defend.

As you explore Kalsundia, you will learn about factions’ wants and be rewarded for playing a part in fulfilling them. How you act on these available opportunities will shift the balance of power and the appreciation between factions. You’ll have some decisions as you can’t fulfill conflicting factions’ wants without ruffling someone’s feathers.

We’ll be back next month to talk more about opportunities and the numerous journeys they’ll take you. Also, we’ll explain about how opportunities set us apart from conventional CRPG and the approach we took for questing in a RPG sandbox.

Questions? Feedback? Leave a comment!

 

[Infinitron]

Coming to Early Access on January 25th:

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.pcgamer.com/unforetold-...f-dandd-and-other-tabletop-roleplaying-games/

Unforetold: Witchstone is a CRPG that captures the wild flexibility of D&D and other tabletop roleplaying games​

How to make friends and influence people.

After making my adventurer in Unforetold: Witchstone (a roguish elf with a penchant for magic) and finishing up a tutorial fight at sea, the first thing that I did—standing on the docks, probably looking a bit damp—was intimidate the first random NPC I encountered, forcing them to join my party. I then proceeded to do the same thing to every other nearby NPC until my roster was full. Who needs charm when you can just be an arsehole?

These NPCs were not among the fleshed out characters that Spearhead Games has designed to be your allies in this sandbox RPG, but you can recruit them all the same. Everyone in the game can be influenced in myriad ways, as long as the dice rolls your way and your stats are up to the task. Thus, I began my adventure accompanied by a raggedy band of rightly miserable refugees who absolutely did not want to be traipsing after some random dude they just met.

Making NPCs my minions is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Influence system, as Spearhead's co-founder and creative director Malik Boukhira explains. "So you start by determining something you want from that character, whether it's just following you around, meet you somewhere, attack someone, give you something they have in their inventory or joining you as a companion even if you want—and then you pick an approach. How do you go about that? You can go sweet talk them, be charming about it, you can threaten them, you can blackmail them, you can argue with them logically, if you're a smart character. If you're a cleric, maybe you can convince them it's the right religious thing to do.

"Depending on that character and that order, that approach might be more or less difficult. For example, a brave and courageous warrior might not respond very well to physical threats. But maybe they're gullible a bit and maybe you can sweet talk them into doing certain things. Ordering a faction guard to attack their colleague maybe won't go so well, but if you find someone they dislike, it might be easier."

In most RPGs, the majority of NPCs are set dressing, existing to give locations the illusion of life. Trying to talk to them might only elicit a quick canned response rather than kicking off a conversation. But in Witchstone there are no truly incidental NPCs—all of them have relationships, points of view and the potential to become a problem-solving tool. And by learning more about them and using your skills to gain insights into their personalities and desires, you can exert more influence over them.

Friends with benefits​

A very early quest saw me trying to find a way inside a city's walls, and my silver tongue failed me during a conversation with a pair of guards at the gate. I heard about a secret way inside, through some catacombs, but that entrance was also guarded. Luckily, this particular guard was a shifty bloke, and told me he was willing to let me in if I could find some items for him. As a busy elf on an important mission, however, I didn't feel like wasting my time on a treasure hunt for a crooked cop, so I took another route: learning more about this guard, and using that information to make him trust me, after which I talked him into leaving his post. All I had to do was tell him that someone wanted to speak with him, which he believed, leaving the entrance unguarded.

I confess I absolutely felt like a master manipulator after simply getting a guard to leave his post, but obviously there are much more dramatic ways to change the world. "So let's say you're in a town, and you want to get rid of a faction that's controlling the town," says Boukhira. "You might just charge in and try to attack them. You could maybe find allies, convincing a couple of people to join you in that fight—if you want to fight but not be alone. You could be much more mischievous: we have a quite deep Frame system, and you could frame one of the leaders of that faction for crime, for a murder of one of his own faction officers to create internal strife, have them arrest their own leader, things like that, to gradually get rid of them. You could be diplomatic, maybe try to use the really cool Influence system to negotiate something with them, or be evil about it and find some dirt about the leader and blackmail them into leaving town."

The mark you leave on the world can be gargantuan. You can wipe out whole towns, with every single person in it being killed off. Unforetold: Witchstone has a turn-based combat system where you can use a mix of magic and technology to take out your foes, but as you're likely starting to realise, you can also annihilate the whole town without getting your hands dirty, instead pitting its citizens and factions against each other and just watching the carnage unfold.

This flexibility naturally has an impact on quest design. Instead of being given a journal bursting with side quests and main quests with prescribed objectives and paths, Unforetold: Witchstone gives you broad goals and lets you achieve them however you want. While there are quests, which the game refers to as opportunities, none of them are mandatory.

"We're moving away from the old model of players having to go through a series of quests," says lead game designer Philip Tam. "What we do instead is that players have goals, and you take on people's opportunities, AKA quests, to help you achieve the goal that you want to achieve. So if, let's say, you want to get in the good graces of a faction, because you want to join them, then you will go and do the opportunities that they provide, and get more appreciation from them. But it is totally optional. You can bypass that by knowing people's wants, and manipulating them that way to achieve your goal."

Tabletop roleplaying has always influenced RPGs, but over the last few years that influence has grown dramatically. Baldur's Gate 3 is probably the strongest example of this, at least when it comes to the RPGs of 2023, where its sandboxy, experimental vibe really captures the spirit of tabletop antics. Unforetold: Witchstone, however, feels even closer to that tabletop philosophy of just picking a route to achieve your objective and being able to do it.

Do your thing​

"The aspects of tabletop that we want to bring to Witchstone is that freedom and player agency," says Tam. "In a tabletop RPG, players are more free to do stuff that they want to do. We want to give them more options that way, and the whole back and forth between a player and the DM, where players do certain things, and the DM responds a certain way. And our game tracks all these player choices and feeds them the best scenario for them to express themselves … the whole point is that there is a dialogue, always a constant dialogue, between the player and the game."

Often, when I'm in RPG towns running around chatting to NPCs, I'm eager to get out and go on an adventure, leaving the town's denizens behind, but in Unforetold: Witchstone, even brief chats feel meaningful as NPCs feed me information that, bit by bit, allows me to construct a solution to my schemes. Big plans can be born from seemingly incidental conversations. It's the same reason I can go through a whole TTRPG session just shooting the breeze with some NPCs and still feel like I've made some progress and experienced something anecdote-worthy. And just like a TTRPG, gathering information and influencing NPCs is just one solution: breaking into buildings and looting everything, fighting your way through dungeons and working for factions will all advance your goals.

If any of this tickles your fancy, you won't have to wait long before you can take the game for a spin. As we revealed in the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted, Unforetold: Witchstone is launching in early access on January 25, 2024.

 

[Zombra]

I feel weird that this game is so ambitious with deep dialogue and influence systems while being so drab and hacky-looking with cheap World of Warcraft big pauldrons crayon colors visuals.

 

[Abu Antar]

All Events > Unforetold: Witchstone Events >

Dev Update #14: Opportunities and Influence
Salutations Adventurers!

We’ve spoken a lot about the setting so far, but I’m certain many of you have been wondering; what exactly are you going to do in Unforetold: Witchstone? In most RPGs, you get your direction from one primary source: quests!

Except… we don’t have quests. Instead, we have something we call Opportunities.

Opportunities are potential threads you can choose to follow in order to achieve some outcome. There is no “Main Quest” in Unforetold: Witchstone, no having to choose between pursuing core progression or tangential side content. You make your own goals as you adventure in Kalsundia, and the ultimate endgame is up to you. Every action you take, every Opportunity you follow, every faction you decide to empower or topple, is all part of what makes the story your own.

Now, that doesn’t mean you won’t ever roll the credits, or that there won’t be a satisfying conclusion to your adventure. What it does mean is that the fate of the land isn’t tied to any one character, faction, or Opportunity. How you change the world is your decision alone.

When you do decide to pursue an Opportunity, that means somebody wants something. They may suggest a way for you to go about getting it for them, but ultimately, as long as you fulfill that desire, the approach is entirely up to you.

Let’s take a look at one of the first Opportunities you might come across in Kalsundia. After landing in the port of Kalsundar, the entire docks are on lockdown. The only way out is guarded by an enterprising Lawblade named Els Druthdrang, and he’s agreed to let you pass if you procure a rare gemstone for him from the mainland.

After asking around, you learn that a certain individual at the warehouse may have the artifact you need. Easy enough, just whack him over the head with your sword and take it from him!

Or, if assault isn’t your jam, you can opt for a stealthy approach. Sneak up behind him and deftly
take the artifact straight out of his pocket. Surely he won’t notice, at least not anytime soon.

But, there are more ways to interact with the world and these characters than just murdering and thieving. This brings us to one of the systems that we’re most excited for you to try: Influence.

You can think of Influence as building your own dialogue. In traditional RPGs, the dialogue choices you can make with characters in the world is limited to what the writers and designers thought to prepare for you. Influence gives you the power to build your own custom requests for anyone you meet in Unforetold: Witchstone.

You can walk up to any NPC and sweet-talk them into joining your party. Intimidate others into running away. Ask someone to help you out with an assassination. Request that your target meet you someplace private, the kind of place where there won’t be any witnesses. Convince two people to talk to each other, so they can reconcile their differences… or maybe just to make sure that they’re distracted enough for you to sneak past them into a restricted area.

Not only do you get to build your own requests, but you also choose how you’re going to go about convincing these characters to cooperate. Are you a big burly fighter with low charisma? Just flex those pecs, look menacing, and you might be surprised what some moderate threats of violence can accomplish.

Let’s go back to the individual at the warehouse. You know he has the artifact you need, but you’re a bit iffy on the whole murder thing. Well, if you’re particularly silver tongued, you can just Influence him to hand it over!

But wait, when you speak to Andrath, he mentions that he’s had a falling out with his daughter, and he would do anything to get her back home, even give up his rare artifact. By finding her and Influencing her to go talk to her dad, you can reunite a broken family and get the item you need.

On the other hand, what about Els, the guard that’s extorting you to get him the artifact? Maybe there’s some other way you can get him to move without giving him what he wants…

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed this sneak peek into how you’re going to interact with the lands and people of Kalsundia. However you choose to accomplish your goals, through violence or theft, through diplomacy or intimidation, by helping others or removing them as obstacles, just remember that the people of Kalsundia are watching. Getting a reputation as a notorious killer might not make you many friends with the broader population, but to others, you might be exactly the kind of person they’re looking for.

You can discover this and more when Unforetold: Witchstone releases in early access January 25th, 2024!

 

[0sacred]

Please, don't be shit.

 

[FFTW]

All Events > Unforetold: Witchstone Events >

Dev Update #14: Opportunities and Influence
Salutations Adventurers!

We’ve spoken a lot about the setting so far, but I’m certain many of you have been wondering; what exactly are you going to do in Unforetold: Witchstone? In most RPGs, you get your direction from one primary source: quests!

Except… we don’t have quests. Instead, we have something we call Opportunities.

Opportunities are potential threads you can choose to follow in order to achieve some outcome. There is no “Main Quest” in Unforetold: Witchstone, no having to choose between pursuing core progression or tangential side content. You make your own goals as you adventure in Kalsundia, and the ultimate endgame is up to you. Every action you take, every Opportunity you follow, every faction you decide to empower or topple, is all part of what makes the story your own.

Now, that doesn’t mean you won’t ever roll the credits, or that there won’t be a satisfying conclusion to your adventure. What it does mean is that the fate of the land isn’t tied to any one character, faction, or Opportunity. How you change the world is your decision alone.

When you do decide to pursue an Opportunity, that means somebody wants something. They may suggest a way for you to go about getting it for them, but ultimately, as long as you fulfill that desire, the approach is entirely up to you.

Let’s take a look at one of the first Opportunities you might come across in Kalsundia. After landing in the port of Kalsundar, the entire docks are on lockdown. The only way out is guarded by an enterprising Lawblade named Els Druthdrang, and he’s agreed to let you pass if you procure a rare gemstone for him from the mainland.

After asking around, you learn that a certain individual at the warehouse may have the artifact you need. Easy enough, just whack him over the head with your sword and take it from him!

Or, if assault isn’t your jam, you can opt for a stealthy approach. Sneak up behind him and deftly
take the artifact straight out of his pocket. Surely he won’t notice, at least not anytime soon.

But, there are more ways to interact with the world and these characters than just murdering and thieving. This brings us to one of the systems that we’re most excited for you to try: Influence.

You can think of Influence as building your own dialogue. In traditional RPGs, the dialogue choices you can make with characters in the world is limited to what the writers and designers thought to prepare for you. Influence gives you the power to build your own custom requests for anyone you meet in Unforetold: Witchstone.

You can walk up to any NPC and sweet-talk them into joining your party. Intimidate others into running away. Ask someone to help you out with an assassination. Request that your target meet you someplace private, the kind of place where there won’t be any witnesses. Convince two people to talk to each other, so they can reconcile their differences… or maybe just to make sure that they’re distracted enough for you to sneak past them into a restricted area.

Not only do you get to build your own requests, but you also choose how you’re going to go about convincing these characters to cooperate. Are you a big burly fighter with low charisma? Just flex those pecs, look menacing, and you might be surprised what some moderate threats of violence can accomplish.

Let’s go back to the individual at the warehouse. You know he has the artifact you need, but you’re a bit iffy on the whole murder thing. Well, if you’re particularly silver tongued, you can just Influence him to hand it over!

But wait, when you speak to Andrath, he mentions that he’s had a falling out with his daughter, and he would do anything to get her back home, even give up his rare artifact. By finding her and Influencing her to go talk to her dad, you can reunite a broken family and get the item you need.

On the other hand, what about Els, the guard that’s extorting you to get him the artifact? Maybe there’s some other way you can get him to move without giving him what he wants…

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed this sneak peek into how you’re going to interact with the lands and people of Kalsundia. However you choose to accomplish your goals, through violence or theft, through diplomacy or intimidation, by helping others or removing them as obstacles, just remember that the people of Kalsundia are watching. Getting a reputation as a notorious killer might not make you many friends with the broader population, but to others, you might be exactly the kind of person they’re looking for.

You can discover this and more when Unforetold: Witchstone releases in early access January 25th, 2024!

The many quest solutions sound good, but "you don't have a main quest" and "we use Maniac Mansion Commands in our game" make me really wary. Still, less than a month and people will get to experience it for themselves, so we will see then. Hopefully it will be good.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

you don't have a main quest"

That actually sounds promising.

 

[cyborgboy95]

Dev Update #15: Shape Fate
Greeting Adventurers!

Hope you all had a great holiday season! Last time we talked about Opportunities and how they are the potential threads you can choose to follow in order to achieve some outcome. If you haven’t read that post where we explain how our approach to traditional quests sets us apart from conventional cRPGs, please be sure to check it out.

In this last devblog before Unforetold: Witchstone goes into Early Access, we’ll share details about what the potential outcomes are and how we allow you to shape fate.

Whether you decide to follow Opportunities or do things your own way, you will affect changes to the world of Kalsundia as you interact with items, people and factions. How you interact with the many ingredients in our sandbox is constantly monitored and remembered. This record of most of your actions allows the game to punctuate key moments of your playthroughs with Milestones.

A Milestone appears on-screen after you’ve dealt with a key event, or killed multiple innocent civilians, or chased a faction out of a town, etc. They serve as a reminder of the decisions you’ve made so far in your journey through Kalsundia as well as trigger consequences for your actions. Do not be alarmed if changes to the world happen post-Milestone due to your actions! For example, don’t be surprised if many Kalsundians dislike you and some even want you dead for destroying a township.

Speaking of destruction, as a consequence of killing civilians, you will draw the attention of the Order of the Departed, a cult that seeks to match the necromantic powers of the Nethick Empire. After a crime-related Milestone, the Order of the Departed will send a messenger to speak to you and reveal the location of their temple. They would appreciate your help in destroying townships and raising an army with the dead. Of course, working on achieving your common goal of destroying Kalsundia will lead to other Milestones along the way, to introduce new challenges and twists.

If you’re not into death and destruction, you can get people to resolve conflict peacefully and get the attention of the Brightwind Clan, who would rather keep their potential customers of witchadar devices alive. But their preferred peaceful methods don't prevent them from pushing the rival factions out of townships by other means.

Ultimately, all these Milestones will chronicle your adventure and spice things up on your path towards your chosen Goal. In Unforetold: Witchstone, you decide what Kalsundia should be like by the end of your adventure. Should the Commonwealth rule the land? Or should the Commonwealth rule the land with you as their leader? Should another faction own all the towns? Should civilians live free of all factions?

This is where you can play a major part in Unforetold: Witchstone’s development: the late-game content is not set in stone yet and you can help us shape it.

During Early Access, we will gradually be releasing game content, starting with 3 townships and a few dungeons on launch day. This initial content will take you to the end of “Act 1”. As you play the game and experience our non-linear narrative, we ask for your feedback on what you like or dislike, and where you can see your adventure progressing after “Act 1”. This will greatly help us adjust and adapt the narrative content coming down the line and ensure we don’t miss an obvious Milestone or Goal, or a fun Opportunity.

We really hope you hear from you when Unforetold: Witchstone releases in Early Access on January 25th, 2024!

Oh, and stay tuned as we will be presenting our roadmap to 1.0 shortly after the release.

 

[cyborgboy95]

 

[cyborgboy95]

Community Update #1
Hello Adventurers!

We're thrilled to share some important news about the journey of Unforetold: Witchstone.
Your involvement and support have been instrumental in getting us to this point, and we're excited about the next steps.

Early Access Launch Details:

• Early access date: January 25th, 2024
• Platform: Steam
• Release time: 12PM Eastern Time
• Price: $34.99 (10% discount during launch period)
• Preload: No preload available
• Hotfix process: In response to the feedback we receive we might roll out multiple hotfixes during the first week of Early Access. Following this initial period, our schedule will include a hotfix two weeks after Early Access, with another update planned two weeks later. We will keep you informed about the timing of these updates.

What's in Store at Early Access Launch?
Note: More content will be added during major updates, see our roadmap below.

Narrative:

• Story stops at the end of Act 1

Townships Available:

• Kalsundar
• Howling Valley
• Riverfort

Dungeons Available:

• Luckhaven
• Temple of the Dead
• Hermit's Woods

Progression:

• Max. Level 6

Archetypes and Specializations:

• Fighter (Blademaster, Gunslinger, Spellsword)
• Wizard (Elementalist, Enchanter, Spell Sniper)
• Rogue (Thief, Spellslinger, Assassin)
• Cleric (Sage, War Priest)

Ancestry:

• Human
• Elf
• Dwarf

Equipment:

• Common
• Uncommon
• Rare

Known Issues For Early Access:
We understand that transparency is key, especially when it comes to any issues you might encounter in the game. On the day of Early Access launch, we will share a list of known issues as a pinned post in our Steam Discussion.

This list will be updated regularly, so keep an eye out on that section for the latest information.

Hotfix process:
Being a tight-knit team has its strengths: passion, dedication, and a direct connection to our community. However, our team size can sometimes mean limited resources and a narrower bandwidth for managing multiple challenges. With that said, we're fully committed to ensuring that the game offers a smooth experience. We're proactively addressing potential issues based on our testing, but we acknowledge that new challenges may arise once the game is in the hands of many.

In the weeks following the Early Access release, we plan to deploy a hotfix to address immediate concerns and high-priority bugs. While we'll be working round-the-clock to resolve issues, we kindly ask for your patience and understanding. Together, we can refine and enhance the gameplay experience. Remember, your feedback is not just welcomed; it's essential for our growth and improvement.

Feedback Loop:
As mentioned earlier, your feedback is invaluable. If you encounter any bugs, have suggestions, or simply want to share your experiences, please reach out to us via Steam Discussion and on our Discord Server[discord.gg] in the bug report channel.

FAQ:

Can I preload Unforetold: Witchstone?
No, there is no preload.

What size will be the build?
Around 15GB.

Why Early Access?
We are entering Early Access so that we can collect feedback on our unique influence system, sandbox RPG mechanics, the overall gameplay loop and how players can affect the world. We look to determine what changes, if any, need to be made in order to bring the game in-line with the expectations of tabletop RPG and CRPG fans.

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?
We expect to be in Early Access for about a year.

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?
The Early Access version of the game will feature roughly 1/4 of the game's final content including the overarching story, classes, abilities, etc. More will be added as we go towards the end of Early Access to the full launch.

What is the current state of the Early Access version?
The game currently has all major CRPG systems built in including character customization, turn-based combat, stealth, and our unique influence system. However, these are all works in progress, so we expect a lot of adjustments to be made to them throughout Early Access.

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?
We expect the price of the game to increase at the end of Early Access, bringing it on-par with other major CRPGs.

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?
We will be collecting feedback on Discord and surveying players in order to make informed changes to the game. We are also looking into a built-in submission system for players to
submit feedback directly to us.

What are the system requirements?

Minimum specs:
CPU: (Intel Core i7-6700/AMD Ryzen 5 1400),
GPU: (Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB/AMD RX 580)
RAM: 8GB

Recommend specs:
CPU: i5 10500 / ryzen 5 3600
GPU: RTX 2070/Radeon 5700 XT
RAM: 8GB

What platforms is Unforetold: Witchstone going to be released on?
Unforetold: Witchstone is only planned for release on Steam at the moment. More platforms may be announced later in development.

Is Unforetold: Witchstone going to have co-op mode?
We hope to be able to add co-op in the future.

Will Unforetold: Witchstone be supported on Steam Deck?
We want Unforetold: Witchstone to run on as wide a range of specs as possible, and of course Steam Deck is a part of that investigation. We'll have more to announce in due time.

Will there be controller support?
Yes, our intention is to have controller support but we still need to figure out if this will be at the launch or after.

What languages will Unforetold: Witchstone be available?
Currently the game is in English only, but we're planning to eventually add support for French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese.

What tech are you using to develop the game?
Unforetold: Witchstone is being developed using Unreal Engine 4. For this project, we have built many in-house tools to make our work more efficient.

Are there any assets I can use as a content creator?
Yes! You can find everything that you need here: https://www.witchstone.ca/presskits

What’s Next:
While we’re focused on the immediate roadmap, we’ve got exciting plans for Unforetold: Witchstone. Expect more content, features, and improvements in the coming months.

Here’s what our roadmap looks like:

Thank you for your unwavering support and patience. We couldn’t do this without our passionate community, and we’re honored to have you with us on this journey.

 

[Zombra]

Geez, I kind of like that EA announcement "Surprise! We're releasing tomorrow."

 

[Reinhardt]

"no main quest"
"act 2 story content"

 

[Roguey]

"no main quest"
"act 2 story content"

The way they described it, it sounds like there are multiple threads you can pick up and some of them eventually lead to a conclusion that rolls the credits. Of course this can be broken down into an act structure. A bit like Age of Decadence where you can choose which faction path you want within the game itself instead of in character creation.

 

[Infinitron]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1064120/view/3993071772569516572

Unforetold: Witchstone Out Now In Early Access!
Your adventure awaits

Adventurers, the wait is over!

Unforetold: Witchstone has officially launched into Early Access on Steam.
Embark on a journey where your choices shape the world around you.
Explore, battle, and decide your destiny in a realm filled with magic and mystery.

Thank you for your support and enthusiasm. We can't wait to see the paths you choose.

Your adventure starts now!

Stay connected and follow us here:

Discord: https://discord.gg/spearheadgames
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WitchstoneGame
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WitchstoneGame/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/witchstonegame/
Website: https://www.witchstone.ca/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SpearheadMontreal/

 

[Geckabor]

Decided to give this a go, but the start is rough. Two crashes right after the first introductory fight and dialogue.

 

[Readher]

Decided to give this a go, but the start is rough. Two crashes right after the first introductory fight and dialogue.

That you?

 

[HoboForEternity]

Bugs aside how is this?

 

[toro]

Bugs aside how is this?

It's a strange beast.

We do have a lot of narrative planned for the game but think of Mount & Blade or Kenshi and how they let you play the game without following a narrative. We are making a game where you are free to do things and not follow opportunities and leads.

CohhCarnage is doing a stream now.

edit:
- it's using a D20 system, combat is turn based with initiative, mana is restored after a short rest,
- there is an influence system but it's mostly broken,
- the world has Arcanum vibes with tons of inspiration from DOS games,
- the game is a mess right now, debug text, XP bugs and so on.

 

[toro]

Some quotes from the devs:

While you can't become a king in Unforetold: Witchstone, you have the opportunity to rise through the ranks and become a respected lieutenant within the factions you align with. It's all about forging your own path and making a name for yourself in the world of Kalsundia! As we continue to develop the game, we're planning to introduce a leadership role. We'll provide more information on this feature once we have a confirmed release schedule.

You'll have the choice to either become a part of a faction and climb the ranks, gaining influence and reputation, or you can play the role of an outsider. As an outsider, you'll have the unique ability to sway the dynamics between factions, impacting their standings within townships and broader regions. Your actions will affect the relationship of factions in a township and in regions.

While Unforetold: Witchstone offers a sandbox experience, we've woven in narrative-driven "Quests" that allow players to delve into and influence our world. These quests are designed to provide personal character motivation, enabling players to make meaningful changes and leave their mark on the world. This sense of impact is conveyed not only through environmental storytelling but also through dynamic interactions with characters in the game.

Some other observations:
- the rng generator is broken atm therefore dices greater than 5 are rare (wtf!?)
- the current version has only 4-5 hours of content, 35$ for alpha content is wild!
- keys bindings are not saved, savegames are huge, the influence system doesn't work properly,
- there were only 2 streamers and both of them were sponsored, they both dropped the game after the sponsored period.

Bottom line: The game has potential. I mean they have the influence system in which you can influence NPCs to talk with other NPCs, fight with other NPCs, give you items from their inventories, go to specific places and so on. It sounds really good in theory and it's should allow for emergent gameplay ... but the implementation is ass. The influence mechanics are not there or they don't work.

They are planning a full release for Q1 2025.

I don't want to jinx it but that will not happen. Their last game is from 2018. They are like 40 people. They spent 5 years to EA release a sandbox rpg where basic gameplay mechanics don't work. I mean this is worse than a vertical slide. This game will not be saved in one year by this team unless a miracle happens.

The game has huge potential but not right now.

 

[toro]

from steam

is there something wrong with the rng system?
i'm not talking about the boni (fixed)
i'm talking about the rolls specificaly
i did "tests" on the docks and frankly rolling anything past a 6 was almost a wonder
either there's some hidden subtraction going on, which i missed, or there's something wonky with the system
I tested the same 2 npcs (the family involved in getting past the lower docks), around 70 rolls for their insight checks, and frankly a good 80 to 90% of rolls where below 6, again not talking about boni.

I understand that it's an indie game, it's EA and blablabla ... how the fuck can you release an rpg game with dice mechanics were the dice rolling doesn't work? How!? Nobody tested this shit.

 

[toro]

Geez, I kind of like that EA announcement "Surprise! We're releasing tomorrow."

I think the devs share that sentiment with you

 

[Tyranicon]

How big is the scope of EA? Like, what % of the full launch mechanics are already present?

Sounds like instead of limiting the scope of their EA they overreached and now their shit's buggy.

Basic mechanics need to be stable (dice rolling?!). Players can forgive sequence breaking and content bugs, but your fundamentals need to be sound.

 

[Tyranicon]

Also, EA launch numbers from steamdb.

 

[toro]

How big is the scope of EA? Like, what % of the full launch mechanics are already present?

Sounds like instead of limiting the scope of their EA they overreached and now their shit's buggy.

Basic mechanics need to be stable (dice rolling?!). Players can forgive sequence breaking and content bugs, but your fundamentals need to be sound.

I cannot estimate without playing it. The most important influence mechanic "Talk to" was not working.

There are like 12 regions in the game and the streamers were able to visit like 3 of them.

I think you are correct about the rest. They overreached a lot.