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Codex Review - posted by Infinitron on Sun 22 December 2024, 00:17:05

Tags: Caves of Qud; Freehold Games

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Caves of Qud is a roguelike by developer Freehold Games released earlier this month after 17 years of development. The Codex has never really been a roguelike-oriented community, but Qud nevertheless managed to become an anticipated title among the genre's fans on the forum throughout its years in beta and Early Access. Or at least it was until a a couple of, uh, events in recent years marred its reputation. Some however pay less attention to such things, among them esteemed member buffalo bill who decided to write an extensive review of the game. Like other roguelikes of its type, Caves of Qud is packed with interesting features, but what makes it stand out is its Gamma World-esque post-apocalyptic science fantasy setting. It sounds like a good entrypoint for genre newcomers. Here's an excerpt from the review:

Caves of Qud (‘CoQ’ henceforth) is an open-world roguelike RPG made by Freehold Games, and was released on December 5, 2024 after fifteen years of development. The only other release from this studio is a game called Sproggiwood from 2014, but Caves of Qud seems to have been their primary focus. As a roguelike in the traditional sense, this game features a top-down perspective, simultaneous turn-based action, deep mechanics, a great deal of player agency, procedural generation, and minimal graphics. I love traditional roguelikes like ADOM, and have been playing the EA version of CoQ for several years, so I have been looking forward to its full release for a long time.

The game styles itself as a “retro futurist fantasy”, and clearly is inspired by tabletop RPGs like Gamma World or certain GURPS settings. It is set in a long-in-the-future post-apocalyptic Earth. Unlike the desolate post-apocalyptic settings of Fallout or Dark Sun, which depict uninhabitable and barren landscapes, in CoQ the natural world is thriving, and intelligent and non-intelligent mutant creatures have evolved to fill the void left by a nearly-eradicated humanity.

You frequently come across remnants of the old world in the form of ancient high tech gadgets (“artifacts” until identified), robots, and computers. Sometimes the computers and robots are worshipped by NPCs, such as pygmies (“Naphtaali”) who are led through the jungles by their chrome idol, or the Mechanamists who throw artifacts in a well or worship a deep-underground computer. Mutated creatures are everywhere, and often have strange abilities. For instance, the twinning lamprey (or the more dangerous trining lamprey) come in pairs, and killing just one of the pair causes a new lamprey to materialize near its brethren.

Among the mutated creatures are familiar genre staples like giant bugs and lizards and hyenas and frogs and baboons, but also stranger beings like boulder giants (“Cragmensch”) who hurl pieces of themselves at you and sometimes bleed gemstones, barbarous and often psychic goatfolk, Dune-inspired cyclopean worms which roam the desert, plants and fungi of various levels of intelligence and mercantile interest (the “Consortium of Phyta” faction is a group of trade-obsessed plants), quilled albino cave bears, a tree of somewhat-hive-minded crystalline leaves, and so on. By my count, the number of broad types of NPCs is sixty, with each broad type typically composed of many specific creatures with unique stats and abilities and behaviors. For instance, just the insects have twenty three specific creatures.

The faction system allows the PC to befriend or make enemies with anyone in the game. Higher reputation leads to less aggressive behavior by the members of that faction, and lower reputation leads to more aggressive behavior. Factions have holy places which they will not let you into without violence if your reputation is too low. The PC can increase reputation by performing the “water ritual” with legendary creatures, which involves offering that creature your water (water also serves as this world's base currency, and must be consumed to stay alive). You can also offer secrets in exchange for a gain in reputation.

You can obtain secrets, or ask the legendary creature to join you, or learn psychic powers, or normal abilities, or food recipes, or crafting instructions, in exchange for loss of reputation. Some secrets (like the locations of certain legendary items or the “Cradles” of some of the ancient titanic agents of the apocalypse) are almost impossible to obtain without trading for that secret from a legendary creature of a relevant faction, and sometimes it is very hard to increase reputation with that faction (I’m thinking of trolls in particular, which have exactly three legendary creatures in the game). Killing a legendary creature costs reputation with its faction and factions who like that creature, but gains reputation with factions who hate that creature. Like nearly all of CoQ’s systems, this system is quite deep and unique.

The gameworld consists of a mix of handmade and procedurally generated locations. One issue I have with the game is the procedural map generation. Compared to some roguelikes like DoomRL or Infra Arcana, maps in CoQ sometimes feel a bit too random and relatively less interesting in layout. However, the procedural map generation is much better in plot-critical locations like Golgotha, which consists of a series of conveyor belts and different sorts of dangers as one descends, or Bethesda Susa, which has four floors that are always the same, and overall a unique feel in the gameworld compared to other dungeons. Most of the major cities are handcrafted rather than procedurally generated.​

Read the full article: RPG Codex Review: Caves of Qud

There are 17 comments on RPG Codex Review: Caves of Qud

Fri 20 December 2024

Game News - posted by Infinitron on Fri 20 December 2024, 13:37:16

Tags: Baldur's Gate 3; Larian Studios

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1086940/view/538840670729666668

Howdy gang,

One last update to share with you before we leave you to your tryptophanic rest this holiday season.

It’s been a banner December here for Larian. Last week, you helped us take home the Best Community Support award for the second year running. Then you nominated us for the Labor of Love category in the Steam Awards 2024. And we aren’t slowing down.

Much like a certain jolly elf and his industrious band of shorter elves, Swen and team are hard at work putting the finishing touches on the Patch 8 stress test build - set to go live in January. Read on to find out how you and your friends can take part!

We’re also winding down on mod curation for consoles during the holidays, which will resume as normal once we return refreshed in the new year! (If you’re unsure about the process involved in bringing mods to consoles and the guidelines we must follow, you can check out our latest video with Aoife by clicking here!)

And if you haven't dug into our official Advent Calendar yet, you're missing out on daily puzzles, new art and wallpaper inspired by Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin, instrumentals from BG3 composer Borislav “Bobby” Slavov, and a festive poem read by none other than Amelia Tyler - in which she offends all your poetic senses by rhyming “Northdark County” with “Tim Downey”.

Patch 8 Stress Test
Available to players on Steam PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, you can now register to take part using the form linked below.

What are we looking to learn from the stress test?

A stress test aims to do exactly what it sounds like; rigorously test the latest game version to detect any instability or gameplay issues before Patch 8 releases. With your help, we’ll be able to keep an eye on any funny business.

Cross-Play
Bringing cross-play to a game the size of Baldur’s Gate 3 has been no easy task, and we want your help to test-drive this new functionality.

Share the stress test registration link to summon your friends and settle in for a cross-play campaign, or head to the Larian Studios Discord Server to look for a group to play with.

Patch 8 & Supported Mods
Supported mods should remain free of issues, however, this stress test is also a great opportunity to monitor how these mods interact with the new features Patch 8 introduces.

Discord Channels & Your Experience
Should you wish to take part, you’ll be able to submit responses in our feedback form to help us make any small tweaks and adjustments before Patch 8 is released. We’ll also have testing channels open in the Discord server, where you can call upon our Community Team for guidance installing the stress test and share information about your experience playing with Patch 8!

Got this far and still have no idea what we’ve been talking about? Check out our last community update for details on what’s coming with Patch 8, including 12 new subclasses, photo mode, and cross-play!

Now rest up, we’ll see you next year.​

There are 0 comments on Baldur's Gate 3 Community Update #31: Patch 8 Stress Test

Thu 19 December 2024

Game News - posted by Infinitron on Thu 19 December 2024, 23:53:09

Tags: Lost Pilgrims Studio; Vagrus - The Riven Realms; Vagrus - The Riven Realms: At the Heart of Ruin

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/909660/view/518574472406499671



Vagri! We’re sure many of you’ve been waiting for more information about our next DLC (shaping up to be expansion-sized once again) and the time has come to deliver just that – in the form of a special story trailer we’re excited to share.

So, there you have it. Some exposition delivered by award-winning voice actor Phil Rowe, along with a title reveal and the year of release. Although the latter is fairly vague, we can already say that we are aiming for the first half of 2025, as we’ve been working on it very diligently for months now. There’s still a lot to go, but we’re making good progress and we’re very satisfied with how it’s shaping up. Can you guess where it’ll be set? There are quite a few indicators, we think.

We can’t wait to share more, of course, including a launch trailer with some gameplay closer to release, so stay tuned. In the meantime, you can wishlist the DLC on Steam.​

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2672540/Vagrus__The_Riven_Realms_At_the_Heart_of_Ruin/

There are 6 comments on Vagrus - The Riven Realms: At the Heart of Ruin expansion announced


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Game News - posted by Infinitron on Thu 19 December 2024, 19:41:29

Tags: Ancient Forge Studio; Glorious Companions

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1001040/view/496056474180518228



Hello there, Companions!
The Big Day Has Arrived!

Together with the entire Ancient Forge team, we are incredibly proud and excited to officially announce that Glorious Companions has just left Early Access! After years in development, and valuable feedback from our amazing community, the game has reached its full release!

You can grab the game today in its refreshed form, and there’s no better time than now because the Steam Sale is here! That means you can get Glorious Companions 40% off!

What Awaits You in the Full Release?
  • Turn-Based Combat
  • Vast open world of Terscara with breathtaking biomes waiting to be explored
  • 1v1 PvP Arena Mode
  • Challenging Tactical Adventure and Complex Battle Maps
  • Rich Mercenary Management System
  • Immersive Story of Terscara
This journey with Glorious Companions has been incredible and we wanted to say - Thank You! Thank you for your trust and support throughout all these years. Now it's time to dive into the world of Terscara and experience the new era of our tactical RPG.

See you on the battlefield!
Ancient Forge

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1001040/Glorious_Companions/

There are 0 comments on Glorious Companions Released

Thu 12 December 2024

Game News - posted by Infinitron on Thu 12 December 2024, 12:43:13

Tags: ATOM Team; Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2108180/view/4481740235689953206



Greetings, friends!

We have finally reached a major milestone for our game: Swordhaven has been released into Early Access.

Of course, the game is not yet fully developed content-wise, and some mechanics that are already in place may require further refinement. But thanks to Early Access, we can communicate with you directly and consider your ideas and suggestions as we progress, truly designing Swordhaven in the way our players envision it.

This, however, is only possible if we receive feedback. Please feel free to contact us in any way you see fit to share your opinions. We will evaluate your feedback and implement it into the game before our full release.

So, what comes now?

First and foremost, we're planning updates to the game, with major ones hitting roughly once every couple of months. We will provide you with all the necessary information to keep you in the loop about what's been implemented and what the next big addition is.

One area we will focus on is the Real-Time with Pause battle mode, which is currently available for testing in the game. Swordhaven already provides a variety of settings for the AI, including the option to turn it off completely, and we will continue to make improvements in this regard. Animations are also a priority; we already have a lot, but there's much more to come!

Compatibility, optimization, and bug fixing are also top priorities for us. We're doing everything we can to test the game on all available devices, but a small team cannot cover every configuration out there.
If you encounter a bug (such as launch problems, graphics issues, or freezing), please send us a report at support@atomrpg.com. Our new Bug Tracker feature will help us track your problem, and you can check the resolution status at any time.

Thank you very much for being with us, and let's hope for a smooth ride towards the biggest milestone yet: the full release!​

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2108180/Swordhaven_Iron_Conspiracy/
https://af.gog.com/en/game/swordhaven_iron_conspiracy?as=1649904300

There are 26 comments on Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy now available on Early Access

Tue 10 December 2024

Game News - posted by Infinitron on Tue 10 December 2024, 19:53:17

Tags: Shiro Games; Wartales; Wartales: The Skelmar Invasion

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1527950/view/530958278018991980



With this DLC, Wartales returns to its roots with an entirely new region to explore.

Ormance is under the control of the Skelmars, violent invaders from the Marches of the World. The new region is divided into sub-regions, called baronies, that have fallen into the hands of the Skelmars. Faced with such brutality, the Legion alone is no longer strong enough to hold back the barbarians… So who you gonna call? Mercenaries!

As you reclaim territory from the Skelmars, you’ll have the chance to repair buildings which have been destroyed by the invaders. This will allow you to gather resources to boost the war effort, request support from local factions with unique combat skills, and take back each stronghold one by one until Ormance is finally liberated!

To free the baronies, you’ll need to wrest these strongholds back from the Skelmars’ grasp. And since we’re all about being kind and gentle in Wartales, what better way to siege a fort than to ask nicely with battering rams and catapult fire?

Sieges introduce the first-ever version of multi-stage epic battles in Wartales. Begin at the fort’s outer defenses, take down archer towers and breach the gate to infiltrate the inner courtyard. Once inside, the fort’s defenders will try to stop your advance as you push toward assassinating the enemy leader and raising your banner. Hold your position for several rounds, reclaim the stronghold, and liberate the barony from the Skelmars’ control!

You won’t be alone in this assault; Ormance’s forces will support you with new command skills you can use during battles in the region. On top of that, you’ll be managing the war effort your way by rebuilding destroyed structures, unlocking unique bonuses and resources to aid in your reconquest.​

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3335020/Wartales_The_Skelmar_Invasion/
https://af.gog.com/en/game/wartales_the_skelmar_invasion?as=1649904300

There are 4 comments on Wartales: The Skelmar Invasion Expansion Released

Game News - posted by Infinitron on Tue 10 December 2024, 16:31:09

Tags: Owlcat Games; Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader

https://roguetrader.owlcat.games/news/en/45



Abelard, introduce the third gargantuan update 1.3 to the players!

This major update contains over 1000 changes, focusing on QoL improvements, new content and bugfixes to make all aspects of your experience better!

For your convenience, we’ve combined the smaller ones together into broader categories.

Highlights:
  • Co-op mode is now available on consoles! Explore the Koronus Expanse together.
  • Multiple new cutscenes and a major rework of some old cutscenes;
  • Major increase in availability of conviction points;
  • A lot of new voiceover, including companion banter, voiced cutscenes, etc. Fixed problems with many voiced lines and pronunciations;
  • Many narrative updates on colony events and a rich selection of new rewards for them;
  • Multiple encounters have been redesigned and made significantly more challenging based on community feedback;
  • Rebalance of equipment and loot tables in Act I-II for better progression;
  • 12 new Force swords were added to the game;
  • Over 20 other new items were added to loot, rewards and vendors;
  • Updated character models for Heinrix, Abelard, Kibellah and Argenta to better match their portraits;
  • A lot of updates to French and German localization as well as consistency pass on abilities and tutorials for all localizations;
  • You can now rotate the Grand Strategist zones using the R key ("▢" on PS5, and "X" on Xbox);
  • Demons summoned by Uralon can now properly attack and use their abilities;
  • Many items previously unavailable to Yrliet and Marazhai can now be worn by them;
  • And a lot more!
Note that https://steamcommunity.com/app/2186680/discussions/0/4027970580228219058/ always contains up-to-date information on known issues and the roadmap of upcoming patches.

The Emperor protects!​

There are 11 comments on Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader 1.3 Update

Game News - posted by Infinitron on Tue 10 December 2024, 11:13:38

Tags: MicroProse; Urban Strife; White Pond Games

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/710230/view/530958278018990885



An incredible journey of over eight years reaches its harbor today. What began as a project that, on paper, seemed impossible has now become reality: Urban Strife.

This game was brought to life by a dedicated team of three devs, alongside a roster of amazing friends who generously contributed their expertise. It’s still a rough gem, waiting to be cut and polished—that’s why we chose the Early Access path. We believe this is the best way to finish our journey: together with you, the players. Those players who – same as us three - wanted more and always got less from their games, because “it is what our focus groups say is trending”.

Making this moment even more special, we’re launching Urban Strife with the support of MicroProse—a name that has been synonymous with gaming excellence for generations.

In the past two weeks, we shared an Early Access preview build with over 100 content creators. Thanks to their efforts, we identified and fixed a dozen critical bugs, resolved hundreds of minor issues, and introduced vital balancing and quality-of-life updates. Their generosity in donating their time and expertise has been invaluable, and we are deeply grateful to them.

To those who’ve said, “I like the game, but I’d rather play it when it’s out of Early Access,” we hear you, too. We invite you to stay with us on this journey—share your ideas and critiques, and help shape Urban Strife into the game you want it to be when it officially launches as version 1.0.

So… welcome to Urban Strife. If you’re curious about what lies ahead, we’ve prepared a detailed Early Access roadmap for you. If you’re ready to dive in, check out the introductory playthrough running on a loop on our store page, or explore the quick tips we’ve provided under the “Quick Reference” section of our Steam page.

Good luck out there, and thank you for your incredible support!​

https://store.steampowered.com/app/710230/Urban_Strife/

There are 3 comments on Urban Strife now available on Early Access


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Sat 7 December 2024

Game News - posted by Infinitron on Sat 7 December 2024, 12:58:32

Tags: Descending: Curse of the Blood Crown

https://arkytoothis.itch.io/descending-curse-of-the-blood-crown



I am a solo/hobbyist developer and this is my attempt at the modernization of my favorite old time RPGs like Bards Tale and Might and Magic. My goal is to create an atmospheric, world-spanning, fantasy epic with a little but of old school feel and modern features and bring Aeldrath to life in a low poly 3d world. Descending will have a heavy focus on exploration, combat and character progression. There will be lore available in the world, but it will not be a story heavy game. Stories and lore are intentionally simple, to evoke a feeling of a simpler time in gaming.

I am also developing a full map editor which will allow players to modify or build new maps, this editor will be used to build the entire world and all of its content. A data editor will also be included which will allow most content in the game to be edited and created, greatly extending the lifetime and replayability of the game.

Steam demo and release planned as well as free alpha and beta builds here on itch (instead of doing early access). Rough goal is to have a Demo released early 2025 and full release at least a year later.

The Crowned One has awoken from his long slumber, silently taking control of the once great city-state of Drakullovska. The profane crown he bears grants him immortality and must be destroyed. You will gather a party of adventurers who are brave, hardy or lucky enough to survive the upcoming trials. They must travel the Known World to find and unlock the secrets of the Elemental Shrines -- Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Life, Death, Order and Chaos -- and receive the blessings of the gods themselves. Only then will they be powerful enough to defeat The Undying Tyrant, his legions of followers and destroy The Blood Crown once and for all.

CURRENT FEATURE LIST
  • First person, grid based movement and rotation with an unlockable camera for freely looking around
  • Turn based combat with ranged attack options for most heroes
  • Build a party of up to 6 Heroes from 18 different fantasy races (Human, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, Half Orcs, etc.) and 6 Professions (Recruit, Mercenary, Scout, Thief, Apprentice or Acolyte). You currently start with a 3 or 4 hero maximum. This number will be upgradable throughout the campaign.
  • Masteries - Secondary classes that have various requirements and grant unique abilities. (e.g. Soldier, Paladin, Wizard, Pyromancer, Cleric).
  • Randomly Generated Heroes can be hired and swapped in and out of the active party. Currently up to 12 inactive heroes can be saved and kept. This number will likely start at 2 to 4 and be upgradable throughout the campaign.
  • Deadly dungeons full of monsters, traps, treasure, hidden rooms and ancient secrets.
  • Day/Night cycle with weather, fog, sound and particle effects.
  • Hero Death, Wounds and Aging - When a hero is killed they can be resurrected through magic or healer NPCs. Wounds are semi-permanent attribute debuffs that can also be removed with spells or by healers. Heroes will age and receive attribute debuffs as they grow older.
  • Camping - prepare a meal (meals add attribute buffs), cast rituals (powerful buffs or healing spells), boost party morale with an uplifting tune (coming soon) and if your luck holds, avoid random encounters (coming soon).
  • Random Item Generator creates items with a Quality Modifier, Prefix Enchantment and Suffix Enchantment (e.g. +1 Flaming Long Sword of the Bear)
  • Hand crafted, tile-based Fantasy world made with the included Map Editor. World is made up of a grid of smaller maps (approximately 75 maps total), each up to 50x50 tiles.
  • World will be built in chapters. The Demo will be the first chapter (4 overworld maps, The Ironsworn Isles). Each chapter will have a more or less self contained story that will fit into the greater campaign. There will be 14 in total each ranging from 4 - 8 overworld maps.

There are 10 comments on Descending: Curse of the Blood Crown is an upcoming low poly open world blobber, now in alpha

Thu 5 December 2024

Game News - posted by Infinitron on Thu 5 December 2024, 19:01:38

Tags: Caves of Qud; Freehold Games; Kitfox Games

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/333640/view/4440081939137824126



We are proud to announce that after 17 years of development, Caves of Qud launches into 1.0 today. A new trailer celebrating the launch will also be debuting today at PC Gamer’s Most Wanted showcase. Make sure you tune in starting at 12 PM PST/3pm EST/8PM GMT/9PM CEST.

The Caves of Qud 1.0 update includes:
  • The conclusion of the main quest, with multiple endings
  • Lots of new music, sound effects, items, and final UI polish
  • Tons of bugfixes and small feature improvements
Launching alongside 1.0 is the Dromad Deluxe edition, which includes:
If you already purchased the base game, you can complete the Dromad Deluxe collection (and get your seal) by buying the rest of the items in the bundle.

What’s Next?
What comes after 1.0 for Caves of Qud? First and foremost, the team will be taking a well-deserved break. Putting the capstone on a game as complex as Qud took a whole lot of work. After that, we plan to continue updating the game, with two big feature arcs already in mind. Whether those are free updates or paid DLC has yet to be determined.

And while we might push updates to the live branch, we’ll be keeping save game compatibility stable between big feature arcs. This should allow modders to feel comfortable getting to work on new mods. Compatibility might break when a big feature arc does drop (whether it’s free or DLC), but we’ll give plenty of lead time in the run up to those releases.

Other than that, we’ll be working on supporting other platforms. More news on that later.

A Thank You…
It feels like a fever dream to be releasing 1.0. Seventeen years of development, nine and a half years of Steam Early Access. The only constant has been that whenever we’ve shown the game to a wider audience, there are more and more weirdos just like us who are ready to connect with it. Thank you so much for supporting us through the years — some of you since the very beginning — and helping us bring something original and heartfelt into the world.​

https://store.steampowered.com/app/333640/Caves_of_Qud/
https://af.gog.com/en/game/caves_of_qud?as=1649904300

There are 15 comments on Caves of Qud Released

Game News - posted by Infinitron on Thu 5 December 2024, 17:00:00

Tags: Digital Tribe; Dustgrave; Innervoid Interactive

https://www.gamespress.com/SANDBOX-RPG-DUSTGRAVE-RELEASES-TODAY-ON-STEAM-EARLY-ACCESS

RPG Dustgrave releases today on Steam Early Access on December 5 for $21.99 with a 15% launch discount for two weeks. Dustgrave offers players total freedom and a powerful emergent narrative thanks to its powerful character editor and advanced record and relationship system, which tracks every event in the world and makes NPC react to what they know about you, depending on their morality and interests.

ABOUT DUSTGRAVE
Carve your own path in the dangerous lands of what once was the mighty Dahlan Empire – now a land of strife and conflict, with all kinds of factions struggling among them. Follow the laws or seek to sow chaos: every choice is yours to make. Your actions can empower your faction to make it the most powerful of the continent; or you can go your own way and try to maintain a balance of power. Featuring a deep turn-based combat system that allows combinations of skills, spells, and items, you have endless tactical options to adapt the game to your playstyle. You can also rely on Dustgrave’s advanced stealth system to achieve your goals – you can break into places to steal valuable clues (or just, well, valuables), assassinate enemies, and other questionable deeds. Just be aware that, thanks to Dustgrave's advanced record and relationship system, the world will remember your choices -- and react accordingly...

KEY FEATURES
  • Everything meaningful happening in the world is recorded. NPCs will judge your good and bad deeds based on their personality or faction
  • The world is in constant evolution. Factions will constantly fight against each other: some may acquire more power, others may be destroyed forever.
  • All NPCs have unique personalities and desires, and their daily life is thoroughly simulated
  • True fantasy sandbox RPG experience. You decide with your actions what kind of character you want to be: a holy man, a thief, a hero, a soldier, a mercenary, an archeologist, even just a mail deliverer…
  • Smash your enemies with an advanced yet accessible turn-based combat system, combining Skills and Items in huge tactical depth
  • Use an advanced stealth system to do anything you want! Stealing? Check! Assassinating? Check! Breaking and entering? Check!
  • Create your own customized characters with an advanced character editor
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2393370/Dustgrave_A_Sandbox_RPG/

There are 0 comments on Dustgrave now available on Early Access

Wed 4 December 2024

Preview - posted by Infinitron on Wed 4 December 2024, 20:22:13

Tags: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II; Warhorse Studios

https://www.ign.com/articles/kingdo...as-the-potential-to-be-a-medieval-masterpiece



This Henry guy just can't seem to catch a break. When we last left the blacksmith's son-turned-knight at the end of the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance, things were finally starting to look up for him. But the sequel, in true video game sequel fashion, starts by knocking him down a peg or two and dumping him into a new, larger open world to regain his dignity, one side quest at a time. And to be honest, that's refreshing.

The story of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II picks up almost immediately where the first one left off, but it's certainly not essential to have played it to follow what's going on, thanks to an extended intro that brings you up to speed on the broader strokes. The year is 1403. Henry is a village boy from Bohemia (modern day Czech Republic) who saw his home burned to the ground due to a civil war for the crown taking place between two half-brothers. He ended up in the service of the frustratingly good-looking nepo baby Sir Hans Capon to try and help out the supporters of the royal brother who isn't going around burning down villages, and that plan got… a little sidetracked.

It's not exactly a start back from square one, though. Henry began the first game as that kind of old-school RPG protagonist who is really just some random guy with no skills to speak of. He could barely hold a sword, and the unforgiving combat really made you feel that until you put in the time to master it. But Henry's a seasoned adventurer now. He knows how to read, which is practically a superpower in medieval Europe. And while you were out partying, he studied the blade.

Taste My Blade
This is reflected in the changes to combat in KCD2, which the developers described as lowering both the skill floor required to play competently and raising the skill ceiling for the most devoted warriors. There are only four attack directions now instead of five. Thrust attacks are no longer a separate attack button, and have instead been folded into the combo system for weapons that make sense with them only. Parries are a bit easier to pull off, and much to my delight, blocking can now defend you from multiple attackers – as long as they're all in front of you.

Basically, whether you mastered KCD1's combat or not, the lower skill requirement at the very beginning models the fact that Henry is simply a better fighter by now. But careful stamina management is still the core of every scrap, and button-mashing is one of the quickest ways to die. I came across plenty of challenging encounters even as someone with more than 100 hours across two playthroughs in KCD1, and it's not as easy to spam your way through them by getting a couple of powerful combo moves down to muscle memory.

Hill and Dale
The world of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is quite a bit larger as well, with two distinct maps about the size of the first game's that you can travel back and forth between once both are unlocked. The terrain feels fairly familiar, for the most part. We're still in the Central Bohemian woodlands, basically just over the hill from where KCD1 left off. But the level of detail on the terrain and vegetation is a noticeable step up. And better yet, it's way more optimized. My RTX 4070 Super still can't run KCD1 – a six-year-old game – on max settings. But what I played of KCD2 rarely had any performance problems.

The centerpiece of this new world is the city of Kuttenberg, which is quite a bit larger, denser, and more vibrant than anything we saw in KCD1. It's certainly no Paris or Prague, but navigating its crowded streets and markets, taking shortcuts through back gardens, and admiring its grand Gothic architecture is a complete change of pace from wandering around muddy woodland trails. It's big enough to get lost in, built on a realistic scale that makes towns in a lot of other RPGs feel like tiny dioramas.​

There are 7 comments on Kingdom Come: Deliverance II previewed at IGN, now releasing on February 4th

Development Info - posted by Infinitron on Wed 4 December 2024, 20:05:51

Tags: Paradox Interactive; The Chinese Room; Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2

https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/...bloodlines-2/news/dev-diary-sounds-of-seattle



Hello everybody, today we return with another audio-focused Dev Diary. We’ll be talking about sound design and implementation, with a specific view on the less obvious aspects that go into this. Our hearing is sometimes described as our ‘shadow sense’ – sound and listening by and large affect and work at the subconscious level. Our ears are never turned off; even when we are asleep, our ears and brains continue processing sounds. For sound design, this means that a lot of our work is designed to be subtle and go unnoticed.

So in this Dev Diary, us at The Chinese Room’s audio team want to explain the processes and thinking that go into designing sounds and audio systems that one might take for granted: environmental audio, UI sound design, player traversal, combat and the mix process. These all contribute to making the world of Bloodlines 2 feel alive and believable. There is a lot of craft and passion that goes into getting even the smallest of details just right, so I’m proud to let some of the audio team members have the opportunity to show and discuss their work in progress.

Combat Audio Systems
Here's a short video demo to show off some of the techniques and processes we used when designing the combat sounds and how we used some of the V:tM lore to inform our creative sound design work.

Holiday Break
And with that, the Dev Diaries will take a holiday break and return on the 15th of January next year. We look forward to the new year, and can’t wait to show you everything we have planned for 2025. This includes showing off how you can customise Phyre, more information about the weapons system, the planned DLCs and most importantly: the release! From us at Paradox and TCR we wish you all a pleasant holiday season, full of food and fangs!​

There are 5 comments on Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 Dev Diary #23: Sounds of Seattle

Mon 2 December 2024

Preview - posted by Infinitron on Mon 2 December 2024, 21:18:09

Tags: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II; Warhorse Studios

https://www.ign.com/articles/first-43-minutes-of-kingdom-come-deliverance-ii-gameplay-ign-first



All December long, we'll be exclusively covering the upcoming first-person medieval role-playing game sequel Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 as part of our IGN First "cover story" program. To kick things off, we've got a big chunk of exclusive new gameplay from the opening segments of the game. Watch it in the video above.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is being developed by Warhorse Studios. It was announced back in August of this year (watch the announcement trailer below). The first game was given an 8 out of 10 in IGN's review, and the sequel looks to build on the great foundation the original laid down in 2018.

As December rolls on, we'll have an exclusive new hands-on preview, a deep-dive on the key characters you'll meet, little things you shouldn't miss, a virtual tour of its historically accurate medieval city, and more!

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is due out for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on February 11, 2025. You can pre-purchase it on Steam if you're interested, and check out the recent gameplay livestream if you missed it. Don't miss our first preview as well.​

There are 46 comments on First 43 Minutes of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II at IGN

Sun 1 December 2024

Game News - posted by Infinitron on Sun 1 December 2024, 20:19:05

Tags: Shore of Jord; TE NET

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3176890/Shore_of_Jord/



Limassol, Cyprus – TE NET Studio is thrilled to announce Shore of Jord, an isometric, story-driven cRPG inspired by Disco Elysium and classic narrative-heavy adventures like Snatcher.

About the Game
Shore of Jord is a story-driven, open-world cRPG set in an alternate world where Norse sagas and paganism collide with the gritty realism of Scandinavian noir. Players will navigate a post-apocalyptic landscape, deeply influenced by Scandinavian and Eastern European cultures, 1,451 years after Ragnarok.

Set in an alternate version of Europa, dominated by Scandinavian culture, players assume the role of a military officer unraveling webs of political upheaval, dark crimes, and veiled conspiracies—all while striving to piece together their fragmented self following a mysterious night call.

Key Features
  • Comprehensive Character System:
    An intricate character system boasting 22 distinct traits, each with unique contradictions and complexities. These traits shape every interaction, making each player's journey deeply personal.
  • Immersive and Distinctive Setting:
    A meticulously crafted world blending historical realism, Norse mythology, and fantastical storytelling. Players will explore environments teeming with lore, secrets, and unexpected discoveries.
  • Narrative-Driven Role-Playing:
    A story-rich adventure inspired by the golden age of CRPGs. With deep storytelling, branching paths, and meaningful choices, the narrative evolves based on the player’s decisions.
  • Dynamic Time Management:
    A dynamic time system adds depth to the player’s choices. As time passes, events unfold, the world evolves, and a sense of urgency heightens every decision. The world continues to live and breathe, adapting to the player’s actions.
Release Date
Shore of Jord is set to launch in 2025.​

There are 33 comments on Shore of Jord is an upcoming narrative RPG set in a Scandivanian noir alternate world

Wed 27 November 2024

Game News - posted by Infinitron on Wed 27 November 2024, 19:56:46

Tags: Baldur's Gate 3; Larian Studios

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1086940/view/4461474037375172735

Like an aged mentor in an inspiring 1980s film montage, we’re filled with pride seeing all the mods you've been crafting and using since the release of our official mod tools in September. In just under three months, you've uploaded more than 3,000 mods, downloaded over 70 million, and created a spell to turn your enemies into cheese.

For those of you looking for an introduction to using mods, head over to Larian: Channel From Hell where Aoife will break things down and shine a spotlight on a few choice recommendations. While we’ll be wrapping up our feature-heavy updates for Baldur’s Gate 3 soon, this is not yet the end for our mod tools. With the continued support of mod authors in the community testing out new features, we have big updates still to come - including adding even more functionality to let you tell your own stories.

But before we bid Faerûn adieu in search of stranger shores, we have one more major patch waiting around the corner. Arriving next year, this update will introduce some of the most eagerly awaited features to BG3: cross-play, and photo mode, along with 12 new subclasses.

Let’s take a look at what you can expect to see in Patch 8!

Subclasses
Patch 8 will introduce a new way to play your favourite class, adding one new subclass for each of the existing Bard, Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Fighter, Monk, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock and Wizard classes in the game.

Expect new abilities, animations, VFX, summons and cantrips, and unique voiced dialogue lines for the Oathbreaker Knight with written reactivity for Oathbreakers, along with a touch of homebrewing on certain actions to enhance your role-playing experience.

Bard - College of Glamour
As a College of Glamour Bard, you’ll find you have the power to heal friends and command enemies in equal measure. Cast Mantle of Inspiration to bestow your allies with 5 temporary hit points. And should an enemy attack while it is cast, they’ll find themselves Charmed. Play your hand correctly and you’ll be able to use this to your advantage with Mantle of Majesty. Target Charmed enemies and you can command them to flee, move closer, freeze, drop to the ground, or drop their weapon.

Barbarian - Path of Giants
Opt for the Path of Giants, and your newfound giant strength will make it easier for you to yeet friend and foe alike. Forget chugging potions to pump those muscles, these Barbarians benefit from the Giant’s Rage passive that grants both strength and size - allowing you to deal additional damage with Throw attacks. Pockets weighing you down? Not for you and your increased carry capacity!

Cleric - Death Domain
As a cleric of death, you’ll find a few dark new tricks up your sleeves - from spells that specialise in necrotic damage to three new necromancy cantrips. This includes Toll The Dead, a cantrip that causes 1~8 damage when your cleric rings the bell of impending doom - a number that scales if your target has already been damaged. We’ve also added the homebrewed ability to explode nearby corpses, damaging enemies.

Druid - Circle of Stars
These Druids look to the stars for answers, accessing powers beyond those offered through the classic wildshapes. Taking on one of three Starry Forms for their power - the constellations of the Archer, Chalice, and Dragon. Each one favours a different play style and strategy - the Archer dealing radiant damage with astral arrows, the life-giving Chalice restoring hitpoints to you and others nearby, and the wise Dragon, allowing you to deal damage with an added bonus to constitution rolls. The Starry Forms offer not just a celestial aesthetic, but practical, powerful options to enhance your role as a healer, fighter, or strategist.

Paladin - Oath of the Crown
You’ve been sworn to uphold the principles of law. Stay true to your oath and you'll be rewarded with the power to aid your allies and disrupt your foes. Guide your companions in battle with Righteous Clarity, taunt enemies with strategic interrupts, and keep your party standing strong with Divine Allegiance, absorbing their damage while restoring their health.

Fighter - Arcane Archer
Mastering the dual arts of magic and marksmanship, the Arcane Archer subclass offers unique skills on top of new shooting animations. Banish foes to the Feywild, removing them from the battlefield for a turn, or unleash Psychic damage that forces enemies to make a Wisdom saving throw or be blinded until the start of their next turn.​

There are 19 comments on Baldur's Gate 3 Community Update #30: Photo Mode, Cross-Play, and 12 Subclasses Coming Next Year

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