Glorious Companions News

Hello there, Companions!



We know that it's been a long time since the last update so we wanted to share some light on the development of Glorious Companions. Unfortunately over the last year we've had some major problems related to the development of the big update that we've been working on. We've had a few issues with important refactors of key systems, as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine also had an impact on the development.



However we're still commited to release the 1.0 version with everything we mentioned in the last devlog. Recently we've managed to get the gears going and involved new programmers in the process, so we're hopeful that it'll go much faster now. Taking into consideration the scope of changes and additions we don't want to throw random dates at you and we'll keep working on the storyline until we have a more realistic release date to share.



Thank you for your understanding,
Ancient Forge Studio

Hello there, Companions!



As we're approaching the release of our biggest update yet, the Titans Rising Update, we wanted to share a summary of what you can expect to change when it goes live. We've been working on this update for one and a half years so we're extremely excited to finally reach the end of its development.

As the game currently stands, we're pretty happy with the battle mechanics and the big aspect that we've wanted to change for a long time already is the world map gameplay. While the foundation is here, the overworld lacks clear direction and progression, as well as it is hard to balance properly, due to the procedural generation approach.



With the Titans Rising Update we're remaking the World Map from the ground up. The whole map will be carefully handmade with various areas and biomes to explore. On top of that we're introducing a fully-fledged storyline with cutscenes, NPCs, side-quests and most importantly, the main story with vital choices. We don't want to spoil it here, as we'd love for you to experience it first-hand.



Anyhow, let's finish up this lengthy introduction and go over the major changes and new additions that you'll find in the Titans Rising Update.

[h2]New World Map[/h2]

The biggest upfront difference (apart from the overhauled main menu) will surely be the new world map visuals, along the fact that we're scrapping the old procedural generation approach in favor of a finely handmade continent with much more variation and carefully balanced biome layouts. Additionally we'll be strategically placing various enemy spawn zones, which will allow us to balance the progression and difficulty curve in a much easier manner.

On top of those changes, we're adding a bunch of new types of Interactive Objects, as well as brand new Resource Outposts and a Fog of War mechanic on the world map.

[h2]Main Storyline[/h2]

The story in Glorious Companions revolves around the mysterious Titan statues scattered across the land and the nearby shores. One day the Titans begin to slowly awake and the whole continent is thrown into chaos. Amidst it all the player tries to forge their own path to glory.

As mentioned above, we don't want to spoil you the fun of experiencing the story, and thus we won't go into more details here.

This update will introduce the Prologue and the First Act along with a lot of main and side quests to complete. You'll be able to explore the Grassland Biome as well as the Swamp Biome, with further areas unlocking in a future update.

The story will feature both various recurring NPCs as well as cut-scenes that we've put some effort into making them visually enticing.

[h2]Journal[/h2]
To make the story progression easier to track we'll be adding a Journal where you'll be able to read through your previous quests and see your current objectives in more detail.

Additionally we'd like to add a way to browse through tutorials via the same UI panel, so you'll be able to go back to crucial information at the time when it's relevant to you.

[h2]Dungeons[/h2]

This is a feature that we've been teasing for quite some time already and with the Titans Rising Update you'll be able to challenge the defenders of 2 tough dungeons, with each one ending in an exciting boss fight.

While exploring a dungeon you'll be faced by a series of encounters with increasing difficulty. If you lose a battle or decide to leave the dungeon before the final fight, you'll have to restart it from the beginning. In-between each battle you'll have a chance to heal up your units or make some crucial roster changes.

[h2]New Enemies[/h2]

Along with the addition of new dungeons and new storyline acts, we'll be adding in new enemies with their own abilities and play styles. While providing a fair challenge, they will also drop unique loot if you manage to beat them.

[h2]New Battle Locations[/h2]

With this upcoming update we'll be introducing a plethora of new battle locations. First of all, each biome will have a bunch of dedicated battle zones of various sizes. Then there'll also be unique battle maps appearing throughout the storyline to make the whole experience more memorable.

On top of that each dungeon will come with its own set of maps, scaling up their epicness factor right up to the final boss stage.

[h2]New Camping Actions[/h2]

We've decided to remove the old placeholder Camping action of prisoner watching and instead introduced a new unique action for each of the playable races. The Scarres will be able to perform Blood Rituals and sacrifice their blood in exchange for random buffs for up to three units. And the Valrenay will receive the Prayer action that allows one selected unit to also gain a random buff. Bare in mind that sometimes the will of fate might turn against your favor, and your unit(s) will receive a curse instead of a buff.

[h2]Wounds & Blood[/h2]

We've felt like our companions' looks after a tough battle didn't exactly correspond to their HP bars. To make the encounters seem more impactful, wounds and blood will be now visible both on the 3D unit models as well as on their portraits.

[h2]New Main Menu[/h2]

To celebrate all the grand changes coming in the Titans Rising Update we felt that the main menu also had to be overhauled. With the new look we're aiming to better convey the atmosphere of Glorious Companions, the hardships of a mercenary life and the companionship it creates among the crew members.

[h2]New Music[/h2]
[previewyoutube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTXILrea1bo&ab_channel=GloriousCompanions[/previewyoutube]
The new atmospheric soundtrack we've teased a long time ago will finally find it's way into the game. Give it a listen and let us know what you think!

[h2]New promo/cover art[/h2]

As some of you might've already noticed, we've gone and replaced our promo assets on Steam. While the old artwork was well done, it didn't seem to convey the heart of Glorious Companions, and so we've decided to remake it. We'd love to learn what you think of the new cover art!


Let us know your thoughts in the comments and remember to follow the game for more updates!

Thank you, AFS

Hello there, Companions!



Today we’re releasing the long awaited Update 0.8 that introduces a complete itemization overhaul that aims to make each playthrough more unique and exciting. Additionally, we took the time to rework a few other procedural generation systems, including the very important part of the game that is responsible for spawning and maintaining NPC companies on the map. Oh and by the way: you can grab the game cheaper with the -33% Weeklong deal!

Let’s dive right into what the update brings into the game:

[h2]Item Rework[/h2]
The item rework we've been teasing for the last couple of devlogs is finally here! With Update 0.8 you'll enjoy the new item quality system, unique item effects and a variety of new items to play around with. Additionally, the two equipment set slots have been replaced by a new unit item stash, that will allow you to store multiple items of your choice to be accessible in combat. In the future we'll also implement consumable items that will provide another layer to the battle mechanics.

[h2]NPC Group Generator Rework[/h2]
To bring some more variety into the game we've added three new neutral group types running across the world map: Sword Sisters, Iron Hammers and Swamplings. As mentioned in the previous posts, the first two groups are higher tier enemies that should make for compelling targets late game, while the Swamplings are Bandit-level units based on the Scarres race to spice up the early game.

Additionally, with the new item rework, we went ahead and rebuilt our procedural generation tools for NPC groups and you should be seeing a lot more diversity in enemy builds, which in turn should create more balanced encounters throughout your entire time in Navaroth.

[h2]Procedural Portraits & New Scarres[/h2]
Considering how much the progression systems for units have evolved over the past few updates, we wanted to translate the degree to which each unit differs in gameplay to the forefront of the game that is the UI. Hence, we built a new procedural portrait system that gives us thousands of unit looks to choose from, and no two Trappers should now ever look alike!



Speaking of graphical upgrades, the Scarres have received a major texture update and they are now more in line with the art direction we've chosen for the game. Just look at all that detail!



[h2]What's next[/h2]
We understand that the Early Access has already taken a while and some of you have questions concerning the development and where the game is headed to. We've recently hit a major milestone in the World Map 2.0 Update that will bring not only a new map itself, but an entire storyline split into multiple acts. The initial update will feature a prologue unique for each race, as well as Act 1 that will tell the tale of a new threat awakening on Navaroth, full of new quests and enemies to joust. We can't promise any dates, but the vast majority of the work is already done and we're now at the stage of assembling it all together for you to play. It might have taken some time, but we're confident the new campaign mode will be more than worth the wait.





[h2]Full Changelog[/h2]
Warning: Old saves won't work after this update!

[h3]Content:[/h3]

• Itemization Overhaul - 6 different item qualities, 10 suffixes and 23 brand new items.
  
• New NPC groups: Sword Sisters, Iron Hammers, Swamplings.
  
• Three new abilities: Aura Transfer (Acolyte), Soul Steal (Trapper), Ammo Bags (Gunner).
  
• Revised NPC group procedural generation system.
  
• Procedural unit portraits system featuring thousands of variants.
  
• Player character portraits that fit chosen variants.
  
• Unit Stash - new way to store equippable mid-combat items.
  
• New Company Emblems - now also displayed in combat on all shields.
  
• Revised Scarre textures.
  

[h3]Balance:[/h3]

• Rebalanced all neutral enemy stats.
  
• Rebalanced all item stats and prices.
  
• Rebalanced and reworked enemy item choices.
  
• Makeshift Weapon now has a buff duration.
  
• Adjusted Piercing Thrust range for short weapons.
  
• Adjusted a number of ability cooldowns.
  
• Updated default custom game battlecrews.
  

[h3]Bug fixes and tweaks:[/h3]

• Selected battlecrew will now be displayed in the lobby chat.
  
• Spider's Cocoon Strangle ability will now apply the Entangled debuff instead of a generic slow.
  
• The Unit Panel will now properly show two handed weapons when equipped, with an opaque icon displayed in the left hand slot.
  
• Tweaked player names in combat to be displayed in accordance to their starting side.
  
• Tweaked Counterattack and Weasel animations to be more clear.
  
• Updated the Ancient Forge Studio logo.
  
• Fixed a number of issues with the Dispel ability.
  
• Fixed a memory leak related to dead units.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused battles to freeze when trying to use certain abilities within the Smoke Grenade radius.
  
• Fixed selection marker rendering on the world map.
  
• Fixed a problem with the invulnerability effect visible on health bars.
  
• Fixed an issue with the change equipment action failing to update rendered weapons in multiplayer.
  

Let us know your thoughts in the comments and remember to follow the game for more updates!

Hello there, Companions!


It's been quite some time without any news on the development of Glorious Companions, which doesn't mean that there wasn't any progress being made. Anyhow, now when we're getting close to releasing the new update, we're back with a fresh development log.

Without any further ado, let's go over the biggest changes and new additions that this update will introduce into the game. Of course as usual there'll be some balance changes, bug fixes and QoL tweaks along with a few new abilities, but for now let's talk about the big stuff.

[h2]NPC Group Generator Rework[/h2]
This is a change that finally allows us to configure more interesting NPC groups. Thanks to this rework we can now easily adjust unit types, levels, equipment, skills, number of units, etc. With this backend change we've also tweaked the already existing groups of enemies, such as Bandits, Shadows, NPC Lords and the likes. Bandits will from now on yield weak and cheap equipment, while Shadows and NPC Lords will begin the game with higher levels and more expensive equipment.



Then there'll be three new neutral group types running across the world map: Sword Sisters, Iron Hammers and Swamplings. The first two groups are higher tier enemies that should make for some interesting encounters in the later stages of the game, while the Swamplings are Bandit-level units based on the Scarres race to spice up the early game.

Tavern units also received some tweaks. Now aside form the regular level 1 newbies, sometimes you'll come across more experienced and better equipped mercenaries, which of course will cost a lot more gold to recruit.

[h2]Item Rework[/h2]
You can read more about the upcoming Item Rework in our previous devlog:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1001040/view/2932368153396806250
In short there'll be new item types, new weapons, new offhands, item quality tiers, special item effects and some balance tweaking to top it off. Oh, and completely new (and consistent) models for all the items!

One of the changes that wasn't mentioned before is the addition of unit stash. It'll take the place of the second item set and it'll come with 4 equipment slots. You'll be able to freely swap items from the stash and you'll no longer have to equip two shields in each set, just swapping the weapons will do the trick from now on.

[h2]Scarres Visual Overhaul[/h2]
Just like with Valrenay we've improved the textures on our vengeful lizardmen folk. We wanted to make them look more serious and to enhance their lizard-like features, such as scales, eyes and teeth. Though in this case it's best to just show you the difference. Let us know what do you think of the improvements:

(the RTX thing is just a joke, the enhanced textures will come at no performance cost)

While we were at it, we took some time to overhaul the Bandits' and Shadows' textures too, but we'll leave that for you to see in-game when the update goes live.

[h2]Procedurally Generated Companion Portraits[/h2]
Finally, a feature that many of you asked for and it's something that we also wanted to implement for quite a long time, though as we had no 2D artist on our team it always got postponed for a later time. Now, with the awesome Marcin Kulesza who joined our studio a few months ago, we were finally able to add some character to all the companions you'll be meeting on your journeys.



We've prepared a set of various head/face elements for each unit type, which will then be mixed and matched to create unique portraits, differentiating units of the same archetype.

[h2]When[/h2]
We plan to release this update in 1-2 weeks, we're finishing up with some final bug fixes and balance tweaks, as the changes in the item system were quite substantial and spread out to all the aspects of the game.

Also we've made some great progress when it comes to the World Map 2.0 Update, though we'll talk about that more after this update is released.



Let us know your thoughts in the comments and remember to follow the game for more updates!

Hello there, Companions!



We’re back with some fresh news and development updates. We want to share with you some details on the slowly upcoming update. In this post we’ll focus on one particular part of it - the item rework.

The current item design stems from the design of the multiplayer mode - we wanted all the weapons to be equally viable and on equal footings with each other considering the differences in their costs, strengths and weaknesses. Obviously what works well for a multiplayer gameplay doesn’t always work quite as well in singleplayer.

The biggest problem here is that the current system doesn’t allow for good progression, which is crucial for gameplay to be enjoyable. As it stands now the player can get access to the “most powerful” items in basically no time. In most RPGs itemization is a really important and fun part of the game, just as we want it to be in Glorious Companions.

Let’s go over what changes we’re currently working on!

[h2]New Visuals[/h2]

First off, we’re reworking all the item models to better fit the new art direction we’ve taken up, as you could already see with our new unit textures. A nice bonus that comes with that is that the item icons will finally resemble the actual items’ look.

[h2]Item Qualities[/h2]

Items will gain a quality stat ranging from Broken to Masterwork, totalling up to 6 quality tiers. Qualities will impact the item’s stats and value, thus a Broken Dagger will be much weaker than a Masterwork Dagger. And so weaker enemies will mostly use cheaper items, while lord companions will sport expensive sets of equipment.

Vendors will sell items in the range of -1/+1 of the Common (default) quality, so to get your hands on better gear you’ll have to fight more dangerous opponents. Later on we plan to add special locations on the World Map that will allow you to upgrade your item’s quality by 1 tier.

[h2]Special Effects[/h2]

The most unique items will possess special effects that will further increase their power. After defeating the Swamp Dungeon you might find a couple of items with the “of Poison” suffix in your loot. There’ll be a variety of different effects, with the way they work depending on the type of the item. So a shield will trigger its effect when the unit successfully blocks an attack, while the armor will trigger by getting hit.

[h2]New Items[/h2]
Not only are we changing how the item system works, we’re also adding a bunch of completely new items and item types to spice things up.

[h3]New weapons[/h3]

Some categories of weapons didn’t offer as many choices as, let’s say the blades family. To remedy this, we’re adding a bunch of new axes, blunts and polearms. We’re also adding new firearms and a new bow. There’s also a completely new weapon type that will make its way into the game - the crossbows.

[h3]New offhands (left hand slot)[/h3]
So far we’ve only had the shields to accompany single-handed weapons and we want to add some cool new choices for non-tank units.

Roth Spheres and Wands will be a great pick for any unit focused more on their active abilities than conventional fighting. They’ll increase Magic Defense, the Mind attribute or the Resource pool of their wielder.


Then we have the Ammo Bags which will help those constantly running out of javelins or throwing knives. Of course as the Ammo Bags are slotted under the offhand slot, they will be only available for one-handed ranged weapons (meaning all the Throwing Weapons).

Offhand Knives will be a perfect choice for offensive fighters wielding single-handed melee weapons. They can increase either the chance for a critical attack, the raw damage or even the wielder’s Parry stat.


And to finish it up we have some miscellaneous items that will be a wise pick up when wandering into dungeons, as they increase the lowered range of sight in those dark battle locations.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments and remember to follow the game for more updates!