Sands of Salzaar News

Greetings!

From the enchanting dunes to the mystic ruins, our journey together in Sands of Salzaar has been nothing short of magical - thanks largely to your incredible support! It's the stories you've lived, the battles you've fought, and the communities you've built within the vast desert landscape that have transformed this game into a living, breathing world.

As Steam Awards 2023 nominations are now underway, we'd be so grateful if you would consider nominating Sands of Salzaar for the Labor of Love category. It means so much more than just recognition, but also a celebration of the journey we've shared! Our regular updates, introducing new quests, characters, and gameplay systems, alongside the thriving modding community, stand as a testament to our dedication and your unwavering support.

There’s an added perk too! By completing all the Steam Awards tasks during nominations, you can earn a special Steam Awards Nomination Committee Badge. It's a cool symbol of your engagement and love for the gaming community.

If Sands of Salzaar has been a part of your gaming highlights, we’d be thrilled to read your reviews on Steam. Your insights are windows into your experiences and a guiding star for our future updates and expansions.

Again, thank you all for being the heart of Sands of Salzaar. Let's continue to spin tales of adventure, mystery, and camaraderie in the sands of our beloved world!




[h2]What comes NEXT[/h2]

In our recent update, we rectified a multitude of issues that had been hurting "The Tournament" experience, we hope the fixes would have improved your enjoyment in Sands of Salzaar. For lingering challenges that require a more nuanced approach, we've been actively experimenting and will address them in our next update.

Today, we're going to take this chance to talk more about our plans, thoughts on the game, and introduce the upcoming DLC, "Winter of the Hazy Realm."

Updates

Refining "The Tournament":
Expect adjustments to "The Tournament" as we tackle existing issues, fine-tune problems with specific rewards, and iron out bugs that prevent players from repeatedly participating in The Tournament. We're also contemplating the addition of more diverse and enticing reward types.

Optimizing Late-Game Team Battles:
As the large-scale late-game team battles unfold, we've noted instances of frame drops and stutters. After meticulous performance analyses, we've identified that the bottleneck lies in the batching of damage/recovery text. The next version will have optimizations implemented in this regard, along with enhancements to the visibility of critical hits for a clearer gaming experience.

Revamped Mod Editor:
Our mod authors, the stalwart pillars of the "Sands of Salzaar" community, have been a driving force. We will bring a fresh new look to the editor in the upcoming update, anticipate a revamped UI for the editor, complemented by additional built-in features such as a character portrait viewer and an icon viewer.


December DLC "Winter of the Hazy Realm" Preview

This exciting new DLC scheduled for this December unfolds in three distinct parts: "Mysteries of the Hazy Realm," "Foreign Travelers," and "Siege and Conquest."

[h3]Confronting Challenging Bosses and Gaining Abundant New Equipment - "Mysteries of the Hazy Realm"[/h3]

The term "Hazy Realm," coined by Sand Lizard scholars, refers to the nests of monsters. These elusive nests, akin to mirages, house coveted ancient texts, magical creatures, and deadly monsters. Enterprising adventurers, often audacious members of the Sand Lizard Explorer's Guild, risk their lives scouring the desert for treasures and texts sought after by scholars.



Traces of these daring adventurers are scattered across the desert. By providing clues obtained from local mysteries, players can procure intelligence from these adventurers. Submitting this intelligence triggers a guided journey led by the adventurer directly to the boss of the Hazy Realm. A successful defeat results in powerful weapons and equipment as rewards.


[h3]Experiencing Exotic Clothing and Accessories - "Foreign Travelers"[/h3]

Caravans of merchants from distant lands converge at the Golden Market, offering a plethora of exotic clothing and accessories. During character creation, players can adopt character models that seamlessly align with the aesthetics of these outfits. Furthermore, at the commencement of the game, players can choose an unlimited-use disguise tool during the inheritance phase, allowing them to reshape their appearance at their whim.



[h3]Enhanced City Defense in "Siege and Conquest"[/h3]

Despite being on the defensive, facing what seems like an insurmountable situation, players are forced into direct conflict with the enemy. While arrow towers provide some support, their output proves inadequate against the relentless tide of oncoming enemies.



In the new city siege mode, the final defense line of the base transforms into a fortified structure with a gate. Archers can take their positions on the wall, gaining strategic advantages. After breaching the gate, enemies must engage in combat at the entrance before having an opportunity to capture the city.

Moving forward, we're committed to advancing the development of the upcoming DLC and will soon share more concrete details with all of you. Before the official debut of the new DLC in December, we're planning a round of small-scale testing very soon. If you're eager to get involved, feel free to sign up within our official group. Your participation and feedback are invaluable as we shape this exciting new chapter!

That's all for this update! Feel free to join our Discord to get in touch! Our managers will try their best to help you solve any issues you encounter in the game!

Greetings!

There have been several issues with [DLC: Tournament]: missing rewards; the player is unable to start the tournament; the game freezes if a mirror player team joins the tournament, etc. Therefore, we have spent some time restructuring the code of DLC: Tournament and optimizing the text logic to simplify the interactive dialogues with the tournament host.

After testing, this update supports loading save files from v1.0.32 and may not be compatible with some mods. We will be porting this update to other platforms soon.

[h2]Tournament Launch Logic Adjustments[/h2]


Prior to this update, tournaments are launched in certain towns in random orders after the player meets a series of complicated conditions, which lowers the possibility of joining a tournament. In the new version, tournaments are launched separately in specific regions and towns, meaning that tournaments will be held more frequently.


Therefore, there will be no more pop-up notifications on the right side of the screen that are easy to miss. In the new version, the player can talk to the Tournament Registrar in any town to learn about available tournaments and which towns they are held in.


[h2]Tournament Rules Adjustments[/h2]


In the new version, we have adjusted the logics of tournament participation: participants are no longer required to be present now. Meanwhile, the player may pay a small amount to expedite a tournament, where stand-ins will substitute for missing participants.


In the early stage of the game, the player may request to join a participant's team, but the request will be rejected if there isn't enough Favor.

[h2]Spectating and Betting Optimizations[/h2]


There are some issues with the tournament spectating feature in the old version, so we have adjusted the code, changing the previous null model angle into an actual camera angle.

In addition, we have reworked the betting feature so that the player may bet in a tournament that they haven't joined for Gold.

That's all for this update! Feel free to join our Discord to get in touch! Our managers will try their best to help you solve any issues you encounter in the game!

Greetings!

We've further expanded upon [Child Rearing] with this update, and you can now raise a child as a mother! We've also fixed some [Champion of Chaos] skills that weren't working, and tuned down a few of the more imbalanced skills for an overall better experience.

This update mostly targets the DLC, meaning that we're not changing the version number for this. We'll push it onto other platforms soon too.

[h2]Child Rearing - Expanded Story[/h2]

Having gathered feedback from you all, we've decided to expand upon the [Child Rearing] content. With this update, those playing as a female character will be able to take on the role of a 'Mother' and all the joy it brings.





The story parts of child rearing are unique for female and male characters. A female character will be able to interact with their child to a greater extent, and even more story dialogue will be triggered if the child's father is also in the party.

[h2]Champion of Chaos - Sub-class Fixes + Skill Changes[/h2]

Sub-Classes

[White Rose Medic]

1. White Rose Potion, Healing Remedy & Emergency Healing - Corrected the descriptions.
2. Heal & Revive - The skill now takes effect. Removed its erroneous trigger conditions and corrected its description.
3. Private Healer - The skill now takes effect.
4.Health Regen Potion - This skill can only trigger while the character is in your party. Adjusted the description.

[Merchant]

1. Selling On the Go, Jadeware Comprador & Hauling Bag - Corrected the descriptions.
2. Glib Tongue - The skill now takes effect. Corrected its description and altered its power.
3. Good Business Opportunity & Goods Peddling - This skill can only trigger while the character is in your party. Adjusted the descriptions.
4. Establishing Contacts - This skill can only trigger while the character is in your party, or triggering an event after a dialogue will have them join your party. Adjusted the description and return time (7 days → 2 days).

[Blacksmith]

1. Ore Mining & Logging - Corrected the descriptions.
2. Glib Tongue - The skill now takes effect. Corrected its description and altered its power.
3. Weapon Repair - This skill can only trigger while the character is in your party. Repair now has a 3-day cooldown.
4. Armor Maintenance - Now increases the Physical Damage Reduction of all heroes in the battle based on the skill's level (5%/level).
5. Weapon Sharpening - Now increases the Physical Attack of all heroes in the battle based on the skill's level (5%/level).
6. Gear Enhancement - Also takes effect for characters with the skill that are not in your team or faction. Fixed - This skill can only trigger while the character is in your party. Adjusted the cooldown (free once every 7 days → free once every 15 days).
7. Weapon Rumors - This skill can only trigger while the character is in your party. Changed the skill name (Weapon Rumors → Weapon Forging) and the description. Adjusted the cooldown (every 7 days → every 15 days), and added more possible gear types (4 types in total → 3 of every weapon type).
8. Weapon Refinement - This skill can only trigger while the character is in your party. No longer copies the item refined. Adjusted the dialogue and fixed a bug where canceling the refinement would still put the skill on cooldown. Adjusted the description and the cooldown (every 7 days → every 3 days).

[Alchemist]

1. Mass Regen Potion & Hemostatic Dressing - Corrected the descriptions.
2. Herb Gathering - Corrected the description and increased the number of herbs (3 → 15).
3. Potion Crafting - This skill can only trigger while the character is in your party. Replaced the Potion Crafting list and adjusted the description.
4. Medicine Concoction, Potion Brewing & Supreme Elixir - These skills can only trigger while the character is in your party. Adjusted the descriptions.

[Recruiter]

1. Rousing Speech - Adjusted the skill effect and description. The skill now grants EXP to one squad every 3 days.
2. Gathering of Heroes - Adjusted the skill effect and description. A low-cost squad now joins every 7 days.
3. Journey Recruitment - This skill can only trigger while the character is in your party. Adjusted the description.
4. March Efficiency & Veteran's Guidance - Corrected the descriptions.
5. Mercenary Snakehead & Worldly Wisdom - This skill can only trigger while the character is in your party. Adjusted the descriptions.
6. Arduous Journey - Adjusted the skill effect and description. There's a low chance that a high-level squad joins every 7 days.

Hero Skill Changes

1. [Spell Barrier] - Fixed a bug where this passive fully restores your mana when hit.
2. [Shoryuken·Zen] - Fixed an issue where the follow-up basic attack Shoryuken would override and nullify the first basic attack hit.
3. [Stratosphere] - Fixed an issue where switching with this skill had a chance to get stuck and prevent you from changing back again.
4. [Law of Life of Gold] - Fixed an issue where this passive didn't take effect.
5. [Fatal Slash] - Fixed a bug that prevented the skill from working.
7. [Treasure Thief] - Fixed a bug where there was only 1 gift.
8. [Shadow Dart] - Fixed a bug where this skill didn't increase in power with its skill level.
1. [Sword Oath] - Fixed a bug where this skill didn't increase in power with its skill level.
2. [Teasing of the Rich] - Fixed a bug where this skill didn't increase in power with its skill level.
3. [Gold Begets Gold] - Added a limit to how much Gold it can grant.
4. [Winter's March] - Fixed a bug regarding Ice Bolt hit counts.
5. [Time Shelter] - Fixed a bug where Najima would become impervious to damage right from the start.
6. [Future Foreshadowing] - Fixed a bug that prevented the passive from working.

Other Changes

1. Fixed a bug with Jamilla's weapon types.
2. Fixed a bug where Agura started with the wrong weapon type.
3. Fixed a bug where NPCs could get DLC Tournament gear out of thin air.
4. Fixed an issue where the 5 new characters from the DLC Tournament didn't have damage calculations in their damage skill descriptions on their skill pages.
5. Fixed a bug where the CARD_SELECTOR command couldn't be used as intended.
6. Adjusted some of Ember Ocher's skill effects, and fixed some skill descriptions to make them easier to understand.

That's all for this update! Feel free to join our Discord to get in touch! Our managers will try their best to help you solve any issues you encounter in the game!

Hi desert travelers!

"Sands of Salzaar" has officially updated to version 1.0.32. This update mainly adds Batch Promotion and Batch Disband functions in the team interface, which can reduce various tedious operations. We also add anti-Invisible mechanics . In addition, we have expanded the functions of the MOD editor.

The current version for non-steam platforms will need to wait a little extra time due to some technical and censorship reasons,We will try our best to make up for the gap in update progress. We will communicate with everyone after we determine the details of the update.

[h2]Batch Promotion and Disband Function
[/h2]



In previous versions, if you wanted to promote multiple squad, you needed to repeat [click unit→promote→upgrade] , which became particularly cumbersome when there were many squads needing upgrade. Also the same issue with Disband Function.





In new version, you can promote soldiers in batches, quickly strengthening squads, also you can using batch disband function to dismiss no needed squads.


[h2]anti-Invisible mechanics[/h2]

"Invisibility equals invincibility". In "Sands of Salzaar", there are many skills and equipment that include invisibility mechanics. When conditions allow, invisible units often wipe out an entire troop. To fix this issue, we will add some "anti-invisible mechanics" in new version.

New consumable item—Ash of Appearance



After use, it reveals invisible enemies within 1200 cubits and forms a fog that lasts for 10 seconds, continuously revealing the invisible enemies within it.

New skill of troop —Scent Hunter



Can attack invisible units; attacking will cause invisible units to reveal(not sharing vision with team).
Dhib Wolf, Arctic Wolf, Badland Wolf, Canis and their high tier units all gain this passive skill.


[h2]MOD Editor Update[/h2]

The MOD editor that has accompanied players since EA, no it will be upgraded of providing better support for MODer. We are very grateful for all of ours contributor.
Thanks you guys!

Skill Editor Optimization

Previous version




New version



In the new skill editor, multiple functions have been added: battlefield tab, real-time game logs display, role attributes and buff display, map switching.

[h2]Other Updates[/h2]

Backpack display—Added maximum number and used number display

Optimize the Squad upgrade material display—Now you can see the materials required for unit promotion.


That's all for this update! Feel free to join our Discord to get in touch! Our managers will try their best to help you solve any issues you encounter in the game!

Hi desert travelers!

This new update contains optimizations and adjustments to the issues we promised to resolve in our previous announcement.

We have also created an update plan for what’s in store for the Child Rearing DLC. After that, we will focus on fixing issues in the Tournament DLC.

We are also considering adding functions such as batch upgrading and batch disbanding of soldiers. We will go into more detail about this in future announcements.

In addition, we are working on getting this update available on all platforms, and this will most likely be done by early August.

[h3]Here are the details of this update.[/h3]

[h2]Updates to the Sands of Salzaar Base-Game[/h2]

1. We have adjusted the base price of the trade permit to 250 utar (price increases with the number of days), and the price of the temporary trade permit to a fixed price of 25 utar. This change will greatly reduce the difficulty of trading in the early game. We will continue to make changes to trading to make it more fun.



2. Modified the favor level descriptions of heroes, places and tribes.

3. Modified the attack logic of the arrow tower.
We replaced the original homing arrows with a small ​​arrow rain, lowered the damage of explosive arrows, and optimized the tower’s performance. The brand-new tower is more threatening to clumped-up enemies, and while the explosive arrows deal less overall damage, they home in on enemies. Players can avoid the rain of arrows by rolling, and can recover life between explosive arrow hits, meaning that there’s more room for error (but the arrow tower still poses a high threat).



4. We have adjusted the initial favorability between The Nameless and various tribes to -30. We have also changed the threshold for when players become wanted by AI forces. When wanted, the heroes of that faction will chase the player; if they succeed in defeating the player, favorability is restored. When the favorability value exceeds the wanted threshold, the wanted player will be free to roam again (i.e., you can freely enter and exit that faction’s towns). This setting is however invalid for factions which the player are at war with.


[h2]Updates to The Ember Saga DLC[/h2]

We have fixed some skill stats that were displayed incorrectly, as well as some errors with the text itself.
In addition, we have made other updates.

[h3]DLC Among Legends - Xin Qi Ji[/h3]

Fixed a bug where the Ghostly Sacrifice made the caster dizzy.

[h3]DLC Ember Workshop[/h3]

1. New Special Equipment
A new batch of equipment has been added that can be obtained by completing the Ember Workshop main quests. We have also adjusted the quantity of other rewards (such as jades, Ironstone, etc.) that can be obtained from the Heyan Workshop tasks. Here is a brief introduction to the new equipment:

Iron Arm
This gauntlet once belonged to a sage of the Steel Guards. It has a great knockback effect.

Longevity Armor
The armor of the top fighters of the Vitalus Vitara. Living people wearing it will gain some negative effects, but they can persist in fighting for a period of time after their HP drops to zero.

Immortal Scepter
Any user using this to summon undead will be cursed forevermore.

Godhammer of Ember
This artifact developed by the Ember Workshop is a warhammer that can switch between its "thunder" and "flame" forms, granting different skill effects based on the current form.

Photovoltaic Storm
A mechanical short bow Ember Ocher made for herself. It has special attack effects and enhances her skills.

2. New Legacy
Fire Reincarnation: Choose this to skip the Ember Workshop plot and get special items rewards.

3. More Gems Refining
These gems can now also be refined: Wild Thing, Executioner, Keeper of Cliffs, Lord of Poisons, Wrath, Wild Downpour, Ransack, Insulation, Ancestor, Demise, Sheikh, Undying Faith, Excalibur.

4. Bug Fixes and Optimizations
-Fixed a bug that might cause some NPCs to activate erroneously when the player establishes a faction.
-Fixed a bug where Ember Ocher's Avid Mediator skill didn't take effect immediately when she acquires it or joins the team with it.
-Adjusted the effects of the Workshop Contact skill.
-A special skill page designed for Holtron. You can activate him through the new Fire Reincarnation.
-Optimized some combat missions to prevent the player from getting stuck.

[h3]DLC Child Rearing[/h3]

1. Romance for All Heroes
All heroes can become the protagonist's love interest (including female protagonist romancing male teammates). Of course, some characters require certain conditions, such as: Jamila before the completion of the Ember Workshop plot and Zeynep before the resurrection in the story of the Spiritmancer, etc...

Love stories are affected by the hero’s character values. The most prominent of these will serve as the main value and will result in the hero being assigned to 1 of 8 different love storylines.
The plot features three phases that must be triggered while the love interest is in the team. Upon reaching a favorability of 70 or more, you can choose the option "Strike up a conversation", thus starting the first phase. The next two plots are triggered by the NPC after their favorability reaches the required amount.

2. Child Rearing of Female Heroes
When a male protagonist and a female hero become lovers, they can have children. A female hero, as opposed to tavern girls, instead receive a task called "Raising a Baby". The protagonist can then take her to any city to raise a child.
We would love to have completed parenting for female protagonists, but alas we have not. We will instead add this in an update in August as soon as possible. For now, female protagonists can gain a small attribute increase by interacting with their lover.

3. New Equipment
Rings of Love: Completing each love story route awards you a pair of special rings allowing the protagonist and their lover to cast combo skills.

Rings of Love - Spring Breeze



“Love is like a spring breeze; let a sea of flowers bloom in our hearts.”

Rings of Love - Thunder Oath



“Change your mind and you will be struck by lightning.”

Rings of Love - Massive Rock



“My love for you is as eternal as a rock.”

Rings of Love - Fox Charm



“Although foxes are quirky, they only have one mate in their lifetime.”

Rings of Love - Still Water



“The hearts of two lovers are like mirrors formed by still water, and in observing each other, they connect.”

Rings of Love - Flying Flames



“Love should be like a spark: it should be hot, it should fly.”

Rings of Love - Morning Light



“Love radiates morning light, dispels darkness, and brings hope.”

Rings of Love - Unrealistic Dream



“Great, you are like someone who just walked out of my dream...”

4. Fast Mode
Selecting this mode on the Legacy interface before starting a game will greatly shorten the cycle of childbearing.

5. New Protagonist
Inheritor: After the player's heir becomes an adult, he can be selected as the heir through the "About our relationship" option in the dialogue. Afterward, the player can select "Children" as the protagonist to start a new game.

[h3]Other Updates[/h3]

1. Bug Fixes

-Fixed the gender setting error in the Rebiya's mode.
-Fixed an issue where heroes of a faction disappear when entering the cities of other factions.
-Fixed an issue where non-customizable characters were able to customize their appearance by returning from the Legacy screen.
-Fixed an issue where clicking the confirmation button may grant rewards multiple times in the battle victory interface.
-Fixed a bug where non-active talents could be deactivated.
-Modified crit calculations, fixing an issue where the damage that should not have critted no longer crits.
-Fixed a model misplacement bug that could occur when the characters on the arrow tower cast their skills.
-[Mobile Terminal] Fixed an issue where the character's attack during movement could cause the attack action to be played incompletely.

2. Optimizations

-It is now possible to save during battle.
-[Mod] Adjusted the mechanics of some triggers to provide Mod compatibility.
-[Steam] The full mod descriptions are now displayed in the creative workshop interface.
-[Mod] Adjusted the mod construction process. When creating a mod, it will automatically use INDEX_Source.xml to generate Index.xml and default.xml.
-Modified the shape of the unit collider to make the character move more smoothly.
-Adjusted the font color of mana recovery to make the difference between health recovery and mana recovery more obvious.
- [Mod] Adjusted the first_in trigger to trigger all events that should be triggered.

3. New Mod Functionality

-[Mod] New directive for the protagonist to leave the town/city.
-[Mod] New directive for whether to display daily food consumption.
-[Mod] Added a string parameter for SET_TIMER.
-[Mod] Added a series of new directives for modifying and querying character attributes.
-[Mod] Added an optional directive to select a follow-up shot for the ENTER_PLACE directive of MAP_CMD.
-[Mod] Added a query directive for querying additional attributes of characters.

We will continue to adjust and add more functionality to the mod editor in the future. This will be synchronized with the developer wiki.
Feel free to join our Discord to get in touch! Our managers will try their best to help you solve any issues you encounter in the game!