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Book of Travels News

Happy Holidays + "Play Together" Trailer

[h3]Dear Traveller, [/h3]

Might and Delight would like to wholeheartedly wish you all a very happy holidays, with lots of cosy quality time with friends, family and (obviously) terrific games. This is our last community post of the year as the studio will close down for the holidays and we will take some time to recharge.



We're grateful for the support and enthusiasm that you've shown us this year. We're also proud of the work we've done in 2023, with tons of fixes and changes, new exciting content and fresh features added to Book of Travels. Our overhauled combat system is currently in preview being tested both internally and by some of you, and next year we're looking forward to incorporating it in the production build of the game so that all of you can try your hand at being a successful duelist in Braided Shore.

We're making good progress to our goal of reaching version 1.0 and thus leaving Early Access. And beyond that we have some cool announcements to make, but today is not the day for that. The point is - 2024 looks promising, and we can't wait to clue you in as soon as we're ready.

In the meantime you can take a look at our new trailer titled "Play Together". It's short and sweet. Share it with your friends!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

That's all for today - and for 2023. Pardon us for sounding like a broken record, but again - we're very grateful to have such a wholesome community. Keep playing and keep sharing your screenshots, your own art crafts and stories with us. They give us life.

Until next time Traveller - may your tea never grow cold.
Best wishes,
Oliver & the team at Might and Delight

Live Update 0.45.3 Change List

Note: As we look further ahead we are solidifying our localization plans. Part of this will include rolling out new server regions, the first of which will be an additional EU server in the coming weeks.

This release introduces three new rooms, two new questlines, and a variety of other updates and bug fixes.

In Crossings there are two new rooms: the top floor of the Teahouse and the top floor of the Smith’s house on the eastern side of the town square.

In The Jade Urn, there is one new room that can be found along the western edge of the level.

A group of children playing a certain game have moved into the upper part of the Kasa Cistern. An opportunity for an enterprising Khelim to win a prize perhaps?

The Kasa Cistern holds much more than just the refuse of the city above. Those dwelling in the sewers sometimes get their hands on artifacts that the shore above thought long lost to time.

[h3]Updates[/h3]

  • Added the Bug catching and Talzyre questlines
  • Added new item icons
  • Added ambience sounds to new rooms
  • NPC ghosts now have proper ghost materials
  • Endeavours unlocking will now be player bound (you can still do them together with other players if you interact at the same time)
  • Sefra Shrines & Haunted Gravestones are now player bound. There is a one-time use with 30 minutes cooldown
  • Random endeavours (i.e. lockboxes, tangled plants, mechanical parts etc.) will now start their despawn when any player engages with a 30 minute despawn timer
  • Visual changes to gambling Sefra in Little Slip. New animation and materials
  • Created a post profile for 4k monitors
  • Changed Passage rules slightly
  • Implemented new food props
  • Added five new edible bugs


[h3]Fixes[/h3]

  • Fixed targeting issues when using skills/knots on NPCs and players
  • Fixed issue of camera zooming out when entering rooms
  • Fixed an error caused by a blacksmith sound
  • Fixed a bug where the hud wouldn’t show up properly if the hud was toggled while using a skill
  • Fixed issues of player icons appearing on unknown maps and disappearing from the regular maps
  • Fixed issues of writing in the journal/notes that would make hotkeys react to the player
  • Fixed issue of teleporting to wrong entrance when transitioning to another level
  • Fixed overall endeavour instability issues
  • Fixed some Passage UI issues
  • Fixed issue of map pin not saving if open when exiting the atlas
  • Fixed issue where skills were not saving time equipped correctly; these skills should no longer lose a level on log out
  • Typo fixes

Combat System Overhaul - We Want Your Feedback!

[h3]Hello Traveller,[/h3]

For the past several months, we've been hard at work updating and remaking the combat system. Our goal is to create a new system that is scalable, and where we can easily introduce new types of enemies, weapons, skills, and add new multiplayer features.

We now have a version of this system ready to test, and we want your input. While we're hard at work behind the scenes finalizing UI, animations, sound and VFX, we want your input on the system itself.

The new combat system is up on the Preview branch of Book of Travels. You can access it by doing the following:

  1. Right-click on Book of Travels in Steam. Open ‘Properties’.
  2. Go to ‘Betas’.
  3. Enter the code: ThereBeDragons
  4. Press the button that appears, ‘Opt into: preview - Feature and tech previews’.
  5. Let the game update.


You can switch the branch from the same menu at any time, using the drop down at the top of the Betas menu.

Once you have tested the version, we would be delighted if you could fill out our survey regarding the combat system: Click here to get to the survey!

Note: We will start off with 5 rooms with 8 preview seats each, making it 40 seats total. This may change this as we go: most likely is that we will increase this number, as we want to do stress tests. But depending on the results of these stress tests, it's not out of the question that we will decrease that number as well. Also note that these preview rooms are only available on the EU server.

With that out of the way, here is an overview of how the new Combat system works!

[h2]The new combat system
[/h2]
The new system is currently in an Alpha state and contains both temporary and missing certain UI, UX, sound, animations and VFX. Please approach the system with this in mind.

Below is a screenshot of a combat scenario.

Do note that the HUD is a draft and will change in both presentation and placement.

[h2]Starting Combat[/h2]
To start a combat scenario, you first need to equip a weapon. You can find one in your inventory, alongside some sets of equipment so you can try out combat with differing stats. You also get access to the skills ‘Weapon Proficiency’ and ‘Armor Proficiency’.

Besides a weapon, you need to find one or more NPCs that can fight.

Players or hostile NPCs can initiate a combat scenario.

When an enemy is within range, a player can initiate combat by using the Battle Stance skill. This will activate a Tension meter at the bottom of the screen.

Starting combat and the Tension meter.

The Tension meter is the same for all combatants, and its the “grace time” you get before combat starts. When its full, combat begins. If you run out of the red circle before the tension meter is full, you do not enter combat. When the meter is full, combatants will jump to their positions, and then combat begins.

[h2]In Combat[/h2]

The Sequencer

This is the Sequencer. It is a main part of the combat system.

Every combatant has an icon representing them on the Sequencer, and they gradually move to the right as time goes on. Players are placed on the bottom of the Sequencer. Enemies are placed on top. Combatants also have different colors assigned at the start of combat. The larger icon on the bottom is your character, and the larger icon on the top is your current target.

While in the Decision segment of the sequencer, the icons move to the right at a speed based on the characters Speed stat. The more speed you have, the faster your character moves on the Sequencer.

[h2]Decision Phase[/h2]

The segment marked with "Decision" on the Sequencer is called the Decision Phase. This is where the participants choose what action they want to take when the time is right.

Combat Skill Bar

It is here that the Combat Skills comes into play.

During the Decision Phase the player will choose a Skill to use. There are 5 standard Combat Skills and for this preview version, 1 Knot Spell available.

  1. Swift Strike - A somewhat weak but quick strike. It deals a low amount of damage but is very fast.
  2. Balanced Strike - An attack with a balanced attack speed that deals damage equal to your force. This is the default Skill that will get picked if no input is received from the player.
  3. Heavy Strike - A slower but powerful version of the strike. It deals a larger amount of damage but is - you guessed it - very slow.
  4. Defend - Assumes a defensive stance, which is the quickest Skill of all, but doesn’t deal any damage. It does however net you an advantage on your next turn (more on this later).
  5. Knot Spell: Arrow - This spell shoots a magical arrow at an opponent dealing damage. It is a fast and powerful skill, but you can only use it twice per combat, so use it wisely.
  6. Flee - Similar to how fleeing currently works, you can use this skill to flee the battle to a random point in the map, gaining a negative effect card.


When a Skill has been chosen, the participant will assume a stance which indicates the skill they have chosen.

[h2]Action Phase[/h2]



The segment marked with "Action" on the Sequencer is called the Action Phase.

When you cross over from the Decision Phase to the Action Phase, your chosen Skill becomes locked and you can no longer change it. Your character icon on the Sequencer will also start moving at a different speed, which this time is based on the speed of the skill you chose.

When you reach the end of the Action Phase and the Sequencer, you will perform the Skill you chose during the Decision Phase. When performing a skill, the combatant will jump in from their root position towards their target. They will then use the skill, and jump back to their idle position again. The Sequencer will pause and let the combatant perform the attack fully before starting to move again.

Jumping in to attack

While in the Action Phase you are vulnerable, and if you take a hit while in it you will not get to perform the Skill you chose. Instead you will be knocked back on the Sequencer. Note: You can still be hit while in the Decision Phase, but you will not suffer a knockback penalty.

Being hit in the Action phase will knock you back to the Decision phase.

The Defend Skill is a way to deal with this knockback. If you get hit in the Action Phase while using the Defend skill, you will take less damage and start further ahead on the Sequencer next turn. This is only if you actually manage to block an attack though. If no attack is blocked you will go back to the start of the Sequencer as usual.

Successfully defending against an attack will let you start further ahead on the Sequencer.

[h2]Targeting[/h2]

You can only attack one opponent at a time. This means that you, and your enemies, always have a target selected. This target is selected when you start the combat scenario, and you can change your target by clicking on the character you wish to target. There is currently no way to way to see which opponents are targeting you (though there will be in the full version).



[h2]Stats[/h2]

  • Force - Force is your attack power. The more you have, the more damage you deal.
  • Ward - Ward is your defense. It acts as an extra health bar that needs to be depleted before you start taking actual damage.
  • Speed - Speed determines your speed in the Decision phase.
  • Burden - Burden affect your speed negatively.
  • Energy - Your health. You will be defeated and lose a life petal if it reaches 0. When you are out of Ward, you will start taking direct damage to your Energy.




[h2]Ending Combat[/h2]

Combat ends when one side of the fight is out of eligible combatants. This can happen either by them being defeated, or by them fleeing. For this Preview version, nothing of note happens when combat ends. NPCs fade out and despawn when defeated, and players are despawned and respawned somewhere else. In the full version, there is loot to be found, of course!



[h2]Multiplayer[/h2]

You can fight against enemies with other players. If you see someone fighting, just walk up and enter your Battle Stance like normal, and you will be added into the combat as soon as the system allows for it. Remember that the maximum amount of players in one combat encounter is 4.

[h2]Specific notes to the Preview version of Combat[/h2]

  • Only one level is included in this preview version, West Wind Shores. In this level there are a bunch of Bandits that you can freely fight.
  • You will not die in this version. Your Life Petals are endless.
  • Your health in combat is separate from your overall Energy in the game. You will always start combat with full health. This will not be the case in the full version.
  • A newly created character will have a Sword, some equipment and access to the Weapon and Armor Proficiency skills.
  • You cannot enter combat unarmed, and enemies cannot engage combat with you if you are unarmed. We have some plans for unarmed combat in the future, but it is not implemented as of yet.


[h3]Upcoming features for Combat[/h3]

Here is a list of some other things we are working on for the combat system which are not present in this preview version:

  • Duels - Currently, every fight is life or death. There will still be peaceful NPCs to duel without fearing for your life.
  • Loot - NPCs will be able to drop loot when defeated.
  • More enemy types - The enemies you already know like Kettem, Wolves, and Maisu will of course remain, but we are also looking at increasing the amount of fightable creatures in the game.
  • Combat Skills - In the full version of this combat system, a player can, prior to a battle, outfit themselves with Combat Skills that will appear in the Combat Skill bar when they enter combat. You will be able customize your loadout of skills freely, even replacing the default skills if you so wish. Enemies will also be able to use skills.
  • UI - The UI in the preview version is a test version only. We are working on a readable and comprehensive UI for the system. This includes everything related to Targeting other characters, seeing who is targeting you, and seeing allies stats.
  • Other weapons - In this version, much like the game in general, you can only fight using a sword. This will change. We are already hard at work animating multiple other weapons to use.
  • Boss fights - Bigger enemies will require more allies to take down. We are working on allowing a larger number of participants in combat encounters of this type.
  • Multiplayer changes - If a player falls in combat, they should not immediately respawn and lose a life petal if they have allies left standing. If they manage to secure victory, they could help the fallen allies back up. Or even during combat with the help of magic.
  • Interactive tutorial - There will be an in-game, interactive tutorial to learn how to play the new system.


We are very excited for you to get your hands on this early version of our brand new combat system, and we thank you for being a part of testing it with us and for lending us your ear for this lengthy presentation.

Best wishes,
The Might and Delight team

Steam Autumn Sale + Merchandise Store Launch



[h3]Dear Traveller,[/h3]

The Steam Autumn Sale is now live and Book of Travels is 25% off. This marks a great opportunity to take your first steps on your journey in Braided Shore, unearth its mysteries and make a name for yourself in the trading economy that make the wheels of commerce turn.

We’re also ecstatic to finally be able to say that our very own merchandise store is now live and operational. This is the first time we’ve been able to offer premium quality items with Might and Delight prints but it’s been highly requested by fans for a long while now.

Click here to visit the store page.

On day one we offer a selection of t-shirts, tote bags and mugs - but we have mouse mats and notebooks on the way, and we’re going to listen closely to what our community would like us to expand our assortment with. The t-shirts currently on offer are labelled “First Edition” on the neck tag and there are only 1000 of them available for now. We might not produce these particular prints again once they’re gone, so don’t miss out!

With that we wish you a very pleasant day and holiday season. Talk to you again soon!

May your tea never grow cold…

Best wishes,
Oliver & the team at Might and Delight


Live Update 0.44.8 Change List

[h3]Fixes[/h3]

  • Fixed issue where some equipment would not register properly
  • Fixed issue when leaving a room that would make your character get stuck in the void
  • Fixing navmesh issue in West_03 (invisible box by the endeavor boat)
  • Fixed issue of HUD icons being invisible when logging in


[h3]Changes[/h3]

  • Reduced random combat encounters