Successor News

Hi everyone

The past two weeks have been super hectic with the playtesting of the upcoming Successor Demo. We have received lots of great feedback pointing out both technical and design issues that needed our attention. You can see all the details in the patch notes below.

[h2]Play-testing upcoming Demo[/h2]

If you are curious and would like to try out the upcoming demo before its release, just sign up for playtesting from the Store page. You should get an invitation during the next few days, as we are opening up more testers. This will also allow you to express your concerns or share ideas, helping us to make the game as good as possible. The Demo features a unique campaign named Lord of Bones.

[h2]In-house playtesting yesterday [/h2]
We had a bunch of playtesters by the office yesterday to try out Successor live, and as always, these more personal sessions combined with an interview gave us a reality check into how the game works and plays in its current state.

If you'd like a sneak peek into the upcoming Demo and the Lord of Bones campaign, @Vileurple streamed his playtest on YouTube.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]




[h2]Patch notes 0.7.36.22[/h2]

Game Flow & UI:

• The Feedback & Bug Report Button now pauses the game while active.
  
• New players are now prompted to create a profile at the start.
  
• The Play and Continue buttons have been merged. New profiles start a fresh game, while existing profiles continue from the last save.
  
• The tutorial UI has been updated to dark mode, reduced in size, and anchored to specific in-game locations in the Betrayal tutorial.
  
• The game fully pauses during tutorial panels until "OK" is pressed, preventing floating UI issues.
  
• Resolution settings are now more stable at launch and when changed in-game.
  
• Fixed an issue where Scout Towers could trap units, preventing movement or abilities.
  

Gameplay Adjustments:

• Bloaters and their spawn totems are now highly vulnerable to fire, and totems have reduced HP.
  

Performance & Optimization:

• The region map scene has been optimized to reduce FPS drops.
  

Bug Fixes

• We fixed an issue where quitting during the first campaign could leave players stuck on the intro screen.
  
• Fixed a bug where music would stop playing if turned down in the options menu.
  
• Fixed an issue where the battle board with the captured Scoundrel could be empty, leaving no key to collect.
  
• Chat keys are disabled to prevent unintended campaign wins/losses.
  
• Keybinding options are hidden in the menu until they are fully functional.
  
• Fixed an issue where exiting the menu from the region map would block all interactions except for camera movement.
  
• Fixed a bug where opening the options menu twice would stop the music.
  
• Corrected various spelling errors.
  

Betrayal Campaign Adjustments

• Reworked enemy setup in the tutorial board where you must free the Archer.
  
• Changed triggers in the Courtyard to simplify item pickup and usage.
  
• Added scream to the guard being kicked off the cliff (immersion!).
  
• A short intro scene was added to the first Courtyard board.
  
• Navigation info is added when starting on the region map.
  

Lord of Bones - Demo Campaign

• The warpriest wave encounter (The Crypt) was nerfed for better balance.
  

As we approach the Early Access release, we're ramping up testing across all aspects of Successor. If you're interested in helping us make Successor the best game it can be, stay tuned—we’ll soon be looking for your feedback and ideas to refine the experience!

Best regards
The Playwood Project Dev Team

A former mercenary of the House of Silver Coin, the Archer now roams the land in search of adventure and fortune, driven by a relentless desire to find new targets for his arrows.

The Archer is a highly potent backline unit capable of delivering significant damage from a safe distance. However, with relatively low health and light armor, they must be shielded from enemies seeking to close the gap. Keep in mind that foes equipped with shields or heavy plates can greatly reduce incoming ranged damage, so positioning and timing are key.

[h3]Abilities[/h3]
Volley: Unleash a rapid barrage of arrows at a single target over a short duration, overwhelming enemies with swift strikes.

Fire Arrow: Ignite the arrow before releasing it at your target, setting enemies and surrounding tiles ablaze.

[h3]Trait[/h3]
Eagle Eye: The Archer gains bonus damage when attacking from higher ground than their target.

[h2]Content Updates[/h2]
We’re primarily focused on refining UI elements to improve their aesthetics and clarity, ensuring you can easily make strategic decisions.

Visual Changes to In-Game Tooltips
Updated tooltips now present essential details at a glance without breaking immersion.

Unit Equipment Slots
Quickly identify which types of gear each unit can wield, helping you optimize load-outs and tactics.

Ruler Lore
Each kingdom has a ruler with unique abilities, traits, and signature weapons. Our new Ruler Lore system reveals their hidden strengths and vulnerabilities before the showdown. While the right heroes and equipment are crucial, knowing your enemy’s secrets can tip the scales of battle in your favor.
Event Cards (Experimental)
We’ve introduced World Event Cards to add an element of unpredictability. Each region begins with its own deck of events, and whenever the Lord moves to a new tile, there's a chance a card will be drawn. These cards can trigger anything from ambushes to enemy power boosts—or even the spawning of undead in all battles for a limited time.

That’s all for this update, but stay tuned—more exciting news are on the way!

Best regards
The Playwood Project Dev Team

Hi everyone,

It’s been a while since our last update, but we’re excited to reconnect with you all and share what we’ve been working on! Behind the scenes, the team has been busy making Successor even better, thanks to your invaluable feedback. We’ve heard your requests for clearer tactical communication, improved combat feedback, and a more intuitive interface, and we’re thrilled to deliver on those fronts with Update 19.

[h3]Player Book - Chest & Skills[/h3]
Managing Equipment and ability upgrades have been moved into the player book and are accessible in the Region and kingdom maps. You can access the Player book by clicking on the Chest.


Expanded Tooltips: Hovering over a unit’s Attack or Defense values now displays a detailed breakdown of the traits, abilities, equipment, and other factors contributing to those stats.
Health Details: Hovering over Health provides comparable information, allowing you better to assess your heroes’ overall condition and survivability.


We’ve expanded the stats display to clarify how each type of damage contributes to a unit’s total damage output:

• Base Damage – Typically from one-handed weapons
  
• Breach Damage – Usually from two-handed weapons
  
• Arrow Damage – From projectile weapons (shields often block a significant portion of arrow damage).
  
• Frost Damage
  
• Fire Damage
  
• Poison Damage
  
• Holy Damage
  
• Arcane Damage
  

Magical enhancements on weapons often provide Frost, Fire, Poison, or Holy damage.

[h3]Enemy Unit Card[/h3]
Pause & Inspect: While the game is paused, you can now left-click an enemy unit to view its Unit Card.
Detailed Stats: The Unit Card shows the enemy’s stats and abilities, helping you plan your strategy and figure out how to counter their strengths.


[h3]UI: Dice Representation (First Iteration)[/h3]
Encounter Rolls: We’ve added a simple dice/counter representation for encounters. Whenever you select an option with a percentage chance, you’ll see a quick dice-style roll that visually communicates the result of the check.


[h3]Performence[/h3]
LOD Adjustments: We’ve optimized static meshes in various areas, applying LOD (Level of Detail) tweaks to improve overall performance.

[h3]Our “Old” Map Design Returns[/h3]
Map Generation Fixes: We resolved some technical issues related to map generation. As a result, we’re bringing back our earlier Kingdom and Region map designs, restoring the original look and feel.


[h3]Quest missions[/h3]
We have added quests to Successor, making it possible to conquer regions by completing a string of small quests. Furthermore, we have side quests that usually unlock new heroes or unique items.

[h3]New Campaign Howling Nights[/h3]
With this campaign, we introduce the winter biome to the collection and the Bloodfang sister Factions. In one of the coming days, we will bring an update focusing on this Campaign alone.


We know the gaps between updates have been longer than we'd like, and we're working hard to prioritize our time. Right now, we're focused on hitting deadlines to ensure we can release Successor for all of you as soon as possible.

Best regards
The plywood project Dev Team

[h2]Hi everyone[/h2]

We have been busy expanding the universe of Successor and continuously deepening and polishing the gameplay experience. With this update, we want to introduce our Shieldmaiden and share some of the feedback from our latest playtest.

[h2]Introducing the Shieldmaiden[/h2]
The Shieldmaiden is a fierce and unwavering warrior of House Greyrose. As a seasoned veteran of the Great War, she found herself fighting side by side with Lord Craig in the conquest against the Old King. She holds honor in the highest esteem and admires true acts of bravery, yet she refuses to betray her own steadfast principles of loyalty. Known for her indomitable spirit, she embodies the very essence of chivalry in a world fraught with betrayal.

Shieldmaiden is a stalwart warrior clad in heavy-plated armor, making her exceptionally capable in melee combat. Armed with a longsword and a large shield, she deftly protects herself against arrows and similar threats, turning enemy attacks into futile efforts.

[h3]Shield Bash (Primary Ability):[/h3]
With unwavering resolve, she delivers a mighty blow with her shield, dealing damage and stunning the enemy. This impactful strike interrupts any of their active abilities, leaving foes vulnerable.

[h3]Shield Wall (Secondary Ability):[/h3]
She raises her shield to protect herself or an ally, increasing the target's chance to block incoming attacks. This defensive stance enhances survivability on the battlefield.

[h3]Protective Aura (Trait):[/h3]
Her steadfast presence protects all adjacent heroes, providing them with additional armor and bolstering their defenses against enemy assaults.


SplatterCatGaming, well-known for his indie game impressions, recently played the Successor playtest. This is a fantastic opportunity to see the game's current state in action. His gameplay video is a great watch—full of valuable critiques and great ideas. It's always a blast when he picks up Successor for a visit. Check it out and let us know what you think in its comment section! https://youtu.be/XzD8XBwzRLw?feature=shared

[h2]Feedback from playtesting[/h2]
Regarding our playtesting session a few weeks back, one of our major issues is generally a lack of communication through UI and interactions and a wish for deeper tactical gameplay.

To address this, we are working on making detailed info about enemy units, their stats, weapons, armor, traits, and abilities accessible, aiding the player in making better tactical decisions.

Feedback highlighted that battles felt repetitive and lacked variety, and playing a defensive stance would win most battles. With the coming updates, we are adding new objectives and enemy abilities that will force the player to adapt to new tactical realities to win.

There was also a desire for more content, including additional skills and hero customization options, to enrich the gameplay experience. We think this is partly due to the short campaigns, as we have yet to introduce larger Kingdom campaigns, where collecting and promoting the correct heroes and items is very important to prepare your party for the upcoming fight against the Ruler. But we will monitor this desire closely.

Add a wishlist and follow to stay updated on the final steps of the development of Successor.

Best regards
The Playwood Project Dev Team

[h3]Greetings, heroes of Successor![/h3]

We're excited to share significant updates and open our doors to new playtesters. Your feedback has been instrumental in refining our game, and we're eager for you to experience the latest enhancements.
Enhanced Real-Time with Pause Mechanics

We've listened to your feedback regarding the real-time with pause system. Many players found it confusing, so we've made substantial updates to improve clarity and gameplay:

[h2]Action Mode[/h2]

Automatic Pausing: When you select a hero or an ability, the game now automatically pauses, allowing you to issue the selected ability or command without the pressure of real-time events.

Focus Moments: After issuing a command, the game unpauses, triggering a focus moment. Your actions play out in real-time, affecting all involved units while the rest of the world remains paused.

[h2]Tactical Mode
[/h2]
Strategic Overview: Press the spacebar to toggle Tactical Mode on or off. This mode provides a strategic view of the battlefield.

Multiple Commands: In Tactical Mode, you can freely inspect the battle board and use or queue up several abilities, giving you greater control over your strategy.



Focus Moments: As in action mode the game unpauses, triggering a focus moment, but once the ability or command have played out the game remains in pause until you toggle Tactical mode off.

[h3]Note:[/h3] Using abilities only trigger a focus moment if they are withing range of the target, any needed movement to reach the target will either queue up the command or return the state into real time.

[h3]User Interface Improvements[/h3]

Interactive Highlights: All interactive objects on the battlefield are now highlighted in Tactical Mode for easier navigation and planning.

Streamlined Hero Management: We've removed the Hero and Lord portraits from the top-right corner. You can now view and manage your roster of heroes from the player's desk.

Reputation Icon Relocation: The Reputation icon has moved to the player's desk for better accessibility.



Equipment Management: To equip new items to your Lords and Heroes, click on the Chest to open the player book and access the equipment page.

[h3]Units and Abilities Updates[/h3]

Dregg Tank Ability: The Dregg Tank's pull ability now has a much higher success rate, making it a more formidable opponent.

Dregg Corpse Totem: This totem will now spawn new enemy Dreggs during battles, adding an extra layer of challenge.

Revenge Campaign Overhaul: We've revamped the Revenge Campaign with a new quest encounter that unlocks the Shield maiden hero. Prepare for an exciting new journey!

[h3]Upcoming Improvements[/h3]

We acknowledge that accessing useful information about enemy units is crucial for strategic planning. We're working on addressing this issue in an upcoming patch to provide better enemy insights.

[h3]Upcoming playtest[/h3]

In anticipation of the Steam RPG Festival at the end of September, we'll be releasing a short DEMO of Successor for everyone to try out!

But before that, we're offering the demo as a Playtest for those who'd like an early preview and can provide valuable feedback to help us improve even further.

Your Feedback Matters: Your insights are crucial in shaping the world of Successor, and we greatly appreciate your support.

Thank you for being part of our journey. Happy adventuring!

The Playwood Project Dev Team