Renown News

[p]Hello Folks[/p][p] [/p][p]As always, a huge shout out to our awesome community for helping us make our dream game. We know things are a bit grim atm, but our spirits are up, and we’ve been making awesome progress.[/p][p][/p][p]Roadmap Update – Stage Zero[/p][p]Things have been a bit quieter since we posted our first major update. However, since then we’ve been making great progress, specifically towards FPS optimisation, and Crash fixing.[/p][p]A big goal of Moxie and KZ’s work has been improving performance in a range of key areas. As such a big issue that was impossible to solve previously, has related to how the game handles VRAM. Anyone who played will know Renown makes a pc chug away.[/p][p]We’ll have a blog in detail about this topic coming soon as we hit internal milestones. [/p][p][/p][p]Map Flow Redesign – Silver Mines, Locked POIs and Keys[/p][p]One area that’s been receiving a lot of love relates to our work redesigning how the game flows around the survival map. I’d just like to say another huge thank you to everyone on our discord for their ongoing feedback and discussion regarding this topic.[/p][p]Ultimately this is a range of changes which seek to promote more activity outside of the players base and its general area. Our goal is to make it so players can still get started and build a base without too much trouble, but to upgrade and raid, they’ll need to get more out and about.[/p][p][/p][p]Silver Mines – Gathering redesign[/p][p][/p][p]One of the big changes is the inclusion of the Silver Mines and changes to how silver spawns on the map. Previously all the players had to do for silver was to farm outside their base in a boring and repetitive loop.[/p][p]Now four silver mine sites have been opened across the map. There will still be smaller amounts of silver spawning in the wild. However, if players want large scale amounts (like that for a big raid), they’ll need to compete over the choke points and confines of the mine locations.[/p][p]We’ll be carefully monitoring how this change directly affects the raiding balance and making corrections if we’ve gone to far into the scarcity direction.[/p][p][/p][p]Locked POIs and Keys:[/p][p]A key area we’re playing with at the moment, are major overhauls for the Points of Interest. Currently we’re doing it slow and steady, step by step but our goal is to redesign each of the points, so they have clearer and better siloed loot locations.[/p][p]We’ve been using the term “Loot Silos” to refer to new gates and challenges we can add, which allows us to split up the loot so drops can be higher value, with higher risk attached.[/p][p]Given previously all the points of interest had a very flat set of loot, we’re starting with the classic three tier key system, and related locked gates across all the points. These will be Bronze, Silver and Gold (I know very original) which players will be able to find, and which gain the player access to specific loot locations all over the map. We’re hoping this ties in well with the Ferryman system added in the Major Patch #1.[/p][p]We’re very keen to hear folks feedback on this one so we can get the exactly correct balance of risk/trouble and the rewards attached to them.[/p][p][/p][p]NPC Life overhaul[/p][p]Another area we’ve been wanting to do for ages is an overhaul on NPC life and the addition of NPC faction gameplay.[/p][p]The NPC Life work is entirely focused on giving the NPCs a facelift when it comes to how they move, talk and handle themselves. Currently all the NPC’s act like mindless robots. We’ll likely do a few iterative versions of both of these systems as we make them more complex.[/p][p]The first version aims to add in “Civilian/Non-Fighting” NPCs. This then allows us to redistribute the more code and server performance-heavy “fighting” NPCs around the map to complement the above-mentioned Key system addition. Alongside this, it should help the Points of Interest feel more lived in and give players a bit of a more entertaining time going the full “Pillaging” route on towns.[/p][p][/p][p]We’ll have another dev blog on the way in the next week or so. In it we’ll be going into more detail about contained fixing/optimisation, more content and map redesigning, alongside details about our Free to Play Session coming soon. [/p]

[p]Hello Folks[/p][p][/p][p]Please see as follows for the patch notes for our latest update: [/p][p][/p][p]Patch 3.1.8.2 - Combat Changes [/p]

• [p]Kick turn speed increased: 3 -> 5.25[/p]

[p]Bash: [/p]

• [p]BashTurn speed increased: 3 -> 5.25[/p]
• [p]Can no longer bash and then immediately run[/p]
• [p]Stamina cost on miss: 0 -> 3[/p]
• [p]Stamina gain on hit: 10 -> 3[/p]
• [p]Stamina drain: 5 -> 0[/p]
• [p]Bash distance reduced: 16 -> 12[/p]

[p] Animation Adjustments to Flourish: [/p]

• [p]1H weapons: 3.0 -> 1.5[/p]
• [p]Longsword: 3.0 -> 2.5[/p]
• [p]Greataxe: 3.0 -> 2.5[/p]
• [p]Polearms: 3.0 (unchanged)[/p]

[p] Traps [/p]

• [p]Crossbow traps no longer return all arrows into a single inventory slot[/p]

[p]Spike Trap: [/p]

• [p]Spike traps and walls no longer block each other[/p]
• [p]Can now be destroyed by Sapper's Axe[/p]
• [p]HP set to 120 (12 hits)[/p]
• [p]Trap damage from Sapper's Axe: 10 per hit[/p]

[p] Banner Trap Limits By Tier Crossbow and Spike Traps: [/p]

• [p]Tier 1: 5[/p]
• [p]Tier 2: 10[/p]
• [p]Tier 3: 15[/p]
• [p]Tier 4: 20[/p]

[p]Bear Traps: [/p]

• [p]Tier 1: 5[/p]
• [p]Tier 2: 6[/p]
• [p]Tier 3: 8[/p]
• [p]Tier 4: 10[/p]

[p] General: [/p]

• [p]New bear spawn locations[/p]

[p][/p][p]We're still building up to a free weekend for Renown. Keep tuned here or on our Discord for the latest news. [/p]

[p]Hello Folks[/p][p][/p][p]From the entire RDBK Team, we hope everyone is having an awesome holiday season.[/p][p][/p][p]This is just a quick dev blog with our latest patch notes.[/p][p]We’re effectively focusing on optimisation for FPS and fixing any of the legacy crashing bugs.[/p][p][/p][p]3.1.8.1 Performance changes[/p]

• [p]Map Hierarchical Level of Detail Improvements[/p]
• [p]Foliage Optimization[/p]
• [p]Mesh culling[/p]
• [p]Mesh Level of Detail changes when close up and further away[/p]
• [p]Upscaling improvements[/p]
• [p]Updated setting options[/p]
• [p]Updated setting descriptions to better help players understand what the settings will change.[/p]
• [p]Framerate stability[/p]

[p][/p][p]Developer notes: There is still more work to do for those with weaker GPU's. But no matter the GPU everyone should notice much more stable framerates when turning or idling.[/p][p]TIP: For players experiencing framerates under 60FPS, please try launching the game in DX11[/p][p]TIP: If you’re loading up the game but not seeing any servers, or getting a “Connect Failed” error. Try launching the game in Administrator Mode.[/p][p][/p][p]From the entire RDBK team, we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone whose given the game a shot so far or backed our work previously.[/p][p]While the launch has been rough, we’re super excited about this coming year and what could happen in the future of Renown.[/p]

[p]Hello folks.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you, as always, for checking out the latest in the world of Renown. [/p][p]Our first major patch post-launch has just gone live on the main branch. We've done our best to address feedback, concerns, and replace the main pain points. We've also been able to add new content and overhaul existing content. We really hope you enjoy![/p][p]Please see below for a summary:[/p][p][/p][p]Major Update Summary: [/p][p]This substantive update overhauls combat, adds new content and systems, improves raiding, optimizes performance, and includes countless fixes and polish.

New Content & Feature Highlight [/p]

• [p]Swamp Region added[/p]
• [p]Ferryman Transport System – Fast travel between key points[/p]
• [p]Sewer Event (polished, decorated, and re-enabled after fixes).[/p]
• [p]New Traps: Beartrap, Floor Spiketrap, Crossbow Trap, Tripwire triggers, and Trap Reset Kits.[/p]
• [p]Trebuchet siege weapon fully implemented with added tracer/dummy boulders, building mechanics, VFX/SFX, and camera shake on impacts.[/p]
• [p]2-week wipe cycle with new wipe scheduler for reliable official/community timing.[/p]
• [p]New lighting/graphics overhaul and optimization pass[/p]
• [p]Flourish emotes added for all weapons (hold emote key).[/p]
• [p]New downed system with reworked animations and restrictions.[/p]

[p] Combat Overhaul [/p]

• [p]Added Held Block (up to 10s) and Perfect Parry with brief damage immunity on successful parry.[/p]
• [p]Kicks/bashes reworked: faster, no stagger, no morphing (useful vs blocks only).[/p]
• [p]Entirely remade ranged combat: no quiver needed, new arrow types/damage system, tracers, sticking arrows, reliable hits, smoother animations.[/p]
• [p]Fists combat fully remade with new animations, effects, and flourish.[/p]
• [p]Weapons simplified into 3 classes (1H, 2H Fast, 2H Slow) with standardized stats except damage.[/p]
• [p]Hit reacts, camera shake, blood particles, new VFX/SFX (parry sparks, armor sounds, etc.) across all weapons.[/p]
• [p]Multiple animation pops, equip timings, and major combat bugs fixed[/p]

[p] Balance & Progression [/p]

• [p]Treasure drop rates lowered; sell amounts tweaked.[/p]
• [p]Smithy Hammers & Tailor Kits increased; raiding costs reduced ~30%.[/p]
• [p]External building costs/health increased; progression slightly slower.[/p]
• [p]Can now destroy Wood/Plaster (up to Tier 3) at any time.[/p]

[p] Raiding & Building [/p]

• [p]Trebuchet + boulder improvements (prediction, impacts, sounds, no collision on rubble).[/p]
• [p]Fixed boulder/building collision issues.[/p]
• [p]Catapult tweaks (distance reduced, exit exploit fixed).[/p]

[p] Servers & Quality of Life [/p]

• [p]Reorganized server browser with accurate wipe timers and "time until next wipe" field.[/p]
• [p]Removed ping kick – Players can play on any region now without being kicked for high ping.[/p]
• [p]AFK timer increased to 1 hour.[/p]
• [p]Respawn timer reduced to 3s.[/p]
• [p]Admin fly fixed + speed modifier (mouse wheel).[/p]
• [p]Research menu refresh button.[/p]
• [p]Numerous map fixes (stuck spots, collisions, floating objects, sealed mines until event).[/p]

[p]Hello Folks[/p][p]With some happy news, we’re finally ready to present our first major patch since launch.
This blog is an accompaniment to our latest Vlog which can be found here:[/p][p][/p][p]Renown - Major Update #1 and Free Weekend News[/p][p][/p][p]Given that the video is more to show the visual element, we figured it would be best to expand on the list we posted in that video’s description. These are:[/p][p]Other New Additions[/p]

• [p]New Swamp Biome[/p]
• [p]Bows Improved/Simplified[/p]
• [p]Spike Pressure Trap[/p]
• [p]Crossbow Trap[/p]
• [p]Ferryman Location Selection[/p]
• [p]Sewer Event[/p]
• [p]Swamp Biome[/p]
• [p]Polearms Enabled[/p]
• [p]2 Week Wipes[/p]
• [p]Combat Overhaul - Held Block, Regular Parry, Perfect Parry.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]Combat Overhaul - Held Block, Regular Parry, Perfect Parry.[/p][p]We’ve got a bit to go through, but we’re sure the main question on a lot of minds is, what did we do to the combat system?[/p][p]In effect, we’re attempting to lower the barrier for entry, while not lowering the overall high skill ceiling of the game.[/p][p]We’re also looking to directly address the ping problem so we can remove the ping limiter from all official servers.[/p][p]We’ve attempted this via three key changes to the combat system:[/p][p]Held parry:  We added held parry as a way for newcomers to learn the ropes without getting destroyed by drags and morphs. While held parry is useful, its detrimental to your stamina so as players get better they will slowly step away and just focus on trying to get regular or perfect parries.[/p][p]Regular Parry: Regular parries are pretty much the same idea as our old parries they are just quick parries to deflect a hit while still using a little bit of stamina[/p][p]Perfect Parry: Perfect parries are harder to land as you have to hit your parry off at the last second but with that risk, comes reward of no stamina loss. The perfect parry is notified via blue sparks so you will know when you hit them off[/p][p]As mentioned this also flips the dynamic for High ping vs Low Ping play. In the past, high ping, high skill players had a disproportionate advantage. This was due to only having a simple click to block system. Now if there is any ping advantage, it's with the lower ping player via the perfect parry system.[/p][p] (This same post on our Discord has short WEBM videos showing this off, which Steam doesn't accept as an upload)[/p][p][/p][p]2 Week Wipes[/p][p]We’ve seen the massive amount of demand folks have had for extended wipe times. In the past we had a misinformed mindset of how much demand this would have. Our apologies for not catching on sooner.[/p][p]In this case we’ve done a decent amount of tinkering with the save system and other limitations to longer wipes. That said we can only really test this by putting it in action.[/p][p]As such we’re raising the wipe period on official servers to 2 weeks. Community servers are of course free to set any wipe duration they desire.[/p][p]We’re still expecting some performance issues into the 2nd week, but this would also provide us the exact data we need to continue to raise the wipe window. Our goal for this is of course to raise the supported wipe window to 3 weeks, then further and further, as time goes on.[/p][p] [/p][p]Polearms Enabled[/p][p]Polearms are back, with a couple of needed changes. In this case, we’ve disabled the Morphs on polearms given they were really not up to the quality needed. Not a ton to say here, but we hope you’ll enjoy them in game. We’d also like to extend an apology to any backers who had a Polearm skin but could not previously use it. This is now rectified.[/p][p][/p][p]Sewer Event[/p][p]The Brimdurn Sewer Event is now live and ready to be played. This event sees players delving into the depths below Brimdurn Castle. Watch out for Riff raff, Guards and other players as you seek for hidden treasure and glory.[/p][p]The Brimdurn Sewer Event can be entered via the back of the cathedral in town, or via the two external entries to the North and South of town.[/p][p]Likewise, this is a better one to experience then to read about, but we very much hope it’ll add a little more fun to the map.[/p][p][/p][p]Swamp Biome[/p][p]Alongside his other work, KZ has still been cracking away at new content. In this case, we’ve got a new biome to add to the map. This is the first test in a larger process for eventually expanding or adding new maps in. We hope plays will have a good time making sure their “legally distinct green ogre” dreams come true.[/p][p][/p][p]Ferryman Location Selection[/p][p]Likewise, the Ferryman system will be seeing its debut this patch. Put simply this is a network of points around the edge of the map, for which players can pay a small 100 gold fee to travel long distance. This is to help combat the “Walking Sim” nature of the game, till we add in horse and other vehicle systems.[/p][p]We’re starting with fairly open and unrestricted settings for this system, but we do have methods of balancing, should it be needed.[/p][p]Let us know how you’re finding this system, and what you feel could be added or balanced. [/p][p][/p][p]Crossbow Trap and Spike Pressure Trap[/p][p]Given the videos can take a while to make, the Bear trap was the only one to make it into our recent update vid. That said we’re very happy to present you with the Crossbow Trap and the Spiked Pressure Plate Trap. These will both be seeing an introduction alongside the Bear trap for this upcoming patch.[/p][p]The Crossbow trap works with a tripwire. When triggered it fires an arrow, or several arrows depending on its setting, towards the intended direction. Plays can put in any type of arrow they can craft (Wood, Iron, Steel). They can also select how many arrows should be fired per tripwire trigger (stepping on the trap). The universal “Trap Rearm Kits” can also be used to auto-rearm the crossbow trap while in base.[/p][p]The Spike Pressure Trap works via players stepping on a 1x1 floor section which triggers the trap. This slows any players in its effect area and applies damage per hit. “Trap Rearm Kits” can be used to dictate how many times the trap should re-fire.[/p][p]For all of these traps, if they are placed within the banner radius, they will not trigger on authorised persons.  [/p][p][/p][p]Bows Improved/Simplified[/p][p]One area we’re really excited for, is the overhaul for Archery. This is split into two main areas of logic.[/p][p]First the overall feel, and experience of shooting Archery in game, has been completely redone. It’s now a lot faster, sharper and just generally feels a lot nicer to use. This also includes new hit feedback for headshots and the like.[/p][p]The other area was to simplify and remove a lot of the old restrictions. After discussing it in the team, we all agree no one really cares about the quiver being needed, or limits to what you can have in your action bar. Ultimately folks just swapped things around in their bag anyway, getting around the restriction but adding more Jank.[/p][p]With this correction, archery should be a lot more valid as a method of combat, feel a lot nicer to use, and is all in all easier with fewer restrictions to confuse or annoy the player.[/p][p] [/p][p]As always folks, thank you for all the awesome support.[/p][p]We’ll have full patch notes, patch release info and the free weekend details coming soon.[/p]