Renown News

[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]

[p]Hello Everybody[/p][p] [/p][p]As always thank you for checking out the latest in the world of Renown.[/p][p]This dev blog is intended to be a look into our current plans for next patch, and a short roadmap for our current activity. This one is a bit of a longer written number, focused on keeping you up to date with the team's thinking.[/p][p] [/p][p]Internally, we’ve been working on development in 3 key areas for the upcoming patch. These are:[/p][p]1. De-Jank[/p][p]Polish, stability, clarity. This pillar focuses on making Renown feel better to play and improving QoL in game.[/p][p]2. Content[/p][p]New gameplay systems, world events, and features that expand the world of Renown.[/p][p]3. Longevity[/p][p]Extending wipe cycles, improving systems that support long-term play, and raising the skill ceiling without raising frustration.[/p][p] [/p][p] [/p][p]Starting with De-Jank, let's chat over what we’ve been doing as a team.[/p][p]De-Jank[/p][p][/p][p]Combat Feedback & Polish[/p][p][/p][p]Combat has undergone its largest quality pass since the early alpha. The entire team has been putting the majority of their time into this realm of development. This whole area is better shown and experienced than talked about. However, we want to save a lot of that until it's ready to be pushed in all its glory. [/p][p][/p][p]Though we will quickly cover the areas the combat is being improved and polished. [/p]

• [p]Combat Mechanics Changes and Overhaul[/p]
• [p]Hit Reactions (Animation, VFX, Screen Effects,Sounds) [/p]
• [p]New Parry Animations and Reactions [/p]
• [p]Combat Balance Changes[/p]
• [p]Overall Sound Improvements [/p]
• [p]Phasing and Desync Fixes/Improvements[/p]
• [p]Ping Filter Removal (Official Servers)[/p][p][/p]

[p]Once these changes are finalized we will be creating a more in depth developer update showcasing the changes.[/p][p][/p][p]Lighting & Visual Improvements[/p][p]Kz has been hard at work on our new lighting overhaul. He’s been pushing a full lighting pass using more accurate Lumen settings and preparing the game for a more realistic day/night cycle. This is part graphical enhancement, part de-Jank: better clarity, better readability, and more atmosphere.[/p][p][/p][p]Optimization[/p][p]This is also a major focus area that’s been ongoing since launch:[/p]

• [p]World Partition improvements[/p]
• [p]Better instancing[/p]
• [p]Cleanup of client-side performance drains[/p]
• [p]AI and pathing improvements[/p]
• [p]Fixes for falling-through-map spots[/p]
• [p]Building exploit fixes and general QoL updates[/p]

[p]Theres not a ton to say for this area, but we hope you’ll feel it in game. 
[/p][p]Bows and Ranged Combat[/p][p]This area of the De-Jank is currently still in the planning phase; however, it’s been a major point of discussion in the team.[/p][p]Effectively, the ranged element of the game is entirely off at the moment. Archery is not a fun or satisfying system currently. It can roughly be used as an advantage in base defence, but in almost all other scenarios, the bows are a disadvantage.[/p][p]Likewise throwing Weapons are hard to predict and are not a flexible enough system to be used regularly in close to mid-range combat.[/p][p]Its very likely the Ranged Overhaul will see its own Dev Blog. Our current thinking is we want the early game to feature more ranged gameplay, with it being reduced as players get into Full Plate at the end game. [/p][p]We’re of course still looking at endgame ranged options, but this is more likely to be specialised endgame weapons like crossbows.[/p][p] [/p][p]Content[/p][p]While a ton of work has been going into de-janking and optimisation, we’re still pushing for new content as quick as we can.[/p][p] [/p][p]Traps – A New Layer of Strategy[/p][p]Traps are finally becoming a fully-fledged system in game.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Trap Types currently being explored are:[/p]

• [p]Bear Trap[/p]
• [p]Spike traps (1/4 and 1/2 foundation sizes)[/p]
• [p]Droppable cage with escape minigame[/p]
• [p]Possible Crossbow trap:[/p]
  • [p]Single-shot baseline[/p]
  • [p]Reloading / periodic-fire version[/p]
  • [p]Advanced rotating “four-by-four” arrow volley concept[/p]

[p](Let us know in Discord, all your creative ideas about what types of traps you’d like to be added to Renown.)
[/p][p]Placement Rules[/p][p]This area is likely going to need a lot of balancing to get traps feeling good, without being an overly frustrating experience. We’re actively balancing abuse prevention vs. creative use via:[/p]

• [p]Inside your Banner: traps persist and won’t trigger on allies. The maintenance system can be used to prevent the de-spawning of traps in the base and banner range.[/p]
• [p]Outside your Banner: Traps can be placed in limited numbers and auto-expire after a given time to prevent spam and griefing of enemy bases.[/p]

[p]Arming / Disarming UX[/p][p]In an aim to prevent mid-fight cheese, traps will use:[/p]

• [p]5-second hold-to-interact arming or disarming (time will vary with balance)[/p]
• [p]Currently uses the existing trapped-progress bar UI[/p]
• [p]Will be changed over to a more polished UI element in time.
  [/p]

[p]Re-Arm Kits[/p][p]Each trap has its own internal inventory. You can deposit craftable Re-Arm Kits, which are consumed with each activation. This ensures traps are powerful but finite. This also allows players to create a level of soft offline defence, without traps becoming a default place everywhere item.
[/p][p]Enemy Counterplay Item[/p][p]Metal Sheet: This is a one-use, higher-cost item that allows one safe pass over spikes or other base-related traps.[/p][p]Traps are a major part of the Content pillar because they aren’t just “more stuff”. They can act as a soft offline defence layer, a new PvP mind game, and a big marketing showcase feature.
[/p][p]Implementation of the Ferryman:[/p][p]The Ferryman is effectively complete and ready to deploy, hopefully in our next patch.[/p][p]This was explained in better detail in a previous dev blog. To be short, it’s a transport method to help reduce the “Walking Sim” nature of the game and allow for greater player interaction over wider areas of the game map.[/p][p]The Ferrymen system will likely see changes after horses and other transport options are in, but in the meantime, this acts as a quasi-transportation method.[/p][p] [/p][p]New Events and POI Changes:[/p][p] [/p][p]We’ve also got several new events in the works.[/p][p]Sewer System Event:[/p][p][/p][p]The first of these is the new Sewer System. KZ has been hard to work, and the programming team has just been able to implement the script for them. Ultimately, we’re looking to add as many new elements to the map as possible while continuing to work on the other key areas of development.
[/p][p]Underground Mine System Event:[/p][p]KZ mentioned that the new event after this will be the Mines system we’ve had on the back burner for months. This event would see players exploring abandoned mine shafts and other deep places in the world to find Gems and Glory.[/p][p]We’ll likely see the Mines System coming in a subsequent patch.
[/p][p]Trebuchet Implementation:[/p][p][/p][p]We’re very excited that the Trebuchet is ready for this upcoming patch. This will act as our new endgame raiding item, with the catapult being moved closer to the mid-game. This has been the brainchild of Phanzor in recent weeks, and he’s also already programmed a new “Dummy/Tracer Ammo” for the Catapult and Trebuchet. This will allow players to create low-cost ammo, which can be used to accurately get on target, without wasting precious raiding resources.[/p][p]A ton of work has gone into both the flying Bolder effect, as well as the impact felt in base when under attack via Catapult or Trebuchet. This one is better experienced in-game, but we think folks will be happy with the change.
[/p][p]NPC Life:[/p][p]Another area we’re currently looking at is giving the NPC’s more life and expression. This includes pathing changes, idle and roleplay animations to make towns feel alive. We’ve also been experimenting with the AI speaking in Old English or Old Norse, but this is still experimental. Currently, the NPC changes will be coming in a later patch. [/p][p]This is all leading up to greater NPC interaction systems, with the possibility of trading and reputation with specific towns, Player Territory Control and various other PvP-RP elements. This section could also be its own dev blog and will likely be bundled with the NPC Base Worker system we’ve had planned for years.[/p][p] [/p][p]While the launch of Renown was a bit bumpy, we cannot accurately express how excited we are to be in a position to start adding new content again while being able to fix up the Jank.[/p][p]The final area to cover in this week's blog is:[/p][p] [/p][p]Longevity[/p][p] [/p][p]Extending Wipe Cycles[/p][p]This is a key area we’ll put our hands up and say, we made a mistake regarding our initial implementation. This was dependent on our Save System rework, but was also something we got wrong in our initial assumptions on 1 week vs longer wipes.[/p][p]Once safe, we aim to push wipe cycles past a single week. Recent progress already shows really good stability gains. We’re fairly confident on 2-week wipes now, while 3 weeks should, in theory, also function. We of course need to run populated servers for this duration to really tell, however.[/p][p]We can say, allowing for longer wipes is a prime goal of the team, based on community feedback. The end goal of this would be to have servers that rarely, if ever, wipe, allowing players to really get invested in a server. [/p][p]We’re hoping the expansion to 2 weeks, then 3 helps with this feeling in the short run. 
[/p][p]Map Redesign & Loot Flow[/p][p]A long-term map pass will restructure POIs and loot progression tiers to create a more coherent mid and end-game experience.[/p][p]Given that the entire map is effectively made by KZ, we’ve never had a ton of spare resources or time to effectively subdivide and “Make Fun” the various areas of the map. For example, you can see we’ve already split the map into coloured territories. This is partly to play into a future player map mechanics, but it was also so we can split the map into High Tier and Low Tier areas.[/p][p]We’re currently looking at adding locked zones and keys to the POIs and some basic puzzles to add a bit more interactivity in POIs[/p][p]We’d also like to introduce newer “Safe Zones” around the map, for player and NPC traders, and to give newer players a place to practice dualing without the pressure of gear fear.
[/p][p]Optimisation for Long-Term Play[/p][p]Server load, client performance, AI overhead, and network responsiveness all contribute to how long a wipe can run smoothly. These are all under active work as part of the Longevity pillar. Ultimately, there’s not a ton I can say her,e but we hope you’ll feel it after the next patch.[/p][p]
[/p]

[p]Hey folks.[/p][p][/p][p]As always, thanks for checking out the latest news in the Renown World. [/p][p]We’re on the edge of a fairly substantial patch atm. [/p][p]We’ll have direct feature spotlights coming real soon. [/p][p]For now, we’ve got a shorter and sharper update with more of the “on the ground” situation in Renown. [/p][p][/p][p]First off, I’m very excited to reintroduce Moxie:[/p][p][/p][p]Hello everyone! I'm Moxie, the new Lead Programmer of Renown. I already have a long history with both Renown and RDBK Studios, and I’m incredibly excited to help shape this game into the best version it can be. [/p][p]In my career, I’ve worked at seven different studios, with more than five years of professional game development experience exclusively in Unreal Engine, using both Blueprints and C++. Nothing makes me happier than being here with all of you, building the world of Renown together.[/p][p]Since stepping into the Lead Programmer role, a lot has already taken place. From new animations and a complete overhaul of sieging, to the introduction of the trebuchet and extensive improvements to the combat experience. There’s just plenty I’d like to cover.[/p][p]For now, a brief note on combat. It’s received major visual updates to animations, sound effects, and visual effects to improve clarity and feel. [/p][p]We’ve also squashed a number of bugs, including issues with hit registration (phasing), stagger inconsistencies, and various visual glitches.[/p][p]We’ll be doing a full breakdown and briefing on combat changes in detail, hopefully next week.[/p][p]Oh, and for all the archers out there.. bows are being completely redone very, very soon. They’ll finally be a truly viable option.[/p][p]We’ll be sharing much more detail when we’re ready to reveal everything that’s new in the combat system. [/p][p]But you can count on this next update to deliver: Critical bug fixing, smoother and more accessible combat for newcomers without lowering the skill ceiling, and most importantly, Clarity. [/p][p]Before I wrap up, I also wanted to mention that multiple traps and the ferryman are confirmed to be in the game by next month![/p][p]Thanks for reading, and thank you all for your continued passion and support. We’re just getting started, and I can’t wait to show you what’s next for Renown.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Given our Lead Artist, KZ, normally has more of a show-don’t-tell mentality, he’s done a quick explainer for what he’s been busily up to:[/p][p][/p][p]Kz here![/p][p]I’ve been deep in the combat and visuals lately, really trying to make everything feel responsive and satisfying. The goal is for every action in combat to be clearly signalled—whether visually through animations and VFX, or through audio cues. [/p][p]I think this will really enhance the overall combat experience, especially when it comes to landing hits and feeling truly immersed, instead of that older “gliding with a lightsabre” vibe. [/p][p]I’ve also been working on sounds, aiming to make everything feel more distinct and realistic. The idea is to tighten up the combat while still clearly communicating important gameplay information. [/p][p]We want knights to feel like knights, not silent thieves sneaking up on you. (Also, RIP to the first helmet I forged at home - it took one for the team). [/p][p][/p][p]As mentioned in the last few dev blogs, I’ve been adding more content and events—things like sewers, mines, and carriage encounters. Just more ways for players to engage with the world and have fun.[/p][p]Lastly, I’ve been working on a lighting overhaul. I’m pushing it closer to realism while keeping performance in mind. This isn’t just for visuals; it’s also part of prepping for the upcoming day and night cycle. [/p][p]Old:[/p][p][/p][p]New WIP:[/p][p][/p][p]That’ll bring back meaningful uses for torches and night raids. It’s a huge task since every time of day needs to look great and play well, no pitch-black nights, please. [/p][p]The day/night system will definitely add more structure to players’ in-game arcs and open up some really cool opportunities for creative plays.[/p][p]Thanks again for checking out the latest news in the Renown Development World. [/p][p]We'll be back soon with some exciting news regarding upcoming updates to the game![/p][p][/p]

[p]Hello everybody.[/p][p]We’ve got a ton in the works for the next patch, and all of this is gearing up for a larger content update in the near future.[/p][p]Till then we figured we should show off the behind the scenes, for what’s going on in the Renown Development world, at the moment.[/p][p] [/p][p]Introduction to one of our Mystery Programmers – It was Phanzor the whole time![/p][p]We are delighted to introduce one of our programmers, Phanzor, who recently transitioned from a long-standing role as a Discord moderator to a full-time developer on the project. Below is a brief message from Phanzor:[/p][p]“Hello all[/p][p]I’m Phanzor and I’ve recently been fully onboarded to the project after being a long-time moderator here on the discord.[/p][p]I am currently working on the siege system. This has involved reworking projectiles to increase their impact with players. We’ve done this to improve the feeling of being involved in a siege. It also lets us make them more modular, allowing us to implement newer variants (i.e. flaming boulders). This opens up the entire system for easy development for some cool ideas, such as; Anti-Personal Catapult shots, Cheap Tracing/Guiding shots, and maybe even an airborne human option at some point.[/p][p]This also comes with fixing up and adding in the trebuchet. We’re also making it so raid sounds are heard from farther away. Previously the impact and feel from being under attack was underwhelming. It also missed out on a key Survival Raiding troupe, of being able to hear a raid from a long distance and act as a 3rd party.[/p][p]Recently also I finished up the new wipe system making it more reliable and introducing a scheduler to ensure servers wipe at the correct times and advance the date correctly afterwards.”[/p][p] [/p][p]We’re super excited to have Phanzor full time working on the team. While there is still a lot of sharpening and fixing still to be done, we’re really excited for the future of the game. Next time we’ll hear from Moxie a long-time programmer on our team and our other “Mystery Programmer” mentioned last week.[/p][p] [/p][p]KZ has mainly been hard at work with Combat Feedback and improving the direct feel of the combat system. We’ll have a whole dev blog dedicated to just the Combat system and its changes coming in the next week or so. Till then KZ has also been modelling and animating some cool new features.
[/p][p]The Carraige and Caravan System

[/p][p][/p][p]The first of these are the new traveling event in game. These are the Merchant Caravans and the Royal Carriages.[/p][p]To begin with, these will be AI controlled Carriages which travel around the map. If players find them, and can do enough damage, the Carriage will be stopped and lootable.

[/p][p]They’ll have a basic foot escort of Mercenaries for the Merchants, and Knights for the Nobles. This should add some excitement to the mix and gives us system to scale with the value being carried.[/p][p]In the future KZ has mentioned he’d like to have the AI escorts riding on the carriage. For example, the back of both the noble and merchant vehicles has a step for riding along, or places at the front to ride “Crossbow”. This should also add a level of dynamic fun given the carriages could move a lot faster this way.[/p][p]Further beyond this, we’d love for players to be able to create and ride along in their own carriages or caravans. KZ already had a video from a WIP riding system, but it’ll need a fair bit of love before it’s in game ready. However, this is stil a tangible step toward to the mighty medieval wagon fort![/p][p] [/p][p]The Ferrymen – A new fast travel system

[/p][p]The other area KZ has been working on, is the design and implementation of our new fast travel system “The Ferrymen”.[/p][p]In this case we’re still looking to redo the entire vehicle system in game when we add in horse and cavalry. Till then we’ve got a fairly large map, and not a ton of ability for players to move around.[/p][p]The quick solution for this in the meantime, is a simple network of Fast Travel points separated around the coast of the map.[/p][p]The main idea being this should help with greater player interaction over the map, and better Quality of Life for any longer journeys the player regularly takes.[/p][p]We’ll be starting with it fairly unrestricted, but we’ll be looking at options to add fees or other balance gates if it’s causing less fun than it’s helping to make.[/p][p]This of course hints at a greater system of player rideable, and then controllable boats and other watercraft, after the aforementioned Vehicle system can be overhauled. River logistics was a huge part of the medieval world, and who doesn’t love a good sea battle at the end of the day.[/p][p][/p][p]Stay tuned for next week's "Fresh of the Forge" update. We'll be covering Combat changes and various other exciting bits planned for the next patch. [/p]