First Dwarf News

[h3]Hi, Dwarves! 🛠[/h3]

We’re BACK with a new article! 👏 *round of applause* 👏 Since the last Dev Update we added some new content into the game and we would love to share it with you! We’re super excited about it and hope that you’ll like it just as we do. Let’s take a closer look at what we’ve been up to!

[h3]First weekend with co-op ahead[/h3]

Last Monday we started our 2nd round of Playtests! Now it’s Friday and many of you already expressed their experiences with co-op and the new build of our game. If you couldn’t join us during the past days, there is no better time to do it than now! Let’s dive into the game this weekend!

Play with your friend locally or online and let the fun begin!



Remember that everyone can join our Playtest on Steam! All you have to do is click “Request Access” on First Dwarf’s Steam Page!

And join our Discord! That’s the best way to chat with us and leave feedback!



[h3]Skill Tree[/h3]

Recently one of our main focuses was preparing the skill tree. By gaining experience points in the game, you can use them to upgrade your characters. Mech, Tru and Ragna have separate skill trees and different skills to unlock.



If you were with us during our first Playtest, you could’ve seen the placeholder Ragna model. She’s gone (and will be missed), BUT has been replaced with the cool animation!

Characters in the menu are interactive, hover over them to see their reactions!

However, for now, we didn’t resign completely from goofy images and in the skill tree you can see the adorable cat of one of our team members that became our mascot.



[h3]New puzzle[/h3]

But wait, there's more!

There is a new puzzle for Ragna that you can encounter on one of the floating islands… Collect the blue orbs and find the hidden treasure! Dragon wings are irreplaceable when it comes to searching through inaccessible locations. She’s also an incredible swimmer! Her diving skill will have an upgrade option in the future, so she can hold her breath underwater even longer. Very convenient!



Also, as you can see above, there are some mysterious roots growing near the orbs. That’s our work-in-progress-plant! Let’s look at the concepts below!



This weird stone-like plant is emitting the mana fumes… What could it exactly mean and how is this plant connected to the ecosystem? The world of Driftland hides many secrets, will you manage to find them all? Try to do it during the ongoing Playtest and search the area everywhere you can!



[h3]❤️Add to your wishlist!❤️[/h3]

Remember to add our game to your wishlist! By doing so, you help us a lot! ❤️ Also, we encourage you to add First Dwarf: First Island (our upcoming free prologue) to your lists as well!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2865680/First_Dwarf_Prologue__First_Island/

Thank you for reading and for your support! And if you wish to be up to date with us, check out our social media!

We’ll continue to keep you up to date on our progress in the future Dev Updates! Stay tuned.
Have a great weekend full of games!

Yours,
Star Drifters team 🌟🚀

[h3]Today is the day, Dwarves! 🛠[/h3]

Thanks to your feedback from the 1st Playtest we decided to speed up the second round! First Dwarf Playtest 2.0 will feature fixes that players pointed out in previous tests as well as the first alfa version of our online and local co-op mode and some new things to do on the island! Make sure your Playtest is updated to 0.253 version!

PS. We tried to fix as many things as we could in the time that we had and this is not the end of the fixes!

It’s our first try with co-op in First Dwarf, so please keep in mind that it’s still a work in progress. That’s why your feedback can really help us with polishing the mechanics of multiplayer!

[h3]When? ⏰[/h3]

Playtest starts TODAY and ends in two weeks on the 6th of May 7PM (CEST).

[h3]Who can participate? 🤔[/h3]

Just like last time, everyone can participate! If you had access to the 1st Playtest, you don’t have to request it again. There will be an update for you to download in your game library.

If you didn’t request access during our 1st Playtest, you can do it right now and up until 6th of May 7PM (CEST). Remember that when the clock hits the ending date, access to the game will be disabled.

[h3]What’s N E W ✨[/h3]

Thanks to all your feedback that we gathered (for which we are extremely grateful!), we fixed some bugs, text errors and mechanics. Now you can charge mana and fix buildings twice as fast.

One of the main changes that’s easy to detect is making the buildings that are disconnected from the mana pipes glow red. This way it’s easier to tell if they’re functional!



There is also a new puzzle for Ragna added, so you have more opportunities to use her beautiful wings!

[h3]Play with your friend! 🐉🧔‍♂️[/h3]

We know that a lot of you were waiting for our online and local co-op mode! And now the first taste is finally available for you to try!

In a single-player game you can switch between characters, completing tasks with the one with better skills in a given field.

In co-op, you can share a splitscreen locally, by making one person join with a gamepad and the second one playing with a keyboard, or you can invite a friend online and play on separate devices. Tru and Ragna have separate skills to develop and upgrade, strengths and weaknesses, so it’s important to choose the characters wisely when preparing to complete specific tasks.



You can change characters during the co-op gameplay, but you can’t control the same character at the same time. Mech can be controlled by both Ragna and Tru.

[previewyoutube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKQD5H9-OSA[/previewyoutube]

[h3]Camera shake slider[/h3]

We acknowledged that many of you felt discomfort caused by the shaking of the camera. From now on, you can adjust that motion and if you wish, turn it off completely.

Please tell us your thoughts on this change! We hope that now you can enjoy the game with us.



[h3]📜 Change log 📜[/h3]

New:

• Camera shake slider
• Pop-up tutorial added for combo and high jump
  
• New system of communicating unpowered building (red glow if not connected)
  
• First iteration of development tree:
  
  
  1. mech [mana refueling speed, more stamina, faster repairing]
     
  2. Tru [faster mech repairing, automatic mine improvement, automatic sawmill improvement]
     
  3. Ragna [More stamina]
     
• New environment puzzle for Ragna
  
• Side quest: Eskoim Hammer
  
• New behaviors for settlers depending on the time of the day (sleeping, working, resting)
  
• Option for turning on/off tower radius display
  
• Added 2 new enemies (they are a lot tougher!)
  
• Added translation of some missing texts in a few languages
  
• New sounds added (monster nests, mech swimming and more)
  

Changes:

• Doubled the repairing speed
• Doubled the speed of mana extraction with mech
• Mech high jump and gliding improved
• Improved clarity and hints for Workshop quest
  
• The way to the second island has been made easier to traverse
  
• Improved Ragna scouting mechanic
  
• Improved Ragna’s fire breathing and aiming (still needs some tweaking)
  
• Experience points for quests, destroying monster nests, destroying monsters, etc. have been balanced with the level system in the game
  
• Mysterious flying object “upgraded” #spooky
  

Fixes:

• Adjusted audio in intro cutscene
• Some language errors fixed
  
• Names of some objectives corrected
  
• Fixed bug with Raven sending and the Port
  
• Menu sounds tweaked
  
• Mortar Tower rotation bug fixed
  
• Tru’s stance fixed while repairing the mech, Mech’s stance fixed while retrieving mana
  
• and some lot of smaller fixes
  

[h3]Your Feedback 🖱🎮[/h3]

We’re counting on your feedback! Let’s create the game together and share some ideas! We’ll be very grateful for more of your thoughts during the second round of play testing.

Here is the reminder on how to do it:

[h3]First method is:[/h3]

• First Dwarf Discord server
  

You’ll find there a special Playtest category:

playtest-bugs - here you can send us all the information about encountered bugs (happens to the best of us), see pinned messages in that channel for more information, so we could have the best understanding of the problem and could fix it in the future!

feedback - that’s the place where you can tell us EVERYTHING you want after you played our game. Positive and negative feedback, all of that is welcome. You can tell us about the smallest things, regarding music, characters, dialogues, mechanics, systems… Every topic is a good topic, as long as it’s related to the First Dwarf Playtest. We can’t wait to chat with you about your experiences with our title!

language-bugs - here you can post all language related errors. Please have in mind that the game is still in progress and so are the languages, so translations may have some mistakes. We apologize for that. They are in beta version, and will be improved with time. Texts and dialogues can also be altered later, if necessary. You can change the language in the game’s menu options!

opt-in-credits - here you can read the steps of what to do, to be included in our final game’s credits! It’s a little “thank you” from us, for all your help. By leaving your invaluable feedback, you’re becoming an important part of our big adventure! You’ll find there the link to the form we prepared earlier, where you’ll be able to drop your nickname. No offensive names of course, those won’t be included.

If you gave us your nickname in the last Playtest, you don’t have to write it again. 👍

[h3]Second method for leaving feedback:[/h3]

• In the game itself, as seen below
  

Probably the fastest way to report a bug is located directly in the game. An automatic save file is also attached to the report you make (but you won't see it, so don't panic!). However, keep in mind that we won’t be able to respond to you there. We will receive the information, but to hear back from us or to engage in conversation, it’s best to use Discord.



[h3]Third method to leave feedback:[/h3]

• Steam Discussion on the game’s page
  

[h3]Fill the Form! 📝[/h3]

We prepared a simple form to fill, which may inspire you in terms of what to be aware of while playing. After leaving your feedback, you can also write your nickname to be put in the final game’s credits there, it’s optional. If you gave us your nickname in the last Playtest, you don’t have to write it again. 👍

https://forms.gle/zkZLTsh76H6CePz37

[h3]Can I stream my game?📸[/h3]

YES! Feel free to tag us and show off on our Discord server, we would love to see it! You can freely post about it on your social media. Even more! You can use our Press Kit, if you wish:

First Dwarf Press Kit

[h3]Earth Appreciation Festival[/h3]

Today is Earth Day! It’s a very important date and we do what we can to remind everyone about it! Earth Appreciation Festival is a list of specially selected games that focus on a post-apocalyptic grim atmosphere of a future that we should avoid.

But not only that! You can also find nature-focused games there, to appreciate all the good things about Earth.



[h3]Are you ready? 🏁[/h3]

And that’s about it! We hope that the changes we made recently will positively influence your experience. Let us know!

[h3]❤️ Add to your wishlist ❤️[/h3]

Remember that adding our games to your wishlist on Steam is a wonderful way to show your support! We’d be very grateful if you could consider adding First Dwarf to your lists, as well as our upcoming prologue, First Dwarf: First Island!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2865680/First_Dwarf_Prologue__First_Island/


Thank you all for reading and for your support! We deeply care about our project and want to improve it even further! It can be possible with your help.

Have fun play testing our newest build of First Dwarf and have a wonderful day!

Yours,
Star Drifters Team 🌟🚀

Hi, Dwarves! 🧔

As we promised, we’re back in the blink of an eye! 👁👁 During the last two weeks we were focused on our ongoing Playtest. We want to show you some awesome statistics and our thoughts on how it all went! (Spoiler: it went great.)

[h3]Contest Results! 📜🏆[/h3]

During our Playtest, we organized a contest for the best colony!

In our game, you can build your very own settlement, filled with various types of defensive turrets, defensive walls and buildings. Everything connected with mana pipes! How you do it in detail is up to you.



Thanks to everyone who participated, we had a chance to see their amazing takes on how the greatest dwarven settlement could look like! Players did not disappoint! As we promised, the winners get free keys to one of our previous games!

Round of applause for our talented scouting engineers! Just look at these masterpieces!











What would your dwarven colony look like?

[h3]Precious Feedback[/h3]

Main reason that pushed us to launch our Playtest was the possibility of getting some feedback from our community and let us tell you, we got A LOT! And that’s absolutely fantastic! 🌟

We are very happy that much of the feedback from players aligns with our production pipelines and what we would like to add and improve in the game. Many important points were made and we will definitely benefit from all the things that have been said in our Discord, Steam Discussions, reports and in our feedback form. Overall, our game has been reviewed very positively by most and we couldn’t have wished for more!

🌸 We’re extremely grateful for all the tips and feedback we’ve received! Thanks to you, First Dwarf will blossom with each day! 🌸

[h3]Playtest in numbers[/h3]

We know that some of you like to dive into specifics, so here are more detailed statistics for all the curious gamers out there:

👑 16 000 signed up for the Playtest
👑 Favorite part of the game: building
👑 20 000 added First Dwarf to their wishlists
👑 460 gamers will be added to our credits in the final game after our 1st Playtest
👑 97,3% positive reviews
👑 93% of gamers used mouse and keyboard to play



[h3]So what’s next? 🤔[/h3]

Another Playtest! We know that some of you were very eager to play more and there also were people who didn’t manage to join us for the first playtesting. So don't worry! We’ll be holding a new Playtest with an improved build. All of you who already had a chance to play First Dwarf will be able to experience the changes we implemented and compare it with older version of our game. And, of course, we’ll welcome everyone who wants to join us for the first time, the more the merrier! 😄

Stay tuned for more info soon!

If you don’t want to miss any news from us, it’s best to keep track of our actions on our social media!

🌟 Twitter/X
🌟 TikTok
🌟 Facebook
🌟 Instagram
🌟 LinkedIn
🌟 GameJolt

And the BEST place to talk with us is obviously our First Dwarf Discord server! Don’t be shy, join us!



[h3]When you wish upon a… Dwarf 🌟[/h3]

Adding games to your wishlist is a very easy way to support developers! Some time ago we made a Steam page for our upcoming free prologue, titled First Dwarf: First Island.

We would be very grateful if you could add it to your wished games! As well as the main First Dwarf game! 🧔🐉🤖

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2865680/First_Dwarf_Prologue__First_Island/

Thank you for all of your support, it really keeps us going! 💪 As always, we encourage you to tell us your thoughts in the comments. Have a wonderful day and see you soon!

Yours,
Star Drifters Team 🌟🚀

Hi, Dwarves! 🧔

As always, many things are happening right now in our studio! We’re here today with a showcase of weapons you can obtain in our game! So if you’re eager to take care of some dangerous monsters… This might interest you!



[h3]Did you join our Playtest? 😎[/h3]

Little reminder! You still have the whole weekend to play our game by joining our Playtest! Request access on our First Dwarf Steam page and HAVE FUN!

You can join our Discord server to leave us additional feedback (we would love that!), take part in our ongoing contest for THE BEST colony and win a reward!

Time is ticking as the Playtest officially ends on April 8th 3PM (CEST).



[h3]Good ol’ Pickaxe[/h3]

We’re starting off with our loyal pickaxe! Which is great in dealing with persisting bullies. It’s also very helpful in gathering precious resources, like wood and stone. A perfect two in one!





But everyone needs some changes from time to time, right? Further in the game, you can find…

[h3]Battle Axe[/h3]

Well, you can’t mine with that, but it’s a fair exchange for this POWERFUL weapon! It’s best for quick combat, when you’re running short of time. Made with help of Eskoim technology.



[h3]Hammer[/h3]

If you really want to serve those monsters a 💥PUNCH💥 the hammer may be the way to go. It’s slower than other weapons, but its strength is irreplaceable.



[h3]Tru’s Hammer[/h3]

Don’t ever think that our main hero is hopeless without his mech! Tru is a brave and strong dwarf that can take care of dangerous enemies on his own, if needed.



[h3]Blunderbuss[/h3]

Sometimes, you just want to keep your distance. And that’s fine! Here to your aid comes a blunderbuss! A firearm with a short, large caliber barrel. It’s attached to the left arm of our mech.



[h3]Crossbow[/h3]

Another distance weapon that can be applied to the mech is a crossbow. A neuroballistic projectile weapon consisting of a bow embedded in a stock.



[h3]Which one is your favorite?[/h3]

What do you think, which one will be the best for you to fight with? As the game progresses, you will be able to upgrade your weapons and obtain unique to them helpful skills.

Of course, we’re still implementing more of our ideas into the game, so it’s possible for more weapons to come…



[h3]Watch out![/h3]

You can fight with the most powerful weapon, but sometimes it’s best to dodge some attacks to avoid unnecessary damage. Yes, you can also block the strike coming your way, but you might want to distance yourself from the enemy rather than standing so close. And you can do it easily, even with a heavy mech.



Same goes for Ragna! Her quick dodge is a wonderful sight. Avoid the monster attacks, no matter if you’re on land or in the air.



[h3]Powerful Dash[/h3]

What, did you think that that’s all? No, no! Here we present to you: dash.

Feeling cornered? Use the powerful dash to charge at your enemies! Damage all monsters standing in your path.



[h3]Summing it up![/h3]

We want the combat system to be a great experience for the players. Remember that hitting those combos will help you with the most efficient way to fight!

Please keep in mind that the game is still a work in progress, so some things listed here may change. Thank you for your understanding! 😊

Tell us what is your fighting style? Do you prefer a weapon able to strike quickly or is a slower, but stronger one better in your opinion? Close combat or distancing yourself? We’re very curious!

[h3]💕 Expand your wishlist 💕[/h3]

As we mentioned in one of our previous updates, adding our games to your wishlists on Steam helps us A LOT! We’d be super happy if you could add there First Dwarf: First Island (our upcoming free prologue to First Dwarf)!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2865680/First_Dwarf_First_Island/

[h3]Thank you for your support![/h3]

As always, we’re very grateful for your support and all the feedback we’re still receiving from all of you! We’ll be back soon with more news and updates, as we still work very hard on our title. Thank you!

And don't forget, that we're also active on many social media! Come visit us!

• TikTok
• Twitter/X
• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• GameJolt

Yours,
Star Drifters Team 🌟🚀

Hi, Dwarves! 🛠️

We hope that you had a wonderful time this past week! In this announcement we would like to do a summary of how it looked like for us.

[h3]6 days until the end! Join today![/h3]

We’re thrilled seeing how many of you decided to play First Dwarf during our first Playtest! The amount of feedback we got is positively overwhelming and we’re keeping track of it all the best we can. Thank you! We’ll analyze everything to make our game even better! 📝

BUT if you still haven't joined our Playtest, don’t worry, because you still have time to do it! And it’s super simple - just go to the First Dwarf’s Steam page and click “Request Access”! We’re closing the access on April 8th.



[h3]Ongoing Contest![/h3]

If you’re following us, you could have already seen our announcement regarding the ongoing contest for THE BEST colony! The rules are pretty easy - join our Playtest, build an awesome settlement, take a screenshot and post it on a dedicated #🌟challenge🌟 channel on our First Dwarf Discord server!



The winners will get a FREE KEY to one of our previous games - Driftland: The Magic Revival! It's a perfect way to get to know the Driftland world. And if you already have it, don't worry, we'll think of something else! Another game maybe? 👀



https://steamcommunity.com/games/1714900/announcements/detail/4194613560101061596?snr=2___

You have time until the end of the Playtest (April 8th 3PM CEST), so still plenty to build a beautiful colony!

[h3]💞 Add to Your Wishlist! 💞[/h3]

If you wish to support us further, consider adding First Dwarf to your wishlist on Steam, along with our new page First Dwarf: First Island! (A free introduction to our game!). This way, we can show the world the power of dwarven enthusiasts. We would be very grateful for that!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2865680/First_Dwarf_First_Island/

[h3]Thank you for your support![/h3]

We love chatting with you and we’re over the moon that you’re enjoying our Playtest! We also adore seeing your gameplays, feel free to post it on your social media, tag us and even post in on our Discord server! Seeing how you play First Dwarf gives us even more insight!

You can also check out this awesome gameplay by SplatterCatGaming! Thank you!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

There is still almost a week left of exciting play testing, but remember that it’s worth staying with us longer than that! (Like, forever?) On our Discord, we’re sharing our thoughts and opinions, works in progress, memes and have fun!



Aside from Discord we are also active on:

• Facebook
• Twitter/X
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok

So make sure to stop by!

We can't wait to share even more content with you all in the upcoming months! We already started working on adding needed changes based on all your feedback. Let’s create a wonderful gaming experience together with your help!

See you soon!
Star Drifters Team 🚀