Tormentis News

Since the Tormentis demo was released, we have received and evaluated very helpful feedback from you. It feels great and we are very thankful you like our game concept. We are currently working on a new demo version that focuses on the implementation of the suggestions for improvement from the feedback.

[h2]Hero controls[/h2]


One of the biggest issues so far has been the controls, as the right mouse button was occupied for perspective/rotation. From other ARPG games you are used to using the mouse buttons not only for movement, but also for attacks and skills.

In the next demo version no more rotation is necessary! Walls automatically become transparent as soon as the character moves behind a wall. With the left mouse button (LMB) you can move and optionally execute the first attack in the future, the right mouse button (RMB) can be used for the second attack/skill. The first vector control is also tested, so that gamepads are also supported.

[h2]Online Mode & PvP[/h2]


The feedback repeatedly emphasized that it's a pity that the demo can only be played offline. We would like to change this with the next demo version! The new version of Tormentis will also be playable online and you will also be able to raid other players' dungeons.

[h2]Trading with other players[/h2]


We would also like to include a simplified version of the auction house in the next version of the demo. The Auction House will be the place where equipment can be traded with other players. In the release there will also be 1-on-1 trading, so that personal trading interactions will also be possible.

[h2]Customize dungeon environment[/h2]


The dungeon theming was only implemented on an experimental basis in the current demo. The new demo will give a better impression of what makes dungeon theming possible. On the one hand you will be able to choose the building structure (dungeon, dwarf fortress, gothic, etc.) and on the other hand you can change the background and subsoil (endless depths, surrounded by a lava lake, surrounded by the sea, floating above the clouds, etc.).

[h2]Customize dungeon rooms[/h2]


It will also be possible for a style to be selected for each room. This style transforms the space with non-blocking decorative elements. This can be a style like Forsaken, Royal, or Battleground. Of course, we'd love to hear your ideas!

Placeable decorations will be blocking items only in the future. On this topic, too, it was often requested that decoration could be damaged. We are working on making the dungeon appear as interactive as possible.

The story will also change a bit in the next version. There was very intensive feedback regarding the paths in the story dungeons and the timing of unlocking one's own dungeon.

We plan to release the next update for the demo towards the end of the summer. We really appreciate your feedback or a visit to our discord (https://discord.gg/dYFZwbbwAQ).

As announced in the last Development Status Update, the public demo will is coming! Over the past few weeks, we have been working very focused on the release, and through regular testing, we have found and fixed all known bugs. Thanks to the great feedback, a lot of suggestions for improvement, both in terms of gameplay and user experience, have made their way into the demo.



Regarding the content of the demo: the demo includes the first chapter of the SinglePlayer Story, which includes 10 dungeons with increasing difficulty up to the first boss enemy, the Undead Knight. Additionally, with each mission, new gameplay functionalities are unlocked, such as the blacksmith or even your own dungeon.



By creating and validating your own dungeon, you can earn gold over time through placed treasure chests. In multiplayer mode, you can also attack other players' dungeons or have other players try to break through the defense of your own dungeon. The multiplayer mode is not part of this demo.



The public demo will be available from tomorrow, February 17, through Steam and our website.

We would be very happy if you could share your feedback with us!

A lot has happened since the second alpha test. We've reviewed all of the feedback and improved and reworked many game features.

Our next big goal is the release of the public demo version in the first quarter of 2023. The Tormentis demo will be playable offline. Even though core elements of the game like raiding other players' dungeons or trading equipment may only be available online, we really like being able to play the story and the random dungeons in single player offline mode.



It took a while, but we finally decided on a consistent design that runs through all Tormentis menus. The header controls provide access to essential functions from all menus.



The dungeon editor has been completely overhauled and the controls on the bottom control bar have been merged instead of being spread all over the screen as before. We've also tried to make it easier to use and reduce the number of clicks required.



In one of our first prototypes we already played with large scaled stats tree, but for various reasons it didn't make it into the alpha versions. After the desire for an original solution arose during the second alpha test, we also worked out something new here that can also be controlled well with a gamepad or touch input.

Players will receive two stats points per level, which can be freely distributed to best support the chosen skills and refine the build. Stats points can contain simple bonuses, but they can also cause very strong changes in the goal of the game.



The skill selection has also been completely revised and rearranged. Now it becomes obvious that the available skills depend on the equipped weapon. Skills are now divided into mana-generators, offensive skills, defensive skills, and tactical skills.



We want to display hero data as clearly as possible! That's why we spent a lot of time designing a stats overview where the most important numbers and values are easy to see at first glance and all the details are available via tooltips.



A lot has changed in the gameplay as well. By revising the lighting and some technical adjustments, the frame rate could already be improved to a constant 50+ fps. This will be sufficient for the public demo, but we still have some opportunities to make significant gains here later.



We would love to read your feedback and wish you happy holidays and a good start into the new year 2023.

The second closed alpha test ended last weekend and we are really happy with the results of the polls and feedback. More than 50 people took part in the test, some of them were extremely active.

The test focused on the dungeon editor, the gameplay and the stability of the server infrastructure.



The revised dungeon editor was rated positively overall and the controls were described as intuitive. In the storage and purchase menus, quick actions for adding have been requested, which we will implement in the coming days.



Hero controls were rated as simple and easy to use. The visual representation was not varied enough for some testers. A darker atmosphere was desired, matching the mood of an unknown and dangerous dungeon. Performance was not sufficient, especially on older PCs (below 30 fps).

For this reason we have been working heavily on the gameplay performance over the last few days and also completely overhauled the lighting of the dungeon. With the latest changes, we're having a consistent 55-60fps on an average PC, and we've identified more ways to tweak that.

The server infrastructure was stable the entire 3 weeks without a crash. A few problems have been logged, but they occurred in areas that will need to be reworked over the next few weeks anyway.



Our next goal is a public demo version that gives a good impression of what Tormentis' game mechanics are and what the scope of the game will be at release.

As you can imagine, the game concept offers endless possibilities for extensions or new game elements that can expand or change the game again and again. From our point of view, this can also happen after the release, as long as the game already offers sufficient options in the area of ​​hero builds and dungeon design and options for trading items at the time of release.

Therefore, in the next few weeks we will work out the scope of the game at the time of release - also to be able to give you a date.

We'd love to read your feedback.

I would like to give you an overview of the current development status, because a lot has happened. The scope of the second closed alpha test (abbreviated: Alpha2) has been expanded because I want to make sure that the critical infrastructure is really working. Therefore, the Alpha2 is postponed by two months to August.

All of the feedback from the first closed alpha test has been evaluated and almost completely implemented. Among them were mainly suggestions to improve the operation and user-friendliness in the dungeon editor and many ideas related to the controls in the dungeon.

(new traps preview)

At the moment I am mainly concerned with the archetypes and the skills that are available in the Alpha2. More traps and monsters are already finished and extensively tested. Hero Stats and Hero Customization has also been integrated.

As previously described, Alpha2 will not take place until August. However, this enables us to gain initial real experience with the planned server infrastructure and to identify errors at an early stage. In Alpha2, all dungeons will already be running under server authority, and the dungeons will be split across multiple processes. The division later enables us to easily scale as the number of users increases. About 50 testers will take part in Alpha2.

(preview hero appearance menu)

The short weekly technical devlogs have been discontinued as they were not informative enough for many interested players. I am currently working on a new concept of how I can present the development progress to you in a better, more informative and more exciting way.

If you would like to participate in Alpha2, please email us. There are still a few places left.

You are cordially invited to join our Discord, where we will start running polls in Alpha2 and involve you much more on balancing issues.

We always appreciate your feedback.