SWORDHAVEN News

Hello, friends! Autumn has arrived, and so has our monthly update on development progress. So, without further ado, let's get started!

Work in Progress.

Work in Progress.

Quests are a driving factor in many RPGs, and we are working on quite a few of them. Some are common to everyone, while others are exclusive to a specific background. Here, we are showcasing two screenshots from background quests. Please note that both characters will sport their own portrait in the future.
It goes without saying that each quest introduces new NPCs, items, monsters, and much more!



Of course, new quests require new locations. Here is one of them—note the verticality. And what would locations be without secrets, hidden loot, and monsters to hunt down? Well, they would probably still be locations... but boring ones!



Talking of monsters, look at this bad boy: the demonic Red Bog Rooster—token animal of the dark god Velns, champion of wicked violence, adultery, and selfishness. You can find this beast (or rather, it can find *you*) in the swamps of Nova Drakonia.



Now, it's all fine and dandy, but what's the point of confronting enemies if you don't look your best? Speaking of 'dandy'—here is one of the new outfits. As a rule, your starting clothes will depend on your background, but you can change them freely in the Appearance tab.



Segueing onto backgrounds: at the start of Early Access we will introduce a new background (though it won't be the last one) in addition to the Noble and Bandit options. We won't go into details about it in this update, but here is the background picture that will accompany it during character creation.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Oh, and in keeping with the spirit of secrecy, here is a short video from the game. Where is it used? Why are we showing it without sound? These are questions we will leave for you to discover ;)

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Work on new animations is also ongoing. Like these two specimens for one-handed swords and halberds.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Work in Progress. The animation is not final.

Another problem we've tackled at this time is the lighting issue in several of the dungeons we're currently working on. The solution? A torch, of course! Craft a few, stick one into your shield slot, and take the plunge into the darkness without fear.



To wrap up this update, here is one of the new tracks for the game. Give it a listen and let us know what you think!

Whew! That's all for today! We will be heading back to the developers' cave until the next update. In the meantime, feel free to visit us on Steam or join our Discord server.

Keep on truckin', cool cats,
Yours truly,
Atom Team

Hello, friends! Another month, another update. Today, we have some hopefully interesting news to share with you. So, enough with the introductions—let's dive in!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We are adding new animations to the game, primarily focused on different fighting techniques. But that's just the beginning :)

In any event, with these animations, the battles—both real-time and turn-based—will be much more visually interesting; the hits will feel meatier, and the heaves will feel heavier!



The land of Nova Drakonia is not only sunshine and lush, almost tropical greenery. It is also dotted with various ruins and dungeons, both recent and as ancient as the hills.

Here is a screenshot from one such dungeon we are currently working on. This mysterious place is well hidden, and not many adventurers will discover it. However, those who do will receive a truly 'serpentine' welcome...



But enough about the doom and gloom of the dank crypts. Here's a new location—an entrance to a cave situated near the western mountains. Its inhabitants may surprise you, and vice versa ;)



Traveling in Nova Drakonia (*cough, cough* World Map) is a risky endeavor, but it can also lead to pleasant—or profitable—surprises. Along the way, you'll encounter merchants who are always eager to make a few dinars by dealing with passing adventurers. However, be very cautious if you decide to attack them.



We also wanted to share a revamped version of the loading screens. Early Access will feature several beautiful images (currently, we have two, and a third is actively being created), and we will continue to add new artwork with each subsequent update!



To stay on track with the 2D art, each inventory item receives its own icon. There are *many* different items in Swordhaven, but we promise that in the final game, every one of them will have its own picture.



We want to thank each and every one of you who added Swordhaven to your wishlist on Steam. This really helps us determine which languages to prioritize for translation. And, as you might have guessed, work on some translations has already begun.

[Cave Entrance - Listen on SoundCloud]


Last but not least, here's one of the new music tracks for the game! Give it a listen and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

That's all for this month. We didn't cover a lot of the development happening behind the scenes, but we'll share more when we feel it's more or less ready.

Stay cool as a cucumber,
Yours, as always,
Atom Team

It's the middle of the summer, and we believe it's high time we update you on Swordhaven's progress towards Early Access.

Many things are made, added, tweaked and changed on the daily, but the main features we feel comfortable telling you about are:


New locations and Random Encounter maps are a high priority, as they bring the world map to life. We have created multiple maps for every biome where you might encounter something, such as swamps, farmland, mountains, forests, and more.

Additionally, we are working on Grainhold village, which will allow you to continue quests from the first village, as well as discover new ones.

Take note that the shadows and colours are not yet final!

New enemies! The horrible feathered raptors of Nova Drakonia have been added and tweaked to massacre entire parties if not taken seriously. And there are even more enemies coming soon!


Gamepad controls. Our previous experiences have shown that many players prefer using a gamepad over the classic keyboard and mouse combo. With this in mind, players no longer have to wait for gamepad compatibility to be added after the game has already launched.

Swordhaven will feature full gamepad support even during the Early Access stage. While we are still working out some minor details, the experience is already very promising with both XBOX and PS4-5 controllers.

Take note that the UI is Work in Progress and will change.

Weapon Mods. Six different mod types have been added to allow you to customize your weapons. Make your sword lighter by attaching a hollow pommel, or enhance your ability to cut through enemies with a weighted axe wedge. Decide on the type of wrappings for your polearm or spear, and remember to select the poison to apply to the tip of your next arrow.


New character portraits. Drawing portraits is a time-consuming process, but we have already completed quite a few. In fact, we have completed more portraits than what is shown in the screenshot.

Naturally, this post doesn't mention a lot of other smaller additions such as bug fixes, new characters, new dialogues, new mechanics, combat balance tweaks, updated weapon techniques, and much more.

We hope you stay tuned for new updates in the near future.
Stay cool and keep it funky!
Yours always,

Atom Team

Hello, friends!

The work on Swordhaven continues. And as we mentioned during our Kickstarter campaign, we are currently developing a new pathfinding system.

Work is in full swing.

When it's finished, it should make managing your party, traversing through locations, stealth, and exploration *feel* much better!

At the same time we're tackling the World Map and all of the different encounters on it. There is still a lot of work to be done on map balance, visuals, and UI, but what we have at the moment is a good start.

Attacked by dinosaurs in the wilds of Nova Drakonia.

As always, please note that this is all Work In Progress and could be subject to change!

Other mechanics that we are not ready to talk about. For now.

For the new quality of life features, many of you asked us to add gamepad support, and that's exactly what we are doing. While the UI features are not yet 100% finished, the controls themselves should be ready pretty soon!

Character creation.

Combat.

We have also made another patch for the demo. Here are the changes:

• Fixed bugs with death in battle;
  
• Fixed bugs with shadow settings;
  
• Improved visual in Isometric Mode;
  
• Added starting tutorial;
  
• Fixed bugs with UI disappearing;
  
• Dead enemies now clamp together for more convenient looting;
  
• Added equip button for arrows/bolts;
  
• Fixed bugs with loading saves;
  
• Fixed a tone of minor (and not so minor) bugs.
  

The work continues and more news is to come... so stay tuned!

Yours forever,
Atom Team

Classic Infinity Engine cRPGs left you craving for more? Join our dev stream for Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy and play the 5+ hour DEMO for free.

Join developers on a special Stream and chat with us through our designated Discord server: [LINK]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2108180