Dustgrave: A Sandbox RPG News

Hello, fellow cel-shaded adventurers!

Our work on Dustgrave keeps going at a steady pace: we fixed many issues and improved existing systems, so we can now dedicate much more time to the game's narrative content. In the next 30 days, we plan to release many crucial features that will drastically improve the dynamic narrative in the game:

• Minor Factions, like the Cathars or the Academy, will have their own major quests for the player, with unique flavors.
  
• New minor quests will be added to increase overall variety and more choices will be possible in some existing quests.
  
• It will be possible to join Factions and get access to their equipment.
  
• One or two new Minor Factions will be added and they will act as enemies for the existing ones, meaning the player will be able to choose a side.
  
• A new major quest will be added, allowing factions to rebuild destroyed settlements or improve conditions in impoverished ones.
  

In the meantime, we improved the existing demo in many different ways, so here's a changelog!

Major Fixes and improvements

• It is now possible to activate the turn-based mode anytime, meaning people can be attacked anytime, including when in stealth.
  
• Added some keybinds to open various panels (the possibility of changing keybinds will come with the next update!)
  
• Fixed several game-blocking issues when entering or exiting levels.
  
• NPCs are much more reactive when the player starts stealing stuff.
  
• NPCs will no longer do opportunity attacks on their allies.
  
• NPCs will now trigger a few non player-initiated dialogues that weren't working properly.
  
• Only the selected character will now be perceived by NPCs when trespassing or sneaking.
  

Minor fixes and improvements

• Fixed several missing strings.
  
• Fixed the Health bars not updating properly.
  
• NPCs will no longer keep saying the same things when greeting the player
  
• The main character's avatar is now properly displayed as the first one.
  
• When sparing deserters in various quests, they will now join the final assault against the enemy, instead of turning into completely different people
  
• Items displayed in various containers will no longer compenetrate the container itself.
  
• Money is now displayed as an item in inventory screens, so it will be easier to move them around and take them from containers.
  
• Enemies are more reactive to the player walking or sneaking around.
  
• Further improved the pathfinding of companions and allies, to avoid them getting stuck.
  

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2393370/Dustgrave_A_Sandbox_RPG/

It’s been two weeks since the Steam Next Fest ended, and thousands of people downloaded Dustgrave’s alpha demo, which allowed us to gather a lot of useful feedbacks! Thank you all!

In these two weeks, we’ve prioritized many features that you people have been asking, and we uploaded a new demo build with a quite large changelog.

One of the most requested things was to give new players more information and a sense of direction right after starting. That’s why we added a small starting tutorial quest which will help everyone familiarize with the basic game’s mechanics.



We also started adding in-game tutorial panels, which will provide more details on Dustgrave’s mechanics. We plan to improve them in the future, following the community’s feedback and adding content until they will cover all the game’s features and rules.



The journal has been changed to include a level mini-map. Some people told us that navigating levels was too confusing, so now it will be much easier to find traders, quests, and other important entities.

We also improved many other things: it is possible to swap between weapon sets in combat, companions will be smarter when following the player, invisible obstacles will no longer ruin your day, and NPCs will be much more reactive to your crimes in the world.

In the next weeks, we plan to drastically increase quests' variety and make the world more interesting and dynamic. We are testing new map-related events like more roaming NPC parties or temporary locations to be found, and we will soon implement new dynamic quests which will allow you to get work from minor factions and improve relationships with them.

If you want to ask about new features or suggest something, head to the Steam’s Discussion Board and get in touch!


[h3]Full changelog:[/h3]

Major Fixes and improvements

• Forget about spending too much time walking around, because a Level Mini-map is now available in the Journal screen, so you will know where to go.
  
• You can now send bug reports through the in-game main menu.
  
• When hovering your mouse over people, you will now be able to see their names and affiliations.
  
• A work-in-progress tutorial panel will now activate when necessary and give you all the info you need, but it is also always accessible when clicking on its button.
  
• NPCs will be much more reactive to crime and getting caught will ruin your reputation with settlements and factions.
  
• Weapon sets can now be properly swapped in combat.
  
• Added a new Tutorial Quest, to help people move the first steps in Dustgrave. We are sorry we left you on your own!
  
• Added a new screen showing all the passive skills and other effects your characters may have, including Wounds and Traumas.
  
• Wounds and Traumas heal faster. We all wish it could be the same in real life.
  
• It is now possible to convince hostile NPCs to give the player available quests.
  
• Punching people no longer blocks the game forever.
  
• A new settlement, Canneto, filled with Infested zombies is now available and will be used by dynamic quests as a possible target of conquest. It will then be repopulated and spawn quests on its own.
  
• Camps will no longer appear when no one is there to use them.
  
• When betraying the quest giver, accepting a reward, or a bribe, it is now possible to kill all quest targets before they go away and still complete the quest like nothing happened.
  
• Allies in quests will be less likely to just stand there while you do all the killing.
  
• Fixed a bug seeing tiles getting occupied for no good reason. Now you will no longer have to walk around invisible obstacles in combat. Allies and companions will also follow your active character more easily.
  
• Tables, barrels, chests, and other small containers will no longer block visibility, meaning it won’t be as easy to sneak inside someone’s house, steal some stuff, then use a table to become invisible.
  
• People will no longer use their Opportunity Attacks on their allies, which we’ve been told is a terrible tactic.
  

Minor fixes and improvements

• People will no longer sleep inside their bed structure.
  
• Added several new faction-related dialogues and improved existing ones.
  
• Your journal will no longer be filled with quest duplicates.
  
• Fixed several missing strings.
  
• Fixed a graphical artifact appearing near characters’ feet.
  
• Added some information on backgrounds and cultures in character creation.
  
• Enemies will be more reactive to the player walking around.
  
• Skills will properly refresh when a character’s equipment is changed.
  
• It is now easier to know if a movement will require one or two actions points, since we changed the preview colors to be clearer. 
  
• The “Record Added” notification will no longer prevent you from travelling.
  
• Greatly reduced the amount of useless loot in the game.
  
• Reduced the cost of armors and weapons.
  
• When meeting people on the map, they will no longer look towards the horizon but instead will be facing the player’s party.
  

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2393370/Dustgrave_A_Sandbox_RPG/

Hey everyone! Many people downloaded Dustgrave's demo, and we started receiving suggestions or bug reports. We uploaded a new version of the demo and here's its changelog:

• Greatly improved performances on the world map
  
• Slightly improved performances in levels
  
• Greatly reduced loading times
  
• Loading screens will now appear when needed instead of showing up too late like the rude individuals they used to be
  
• Improved some UIs and removed minor UI bugs
  
• Added some missing strings
  
• Improved NPC AI concerning crimes and trespassing, committing petty crimes is now harder.
  
• Fixed an issue preventing to access dungeons.
  
• Added the possibility of speaking with hostile parties on the map if they are part of a quest.
  
• Now custom characters will be saved properly instead of disappearing after uninstalling, but sadly all existing characters had to be purged. We are sorry.
  
• Added an option to use vsync.
  
• Initial relationships between the player and the Vultures are now at -50 (New game only). Now players can work with them and eventually even get some sort of red-colored armor to better fit with their new friends.
  
• More people can give quests in all settlements.
  
• Civilians now correctly identify people that are part of their family and Dustgrave's world is no longer devoid of any love.
  
• The minimap can be closed again, instead of remaining permanently open.
  
• The camera will no longer dance around after you're done checking your equipment or inventory.
  
• Added better instructions in character creation.
  
• Created characters can now be purged. May they rest in peace.
  
• Going back to the main menu and starting a New Game no longer blocks everything forcing players to contemplate the loading screen for hours.
  

And that would be all for today, thank you for playing!

We will be live again during this Next Fest, so save the date if you're interested in getting more Dustgrave's gameplay. Come chat with us and feel free to ask anything!


https://store.steampowered.com/app/2393370/Dustgrave_A_Sandbox_RPG/

We are happy to announce that we will release a demo of Dustgrave next week!

Many of the features we described in the last weeks will be fully implemented. You will be able to work for factions and settlements, commit various felonies, improve your standings with some people while becoming a major enemy for others!

https://youtu.be/iHpjTBAihKg

While we still have a long road ahead before Dustgrave reaches the level of depth and quality we intend to achieve, the world’s reactivity to player’s choices is already showing its future potential, and we are eager to know what you think about it.

One of our most important goals is to create a strong relationship with the community so that we can have an open discussion about what features, choices, and narrative outcomes the players want. The system we created to support Dustgrave’s dynamic narrative is now extremely flexible, and we want to give everyone of you the chance of living a memorable story based on the path you decide to take.
Now, a list of Dustgrave’s unique features that will be available to try in the demo:

• The complex system of Records and Relationships is fully working, with NPCs remembering what you did to them and dialogues reflecting that.
  
• It will be possible to work for Settlements and Major Factions, developing good relationships and even helping a faction conquer an enemy settlement.
  
• The stealth system can be used to steal valuables or better position before a fight, or maybe even take advantage of the NPCs routines to isolate enemies.
  
• Characters can be created and geared up to destroy enemies in combat, so that you’ll be able to try Dustgrave’s unique take on Skills and Items.