Soulash 2 News

[p]Greetings fellow gods,[/p][p][/p][p]We're back on the treadmill from the cold, grey outside, with updates rolling in for this new year. Here's the changelog for this week's update:[/p][p][/p][h3]Added[/h3][p]- New Impossible tier location: Walking Forest (forest)[/p][p]- New Impossible tier location: Hatching Place (grasslands)[/p][p]- 4 new passive skill effects.[/p][p][/p][h3]Changed[/h3][p]- Military Companies and Settlements without a state will no longer render banners.[/p][p]- Black Ice Block added to Stonemason's potential resource production.[/p][p][/p][h3]Fixed[/h3][p]- Fixed a crash related to companion available actions.[/p][p]- Fixed crash when changing the font type.[/p][p]- Fixed the Dispatch to Location dialog not blocking input, allowing for the stacking of other dialogs (like attack settlement).[/p][p]- Fixed a situation where the town could end up without a company during an offensive battle with a player present, when all members of the player's army were killed.[/p][p]- Army members who are added as occupation army members are properly removed from the military buildings in their hometown.[/p][p]- Fixed instant movement of armies onthe world map.[/p][p]- Fixed settlers not rendering on the world map when going to re-settle ruins[/p][p]- Battles will no longer count time to start the simulated battle while the offensive army is still traveling to it[/p][p]- Fixed not being able to join battles as either attacker or defender[/p][p]- Traveling groups are now serialized and de-serialized as part of the save, and will no longer teleport to the destination when exiting to the menu and back.[/p][p]- Hotkeys now display properly when swapping to companion equipment.[/p][p]- Elder Tree Sapling is correctly categorized under the Agriculture filter.[/p][p]- Fixed Mosaic Wall graphic.[/p][p]- Aatorogs no longer generate with names.[/p][p]- Whispering Talisman is no longer missing stats.[/p][p]- Fixed repeating caravan selection when controlling multiple towns.[/p][p]- Rot ability gives Necromancy experience and has a sound effect.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]In the coming weeks, possibly a few months, expect the focus to remain on additional Impossible locations, with artifact-tier resources that offer completely new powers and tweaks to existing features from state management (managing state-wide caravans and resource production) to skill balancing, before we begin working on the final major pre-1.0 Early Access update, v0.10 World Events, as outlined in our Roadmap that is meant to make the world feel more alive.[/p][p][/p][p]Have fun,[/p][p]Artur[/p]

[h3]Fixed[/h3][p]- Fixed crash related to the Living Fortress location.[/p][p]- Fixed a crash related to killing the Giant Worm's tail.[/p][p]- Fixed random wolf spawns in forests and baboons in tropical rainforest.[/p][p]- Fixed typo in Flaming Shot description.[/p][p]- Fixed typo in Fatigue tutorial.[/p][p]- Side Quiver has a proper icon and has removed physical resistance.[/p][p]- Fixed icons of Anhydrite Block and Travertine Block.[/p][p]- While controlling the Necrotyrant Bastion, it's possible to summon skeletons and create the first family of undead.[/p][p]- Removed height from Amber Deposit.[/p][p][/p][h3]Modding[/h3][p]- Updated translation loading process to apply language mods on loading the game instead of just world generation.[/p]

[p]Ho ho ho,[/p][p][/p][p]Santa is coming with gifts for those of you who have been good gamers this year. We have the first 3 "impossible" difficulty special locations available, featuring multi-tile boss enemies and unique resources that allow crafting of artifacts that become part of world history.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Here's the full changelog for today's update.[/p][p][/p][h3]Added[/h3][p]- Military Dispatches: [/p][p]You can dispatch soldiers to a tier-5 (impossible) location from the Military Map. It costs gold, and part of the proceeds will go into the company's coffers. [/p][p]The army will travel to the POI and wait for you to join them for 30 days.[/p][p]During dispatches, you can order your soldiers to charge (new button next to minimap), and they will move toward the closest hostile enemy.[/p][p]Dispatches also have their own battle reports available during dispatch (also next to the minimap) or afterwards, via the new 'Dispatches Forces' button on the Military Screen.[/p][p]Leaving the dispatch location would force the army to retreat to their hometown.[/p][p][/p][p]- Artifacts: [/p][p]A new category of items with some special rules. You can see the artifact list on the Knowledge Screen, along with their history events and stats.[/p][p]They can be crafted using tier 5 materials. Artifacts can also be named (from the crafting screen if it was created by the player, or from the knowledge tab if we own it and it was not named yet).[/p][p]Artifacts are never lost - when destroyed (e.g., by player dying, region being forgotten, etc.), they are instead 'lost' and can be rediscovered by NPCs during world simulation. You cannot salvage artifacts.[/p][p]Finally, they can be passed around - inherited by descendants, found by NPCs if lost, or claimed during battles.[/p][p][/p][p]- New Christmas-themed special location for the Snow biome.[/p][p]- A random impossible location (T5) is guaranteed to spawn and be visible when starting a new world.[/p][p][/p][h3]Changed[/h3][p]- State Overview: 'Available family jobs not filled' problem will only show when there are available worker slots AND unemployed adult family members that can work in them.[/p][p]- You can see your own armies waiting at T5 locations on the world map screen.[/p][p]- You cannot join defensive battles when the defenders are dispatched to a location.[/p][p]- Defensive battles when defenders are not present are automatically lost. The enemy can raid the settlement without any issues.[/p][p]- Only lost conquest battles will cause the disbandment of the defending company. Other types of battles (raid for wealth, soul harvest, etc.) may eliminate soldiers, but the company will persist.[/p][p][/p][h3]Fixed[/h3][p]- Clicking outside the dropdown while it is expanded will deactivate it, instead of blocking input.[/p][p]- You should now be able to pick up items that end up under the river tiles by using the context menu (e.g., chicken eggs).[/p][p]- Prevents moving entities between settlements (also to level 1 settlements) by clicking on them, switching the settlement in the tab, and assigning them to military slots.[/p][p]- Vampire mums will love their tasty offspring and family members, even if they are not undead yet (and will converse and train them).[/p][p]- Fixed position numbers in the settlement list in the overview screen on 2560x1440 resolution.[/p][p]- Fixed stat allocation buttons so they will not be rendered partially over each other in the equipment screen on 2560x1440 resolution.[/p][p]- Fixed items that had a dexterity bonus were also showing incorrectly as equal to intelligence/willpower bonuses.[/p][p]- Fixed a rare crash in the Knowledge Screen.[/p][p]- Fixed the carpenter building being able to produce Maple Wood from Pine Logs.[/p][p]- When a companion kills an entity that provides some benefit, like unlocking a new recipe, it's rewarded adequately to the player character.[/p][p]- Reptilion Carpenter is correctly assigned to the Carpenter building instead of the Woodcutter.[/p][p]- Pressing hotkeys while naming your state should no longer switch screens.[/p][p]- Fixed a rare crash related to combat.[/p][p][/p][h3]Modding[/h3][p]- The resource component was expanded by the "granted_passive" field, which evaluates as a passive id. Items crafted with resources that have "granted_passive" will grant that passive when equipped.[/p][p]- Added a "poi" console command, which can be used to force the spawning of locations of specific difficulty (1 easy to 5 impossible) around the world player position.[/p][p]- Added new component to support Multitile entities: Chained.[/p][p]- Added engine support for dynamic character creation in fonts, enabling translations in more languages.[/p][p]- New Passive Effects: Bonus Attack, Dark Vision, Stamina Percent on Kill (see modding docs passives list).[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]This will be the final feature update for Soulash 2 this year. With multi-tiles in place that we can expand further with additional AI functionality as different behaviors are needed, we're well-positioned to focus on the final major feature (v0.10 World Events) that will complete my overall game design planned for Early Access, in addition to polishing what is already available, expanding State Management that many of you asked for, Steam Deck support, and the 1.0 release that will come with story continuation after the events of the first game.[/p][p][/p][p]After the New Year, I'll review all your suggestions on our Discord to determine which fit the game and are in demand. Please hop in and leave your votes under the features you'd like to see added to the game. I'll update the Roadmap in January and include what's left ahead before the 1.0 stable release, which I hope we'll be able to deliver sometime in 2026.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you all for playing Soulash 2 and for sharing your excitement with me. I wish you many more hours of fun in the coming year.[/p][p][/p][p]Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you all,[/p][p]Artur[/p]

[h2]Before Soulash 2 existed...[/h2][p]...the journey began with Soulash 1 — and with very humble foundations.
The first game was built entirely in ASCII, not as an artistic choice, but because there were no resources for custom art. For years, Soulash 1 grew on itch.io, shaped by experimentation, community feedback, and countless late nights spent turning a rough prototype into a real world.[/p][p]A failed Kickstarter meant we couldn’t fund the pixel art we hoped for — but instead of stopping, it pushed us to improve. In time, we gained the means to commission proper artwork and deliver Soulash 1 as the game it deserved to be.[/p][p]Those five years of building, failing, improving, and refining the vision laid the foundation for everything that would follow.[/p][p]Two years ago, Soulash 2 began as a solo project — an ambitious rebuild of the ideas introduced in the first game, but aiming for something far bigger: a fully simulated, reactive sandbox world where you can live, build, trade, explore, or conquer entire civilizations.[/p][p]Today, that solo project has grown into a five-person team. The world is richer than ever, the systems deeper, and the simulation far beyond what we imagined at the beginning.[/p][p]As we reach the two-year anniversary of development, it feels like the right moment to look back on everything that has taken shape since day one.[/p][p]This is our story.[/p][hr][/hr][p](Pre-Early Access)[/p][p]Before Soulash 2 reached Early Access, years of groundwork were laid to make the game's world truly alive.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]A deep simulation at its core[/h3][p][/p][p]We've built a world generator capable of creating unique continents every time:[/p]

• [p]simulated geography: rivers, lakes, coastlines, elevation[/p]
• [p]procedural settlements, ruins, dungeons, and other POIs[/p]
• [p]dynamic civilizations shaped by migrations and conflicts[/p]
• [p]persistent timelines tracking world events and NPC lives[/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]A new sandbox philosophy[/h3][p][/p][p]From the beginning, the goal was freedom:[/p]

• [p]harvest any tree or mineral vein[/p]
• [p]craft gear, food, supplies, and components[/p]
• [p]build structures and settlements[/p]
• [p]hire NPCs, trade, and influence local economies[/p]

[p]The world would be something you interact with and leave a mark on.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Early civilizations and character concepts[/h3][p][/p][p]During early development, core character diversity was established:[/p]

• [p]playable races present at EA launch: Human, Dwarf, Elf, Rasimi[/p]
• [p]skills at EA launch: Adventuring, Athletics, Carpentry, Construction, Leatherworking, Mace Fighting, Protection, Pyromancy, Sword Fighting, Tailoring, Thievery, Weaponsmithing[/p]

[p]These early foundations later expanded into more complex progression paths.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Fully integrated modding support[/h3][p][/p][p]One of the largest pre-EA efforts was rebuilding the modding architecture from Soulash 1 so modders could create entire civilizations and worlds of their own.

The new tools allow modders to:[/p]

• [p]define new races, items, POIs[/p]
• [p]add new production chains and buildings[/p]
• [p]implement custom abilities and effects[/p]
• [p]integrate seamlessly with Steam Workshop[/p]

[p]This groundwork made Soulash 2’s modding scene far more powerful and accessible than the first game.[/p][hr][/hr][p](2023)[/p][p]Entering Early Access marked the beginning of rapid growth and continuous evolution. For the first time, players could explore, experiment, and shape a world built from tons of pre-EA work. The launch established the foundation for all major systems that would grow over the next two years.[/p][hr][/hr][p](2023–2025)[/p][p]These two years delivered some nice features to Soulash 2.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Larger, richer procedural worlds[/h3][p][/p][p]We introduced:[/p]

• [p]new large world sizes[/p]
• [p]expanded POI variety[/p]
• [p]more distinct biomes with unique resource profiles[/p]

[p]The world became more diverse, more dangerous, and more alive.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]A deep crafting system[/h3][p][/p][p]Crafting evolved into one of the game’s deepest systems:[/p]

• [p]gear customization through materials and recipes[/p]
• [p]integration with settlements and local economies[/p]

[p]Now you could craft your way in to the world.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Party system[/h3][p][/p][p]A complete transformation of the RPG foundation:[/p]

• [p]recruit companions[/p]
• [p]shared inventories[/p]
• [p]Improved combat AI[/p]
• [p]follower equipment[/p]

[p]For the first time, players could build true adventuring teams.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Settlements and Building[/h3][p][/p][p]One of the most ambitious systems we have ever created:[/p]

• [p]construct settlements from scratch[/p]
• [p]place buildings tile-by-tile[/p]
• [p]establish production chains[/p]
• [p]automate gathering & crafting[/p]
• [p]manage jobs and workers[/p]
• [p]build farms, workshops, defenses, and more[/p]

[p]This added an entirely new layer of strategy and creativity.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Conquest & Warfare[/h3][p][/p][p]A massive update bringing large-scale conflict into the game:[/p]

• [p]command squads and armies[/p]
• [p]conquer cities[/p]
• [p]rule territories[/p]
• [p]manage conquered populations[/p]
• [p]reshape the entire world through force[/p]

[p]The sandbox expanded from personal survival to world domination.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]World and exploration improvements[/h3][h3][/h3][p]Over the two years, we continually added:[/p]

• [p]more unique POIs (156 unique locations, with hundreds more wilderness encounters)[/p]
• [p]improved biome variety[/p]
• [p]better resource distribution[/p]
• [p]new rare locations and secrets[/p]

[p]Exploration rewarded curiosity more than ever.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Combat, magic and skills[/h3][p][/p][p]We expanded combat depth significantly:[/p]

• [p]new skills to use: Alchemy, Cryomancy, Divine Fists, Floromancy, Hunting, Imbuing, Necromancy, Stormthrowing[/p]
• [p]smarter enemy AI[/p]
• [p]better balance across builds[/p]

[p]Magic especially grew in complexity and playstyle variety.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]UI & QoL evolution[/h3][p][/p][p]Across updates we added:[/p]

• [p]better inventory management[/p]
• [p]improved tooltips & filters[/p]
• [p]reworked windows for crafting, settlements, and jobs[/p]
• [p]cleaner layouts[/p]

[p]Every part of the game became easier to navigate and understand.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Performance and engine improvements[/h3][p][/p][p]Two years of continuous optimizations brought:[/p]

• [p]faster world generation[/p]
• [p]smoother AI processing[/p]
• [p]improved settlement simulation[/p]
• [p]better memory use[/p]
• [p]faster loading[/p]
• [p]more responsive UI[/p]
• [p]reduced stutters and lag[/p]

[p]The game now runs better than at any other point in development.[/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]In two years, Soulash 2 has grown into:[/p]

• [p]a deep, simulated world with real history[/p]
• [p]full settlement-building[/p]
• [p]empire conquest and warfare[/p]
• [p]character progression[/p]
• [p]tactical combat[/p]
• [p]a living economy[/p]
• [p]hundreds of POIs[/p]
• [p]rich crafting and survival systems[/p]
• [p]total modding freedom[/p]

[p]Looking back at these two years, it’s incredible to see how far the project has come. What started as a small continuation of the ideas behind the first Soulash — a hobby born from ASCII prototypes, community feedback, and long nights of experimentation — has grown into a fully simulated world shaped by a passionate five-person team and an even more passionate community.[/p][p]And even after all this time, the vision keeps expanding. New systems, new ideas, entire features waiting to be explored — the future of Soulash feels wide open.
What will the world look like in a few more years?
We’re excited to find out together.[/p][p]None of this would have been possible without you — your feedback, your bug reports, your ideas, your mods, your patience, and your excitement. You’ve helped shape Soulash 2 into the world it is today, and we’re deeply grateful to everyone who has supported us.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]⭐ A small request — and a big thank you[/h3][p]If Soulash 2 has earned a place in your heart, if you’ve enjoyed watching it grow and evolve, or if you simply want to support the work of a small team building a big world, we would be honored to have your vote in this year’s Steam Awards: Labour of Love.[/p][p]This category means a lot to us — because that’s exactly what Soulash 2 is: a long-term, continuously growing project fueled by passion and shaped by a dedicated community.[/p][p]If you feel we’ve earned it, please consider voting for Soulash 2 in the “Labour of Love” category.
Your support helps more than you know.[/p][p]And truly — thank you for being part of this journey.[/p]

[p]Greetings fellow gods,[/p][p][/p][p]As we're working on multi-tile entities and t5 locations, we have some improvements to wars for you in today's weekly update - ending wars by demanding or paying tribute.[/p][p][/p][p]Here's the full changelog:[/p][p][/p][h3]Added[/h3][p]- State military screen: There is now peace button visible next to wars, which can be used to end the war early (the war automatically ends if either side of conflict accumulates enough war score). If player is winning the enemy will pay tribute, and if enemy is winning we would need to pay tribute from our capital coffers.[/p][p]- New history events for settlements: Settlement Founded [/p][p][/p][h3]Changed[/h3][p]- Selecting army in State military screen will now bring your camera to army location (not their hometown)[/p][p]- When state conquers the settlement and the settlement race is the same as the attacking company hometown race, instead of creating occupying army it will create normal army.[/p][p]- Small crown is rendered next to settlement capital of state when viewing it in world map, instead of text (capital).[/p][p]- Knowledge Screen: Companies page shows a bit more information about company: leader portrait, information about soldier count, battles the company took place and more.[/p][p]- Settlement descriptions now show icons instead of text of mostly produced items. The history tab also shows who founded the settlement and when (will only affect new worlds).[/p][p]- Last Rites now correctly allow targetting a corpse in the range of 2 tiles.[/p][p]- Gathering and Mining are now forbidden in Bone Wraith settlements to tribe outsiders.[/p][p][/p][h3]Fixed[/h3][p]- Changing capital (via settlement button in Settlement View) could make factions file not load correctly after save/load[/p][p]- Clicking on the military company in state military list will zoom to it actual position, instead of it's hometown[/p][p]- War declaration dropdown that only contained one casus belli for now will not lock exit button/accept button when its focused[/p][p]- Asking for peace allows you to immedietly return army home to send it to another war and marks battle as cancelled[/p][p]- Battle animations will not show up for cancelled battles that has no winner[/p][p]- State Overview: Fixed problem filters defaulting to all, if there were no valid problems.[/p][p]- Fixed Haunted Orchard special location icon on world map.[/p][p]- Trolls now require Human Hand as one of the requirements for marriage.[/p][p]- Bloody Necklace recipe is correctly displayed for Imbuing level 21.[/p][p]- Animated Mannequin has correct graphic.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Have a fun weekend,[/p][p]Artur[/p]