Soulmask News

Hello, chieftains!
It's Peter here. With the game now released, how's your journey in Soulmask going? If you want to review the first three episodes, you can click here:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2646460/view/4150709171077410039
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2646460/view/4152961604365703736
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2646460/view/4152961604369532190

This week, we've received a lot of questions about the later stage content, so ZIMA and I are here to address some of them!

Let's dive right in!


[h3]Q: Solo play gets really tough in the later stages![/h3]

A: We understand the frustration of struggling after investing so much time and effort. We admit that the mid-to-late game experience in Soulmask needs improvement. After extensive discussions, we plan to make the following changes:

• Rebalancing certain stats after level 40 for a smoother mid-to-late game flow.
  
• Increasing the cooldown for Stamina Recovery initiation to improve combat fluidity.
  
• Introducing respawn points in some large Ruins.
  
• Optimizing late-game enemy HP (without altering ATK stats) for faster-paced, thrilling battles akin to a "game of the brave," rather than a sluggish grind.
  
• Optimizing enemy camp aggro mechanics to limit the number of foes Chiefains encounter simultaneously.
  
• Adjusting the number of certain enemies (e.g., Plunderer, creatures) in some Ruins for a more manageable solo combat experience.
  
• Enhancing Followers' HP, ATK, and DEF.
  
• Decreasing the chance of enemy archers rolling/dodging after firing arrows.
  
• Shrinking random dungeon sizes to reduce the time needed to find the BOSS location.
  

These changes are planned to roll out in the next 2 to 3 weeks. We believe these updates will make the late-game adventure smoother while keeping the challenge intact. If you have any suggestions, drop a comment; we’re all ears!

[h3]Q: My Followers are too weak and only get in the way![/h3]

In addition to boosting Follower stats, we’ve upgraded the AI. Now, in Assist mode, Followers will actively attack targets you’re fighting! This update was implemented in last Friday’s updates.

Upgrading AI is an ongoing process, but we know clearly how important Followers are, especially for solo players. We’ll keep enhancing their combat and survival abilities to ensure they are your best allies from exploration to BOSS fights.

[h3]Q: My Tribesmen are getting dumber as the game progresses!
[/h3]
We've noticed that as your tribe expands and the number of tribesmen increases, your AIs become less reliable. This may result in behaviors such as idling, getting stuck, or clustering together...

Our next focus will be optimizing the AI for tribesmen. In last Friday's update, we've addressed the issue of tribesmen clustering together without any apparent reason. Moving forward, we'll prioritize addressing various pathfinding-related problems that are hindering their work efficiency. Our goal is to ensure that each member of the tribe can contribute effectively.

[h3]Q: Can I fast travel during exploration? It’d be great if my tribesmen could come too.[/h3]

Originally, we introduced alpacas at various Outcast Camps to make travel easier. However, we encountered an unexpected issue: obtaining materials for alpaca saddles turned out to be quite difficult, preventing chieftains from riding these delightful creatures. We'll adjust the alpaca saddle materials to make them more accessible, so you can embark on joyful alpaca-riding adventures!

More importantly, we plan to introduce portals at key travel points. For example, after defeating the Saber-toothed Predator, you'll unlock a portal at that location, saving you from long treks.

Oh, and the portals won't just benefit you – your accompanying tribesmen can use them too!

[h3]Q: So, as a player from Central/South America or Oceania, will we ever gain access to the smooth, official servers?[/h3]

We sincerely apologize to our players in these regions. We truly appreciate your support and enthusiasm! Unfortunately, due to technical limitations, we are currently unable to provide official servers there. However, we are actively collaborating with server providers to offer free servers support for these areas, ensuring you can enjoy online play. Please stay tuned for further updates!

[h3]Q: The BOSS suddenly disappeared![/h3]

A disappearing BOSS, especially in the final battle, is unacceptable. This bug was fixed in last Friday's update. Rest assured, it won't happen again.

[h3]Q: Will we have any special Easter eggs hidden in the game?[/h3]

Absolutely! While a few chieftains have already uncovered some of our well-hidden Easter eggs and shared their findings on social media, it's clear that some secrets remain undiscovered. I encourage you to interact more with the animals—there might be some peculiar surprises waiting to be found.

We know there are more issues! If your concerns weren't covered here, don't worry. We're collecting feedback weekly and will keep you updated. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. See you next time!

Community Manager Peter
Lead Producer ZIMA

Join discord: https://discord.com/invite/4G2K7FDbtp

[h3]Greetings, Chieftains![/h3]

I'm ZIMA, and today I have something special to share with you in this developer's updates. With the game's release, we realized we haven't yet had a chance to delve into the design philosophy behind Soulmask's starter character—a topic that likely piques the curiosity of anyone new to the game:

[h3]What's the purpose of my avatar, my first character?[/h3]

To address your feedback and explain the core mechanics of Soulmask, we've decided to dedicate this entry to exploring the design rationale behind the starter character—essentially "you" in the game—and our plans for future enhancements.

[h2]1. Reflections on the "Self"[/h2]

Soulmask's concept stems from contemplating the possibility of awareness uploading, naturally leading to our current soul-and-physical-body premise.

In line with this premise, we decided to try something unconventional: a non-fixed protagonist. While this might diminish the starter character's unique emotional status as your "avatar," it allows for more diverse collection experiences and prompts players to ponder—which version is truly "you"?

Let's revisit our original protagonist, the "I": As an ordinary member of a small tribe, "I" wasn't meant to excel in combat or labor like the elite warriors of larger tribes. Had it not been for that fateful incident, you would likely have remained just another barbarian fighting to survive in the rainforest wilds.



But after narrowly escaping sacrifice, fleeing, and then obtaining the mask, "your" Soul and awareness merged with the mysterious Mask, granting true immortality—hence the name Soulmask.

In Soulmask, "an ordinary person gaining power beyond the physical form" is our core theme. Once I can possess any body or even machinery (yes, you'll eventually be able to possess machines!), how will I rise to build my own civilization? With every tribesmen being a potential vessel, is "I" the initial ordinary individual, or the entire tribe itself?

As for the once-ordinary "I's" physical form, does it still hold importance?

[h3]Yes, and no.[/h3]

As the first entity to don the mask, this physical form possesses a unique power. In times when war and death have stripped us of everything, its special bond with the mask acts as the chieftains' 'ultimate safeguard,' allowing for direct resurrection without any loss.



We've shared our initial vision for the "starter character" from a broader worldview perspective. However, we understand the special attachment many players feel towards their first created character. So, let's briefly discuss our plans for future improvements.

[h2]2. Changes to "Self"[/h2]

First of all, we find that the initial design, where the starter character struggles with mental synchronization with the mask leading to its weakening, is too excessive. This makes our starter character appear even weaker than an ordinary barbarian.



Therefore, we're considering adjusting the starter character's physical attributes to match with those of an average tribesman—the typical inhabitant of this world. While the starter character won't possess exceptional strength, they will no longer be weaker than everyone else.

Some chieftains might then ask:

[h3]how can they become stronger?[/h3]

Our dev team is actively discussing various ideas, including unique abilities for the starter character and an entirely new genetic modification system. However, I must cautiously weigh all pros and cons. Implementing a brand-new system would require significant changes to the game's progression mechanics. Therefore, we need more time to fully explore these possibilities.

As an Early Access title, we can still make sweeping improvements. More importantly, we want to co-create the game with you: how would you make "you" feel more present? We eagerly await your insights in the comments—any creative ideas could make Soulmask even more captivating. The mask will unlock our full potential!

I hope this brief overview has provided some insight into Soulmask's core worldview. We'll continue systematically exploring the game's most discussed aspects, so stay tuned for more! Until next time, Chieftains!

Lead Prodicer ZIMA

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[bDear Chieftains,

To provide a better gaming experience, the server will undergo maintenance. It will be temporarily unavailable starting from June 14, at 7:00 AM UTC, with an expected downtime of 30 minutes. This update includes a client update, and chieftains will need to update their client to enjoy the game normally. We are very grateful for your understanding and support.

The update details are as follows:

[h2][Major Balance Adjustments][/h2]

• Adjusted the difficulty of monsters in the Volcano and Snow Mountain areas, as well as the difficulty of the five major Bosses in the Pyramid on doom difficulty. Improved the overall difficulty progression in the game.
  
• Increased the Drop Multiplier for the five major Bosses and elite animals in multiplayer battles.
  
• Reduced the aggro transfer from Plunderers and Outcasts towards players.
  
• Increased the level bonus for kill EXP, with higher-level creatures and barbarians granting more EXP.
  
• Increased starter character's basic Stamina Recovery speed by 100%.
  
• Reduced Stamina Recovery wait time from 1s to 0.5s.
  
• Increased the output speed of Honey and Bee Wax in Beehives.
  
• Beehive output is now influenced by the Automated Production Base's Output Multiplier.
  

[h2][Gameplay and Function Adjustments][/h2]

• Mounts come in different qualities, featuring different speeds.
  
• In Solo/Private Server Mode, Jaguar/Snow Leopard Cubs support quality coefficient adjustment.
  
• The Mimicry ability of the initial Civilization/Conquest/Rich masks is changed to become usable after the node is repaired.
  
• The adjustment of HP, ATK, and DEF coefficients of creatures in Solo/Private Server mode will be released.
  
• The requirement for Iron Wire in the Craftsman's Bench upgrade is removed.
  
• Sharp Fangs can be used to replace Horns in repairing Bronze Shoes.
  
• Removed the setting that the character will die instantly instead of entering the near-death status upon taking deadly damage in the head.
  
• Invaders of the player's base will no longer use Grease Tanks.
  
• Adjusted the refresh rule of the Holy Relic Chest. It will now refresh normally even if there are offline players in the room.
  
• The hatred passing distance of Plunderers in Rainforest Ruins is reduced.
  
• In multi-player battles, increase the drop multiplier for the five bosses and elite animals.
  
• Added corresponding specimens for Pyramid Boss at different difficulty levels.
  

[h2][Experience Optimization][/h2]

• Keep Advancing function (the = key by default) will now turn into Dash automatically
  
• Rainy weather can now wash off feces and the ignition effect.
  
• Optimized the combat AI of deployed tribesmen. When the Master attacks a target, the deployed tribesmen in Assist mode will also attack the target instead of just standing around. Reduced the probability of pacing during combat, making deployed tribesmen more proactive in attacking.
  
• Added a new button in the character interface to close the character preview and increase performance
  
• Added battle background music for Snow Mountain Plunderer Leader.
  
• Fixed the issue where attempting to perform a jump slash attack could trigger a basic attack instead.
  
• Increased the windup time and shortened the hitstop time for the Anaconda's Wrap skill.
  
• Increased the cooldown time (CD) for Anaconda's Wrap skill to 8 seconds
  
• Enhanced the sound effect for successfully reflecting attacks.
  
• Added a recovery action that can interrupt rolling.
  
• Reduced the attack frequency of feline creatures when performing follow-up attacks from behind, and these attacks now include an effect that dismounts targets
  
• Added a button to revert the queue to the planned queue in the loop queue settings interface.
  
• Adjusted the disease mechanic to ensure that characters cannot contract the same illness more than once.
  
• Increased the collection output of monkeys.
  
• Six types of storage boxes now support stacking and no longer occupy individual slots in the player's inventory.
  
• Dropped items now merge only into the previous owner's drop bag.
  
• Optimized crowding issues among tribesmen. Added a prompt when navigation to the workbench is obstructed.
  
• Optimized the spawn positions and disengagement distances for large camp Ruins Bosses.
  
• Random invasion monsters no longer spawn near Constructions.
  
• Fishing trap adjustments have been made to construction space, capture efficiency, and the number of catches to encourage proper use and prevent the impact on the game environment and server performance due to the excessive use of traps.
  

[h2][Mask Adjustments: Tactical Guidance][/h2]

• Reconnaissance now increases deployed tribesmen’s HP by an additional 100%.
  
• Full-out Attack now increases deployed tribesmen's ATK by an additional 50%.
  
• Positional Defense now increases deployed tribesmen's DEF by an additional 50%.
  
• Emergency Mobilization now triggers at 5% damage taken instead of 10%, and the recovery effect has been adjusted to restore 50% of the damage taken, rather than 5% of Max HP.
  

[h2][Mask Adjustments: Natural Enlightenment][/h2]

• Nature's Blessing now increases Resilience by 10 instead of 5.
  
• Increased the duration of animals summoned by Nature's Heart from 300 seconds to 600 seconds.
  
• Expanded the types of animals summonable by Nature's Heart to include animals in the Ruins.
  

[h2][Regarding Bugs][/h2]

• Fix the issue where the Boss has a chance to disappear in Solo/Friends mode.
  
• Optimized the drop logic for Death Packages to ensure they appear at the player's feet after resurrection, preventing them from falling through the ground.
  
• Fixed the issue where players could get stuck in walls when teleporting out of the Dungeon.
  
• Fixed the issue where the C key could still trigger Mimicry after the Mimicry key was changed.
  
• Fixed the issue where the initial character could still be remodeled when there were no parts on the Mysterious Stone Table.
  
• Fixed the display anomaly of feather ornaments in certain cases
  
• Fixed the issue where the Mysterious Stone Table could be moved during remodeling.
  
• Fixed the formula error for the Medium Costumes and Gloves of the Flint Tribe.
  
• Fixed the issue where the Arrow Trap's knockback effect would only push the target backwards.
  
• Fixed the issue where Peg Board deals no damage if placed on walls
  
• Fixed the crafting speed anomaly of the Workbench due to the stacking power of the Power Windmill.
  
• Fixed the issue that the talent effect “Mind-Heart Unison” can be triggered by deterred barbarians
  
• Fixed the issue that no barbarians in the game own the title “Archery Master”
  
• Changed the wrong translation “Likes braised meat” to “Likes sauced meat”
  
• Fixed the incorrect configuration of the Vulture’s skill damage type.
  
• Fixed the incorrect gear qualities and stats in Set Crafting.
  
• Fixed the issue with the Construction Hammer's Durability not affected by the Durability Cost Multiplier.
  
• Fixed the issue with the workbench destruction sound effect not playing correctly.
  
• Fixed the issue with Crossbow Tower attacking deterred barbarians carried by Llama.
  
• Fixed the issue where Spears are prematurely launched when squatting down.
  

Thank you very much for your support and understanding. More optimizations and updates are on the way.

Join discord

[h3]We are still moving forward, Thanks to every chieftain![/h3]

Join discord: https://discord.com/invite/4G2K7FDbtp

Dear Chieftain,

Soulmask is very concerned about the fairness of the game and is fully committed to creating a favorable playing environment. Our operations team will review violations and take necessary measures.

If any player is found to have violated the rules, we will take actions such as issuing warnings, imposing speech bans, or even banning accounts.
If you encounter any violations in the game, we strongly recommend that you report the offending player in the game or inform our administrators through the community, so that we can address the violations as soon as possible. We hope you have a pleasant experience in the game!

Below is a list of players who have been banned permanently or for a short period of time:

[hr][/hr]

Violation Reason: Promoting cheat information in the chat channel:

76561198*****1289
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Violation Reason: Engaging in cheating or other actions that severely undermine the fairness of the game:

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