Of Ash and Steel News

Greetings, adventurers!

Thank you for all the questions you left for us on Steam and Discord for Of Ash and Steel. With today we conclude our Q&A Session with the Devs with Part 4, but we will repeat this for sure in the future!



Q: Is Of Ash and Steel a linear game, or can players deviate from the main objective and alter the outcomes?
A: Of course, it’s an RPG. Everything is in your hands, and your decisions will affect many things.

Q: How deeply are interactivity and immersion developed in Of Ash and Steel?
A: As much as possible. From small activities like fishing to simply sitting down and playing the guitar.

Q: Will NPCs sleep at night so the player can rob their houses and chests?
A: Yes. But it’s better to come during the day when everyone is at work...

Q: Will there be many quests with branching paths? How many of these will be part of the main storyline? Are there any unique or even secret solutions in quests?
A: Quite a lot. We’ve paid great attention to this. You can expect many tasks that require careful exploration.

Q: Will there be enemies (among humans) larger than the main character, like "big guys"?
A: Yes, the big guys are here.



Q: How big is the game world?
A: It’s big enough to keep exploring interesting even after 100 hours, but not so bloated that exploration feels like a chore.

Q: Are the seven islands and seven gods somehow connected?
A: Everything is connected. And there are seven days in a week too...

Q: Will the game feature real estate and the ability to customize it?
A: Yes! At some point, you’ll be able to purchase your own estate in a dilapidated state and gradually improve it, gaining great bonuses and even rare herbs from your garden. And where there’s a flourishing estate, there are people who want to take it from you...

Q: Will the game have survival elements, like the need to sleep or eat?
A: Yes, but within reason. At the start, you’ll need to monitor hunger, thirst, and fatigue, but over time, these stats will grow. At that point, survival mechanics will feel more like an opportunity to buff your character before a tough fight.

Q: Will there be a library in the city? What about arenas or brothels?
A: Yes, you can find all of these along the way, including a library and a bookstore in the city.



Q: Will there be crafting for jewelry (rings, amulets)?
A: Of course.

Q: Will we encounter underground monster bosses in the game, like the Minecrawler Queen from Gothic?
A: Yes. Beware of crypts, and don’t go in without a torch.

Q: Will the game feature crossbows, or only bows?
A: You’ll find both crossbows and bows in the game.

Q: How are crossbows different from bows in the game?
A: Crossbows take longer to reload but offer a wider variety of ammunition and greater stopping power.

Q: Will weapons bounce off heavy armor when struck and produce different sounds depending on the armor type?
A: Generally, the sturdier the armor looks, the more damage it absorbs. Sounds depend not only on the armor type but also on the weapon type you use to attack — we’ve put a lot of effort into this.



Q: Will weapons wear out and break? If so, will broken weapons be irreparable if left unfixed?
A: No, weapons don’t wear out. However, you can reinforce weapons and armor, making them permanently better.

Q: How is lockpicking implemented?
A: We have two types of locks: standard and complex. For standard locks, you need to turn the lockpick to the end while carefully adjusting its angle as you feel resistance. For complex locks, you’ll need to find a special key and turn it in the correct directions the proper number of times.

Q: What about stealing and stealth mechanics?
A: We have a mini-game for this. Approach a character and start rummaging through their pockets. You’ll see a pouch with 9 slots. Carefully feel around to find the items you need while avoiding danger zones. The higher your agility, the lower your chances of being caught.

Q: Can players roleplay as villains and scoundrels?
A: You can’t play as an outright sadist or villain, but you can roleplay as a cunning and money-hungry character. Plus, some of your decisions will determine the fate of entire communities.

Q: Will there be an option to perform stealth kills and hide bodies?
A: The game offers plenty of ways to reduce enemy numbers through dirty tricks, such as dropping barrels on their heads or collapsing unstable structures. However, hiding bodies is not possible.



Q: In one of the trailers, the hero used acceleration to deliver a surprise attack behind an enemy. The movement was highlighted with a magical silhouette. Is this Ancient Knowledge? If I play as a warrior, can I complete the game without using such magical abilities?
A: That’s one of the skills, yes. You can avoid using it in combat, but for warriors, it costs nothing to use, although it does have a long cooldown.

Q: Will there be dirty fighting skills, like throwing sand in an enemy's eyes or kicking them?
A: Yes! The survival skill tree covers this. You’ll be able to throw sand, make quick dagger throws, coat weapons with poison, use the environment to your advantage, and more.

Q: Is there a punishment system for crimes?
A: Yes, and each region has its own system of law and order.

Q: Can players commit crimes and go unpunished if done discreetly?
A: A good thief is one who doesn’t get caught.

Q: Will the game be optimized for weaker PCs?
A: We’re doing our best to optimize everything possible. This is an important point for us.



Once again, thank you for your questions and interest in the project, we can't wait to reveal you more about Of Ash and Steel!

Greetings, adventurers!

Thank you for all the questions you left for us on Steam and Discord for Of Ash and Steel. Welcome to Part 3 of the Q&A Session!



Q: How is Ancient Knowledge in your game different from the magic we're all used to seeing?
A: Traditionally, magic is about casting fireballs left and right. In the Of Ash and Steel universe, magic is a very delicate matter that isn't used casually for combat. Every use of magical arts is a significant event. Ancient Knowledge allows the wielder to draw just a fraction of the power of the Seven.

Q: Approximately how long will it take to complete the game?
A: We estimate about 30 hours for a quick playthrough, and twice as much for a more detailed one.

Q: Will there be Xbox controller support?
A: Most likely, yes.

Q: Will there be visible damage from hits and/or blood on melee weapons?
A: Blood remains on both the enemy and the player.



Q: Will all equipment (clothing, rings, etc.) be visible on the character model?
A: Everything except necklaces (though we might add those as well).

Q: Have you considered the option to fully or partially disable the HUD?
A: For screenshots, we have a photo mode that disables the HUD, but we may add this as a general option in the future.

Q: Will there be helmets, shields, bracers, boots, etc., or is the armor unified?
A: There will be helmets, upper body armor, lower body armor, slots for two rings, and a necklace.

Q: Will there be adventure stats displayed numerically?
A: Yes.



Q: Will there be underwater enemies/combat?
A: No, but the underwater world can be explored for treasures.

Q: Will damage and injury depend on body parts hit?
A: A headshot with a bow is always a critical hit, and a backstab cannot be blocked.

Q: Will quests be logged in a modern-like system with written objectives, or will it be old-school, like in OG Gothic?
A: Something in between. We display current objectives on the screen, but they are meant as reminders. For example, if you need to find a character, the task will simply say, "Find Crimson." Details can be found in the journal or by carefully listening to what characters say.

Q: Will there be SteamDeck support?
A: We've already conducted some tests, and everything works well. We'll provide a final confirmation later.



Q: Will there be shields?
A: Enemies will have them, as well as spears. For the protagonist, swords, hammers, axes, daggers, rapiers, maces, etc., will be available.

Q: Why are longswords so slow?
A: The sword's speed depends directly on its weight. You can find both heavy and light swords. As we’ve mentioned, damage numbers aren’t everything—sometimes a weaker but faster sword might better suit your build.

Q: Will there be a release on PS5 and Xbox?
A: We’re not ready to comment on that yet.

Q: Will the combat system, as well as movement and facial animations, be refined further?
A: We will definitely polish some elements, but for the most part, things are finalized.



Q: Will NPCs fight each other? For example, will creatures attack people or bandits attack travelers?
A: Absolutely. In some cases, you can observe conflicts escalating into full-blown fights.

Q: Does it make sense to pray to the gods? Will there be bonuses?
A: Absolutely! The more gold you offer, the more beneficial bonuses you’ll receive.

Q: Will there be weapon effects like bleeding, poison, or lightning/fire rune damage that stacks on the enemy or the hero?
A: Unique weapons have their own effects, including semi-magical ones. In the survival skill tree, you can learn several levels of the bleeding skill. And you can even coat your weapon with poison!

Q: After the ending, does the game finish completely, requiring a new playthrough to re-enter the world?
A: At the end of the game, the island will change to such an extent that it will simply be impossible to continue the game.



Once again, thank you for your questions and interest in the project!

Greetings, adventurers!

Thank you for all the questions you left for us on Steam and Discord for Of Ash and Steel. Welcome to Part 2 of the Q&A Session!



Q: Will the main story be divided into chapters?
A: Yes!

Q: Will there be multiple endings?
A: There will be one main ending, but the world’s final state will reflect your choices, making the conclusion feel unique to your playthrough.

Q: Subterranean exploration: Will there be mines, ruins, or keeps in the rock?
A: Oh, yes! Expect dungeons, underwater caves, abandoned temples, mines, and crypts. Bring a torch — you’ll need it!

Q: What kind of magic will the game have? Are there schools of magic, or is it limited to support magic/melee-magician hybrid styles?
A: Magic works similarly to how Jedi use the Force in Star Wars games or how Geralt uses signs in The Witcher.

Q: Will there be secondary abilities such as alchemy, blacksmithing, or horsemanship?
A: Absolutely! Hunting, leatherworking, alchemy, blacksmithing, armor reinforcement, weapon sharpening, fishing, and more. As for blacksmithing, you can even become a master smith and create unique swords from special metal using your own designs: choosing sword parts, accessories, and even customizing the scabbard to your liking. And then you can upgrade it all further!



Q: Will the game have elements of hardcore modes, like “one life, one save”?
A: We may add Iron Mode after release.

Q: What about replayability?
A: From the start, we’ve designed the game to encourage multiple playthroughs to fully experience it. At the very least, you’ll want to play through it with different factions. And when it comes to different builds, the options for replayability expand even further.

Q: How important is a good story and rich lore to the team?
A: There’s nothing better than immersive gameplay reinforced by a strong story. The story is one of the three core pillars of Of Ash and Steel: narrative, exploration, and progression. We’ve carefully crafted not just the small, everyday details (like holidays and people’s attitudes toward life), but also political, legal, and religious aspects.

Q: Which game engine are you using?
A: Unreal Engine 4.27.1

Q: Will there be secret quests (not noted in the journal)?
A: Yes! We categorize quests into three types: classic (logged in the journal, with dialogues, etc.), hidden (not logged in the journal but can involve dialogues and unique mechanics), and exploration-based — where you’ll solve small (or sometimes large) puzzles to access new areas or find treasures. Plus, we’ve prepared over a hundred different random events in the world, some of which unfold over the course of the main story.



Q: Will there be some sort of morality system for the protagonist or factions?
A: The hero's reputation grows as the character develops and as events unfold in the world. If, at first, people treat you with, at best, condescension, as your influence increases, ordinary people will begin to treat you with greater respect.

Q: Will there be permanent or temporary companions?
A: Yes, from time to time, you’ll have companions traveling with you.

Q: Will it be possible to create hybrid builds?
A: Millions of possibilities! A berserk with no HP and a high chance of critical damage, a tin can with no damage but virtually impenetrable, a rogue armed with a dagger with high stamina and high attack speed. You have full control.

Q: Will there be quests that allow you to get unique equipment, additions to characteristics, unique skills?
A: Yes! Especially if you pay close attention to the world.

Q: Will there be random events on locations without player intervention?
A: Of course! The world changes, and with these changes come new events.



Q: Tell us about the crafting system, if it is planned.
A: We’ll provide more details later, but in short: we have a rich variety of items — from food to weapons and resources, as well as armor reinforcement and weapon sharpening (which grant permanent bonuses). For experienced crafters, you’ll be able to create your own sword from your own designs, customizing everything, right down to the scabbard.

Q: Will there be in-game books in the game, like in Morrowind and Skyrim?
A: Absolutely. For those who want to dive deeper into the world of the Kingdom of the Seven, in-game books will be an excellent resource.

Q: Are there plans for early access or a full release?
A: Full release right away.

Q: Will there be set armor, which if you collect it all, gives a boost?
A: Yes!

Q: Will there be boss fights?
A: Yes!

Q: Will it be possible to climb anywhere, or almost anywhere?
A: Of course — we have free climbing. Just be careful not to fall!



Once again, thank you for your questions and interest in the project!

Greetings, adventurers!

Thank you for all the questions you left for us on Steam and Discord for Of Ash and Steel. There have been so many that we have decided to publish our answers once a week, every week! Let's start with the first batch:

Q: Could you tell us more about the team at Fire and Frost? When and where was the studio founded?
A: We began our journey in July 2021. Initially, it was just me (Viktor, from Saint Petersburg) working as a solo indie developer. After finding success at the Unreal Engine Dev Contest, the team grew to four people—we were still very much indie, working on the project in our spare time. Thanks to a small grant from event sponsors, I was able to fully focus on developing the project and presenting it to publishers. About a year later, we reached the pitching stage for Of Ash and Steel, which is how we connected with tinyBuild. After signing the contract, our team expanded to 15 people, and for nearly two years now, we've been working hard on the game.

Q: When did production on Of Ash and Steel start?
A: We could say we started in July 2021, but only with a small team. The full team joined the project in March 2023.



Q: How much of the game has been completed so far?
A: Most of the game is complete. We’re adding the final quests to the world and moving on to the polishing phase.

Q: What games inspired the mechanics, combat, and gameplay of Of Ash and Steel?
A: As for combat, it’s something between Dark Souls, Gothic, and The Witcher 3. Gameplay and mechanics, however, are where we tread our unique path. We aim to combine the golden era of RPGs from the 2000s with modern RPG designs, all while bringing our personal touch. It was important for us to maintain a high level of immersion, even in side activities, and to ensure the world reacts to your actions wherever possible.

Q: Will there be magic?
A: There is magic in the world, but it’s more of an elemental force accessible only to a chosen few. However, the hero can master the Ancient Knowledge, granting him magical abilities.



Q: Do enemies have level scaling?
A: No, all enemy levels are fixed. We want players to feel their character’s progression. However, over time, more dangerous enemies might appear in the locations you visited before.

Q: Can we make decisions that significantly impact the game? Can we screw ourselves up by making bad choices?
A: Of course, it’s an RPG! Decisions made in both the main story and side quests can lead to the prosperity or complete destruction of entire locations.

Q: Will there be difficulty settings, and how will they work?
A: We have three difficulty levels: Story, Classic, and Ash and Steel. The first is a simplified version of Classic—enemies are weaker, and the hero is stronger. Classic is how we envisioned the game. Ash and Steel adds extra challenges to Classic, such as saving only in safe zones and deadly negative effects, but you’ll gain more experience in return!

Q: Is the protagonist silent, or will they be voiced?
A: All characters will be fully voiced, including the protagonist.

Q: Will there be a toggleable quest helper option?
A: No, but we understand there’s no fun in searching for a tiny ring in a massive forest. In most cases, you’ll get helpful hints by talking to characters, checking your quest log, or simply observing your surroundings.

Q: With no quest tracking, will fast travel be limited or disabled? Will there be mounts?
A: Horses went extinct on the island due to an incident involving herbs. BUT! One of the sub-factions has a, uh... rideable creature so to speak. Fast travel via portals will become available later after acquiring Ancient Knowledge.

Q: Is it possible to create a “pure mage” in the game, using only spells in combat?
A: No.



Q: Will there be a character editor?
A: Our hero has a backstory that will significantly impact some events later on. However, you’ll be able to customize his appearance by visiting a barber. Beware of amateurs!

Q: Will the game be released on VK Play?
A: There are no plans to release the game on VK Play.

Q: What will be the emphasis: world exploration or story quests?
A: We’re not fans of extremes in games. Everything should be balanced and harmonious.

Q: Will the battle system progression be like in The Witcher 3 or Gothic?
A: It’s closer to Gothic. Skills require a teacher and meeting attribute requirements.

Q: How many references will there be to popular culture or any works of art?
A: Mostly from the games we love. Remember the annoying fan in Oblivion? Well, we’ve got a hater!

Q: Will Ancient Knowledge waste any resources?
A: No, but it has a fairly long cooldown.

Q: Is it possible to kill any enemy using a stick if you try long enough?
A: It’s possible, but it will be very, very challenging.

Q: A question about the musical score: It’s no secret that background music and ambient sounds make up a significant part of a world’s atmosphere. How is this handled in your project?
A: We’ve got that covered. Our composer has written around 100 tracks, not only for different locations but also for different times of day. In some cases, the mood even changes based on story events.

Q: Looking at the video, it seems like the game has few conversations with NPCs and quests. How many are there currently?
A: We already have over 21,000 lines of text just for character interactions (not counting notes, journal entries, etc.). The game has a MASSIVE amount of dialogue.



Once again, thank you for your questions and interest in the project — the number of them is absolutely monstrous! On the bright side, this solves the issue of infrequent posts for at least a couple of months, haha.

Greetings, adventurers!

We are delighted to see the excitement you have for Of Ash and Steel just one week after the title's official announcement! We've seen all your questions here on Discord, on Steam, and across Socials, and for this reason, we're preparing a Q&A session!

How to participate:

• Write your questions as comments below. We will collect them and then answer as many as possible this Friday, November 29th.
  
• We'll collect questions from today, November 26th, until the end of Thursday, November 28th!
  

Get your questions ready!