Barony News

[p]Barold Jenkins is back with a special teaser for the upcoming Deserters and Disciples character and race expansion due out later this year![/p][p]He unveils the Gremlin Sapper, dastardly little beasts capable of untold destruction with their Deface spell, ability to booby trap objects, and powerful spinning flail.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]We're excited to finally be ready to show you the first race and class featured in the Deserters & Disciples DLC as you await its release. [/p][p]As we continue to build hype we'll be teasing each race & class preceding the DLC's eventual drop.[/p][p]When we polled our community about which races they'd be excited to play as in Barony, Gremlin came in DEAD LAST. So naturally they're the first race we announced that we're adding to the game. You're welcome![/p][p][/p][p]Anyway, if the Gremlin is first, you can only imagine what we have in store next.
Stay tuned for our next update teasers![/p]

[p]We've hinted at what's in store for Barony since our 10th Anniversary in June, but now, the newest episodes of our Making Barony video series will delve deeper into the incredible new features coming to the adventure later this year.[/p][p][/p][p]In the first episode, we pull back the curtain on the massive update titled Instruments of Destruction. Filled with new environments, items, weapons, and enemies, this expansion will forever change how you play Barony![/p][p][/p][p]Join Josiah as he walks you through the origins of the expansion and how it adds excitement, fun, and danger to Baron Herx's deadly domain.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]UPDATE:[/p][p]Since we've posted this we have more reveals to share. [/p][p]Check out our latest news![/p]

• [p]Deserters & Disciples DLC race and class reveal: The Gremlin Sapper [/p]
• [p]Instruments of Destruction Free Update reveal: Cooking[/p]
• [p]Deserters & Disciples DLC race and class reveal: The Dryad Scion[/p]

[p]Barony launched just over ten years ago, and since then, we here at Turning Wheel Games have continued to expand the game and make it accessible to as many fans as possible. And now, we've broadened that access even more. We are proud to announce that Barony is available to play through NVIDIA's GeForce NOW game streaming platform![/p][p] [/p][p][/p][h2]What is GeForce NOW?[/h2][p]For those of you who might not know, NVIDIA's GeForce NOW gives you the ability to stream games on a device without having to be connected to the computer you bought the game on.[/p][p]Own Barony through Steam? With GeForce NOW, you can play it on your tablet as long as you have a compatible controller, an internet connection, and a GeForce NOW account. If you're curious to learn more about how GeForce NOW works, head here for all of the details![/p][p][/p][h2]How Does it Work?[/h2][p]Once you've created your GeForce NOW account, the next step is to link a game platform account, like Steam, to the service. This will allow you to play your games through NVIDIA's servers.[/p][p]When you launch Barony through the service, you're actually not playing a local version of the game. Instead, GeForce NOW will stream a copy of the game to the device you're using from their own servers.[/p][p]Keep in mind that the service has multiple subscription tiers, and the paid subscriptions offer more features than free accounts. Depending on your membership, you'll wait in a queue, which will give you access to their server copy of the game, and when it's your turn, you'll launch into Barony as if it were running locally on your device.[/p][p]The advantage of this is that you don't need to have a local copy of the game handy when you want to play. No matter where you are, or what compatible device you're using, as long as you have broadband internet access, you'll still be able to enjoy Barony and all of its dungeon crawling adventures.[/p][p][/p][h2]What Devices Support the Service?[/h2][p]NVIDIA provides a handy list of devices that GeForce NOW is compatible with, and you can review that here.[/p][p]Though not mentioned on that page, we here at Turning Wheel have personally verified that GeForce NOW works on Xbox One X (that's right, from way back in 2017). So it seems quite likely that you'll get it to work on your more modern version of the console as well. For it to work, you'll need a web browser installed that's capable of running the GeForce NOW service. On Xbox, that is Edge. Additionally, there are a few extra steps required to get the whole thing set up. There are several videos floating around the internet that will help you get started, and we didn't have too much trouble once we got past some of the more finicky steps.[/p][p]We've also verified that the game runs great on the newest versions of the iPad. The setup for these devices is relatively painless, and we were able to get it working in a couple of minutes. Take a look at the screenshots below to see Barony in action on the iPad Air.[/p][p][/p][h2]Final Thoughts[/h2][p]Something to know is that any stats you achieve or achievements you unlock will be tied to the service that you purchased the game through. For instance, if you bought the game on Steam, any achievements you unlock will be a Steam achievement only.[/p][p]With all of that in mind, GeForce NOW is a great way to play Barony on a bunch of different platforms if you don't have access to your primary gaming device when that need for a Barony fix hits. And on a personal level, we're delighted that people can enjoy the game on many more platforms thanks to the convenience of GeForce NOW![/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]June marked the 10th anniversary of Barony's launch on Steam and to commemorate the occasion I wanted to write a personal thank you letter to Gabe Newell and Valve Corporation expressing our sincere gratitude for the success we've achieved on Steam over the past decade. [/p][p]Barony was in rough shape when it first launched to Steam in June 2015. At that time, the Steam Greenlight program was the path to getting published, and during our first week, Barony was passed over quickly by users who saw no appeal in our undeveloped and unpolished art. In so many words, our game looked bad, and many players assumed it would play only as well as it looked. However, I was convinced that if the Steam community tried my game or at least saw it in action, they would find the fun in it. Fortunately, I found my audience when a small group of streamers on Twitch discovered Barony and agreed to play it together. It was this audience that provided enough votes for the game to be accepted onto Steam, and over the next two months, I prepared the game for its original release on June 23rd, 2015.
[/p][p]Despite the help, release day forced me to face some hard realities. Barony sold about 1400 copies worldwide in its first 24 hours, netting roughly 30k over the following two weeks. Sales fell quickly until we were moving fewer than 1,000 units a month. While this still would have provided reasonable income for a single developer, the reality was that even in this nascent state, Barony had been brought to bear by a team of talented young developers which could hardly be sustained under a single developer's salary. After years of toiling together, we were demoralized. It seemed unrealistic to expect anything greater to come out of our project. 
[/p][p]In the years before Steam, this way of looking at the life-cycle of a video game was fairly realistic. The games I personally grew up with tended to age very quickly against the tide of increasingly impressive competitors. And as video game technology advanced rapidly, one year's best seller was always expected to become next year's bargain. The idea of supporting a game several years after release was essentially unheard of, at least for commercial video games. So this is how I expected things to go for us as well.[/p][p][/p][p]What I didn't understand or expect was that Steam had already begun to transform the marketplace into a platform that would continually drive new players to discover our game as long as we continued to update it. Even though we never received attention from the gaming media, never won a publishing deal, and never spent a dollar on advertising, our audience and our income did not shrink to nothing, but instead grew slowly and steadily over the following several years. Eventually, our very small team of 3 developers had pooled enough funds to deliver a large update which dramatically overhauled Barony's appearance. This free "Quality of Death" update, delivered years late to a game which by most metrics could hardly support itself, was the watershed moment that transformed our personal fortunes almost overnight. We went from working part-time on this product through evenings and weekends, to quitting our old jobs to focus on our studio, expanding our team and taking full control of our careers.
[/p][p]Today, Barony is a big success for a small and independent team, having frequently reached the top 10 games in its category and giving us the bandwidth to continue feeding our community with new content while we develop our next major product that we hope to introduce to our fans soon.
[/p][p]None of this would have been possible if Steam hadn't rewarded our dedication and effort by driving new players to our game, day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year. As I look back on the past ten years, I am astounded we made it this far on a plan as vague as "build a good video game and it will sell itself." At the start of our journey I didn't have a clue what it could take to get my game in front of potential customers, but Steam obviated this for us so completely that all we had to do was focus on making a good game, and the customers would come.
[/p][p]For a penniless college drop out from the Midwest USA, Steam offered an opportunity unlike anything that had ever come before it. In so many words, it transformed my life, the lives of my teammates and all of our families as well. So on behalf of us all I wanted to acknowledge the part that Gabe Newell and his company have played in our success and offer our sincere thanks for making it all possible. To me, it is patently obvious that Gabe and the rest of the folks at Valve care deeply about games, game developers, and the entire gaming community. So I am hopeful that their leadership in this industry continues for a long time to come, as I look forward to the fruits of our future collaboration together.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you Gabe![/p][p][/p][p]Sincerely,[/p][p]Sheridan Rathbun[/p][p]Turning Wheel Games[/p]

[p]While we've just added Proximity Chat, things have been otherwise rather quiet for us. That's because we've been working on the largest content update in Barony's history.[/p][p]Join us for a sneak peak with the following teaser video.[/p][h2]Update Teaser[/h2][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Did you notice anything in particular you're excited about?[/p][p][/p][p]Much of what we've been delivering over the last few years has been in fulfillment of promises we made in our Nintendo Switch Kickstarter campaign.[/p][p]This next update follows suit![/p][p][/p][p]Important promises are being fulfilled as part of the next major free content update including:[/p]

• [p]New areas to explore which also offer alternate paths[/p]
• [p]The Stretch Goal for a new Bossfight[/p]
• [p]The 3rd Barony DLC[/p]

[p]We remain committed to delivering content updates that don't fracture our community, prioritizing your ability to play Barony with anyone else who owns the game. That means it's important to us to give the majority of this work to you FOR FREE so that everyone can access the essential new features.[/p][h3]More to Explore[/h3][p]First and foremost new areas game that will provide alternate paths through the dungeon. If you choose wisely, these paths will lead you to a brand new boss fight unlike anything you've seen in Barony to date![/p][p]These spaces are more than window dressing though. The locations will add to the story and lore of the Barony world. Dedicated adventurers may glean more insight into the origins of the ancient magic that permeates every corner of Hamlet, and the powers that seek to control it!
[/p][h3]But You Want to Pay Us?[/h3][p]We're flattered that so many of you have expressed a desire to pay us for more content! To that end, we do have new paid DLC on the way. Still, major content and features are being added to support the DLC, which will bring exciting new features for every Barony player.[/p][p]If you were with us during the previous DLC launches, you'll know what a big impact this can make on the game! Tinkering, Ammo, and Alchemy are examples of a few features that were added for the sake of making awesome DLC. It's good for everyone![/p][p][/p][p]For the paid portion of the content update, we're leaning into our pattern with even more races & classes. The title of that DLC is now finally revealed as "Deserters & Disciples".[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Like the Myths & Outcasts and Legends & Pariahs updates, the Deserters & Disciples DLC expansion creates whole new ways to adventure, bringing new abilities, spells, and other alternate ways to play to mix up your Barony party.
[/p][p][/p][p]Over the coming weeks, we'll reveal more details about what kinds of races and classes we'll be offering. In the meantime, we welcome you to speculate.[/p][p]We're betting that some of our choices will blow your mind![/p][p][/p][p]This is just a taste of what we have in store for you this year, but there is so much more to uncover! More teasers will premiere as we progress on development, so keep your eyes on our Steam announcements and our social media accounts for updates![/p][p]Until then, happy adventuring from Turning Wheel![/p]