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VALHALL: Harbinger News

Updates - Trello for community - Your name in VALHALL!

This is a part of Indiegogo update which we are posting here for our Steam community to make sure you don't miss it. You can read full update in the Indiegogo updates section.
Check full update




First of all, thanks to all the testers for participation in the development and providing your logs. It helped us a lot to fix many major bugs.

Improvements we make and test in Wield Mjolnir apply to the whole game including Siege, Battle Royale and the future game modes.

Since the start of its tests several patches have been uploaded:

Visuals

  • Changed beards.
  • Changed eyes.
  • Changed hair materials.
  • Improved hands material. Hammer lifting effects.
  • Improved Mjolnir materials.
  • Improved wet cloth materials.
  • Added hair physics.
  • Added cloth physics.
Gameplay
  • Improved character collision capsule. Better distance for attacks.
  • Improved FOV.
  • Improved turn cap, easier aiming, attacks feel better.
  • Fixed issues with first person mode switch.
  • New sensitivity.
  • Added a light switch between dynamic and static. Use the "L" key. Later to appear in settings.
  • More stable character movement.
  • Improved hit reactions.
  • Fixed first person crouching.
  • Implemented new HUD.

* The third bar is rage.
  • UI improvements. Pause menu options button fix.
  • Fixed some crashes.
  • Lower RAM consumption.
  • Multiplayer optimization.
Animations
  • Reinstated locomotion system features.
  • Added smoother transitions.
  • Added more gravity to the jumps.
  • Fixed jittering while jump on both perspectives.
  • Created many new animations which include.
  • Fists TFP idle.
  • Fists FPP idle.
  • Uppercut left & right.
  • Left & right jabs.
  • Left & right hooks.
  • Angle hooks (40,140,220,320 degrees).
  • Hammer TFP idl.
  • Actions for hammer TFP idle.

The animations are a WIP since we're still adding new ones and testing them out. There will be a new locomotion system full of new animations.

Additional updates

Here is Wield Mjolnir Trello with detailed development progress. It doesn't contain confidential back-end of course but gives a bigger picture of what's in process.

Link to Wield Mjolnir community Trello


There are diverse time intervals between patches because some of them include visual improvements and the others a complex backend rework.

Current work is focused on the most interesting part - Mjolnir features. We need to implement them before the full launch of the game mod without NDA.

Also, we're remaking rig for the other characters. When it's done they will appear as playable in one of the future patches.


A ragdoll system is being reworked to make physics feel much better. Imagine like you swing the hammer and in a second a row of enemies are scattered around the map. We want each body part to react in the right way.

More news, according to the Steam platform requirements we have to make a store page for Beta as well. You get its content automatically. This page will not be searchable in Steam, its a hidden link for direct follow which you may see on our website sometime later.

Also, there was an update to the game branches, now you can download & test Wield Mjolnir right away after adding to library. The game is still under NDA that's why for now the only one place to discuss, upload screenshots and videos are "Closed Alpha" channels for testers on our Discord server.

For the access need:

  • be a member of our Discord server Discord.
  • be a backer with Beta access
  • accept NDA


After that, you will receive a "Tester" role on our Discord server which will reveal the test channels.

In case you missed early backers bonuses, here you are! We updated the bonus table:

After the release we will continue to supplement this list.

If you're an Early backer and haven't choose between additional Silver chest or extra Early Access key yet, you can do it here

Your name in credits

We would like to inform you that your name will appear not only in credits but somewhere in a game too.

It is one more surprise (not from the bonus table) we are preparing for backers. If you want to change the name entered when backed the game just feel this form with a new one:
Put your name/nickname

Guys, we would like to say it one more time for those who could miss this info before. The first announced game mode of VALHALL was Battle Royale, and we will make sure it will be a great experience. However, it's only a small part of what we want for this game.

A huge amount of feedback was received during the development saying people wanted much more than a Battle Royale.

The way how players see the game for the first time matters. We are doing the necessary analysis and act in a way we consider will lead the game to success. It means a much better playing experience upon release for you than was intended.

There was no word about Siege game mode at the beginning however, it will be included in Beta. And that is important to understand that it is not about taking more time to set up a new game mode. It is about leveling up the whole game standards and taking time to overhaul all the elements. By improving core mechanics for Siege and Wield mjolnir, Battle Royale becomes better. We are very grateful for the time you have given us to achieve a better future for VALHALL.


After current Wield Mjolnir bug fixing process and launch without NDA other game modes will move much faster to their release state.


Currently VALHALL has 90,000+ Steam users added the game to their wishlist, after release we predict that our community and player base will grow. We do our best to make the game enjoyable the way there will be stable online after the launch.


Your viking friends,
Blackrose Arts

Wield Mjolnir tests begin!

This is a part of Indiegogo update which we are posting here for our Steam community to make sure you don't miss it. You can read full update in the Indiegogo updates section.

The time has come for us to announce the launch of the testing phase for the "Wield Mjolnir" game mode. Despite an ambitious tasks for our indie team, we are approaching our goals to provide you with a great experience.

Today we do pretests and when necessary invite available players from Alpha channel to help us. During these Sunday-Tuesday you will see an update in #alpha-announcements-events and Alpha build will be updated for Wield Mjolnir tests.

First of all, servers are 24/7!

The best place to unite with other players is Discord#alpha_general.

As we mentioned in the last updates, it's not Beta, but the game mode test to try the game while we are continuing to work on the other elements as well as:

- Improve the quality and accuracy of viking animations. The base system is already working pretty well.

- Finish networking for the new game mode.

- Finalize some of the cool features related to Thor's hammer.

That means that this build will be updated frequently to add the developed content for the tests. After it's implemented Wield Mjolnir will be released without NDA and shared with all the backers.




We consult with our community through regular polls, discuss all your questions and answer through all platforms.

But one thing is rather difficult for us at this moment, dev blogs. We strive to keep you in the loop as well as we can, yet we are aware that there is a considerable gap between updates without an explanation from our side.

So here are the 2 main reasons why this occurs - we spend all the time on development and we have very few native English speakers in our small team. But we want to overcome this and plan to start uploading videos, screenshots and make posts about the development of animations or new cool features, etc.

We are very glad to tell you that we are currently maintaining a steady speed of development, despite the delays that occurred in the past. The mechanics/animations which aren't presented at the beginning of the tests will be added.

Also, we start a new way of interaction - community Trello.
We use this platform for our work and it will allow you to see the tasks in process.
Just for the beginning let's start with Trello of Wield Mjolnir. You will find a link in #alpha-announcements-events on our Discord server with the tests launch message.

When we get feedback this Trello will be opened to everyone.

You have been chosen to be one of the warriors to participate in Thor's test!

The God of Thunder needs to find a warrior who will be mighty enough to wield the strongest hammer - Mjolnir.



Features:
- There are 25 vikings on the map and 3 players enough to start the match.

- The first goal is to retrieve Mjolnir out of the ground. This phase has a total timer of 1 minute, during this time a player pulls out the hammer and earns points.

- After the first minute of pulling passes, a player can pick up the hammer and use its great powers: throw away enemies like ragdolls by simple attacks & charge the hammer by lightning and use the special abilities like chain lightning & throw the hammer.Don't worry about the balance. If nobody defeats the player with the hammer he will fall from the lightning after 1 min since he has equipped the hammer as player hasn't prove that he is mighty enough to use the full power of Mjolnir yet.

- All players can either fight between themselves or unite against the player with the hammer.

- The player who earns the most points by the end of the match wins.

- Use non-typical attacks to defeat your enemies: headbutt, uppercuts and so on.


Points are awarded for:

- Taking the hammer from the ground/a dead player.

- Pulling a hammer within the first minute.

- Each second of holding the hammer.

- Killing other players.


Also we prepared some unannounced features for this game mode.

How to join:

Everybody who already has Alpha access (everyone with Beta access who joined Alpha channel) will just have their Alpha build updated in Steam.

If you are a new player, find Alpha instruction in update of Jun 15, 2019 for access.

Current version is not finale, there is work to do (listed in Trello) and we will be updating the build regularly. We start with combat collision tests.


See you on the battlefield!
Blackrose Arts

Wield Mjolnir - New game mode!



Hello mighty warriors!

Here is a teaser of Wield Mjolnir - new game mode which is perfect for the game lore and based on community requests.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwMPjlz8X94
Let us know what do you think about it!



Guys, as you know we don't use funding on marketing purposes such as videos promotion - our the only and the strongest power is this incredible community. We will be grateful to everyone who share this teaser on YouTube, make a post on Reddit or tell your friends about the game!



Best wishes!
Blackrose Arts

Good news & Radius VoIP added & Public game mode

This is a part of Indiegogo update which we are posting here for our Steam community to make sure you don't miss it. You can read full update in the Indiegogo updates section.


For the last time we have kept all the news on our Discord channel. It's time to make a public update!

Alpha has been launched over a month and has been available for testing each week.

The schedule wasn't changed:

US Servers:
  • Tuesday: 5 - 7pm ET. (Tuesday: 9 - 11pm UTC.)
  • Saturday: 8 - 10pm ET.( Sunday: 12 - 2am UTC.)
EU Servers:
  • Thursday: 5 - 7pm UTC. (Thursday: 1 - 3pm ET.)
  • Sunday: 7 - 9pm UTC. (Sunday: 3 - 5pm ET.)




Good news for those who participate in our tests. We have added radius voice chat!

Hold T button and talk, the others will hear you. The current radius is not final, it's big for testing purposes. Enjoy.




For those who are awaiting the next stage to play.

After the last trailer release we received a huge amount of feedback. Your words mean a lot for us, it was a great pleasure to read your impressions and consider suggestions. Our team thanks you!

While developing the combat system, basing on this feedback we were working on a special game mode, which will be launched the first one as a part of a new build!

It will have no NDA and will be full of fun.

We are going to have it closer to the end of July. In the next updates we will reveal all the necessary details on it and hope you will be excited as we are!

Also, all of us understand how amount of players is important for matchmaking. With this game mode we want to try to make a transition to 24/7 servers to let you play when you want. To make that happen we will let all our backers including owners of Early Access perk play this new game mode! Please await info about it in the next update. Owners of Beta perk, no worries, you keep having all your privileges coming with Beta access (you will be first to play BR&Siege mode, etc.).


As you know each current backer will get an amazing pack of bonuses which were published before.

And as we have already announced before - all these bonuses are available for players who became a backer before Alpha launching.



We didn't make an official update about the Alpha launching clear enough, some players thought it wasn't not out yet.

This is why we decided to extend the early backers benefits to 18th of June (Tuesday).



Best wishes!
Blackrose Arts

New Siege Trailer & Alpha

This is a part of Indiegogo update which we are posting here for our Steam community to make sure you don't miss it. You can read full update in the Indiegogo updates section.


As we promised in the past update, we present to you a video of the state of the Beta that's we're working on.



We hope that it will answer both questions that have frequently appeared after the previous update, chiefly regarding the price and the progress that has been made since the last gameplay video was published.

Also, due to a number of similar questions that we have received lately we would like to briefly clarify that we are maintaining our independence from publishers and investors.

This independence is necessary for our prolonged work as a community in VALHALL's development, because the future of this game must be paved by players and gamers. That is why, in spite of all the difficulties of developing at a low budget, which affects the timing of the implementation of certain plans, we fully disclose our nature of our indie development team.

All of this is thanks to you, everyone who has supported us up until this stage.



Best wishes!
Blackrose Arts