VALHALL: Harbinger News

[h2]Vikings![/h2]



As mentioned in the last update, today's patch brings significant improvements to the ship, fixing most of its issues and enabling co-op sailing. We've also addressed various gameplay aspects based on recent feedback and slightly expanded Challenge with a new iteration with a mythical creature and a dynamic environment system.



*WIP: A new island coming in next month's patch.*

Now, let's dive into today's patch!


[h2]Vargr & Ground Fracture[/h2]



Work on the Challenge continues. In this patch, it's still a playable teaser, with much more to come as we expand it iteratively. In few patches, it will begin to integrate deeply with the Survival processes.

Vargr is a mythical creature that stands in your way during the Challenge.



It can move on all fours or upright.



It selects its target and chases it from a great distance.



It has various attacks, some of which can break through blocks.



The ground in the Challenge is dynamic, with certain areas fracturing as you run across them.


[h2]Ship Improvements & Co-op Fixes[/h2]



This patch fixes most of the previous ship issues, however if you encounter any issues, please let us know. The remaining issue is that the Co-op client still cannot steer the ship, only the host can, this will be fixed.

The issue of the ship not moving for the client in Co-op has been fixed.

Fixed the bug where the ship could turn into a helicopter and fly to the sky.

Fixed the bug where hitting something and falling underwater would break player control.

Now, when the ship hits something, it has visual effects and takes damage based on the material (wood, rocks, etc.).

Positioned the ship lower in the water when sailing.

Fixed ship border collisions.

Fixed neck explosion issues during steering.



Improved ship control, adjusted rotation angles, and made the bouncing physics more natural.


[h2]Combat & Physics Enhancements[/h2]

Tightened animations and physics significantly.

Adjusted slash animations.

Fixed excessive bouncing when walking on slopes.

Temporarily increased character capsule size.

Improved turn cap behavior for different attack types, creating a more balanced and weighted feel.

Improved shield bash hit precision for a more satisfying feel.


[h2]New Dynamic Music System[/h2]

The music dynamically adapts to in-game events. Work in progress and will be expanded with new music and events in the next monthly update.

You can already hear the music shifting smoothly based on occurrences like sailing. The music now also loops with delays.


[h2]Other Improvements[/h2]

Improved timber axe collision precision to prevent physics issues during chopping.

Fixed an issue where music volume would not return from 0 in some cases.

Performed minor optimization on the Survival map.

Corrected problematic mesh collisions on the Survival map.

Improved the first-person one-handed jump animation.

Added separate equip and unequip sounds for non-sword items.

Resolved remnants of a rare bug that could permanently prevent slash attacks.

Resolved remaining issues that sometimes prevented proper well destruction and caused un-drinkable status in Co-op.


Thank you for the feedback guys, we hope you enjoy this update.


Skål!
Blackrose Arts

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

May your hearth be warm, your kin strong, and your victories plentiful in the year ahead!



We've been working on the Challenge and will expand it further in the January patch, introducing new gameplay and exciting features like battling big mythical creatures.

The January update will also address recent player feedback, including improvements to ship controls and its co-op issues. Additionally, we're preparing new islands to explore and expanding the map with new territories featuring landscapes better suited for building settlements.



Meanwhile, today's patch brings new Survival elements and improvements. Let's take a look!


[h2]New Survival Elements[/h2]

• Raspberries
  
  
  
  Provides a random number of raspberries for you to eat.
  
  
• Drying Fish Rack
  
  
  
  Dry raw fish to create dried fish. It can only be placed outdoors, and it will not dry in the rain.
  
  
• Covered Boat
  
  
• Thor Monument
  
  
  
  
• Fenrir Monument

[h2]Survival Improvements & Fixes[/h2]

Tanning racks can now be placed indoors, and placement issues have been resolved.

Bear health has been slightly reduced.

The Horn sounds less frequently for now.

Slight improvements to animation physics during chopping.

Improved pickaxe animations and physics to prevent interference with the mining process.

Increased the duration of fish trap, bee hive, and rabbit traps.

Resolved a recurring issue that allowed underwater walking.

Fixed cases where the inventory UI would overlap with menus.

Fixed a bug that prevented clients from drinking from wells in certain co-op scenarios.


Thank you guys. We hope you enjoy this update. Wishing you all the best!


Skål!
Blackrose Arts

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

In this update, the Horn begins to sound, inviting to take part in the Challenge.

As mentioned before, its arrival will happen in multiple iterations, as it is a grand-scale event system. Today, it brings a very short playable teaser of the Challenge, offering a quick glimpse before sending you back home.

This patch has a larger-than-usual disk size as it already includes content that will become available in future updates.

After 15 minutes in Singleplayer Survival, you will hear the horn and feel the earth shake, signaling your invitation to descend. This will also appear in Co-op in upcoming patches.

The core of the Challenge is to search for rare loot, mine precious ores, and safely bring them back home. Then, use these resources to build special structures, strengthen your survival, and fuel your coming adventures. (New buildings and crafts related to the Challenge soon). But there's much more to its concept, which will be unveiled as we progress.



[h2]Horn Call[/h2]


When the horn sounds, it can be heard throughout the realm, and even the ground shakes.

You can then press Enter to accept the call and be transported (instantly in this patch).


[h2]500 Einherjar System[/h2]



There are 500 warriors participating in the Challenge.

They are AI directed and highly optimized.


[h2]Shrinking Zone[/h2]



The Challenge is introduced in circles, which vary greatly and have a dynamic atmosphere and zone.

It always shrinks inward toward the center, pushing the player deeper through the circles.


[h2]Auto Focus Improvements[/h2]

Enabled auto targeting focus starting from the first attack rather than activating immediately. Also made it convenient to cancel targeting by canceling the stance.

Made auto targeting available for players in co-op mode.


[h2]Fixed Recent Crashes[/h2]

Fixed some crashes that appeared in the last patches.


[h2]Deathmatch Servers On[/h2]

Turned Deathmatch servers (EU, NA) back on.


[h2]Additional Improvements[/h2]

Fixed the deer hooves shaking strangely when dead.

Fixed the bow hit camera shake occurring for the client when hitting the host.

Fixed the issue where the client was sometimes incorrectly seen holding the stance from the host's view.


Thank you for the feedback guys. We hope you enjoy this update!


Skål!
Blackrose Arts

Greetings!

This patch follows up on the previous update, addressing its combat related bug fixes and improvements.

• Fixed incorrect attack angle during basic attacks in some cases.
  
  
• Fixed click attacks not queuing in certain cases, which caused frustration.
  
  
• Fixed double attacks for directional combat type.
  
  
• Fixed queued attack not starting after a clash sometimes.
  
  
• Slowed down overall combat slightly, especially the speed of stabs.
  
  
• Updated physics to make actions more stable and authentic.
  
  
• Slightly increased stamina regeneration speed.
  
  
• Improved shield mechanics and added the attack queuing feature for it.
  
  
• Further increased distance from bot enemies.
  
  
• Fixed directional cursor not appearing when switching through the new tab.
  
  
• Fixed hit markers being visible from hits by hired warriors.
  
  
• Fixed some effects being visible for clients when experienced by the host.
  
  
• Adjusted turn caps during attacks for smoothness.
  
  
• Made character scream less often during fights.
  
  
• Made it possible to dodge in the direction of the ASD button using the Spacebar, while still allowing jumping when moving forward.
  
  
• Enabled auto targeting by default, with the option to toggle it in the control settings.
  
  
• Made it possible to enter stance mode during an ongoing basic attack.
  

At the end of the month we will have an update focused on new content!

Skål!
Blackrose Arts

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

We are continuing to work on the Einherjar Challenge, and as previously mentioned, the horn will begin sounding in Survival mode in the November update, summoning warriors to descend to its battlefield.

Here is some work in progress.


From the screenshot, you may have already guessed what it's for - a special way of transportation to descend to the Challenge battlefield.



Our current main focus is on upcoming new content, but in today’s patch, we have addressed control and combat related feedback that we decided to tackle sooner.

We believe this update will be helpful for many Survival players. We have implemented tangible improvements to enhance stability and visibility during fights, introduced an alternative simplified control scheme, and added new settings to let you customize combat complexity to your preference.

Let's take a look at this patch!


[h2]Simplified Attack Control[/h2]



A new attack control type for clicking attacks has been introduced.

Instead of being directional, this type is simplified to specific angles, with the possibility of combo attacks in the opposite direction. The side mouse buttons control alternative attack angles.

You can switch back to directional attacks in the new combat settings.

With this new type, the cursor for the attack appears as a simple dot.

Additionally, you can still hold the attack button to enter stance mode, allowing you to control the cursor that appears with the mouse for desired attacks.


[h2]Queuing Attacks[/h2]

If the attack button is clicked during an ongoing attack, the next attack will start automatically after the current one.

This helps reduce spam clicking, allowing players to press it once when the timing feels right.

Also, enjoy more comfort while chopping trees.


[h2]Updated Attack Animations[/h2]

Attack animations have been adjusted to be less jelly-like, more predictable, and to land much closer to the center of the screen.


[h2]Combat Settings[/h2]

Combat Settings have been added to the pause menu, allowing for easy tweaking and experimentation with different combat options.


[h2]First Person Visibility[/h2]



The attachment method for the first-person camera has been changed to resolve previous issues.

It now provides better visibility, even when close to other objects or characters.

The hands and weapon are not as close to the camera, and it works better with different field-of-view (FOV) settings.


[h2]Auto Approach[/h2]

Added a new feature that automatically steps forward depending on character movement during attack release. This allows the character to close the distance and reach the enemy more frequently, making fights look more natural overall.

As you can see in the GIF, the character steps forward when moving backward during an attack release.


[h2]Enhanced AI Distance[/h2]

Updated the distances between characters during fights to provide more space and possibilities of pushing enemies forward, while reducing the likelihood of being pushed back.


[h2]Additionally[/h2]

Enhanced the feel of impacts.

Updated several dual-wielding animations.

Adjusted the transition from first-person to third-person camera.

Changed the default feint button.

Made autofocus (targeting without holding the attack button) savable after a button press or from the settings.


Thank you for the feedback guys. We hope you enjoy this update!


Skål!
Blackrose Arts