VALHALL: Harbinger News

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

Today, we have a big combat update and various Survival improvements.

There are many GIFs here, it might take some time to load.


Let's take a look!


[h2]Combat Control Update[/h2]

The combat control undergoes another set of adjustments as we continue tuning it to become the best it can be. This round of adjustments is deeper than most of the previous ones and may require some playstyle adaptation.

It introduces numerous little subsystems that modify turn caps and camera smoothness during a fight, making holding control tighter and more focused while still allowing for broad swings and easier attacks.

We've updated inverse kinematics to provide more fluidity and responsive control to the player. The precision of cursor control during a swinging state is significantly higher, and the hand moves to the desired point more quickly.

Additionally, there are more stabilized camera movements, adjusted block animations and their inverse kinematics, and the addition of stance control to Mjolnir.


[h2]Directional Shield Block[/h2]



Combat with a shield has received new idle, walk, blocking, and stance system animations.

Blocking with a shield is now directional. Based on your mouse direction, you can choose which side you want to block.

This addition introduces a new layer to the gameplay that is more complex yet intuitive.


[h2]Animal Combat Update[/h2]



Animals can now dodge, attack more actively, and react to hits based on their body parts.

Improved their AI for more interesting fights.


[h2]AI Combat Update[/h2]

AI warriors maintain distance better, block faster, and move more realistically.

They can now dodge both backward and forward for close attacks.

Arrow dodging has been reduced.


[h2]Better Blood & Camera Effects[/h2]

Improved blood and wound effects.

Blood on the screen starts appearing when health is slightly lower than before.

Fixed issues with incorrect changes to dynamic depth of field during combat.


[h2]Helmets Actual Collision[/h2]



Added a helmet collision that you can actually hit during the fight.


[h2]Faster Riposte[/h2]

The transition into riposte is now faster, making it more useful.


[h2]Dramatic Death[/h2]



Fixed issues and reintroduced death animations. Now, there's a chance that your defeated enemy will crawl and beg for mercy instead of simply falling as a ragdoll.


[h2]Ragdoll Update[/h2]

Ragdolls have become weightier, walking over or hitting them doesn't send them far away. The same applies to animals.

Additionally, ragdoll bendings have been tweaked to be more realistic. Updated weapon impulses.


[h2]Berserker State[/h2]



We already had that effect in the Battle Arena, however, now it has become an actual game mechanic, for all modes.

Runes under the health bar are filled when you perform a kill or a block. This is a rage bar. When fully filled, you can activate the Berserker ability and initiate a special power effect with changing slow motion.

It allows for easier facing multiple enemies at once. Additionally, it feels satisfying when used at the right timing. Slow motion works only in single-player mode and provides the opportunity for more successful fights as you learn combat.

Press the V key by default.


[h2]Kick Improvements[/h2]

Fixed excessive hand shaking when ragdolled.

Added a delay so the character lies down before getting up.

Getting up after a kick no longer appears to result in getting stuck underground, but more tests are needed for this.


[h2]Auto-add Weapons In Battle Arena[/h2]

Different weapons will appear in your inventory automatically after certain waves.

The delay before starting a new wave has been increased to allow time for picking up items and preparation.

Additionally, the shield on the rock in the arena can now be picked up.


[h2]Fixed Combat Crash[/h2]

Fixed a game crash that occurred in certain cases upon landing a hit.


[h2]Customized Pause Menu Per Game Mode[/h2]

Certain options have been removed from the pause menu in specific game modes as they are not relevant to them. This also eliminates the possibility of accidentally clearing Survival saves from other modes.


[h2]Scattered Branches And Stones[/h2]

Added branches and stones around the map for gathering, providing assistance in the early game or when needed by hand, for example, after an axe has broken.


[h2]Better Gathering & Picking up[/h2]



Added gathering resources animation.

Updated resource collection holding times to make the process more pleasant.

Added sounds for pick up. Improved dropped item physics.


[h2]Footsteps Sounds Update[/h2]

New grass footsteps sounds have been added to enhance the satisfaction of walking.


[h2]Beehive & Honey[/h2]

Added a new building object Beehive.

To create it, you need a Queen Bee, which can be purchased from a trader. After some time, honey will appear, and it can be consumed.


[h2]Well & Seawater[/h2]



Added a well - a new source of fresh water, so you don't have to live near the lake to have access to it.

Added a seawater notification to eliminate confusion about which water is drinkable.


[h2]Fixed Resource Respawn[/h2]

Some important resources, such as iron ore and flax, were not respawning correctly. Now, each resource respawns correctly within its own timing.


[h2]Fixed Broken Shaders[/h2]

The last patch had some materials broken and grayed out in the game, fixed.


[h2]Other Changes[/h2]

Replaced 3 melee & 2 archers with 5 melee in Deathmatch options.

Fixed character collisions that were pushing each other in a strange way in certain cases.

Fixed the cooking types issue that was allowing hides to be cooked.

Improved the UI for moving items.

Slightly improved walking animations for one-handed weapons.


[h2]Survival Tweaks[/h2]

Increased Timberaxe durability.

Added more flax to the map.

Reduced the frequency of rain and thunderstorms.

Increased the time for fish to appear in the fishing trap.

Decreased the costs of stone building elements.

Made minor map improvements, adjusted physical materials, added more decorations around the trader.


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


Skål!
Blackrose Arts

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

We wish you happy holidays and a happy new year!

A patch with various gameplay improvements and new content has arrived. In this update, we have many GIFs, which might take some time to load.


Let's take a look!


[h2]New Crafting Chains & Items[/h2]

We've added new items such as twine, gold, hides, leather, and updated the recipes for crafting and building.



For instance, gold is necessary for crafting a new gilded shield and a gilded two-handed axe. Twine can be used for building new objects such as an archery target.



You can obtain hides from animals and then create leather from them by using a tanning rack.


[h2]Trading[/h2]



Added trading and a trader, which you can find marked on the compass.

You can use gold coins from raids to buy various resources. Additionally, you can sell them, for example, hunt and sell hides for coins.


[h2]Changed Roof Placement[/h2]



The roof placement issues have been resolved, now you can easily swap its orientation like this.


[h2]New Building Elements[/h2]



Added new building elements: stakes, archery target, hanging rack, long table, wooden throne, tannery rack, and round table.



The objects can be placed indoors and outdoors.



Changed the fireplace and addressed its placement issues. Also, corrected the incorrect orientation of the window wall.


[h2]Iron & Other Balance[/h2]

Now you can get much more iron from smelting iron ore – it takes 30 seconds for 2 iron ore to become 1 iron. The maximum stack is set to 10 for ore.

Added more flax to the map.

Fixed an issue with the two-handed axe cutting down trees too quickly.


[h2]UI Improvements[/h2]

Made UI improvements with updated icons and more understandable notifications.


[h2]Music Loop Fix[/h2]

Fixed music in Survival, looping non-stop. Added a bigger change delay. More music will be added later.


[h2]Survival Landscape Adjustments[/h2]

Flattened landscape near the lake. Connected certain fjords. Work in progress.


[h2]Survival Warrior AI Update[/h2]

Instead of roaming randomly in the woods, they are now concentrated around the camps.

Now they can search for you within a certain radius near the camp.

They return to the camp if you successfully run far enough away.


[h2]Deer Tweaks[/h2]

Improved deer AI, they run farther away and then start walking instead of staring at you. They may still stare for a bit when you come closer, this staring period might become shorter.


[h2]Better Sprinting[/h2]

Improved sprinting animations, added a slight post-process, and adjusted the sprinting camera position.


[h2]Attacking Control Adjustments[/h2]

We have further adjusted the attacking controls, incorporating the received feedback. Updated dynamic turn caps. Camera movement during stances mode / attack holding is much slower now, while control intensity is increased, and when released the movement is faster.

It's a tangible change and may take some time to adjust to playing with it, however, it should be more satisfying and allow for more effective fighting.


[h2]Important Block Update[/h2]

Blocking has become much better in this patch, as the issue causing artificial delays and preventing quick consecutive block inputs has been resolved.

This addresses the frustration of unintuitively missed blocks and allows for more effective usage.

This brings significant benefits to multiplayer, especially considering that the delay was more pronounced there.


[h2]Stamina Recovery Update[/h2]

When you fight a few enemies at once, stamina drains quickly, and it's bad when you don't have any opportunity to fight back at that moment.

We have addressed this in a specific way: now you receive a stamina boost after each successfully blocked hit. However, constant stamina draining is slightly increased when you are holding the block.

This adjustment provides you with a better chance to actively fight multiple warriors at once and emerge victorious.


[h2]Camera Shake & Effect Update[/h2]

Adjusted default attacking camera shakes to be more stable.

Added dynamic camera shakes when hitting an enemy.

Additionally, with these shakes, we incorporated some camera effects to make the hits feel more impactful.


[h2]Kick Improvements[/h2]

Fixed the issue with hitting invisible walls. Getting up after a fall shouldn't bug characters. Additionally, increased the kick impulse for ragdolls.

Resolved the kick animation problem when holding a bow and made adjustments to the first-person bow pulling animation.


[h2]Dual Wield Control Update[/h2]



The issue of incorrect second-hand attacks has been resolved with the updated control. Now, the second hand always attacks upon a special attack press.

The second hand isn't controlled with mouse movement mid-flight like the first hand, instead, it functions as an additional hand.

The speed of dual-wield attack animations has been adjusted to be more effective in combat.


We hope you enjoy this update!


Skål!
Blackrose Arts

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

Today's patch brings tangible combat improvements and addresses the latest feedback in various aspects. For the next update, we are preparing new Survival content, crafting elements, a trading system, and more.


Let's take a look!


[h2]Combat Control Update[/h2]



First of all, the click-attack remains and is incorporated into the updated system.

Simultaneously, it allows you to hold the attack button to enter a controlled stance mode and perform attacks in a manner we were testing before, but improved.

As you move the cursor, it controls both stances blending and inverse kinematics. When you move it a certain radius, you perform an attack in the corresponding direction, and aim at your target. It's akin to swinging with your mouse or drawing an attack.


[h2]Dynamic Turn Caps[/h2]

We updated the turn caps to make the combat more controllable and weightier.

Different actions activate different turn caps. When holding the attack button while entering stance mode, it's one turn cap, when the attack in this mode begins, it's another. When attacking by clicking, it's also a different turn cap.

The goal is to make it easier to aim, track enemies, and land attacks without excessive camera movement.

It also makes special attacks easier to perform accurately, and chopping becomes a more satisfying process.


[h2]Improved Accuracy In Attack Angles[/h2]

The attack angle is now being tracked more accurately, so you may notice that the performed attacks align more closely with your desired direction, especially when holding down the attack button.


[h2]Block Update[/h2]



Now it's possible to activate the block almost instantly. Keep in mind that it doesn't activate when you are in a hit reaction. When it allows you to block, your task is to choose the direction correctly, which is quite intuitive when you try to aim at the attacking blade.

The block animations have been adjusted and new angles have been added, making it more diverse. This also allows and requires better precision.


[h2]Archery Update[/h2]

Increased arrow damage and headshot damage multiplier.

Slowed arrow flying speed, now, it and its trace are more visible in flight.

Improved string pullback - feels more satisfying.


[h2]Improved Ragdolls[/h2]

Added ragdoll bleeding on hit.

Viking ragdolls are now more stable, still not perfect, but they are no longer thrown far away when walked over. They fall more naturally after a death hit.

Animal ragdolls have also been adjusted, they will need more work as they can still be thrown in certain cases, but the jittering has been significantly reduced.


[h2]Solo Deathmatch Options[/h2]



Added first options allowing the selection of enemies for single-player Deathmatch: 1 melee, 3 melee, 3 melee & 2 archers.

Also, added a slow-motion option in single-player Deathmatch – hold the T button.


[h2]Resource Balance[/h2]

Decreased the wood amount obtained from hitting trees. Ensured a more accurate proportion between big and small trees. Smaller trees will no longer fall from two hits.

Decreased the amount of iron obtained from hitting ore.

Increased the amount of stone acquired from hitting rocks.

Increased the quantity of meat and fat obtained from each animal.


[h2]Tree Chopping Update[/h2]

Added noticeable tree shakes on hit.

Fixed holes under the trees. Some got roots.

Max wood stack is set to 100.

Fixed issues with some actions, such as dodge, not working with the timber axe.


[h2]Karvi Improvements[/h2]

The ship is now faster, easier to rotate, and shouldn't bend too much when rotating.


[h2]Weather Probabilities[/h2]

Tweaked further for a sunnier summer, less rain and more clouds during autumn.


[h2]Addressed Deer Issues[/h2]

Adjusted it's chasing distance, so the deer should stalk you less now, just drive it away, if it's still annoying, let us know.

Adjusted its footsteps sounds and reduced attenuation.

Repositioned deer around the map and slightly reduced their numbers.


[h2]Fixed Animals Hitting Invisible Collisions[/h2]

The issue of an animal biting or hitting an invisible wall in front of it has been fixed.


Thank you for sharing feedback, we hope you enjoy this update!


Skål!
Blackrose Arts

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

Today's patch introduces enhancements across various aspects of the game, ranging from combat mechanics to the way weather temperature changes. Let's delve into the details!


[h2]Winter Update[/h2]





The transition to winter season now works correctly, as the issues that previously hindered it have been resolved.

Snow levels are now directly linked to the trees and grass, so you will observe them gradually getting covered when it snows.

The same applies to wind intensity, during blizzards, the foliage shakes under the pressure.


The temperature during winter is colder now, so make sure you have places to warm up. The way the walls of your house dynamically block the wind sounds gives a really comfy feeling.


[h2]Animal Update & Deer[/h2]


Added deer with AI behavior that doesn't make them easy prey.

They spot you from a distance, and you can see them looking from side to side at that moment. When you get closer, they run quite fast.



Overall, encounters with animals have now increased.

The item drop for animals have been adjusted to balance them.


[h2]Global Lighting Update[/h2]














We had many of them before, but this one is quite significant. As some players mentioned earlier, the shadows were too dark in certain places, and this was part of a larger issue that made the shadows inaccurate in other aspects too. This problem has now been fixed, and in general, the Survival map looks more beautiful.

Indirect lighting has also been improved, so the interior looks better, especially with Lumen.

The skylight's color changes during different weather have become more pleasant.

Additionally, nights have become significantly brighter.


[h2]Weather Update[/h2]


Weather possibilities were altered for different seasons. We received feedback regarding frequent rain, now it should occur less often during summer. Thunderstorms will happen more frequently than before as they were rare.

The weather changes have become more dynamic, introducing additional intermediate states.

Fog levels have been made more organic across different weather conditions.

The various types of weather adjust the wind intensity differently, causing trees to visibly sway in response.


[h2]Balancing Attack Animation Timing[/h2]

We keep adjusting it to balance and find sweet spots. This patch should feel much better than the previous one. As always, we welcome your feedback.


[h2]IK & Stance System Smoothness[/h2]

Finally achieving optimal smoothness that doesn't look weird but works well during combat. We know the stance system gave a twitchy feel to some players when it was introduced, but it has been improved. We also adjusted the angles of some animations to make it feel more enjoyable.


[h2]Bow Damage Adjustments[/h2]

Arrows cause more damage. Headshot damage scaling has also been slightly increased.


[h2]Item Durability Adjustments[/h2]

Changed the durability parameters of weapons and tools. For example, the basic sword breaks much faster than the raven sword.

The wood cutting axe now has durability, which it didn't have before.

Fixed the issue of weapons flying in the air after their destruction.


[h2]Survival Improvements[/h2]

A two-handed axe can now also chop down trees.

Adjusted the spawn rate of enemies' pocket items.

Fixed flying trees, sorry for the reoccurrence in the previous patch.

Made landscape improvements and fixed bugged collisions on the map.

Changed the scary sounds when a lootable item disappears.


[h2]Reduced Frequency of Raids in Early Game[/h2]

Based on feedback, we have rearranged the waves of settlement raids to make it easier during the first few days. The raiders specifically targeting players will now come less frequently too. Let us know if it feels too rare.


[h2]Easier Enemy AI in Survival[/h2]

In Survival, the enemies become easier to fight. Those that attack in groups have balanced health points.


[h2]Pickup Animation[/h2]



Added an animation for picking up items.


[h2]Battle Arena Wave Adjustments[/h2]

The Battle Arena waves are now more diverse and scale earlier, offering a more saturated experience.


[h2]Mjolnir Now Granted on the 6th Wave[/h2]

It's now easier to reach Mjolnir, it appears in your inventory on the 6th wave instead of the 10th.


We hope you enjoy this update!


Skål!
Blackrose Arts

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

We keep updating the Survival map in various ways to prepare for the previously mentioned plans.

Improved the combat system, addressed the overly fast windup issue, updated movement, continue to enhance the overall gameplay experience, and made feedback-based changes to the Survival elements.

This update has a larger filesize than usual, as it includes components that will also be part of future updates.


Here is what today's patch brings!


[h2]New Island & Survival Map Updates[/h2]


Added an island where players can sail and raid in Survival.

Enhanced realism of mountain material in specific locations. Implemented landscape improvements for a more natural appearance. Reduced the steepness of the initial area. Added the first Yggdrasil branch. Incorporated more animated fog.



[h2]Quests Updates[/h2]

Added a sailing island raiding quest with a rare weapon to be picked up.

Updated several existing quests with more direct tasks.

Fixed an invalid marker in the camp raid quest.


[h2]Windup Animation Update[/h2]

Adjusted attack animations to increase their windup period.

We received feedback that the reaction time was insufficient and are working on improving the overall fight dynamics. For instance, the forward stab used to be an almost instant attack, but now there's a brief moment to anticipate the attack and react. We would appreciate your thoughts on how it feels now.


[h2]Stances System Tweaks[/h2]



Adjusted the stance system blending and made it return to idle earlier. It changes faster now and should feel more organic during combat, let us know if you have any feedback on this.


[h2]More Open Shield Warriors[/h2]



Now it's easier to land hits on enemies with shields. Their animations have been updated to be more open in certain cases, while actual blocking remains just as effective.


[h2]Bow Zoom & FPP Animation Adjustments[/h2]

Normalized bow focus zoom, it was indeed weird.

Fixed first-person perspective animation issues with the bow.


[h2]Movement Improvements[/h2]



Slightly updated animations and their playback rates contribute to a more natural movement. It's still far from perfect, but it's already better.

When walking with a weapon, there are more satisfying inverse kinematics controls.


[h2]Survival Elements Adjustments[/h2]

Added more iron ore across the map.

Made additional tweaks to fall damage.

Fixed water sound issues.

Implemented minor updates to the UI.

Updated the crafting recipe for Karvi.

Increased character swimming speed.


[h2]Karvi Control Adjustments[/h2]

Karvi has received updated parameters for its different states and should now be easier to control.


We appreciate your feedback and hope you enjoy this update!


Skål!
Blackrose Arts