VALHALL: Harbinger News

[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

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

We are following the roadmap and updating the Survival map to introduce the Einherjar lore afterwards. New mythological elements will be incorporated as we build a layered world. The current Survival location is in the upper realm of Asgard, near the hall itself. After completing the series of map upgrades to give it an appropriate look and prepare everything, the possibility to descend to the lower layers will emerge. This will play a significant role in the gameplay loop systems we are working on.

This Survival map upgrade is still a work in progress. Alongside the global changes, we are also focusing on optimizing and improving smaller things, such as adding new camps to raid and more animals.


Here is what today's patch brings!


[h2]Combat Control Changes[/h2]

First of all, we have received feedback regarding the combat control and have implemented changes to address it.

Now, the combat control system is a combination of the holding mechanics with the option for a click attack.

If desired, you can click the attack button, and the action will be executed in the direction of the current cursor. For those who prefer real-time control, it is still possible to hold the attack button, allowing you to adjust the trajectory of the blade while it's in mid-air by moving the mouse. Furthermore, we have enhanced the intensity of inverse kinematics while the attack button is held.

Additionally, we have fine-tuned the stance switching to make it feel smoother and more stable.


[h2]Survival Map & Elements Updates[/h2]


You will see changes to the map in the game, however, this is only the first part of the picture, and more will become visible in the upcoming updates. We are currently implementing a vertical layering to the map and adding mythological aspects to certain parts of it.

New camps to raid have been added, placed in more noticeable locations. They will respawn every 15 minutes.

Bear attack damage has been decreased.

The maximum health of wolves has been lowered.

Additional animal spawners have been placed around the map.

Floating stone ores around the map have been fixed.

The issue with crafting two-handed axes has been fixed.

Building stone objects issue and their resource requirements have been fixed.

Crafting time for weapons has been reduced.


[h2]Mining Freezes Fix[/h2]

There are no more game freezes when you mine ores.


[h2]Survival Map Optimization[/h2]

You should feel some additional framerate in Survival. It's better while there are more active actors like animals and warriors around. It's also more stable now, espesially in the dense forest. It still has a room for further improvements.


[h2]Ship Update[/h2]


First of all, the issues with the ship that were causing strange things to happen have been fixed. It no longer sends you into the sky or underground when you step on it. Additionally, it doesn't descend at full speed nor skip on water anymore.

The ship controls have also been adjusted, making it easier to rotate now.


[h2]Almost Instant Bed Respawn[/h2]

The second death in a row will not trigger a lengthy respawn cooldown, making it easier for you to defend your settlement.


[h2]Damage & Stamina Balance[/h2]

Special attacks now require more stamina and deal greater damage compared to slash and stab attacks. The cost of common attacks is also adjusted for different weapons. Should feel more realistic.


[h2]Additional Improvements[/h2]

Fixed a position in the Northern Lights map where bots were unable to reach the player.

Reduced the collision size of the shield.

Further decreased fall damage and velocity proportion to prevent unrealistic deaths when falling from hills.


Thank you for your feedback, guys! We hope you enjoy this update!


Skål!
Blackrose Arts

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

After introducing the new combat systems in the last update, we have made many improvements to them and addressed feedback. The stability, smoothness, and control difficulty have become better. Survival also received important adjustments, with more fights, resulting in an overall smoother experience.

Also, we have been working on a significant Survival map update, which will be showcased in the next update.

Let's take a look at what today's patch brings!


[h2]Survival Spawn Area Adjustment[/h2]



Near the cliff where you spawn, there is now an easy way to go down.

Additionally, roaming enemies have been added nearby, and more animals can be found along the road.


[h2]Battle Stance System Improvements[/h2]



Now the stance changing is smoother, and the animations have been adjusted, along with angle readjustments to cover a wider radius.

The controls have been changed in a certain way, now, it's not necessary to drag the mouse as far as before. You can release the attack button to execute the attack even at the beginning, or you can continue holding it for more control during the flight.


[h2]Camera Shakes Changed[/h2]

We have heard a lot about camera shakes, so we reworked them to retain the weight effect but minimize motion sickness. They will be further improved in the future, but we hope they feel better for you now. Of course, you can still adjust their intensity slider in the settings.


[h2]Attacks Inertia Adjustments[/h2]

The camera inertia and dynamic turn caps during attacks have been tweaked to make the combat more controllable.


[h2]AI Keeping Distance[/h2]

AI can now attack from a larger distance and tries to maintain that distance instead of getting too close.


[h2]Combat Tuning[/h2]

Less frequent, excessive battle cries.

Shield block collision adjusted.

Stamina balance adjusted.

Special attacks and foot kicks now deal more damage.


[h2]Arena Adjustments[/h2]

Added a small delay between the waves changing.

Reduced the possibility of flying out of the map.

Enemies don't start running to you too early.


[h2]Various Survival Improvements[/h2]

Landscape adjustments with water level and weird holes fixes.

Shorter nights, longer days.

Reduced arrow crafting time.

Chopping trees gives more wood, and mining yields more ore.

Fixed replaced objects description.

Added more flax, easier to find it.

Added more animals.

Cheaper building costs for certain objects, such as beams, to facilitate easier creative building.


[h2]Active Raiders[/h2]

There are raiders that come in waves to attack your settlement, but in this patch, we have added more of those who are looking for you. They will still attack the settlement if you try to hide.

Let us know if you feel there are too many attackers now or vice versa, if there are still not enough fights.


[h2]Ragdoll Jittering Fix[/h2]

The bug that was making the character fly to the moon after the latest new combat features addition has been fixed.


[h2]Falling Improvements[/h2]

Falling damage dealing is now more organic. Instead of becoming a ragdoll instantly upon falling, your character will go through an animation first, depending on the velocity and time of the fall. This means falling from, for example, small hills will not be as problematic. Additionally, getting up after a fall happens faster.


Thank you for your feedback, guys! We hope you enjoy these changes!


Skål!
Blackrose Arts