VALHALL: Harbinger News

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

Today's update is pretty big. New cool stuff and a lot of improvements based on the latest feedback.

Patch Pre-Beta 0.9.2 is here, let's take a look!




[h2]Cataclysm & Shrinking zone[/h2]

This is part of the Challenge system that we are preparing. It will rule world events like cataclysm and bring new activities that go to Survival and BR. We are now starting to test the shrinking zone in Survival and will share information about BR separately in future updates.

In this patch, a cataclysm comes and the zone starts to shrink on the 7th in-game day, then on the 50th and 100th day of survival. Later, this will be tied to the days of the Challenge and will only occur when it is activated.

There are several battlefields on the map, and the zone will randomly select one of them to make it your arena for that day.



When the zone begins to shrink, a marker appears on the compass. The intensity of the earthquake and sound should also help you orient. Be careful while running!



As soon as you arrive on the battlefield and the zone closes the arena, waves of enemies attack you. During the fight with these waves, you will respawn at a random point of the shrinked zone.



The zone will disappear after all the enemies of the last wave are killed.


[h2]Relight[/h2]

Lighting has been updated in many ways to fix gameplay comfort issues and improve the overall look.

First of all, we fixed those random moments of darkness. The brightness has been adjusted for different weather conditions, so that even during a storm at night you can still orient. In addition, shadows are now of better quality, and updated post-processing makes the game more beautiful without compromising performance.


[h2]Updated and optimized characters[/h2]

Most of the characters have been replaced with more optimized and higher quality models.



We also improved existing ones, updated textures, optimized them, and fixed issues with cloth physics.


[h2]Ragdoll and physics update[/h2]

Ragdolls no longer fly like crazy and explode on impact. The related issues have been fixed and it now works correctly in multiplayer as well. Impulses for different weapons and some other aspects of physics have also been improved.


[h2]Parkour improvements[/h2]

Now you need to press the jump key to climb, auto-climb while sprinting is disabled. Adjusted NPC parkour abilities. Reduced unwanted parkour behavior.


[h2]New Loki's Maze Deathmatch servers[/h2]

We have moved Loki's Maze Deathmatch to new, more powerful EU and US servers provided by GPORTAL. Survival servers will also be there in a little while, we will announce about them in another update.


[h2]Settlement raid fixes and adjustments[/h2]

Raids have been changed to be more logical and less frustrating. Your house is now attacked less often.

Fixed an issue that caused Settlement raid bots to respawn after logging back into the game.


[h2]Death and respawn markers[/h2]

The spawn point you set is now displayed as a compass marker.

You can see the place of the last death, so you can come back.


[h2]Adaptive focus of interaction with water[/h2]

You can pick up objects under drinking water, the selection outline will switch depending on priorities.


[h2]Fish trap improvements[/h2]

Now it can be placed without problems both in lakes and in sea water. Fixed accessibility issues.


[h2]Fixed issues with lakes[/h2]

Lakes no longer glitch and instantly kill, and are now easy to get out of.


[h2]Fixed Mjolnir hit[/h2]

Fixed issues with Mjolnir's hit causing it to not work.


[h2]Fixed water passing through the ship[/h2]

High waves no longer pass through the ship bottom.


[h2]Fixed squad revive[/h2]

Warriors now respawn when revived.


[h2]Additional Improvements[/h2]

• Vikings now always have something in their pockets.
  
  
• Fixed get up animation playing randomly.
  
  
• Fixed an issue where the get up animation would play randomly.
  
  
• Quest texts corrected.
  
  
• Optimized the performance of Loki's Maze Deathmatch mode.
  
  
• Fixed strange inventory sounds.
  
  
• Fixed hanging deer collision.
  
  
• Fixed an issue that caused the squad control wheel to appear and break the game in Loki's Maze Deathmatch.
  
  
• Speed up the respawn time of Weapon test bots.
  
  
• Fixed collision of trees that blocked attacks.
  

Thanks to everyone for sharing their feedback and filling out the form from the game!


Skål!
Blackrose Arts

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

Before we take a look what today's patch brings, we'd like to show a part of the larger content we're preparing.



This is an epic shrinking zone. We will share the details about it in the next update. It will have multiple roles in the future and we will start testing it in Survival mode first in the next patch.



Patch Pre-Beta 0.9.1 is here, let's see what's in it!


[h2]Movement update[/h2]

We received a lot of feedback about the movement, in short, it was too slow.

We adjusted sprinting, running and walking with new speeds, corrected animations, blending and updated the boost system (at first you don't start running at full speed and you need time to accelerate).

It still has the balancing features for combat, such as moving backwards more slowly and stopping sprinting in some cases, but now feels more dynamic and satisfying.


[h2]Stamina update[/h2]

Since there is a movement update, there is also a stamina update. However, it's not just about the new sprint costs. This improves the overall balance of stamina. As for the sprint, there is now a tangible cost of initial acceleration.


[h2]Effects update[/h2]

The torch is now brighter and covers more distance. We also heard a lot about how it looked like it was from the last decade, so here are the new visuals.



The wall torch and some other effects have been updated too. The effects won't become blurry like it used to be from time to time.

Light no longer passes through walls in some strange way.



Post-effects and some other aspects related to graphics have also been improved. Reduced motion blur, adjusted and reduced head bobbing, fixed small but annoying visual glitches.


[h2]Unlimited light sources[/h2]

There is no longer a limit on the number of light sources that can be placed at the same time. Light up your settlement.


[h2]Raids adjustment[/h2]

Raid spawning has been adjusted to avoid enemies spawning in your house if you have a large house. Also added more wave days.


[h2]Replaced broken quest[/h2]

One of the quests that was causing issue has been replaced. A little later we will add more quests along with world events.


[h2]Fixed disappearance when falling from a height[/h2]

Fixed issues with character disappearing and game breaking after falling.


[h2]Fixed flying away during parkour and after death[/h2]

The character no longer flies away or falls under the map. However, bot ragdolls can still have this issue and we will fix it soon.


[h2]Fixed crash after death[/h2]

The bug that caused a crash after the death of the player should now be gone, but to fully prevent this problem from happening again, we will make some additional changes in the next patch.


[h2]Map improvement[/h2]

The landscape now has better detail and looks smoother. Also, small floating rocks and grass that weren't level with the ground and were casting strange shadows now sit well in place.


Guys, thank you for sharing your feedback and filling out the form!


Skål!
Blackrose Arts

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

The Pre-Beta 0.9 patch is here! New content, important fixes and improvement. Let's check it out!




[h2]Waves attacking player settlement[/h2]

Today's update adds waves of enemies that are looking for and attacking your settlement.

AI navigation now covers the entire map, which means they will find your house anywhere. And they will try to destroy it!



Settlement raiders can come at any time of the day. They aim to destroy your respawn.

There are different waves with different enemies. The more days you survive, the harder enemies visit you (although there are a few random relax waves).



First, several Vikings with swords will knock on your door, but after a few days, fiery arrows will fly into the house. There is a chance that even a bear and other animals will become your guests.




[h2]DLSS and FSR 2[/h2]

NVIDIA DLSS uses the power of the NVIDIA RTX Tensor Cores to boost frame rates and generate sharp frames that approach or exceed native rendering.

AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2 works across both Radeon and GeForce graphics cards, and on older models such as the GTX 10 and 16 series too.

You can find their customizable options in the Video settings.


[h2]Hotbar and swapping fixes[/h2]

We've heard from many players about an issue where swapping slots stopped working. Now it's fixed.


[h2]Torch fixes[/h2]

Previously, the torch could stop igniting. Now this is fixed, also in the Control settings there is a slot for changing the ignition key of the torch.


[h2]Scoreboard stuck fix[/h2]

The scoreboard will no longer open randomly in Survival.


[h2]Ore climbing issue fix[/h2]

A collision while mining an ore caused the character to fly into the sky when you try to climb it. This has been fixed.

However, we know that this problem also occurs with other objects, causing the character to fly into the sky when trying to parkour. This will be fixed in the next patches.


[h2]Stone respawn fix[/h2]

After you cut down trees and mine ore, they respawn in this area after a certain time. The respawn of stones stopped working correctly at some point and is fixed now.


[h2]Attack animation timing adjustments[/h2]

Attack timings have been adjusted to improve combat.






[h2]Craftable timber axe[/h2]

You can find it in the Craft menu.


[h2]Water and map fixes[/h2]

In the previous patch we broke landscape and water in the main build when we were working on the new coastline, sorry about that. It will appear in the next patches, but for now the landscape and water have been fixed. There should no longer be holes in the water next to mountains.




[h2]Fire arrows and AI not destroying buildings fix[/h2]

Raid bots looking for the player, not the attacking settlements, were already able to shoot fire arrows and attack buildings, but they stopped due to numerous problems. They are now fixed and if you hide from enemies that are targeting the player they can attack that building and also switch to fire arrows to fire at it.


[h2]Enemy AI fighting each other fix[/h2]

It was a bit of a fun bug, if one of your enemies accidentally hits the other, they start fighting each other. Now they share the same fighting spirit and stick to the goal. Also hostile vikings now can attack you with their wolves, they will fight together.


Thanks to everyone for sharing feedback and filling the form!


Skål!
Blackrose Arts

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

Today's patch brings important bug fixes and improvements. Also lately we have been working on bigger content that will be shown not today, but in the coming updates.




[h2]Raiders[/h2]

Now in Survival, the raiders are set to a new environment, hostile Vikings are looking for you around the map. We're starting with a low gang frequency based on previous feedback. On the way we have a new form of raids, they will turn into special waves.


[h2]Hiring warriors[/h2]

To fight back and make your own raids, you need warriors under your command. You can now hire people in Survival. Find the head of the mercenaries marked on the compass.



Choose a suitable generated warrior, they have different characteristics. Keep in mind, a stronger warrior costs more and you will need to pay him a regular salary. You can find gold in various places, raid the camp, or loot those who have come for your head.


[h2]Attack animation system bug Fix[/h2]

Thanks to community feedback, we have discovered a bug that caused the attack animation system to break and not execute attacks. Players experienced this more often during gathering. Now it is fixed.


[h2]Character starts flying Fix[/h2]

The issue that caused your character to fly has been resolved.


[h2]Deathmatch multiplayer disconnect Fix[/h2]

Since the last patch, Loki's Maze Deathmatch servers have occasionally disconnected players during a match. Sorry for the inconvenience. That is fixed.


[h2]Ship disappearing Fix[/h2]

Fixed an issue that caused player ships to disappear after restarting the game.


[h2]Different display ratio and other UI issues Fix[/h2]

The UI has been updated with some improvements and bug fixes. Issues that existed with some display ratios have been fixed.


[h2]Equip-unequip animations update[/h2]

Updated equip-unequip animations for all weapons. Now they work faster, blend much smoother and became more satisfying. Fixed custom issues with certain weapons, the two-handed axe no longer does weird things.


[h2]Improved parkour[/h2]

If you get hit while climbing, it will be canceled and you may fall. Fixed various issues related to parkour.


[h2]Improved exposure compensation and fog[/h2]

Brightness no longer jumps in a strange way. This was especially a problem on cloudy and rainy days when it was too dark to see well. The night under the moon also became a little brighter. Adjusted the fog for better visibility and it also gives a slight performance improvement.


[h2]Bots blocks and dodge arrows[/h2]



A Viking with a shield is not such an easy target for an archer from a distance. Those who do not have a shield still have a chance to successfully dodge at the last moment.


[h2]Pause menu update[/h2]

It now freezes time in Singleplayer. Also, fixed several bugs in pause menu.


[h2]Feedback button[/h2]

A feedback button has been added with a question form, where you can also report bugs and share suggestions.


[h2]Additional improvements[/h2]

Day time is longer now based on received feedback.



As we said earlier, the map is not in its final form. Better coastline and many other improvements on the way.


Skål!
Blackrose Arts

[h2]Vikings![/h2]

The Pre-Beta 0.8.8 patch is here and has brought a lot of new content, let's check it out!




[h2]Procedural Attack Animations[/h2]

First, many animations become procedural. They get the most influence from how you move your mouse. This makes the blade feel like an extension of your hand. This area of improvement can be developed further, but it already increases control satisfaction.



This is where the fun begins, all attack animations also have procedural animation logic. This means that all attack animations can now play differently depending on your mouse movement.

You can adjust the direction of the blade in flight.



In addition, you can control the angle of your shield to adapt to the attack.



We've also tweaked the stamina balance a bit for the more intense fights we're preparing for when you and your squad face more enemies in the future.

This allows you to use directional dodges more freely. Dodges add a lot of combat dynamics, and it is the dynamics that we want to emphasize in our Viking combat.



Today's combat improvements include other nice adjustments, we've added more weight to each attack with diverse animation and camera movement techniques, it now feels like more natural physics.


[h2]Animation System Update[/h2]

The animation system has been adjusted to make animation transitions smoother and more natural. For example, earlier when entering a sprint, there was a sharp rough animation change, and now it corresponds to an acceleration of speed.




[h2]Diverse Parkour[/h2]

Now you can climb walls, jump over fences, step on rocks in different ways.



For convenience, the climb will be performed automatically when sprinting over an obstacle. For example, run over the fence, and your character will jump over it.

When you're not running, just walk up to an obstacle and press the jump button.

Moreover, NPCs also know how to parkour. Enemies and your squad will epicly enter the battle under your command. Some of them won't, it's possible to fall from there...



Note: not all rocks and building objects are compatible with parkour at the moment, they will be in the next patches.


[h2]Crouch For All Weapons[/h2]

Now there is a crouch with all weapons.




[h2]Fishing Trap Fix[/h2]

The last patch had problems with the fishing trap, this fixes them. The fishing trap must be placed in the lake. One of the lakes has a default marker on the compass.


[h2]Roaming Warriors[/h2]

Hostile Vikings may appear on your path through the forest.


[h2]Weather Improvement[/h2]

Some graphics tweaks, a general increase in brightness and a change in weather probability.


[h2]More Ores[/h2]

Thanks guys for the feedback after the previous update. Added more stone and iron to the map, making them easier to find. Also in future patches, it will be possible to mine those rocks too so that there is no confusion.


[h2]Increased Animals Population[/h2]

More wild animals in the forests are happy to meet you.


[h2]Additional Improvements[/h2]

Improved water material.

Added temporary water blocking volumes to prevent the ship from falling under the map.

Fixed collisions that caused weapons to fall underground.

Fixed exploding eyeballs on characters.


Skål!
Blackrose Arts