Vagrus - The Riven Realms News

[p][/p][h3]Hey everyone,[/h3][p][/p][p]This update not only brings another round of fixes and tweaks, but also adds a long quest called “The Gangs of Varnurud”, changes a location in the expansion, and introduces Fog of War to certain parts of At the Heart of Ruin.[/p][p] [/p][h3]Shoutout to Trese Brothers on Cyber Knights: Flashpoint[/h3][p][/p][p]Before getting into 1.260, we’d look to mention our good friends at Trese Brothers, who’ve just hit a big milestone for their tactical RPG, Cyber Knights: Flashpoint, released earlier this year, while also running a sale. This deep tactical RPG puts you in charge of cyberpunk mercenaries, sending squads on tense heights amidst the megacorps and crime syndicates of the 23rd century. Like Vagrus, it’s a challenging, complex game. It’s not an open world experience or narrative-focused, instead mixing hand-crafted content with clever procedurally generated systems and a huge variety of character build options, for extreme replayability. If you like games like XCOM or Shadowrun, this one’s worth a look![/p][p]
[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][h3]The Gangs of Varnurud[/h3][p][/p][p]This lengthy quest ties up loose ends regarding the hostile scavenger gangs in Varnurud after certain decisive decisions. It is by no means a simple undertaking, and you’ll need to face some of the toughest warriors and lunatics the scavenger gangs can deploy – repeatedly! SPOILER ALERT! Completing it makes the region a bit safer (though it still remains one of the most perilous areas in game). You can access it after completing the quest “All the Way Down”. [/p][p]Some locations in Varnurud also changed a bit. Chief of these is the appearance of the Ancients’ Causeway in the northern section, which is now a Point of Interest you can visit, with repeatable Exploration Encounters in tow. That’s not all, however, as the ancient monoliths might end up being the site for a certain new quest stage. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Fog of War[/h3][p][/p][p]Smoke and ash have always been part of the environment of the volcanic plateaus and valleys of Varnurud (and the rest of the Mountains of Fire). To represent this, we are now adding a proper Fog of War feature to the mountainous area. It is perfect to represent the different scope of the mountains and the lack of visibility – a stark contrast to the mostly open wastelands of the vanilla game. This has been in the works for a while, and we hope you appreciate the added immersion.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]And now, it’s time to get to our Patch Notes for 1.260![/p][p][/p][p]Important Note: Considering the extent of the improvements, there is little to no chance that we broke nothing in the process. Assume that we did not want to make anyone's life harder. If you see something amiss, please flag it to us using the usual channels, like the inbuilt reporting tool (F1 button), forums, and our Discord server.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Patch 1.260 – The Gangs of Varnurud[/h2][p][/p][h3]New Content[/h3]

• [p]“The Gangs of Varnurud” questline was added. It is a difficult set of challenges you can attain after the Ember Mines are conquered and conclude the fate of the lunatics that prowl Varnurud.[/p]
• [p]Ancients’ Causeway has changed to a Point of Interest with its own Story Pane and Exploration Encounter[/p]
• [p]Scavenger gangs received a few new improvement texts (choices that react to certain quest or world states) [/p]

[h3]New and Improved Features gift[/h3]

• [p]Fog of War was added to Varnurud[/p]
• [p]Ancestor Spirits (summoned by Orc Spirit Shamans or encountered in the wild) now deal magical damage as intended[/p]
• [p]Various smaller Exploration Encounter tweaks[/p]
• [p]Re-formatted several Gear effect properties for better tooltip texts[/p]
• [p]Comitati can now only equip one set of backpacks at a time[/p]
• [p]Comitati can now only equip one dowsing item at a time[/p]
• [p]Hauling Litters can no longer be assigned to the Tools Equipment slot, but can now be slotted into the Cargo Equipment slot (alongside Miscellaneous, as before)[/p]
• [p]Applied various improvements to Crew tooltips (for example, added Cargo capacity to Fighters and Scouts, and removed tooltips from Beasts when they are not available) [/p]

[h3]Bug Fixes bug[/h3]

• [p]Fixed an issue that caused a crash to desktop related to certain Journal actions[/p]
• [p]Missing images in the Glossary are fixed (again!)[/p]
• [p]Fixed the issue that caused Passenger-triggered messages to get stuck during the descent to Scrapheap (from Varnurud)[/p]
• [p]A rare soft-lock on the camp screen was fixed[/p]
• [p]Fixed the issue with retaliate-type combat Skills that prevented their triggering due to a lack of POW[/p]
• [p]Removed summoned Obstacles that (hilariously?) got stuck as stowaways in certain comitati[/p]
• [p]Fixed various Event soft-locks and text issues[/p]

[p] As ever, more is coming, so stay tuned and conquer the wasteland![/p][p]- The Lost Pilgrims Team[/p]

[p][/p][p]Players’ reactions to At the Heart of Ruin are coming in hard and fast, and we’re delighted to see how our community is interacting with the expansion, providing praise, feedback, and articulate criticism, as well as reporting the bugs they find. Apart from tackling these, we’ve already started planning what follows – more on that later – and tying up some loose ends.
[/p][p]It has occurred to us that we’ve not brought the story to a satisfying conclusion with the more hostile scavenger gangs of the expansion – the Raptors, the Cleansing Conflagration, and the Crimson Skull. Thus, the first step in our roadmap has emerged; we wanted to create a bit of a conclusion when it comes to Varnurud’s wayward gangs, and we’re very close to releasing it.[/p][p][/p][p]“The Gangs of Varnurud” is a sprawling new quest line players will be able to start after throwing their lot in with one of the possible ally scavenger gangs. The story is complete with fearsome foes, challenging battles, and region-altering consequences! We advise vagri to meet these challenges carefully, as the fanatical scavengers are not to be trifled with.[/p][p][/p][p]The update that includes “The Gangs of Varnurud” will be released toward the tail end of November, so keep a weather eye on the horizon.
[/p][p]But we’re just getting started. This, dear vagri, is just the first step on the path to enriching the expansion. We plan to get a full road map of what to expect for the At the Heart of Ruin expansion moving forward as soon as we are able. Until then, enjoy the new quest and do as you always do: stay safe, stay awesome, and conquer the wasteland!
[/p][p]– The Lost Pilgrims Team[/p]

[p]Hey folks![/p][p]
Our friends at MuHa Games just launched their new game Project Thea in Early Access today![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]It is a dark, post-apocalyptic strategy RPG where you explore the Wasteland, rebuild your colony, craft, cook, and fight weird and wonderful creatures using tactical card combat.
If you like games with story choices, survival vibes, Slavic folklore, and retro-futuristic madness, give it a look.[/p][p]The Early Access build already has a full gameplay loop and plenty to discover, and the devs are planning even more content, co-op features, and narrative updates.[/p][p]Check it out on Steam here:[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]Congrats to MuHa Games - go show them some love![/p][p]
[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Hey everyone,[/h3][p]
While the studio is still trying to recover from the exertion of the last couple of weeks (or months, really) leading up to the release of At the Heart of Ruin, we are patching and updating the game with hotfixes to iron out any outstanding issues. A detailed list of updates and fixes are below at your perusal, but we’ve also started to conceptualize our next cosmetic pack because of how popular the first one turned out to be – go check it out!

Important Note: Considering the extent of the improvements, there is little to no chance that we broke nothing in the process. Assume that we did not want to make anyone's life harder. If you see something amiss, please flag it to us using the usual channels, like the inbuilt reporting tool (F1 button), forums, and our Discord server.

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[/p][h2]At the Heart of Ruin Hotfix 1 Patch Notes (v1.255)[/h2][p][/p][h3]Bug Fixes :bug:[/h3]

• [p]When reaching Tier 4 Reputation with a nemesis faction in At the Heart of Ruin, the other two will irrevocably become hostile now, blocking access to their bases and preventing interactions with them (as it was originally intended); the wrong states that can currently be achieved will auto-fix upon the first new reputation change with the gangs[/p]
• [p]Fixed various Exploration Encounter issues, including hotkey overlaps with other game states[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue that caused a part of Crew Combat loot not to be added to the Cargo[/p]
• [p]A bunch of Node visibility issues after loading a game were fixed[/p]
• [p]The issue that caused Companion Combat victory to become a defeat in the Event path was fixed (though there might be edge cases, so please report this issue if it resurfaces)[/p]
• [p]Missing effects for certain Gear were added, including the Runed Tongs, Runed Armorsmith Hammer, Kernel of Zhar, and the Basilisk Eye Charm[/p]
• [p]Fireshield Crystal no longer unequips when Movement Points fall to or below 1[/p]
• [p]Equipment that advertised Outpost effects will now actually provide them[/p]
• [p]Falcons and Hunting Animals no longer only work in Varnurud[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue that caused Companion Combat to lock when a character using Acrobatics was struck by the Raptor Skill ‘Come Over Here’[/p]
• [p]Fixed the issue that prevented Orc Spirit Shamans from summoning Ancestral Spirits[/p]
• [p]Fixed the default artwork and settlement description of Scrapheap[/p]
• [p]Various tooltip clarifications and updates were applied (a few remain on our list, though)[/p]
• [p]Various errors under the hood were fixed (that may or may not have impacted gameplay)[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Event Fixes (be wary of spoilers!) :pencil:[/h3]

• [p]Fixed several issues with the Ember Mines quest, including soft locks and doubled choice issues[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue that allowed players to conclude the Black Stalker quest on a path they did not choose (for those who got stuck with the Black Stalker this way, and want to keep on this path, there is a new choice to get rid of him)[/p]
• [p]A rare case of a crash in Phlegetos Bridge was fixed[/p]
• [p]A number of missing/wrong NPC portraits fixed in Events[/p]
• [p]Various smaller fixes and text improvements[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Miscellaneous Updates :shiny:[/h3]

• [p]Glossary was updated with entries on Exploration Encounters and the Throw-out mechanic [/p]

[p][/p][h2]Supporter Pack Vote[/h2][p]We’ve also become aware recently that the Ruinous Supporter Pack has become quite popular among our players.[/p][p][/p][p]First and foremost: a huge thank you for picking it up![/p][p][/p][p]When we came up with the idea of the Companion cosmetics, our goal was to give something worthwhile and cool to those of you who very kindly decided to support us this way, so we can continue enriching the Riven Realms and improve various aspects of the game.[/p][p]Thus, we decided to create at least another such pack, which will further diversify Companion looks. So we put our heads together, checked notes, old concept artwork, shared some ideas, and came up with two distinct frameworks for possible packs:[/p][p]
[/p][p]“Cultures”[/p][p][/p][p]The concept of this pack is that each Companion would receive attire from a (more or less exotic) culture from the Riven Realms. It doesn’t have to be one that they are related to, but one that matches their archetype, rather. You can see some early concepts around this idea. Can you guess whose stuff you can see?[/p][p]
[/p][p]“Vocation”[/p][p][/p][p]The idea for this pack is that each Companion’s new look is based on a career, role, or vocation that they neglected or passed up to instead become what they are. Something they could have been, but instead chose a different path, or it chose them. Sometimes this vocation is still a part of their current identity, at least partially.[/p][p]
[/p][p]You Decide[/p][p]We would like YOU to vote on which pack you’d like to see realized from the two above, based on the concepts and the thematic outlines! Let us know which one you would prefer on our Discord server where you will be able to find the poll.
[/p][p]If time permits, we’d like to release the second one in the foreseeable future, too, of course, but there are no guarantees. Also, be mindful that some details about the looks (and the above images) might change as we’re developing them. As with the Ruinous cosmetics, these are also non-canon appearances for the Companions and should be seen as cool, fun alternative appearances – more options for those who like such things. Let us know what you think by voting or commenting!
[/p][h2]Free Future Content Updates[/h2][p]As we’ve previously said, we are still not done with At the Heart of Ruin. We are working on a series of free content updates for it, mostly expanding on the expedition storyline. The first of these additions, however, is going to go elsewhere: it’s a sprawling quest titled “The Gangs of Varnurud”, and it will provide some closure concerning the three most despicable and dangerous scavenger gangs of the Mountains of Fire. Keep an eye out for updates on that, because it’s coming sooner than you think![/p][p]
[/p][p]Until next time – stay vigilant, stay safe, stay awesome, and conquer the wasteland![/p][p]
- The Lost Pilgrims Team
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Website | Youtube | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Patreon | Discord[/p]

[p][/p][p]We are absolutely stoked to announce that our expansion, At the Heart of Ruin, is finally OUT! As usual for us, the project’s scope was vast, and after putting as much as we could into it, be they stories, features, locations, factions, artwork, enemies, or rewards, we’re proud of what we’ve achieved and excited to see what you make of it![/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]To coincide with the release, we’ve also just dropped our Ruinous Supporter Pack, which is a great way to support our small team while getting your hands on some optional Companion cosmetics.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]If you’re wondering what’s in this expansion, in brief, we can tell you that you are in for a dark fantasy narrative adventure that focuses on a small but dense, multi-layered region. It is set in the Mountains of Fire, where the crumbling remnants of the old Dwarven kingdom of a lost age endure.
[/p][p]The expansion has many facets and a lot to offer – stories, locations, and features we’ve lovingly crafted – and here are the most prominent elements to expect:[/p]

• [p]A savage, imperiled new region free of Imperial dominance and brimming with danger[/p]
• [p]A slew of new locations and enemies in the usual art style and quality of Vagrus – more than in any single DLC before[/p]
• [p]A large cast of NPCs, most of them new, while others are recognizable faces from old stories[/p]
• [p]Three scavenger factions that are nemeses of each other, with their own quests and rewards[/p]
• [p]Unique quests available through committing to one of two new minor factions[/p]
• [p]Our most ambitious narrative undertaking since the release of the base game, both in complexity and narrative impact[/p]
• [p]Expansive, branching, dark adventures that build on the rich lore of the Riven Realms[/p]
• [p]Replayability due to the sheer volume of divergent outcomes, stories, rewards, and opportunities[/p]
• [p]Exploration Encounters, a brand new game feature that offers procedurally generated challenges, obstacles, and chances to get loot outside the narrative-heavy sections
  [/p]

[p]Traversing most of these new territories is unique and separate in some ways from the rest of Vagrus, and to those who have any burning questions, we’ve put together a post addressing them all. Take a look if you’re keen to understand everything a little better.
[/p][p]To celebrate the release, we are running a sale on Steam! Whether you’ve been waiting to begin your journey as a vagrus or looking to expand your caravan’s adventures, there’s never been a better time to dive into the dark and treacherous wastelands of the Riven Realms.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]It’s also worth mentioning that more content in At the Heart of Ruin is forthcoming. There’s one storyline in particular that we’ve decided to flesh out further, and you can expect regular, free updates that build on what’s already there. As for the details, we’ll get into those soon! Stay tuned.
[/p][p]Otherwise, what are you waiting for? Get out there and get into it! Oh, and if you have the time, drop us a review, we’d appreciate it – every little bit helps. Perhaps above all else, stay wary, stay awesome, and conquer the wasteland!
[/p][p]– The Lost Pilgrims Team[/p][p]
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