Vagrus - The Riven Realms News

What is this 'Dissonance Mode', you ask? Essentially, it is a game mode you can select when starting a new game, and that shifts the experience toward a more narrative route, easing up on the management and combat mechanics to transform Vagrus into more of an exploration game with a strong visual novel element for those that find the challenge too taxing.

We decided to include this game mode due to player feedback, but the decision to do so was not an easy one because we dreamed up Vagrus as a game that closely fits its setting: a cruel, harsh, merciless world that pulls no punches but once the challenges presented by it are conquered, the sense of accomplishment would be all the more satisfying. So if the world is presented as savage and unforgiving while the difficulty is lower, it can easily cause what is called ludo-narrative dissonance, which in the broadest terms means that what you are told in a game does not match what you play.

This kind of dissonance has been reported by a number of players in times when more experimental patches caused the economy to pour money on enterprising vagri. Most of this feedback described the lack of challenge and the resulting tension, which caused the dissonance, eventually leading to players to abandon a playthrough.

However, not everyone is looking for the same thrills when they play video games, and those players that do not enjoy the tactical combat or the strategy aspect of managing resources and logistics will ultimately feel that they want to delve into the world but not at the cost of a steeper learning curve. Well, Dissonance Mode is tailored for them.
In general, it comes with easier combat challenges and a more forgiving economy, allowing players to explore more freely. However, with the removed challenge comes the removal of Achievements, too. It is our hope that those who still wish to earn these badges will get practiced in Dissonance Mode and then go on to enjoy the full experience that we'll from now on call Wasteland Mode.

The list of what Dissonance Mode and 'an easier playthrough' exactly entails is not final yet and will probably change quite a lot until the final release. We'll see what to add partly based on future feedback.

Here is the list of impacts [effective from v0.6.20 going live (hopefully next week)]:

• Cheaper supplies
  
• Significantly distorted RNG in the players' favor
  
• Higher level Trade and Mercenary Task commissions available from the start
  
• Easier Mercenary Tasks (lower opponent combat stats)
  
• Higher trade-distance market premium (wider price differences between source and sell locations resulting in higher possible profits)
  
• Constant 'Favored' Property on Companions granting them extra Vitality and Accuracy
  
• Lower chances of Crew Combat encounters, especially in the early game
  
• Slightly easier Crew Combat encounters
  
• Lower defense rate requirements to guard your camp
  
• More allowing workforce rate requirements before the Severely Understaffed and Critically Understaffed states are triggered
  
• Healing chances are higher (both during Camp and via Events)
  

There is, of course, the possibility that a number of players choose a Mode that is not suited for them consistently, causing them not to enjoy the story without the challenge in Dissonance Mode or become disheartened by the cruelty of Wasteland Mode, but our hope is that in the end, more of them will find the right alternative in the two modes available.

Now that Dissonance Mode was added to the game, we are looking forward to your feedback on it. Until then, stay tuned, stay safe, and conquer the wasteland!

The Lost Pilgrims Team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/909660?utm_source=steam&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=website&utm_content=footer
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[h2]Wildermyth is out of Early Access![/h2]

Our friends at Worldwalker Games have just released the 1.0 build of their amazing game.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/763890/wildermyth/?utm_source=steam&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=vagrustherivenrealms

Wildermyth follows heroes over their whole careers, from their pitchfork days to their powerful primes, and on into old age and memory. It’s a party-based procedural storytelling RPG where tactical combat and story decisions will alter your world and reshape your cast of characters.

Sometimes described as "Fantasy XCOM" or "Single Player D&D", if you like turn-based squad combat and characters who grown and change in response to your choices, check it out! There's a 20% sale running this week.

[h2]Here's what's new in the 1.0 release:[/h2]
[See the full patchnotes on Wildermyth's community site: here]

[h3]All the Bones of Summer[/h3]

A five chapter campaign focused on Drauven. This story follows both human and Drauven heroes over the span of the campaign. It's complex and beautiful. Something the team can be extremely proud.

[h3]Achievements![/h3]
Over 50 achievements have been added to the game. Each achievement unlocks a piece of concept art or a theme skin. You can browse your achievements in the legacy browser or on Steam.

[h3]Theme Skins[/h3]
Some themes now have skins that can be unlocked with achievements. Theme skins are cosmetic variants, and once unlocked, they can be chosen in the customize section in the character sheet.

[h3]Ability Upgrades[/h3]

When a hero levels up, they will now often see 4 choices instead of 3. The 4th choice is for upgrading an existing class ability or theme attack. This is a very big change to how heroes are built, and it will allow players to be more intentional with their builds, and differentiate heroes more.

[h3]Generic Campaign Chapters[/h3]

The team has revamped their generic campaigns, and it's a huge improvement!

Now instead of seeing generic events, each chapter will have an omen, capstone, and victory events that fit together, with a custom capstone mission. Some chapters also include custom keystone missions. These chapters will be mixed together to create a whole campaign. Some are monster specific, and some work for any monsters, but they all have unique battle maps and stories that match what's going on in the overall campaign. Right now there are over 20 chapters in the game, with several more on the way.

[h3]Launch Week Schedule[/h3]

• Tuesday: Nookrium
  
• Wednesday: Penny Arcade Acquisitions Inc. C Team
  
• Thursday: ReformistTM
  
• Friday: Paul Soares Jr
  
• Saturday: Seri! Pixel Biologist
  
• Sunday: Blind IRL & friends
  

Purchase or wishlist and follow Wildermyth for up-to-date information about its development.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/763890/wildermyth/?utm_source=steam&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=vagrustherivenrealms

As we teased in our latest devlog post about Mercenary Tasks, we have extended Crew Combat with a new feature: you can decide how to deal with the enemy from now on following a victorious battle.

The option appears on the Crew Combat UI at the end of the fight opposite your heal options provided that your enemy surrendered (remember, only humanoids can), fled, or retreated but you caught some of them while pursuing them.



Your options are:

Recruit: Depending on their willingness to join, this results in a few fighters, scouts, or workers to be added to your ranks. That, of course, will not sit too well with your existing crew who have fought them just moments ago, and the result is Morale loss. It's also considered to be a 'kind' action and certain companions may like or dislike it for the same reason.

Conscript: Somewhat similar to Recruit, except joining is not voluntary, and so in this case, neither your existing crew nor the newly added members are happy about it, leading to an even more significant Morale drop.

Enslave: Instead of joining as free crew members, all surviving enemies are pushed into slavery. As expected, a massive drop in Obedience accompanies this decision.

Release: Once you stripped the foe of their valuables, you set them free. It may sound kind but in fact, it's a relatively cruel decision given the dangers of the wasteland.

Execute: This is a drastic measure considered 'malevolent' and brings no benefits since the valuables of the enemy have been turned over anyway when they surrendered or got caught.

Imprison: The last one is an option that players will only see when they have an active Mercenary Task to capture such enemies (be them bandits or other faction rivals). Hence the timing of us implementing this feature alongside Mercenary Tasks.

These expanded options provide further incentive, strategic depth, and even immersion to Crew Combat encounters and we hope you'll like them and provide us with the usual valuable feedback.

Stay tuned, stay safe, and conquer the wasteland!

The Lost Pilgrims Team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/909660?utm_source=steam&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=website&utm_content=footer
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Wanna see the full game released as early as possible with even more content? Please share our pages and posts with your friends through your favorite social media channel(s). Appreciate it!

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In Part I. of our breakdown of Mercenary Tasks, we discussed what this new kind of gameplay element brings to Vagrus, how it works, and began describing the types implemented in the current build. Now it is time to delve into the rest of the Mercenary Task Types:

[h3]Escort[/h3]

This type is a classical RPG task: take someone (or several people) to a location and protect them on the way there. There are simpler variants - usually lower level Tasks - where you have to take them between settlements. In contrast to most regular passengers, these have known enemies hunting them, so an attack during your journey is almost certain - with several attempts at higher Task levels.

Losing Crew Combat against the attackers fails the Task. A future update would change this so that certain passengers can be killed and then these Escort Tasks will indeed focus on keeping them alive in the fight.

A more difficult variant is where the passenger's destination is out in the wasteland and once you take them there, you need to wait until they finish their business, then escort them to their final goal.


[h3]Abduct and Rescue[/h3]

These types are the opposites sides of the same coin in some respects. Both would have you find a location in the wasteland, win a battle there, be joined by a passenger whom you need to take to their destination. The biggest difference is that the passengers do not join you voluntarily in Abduct Tasks, of course.

Both types carry the risk of being attacked on the way to the final destination as the foe tries to recapture the passenger.


[h3]Capture[/h3]

In this type of Mercenary Task, you do not escort or take certain passengers but rather have to gain them from defeated enemies, that is, capture prisoners and turn them in at the given location. Most of the time, this can be accomplished in more than one Crew Combat encounters, but it depends on how many of the enemy flee or are killed during the battle.

Somewhat connected to this is the mechanic that allows you to decide the fate of the remaining captured enemies after a Crew Combat encounter. This means that during Capture Tasks, you could take the right kind of enemies prisoner, hastening your Task completion. The details of this will be discussed in a future post.

Be sure to try Mercenary Tasks with the right kind of comitatus now that they are added to the game and tell us what you think!

Stay tuned, stay alive, conquer the wasteland!

The Lost Pilgrims Team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/909660?utm_source=steam&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=website&utm_content=footer
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Wanna see the full game released as early as possible with even more content? Please share our pages and posts with your friends through your favorite social media channel(s). Appreciate it!

Fig | Website | Youtube | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Patreon | Discord

One of the latest content updates (Patch 0.5.30 Codename: Brimstone and Bones) brought with it a spacious region to explore, the most prominent part of which are the Smolderbone Flats. Players who took the 'Pilgrims of the Wasteland' standalone story for a spin surely recognize this place, as it was an important location in that story. And yet you will find that much has changed since your last visit, with 10 years passing, allegiances shifting, and new threats rising.

[h3]Companionship[/h3]
One of the most important additions is a new companion you can hire to serve in your comitatus. It is none other than Skornar, the kingpin and former marauder who ran a gang of smugglers in 'Pilgrims of the Wasteland'. What trouble did he get himself into? You will have to find out for yourself.

Skornar is a stout man who can take quite a beating despite his age, but he can also dish out one. His shield and armor allow for a defensive play-style enhanced by his ability to retaliate against attackers. He's also a veteran traveler, marauder captain, and lover of tall tales. He'll most likely fit right in.


[h3]Avernum[/h3]
Avernum itself is home to the private army called the Avernus Legion and its master, the Prefectus. Although Imperial in name and culture for the most part, the city has always been fairly independent. And with the sources of attainable ore in this metal-starved world, as well as the blacksmiths to work it into weapons and tools, Avernum has become a power in its own right, overshadowing all but the greatest of Imperial cities.



Should you not be drawn to the metallurgists and forges, worry not. Avernum has other services and attractions for enterprising travelers, such as the Carpenters' Guild's headquarters, the Imperial arena, or the odd but certainly very powerful mage who set up shop here decades ago.

[h3]The Sadirar[/h3]
A peculiar tribal people, the Sadirar are made up of several tribes, each worshiping the Great Spirits that embody the elements. They are masters of the western deserts and on the whole are a relatively peaceful folk. In this build, you can visit the village of the flame-worshiping Utvorar and the oasis of the water-worshiping Vitrar. Their shamans deal in special goods and services that might interest any industrious vagrus.



[h3]Paths To and Fro[/h3]
There were quite a number of story-lines that led to this very region and most of these can now be concluded or at least continued. Have you undertaken a job for House Venari or are you looking for the Invisible Arena? Or perhaps you are interested in stories that begin here? Bounties, investigations, errands, and quests will present themselves to those that look.



It is a good time to return to the Riven Realms if any of these grabbed your attention. With Brimstone and Bones, the main campaign's size grew considerably and we are now very close to adding the final zones to round out the map. But that is not the end of the story content - we'll be working on companion quests and longer, more complex questlines, too.

Stay tuned, stay alive, conquer the wasteland!

The Lost Pilgrims Team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/909660?utm_source=steam&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=website&utm_content=footer
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wanna see the full game released as early as possible with even more content? Please share our pages and posts with your friends through your favorite social media channel(s). Appreciate it!

Fig | Website | Youtube | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Patreon | Discord