Vagrus - The Riven Realms News

Hey Folks,

this patch is a beast in all sense. So many new features and changes have been added that if you ever considered starting a new play-through, this might be the perfect time for it. A shedload of tweaks has been applied to make the early game a little more forgiving (without making the late game easier), and we look forward to your feedback on the direction of these changes.

Important note: considering the extent of these 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 inbuild reporting tool (F1 button), forums, and our Discord server.

Now let's jump into the details.

[h2]Patch 0.5.25 - Codename: Beasty![/h2]

[h3]New/Updated Features :shiny:[/h3]

• Dynamic pricing allows for higher profits in smaller quantities. See our detailed design post.
  
  
  
  
• Enter Companion Combat from Crew Combat - actions enabled
  • The two combats 'run parallel' - you get to play first the Comp combat and see the result impacting the Crew combat side
    
  • You can decide which companions fight in which combat but only in one (meaning their CS/Def do not count in crew combat)
    
  • Every Crew Combat round allows you to fight six rounds in Comp combat. After that, the battle continues
    
  • Victory (killing all enemies) achieved within the six rounds causes 10 grit damage to the enemy
    
  • Defeat ( all deployed companions pushed to downed/out of combat) results in serious morale loss (so you better take it seriously)
    
• Summoning Skills for Necromancers and Hollow Eyes
  
  
• Price History is a new tool for all vagri to track goods' prices across settlements
  
  
  
  
• Equipment design changes - new slots, unlocked by deputy assignments
  
  • Equipment can be mounted into one or more slots specifically and the Miscellaneous slot is no longer a default for all
  
  
  
• Faction Flag selection (incl. minimap flag)
  
• Beast Type change option at the Manios between Mammal and Reptile
  
  

[h3]New / Updated Content or Game Mechanics :gift:[/h3]

• Created alternative versions for some of the bandit roster characters
  
• Few dozen Event balancing changes
  
• Beast & Mount Buy-Sell ratio corrected
  
• New game default beast type: Mammal
  
• Indirect Faction reputation change is not limited to the [-1 : 3] tier range
  
• A metric ton of smaller economy & crew combat tweaks
  
• Some Equipment stat changes [a shed load of new equipment coming soon as Faction Rewards]
  
• Road Tax event priority change (High to Preferred)
  
• Road Tax event no longer considers goods in Stash
  
• Road Tax event option to pay with Supplies
  
• Leader and Elite unit kills cause additional Grit loss to the enemy [regardless of dying from comp combat or crew combat damage]
  

[h3]User Interface Improvements :pencil:[/h3]

• Graphics config within Options (no pop-up)
  
• Options menu overhaul
  
• Combat Clash Speed option added (1.5x set as default)
  
• Combat Round Announcements
  
• Character turn announcement
  
• Turn off tutorials for Open-World gameplay
  
• Equipment is now listed in two columns
  

[h3]Bug Fixes :bug:[/h3]

• Criftaa Suppressing Shot + Evade crash fixed
  
• Negative Power stat companion freeze fixed
  
• Mass trading buttons removed from Discipline and Liberate screens
  
• Selling equipment when full cargo exploit fixed
  
• Empty Odd jobs result after settlement Rest due Scouting lock on the Camp UI
  
• Deputy perk refund exploit removed
  
• Death animation restored to its original size
  

Known Issues

• We will explore options to reduce the initial loading time.
  
• The visual presentation of Companion Combat skills with two phases is not final yet.
  

'Is Vagrus properly balanced now'? - Nope. 'Was it a step in the right direction?' - We think so. Please let us know how you find it.

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

[h3]Hey everyone,[/h3]

first of all, Happy New Year. We made it to 2021 at last. 🥳

It's been a while since we posted a devlog entry and we figured that this would be a great time to do so. Today's topic, Dynamic pricing, has been on our minds for a long-long time, and finally, we've decided to pull the trigger on implementing it. To provide a little background on why we need it, let's review what happens in the current build of the game when you go trading.

[h2]Current Goods Pricing[/h2]

Buying and selling goods on the market do not affect those respective prices. The first stack you buy will cost exactly the same as the last one you grab from that market. Similarly, the first unit of pottery you sell will go for the same amount as the 535th unit you dump on the locals.

This means that after you figure out what makes sense to trade in small quantities, you can rely on repeating that no matter how big your comitatus grows and end up making the same rounds over and over again. The whole thing turns into grinding, which never was our intent, of course.



It's problematic from an immersion perspective as well since dumping twenty stacks of pottery on an oasis camp makes absolutely no sense. What the heck would they do with that many, right?

Lastly, but just as importantly, that system created an economy balancing issue, too. As once the size of your comitatus grows, it becomes more and more profitable to repeat tried and static routes. While the buy and sell prices are the same regardless of the quantity, the other costs (upkeep, consumption, etc.) are not scaling linearly with the cargo size.

We have struggled with this through numerous attempts at balancing, failing in a new way every time.

1. A low profit per stack created a suitable challenge for bigger comitati but smaller ones had an extremely tough time surviving.
   
2. When we raised the profits high enough to make it relatively easy for smaller comitati to make a living, by the mid-late game players were swimming in money (known as the golden age of vagrus players, with many owning 10,000+ Bross).
   
3. Right now we are in the middle where smaller comitati still struggle while there is little challenge for high-end caravans since money is never a constraint for them.
   

Our solution?

[h2]Dynamic Pricing[/h2]

The main change in this system is that markets react to the quantity available to them. The more of the same goods you sell on a market, the less they are willing to pay for it and similarly, the less quantity of a trade good remains on the given market, the higher the price they expect for it. It's a well-known concept: in economics, they refer to this as the 'invisible hand' that balances demand and supply at the right price.

[h3]But how does this help with the issues we listed above?[/h3]
It allows increasing the profit margins to the high spectrum, so smaller comitati would have an easier time while effective trading still maintaining a challenge for mid- and large-sized caravans. The higher quantities you buy and sell, the closer the buy and sell prices become, so the profit margins stick closer to your cost-efficiency.



[h3]Does that mean that the game will become much harder for mid- or large-sized comitati?[/h3]
Yes and no. Doing the same as before, running exactly the same trade rounds regardless of size, will not work well any longer. Players trying that will quickly see their profits dwindle and might feel that the game just got harder for them.

The answer is partly in: 'the bigger no longer means better' but also in: 'diversity over grinding'. Instead of trading in 2-3 types of goods in massive quantities, the best profits (better than before in small quantities) can be achieved in trading in many goods at once. Getting great deals and distributing between multiple locations along a trade route work much better.

It will be something new and challenging until players figure it out; also much less repetitive, hence more enjoyable, we hope.



It will surely take several iterations to balance this new system. We have already started testing it internally but the ultimate trial by fire will come when we make this available to you all and hear your insights: stories of success and failure. Learning those will help us tweak the system further and get closer to a good balance between challenging and enjoyable.

Hope you are just as enthusiastic about these upcoming changes as we are!

The Lost Pilgrims Team
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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

We at Lost Pilgrims Studio want to wish you all Merry Christmas (or whatever else you celebrate in your neck of the woods at this time of the year) and a hopefully-much-better 2021 than this year has been globally! We hope that you are safe and well in these dark times.

Keep a weather eye on the horizon, as we'll continue working hard on Vagrus, releasing content and features continuously, to be able to deliver a final game (in 2021🤞) that has the high quality we aim for as well as our quirky, unique touch. :)

The Lost Pilgrims Team



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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

[h3]Hey everyone,[/h3]

our last patch with the Deven subregion and Crew Combat improvements was our biggest release since entering Early Access. Unfortunately, it also brought more bugs/setup issues that slipped through the cracks. Sorry about that. But now we are happy to share with you this 0.521 build that is, though, mostly a hotfix patch for 'Codename:Plunder', also has some new Quality of Live features we have been planning for some time.

[h2]Let's start with those QoL additions:[/h2]

• Objective area markers added on the Chart for a number of questlines - typically for those where you need to scout within a given area, so you would know at least the approximate location. Note that this is the first version of this feature and will change over time when we add Mercenary and Exploration tasks as they will use the same system. Also, we might add an option in the main menu to turn these off so hardcore explorers can hunt for these locations solely based on rumors and other clues.
  
• Exploit Leadership perk is enabled, which now allows players to use Resourcefulness to reroll available Trade faction contracts in settlements once per seven days.
  
• Goods category filters added on the Market to help finding the exact things you are looking for.
  
• Specify quantity button added for those playing via Steam Remote Play using their iPads (or somethin').
  

Okay, so what got fixed? Here go the patch notes.

[h2]Patch 0.5.21 - Codename: HighLife![/h2]

New/Updated Features

• Objective area markers
  
• Exploit Leadership perk to reroll available Trade Tasks
  
• Goods category filters on the Market
  
• Specify quantity button on the Market
  
• Goods pilfered by the enemy can be taken back if you destroy them in Crew Combat
  
• Entering major settlements with a larger armed force now requires a license
  
• Vagrus now runs in the background
  

Bug Fixes 🤞🏽

• Heritage of Hatred questline location is now actually on the map
  
• Blessing of Unbiding works on companions - time to hunt some specters
  
• Eliminated over 300 nodes and 2000 lines from the overpopulated areas of the campaign map
  
• The Wyrm's Teeth shows up on the Chart as intended
  
• The event connected to the Wyrm's Teeth now properly pops up (if all dependencies are met)
  
• Initiating banter during the rest before the Gor'Goro Arena match no longer breaks the game
  
• Chapter I. save in the PotW story fixed
  
• Applied a great many changes to Crew Combat calculations
  
• Approximately 300 Crew Combat templates rebalanced (probably needs 3-4 more passes before release :P)
  
• Crew Combat Action with 'Not against Beast/Undead' requirement fixed
  
• Crew Combat casualties now properly show up on the conclusion screen and at the time of camping
  

Known Issues

• We will explore options to reduce the initial loading time.
  
• Scouting result crash - still unable to reproduce.
  
• The visual presentation of Companion Combat skills with two phases is not final yet.
  

'Is Vagrus properly balanced now'? - Nope. 'Was it a step in the right direction?' - We think so. Please let us know how you find it.

Stay tuned, stay alive, conquer the wasteland!
- The Lost Pilgrims Team

P.s.: thanks for all the Steam award nominations. We love you too!
If you like the game and/or the direction it's heading, posting a review is a great way to help the development. Much appreciated. Cheers!

[h3]Hey everyone,[/h3]

a few weeks ago we published a long post on the changes coming. Today, we are happy to share that the changes are live as of posting this! Better yet, we have included two additional features that we managed to implement in the meantime.


(Skip ahead to see the bonus additions)
[h2]New Content:[/h2]

• The Deven region with one major settlement, Deven, and a smaller one, Sun Rock, as well as a lot of new ground to explore.
  
• The Church of Ahskul faction is fleshed out in all its macabre glory.
  
• Try your luck at tomb robbing in the Valley of Sleepers - if you dare.
  
• The Ratharnak Alliance's headquarters were extended and moved to the Mines of Plenty.
  
• Your journey with the Dread Reavers continues!
  
• A lot of new (shorter and longer) storylines you can follow through.
  
• The Dark Elf companion Renkailon can now also be recruited through story progression.
  

[h2]Crew Combat Improvements:[/h2]
[h3]Looting in crew combat[/h3]

• Destroy the enemy or make it flee and get all their valuables
  
• Gather/Harvest items, money, and goods from fallen enemy units
  
• Catch - with a small chance - the surviving mounts of your Outriders who fell in battle
  
• Extract supplies from mounts that did not survive
  

Of course, the Riven Realms remains a dog-eat-dog place, so none of this loot is available if you lose or are forced to flee. Also, 'immersion is king' even when it comes to looting. Do not expect desperate lowlife tugs attacking your comitatus carrying heaps of valuables. Now, in case you are the aggressor and ambush their camp with all their possessions... that is another story. Provided that you are okay to prey on the weak. Will your companions approve? Will you provoke the Empire's ire?



[h3]Combat preparations[/h3]

• You can mount Fighters or dismount Outriders right before crew combat (except if you are ambushed)

[h3]Goal (objective) selection changes[/h3]

• Now you select a goal on the defensive side as well, so you can choose what you defend the most (crew, beasts, cargo)
  
• The main target of the enemies is only revealed in the second round
  
• You can change your objective at the end of each round
  
• Added the option to flee or retreat even during ongoing crew combat (albeit at potentially heavy losses)

[h3]New 'defense' stat introduced[/h3]

• It better reflects how easy or hard it is to take out certain enemies and characters (ie: Outriders are much harder to damage for example)
  
• You can improve your crews' combat strength and/or defense stats with equipment and properties separately

[h3]'Actions' in crew combat (tactical commands)[/h3]
Giving more tools to the vagrus, we are now enabling 'Actions' in crew combat. These can significantly influence the outcome of crew level combat encounters. Our ultimate goal is to enable entering Companion combat directly from Crew Combat but even until then, players can choose from a number of actions (more to come), like:

• 'Launch a mounted attack' that increases the effectiveness of Outriders for the round
  
• Form a 'Shield Wall' to increase the defense of your Fighters
  
• 'Insult' the enemy to increase the chance of them making a mistake

[h3]Impervious crew combat enemies[/h3]
Specters, Haunts, Living Shadows. Horrors that are immune to mundane weapons. Improve your companions, gain the blessing of Gods, gather rare magical items to defeat them. Alternatively, do the only thing you can if you come across these deadly enemies... FLEE!

• Impervious enemies are marked with purple borders and their defense stat is colored as such, too
  
• Only your Enchanted companions and/or crew can damage Impervious enemies in crew combat. Enchanted combat strength is highlighted - the axe and the CS value are colored purple.

[h2]Miscellaneous Changes:[/h2]

• Event UI performance updates to ease the jittering
  
• Higher Authority now reduces Companion loyalty penalties
  
• Outriders now automatically dismount to create cargo space in case the throw-out screen is (or would be) triggered

[h2]And the additional changes we managed to squeeze in:[/h2]

• With the game growing, so did loading times but finally, we got around to add a loading screen that also gives tips to new players.🎉
  
• Made a massive number of smaller performance improvements, which together - hopefully - have a tangible effect on how the game runs.
  
• Implemented the Command leadership perk that opens up advanced Crew Combat Actions.
  

Let's dive into the detailed list of changes:

[h2]Patch 0.5.20 - Codename: Plunder![/h2]

New/Updated Features

• Crew Combat changes
  - Looting added
  - Goals on the defender side added & option to change your goal between rounds
  - Defense stat introduced
  - Actions & Advanced Actions with the Command Leadership perk added
  - Impervious enemies now appear
  - Mount/Dismount at start of combat added
  - Retreat/Disengage/Flee options mid-fight now possibel - they take a full round to execute
  
• Load Screens added with tips
• Updated mechanics
  - Outriders auto-dismount to free up cargo space if needed
  - Keeping an 'army-sized' comitatus got a little harder
  

New/Updated Content

• Deven region added with the settlements Deven and Sun Rock and a ton of new content
  
• Renkailon can be now recruited normally (without Braxius' involvement)
  
• Ratharnak HQ moved to Mines of Plenty; Church of Ahskul more prominent in Deven (their new HQ)
  
• The Dread Reavers hit the road again and get into all kinds of shenanigans
  

UI Improvements

• Progress Counter shown on certain Quality journals
  
• Animation and decal refinements
  
• Various smaller UI changes & Tooltip updates
  

Bug Fixes 🤞🏽

• Sorcerer's Apprentice background is back
  
• Shedload of smaller fixes
  

Known Issues

• We will explore options to reduce the initial loading time
  
• Scouting result crash - still unable to reproduce
  
• The visual presentation of companion combat skills with two phases are not final yet
  

'Is Vagrus properly balanced now'? - Nope. 'Was it a step in the right direction?' - We think so. Please let us know how you find it.

Stay tuned, stay alive, conquer the wasteland!
- The Lost Pilgrims Team

P.s.: If you like the game and/or the direction it's heading, consider nominating Vagrus for a Steam Award. Originally we meant to recommend the Story Rich category but people kept referring us to the Games you suck at award which is for hard games. 😂 What do y'all think?