Alaloth - Champions of The Four Kingdoms News

Hello Champions!

We are thrilled to announce the much-anticipated Lorebound update for Alaloth: Champions of The Four Kingdoms is finally available. This update is dedicated to enriching the game's lore, providing you with a deeper and more immersive experience in the world of Plamen. You can expect a tapestry of history unraveled before you. Ancient stories will be unveiled, allowing you to learn about the rise and fall of empires, legendary heroes, and the events that shaped the realms. Embark on thrilling new quests that focus on uncovering the secrets and mysteries of the kingdoms. Engage with new intriguing characters and face moral dilemmas that challenge your understanding of the lore. Let's take a look at the new features!

[h2]UNVEIL THE SECRETS OF PLAMEN[/h2]

Depending on your reputation, completed quests, companions hired, and even the calendar date, narrative sequences will unlock when you step foot into a specific place, revealing previously undiscovered details of the story. Your actions in the kingdoms matter more than ever, as they directly influence the timelines you encounter. Embrace the consequences of your choices as you venture through the realm, shaping the narrative in profound ways. Witness the impact of your deeds, reflecting the unique path you have carved in the world.

No spoiler but yeah, with Dragonhold we've introduced dragons and wyverns. That's your personal one!

Discover new layers of lore and untold tales. The more you explore, interact, and engage with the world, the more the story will unfold, rewarding your curiosity and sense of adventure. The dynamic nature of these sequences ensures that each playthrough is distinct and offers fresh revelations, encouraging you to dive back into the game for unique storytelling experiences. Through timelines, you'll witness the unfolding of key moments with cinematic flair, deepening your connection to the game world and its inhabitants. Forge your legend in Plamen and unlock the mysteries that lie beyond every step you take.

[h2]BECOME A VORASTEL MASTER[/h2]

From tavern regulars seeking a friendly match to esteemed nobles seeking the thrill of high-stake bets, gamblers are scattered throughout Plamen, ready to test their luck against you playing Vorastel. Vorastel is a fast-paced and engaging dice game designed to be both accessible to newcomers and challenging for seasoned players. The rules are simple yet engaging: you'll play with three six-sided dice, each displaying numbers from 1 to 5, along with a unique symbol. The primary goal is to reach a total score of 50 points across your dice rolls.

Challenge gamblers all around Plamen and seize the opportunity to amass captivating dice sets!

Different gamblers, different bets, different dice sets to unlock. And unique rewards!

Strategically choose when to take risks and when to play conservatively to accumulate points and inch closer to victory. Whenever you roll the dice and collect three identical symbols, you achieve a Vorastel victory, instantly claiming the entire pot. As you participate in Vorastel matches and triumph over your opponents, you'll not only claim the winnings but also gain recognition in Plamen. Your victories will earn you a reputation as a skilled Vorastel player, and as you climb the ranks, more challenging opponents will seek you out.

[h2]UPDATED WORLD MAP[/h2]

In a significant leap towards enhancing your gaming experience, Lorebound brings a remarkable transformation to the world map. With a 25% expansion, the map now boasts more room to accommodate future content updates while creating ample space for your exploration endeavors. This expansion not only unveils a plethora of new places waiting to be discovered in the future, but also grants access to a host of fresh visual effects, immersing you further into the game's universe.

Here we are, ready to fill the map with new locations, FA, quests...

[h2]ATLAS AND QUICK ACCESS TO LOCATIONS[/h2]

One of the most requested features from you guys! To facilitate navigation through this expanded world, we've introduced the Atlas of Plamen. With an extensive alphabetical listing of every location the game offers, the atlas empowers you to effortlessly find specific spots in mere seconds and you'll have the freedom to drop custom markers onto the map, perfect for outlining your own objectives.

Every single location is listed Mount & Blade-like

Once you've visited a city, you can unlock spawn points for taverns, throne rooms and points of interest

Venturing further into the spirit of the update, we've orchestrated a significant reshuffle of NPCs across cities and points of interest all around Plamen. This strategic repositioning not only aligns with the game's rich lore but also introduces a diverse array of minor houses and clans to the fold. As you navigate the world, you'll encounter more fitting barks and engaging dialogues that mirror the ever evolving state of the game world. This transformation, accompanied by an extensive round of dressing for nearly every location, ensures that every corner you explore feels dynamic, authentic, and brimming with narrative depth.

[h2]MISC IMPROVEMENTS, GAMESCOM AND MORE[/h2]

Delving into the rich lore of the game, we've meticulously proofread almost all texts, improving the quality of quests and dialogues. Through this process, we also managed to streamline word count for future localization endeavors. Stay tuned for more exciting news about our localization efforts, with Gamescom poised to be a pivotal moment for these developments. Furthermore, our dedication to perfecting gameplay continues as we unveil iterations to the item system. Specifically, we've iterated a bit the parry mechanism, placing emphasis on shields. Now, shields excel at defending against stuns and offer distinct advantages tied to the game's lore. As we've already said, we are near to have the biggest round of fix for items in a while, but these fixes ensure a more cohesive and engaging experience while waiting for the full cake [a ton of stuff to be added that need testing]. Our team is ready for a new trip to Germany, where we'll be engaging in captivating meetings to discuss console versions of Alaloth. These discussions promise to infuse fresh perspectives as we set our sights on the highly anticipated 1.0 release.

Just a few random things we are busy with right now. Casters anyone?
Puzzles. We love puzzles!

Once we're back from our journey, we're diving right into action. We're hosting a brand new AMA session with our dedicated development team. Get ready to delve into the intriguing details of our next steps, as we unveil all updates currently in the works. Yes, you read that right: there's more than just one on the horizon. We're committed to enhancing your experience, and we can't wait to share our progress with you. The journey ahead is packed with adventure, and we're honored to have you by our side. Your feedback and support continue to drive us forward, and we can't wait to reveal what's in store. Get ready for a thrilling ride, there's no better time to be a part of the community. Changelog to follow, see you in-game!

[h2]CHANGELOG[/h2]
[h3]Added[/h3]

• Added 50+ timelines
• Added voice overs for Hero Books
  
• World map expanded by 25% to prepare next updates
• Added voice overs for different NPC all around Plamen
  
• Added quick access to sub-locations (i.e. a tavern or a throne room) from the World Map. Sub-locations need to be accessible and visited at least once
• Added Vorastel dice game, gamblers NPCs to play with and unique dice sets to collect
  
• Addedd new achievements
  
• Added secondary NPCs in Boatman Hut
  
• Added narrative barks and secondary NPCs in Na’Nardur
  
• Added narrative barks and secondary NPCs in The Sentinels
  
• Added narrative barks and secondary NPCs in Mayfalls
  
• Added narrative barks in Fal’Thalas
  
• Added narrative barks in Knife Ears
  
• Added narrative barks and NPCs in Na’Sharak
  
• Added narrative barks and NPCs in Coldwood
  
• Added narrative barks and NPCs in Windscar
  
• Added Minor Deities to Codex
  
• Added Minor Houses to Codex
  
• Added new loading tips
  
• Added new loading screen arts
  
• Added new heraldics in char creation for Legacy Mode
  
• Added Atlas of Plamen. While in Free Mode in World Map, players will now be able to pin a custom marker anywhere on the map and have a compass pointing to it with the chance to find locations on map in a faster way

[h3]Changed[/h3]

• Moved various geographic elements in the world map following the new size
  
• Moved Idaris’s Sanctuary closer to Goldport
  
• Idaris’s Shrine next to Baystone moved to the early sanctuary’s position
  
• Moved locations Sholunarr, further into east side of the map
  
• Moved location The Golden Palace
  
• Moved location Tyl’Nar
  
• Moved location Vanril’s Falls
  
• Moved location The Tyrant’s Grave
  
• Moved location The Infernal Pits
  
• Moved location Kima The Volcan
  
• Moved location Skull Rock
  
• Changed Na’Sharak POI into a city, moved closer to Gholuk
  
• Changed Sholunarr POI into a city
  
• Changed Rockstarn POI into a city
  
• Changed Windsca rfrom POI into a city
  
• Added heraldic to Mountain Hand
  
• Added heraldic to Arrowtooth, moved closer to Gashak
  
• Moved Maraika’s Shrine south from Gholuk near to Vhoken’Mahl
  
• Changed spawn of enemies in Hammerhaven
  
• Changed spawn of enemies in The Citadel
  
• Reduced visual size for swords sabre, cutlass, falchion, falcata
  
• Enabled keyboard remapping for more menu actions: Skip / Compare / Mark all read (default ‘T’), Filter / Headgear (default ‘V’).
  
• Updated player barks for locked access to FAs giving hints about the location
  
• Dialogues from engaging pawn fights in the world map will now be in italic style when not used in first person to enhance narrative
  
• Updated travel option texts for Griffin, Gates, Dragon to better indicate the destination of choice
  
• Updated location info in world map for Na’Sharak, Windscar, Dragonhold
  
• Removed sub entry for Goblins in codex
  
• Removed Lore Character Zoran The Shade from Windscar daytime
  
• Removed companions from Muh’Raazh
  
• Changed Gashak main location’s name The Unchained to Titan’s Wrath
  
• Changed Edhenen sub location’s name The Griffin Keep to Valendor
  
• Added narrative bark and new dressing to the alchemist in Military Camp
  
• Changed bark of secondary NPC near fireplace in Windscar’s tavern
  
• Changed heraldics worn by orc guards in Arrowtooth
  
• Changed heraldics worn by orc guards Na’Nardur
  
• Changed heraldics worn by orc guards Gashak
  
• Changed heraldics worn by orc guards Vhoken’Mhal
  
• Changed heraldics worn by orc guards Ballek’Mhal
  
• Changed heraldics worn by orc guards Na’Kazkadden
  
• Changed heraldics worn by orc guards Na’Sharak
  
• Moved QG Shamobth, the Beast in Arrowtooth daytime near the blacksmith
  
• Changed clothes of miners NPCs in Mountain Hand to lighter colors
  
• Moved NPC for boat travel in Baystone daytime near the tavern, added secondary NPCs and barks
  
• Moved The Dragonsire quest objective to a more suitable spot in Mayfalls
  
• Swapped some NPCs in Mayfalls with Balmont knights.
  
• Changed guards’ armor near king in Goldport throne room.
  
• Changed dialogue with NPC for boat travel in Goldport daytime.
  
• Moved Na’Sharak scene transition to a more suitable place
  
• Changed heraldics worn by Windscar guards
  
• Revised item values for rings, shields, weapons and armors

[h3]Fixed[/h3]

• Fixed respawn rates of pawns in world map not speeding up along with the game world when the player is moving
  
• Adjusted hitbox for Vadok’Tar being too small compared to the actual body
  
• Fixed a bug triggered by a companion reviving another
  
• Fixed a bug causing fewer NPC barks to play than intended
  
• Fixed daggers getting an unintended increase attack range when not being used in dual wield with another dagger
• Fixed rest cost in taverns increasing when discounts for the player are in place
  
• Fixed being unable to complete the final reputation quest of a kingdom when the special boss reputation quest is still in progress
  
• Reduced SFX volume for worker NPCs sweeping the ground
  
• Fixed steps SFX for NPCs in Goldport at nighttime
  
• Fixed steps SFX for NPCs in The Sentinels
  
• Adjusted cropped tutorials images in Codex view
  
• Adjusted animation/positioning of a few guards in Military Camp daytime
  
• Moved secondary guard NPC in Mountain Hand”tavern to reduce contrast and back-shining with the blue light source in the room
  
• Fixed a bug that prevented input from co-op players to correctly discount the game’s context
  
• Fixed a bug that prevented merchants to correctly deploy the right marker hint while objective of a quest
  
• Crimes of the Exiles will now be gatherable in both day and night layout (it was missing from the daily layout)
  

Share the love and stay tuned!

[h3]Follow our official channels to stay up to date:[/h3]
Like Alaloth on Facebook Follow Alaloth on Twitter Check out our Steam page



https://store.steampowered.com/app/919360/Alaloth_Champions_of_The_Four_Kingdoms/

Hello Champions!

You might have noticed the silence in our communication over the past month. With the excitement of Gamescom drawing near, our halls have been abuzz with preparations and plans to create an unforgettable experience. Amidst this whirlwind, a familiar tale unfolds: what was intended as a mid-size update, akin to our quiet intentions, has transformed into a grand journey, as has been the case with each of our previous updates.

Lorebound is now almost ready, prompting us to share some fresh news before we depart for Germany once again. As you know, Lorebound will focus on the lore and RPG aspects of the game. It marks the first installment of a series, delving into the history, legends, characters, and heroes of Plamen. While our exploration into uncharted lore continues, we've also heeded the feedback from our community. Numerous quality of life improvements have been thoughtfully integrated to ensure that your time spent in the game is as smooth and enjoyable as possible. A new round of fixes and improvements will be added as well, following recent iterations we had, making items, weapons and armors way more balanced!

While we won't unveil all, prepare for a fresh look in our locations and a new dice game to ignite your adventure in the upcoming update!

Our initial goal was to release Lorebound in July. However, true to our tradition, we're delivering much more than initially planned, and after much effort, we're finally happpy with what we've achieved. Although there's no fixed release date yet, this week is pivotal for our scheduling. Don't be surprised if Lorebound goes live by the end of the following week. While we can't make promises due to Baldur's Gate ongoing testing, this update holds great significance for us. It serves as a foundational step towards preparing for the updates to come. If, by chance, we aren't able to release before Gamescom, we may shift the launch to the first week of September [busy with the event of course]. Rest assured, we'll present a comprehensive roadmap detailing our current endeavors: a plan brimming with the multitude of contents we're diligently working on.

As we prepare for Gamescom, discussions about the full release, console journey and future are on the horizon. Your support empowers us as we meticulously evaluate scenarios, working tirelessly to ensure the best outcomes. Stay tuned for these thrilling developments!

Back to Baldur's Gate work now!

Share the love and have a great weekend!

[h3]Follow our official channels to stay up to date:[/h3]
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https://store.steampowered.com/app/919360/Alaloth_Champions_of_The_Four_Kingdoms/

[h2]CHANGELOG[/h2]
[h3]Added[/h3]

• Enemy champions can now be re-rolled during character creation when in Competitive Mode.
  

[h3]Changed[/h3]

1. Destructible objects will no longer show a poise bar when damaged/locked.
   
2. Changed stocks for enchanters in Goldport and Na’Nardur.
   
3. Main Menu music track has been changed.
   

[h3]Fixed[/h3]

• Fixed a bug with Drolnaks’ arms, causing them to stay too close to the body.
  
• Fixed a bug causing characters stun/knockdown animations not playing out if triggered at the same time of a poise break.
  
• Fixed name of destructible pillars in Temple of Virtues.
  
• Fixed quest giver for the time-limited quest “The Hunt” in Hashak not spawning after the 1st in-game year: now will keep to spawn each year until the quest has been accepted.
  
• Fix an occasional glitch with melee attacks’ trail visual.
  

[h3]Follow our official channels to stay up to date:[/h3]
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https://store.steampowered.com/app/919360/Alaloth_Champions_of_The_Four_Kingdoms/

Hello Champions!

Today marks a special day in the journey of Alaloth as we celebrate the one-year anniversary of our Early Access launch. We want to express once again our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for your incredible support, feedback, and enthusiasm. Your dedication has been instrumental in shaping the game and driving us forward. In our previous open letter from our Game Director, we highlighted our commitment to delivering the best possible experience. Today, we want to share some exciting news regarding what lies ahead. We are diligently working on a new roadmap that will outline our plans for the upcoming months. You have been updated on the way about on-going discussions we are having right now with a bunch of new possible partners. You even know that after the happenings of the last year we've mentioned in the open letter, we are very cautios about next steps. For sure, we prefer to prioritize the quality of our game [and the quality of life of our team] over rushing its release. Also, taking into consideration the recent release of Diablo, the summer, Baldur's Gate on the way, as well as a crowded September window, we have made the decision to go on with the EA for a while more, sharing plans with you all in the next weeks.



Nothing is changing of course: you are going to receive a huge amount of new stuff as usual, patches and new features following your feed. We're focusing right now on proof reading and on rewriting part of the dialogues to facilitate the localization process later on, reducing a bit the word count and improving quality of the text. The team is fully committed to Lorebound, our next Major Update, filled with lore-related contents to make your RPG experience bigger and better. We are on this, yes, but we are even working on what's coming up next. Ehodran should be the next big thing along with itemization and a new rework of the leveling sys [up to 20!] but we are still defining how to move on with future updates, DLC and so on. More info to follow,

Once again, we extend our sincerest thanks to each and every one of you for your incredible support, loyalty, and trust in us. The community has been an invaluable source of inspiration, and we are honored to have you by our side. Together, we will continue to shape Plamen into a truly legendary experience.

Last but not least: Steam Summer Sale now and we have the biggest discount ever to celebrate the anniversary: 60% off, 9.99$/€. What else to start your journey in Plamen?

Share the love and have a great weekend!

[h3]Follow our official channels to stay up to date:[/h3]
Like Alaloth on Facebook Follow Alaloth on Twitter Check out our Steam page



https://store.steampowered.com/app/919360/Alaloth_Champions_of_The_Four_Kingdoms/

Hello Champions!

We are close to a significant milestone in the epic journey of Alaloth. It has been almost a year since we embarked on the Early Access phase, and what a tumultuous year it has been! This is a different update, way more personal than the others and it’s just from me, Alberto/Edacar79, Game Director and creator of the game world. I’ve started dreaming about all of this back in the days: I would say that all started with D&D and an Amiga 500, in 1989, when the summer was all about this. No internet, no social media, a completely different world. I'm turning 44 today and it seems like years passed in a blink of an eye, with a young me writing down notes from pen & paper modules and videogames i was playing, being used 30+ years later in a RPG available worldwide and hitting the console market soon. I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the challenges we've faced and the incredible resilience of our team: 18 amazing people at its peek, a small group of 7 worth an army today. As the one behind our social channels, Steam page, Discord, every review response, and many other activities beyond game dev [which is still the fun part of the job], I can say with pride that we have channeled our emotions into fuel for innovation, our setbacks into stepping stones towards success. Alaloth has become more than just a game to us: it has become a symbol of perseverance and a testament to the power of our passion.

Back in 2016, we've rented our first office in Rome: 6 squared meters, 2 laptops and a board...

...no air conditioning and bills paid selling some jewelry and using personal savings. Worth it!

Directly from 1994, my first English notes ever to play Rolemaster and a Karameikos map

In 2022, the road to Alaloth's release was filled with obstacles and complexities that tested our mettle. We encountered issues that threatened to derail our progress. It was a time of uncertainty and frustration, but amidst the chaos, we remained steadfast in our dedication to delivering the game you deserved. And we deserved as well. During this arduous period, we experienced a significant turning point when Gamera Interactive, the studio behind the game, had the chance to take back the publishing rights for it. I cannot delve into the details surrounding this, we never did, but what you obviously already know is that it marked a new chapter in our development journey. We embraced the change and carried on, determined to forge our own path.

However, the challenges did not end there. We found ourselves entangled in a battle against a venture capital entity that had pledged its support but ultimately endangered our financial stability in the moment of need, when we were ready to push the game by ourselves self publishing it. This struggle pitted a small indie developer like Gamera against an opponent always ready to say around how much it's cool helping devs, despite the fact that their track record says way different things [just check the internet and do some math]. But through sheer determination and the unwavering support of our families, we managed to weather the storm. We've lost people on the way, not being able to offer them new contracts, we've risked bankrupt twice in a few months, we've been forced to launch during the worst period of the year, during sales, rushing things. We had to face health issues, we had to backup with our personal money to avoid waisting years of work and preserve the people that poured their hearth into the project. We have spent endless nights trying to find a way to survive, after a pandemic and many other problems completely out of our control. For all of this, i can say that we are now fighting tooth and nail to reclaim what is rightfully ours, to ensure that justice prevails. The legal dispute is in progress since months and despite this, we've delivered almost 60 patches and 4 Major Updates since June 2022, with Lorebound on its way and more or less four times the content originally scheduled for the Early Access, released in nearly 6 months. We are reinvesting all the money coming from sales, to make Alaloth bigger and better.

Despite the fact that we have been forced to launch during the Summer Sale 2022, the game did well being in Top Grossing on Steam 2 weeks after launch. I had to squeeze marketing and PR in an always-running digital press tour before June 30 but at the end the game launched with 130.000 wishlist and it helped a lot

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Dragonhold is the fourth and latest Major Update available since EA launched. We've added more than 30 hours of gameplay through updates and released more than 60 patches with improvements and fixes, following users' feed

Now more than ever, we are asking for your support to spread the word about this small team of survivors, trying to deliver the always-dreamed RPG experience. Tell about the game to your friends, share it on social media, follow us, talk about this in communities. We are still pretty sure that a proper full release could be massive, considering how many people joined us on the way, with just me jumping here and there on streams and forums trying to let the world know about this crazy hybrid between an old school and a modern action RPG [which is something we had to discuss so many times during the last 12 months]. The game is huge now, one of the biggest indie production around considering contents in, with more and more players with 100+ hours under their belt [and some crazy guy from Spain topping 600! Kudos Zao!]

GamesCom 2022 has been a moment to slow down a bit, with the release of the first Major Update, Strongholds, and nearly 20 patches already released. Our booth in Germany with our friend Josh, Rick and Giulia, former Producer of the game and love of my life: In the face of immense challenges, she stood tall as the bastion of strength for all of us.

So, my fellow adventurers, as we are preparing to celebrate this anniversary together, let us remember the trials we have overcome and the strength that resides within each of us. We owe a debt of gratitude to you, our incredible community, for standing by us, for your unwavering support and belief in our vision. Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms would not exist without you. As we move forward, know that we remain committed to delivering a unique craft of love. We will continue to listen to your feedback, refine the game, and provide updates that elevate your experience.

I was looking for a professional pic of myself but at the very end, after 22 years in gaming, i still have to take a proper one. So, Starbucks in Guildford, for the win!

Thank you for being a part of this: together, we will conquer the challenges that lie ahead and shape the destiny of Plamen! The future is bright, and we are eager to share it with you. More to come by the end of the month: time to talk about plans for the full release and what's comin' up next!

Share the love and have a great week!

With deepest gratitude,
Alberto

[h3]Follow our official channels to stay up to date:[/h3]
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https://store.steampowered.com/app/919360/Alaloth_Champions_of_The_Four_Kingdoms/