Hello everyone!
It’s been almost two weeks since the release of “Blood Omens”. The update was received quite warmly, and during this time we’ve managed to roll out numerous hotfixes, quickly addressing the issues reported by the community and polishing the newly added mechanics and content. Post-release support is still ongoing, but it’s gradually coming to an end - and we’re shifting our focus to developing the next major update.
Before we go into more detail about it, we’d like to talk a bit about the current state of the game and our plans for the near future.
Stoneshard is, first and foremost, a gameplay-driven game, and since the very beginning of Early Access we’ve been working toward one main goal: to introduce all systems and mechanics within a small section of the planned map first, and only then scale them up. This strategy has several advantages. Every new mechanic increases replayability and allows the game to generate more and more interesting situations on its own, while any additional systems can be introduced with relatively little overhead, making them easier to test and polish. And, most importantly, we don’t have to constantly rework the main story every time we add something that affects the whole game - as has happened again and again with the Prologue.
At this point, there are only four global systems left to implement: Enchantments, Tasks, Random Encounters, and Dynamic Traits (the Character Creator is indirectly tied to the latter as well). In other words, the game can soon be considered almost mechanically complete - and that will finally open the way for us to expand the map by adding Gray Army and Council settlements, along with all the necessary secondary content. The remaining smaller mechanics will be added in parallel. As for the main quest line, it requires the complete map, so it will be implemented last - we want players to experience the story at once and in full, rather than as fragmented chunks over the course of Early Access.
So, to sum it up, the next two major patches will be focused on the remaining major systems.
The next update, “Ancient Echoes”, is planned for this year and will be especially rich in new mechanics and content:
Most importantly, it will introduce the Enchantment System, one of the last missing elements of build crafting. We’re moving away from scrolls toward a more predictable system based on formulas and ingredients. These reworked Enchantments will be able to imbue your equipment with both stat bonuses and special perks that function similarly to passive abilities.
Legendary items will be the pinnacle of endgame equipment. What sets them apart from unique gear is that they’ll be able to alter the properties of your abilities. To reliably obtain a legendary item, you’ll have to locate and descend into a special new dungeon and come face to face with some of the most formidable enemies yet...
Procedurally generated Tasks will replace the current static fetch quests found in Osbrook and Mannshire, and they will be closely intertwined with the existing Settlement Situations. The easiest way to describe them would be as “surface contracts”. The main goal of the new Tasks is to give you more reasons to actively explore the map instead of simply traveling back and forth between dungeons and settlements. They will also spare you the need to collect and stockpile specific items - nothing feels as liberating as being able to freely sell moose antlers and iron ingots as soon as you find them.
New Points of Interest and Landmarks will add much-needed variety to the world map. These will include both fully unique locations and many smaller, unmarked map features - thanks to them, journeys on foot will become a fair bit richer and more engaging.
Wands will be a great addition for magic and hybrid builds. This special weapon type can’t be clearly categorized as either melee or ranged - we’ll reveal all its secrets in the next devlog.
A new Caravan Follower will become the fourth of the six planned companions - you’ll be able to recruit them in place of the Craftsman, Quartermaster, or Ranger. You can probably already guess what their specialty will be - although, just like the other Followers, they won’t be limited to just one role.
The Polearm Grips mechanic will allow some spears, two-handed maces, and two-handed axes to be used as hybrid weapons, with the ability to switch between damage types and ability trees.
To wrap it up, the release of “Ancient Echoes” will be an important milestone in the game’s development, laying the groundwork for the update that comes after it - the one introducing the Character Creator and the Trait System, as well as bringing Aldor to life with Random Encounters and a large number of side quests.
Until the next devlog!