Warriors,
We’re pleased to announce that Kromlech is now entering Version 0.4. This marks another important milestone in our Early Access journey and, more importantly, lays the groundwork for the next major update, which will introduce the game’s main story campaign.
Optimization remains an ongoing priority. With Version 0.4, the overall performance in certain locations has improved by as much as 40%! We have also reduced VRAM usage by approximately 400 MB, a change that should be particularly beneficial for players using GPUs equipped with 8 GB of VRAM.
That being said, our optimization efforts are far from complete and we continue to see opportunities for further improvements in future updates.
Update 0.4 focuses on enhancing the overall player experience through a range of quality-of-life improvements. Several elements of the user interface have been redesigned, the standalone Crisis tab has been removed, and a dedicated Tutorials section has been added to the in-game Codex.
This new tutorial framework will continue to expand over time, covering additional gameplay systems and helping players make full use of the possibilities Kromlech has to offer.
Additional improvements include for example support for multiple map markers within a single quest, making objective tracking significantly clearer. We have also refined map accuracy and improved the positioning of quest markers throughout the world.
We have improved the game’s lighting. The reworked ray-tracing algorithm is both faster and more effective over longer distances, resulting in better visuals and more consistent performance especially in long corridors, dungeons, and similar environments.
Version 0.4 also introduces a new foliage culling system that improves visibility in densely vegetated areas. While its implementation is currently limited to trees, the system will be expanded to the remaining foliage like bushes in the upcoming updates.
One of the objectives of Update 0.4 was to prepare Kromlech for the arrival of Update 0.5 and the implementation of Act I of the main storyline.
As a result, a significant number of technical and structural changes have been completed behind the scenes. While many of these improvements are not immediately visible, they will play a crucial role in supporting the content and features arriving in the next update.
Balancing
Fixed and improved loot quality in chests; adjusted table selection for better drops
Reduced loot gained from resource nodes (any lootable object besides chests or enemy drops) — the relative abundance of loot trivializes parts of gameplay and the economy; this is the first of several planned steps to rebalance the economy
Game content
Fixed reported environment and navmesh issues, mainly in Map1
Fixed item and coin regeneration at traders
Fixed incorrect NPC services when transitioning to the next day
Fixed broken dungeon teleportation
Fixed inability to loot already-looted resource nodes in a new cycle
Removed invalid/broken armors used in some character presets
Fixed ritual site destruction
Quests
Quest Warm Welcome: removed the optional side objective to visit a shrine of Lughas to streamline the quest and avoid confusion if the player dies or resets the cycle before reaching the shrine; parts of the narrative rewritten to reflect this and to lay groundwork for Act 1 of the main storyline
Added new quest "Gods Will Be Watching" — visiting Lughas's shrine is now handled through this optional quest, which introduces divine favors and the concept of shrines
Added new quest "Only for the Strongest" — a strange hermit offers a quest that only the strongest of beings can complete
Quest Stranger No More: added a safeguard against players who slip past Teutobos without the required renown
Quest Out With the Cursed: added an alternate ending for players who'd rather not toss a magic amulet down a bottomless pit — seek a hermit interested in the occult
Quest Roadside Justice: improved overall behavior, especially NPC reactions throughout the quest and its different resolutions
Crisis Newcomers: improved various related quests and their behavior; camps moved during the crisis now relocate immediately instead of waiting for the next day
Fixed sped-up player animation in inventory
Fixed a handful of typos and spelling mistakes in the Czech and English versions
Complete refactor of the Journal page — new frames for Fated and Crisis quests, added a "Completed" section
Removed "Crises" as a standalone UI page — now shown in a dual view within quests, including threat and consequences
Added a "Tutorials" section to the Codex — contains all in-game tutorial windows plus new sub-sections explaining core mechanics (dodging, blocking, epithets, renown, and more); more to come
Added support for multiple quest markers — quests can now track multiple objectives (already live for "Crossing the Line" and "Big Trouble, Little Lettrek"); more to follow
Fixed trait notification not disappearing in the booklet
Added a popup window when older saves are updated
Fixed hanging save icon at the start of a new game
Fixed consequence display in the summary
Added a batch of simplified, more readable inventory item icons
Changed audio ambient when a settlement is under attack or threatened
Added an audio system that adjusts NPC barks based on different settlement states
Added unique hold-button SFX for druid, blacksmith, herbalist, and other craftsmen
Added an audio system that responds to player stamina
Improved handling of atmosphere transitions between interior and default atmospheres, with better support for nested/overlapping interior atmospheres
Removed day-part/atmosphere shifting when transitioning between zones and when falling off the map
Fixed music repeatedly overlapping at shrines
Fixed audio crash during fast travel on the map
Fixed ground surfaces and added decorative props across maps
Fixed holes in distant background terrain that previously showed through and caused visual glitches
Improved ray tracing quality and overall improved lighting
Implemented foliage culling for better navigation in dense areas
Fixed a large number of armor normal maps
Fixed indoor flags reacting to wind
Fixed light leaking in caves
Fixed global tree offset
Linked audio areas and interior volumes to the scalability system
Replaced the original shrine sound playback with a local ambient component (adds culling support)
Optimized audio ambients in FMOD — added culling on portals to caves
Improved performance and visual quality of Celt huts
Improved visual quality and performance of water, waterfalls, and water particle effects
Optimized models with transparency
Separated LOD biasing of voxelized and non-voxelized models — improved vegetation rendering (less voxelization at greater distances)
Reworked ray tracing into a two-level system enabling better long-distance reach on selected models while reducing overhead of near proxy ray tracing
Optimization across all static models (reduced buffer size, reduced disk size, etc.)
Optimized ray tracing buffer
Optimized nanite buffer
Optimized scalability of the starting zone
Removed custom depth buffer overhead
Thank you all for your continued support throughout Early Access. We hope these improvements make your time in Kromlech even more enjoyable.
We’ll be back soon with more news about what’s coming next.