Devlog: Consumables Crafting

Hello everyone!

Today’s devlog is dedicated to another new feature of the upcoming Rags to Riches update - the Crafting System.

The main principle behind the titular mechanic is that it allows only the creation of consumables and other similar items. The possibility of crafting complex gear and equipment was discarded very early on: doing otherwise would result in constant interactions with a broad range of specialized crafts and tools, which doesn’t mesh well with the game’s main theme - adventuring and exploring the world as a mercenary. On top of that, being able to craft armor and weapons would demand a rather cumbersome system with lots of materials, tools, and so on, shifting the game’s focus even further from what we aim to achieve.

Therefore, a system that revolves solely around the creation of consumables and various utility items makes the most sense in the context of the preexisting basic gameplay loop, adding more depth to the preparation stage.

Anyway, let’s start with the basics. Crafting is performed through a dedicated menu, which can be accessed in three ways: by using the “Crafting” basic ability, interacting with a workbench (such as the one you can upgrade your Caravan with), or by using a Crafting Kit.

In order to create an item, you’ll need to possess both the correct ingredients and the knowledge. In the beginning, your character will know how to craft only the most simple items - the schematics for making anything more sophisticated will need to be found, looted, or purchased from traders.

Schematics are split into two categories: basic and advanced. Basic items can be crafted anywhere, any time, all you need is ingredients. On the contrary, advanced schematics can’t be followed through without a workbench or a Crafting Kit - a new consumable that loses charges with each crafted item.

Creating a consumable will award a bit of Experience, the exact amount depending on the finished item’s complexity. To make the search for new schematics even more enticing, crafting an item for the first time will grant you five times the basic amount of XP. And even though the current list of crafting schematics is relatively short, we plan to greatly expand it in the future with the addition of many new consumables.

It’s worth mentioning that this new system brought a lot of changes to Bedrolls and Campfires: Bedrolls will no longer require you to learn any skills to craft them, while Campfires will be created by using a special craftable item - a Bundle of Brushwood.

Consequently, the Survival ability tree saw some significant tweaks too: it now has a much more flexible structure, and some of its skills were heavily revised.

Each character will also start with “Butchering”, a new Survival skill that will allow you to harvest meat from dead beasts without investing any AP. Skinning and looting rare ingredients, on the other hand, will still require you to learn the dedicated passive.

Additionally, the Crafting System will allow your character to create Fodder, a resource used to fuel your Caravan travels. Although Fodder will be purchasable from stablehands, there’s still a risk of finding yourself stranded far from civilization without sufficient supplies - that’s where additional options come into play.

Fodder can be crafted from any foodstuff suitable for horses: grain, straw, apples and carrots, even some herbs. Using grain in particular will yield the most Fodder, while the low nutritional value of straw will require you to collect a whole lot of it to make a difference.

That’s all for now. In the next devlog we’ll return with more information on the Caravan Upgrades. As a parting gift, here’s a glimpse of something else that we’re currently working on:



Until the next devlog, and have a happy New Year!

Devlog: Dungeon Generation - Part I


Hello everyone!

In today’s devlog we’ll demonstrate the final version of the reworked Dungeon Generator and showcase the main principles that governed its development.

Let’s start with a list of reasons that led us to reevaluating our approach to dungeon generation. The player feedback we received about its current state revealed the following issues:

There isn’t much visual variety to speak of - the only difference between dungeons of the same type is what enemies can spawn in them, not their layout or overall design. This quickly makes dungeons feel predictable and uninspired.
All dungeons use the same generation algorithm, which limits the room for structural distinction and environmental logic.
The overall room structure and the abundance of single tile passages facilitate the funneling of enemies into doorways, trivializing both combat and positioning.

Our new approach is based on dungeon tiers. Initially, tiers were an informal term used by players to refer to dungeons based on their difficulty - in RtR they will actually become an official form of categorization. So instead of using hidden, rudimentary mechanics built around levels, this new system splits everything, be it enemies, items, or dungeons, into 5 distinct tiers.

Let’s explore what it entails, point by point:

Different dungeon types will use different generation rules: the structure of Crypts will have noticeable differences from the structure of Bastions or Catacombs.
Dungeons will feature varying visuals and room presets depending on their tier: the higher the tier, the more opulent a dungeon will appear, and the greater diversity of rooms it will display. Tier 4 and 5 dungeons in particular will look especially awe-inspiring.

All dungeons will be split into two categories: generic and large, the latter consisting of two floors. We don’t have plans to introduce dungeons deeper than that: three floors or more would be way too tiresome and draining in most scenarios. The visuals will change depending on how deep you go: lower Crypt floors, for instance, will appear more damaged and use alternative room layouts.

Rooms with bosses or contract objectives will spawn in dungeons’ farthest reaches, with secondary rooms branching off from the main path rather than being a part of it, giving you options for additional exploration.

The updated visuals for dungeon descents and ascents will make them easy to spot and separate from one another: descents will always be a part of the floor, and ascents will be built into dungeon walls, just like they are right now.

We decided to almost completely do away with single tile passageways, which should bring additional depth to the combat system and positioning by making group fights more frequent or even inevitable in certain situations (obviously, this comes with tweaks to most enemies’ stats, especially high tier ones).
Rather than remaining the same once they spawn (or respawn after being cleared), dungeons will be generated when you enter them for the first time, just like in the earlier versions of the game (the layout won’t change if you save your progress after discovering it though). This will make dungeon exploration more engaging and unpredictable, since the ability to familiarize yourself with the location of enemies and traps throughout multiple save-load attempts won’t be as easily available by default.
Secret rooms will be generated once per dungeon instead of once per floor. The roster of available secret rooms and their visuals will also depend on a dungeon’s tier.


Even though it’s not directly related to the Dungeon Generator, we decided to rework the Noise and Enemy Awareness Systems, as the old ones didn’t work well with new dungeon layouts.

Now let’s have a closer look at Crypt specific features:

New Crypts will appear as spacious tombs, with large hallways connecting separate burial chambers that are protected by stone plates. To access such a chamber, your Character will need a crowbar.

Crypts won’t have wooden doors or narrow passages. Their vast halls will demand some clever maneuvering if you want to avoid getting surrounded by the Undead.
Among other things, Crypts’ visuals will be affected by Dungeon Modifiers. Each dungeon type will have its own set of possible complications: for example, wafts of nauseatingly greenish air will signify the presence of “Miasmas”.

The varied and unusual objectives of the reworked Contracts System will affect dungeon layouts as well: for instance, Wells of Souls will serve as spawning points for Wraiths, and the Holy Figurine contract will work quite differently from how it does right now…

We also changed how the Loot System functions in Crypts and added a number of new items that can’t be found anywhere else. In the attached image there are some of them.


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That’s all for now. Until the next devlog!

Devlog: Caravan Upgrades - Part III


Hello everyone!

In today’s devlog, we’ll take another look at Caravan Upgrades. This time the focus is on the third category - “Traveling”. As always, a reminder: Caravan Upgrades are not Abilities and therefore don’t require Ability Points. Instead, they are unlocked with items and materials.

But let’s give these upgrades some context first. One of the Caravan's primary features is far-distance traveling. It can be accessed by talking to Verren at the Caravan Camp, then choosing a tile on the global map to travel to.

Caravan travels will work by the following rules:

Your destination must fit two main requirements. Firstly, it must not be concealed by the fog of war (tiles are revealed either by scouting them yourself or by using paper maps) - the Caravan can’t travel through uncharted territories. Secondly, the tile must not contain dungeons, Points of Interest, roads, or bodies of water - only empty tiles are suitable for setting up the Caravan Camp.
Another thing to consider is how close your Caravan Camp is to settlements. If the distance is short enough, you’ll be able to directly access the Caravan Storage while trading, and your Followers will receive an opportunity to restock their wares.

The Caravan has a limited max travel distance which can be increased with upgrades.

The Caravan moves with varying speed depending on the terrain it has to traverse. Obviously, most suitable tiles are the ones with roads - they’ll be prioritized by the Caravan when possible. On the contrary, off-road tiles will take a significantly greater toll on both your time and resources.

Before you can move out, you’ll need a sufficient stockpile of Fodder for your horses - the exact amount depends on the difficulty and duration of the chosen route as well as the number of acquired upgrades and Followers. Fodder can either be crafted from whatever suitable items you have at hand or purchased in bulk from merchants or stablehands in some settlements.

Upon arrival, your Character will take some time to establish a camp. The time required depends on two factors: the tile’s biome and the number of Followers. Setting up a camping spot in the middle of an open field will be a much speedier affair than chopping down trees to make a clearing.

There’ll be a limit on how often you can travel: after each journey, both Verren and the horses will need some time to recover. Initially the cooldown is a day and a half, but it can be gradually halved with specialized upgrades.

Ol’ Tott isn’t going anywhere - his services will remain an alternative to the Caravan, although he’ll become much stingier with his prices. The main difference, however, is that the Coachman will only transport you between settlements and Outskirts - the Caravan is more flexible in this regard.

And now that we are done with mechanics, let’s move onto upgrades:

TRAVELING

Hitching Post

Requirements: basic upgrade (available from the start)
Effect: grants access to Caravan travels

Old Cart

Requirements: basic upgrade (available from the start)
Effect: sets the base Caravan Distance at 20 tiles

Worn Chests

Requirements: basic upgrade (available from the start)
Effect: grants access to 200 inventory slots of the Caravan Storage

Sturdy Wheels

Requirements: Set of Sturdy Wheels (x1), Bottle of Oil (x1), Carpenter Hammer (x1)
Effect: +25% Caravan Distance and Speed

Ironbound Wheels

Requirements: Set of Ironbound Wheels (x1), Bottle of Oil (х2), Nails (х6), Carpenter Hammer (x1)
Effect: -33% Caravan Rest Duration, -10% Traveling Costs

Sturdy Chest

Requirements: Sturdy Chest (x1), Rope (х2), Nails (х6)
Effect: adds 200 inventory slots to the Caravan Storage (up to 400 in total)

Spacious Chests

Requirements: Spacious Chests (x1), Nails (х6), Bottle of Oil (х2)
Effect: adds 200 inventory slots to the Caravan Storage (up to 600 in total)

Ironbound Chests

Requirements: Ironbound Chests (x1), Nails (х8), Bottle of Oil (х3)
Effect: adds 200 inventory slots to the Caravan Storage (up to 800 in total)

Fitting Accouterments

Requirements: Quality Reins (x1), Horseshoe (х8), Nails (х2)
Effect: +25% Caravan Speed, -10% Traveling Costs

Сustom-Made Gear

Requirements: Reinforced Harness (x1), Bolt of Cloth (x1), Rope (x1)
Effect: -33% Caravan Rest Duration, +25% Caravan Distance

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That’s all for now. Until next devlog!

Devlog: Caravan Upgrades - Part IV



Hello everyone!

In today’s devlog, we’ll conclude the topic of Caravan Upgrades by revealing the final upgrade path - “Communication”.

Interesting fact: Caravan Upgrades are not Abilities and therefore DON’T require Ability Points. Instead, they are unlocked with items and materials.

Its main focus is staying in touch with civilization. Let’s take a closer look at what this entails:

COMMUNICATION


Caravan Banner

“A symbol of fellowship and hope.”

Requirements: Foldable Flagpole (acquired during the Caravan introduction quest)
Effect: adds a flagpole to the Caravan Camp that can be used to raise Banners found in dungeons or while exploring the world

All raised Banners will slightly increase your Reputation Gain and also provide some additional benefits: for example, the Wolf Banner will grant you a bit of Pain Resistance, and the Owl Banner - a bonus to Experience Gain.

Messenger Pigeons

“Messenger pigeons are trained to return home regardless of the distance, even if said home never stays in one place for too long.”

Requirements: Cage with Pigeons (x1), Sack of Grain (х1), Bucket (х1)
Effect: allows to take a Carrier Pigeon with you
While not in immediate danger, the Pigeon can be released to send a message to Verren, which will open the Caravan’s Travel Menu, allowing to move it to a selected location

Old Favors

“Verren has lots of acquaintances. Many of them still remember their old friend and won't mind vouching for him to the right people.”

Requirements: Pile of Letters (х1), Inkpot
Effect: killing enemies near settlements improves your Reputation there by 20% of the received Experience
Increases the time limit for contracts by 1 day

Web of Contacts

“The war made people's allegiances crystal clear - good fame is much more valuable right now than gold.”

Requirements: Signed Permit (х1)
Effect: grants 50% more Reputation when completing contracts in settlements affected by negative Situations
Grants +5% Reputation Gain for each settlement you’ve achieved “Respect” with
The “Common Cause” Reputation perk now works all the way up to “Amity” instead of “Benevolence”

Local Informants

“Rumors and hearsay are not to be brushed aside. What at first may appear as empty talk can eventually pave a path to riches.”

Requirements: Directives (х1), empty Coin Purse (х5)
Effect: decreases the chance of being Ambushed by 25%
Setting up the Caravan Camp reveals the location of all Points of Interest within 5 tiles
Reveals some of the ongoing Settlement Situations and Dungeon Modifiers, showing them in Global Map hovers

Trade Preferences

“In these uncertain times, most folks aren't brave enough to continue trading - their loss might as well become someone's gain.”

Requirements: Letter of Trading Authority (х1), achieving “Respect” with any settlement
Effect: +10% Trade Favorability when buying or selling Commodity Goods
Selling Commodity Goods in settlements improves your Reputation there by 5% of the received sum (15% if a settlement is affected by a negative Situation)


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That’s all for now. The next devlog will be dedicated to Global Map changes, including a new settlement of the Grand Magistrate.


Until next time!

Devlog: Denbrie and Global Map Changes


Hello everyone!

Today’s devlog is dedicated to changes to the global map and a new settlement of the Grand Magistrate - Denbrie! Let’s tackle it one thing at a time.

Denbrie

“By the time the truce was settled, Denbrie had already been turned into ruins. The Council’s army razed this quiet fishing village twice: first during their initial advance, and then - while retreating from their defeat under the walls of Brynn.

Right now the only thing keeping this settlement afloat is the garrison sent here by the Magistrate to oversee its western border.”

Side note: the list of planned settlements present in the current version of the game is no longer relevant and will be updated in Rags to Riches.

Denbrie is situated in the south-western region of the Brynn March and will be the third and final village of the Grand Magistrate. Its few remaining inhabitants - a couple fishermen and a merchant, who was driven insane by the horrors of war, eke out a miserable, poverty-stricken existence. The only reason why Denbrie still exists is its salt-producing infrastructure, which is being slowly rebuilt by workers from Brynn.

The close vicinity to the Magistrate’s borders makes Denbrie an important strategic spot, vital for controlling large swaths of the borderlands - this duty is performed by a squad of soldiers stationed in the village’s crumbling chapel. At the same time, the garrison is woefully understaffed and is struggling to maintain order, so the local captain will eagerly accept any help.

Denbrie also has Outskirts, a couple locations where you’ll be able to rest on your way to a dungeon, turn in a contract, or purchase necessary supplies:

St Wald's Bridge

“This is where St Wald, a much revered Aldorian saint, crossed the river on his quest to bring the Truth to Sentian heathens.

Decades later, one of the Order's brotherhoods built a stone bridge in his honor - and if it hadn't been for the spitefulness of the routed Council soldiers, it could have continued standing here for centuries.”

Kenrick's Homestead

“The place's owner, Old Kenrick, couldn't care less about politics or the rest of the world. Unfortunately, politics don't need an invitation to introduce themselves into a person's life - after almost losing everything when the war was in full swing, he now has to constantly interact with the Magistrate's troops, who are stationed at his homestead for strategic reasons.”

Map Changes

One of the most important changes to the global map is that many locations were moved to a different spot, allowing for a smoother and more organic progression through the game’s world. Additionally, the updated map will do a better job at highlighting the content that players right now have to either stumble upon randomly or learn about from external sources.

Osbrook, for example, will be located in the eastern part of the map, a more suitable place for a settlement that was affected by the war the least. Finishing the village’s introductory quest will instantly let you travel to Brynn, granting earlier access to the Caravan. And once you complete “Gwynnel's Answers”, Verren will begin giving you hints that’ll steer your journey towards Mannshire, the Rotten Willow, and Denbrie.

Mannshire will remain almost the same. The only notable difference is a set of additional rules for the nearby locations’ placement - the Herbalist’s Hut, for instance, will actually spawn close to the village.

In contrast, the Rotten Willow Tavern will be affected the most: it’ll be moved from its current spot (north of Mannshire) to the western region of the map, not far from Osbrook’s old location. Furthermore, the tavern will have its own contracts, a few nearby dungeons, some extra functionality, and two Outskirts:

Oaken Glade

“By the Magistrate trade outposts' standards, this woodcutting camp enjoys an uncharacteristically large amount of freedom. The reason - the lack of a permanent bailiff, a mistake that likely occurred due to simple neglect and forgetfulness.”

Charcoal Burners' Camp

“The burden of producing the charcoal that feeds the New Guild's forges was placed on the shoulders of convicts and prisoners of war.

The close vicinity of the Rotten Willow Tavern isn't a coincidence - the local captain is on much better terms with One-Eyed Wigmar than with his direct superiors in Brynn.”


Reputation System Changes

The Reputation system received many tweaks as well. In the current version of the game, each settlement uses the same Reputation perks - in Rags to Riches, they will differ depending on each city or village’s specific features, allowing for more flexibility when balancing the economy and gear progression. And, if the need arises, it’ll let us add even more unique perks in the future.

For example, even though there are almost no merchants in the dilapidated remains of Denbrie, the settlement’s unique perk, “Magistrate’s Frontier”, will reward you with additional Brynn reputation upon completing its contracts, which in turn will grant you access to better gear, even if indirectly.

Special Boss-related quests, which right now are tied to the character’s level, will too be a part of the Reputation system and will become available once you unlock their corresponding perk.

Brynn

Originally, Brynn’s Reputation was meant to be acquired through alternative means, and city contracts were introduced only as a placeholder. In Rags to Riches, we want to return to the original vision of Brynn as a center of commerce, which you’ll need to visit from time to time to buy new gear and sell off loot. Obviously, the list of big city activities will eventually feature sidequests as well: over the last year, we’ve put a lot of effort into adapting our dialogue-creating tools for the game’s engine, so the addition of new dialogues will require much less time than before.

This leads us to the next big change, the complete removal of Brynn dungeons and all contracts tied to them: high danger contracts will be split between the Rotten Willow and Denbrie, which should flatten the difficulty spike reported by many players.

Brynn Reputation will depend on your standing with other settlements of the faction, giving a lot of weight to Osbrook, Mannshire, and Denbrie contracts. On top of that, the option to bribe Bailiffs won’t be available by default, instead requiring a Commendation Letter, which will also be connected to a Reputation perk.

Distant Dungeons

Another thing that we want to do with Rags to Riches is to implement a complete progression system that provides content throughout all 30 character levels, which, subsequently, will allow us to stress test every mechanic before expanding the global map.

As mentioned in previous devlogs, this will be achieved by splitting the existing dungeons, items, and settlements into 5 tiers. This change will also affect distant dungeons, which will stay the main source of late game content - they’ll be present in tier 4 and tier 5 variants, offering more lucrative rewards and nastier opponents.


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That’s all for now. Until next time!

Devlog: Caravan Followers


Hello everyone!

Today we’ll cover one of the most essential features of the upcoming “Rags to Riches” update - Caravan Followers.

Followers are a fundamental part of the Caravan, allowing you to customize it depending on your needs. During your travels through Aldor, you’ll be given an option to recruit a small retinue of helpers, each granting access to unique opportunities that will benefit both the Caravan and your Character.

Before we begin, it must be noted that Followers won’t accompany you everywhere you go or participate in battles the same way they would in a party-based RPG: all of them either lack proficiency in soldierly matters or avoid getting into fights for personal reasons. The support they provide is exclusively out-of-combat, such as granting access to trading, repairs, and a plethora of other things that we’ll talk about in more details below.

We plan to have six unique Followers in total, three of which will be introduced with Rags to Riches. The first one is Darrel, your old acquaintance, whom we’ll take a better look at in this devlog. The rest of the gang will remain a secret - you’ll have a chance to meet them after the update is out. The only tidbit we can share for now is that all of them (except Darrel) will be newly-made NPCs, none of them present in the current version of the game.

The Caravan can accommodate up to three Followers - according to Verren, a crew larger than that wouldn’t be sufficiently discrete and mobile to carry out the search for Stoneshards. If needed, it’ll be possible to swap your Followers mid-journey: they can be dismissed at will and then replaced with someone else. Obviously, this works both ways: an already recruited Follower can later rejoin the Caravan. Still, maintaining a stable team with infrequent rotations will be the most sensible approach - the reason will become clear in a moment.

The search for new Followers starts with Verren. After receiving the initial sum necessary for purchasing additional horses and a new wagon, he’ll direct you towards your specialist of choice - whatever happens next depends on the Follower, since all of them have a small quest connected to their recruitment. Once you’re done with that part, the Follower will join the Caravan and head to the Camp, where you’ll finally be able to make use of their services: Darrel, for instance, can lend a hand with repairs or sell you a variety of tools.

Additionally, each Follower comes with four unique perks. The first two are actives: most of them will be presented in the form of dialogue options that grant access to special actions and effects. The remaining two are passives and will usually be focused on improving different aspects of the Caravan.

Freshly recruited Followers will have only two perks unlocked: one active and one passive. The rest will need to be earned by raising a Follower’s Loyalty, a stat reflecting their commitment to your cause. Loyalty will grow by itself with each passing day as long as said Follower is in the Caravan and can also be improved through Caravan events, dialogues, and the choices you make during them.

Followers will have five tiers of Loyalty:

Indifference [0%] : unlocks the first two perks
Sympathy [25%]: unlocks the second passive perk
Cordiality [50%]: the Follower will occasionally provide additional assistance and offer you gifts
Appreciation [75%]: unlocks the second active perk
Devotion [100%]: reduces the price of all goods and services by 20%


And here’s a list of Darrel’s perks:

Forced March (Active): once per week (and for a modest price), allows you to move the Caravan while it’s still on cooldown

Ingenuity (Active): allows you to pay Darrel to permanently improve an item’s Max Durability by 25%, which also reduces its future repair cost

Familiar Roads (Passive): +20% Caravan Speed

Safe Routes (Passive): -25% Ambush Chance and +3 to the Caravan Trade Radius

The final element of the Followers System is Caravan events, which are designed to liven up your Camp and give you more reasons to interact with it regularly. Each Follower has their own roster of events that will activate from time to time upon your return to the Caravan. Some of them are unique and can only trigger once, while others are repeatable. In general, they’re implemented as dialogues or small cutscenes that either offer you various boons and opportunities or provide additional insight into a Follower’s aspirations and personality.

As an example, Darrel might occasionally fix some of the items you leave in the Caravan Storage (informing you about it after he’s done), offer you a bundle of surplus tools for a symbolic price, participate in a chat with Verren and other Followers, comment on certain nearby locations, or even express his thoughts about some of your recent adventures.

But even outside of events, different Followers will have different routines in your Camp: just like other NPCs, they’ll have their own schedule and activities, the list of which can change depending on acquired Caravan Upgrades. Darrel in particular became quite pious after the events of the Prologue and will gladly use the Praying Spot once you set it up:


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That’s all for now.

The work on “Rags to Riches” is drawing to a close - the release date will be announced within the next few devlogs, so make sure to stay tuned!

Devlog: Economy, Contracts, and Situations

Hello everyone!

In today’s devlog, we’ll cover the remaining three major systems that will be a part of the upcoming Rags to Riches update: reworked Contracts, Economy, and Settlement Situations.

CONTRACTS

Let’s start with the Contract System: there’s a lot of sweeping changes to talk about, from the list of available contracts to numerous QoL improvements.

While reinventing contract types, we put a lot of effort into boosting their variety: for the most part, old contracts could be boiled down to killing a dungeon boss (and sometimes looting a quest item in the same room afterwards). In Rags to Riches, the vast majority of contracts will feature entirely new objectives, and the few legacy ones will be greatly expanded upon through additional mechanics.

For instance, Cursed Folios will now buff every Undead in the Crypt - the effect grows weaker with each destroyed Folio. Then there are Forbidden Grimoires which will possess a number of tricky effects, making their retrieval a rather unorthodox ordeal. Another good example would be the Catacombs’ “Source of Corruption” contract: before you can actually reach the defiled relic itself, you’ll first need to destroy a bunch of well-guarded altars…

- All contracts now have consequences. A failed contract is guaranteed to add a problematic modifier to the corresponding dungeon during its next respawn. A failure may also result in Negative Settlement Situations - we’ll take a closer look at those at the end of the devlog. The system works both ways though: a successfully completed contract will make the whole area safer, which in turn attracts foragers, pilgrims, and roaming traders.

- Contracts will no longer stay available indefinitely, waiting for your character to accept them at his or her leisure. In Rags to Riches, contracts will be constantly rotated, emulating the efforts of other mercenaries. Any contracts you don’t accept will be either completed or failed in the background, resulting in the same consequences as if they were undertaken by you.

- Contract-related dialogues were significantly expanded with many new options, allowing you to better prepare for your expeditions. First of all, you’ll once again be allowed to choose from every available contract (if there’s more than one). Secondly, contract givers can now inform you about the dungeon’s size, any possible modifiers affecting it (such as the Crypts’ restless spirits or the Catacombs’s malign rituals) and hint at the type of miniboss you might encounter inside.

New dialogue options will also include the ability to haggle for better payment, which will either decrease your Reputation reward or require you to complete the contract within a much shorter time frame. Other than that, you’ll be able to cancel an ongoing contract without having to wait for it to expire naturally. And once you make a name for yourself in the settlement, you’ll be eligible to request advance payment for your services - keep in mind though, failing a contract after accepting an advance will result in much higher Reputation penalties than usual.

ECONOMY

Let’s move onto the Economy: how will it change in Rags to Riches?

One of our main goals while working on the Economy was to make it much more dynamic, requiring players to always pay attention and adapt accordingly. To achieve this, we decided to introduce two new mechanics: Price Fluctuations and Price and Demand.

- Fluctuations are random shifts in selling and buying prices that can occur within a set range. This system is meant to reflect the fickleness of the market while also avoiding overly complex simulations - those would appear way too obscure and convoluted to anyone unfamiliar with their inner workings.

All in all, Price Fluctuations are expected to add an element of unpredictability to every trade interaction: upon arriving at a settlement, you might notice that local prices are surprisingly cheap, creating an opportunity to purchase more supplies than you originally planned - or vice versa.

- Supply and Demand make prices less static as well. However, instead of relying on randomness, they respond to your character’s actions and ongoing Settlement Situations. For instance, buying out an entire shipment of meds will result in every trader in the village raising medicine prices upon their next restock. The system may swing into the opposite direction too - dumping a bunch of trophy weapons onto the market will make the settlement’s traders offer much less gold for them in the future.

Some item categories will be exempt from this mechanic. First and foremost, this applies to Valuables, the price of which will always remain more or less the same, minus the random Price Fluctuations.

Eventually, Supply and Demand will balance themselves out. The amount of time needed for this depends on the degree of turmoil affecting the market: if the price of an item category changes drastically enough, it may require up to a couple weeks to return to its original value.

- NPCs now boast reworked trade settings, which will allow us to adjust their preferences with more flexibility and add features that haven’t been possible within the old system. For example, some traders will replenish only a portion of their goods rather than their entire stock, others might only purchase items of specific quality, origins, or Durability, sell damaged equipment, and so on.

Traders were also given additional hovers that should make it easier to trace the finer nuances of the updated Economy without relying on trial and error: you’ll have an option to see what item categories each trader is interested in, what prices they’re willing to offer for them, and when to expect their next restock.

- A special role in the updated Economy is delegated to numerous Commodities that are produced in industry-oriented village Outskirts. Different settlements will have varying interest in wine, grain, charcoal, salt, cider, and timber, allowing business-savvy players to profit from selling them where they’re needed the most.

SITUATIONS

And now for the closing section of today’s devlog - it’s time to talk about Settlement Situations, which has already been mentioned multiple times while listing changes to the Contract System and Economy. Situations are designed to liven up already existing villages and provide players with new opportunities and challenges.

All situations are split between the following categories: Positive, Neutral, and Negative

As suggested by their name, Positive Situations are centered around various boons and new opportunities. Neutral ones come with both beneficial and detrimental effects. And Negative Situations mostly harm the affected settlement and lead to the emergence of Negative Economical Situations.

Each Situation comes with its own special effects, often adding new NPCs as well as altering some of the existing speech and dialogue lines. In total, Rags to Riches will feature 12 Situations: 9 main ones and 3 focused around economy.

Positive Situations:

- “Fair” is organized by traveling merchants, who offer a large selection of goods for affordable prices.

- “Rut” will repopulate all dens around the settlement, increasing animal spawn rates, and attracting hunters, who are always partial to making a trade.

- “Bloom” greatly boosts the amount of plants and mushrooms in the area while also increasing the demand both for them and medical items. The village itself gets a visit from a group of peasant foragers, who’ll gladly sell any rare plants they’ve collected.

Neutral Situations:

- “Competition” stems from the presence of rival mercenaries in the village. It reduces the number of available contracts, adds negative modifiers to the remaining ones, and narrows the time window for their completion. On the upside, these high difficulty contracts will net you a much bigger reward.

- “Pilgrimage” is tied to a group of monks who wander between the holy sites of Aldor. They’re capable of granting a lengthy blessing to your character and boost the reputation gain for completing Crypt and Catacomb contracts. At the same time, they put a noticeable strain on local food and medicine prices.

- “Reinforcements” signify the arrival of additional guards. This Situation reduces the number of enemies and ambushes around the settlement while also increasing the price of food and alcohol. To offset this, you’ll be able to earn some Reputation simply by killing any remaining enemies around the village.

And finally, Negative Situations: they serve as a possible outcome of failed contracts, when dungeon-dwelling brigands and cultists are allowed to run amok.

- Failing or ignoring Bastion contracts may lead to “Dangerous Roads”, increasing the chance of ambush in the area and limiting the local traders’ stock.

- When left unchecked, necromancers might unleash “Nightmares” upon the area, reducing the effectiveness of sleep as well as preventing it from granting Vigor or replenishing Morale and Sanity.

- Left to their own devices, Catacomb cultists may eventually begin spreading “Pestilence”, poisoning plants, animals, and people in and around the nearby settlement.

Once the rumors about a settlement’s misfortune (and Negative Situations besetting it) become too egregious to ignore, it will start getting fewer visits from supply caravans, which leads to the emergence of gradually deteriorating Negative Economical Situations that may further damage the local traders’ stock size and significantly increase their selling prices.

Positive and Neutral Situations can only exist as single instances, lasting for a few days before potentially reappearing in another village. Negative Situations, on the other hand, won’t go away by themselves, although their effect can still be easily countered: all you need to do is to complete a contract tied to the corresponding dungeon (or wait for someone else to handle it for you). And once that dungeon is cleared out, it won’t take long for the settlement to return to normal.

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That’s all for now. This concludes the final devlog dedicated to Rags to Riches’ major additions - the next one will showcase all the work we’ve done over the last year (including a number of previously unannounced features and improvements) and reveal the update’s release date!

Until next time!

Devlog: "Rags to Riches" Release Date


Hello everyone!

This is the final devlog dedicated to the upcoming “Rags to Riches” update, the largest one in Stoneshard’s history. So today, as promised, we’re happy to announce its release date - December 16th!

Plan your winter holidays accordingly - we almost can’t wait to show you the results of our work. But for now, this is a perfect moment to review the progress we’ve made over the past year and go through every addition to the game that will be waiting for you on December 16th. Let’s get started!

CARAVAN

The Caravan is the update’s most important system that will massively impact your approach to traveling and map exploration. With the Caravan, you’ll be able to cross large distances swiftly and comfortably, as well as set up a personal camp upon arrival - any empty map tile will do, be it next to a dungeon, a settlement, or a Point of Interest.

It’s important to remember that the Caravan doesn’t function as an on-demand fast travel button - you’ll need to have a stockpile of Fodder for the road, and the horses will require at least some rest after every journey.

CARAVAN UPGRADES

Upgrades are designed to further enhance the quality of Caravan travels and add utility to your camp. In Rags to Riches, there’ll be a total of 25 upgrades, starting with basic bonuses to the Caravan’s travel distance and speed, all the way to a personal Shrine and the ability to gain Reputation for killing enemies around settlements.

As always, a reminder: Caravan Upgrades are NOT skills and therefore require special items rather than Ability Points.

FOLLOWERS

With the help of Verren, you’ll be able to recruit up to 3 Caravan Followers, who will support you out of combat by selling supplies, offering repairs, speeding up your leveling speed, and so on.

Each Caravan Follower is a unique character with their own recruitment quest, unique perks, dialogues, and Caravan events. And the more time they spend with your Character, the higher their Loyalty will be - leading to even more benefits and opportunities.

SETTLEMENT SITUATIONS

Settlement Situations will introduce a tad of unpredictability to your adventures. They exist in the form of village events and temporary NPCs, ranging from groups of Pilgrims and competing Mercenaries to Traveling Fairs and disease outbreaks.

Situations always bring new opportunities or complications, affect the local economy, and are partially dependent on the area’s danger level, which is mostly connected to active dungeons nearby.

DUNGEON REWORK

The Dungeon Generator went through a massive overhaul: narrow corridors and cramped rooms gave way to spacious halls, their visuals properly reflecting each dungeon’s tier and measure of opulence.

Different dungeon types have their own structural quirks: for instance, much of the Crypts loot will be stored in special sealed tombs, while the Catacombs will greet you with double doors and numerous libraries.

DUNGEON MODIFIERS

Modifiers are special effects that can take place in dungeons either randomly or as a consequence of failed contracts. They introduce additional complications that need to be taken into account during your expeditions - such as poisoned air in the Crypts or an ongoing ritual that empowers every Proselyte in the Catacombs.

CONTRACTS REWORK

To keep up with the Dungeons Rework, the Contracts System received a major update as well, boasting a slew of new objectives that don’t boil down to killing a miniboss or looting their treasure chest for a quest item. Naturally, many old contracts were also updated with additional mechanics, conditions, and challenges.

Additionally, the new system is expected to make the world feel more alive: contracts will be on constant rotation, simulating the efforts of other mercenaries, both successes and failures.

There’ll also be changes to the process of taking contracts: you’ll now have an option to inquire about the dungeon’s size and some of its modifiers, receive a hint about the miniboss residing there, and even request an advance or haggle for a better reward.

NEW SETTLEMENT: DENBRIE

Denbrie is the fourth and final settlement of the Grand Magistrate. Hardly any of its inhabitants survived the war: most of the village lies in ruins, and the only thing keeping it garrisoned and not entirely deserted is its active salt industry. Nevertheless, an experienced mercenary can still find a contract or two here - the Magistrate’s forces in the region are in dire need of reinforcements.

OUTSKIRTS

Outskirts are a new location type, situated around villages and the Rotten Willow Tavern. They serve as rest stops of sorts, offering your Mercenary a chance to recover and resupply, as well as opportunities to accept or turn in a contract for alternative rewards (Brynn Reputation or extra gold).

In total, Rags to Riches will feature 10 Outskirts with 60 unique NPCs and dozens of unique dialogues.

REWORKED ECONOMY

The Economy saw significant improvements, such as the addition of price fluctuations, the simulation of price and demand, and the ability to earn gold by purchasing all kinds of trade goods in Outskirts and then selling them somewhere else.

Other than that, there’s a lot of QoL additions - for example, all traders now feature hovers that contain all the important info about their prices, preferences, and other quirks.

GLOBAL MAP CHANGES

Many locations were moved to a new spot on the global map, making your Character’s journey through them more gradual and organic. After completing Odar’s quest in Osbrook, you’ll now be directed straight to Brynn, where you’ll promptly gain access to your Caravan and receive leads towards other settlements from Verren.

All Brynn contracts were moved to the Rotten Willow and Denbrie, with the city itself taking upon the role of a commercial hub, which you’ll be visiting from time to time to purchase new equipment and some Caravan Upgrades.

COOKING

There’s nothing better than a hearty campfire dinner after a day of completing challenging contracts - and now you’ll be able to cook it yourself, choosing from 40 possible recipes. Each dish comes with its own special effects, capable of boosting your Immunity, Sanity, Fatigue Resistance, and even some combat stats. Dishes can also be imbued with various spices, granting them additional bonuses.

CONSUMABLES CRAFTING

The Crafting System will offer you a chance to create certain consumables with ingredients you find in the field - provided you’re familiar with their schematics. In total, Rags to Riches will feature 15 crafting recipes, allowing you to cobble together a wide selection of handy items, from Smoke Bombs to Healing Salves.

NEW MINIBOSSES

The Crypt will become home to 7 new minibosses - Warlocks, Skeletons, and even a Wraith. Each has unique abilities and mechanics that might require clever strategies if you hope to emerge victorious.

NEW ITEMS

You can expect a bunch of new items as well:

- 5 chestpieces
- 1 helmet
- 2 necklaces
- 5 two-handed swords
- 3 two-handed maces
- 8 daggers
- 2 shields
- 6 types of commodity goods
- 15 valuables
- 10 ingredients
- 5 bags - each with its own layout and specialization

REWORKED REPUTATION SYSTEM

We also decided to revisit the Reputation System to introduce a bit more nuance to it - rather than featuring samey, shared perks, every settlement will now have its own set of bonuses, including unique ones. For instance, Denbrie’s “Magistrate’s Frontier” makes the completion of its contracts the fastest way to earn Brynn Reputation.

EQUIPMENT, ENEMIES, AND ABILITIES REBALANCE

In Rags to Riches, we decided to drastically shift our approach to enemy, dungeon, and equipment progression - all of the above will now function based on tiers, from I to V. This change solves several issues: first of all, it allows us to spread the existing content throughout all 30 Character levels while providing a simple and intuitive way to gauge the danger presented by each enemy or dungeon (or quality, in case of equipment). The system will also incorporate many previously underused pieces of gear and make the persistent problem of unobtainable equipment (the availability of which changed back and forth with every patch) a thing of the past.

Obviously, such a system wouldn’t be possible without a complete rebalance of most of the existing content - therefore, all gear, enemies, and some abilities received major stat tweaks. Equipment in particular was affected the most: every weapon and armor type will now have 2-4 distinct subtypes that support different Character builds, taking itemization to a completely new level.

SURVIVAL UPDATE

The “Survival” tree received numerous changes, both in terms of its overall structure and some individual skills. For example, “Butchering”, a skill for harvesting meat from slain animals, will be available to all Characters from the start, while the ability to harvest pelts and rare ingredients is now tied to “Resourcefulness”.

Since the schematic for crafting Bedrolls will also become universally available, “Make a Halt” will function quite differently, allowing to receive “Vigor” from sleeping in camps and Bedrolls and granting a noticeable boost to “Vigor” itself.

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

Rags to Riches isn’t just about major additions, we made lots of minor changes too:

- Updated the enemy pathfinding algorithm, allowing it to efficiently account for many factors such as active AoE zones, bodies of water, and nearby allies, which made its results much more believable. Enemies will now also use their dashes to chase your Character down, attempt to spread out in open areas, and choose better routes for escape.

- Reworked AI states to make shifts between them more fluid and logical, while also allowing for more flexibility during any future adjustments.

- Reworked the Noise System for extra predictability and transparency: attracting enemies to your location should no longer require you to throw half a dozen bottles against the nearby wall.

- Reworked the dungeons’ Loot System, switching to a much more flexible and speedy algorithm that offers more options when working with containers.

- Reworked the technical aspect of the Save System, optimizing the size of save files and reducing load times when moving between locations.

- Greatly improved the system for resetting the state of locations by introducing a more modular design: dropping an item inside a settlement no longer means that it’ll stay there for months, while previously harvested mushrooms, berries, and other vegetation will now actually regrow after some time.

- Reworked random enemy spawns both in dungeons and on the surface, transitioning them to a system based on a mix of archetypes and premade templates.

- Changed the principle behind enemy spawns in the open world, removing their absolute dependence on your Character’s level: instead, each enemy type will be tied to a corresponding zone on the global map. These zones will grow more dangerous over time, but only to a certain point - for example, III+ tier enemies will never show up in the relatively safe area around Osbrook.

- Optimized the algorithm for generating roads, dungeons, and Points of Interest on the global map.

- Automated the interaction between our dialogue-writing tools and the game’s engine, allowing us to create dialogues with more speed and convenience than before, when every connection between dialogue lines had to be manually added into the game’s code.

- Added 1500+ new dialogue lines.

- Added several new Points of Interest and tasks.

- Something about achievements, but they are yet to be implemented on GOG...

- Added many new sound effects.

- Remade and improved many old sprites and some other assets.

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With that out of the way, let’s talk about Stoneshard’s near future. After the release of Rags to Riches, we intend to change our update strategy and switch to a schedule with more frequent patches and less sweeping changes.

Unfortunately, this approach was not applicable during the development of Rags to Riches, where every new and reworked system is a part of the same gameplay loop and relies on everything else to function as intended. The volume of work was truly immense, often leading to unforeseen mid-development realizations that the introduction of a certain feature would require us to rework or add an entirely different mechanic. However, now that the Caravan, the last major system planned for the game, is complete, we can finally switch to modular content updates - we’ll share the specifics after publishing the updated Roadmap.

There’s a certain risk that some currently unstable content will be postponed and added through follow-up hotfixes after the release of Rags to Riches - although we intend to do everything in our power to wrap it all up by the announced date. This mostly affects some of the new contracts, dungeon modifiers, and Follower events. We’ve also been working on a new type of Point of Interest - caves - which we wanted to present as a surprise, but they too might require a bit more time in the oven to iron out issues with their generation algorithms. Still, the groundwork for adding them has already been implemented, so they should be compatible with RtR saves once they arrive.

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That’s all for now. As already mentioned, there’ll be no more devlogs dedicated to Rags to Riches - see you on December 16th!