Hi, everyone! In this development log, we wanted to share with you various gameplay updates and new features that we prepared for the testing build of the game. We have finished developing all planned content for the build and are now doing final balancing and optimizations. There are many new additions to all gameplay systems, from combat and skills to building and crafting. [h3]Harvesting skills[/h3] One of the biggest new additions to the game are the 9 skill trees dedicated to harvesting professions. Each skill tree consists of 12 nodes that provide unique bonuses to the related profession. Characters can gain experience and level up these skills when gathering resources using the corresponding tools. [img]https://i.imgur.com/LKy5FRO.gif[/img] New harvesting skills include: [list] [*] [b]Woodcutting[/b] - allows collecting different types of wood using lumberjack axes, as well as providing bonuses for finding special woods and regrowing trees. [*] [b]Mining[/b] - determines how good characters are at harvesting ores, allows splitting ore deposits faster, and helps find rare types of ores. [*] [b]Quarrying[/b] - helps harvest stone blocks and split stone deposits with a sledgehammer more efficiently, and provides some unique features, such as blast mining. [*] [b]Digging[/b] - allows excavating various resources, such as clay, from the ground. It also provides a useful side bonus that helps find hidden treasures. [*] [b]Hoeing[/b] - a skill that improves the harvesting of resources like pigments from deposits on the ground. [*] [b]Splitting[/b] - this skill allows gathering salts from deposits using specialized iron bars. It also helps to find rare gemstones while splitting mineral deposits. [*] [b]Farming[/b] - a useful skill that provides various bonuses for growing and harvesting crops, as well as raising farm animals. [*] [b]Reaping[/b] - measures how efficiently characters can grow various plant fibers (like cotton or flax) and then gather them using a sickle. [*] [b]Gathering[/b] - helps characters collect various medicinal herbs and other ingredients needed for crafting potions, tinctures, poisons, etc. [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42814198/a7736410966d056e1c29954e810abeac1def65ce.png[/img] Together with the harvesting skills, there are dozens of new craftable items for harvesting, processing, and storing resources. They are designed to work together with the harvesting skills and help optimize or, in later stages of the game walkthrough, automate the harvesting process. [h3]Taming[/h3] Another significant addition to the game is the taming system. It was requested on our socials quite often, and we also think that it’s a great feature that can improve the overall gameplay. Now characters can tame any type of wild animal (such as a wolf, boar, deer, fox, etc.) that is present in the game. [img]https://i.imgur.com/paaiBdD.gif[/img] There is an Affection meter for each animal, which determines whether an animal is hostile, neutral, or friendly toward the player’s character. It can be raised by giving them food (all animals have different preferences, and offering them their favorite food makes the taming process faster) or by petting them once they become friendly. [img]https://i.imgur.com/Te7pTHS.gif[/img] There are 10 Affection levels in total, each one offering various bonuses and changing the behavior of an animal. The first few levels reduce the animal’s aggressiveness and allow characters to walk closer without being attacked. After the third level, the animal becomes neutral and won’t attack the player anymore unless it receives direct damage. It also allows characters to approach the animal and pet it to further increase Affection. Higher levels of Affection make animals friendly to the player, allowing to name them, as well as give various commands such as following the character or guarding territories. [h3]New animal types[/h3] With the addition of the taming system, we also expanded the number of wild and domesticated animals present in the game. Now there are 11 types of animals that are either domesticated by default or can be tamed: cows, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, wolves, foxes, boars, deer, bears, and rats. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42814198/944426d79036db8e06ed32dae6ab2a34b0b35623.png[/img] Raising or taming animals can provide access to valuable resources such as hides, wool, milk, eggs, meat, etc. We also integrated taming and new animal types with the updated Farming profession. There are various tools to process the obtained resources (such as a tanning rack, for example) and equipment that helps to take care of the animals (barns, fences, feeders). [h3]Cooking[/h3] Together with the farming system, we implemented the cooking system and significantly expanded the number of available ingredients and types of food. Now there are more than 200 ingredients and recipes in the game. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42814198/89359353b5553496422cef82045ce229fda211f7.png[/img] Each type of food or recipe provides various useful bonuses to characters (such as temporarily raising stats or attributes, resistances, regeneration speed, etc.) and helps to prepare for exploration and battles. There are no hunger or thirst meters by default, and no negative effects for not consuming food, so it’s totally up to players whether to use it (we might add an optional setting to the server menu for those who would prefer to have such functionality, though). [img]https://i.imgur.com/WXofV3r.gif[/img] Each type of craftable equipment for cooking (campfire, cooking pot, oven) has from one to five slots for cooking ingredients. A higher number of ingredient slots allows the preparation of more complicated recipes that provide stronger bonuses. New recipes can be discovered either by experimenting with various ingredients or by finding them in the open world. [h3]Diseases and status effects[/h3] We also added different types of diseases, each with multiple stages and unique gameplay effects, and new status effects to the game. They are integrated with other systems (such as weather, food, or enemies) and have certain conditions that cause them. For example, prolonged exposure to cold or heat without appropriate gear or resistance can cause Frostbite or Heatstroke. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42814198/3c522bdd8708455a640e01cb03ab1ed9a6704f3d.png[/img] When left untreated for a long time, diseases can progress to more advanced stages, inflicting various negative effects. But they can be treated with craftable remedies by Herbalists and Apothecaries or, in some cases, by simply stopping exposure to harmful effects. [img]https://i.imgur.com/rKy31wL.gif[/img] To implement diseases, we also updated various in-game mechanics, such as temperature and weather effects. All world zones now have a dynamic temperature that is affected by time of day, season, weather, and heat sources. Craftable items like campfires, torches, or braziers provide heat in a certain radius around them and can help prevent status effects like chilling, freezing, or wetness. [h3]Climbing[/h3] Another new feature introduced to the game is climbing. We had it implemented for some time as an experimental feature, but with further testing and improvements, we decided that it was ready to be added to the game. The climbing system is fully dynamic and is supported by almost all surfaces and objects (cliffs, walls, trees, buildings). [img]https://i.imgur.com/KpjRo1Z.gif[/img] Climbing provides access to otherwise unreachable places and also helps to improve the traversal of the open world. It also supports jumping, which can speed up the climbing process or allow for overcoming obstacles. [h3]Building mode updates[/h3] With the addition of new harvesting equipment, building parts, and other craftable items, we decided that the building menu needed an overhaul for easier navigation and categorization of buildable objects. The building menu consists of 6 large parts: Construction, Encampment, Harvesting, Production, Farming, and Furniture. Then, each of them is divided into 9 categories for individual objects. For example, the Encampment tab consists of categories like Campfires, Tents, Defenses, Fortifications, Weapon Stands, Training Equipment, Banners, Bags, and Blankets. And each category has various craftable items related to it. [img]https://i.imgur.com/oE8rAfO.gif[/img] We also added an option to easily switch the tier of craftable items (Common, Uncommon, Rare) inside the building menu by clicking on the selector above it or using hotkeys (the mouse wheel in the case of using a mouse and keyboard setup). And we implemented advanced tooltips that can be optionally toggled to display detailed parameters and bonuses for buildable objects. [h3]Building customization[/h3] We fully finished the building customization system introduced a bit earlier and greatly expanded the number of options available for customization. Now it is possible to customize the majority of buildable objects as long as they have surfaces that can be painted (such as fabric or wood). [img]https://i.imgur.com/YuK3gJN.gif[/img] The customization system allows changing the object’s colors, applying patterns and images, adjusting their scale, position, and rotation, as well as saving and loading created styles. We have added many new types of patterns and images that can be painted on craftable objects. For example, you can create custom banners and flags for your faction or completely change the look of encampments, buildings, and other objects. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42814198/ce7c47b214858c224d5987ae62c8c60bc195294e.png[/img] [h3]Building bonuses and interactions[/h3] Apart from customization options, we also added various gameplay bonuses and interactions for most of the building parts. They can be used for resting, storing items, training, displaying trophies, providing heat and light, etc. Each object has parameters like Decor, Comfort, Durability, and can provide some special bonuses to characters. Many of the buildable objects also grant access to other gameplay systems like cooking, harvesting, and production. [img]https://i.imgur.com/GsCk6KN.gif[/img] Decor and comfort values provide bonuses to different status effects (like the Well Rested effect), improve regeneration speed while resting, and grant other benefits (for example, Decor value can make selling items at the shops that you build more profitable). [h3]Combat mode updates[/h3] We also made a lot of tweaks and updates to the combat system in the game. We have added a new UI panel that displays available combat moves and abilities in more detail, implemented demonstrations for skills in the tooltips, and added new default abilities. Furthermore, we also added Unarmed attacks and skills (which doesn’t count as a separate skill tree but can be useful at the beginning stages of the game). [img]https://i.imgur.com/vowhsAr.gif[/img] An important part of the combat system is physical and elemental effects, as well as their combinations. There are four physical damage types and resistances (Slashing, Crushing, Piercing, Ballistic), and six elemental ones (Fire, Frost, Poison, Lightning, Chaos, and Holy). By inflicting damage of a certain type on enemies, you can build up various effects that can immobilize them, make them weaker, or deal damage over time. Different effects can also be combined into more powerful ones and provide additional advantages over enemies. Applying physical and elemental effects to the enemies also improves the effectiveness of the characters' strong attacks and makes them significantly more deadly. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42814198/bd6ea3a341218516aec3f8497f46cf1ab20d544c.png[/img] There are also some quality-of-life features for the combat system, such as training dummies and shooting targets that allow to measure damage of different attacks, DPS of combo attacks, and effect buildups. That’s it for today’s development log update. There are many smaller additions and tweaks that we made in preparation for the testing build. We will try to cover them in future logs, but now the main priority is to make sure that the testing build is fully ready for the launch and that all the new content works correctly. We are trying to finish the last balancing passes and optimizations as fast as we can, but it’s important to do them properly in order to significantly reduce the number of potential issues during the launch of the testing. We are very thankful to all of you for your patience!