Hello Knights!
Let’s take a moment to get you up to speed with our latest news. First things first: we’re progressing well. We are on track to building a fast-paced and enjoyable multi-player experience.
That said, we are still hard at work on several fronts. The demo has brought forward invaluable feedback for which we are extremely grateful (keep it coming!). It also gave us a lot of new ideas that we want to implement, and of course, the game is now in a more advanced state!
Early access release
While we are satisfied with our progress so far, our ambition is to take Ember Knights a few steps further. We really want the game to be the best it can possibly be, and for this, we have decided to move our Early Access release target to Spring 2022. It is a difficult decision but we are confident it is ultimately for the better.
Combat system overview
In the meantime, we would like to update you on some of the latest exciting changes to the game, starting with the combat mechanics. As you know, one of our key goals is to offer a rich gameplay experience. Yet one element of feedback that regularly came from the players who tried the demo is how using the sword did not feel particularly rewarding. As you can imagine, this really got us thinking! We put a lot of consideration into how we could address this. We came up with several ideas that we think will truly improve our weapon system and attack mechanics. Below is what we are currently working on.
First of all, the weapon you choose will determine your playstyle and also your character stats. In other words, your strengths and weaknesses. For instance, archers will be more agile, but they will have fewer hit points. Also, each weapon will come with their own unique advantages and all of them will grant you a variety of possible actions. Take the sword for example. It will have a passive power: your damage will gradually increase as you hit your enemies without taking damage. This means the better you are at dodging, the more effective you will be!
In the demo, smashing the attack button repeatedly didn’t have a specific effect other than a damage increase every third strike. A charged attack simply meant swinging the sword a little stronger. To make a more versatile arsenal of attacks, we have added the following:
- Chain attacks: successfully landing 2 consecutive hits and then a third, if timed correctly, will result in a critical strike.
- Charged attacks: loading your hits will increase their damage radius.
- Roll attacks: a successful roll attack will generate a powerful thrust attack, damaging and pushing enemies back.
You may have seen it on our social media channels, the bow will become available when we reach Early Access. And of course, the archers will also have some nice tricks up their sleeve. Their chain attacks will result in a large, piercing shot, while their roll attacks will set stun traps. Another thing we need to mention here is… There will ultimately be more than two weapons! So if you’re neither into swords nor bows, we will have other things in store for you... But right now, we need to talk about timing.
Time your attacks for maximum efficiency
As you may have noticed we mentioned how your attacks will benefit from hitting the right timings. This will be true for your skills as well. In fact, most of the combat actions you will undertake will reward those who master the skill of timing. Whether it be unleashing your magic when a radius is at its largest or just generally understanding when the right moment is to swing your blade... Your skill will make all the difference!
Remember the old Inferno skill?
Hitting the right timing will yield devasting results. The colour of your skill will match your character for improved clarity in multiplayer contexts.
We hope this gives you some insight as to the strengths and weaknesses of each class. Next time, we’ll discuss the Story, and how the relics you find in the game will affect your gaming experience. But for now, we’ll leave you with a question: what’s your ultimate weapon of choice? Is it a bow, a sword… Or something else?
If you want more or would just like to talk about the best weapons you can join us on Discord, Facebook and Twitter.