February Development Update

Hello, Travelers!

We’re proudly presenting you this month’s dev update.

Before we start this update (and it will be a wild one! there’s TONS of new progress), we need to share one less-exciting news.

Remember, when in the last update we said, that after patch 0.9 there would be no more save wipes…? Yeah…. so that turned out not to be true, unfortunately.

Most probably, we will still have to save-wipe the game at 1.0. The reason for that is pretty simple—we need our tech team to 100% focus on optimization and Xbox & PlayStation ports. We estimated that keeping save files would be easier, but unfortunately, it turned out to be much more complex at this time. Before the release, we need to make sure that 1.0 is fully technically sound.

We will obviously make it very transparent on the Steam main page, we just wanted to take the time and tell you here too, with our explanation and apologies. We really didn’t want to mislead you, it's just… video game development is… let’s call it “agile” :D Unfortunately, things and plans have to adjust. Sorry for that folks!

Now, for some of the good news: Tainted Grail’s replayability will be very high:

• You can create and execute a lot of different builds
• There is A LOT of secrets hidden all around
• Your decisions will have big consequences in terms of the storyline

So, if you want to experience 0.9 in all its glory, go for it! We believe you'll still have a great time replaying Act 1 when 1.0 drops. But if you'd rather wait a few extra months for the full experience—that's completely fine too!

IMPORTANT: Last month to get the game at a special, lower Early Access price!
This is the last call to get the game at its current price. Remember that on the 25th of March, the new price will be 45 USD (or regional equivalent).

0.9 PATCH IS COMING! What can you expect?

• NEW language support! Here is a full list of translations that will be coming: English, Czech, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, and German.
• full Act 1 in 95% of the final quality;
• full English voice-over;
• about 15-20h of revamped gameplay in Act 1;
• NEW free demo!;
• and A LOT of surprises ;) We will have a full list next month, once the update goes live!

OK! Now let's get to the meat of this update!

As always, let’s start with the video overview made by WolfheartFPS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq0fc7A_xgk&ab_channel=WolfheartFPS

This month, we’d like to focus on the newest addition to the game: the third and final region, Forlorn Swords. This is actually the first real opportunity to showcase our work. Of course, the region isn’t fully complete yet, but we’d love to give you an early tour of some selected locations.

Forlorn Swords: the 3rd act main zone

We already teased it some time ago, and now we’re ready for a more visual showcase! Forlorn Swords is a snowy land home to the wild Dal Riata tribes. As you trek through its frozen peaks, you'll uncover the history, traditions, and long-standing clashes between the Dal Riata and Kamelot (yes, it goes with a “K”). These tribes share a deep bond with the mystical Giants and live in scattered villages throughout the region, with their capital in Mathair Mines—once an old mine, now the hub of their entire culture and ceremonies. Along the way, you will encounter representatives from five different tribes, and will be able to shape their fate!

Companions? Here is your new pet: Qrko!

Now, you’re gonna love this one: meet Qrko, a tiny cute pet that can become your companion for the journey through Avalon! Once found, it will never leave your side! And don’t worry—Qrko is immortal, so you don’t have to worry about smacking him with your two-handed sword when fending off Grindylows. When it comes to interactions, for now, you can:

• pet Qrko;
• ask Qrko to perform a trick;
• command Qrko to stay in place or follow your lead.

We’re still figuring out different interactions with Qrko, so if you have any ideas, we’re open to suggestions! Let us know in the comments.

Photo Mode (no, that’s not a third-person perspective!)

We’re introducing a Photo Mode, allowing you to fully appreciate and adore the beautiful armor sets you compose. #FashionGrail at its finest!

However, we want to make this very clear—this is ONLY a Photo Mode, NOT a third-person gameplay option. We want to avoid any misunderstandings on this topic.

Although…

Would you be interested in a third-person perspective? :)

If so, let us know in the comments below! We’re not making any promises, but there’s a chance we’ll add this feature—if not with the 1.0 update, then possibly later through post-launch patches. To make sure it’s worth the effort, we need to hear from you first! :)

New craftable armor

Speaking of #FashionGrail, we’ve added several new armor sets, crafted from the remains of enemies—and we believe they’re pretty badass! Name a better way to flex about beating the hell out of your opponents! 😎

Those include:

• the Red Cap crafting armor (“Bloodsoaked”);
• the Grindylow crafting armor (“Torn Sinew”);
• the Sharg crafting armor (“Ravenous);
• the Ice Weaver crafting armor (“Frostwoven”).

New enemies

As per usual, each month we bring you some new enemies to the table. This time, we’re most excited about the Foredweller, currently available in two variants: the Knight one, and the Warrior one. This guy comes equipped with four active arms, making fights more dynamic and unpredictable.

New gameplay mechanics in progress

Gameplay is king, so we’re now working on three gameplay mechanics:

• a revamped throwables system;
• a brand-new wand system;
• the introduction of Soul Cubes.

To dive a bit deeper…

Throwables

They are our way of supporting combat against multiple foes, especially for melee-focused builds, as their users tend to get surrounded by enemies quite easily.

Throwables feature a quick-use mechanic. Just put them in the quick-use slots, and you can activate them instantly, just like potions. They serve various purposes, such as dealing damage, applying status effects, creating AoE effects, and providing crowd control. That makes them a great tool for non-magic and/or non-ranged players!

We've also added a ton of new throwables, including:

• the Booming Flare: creates an 8m explosion of light, blinding all targets;
• the Breathstealer: enemies hit within a 5m area lose a portion of their max stamina;
• the Ephemerate Crystal: banishes the target, making it disappear for a while;
• the Flaming Concoction: on impact, covers the area in flammable liquid;
• the Orb of Vortex: pulls all targets towards the point of impact;
• the Siphon Bomb: restores mana for each enemy hit within its area of impact.

Wands

Mechanically, wands work similarly to shields (off-hand items), designed to passively enhance spellcasting rather than being full-fledged weapons. Things worth mentioning about them:

• held in one hand: they usually deal minimal damage but enhance spells cast with the other hand;
• no activation required: they don’t consume resources but provide passive buffs;
• some wands trigger effects on block, parry, or even attack, always tied to mana and spell power.

Some of the wands that will be available in the game are:

• the Oldtree Staff: when casting spells, you have a % chance to restore half of the spent mana;
• the Essence Channeler: blocking regenerates 100% of the elemental damage blocked as mana; attacks regenerate 10% of the damage dealt as mana;
• the Hexbounce Wand: blocking deflects projectiles at the cost of 10 mana; parrying deflects and duplicates projectiles for free;
• the Unstable Conduit: increases casting speed by 75% but doubles damage received while charging spells.

Soul Cubes

Soul Cubes function as charge-based artifacts that build up energy through different combat actions like killing enemies, spending mana, and applying elemental status effects. Similarly to wands, they must be held in hand to charge up. Once fully charged, you can unleash powerful effects, ranging from buffs and damage to summoning unique allies.

Some of the new Soul Cubes include:

• the Undying Watch: summons an Undead Camelot Defender for 30s;
• the Wailing Gale: summons a tornado, pulling in enemies within a 5m radius;
• the Prism of Maelstrom: creates an explosion dealing damage and applying random elemental statuses to all nearby enemies;
• the Pyroclast Core: summons a burning rain of fire over an area for 12s.

All these above-mentioned mechanics are still very much work in progress, missing their final visual assets and polish, but they’re functional; take a look at WolfheartFPS’ video to see them in action!

Lighting and post-processing improvements

Though the world of Avalon is pretty grim, we're putting a lot of effort into enhancing the game's lighting and post-processing effects; all to create a more immersive and visually polished experience. Right now, the most noticeable changes (between the public version and our in-house dev one) can be seen in Horns of the South region, particularly in the castle and cemetery areas, as well as parts of the open world.

New shrines

Those were also mentioned before, but they’ve come a long way and have been visually upgraded! Take a peek at the new types of shrines: open-world activities, each offering unique interactions and rewards:

• the Hunting Shrine: use them to offer items related to a specific animal or creature (e.g., deer hides at a deer shrine) in exchange for small permanent stat boosts;
• the Druidic Shrine: offering any animal part grants a small amount of experience and restores health;
• the Stagfather Shrine: praying at this shrine summons three magical deer, which must be defeated within a time limit. If you succeed, you get rewarded with experience and special crafting materials from the Wyrddeer, used to create unique items (such as a knife, arrows, a shield, or a stew).

Misc stuff

To end with, some things that did not fit in the other parts of the update:

• new music incoming: we’re preparing tons of new tracks, so look forward to a fresh and expanded OST (we know you love Tainted Grail music as much as we do!);

• the Ghostly Stag is still wandering around: how did it end up casually exploring the Plains in the first place?!

Aaaand we’re finished for today!

Thank you for being with us! As always, let us know what you think of all the new & improved stuff. Also, join our Discord to chat and learn more about the game! DISCORD

The 0.9 March update is just around the corner, and we really can’t wait for you to try it.
IT’S GOING…
TO BE…
A BLAST!

Stay safe, Travelers!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466060/Tainted_Grail_The_Fall_of_Avalon/