Hello again, Weavers! 👋🏼
Eternals Strands’ free demo (PC only) is releasing in only one week (!!!) and we can’t wait for you all to experience our debut game! The (yellow brick) road we built to get here has been both wonderful and challenging. It feels quite surreal to know that we are finally reaching the finish line (or rainbow, to stay in line with the analogy 🌈). Thank you to every single one of you who has been following along and supporting us throughout the development of Eternal Strands, we can’t thank you enough 💛.
In preparation for our upcoming demo and full launch, we‘d like to share some more in-depth information on the topic of progression and how the team designed it for Eternal Strands. So without further ado, let’s get into it!
Side note for those of you wondering: Yes, your progress will carry over from the demo to the game! On January 20th, we’ll post a detailed article covering everything you need to know prior to loading into the demo. Until then, fear not, we’ve got you covered 🤝.
In Eternal Strands, there are no experience points, which means that your progression is mainly based on what you have equipped. The gear and armor that you will be equipping can’t be found nor can it be bought as there is no in-game currency or shop loop in Eternal Strands. This means that you must craft everything! ⚒️
As you might expect, this translates into a core gameplay loop that involves going out into The Enclave to find materials and smithing recipes that you can then bring back to your basecamp’s forge.
However, there is one key component to looting that is essential in understanding Eternal Strands and maximizing each one of your exploration runs: the magic that you use (frost or flame) to destroy an object or defeat an enemy will affect your loot drops. For example: using flame magic will remove any cloth/woven/tanned/leather materials from your drop options, as it will favor metals and carvable materials instead.
As mentioned above, in order for Sola to be able to craft new gear or weapons for Brynn, you’ll need to provide her with:
- A recipe to follow (aka crafting instructions) 📝
- The amount of material types indicated in said recipe ✅
Crafting recipes can be found in The Enclave by exploring its different areas and all of their hidden nooks & crannies. Each armor/weapon design starts with baseline stats that can be altered based on the materials used. Additionally, some equipment pieces offer a bonus, like more health points or weight reduction, for example.
Each recipe calls for a set amount of material types, but you have freedom in choosing what specific resource you want to use as long is it meets the category criteria. For example, the recipe might call for 6 woven resources. When you click on that material category, a selection window will open showing you all of the resources you have in your inventory that match this criteria. Cycling through them will allow you to see the effect each one will have on your gear’s stats and appearance.
You also have the option of reforging and/or upgrading your armor or weapon. Reforging involves dismantling your current piece, reclaiming the discarded materials in the process, and using different resources to reforge the same item. Upgrading an item requires using the same materials previously used in crafting the piece initially. Upgrading a piece will enhance its stats and appearance.
Armor sets aren’t locked, so you can mix & match your pieces as you please to create the desired build that you want both in metrics and in aesthetics!
Quick note for those of you reading this and wondering if there is a transmog system in Eternal Strands, the short answer is no. That said, it is something that the team would like to possibly implement in the future if we have the resources for it post-launch. While we can’t fully commit to this just yet, it’s not impossible!
We didn’t forget the magic! Another progression point is of course Brynn’s magical abilities. When defeating an Epic for the first time, you'll obtain a strand of that creature’s power. This strand can then be brought to Dahm’s Atelier at basecamp in order to be sewn into your Mantle, granting you a version of the defeated Epic’s magical ability.
When encountering previously defeated Epics, if you face them again and perform a certain set of actions in a certain order (no spoilers!) you’ll expose the creature’s locust point which will then allow you to harvest their magic. This is what will allow you to upgrade each one of your 9 magical abilities, up to a maximum of 3 levels per ability.
You can also use harvested magic to craft magical weapons. Each magic-imbued weapon will have a unique ability of its own that can be combined with your spells, making space for creative combat choices! If you want to read more on the Cast & Combine system, check out this article.
Last but not least, you can also progress by upgrading your basecamp companion’s stations, which will increasingly strengthen their ability to support Brynn on her missions. Stations can be upgraded by transforming materials into supplies at Casmyn’s caravan.
- Upgrading Sola’s Forge will make it possible for Sola to craft increasingly stronger, more complex designs for Brynn.
- Upgrading Dahm’s atelier will give him the means to upgrade Brynn’s magical abilities to higher levels.
- Upgrading Laen’s station will allow Brynn to carry more consumables on her belt (health potions, frost & flame resistance phials).
- Upgrading Casmyn’s station will make it possible for Brynn to carry more inventory during her missions, and will give the scry the ability to salvage more resources when Brynn dies.
That’s it for this Dev Update on progression. As always, feel free to drop your questions in the comments below if you have any.
We hope to see you in the demo, Weavers!
The Yellow Brick Team