Spartans!
Assuming we're all Greek myth fans here, I hope you guys have had the fun month that I did! Excited to get to share more news with you all on more content headed your way with Hounds of Zeus. Firstly though, I want to highlight that we will be going on sale at the end of the month for Steam's Survival Craft Fest! As part of that event, we'll be announcing our Hounds of Zeus release date with a glimpse of the boss(es) for the Temple of Zeus! So make sure your notifications are enabled!
I discuss that and all the highlights below in the latest community video. Check it out or read on to learn about new raid rewards and a few interesting insights from last month's survey. We're sharing a 4-question follow-up poll regarding resource-gathering, grinding, and stamina. Give us your vote here:
COMING TO HOUNDS OF ZEUS
Shrine of Dionysus
At our Early Access launch some of you will remember we had eight deity shrines and fairly simple "labors" around the map to complete. A few of those still exist in-game, though we have been working to revitalize the minor shrine experience. For Hounds of Zeus, the last of the original shrines will be moved to the Smolikas, including Dionysus'. Soon, to break the God's seal on Zeus' Temple, you must drink from his mead of madness to be gifted the special sight needed to solve the puzzle of his empty chalice.
Mountain Caves
Beneath the icy mountains are rivers of lava. On the journey to unlock Zeus' Temple, you will venture into the molten core of Aegea in a new cave system that connects gateways and shrines. The caves also introduce a new resource: Sulfur.
Veiled Blade of Hermes
Following in the tradition of our previous updates, completing Zeus' raid and defeating his champions will earn you powerful gifts, including a new armor set, shield, and two new weapons, including the Veiled Blade of Hermes which empowers its wielder with heightened sprint and attack speed.
Hera's Sun Dial
Hera's gift comes in the form of the Sun Dial. This new facility grants you the power to control the time of day which will be increasingly helpful with the new farming mechanics. Combined with Demeter's Kythera, you will improve your crops by giving them the full sunlight of the afternoon or an early morning rainstorm.
SFX Improvements
Lastly, in addition to the new content, we are continuing to investigate your bug reports and feedback, old and new, including very specific comments we find in Steam Reviews or Discord. For instance, our audio director combed through the reviews and set to work improving facility sound effects. Here's his set-up (not picturing all the mics he used). Check out the video above to see the clips with audio!
SURVEY RESULTS
Thank you to everyone who participated in our survey last month! Our team and our publisher have been working together to review that data, and it has already leant some great info. I want to share a couple of those insights with you to give you an idea of how we’re incorporating that feedback. A couple exact stats are included in motion graphics in the community video if interested.
We have had a few internal questions for players regarding the raids in games, currently the Temple of Athena and the Temple of Poseidon. Those questions showed up on the survey, and while we learned there is interest in the raids and high-satisfaction from players who complete them, likely a quarter of our players are not even reaching the first one! With that info, we're considering design changes, specifically to the early-game and Veilpoint, to help introduce the raid concept a little earlier or otherwise better support players reaching the Temple of Athena.
We also wanted to use this survey to see whether players' picture of the game, such as its genre and core features, line up with ours. That way we can make sure we're hitting your expectations or describing the game appropriately on Steam & Epic. Among responders, you all marked mythology and the Greek afterlife element as one of the key differentiators for our game, but also indicated an expectation that building and crafting would be a part of the game's foundation. This prompted another question: What is the general sentiment on resource gathering in Dawn of Defiance?
Resource Gathering & Grinding Follow-up Poll
The above poll is only four quick questions. If you're a current player of our game, we would love to hear whether you find the game too grindy or perhaps too-punishing with Stamina. OR perhaps you think we could make the game more challenging? Let us know! You do NOT have to have completed the previous survey to reply.
That is all until the end of the month! Make sure your notifications are enabled to hear when we go on sale for the Steam Survival Craft Fest and to be notified of the Hounds of Zeus release date. Please join our Discord to chat with us and our players in the meantime!