It's the middle of the summer, and we believe it's high time we update you on Swordhaven's progress towards Early Access.
Many things are made, added, tweaked and changed on the daily, but the main features we feel comfortable telling you about are:
New locations and Random Encounter maps are a high priority, as they bring the world map to life. We have created multiple maps for every biome where you might encounter something, such as swamps, farmland, mountains, forests, and more.
Additionally, we are working on Grainhold village, which will allow you to continue quests from the first village, as well as discover new ones.
Take note that the shadows and colours are not yet final!
New enemies! The horrible feathered raptors of Nova Drakonia have been added and tweaked to massacre entire parties if not taken seriously. And there are even more enemies coming soon!
Gamepad controls. Our previous experiences have shown that many players prefer using a gamepad over the classic keyboard and mouse combo. With this in mind, players no longer have to wait for gamepad compatibility to be added after the game has already launched.
Swordhaven will feature full gamepad support even during the Early Access stage. While we are still working out some minor details, the experience is already very promising with both XBOX and PS4-5 controllers.
Take note that the UI is Work in Progress and will change.
Weapon Mods. Six different mod types have been added to allow you to customize your weapons. Make your sword lighter by attaching a hollow pommel, or enhance your ability to cut through enemies with a weighted axe wedge. Decide on the type of wrappings for your polearm or spear, and remember to select the poison to apply to the tip of your next arrow.
New character portraits. Drawing portraits is a time-consuming process, but we have already completed quite a few. In fact, we have completed more portraits than what is shown in the screenshot.
Naturally, this post doesn't mention a lot of other smaller additions such as bug fixes, new characters, new dialogues, new mechanics, combat balance tweaks, updated weapon techniques, and much more.
We hope you stay tuned for new updates in the near future.
Stay cool and keep it funky!
Yours always,
Atom Team