Hello, Players!
Here is Peter & Maggie, the community managers of "Soulmask." If you chieftains haven't checked out the first issue of the log, you can click here to take a look.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2646460/view/4143947429358449497
We are refreshing the comments section every minute, paying attention to everyone's feedback on the new weapon movement, hoping that everyone will enjoy them!
This time, we plan to discuss some more fundamental aspects of combat: not as flashy, but detailed enough. Do you like risky combat in the jungle? Let's dive in:
Core combat improvements: Stamina & Distance
In the conflicts between the barbarians in "Soulmask," combat is a highly risky endeavor: we truly hope to convey this reality to everyone. In combat, every attack consumes precious stamina, and the vulnerability (Hitstun) after an attack also becomes an opportunity for the opponent to strike—patiently maneuvering, waiting for the opponent to make a mistake, and delivering a precise fatal blow. Just like a fierce beast in the jungle.
Therefore, in Soulmask, all combat fundamentals revolve around three elements: the rhythm of initiating attacks, the distance between the attacker and the target that determines whether the attack hits, and not wasting valuable stamina.
In the first issue of the log, we shared our plans for improving the rhythm of combat actions. This time, let's discuss stamina management and distance control, which were the features that garnered considerable attention during the previous playtesting event.
I wish that when attacking with weapons, the character would step forward slightly to add some dynamics to the combat; otherwise, I try to hit someone and while my attack animation is playing, the enemy just calmly steps back and prepares for a strong hit, while I stand still swinging at the air.
Losing stamina in combat, making unable to fight. Big Cats just jumping at you, so you can't fight back and just die. from Next Fest test 2024's survey
We also noticed that in the early stages of "Soulmask," certain aspects of stamina and distance determination settings needed optimization. Therefore, we first increased the stamina recovery speed so that when a big cat jumps at you, you still have a chance of survival, right?
We have different types of weapons with various ranges and characteristics, which also bring quite a challenge for players to get used to—indeed, swinging your weapon at thin air can be quite frustratingːsteamsadː. Therefore, in the new version, we quietly added a small mechanism for charging and locking onto the target! When the distance to the target is close enough (a red reticle will remind you of the timing), players can charge and attack by controlling their character to cover a short distance. Yes, they can't resist the urge for blood...
Oh, and one more thing, I want to emphasize again that the above is not the final game result. At the moment you are reading this article, we are still working hard to improve! We will bring you even better content!
But let's expose some small details that only a few people care about, but believe me, we all keep in mind.
Detail, more details
Switching weapons/tools takes way to long.from Next Fest test 2024's survey
Maggie understands the pain of being surrounded by a large group of bush dogs while chopping wood and not being able to switch weaponsːsteamsadː, so we optimized two small details:
● During the weapon switch process, the stun caused by light attacks will not interrupt it! The epic debuff from the bush dog pack!ːsteamhappyː
● The mouse wheel can directly switch the inventory items, as statistics have shown that over 80% of chieftains' fingers haven't grown long enough to reach the number 9 key directly...
Using bandages in a fight causes the character to stand there while being bandaged but it seems very slow since all bosses or mobs can gap close you quickly. from Next Fest test 2024's survey
Bandages can save the lives of chieftains, but they shouldn't be a noose around their necks: now the standing stillness while using bandages can be interrupted by any rolling action!
I would like more realistic battles！---- from Royce
Designer Royce was very concerned about this issue of authenticity during the previous testing, it seems he found a lot of inspiration from cult movies...
lt's awful on a 32 : 9 display——by Shotgun Mike
Oh @Shotgun Mike, we won't forget about you, the 32:9 ultrawide screen resolution support has been implemented!
What's Next?
In the next issue, we will focus more on this world—the jungle is full of vitality, danger, and beauty... Are you ready to say hello to new friends (even though they don't look very friendly...)?
We are Peter & Maggie, and we'll see you again soon!
Join discord：https://discord.gg/Vjh9gteNEn