Hello all -

While I normally save changes for monthly updates (or patch notes, if it's something small), today an update is being shipped that didn't quite make it before the January newsletter (but which is too big a change for a small patch note).

This update will be live on Beta later today, and for everyone else on the main game branch sometime afterwards.

Fast Travel Philosophy

This update introduces new fast travel methods to the game. The size of the map and the lack of fast travel mechanics has long been a sticking point of the Hermit Demo. Today, I'm adding several new travel methods that should help players get around the map more easily.

However, as Hermit is meant to be something of a return-to-form for RPGs of an older style, there will be no immediate-access map-based fast travel (i.e., you will never be able to just open the map and click to go somewhere in the Hermit Demo).

Instead, fast-travel methods are more diagetic and are intended to fit realistically into the game world and lore. This means several different fast-travel mechanics will exist which all work differently from one another.

Teleport Magic

The first of these, teleport magic, was already introduce in the previous patch. This is a system that allows players to mark one particular spot in order to teleport back there (and only there) at will later on. The Golden Mushroom and Mushroom pendant can be obtained by pursuing the main quest line and visiting the ruined castle homesteading area.

Rowboats

Rowboats have been added in this patch, which are fixed (i.e., non-sailing) locations that allow the player to instantly travel to some locations by interacting with a rowboat. However, those fast-travel locations are limited to the path along the river.

Rowboats will not be sail-able, but will remain as fixed points. While floating / sailing ships are currently in development, this is something I'm saving for the main game release and sailing will likely not appear in the demo.

Teleport Monuments (Fixed One-Way Teleport)

Another new teleport mechanic has been added elsewhere on the map: Arkesis monuments. This is a one-way fast travel. Using it can take you in one direction only, but you will not be able to go back the other way.

Other Fast Travel Methods

Older methods of fast travel still exist, with some small modifications:

• Scroll of rescue spawn rate in Urns has been increased significantly, meaning the player will have more opportunities to fast travel to the city

• Portal mechanics have been mostly smoothed out / finalized, with some new bug fixes for portals in this patch - meaning that in the future more portals can be added elsewhere