We know that our game’s balance (or slight lack of it) has been a problem for many of you. It’s probably been the most requested thing when it comes to stuff that we should improve in the Old Kingdom (apart from the ludicrously high taxation… we can’t do anything about that, though)! So here it is - the first part of an entire wave of various rebalances, tweaks, and improvements (along with some other cool stuff)!
First major rebalance
The first rebalancing wave will focus on a few of the most vital components of the game. We’re talking about: character progression, level of difficulty, loot distribution, and changes in attack/movement patterns of NPCs and creatures. Moreover, you can expect more tweaks and rebalances in the future!
Improved character progression
Don’t you hate it when your character becomes way overpowered for whatever the game has in store for you in the following area, and it gets rather dull? Yeaaaaah… guilty as charged, we suppose? Anyway, the improved exp distribution system is meant to solve this problem and vastly increase the level of fun and challenge the game will give you!
We want your character to progress naturally through the game’s world and/or story and give you a feeling that every gained level is an achievement in and of itself and not just a boring formality that doesn’t amount to anything.
Improved level of difficulty
The exp rebalance (along with some other things we will talk about in a minute) is also meant to increase the game’s difficulty! The challenge is here! Time for some punishment! Let us feast on your tears of hopelessness! #realmssouls #realmsborne
Okay, that might’ve been a bit too much (after all, Realms of Magic is not a soulslike). However, we want to throw a more significant challenge your way to make the game way more fun. Moreover, we also aim to eliminate any potential distractions (such as too easy encounters or too quick progression) that could effectively ruin your experience in the Old Kingdom.
Change in patterns of NPCs and creatures
Did somebody say something about “liking to move it, move it”?! Yup, that’s a 2005 meme coming straight at you. However, this phrase could, in a way, summarize our approach to changing the movement patterns of NPCs and creatures.
This change will also affect the game’s difficulty. We aim to make the enemies more aggressive, more elusive, and generally turn them into a way bigger challenge. We feel that improving their attack and movement patterns is the first step towards turning them into dangerous forces to be reckoned with.
Improved loot system
Realms of Magic allows you to gather A LOT OF various types of loot (weapons, armors, crafting materials, food, etc.). We are proud of the sheer amount of stuff we can offer you. And yet, we also can’t ignore the flip side of things.
Sometimes the enormous amount of loot was too chaotic for you to handle. That’s not a good thing. Not everyone has to be a fan of excessive inventory management. That’s why our improved loot distribution system will aim at giving you just the right amount of stuff at the right time! No more carrying two storage units worth of property (along with some of that grandma’s inheritance) on your back! #letthebackrest
Improved dialogues and texts
No lenguage, miztakez hire! This update isn’t only about improving the mechanical aspects of the game. We also went through every in-game text and dialogue (every… single… one...) and eliminated every possible misspelling, misplaced comma, or unnecessary word. We corrected over a thousand various errors! All in hopes of vastly increasing your immersion in the game’s world and its story.
Improved Game Data Storage
Time for some technical info! #hackingtime
Over the last couple of months, we’ve been improving the way we store data. Manual adjustment of hundreds and thousands of different parameters in the game was too time-consuming. That's why we’ve decided to start moving the game data to Google Spreadsheets, which we can then import as CSV files.
Currently, we have successfully moved the following data to spreadsheets: experience curves and values, hostile NPCs, and most of the loot in the game. By using these neat formulas, we can do things waaaaay faster. For example - previously, if we wanted to make changes to combat parameters of enemies, we had to go over every NPC in each location and adjust their values manually, which could take an entire working day since we have hundreds of NPCs. Yup, it's as tedious as it sounds. Now we can input parameters in the spreadsheet (which takes just several minutes), and all NPCs in the game will be adjusted automatically.
This allows us to iterate the game much faster and enables all players to mod the game and tweak these values to their liking as these parameters are no longer hardcoded into the game’s executable but are loaded from easily modifiable files. While it’s unlikely we will be able to add full Steam Workshop mod support anytime soon, we are planning on releasing these tools (along with simple instructions on how to use them), which should enable you, the players, to modify a significant amount of content on your own!
New music tracks
Here’s something for all the enthusiasts of splendid sounds! Our fantastic composer, Davi Vasc, has prepared even more great in-game tracks. This time he has focused chiefly on new dungeons and caves tracks. So now you will be able to listen to some great music even under the ground itself! We believe that these additions will highly improve your exploration experience. Check it out!
Sounds neat, right? That's just a small sample! You can check ALL NEW MUSIC TRACKS (there's a whopping 10 new songs) HERE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-2eiyKzwajTgxcG6ax_ZUkcazqur4s3b
Other changes
- Improved quest names - they now sound like actual quest names instead of generic objectives.
- Alternative, peaceful resolution is now available during the Splinterville storyline.
- And one more heavily requested change - all water containers like bottles are filled all at once instead of one at a time.
What's next?
- We are getting close (like really, REALLY close) to the 1.0 version release. We will announce the final 1.0 version release date soon!
- The last realm (called Blackwall) is in the final stages of development and will be released along with the 1.0 version update!
- We are currently working on the boss fight that will wrap up the storyline!
- We are focused on balance and polish, so there won't be any new features and content before version 1.0 is released; instead, we will be working and improving on already existing content.
Our main goals for the near future include:
- Progression and difficulty iterations - this patch is only the first iteration. We will be iterating it further based on your feedback.
- Loot distribution - this patch included changes to the loot system. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg of what we want to achieve in version 1.0.
- Professions rebalance - we will be going over each profession and make sure that they will be more balanced and fun to explore.
- Improved quests - we want to include more dialogue options and choices.
- Improved sound effects - we're mostly thinking about improving combat sound effects.
Oh... and one more thing! WHAT'S GOING ON WITH ALL THESE DRAWINGS ABOVE?!?! Well... as you might know - the Old Kingdom has a rather rich history and many stories to tell. In fact, we felt that some of these tales need a bit more context and that we want to explore them even beyond the boundaries of the game itself. That's why... we're making an official Realms of Magic comic book! Stay tuned for more details!!!
Version 0.20 Changelog
Main features
- New Music
- Stonebridge Exploration 2
- Stonebridge Exploration 3
- Frostpath Exploration 3
- Drysoil Exploration 3
- Dungeon 1
- Dungeon 2
- Dungeon 3
- Cave 1
- Cave 2
- Cave 3
- Dialogue proofreading and correction
- Over a thousand fixes!
- Improved quest names
- Character experience rebalance
- Rebalanced experience gained from kills, quests, and profession level ups
- Experience curve
- Temporary profession level up
- Quest experience
- NPC experience
- Creature experience
- Improved combat balance
- Rebalanced all NPCs and creatures parameters
- Improved patterns and behaviors of multiple NPCs and creatures
- Initial loot rebalance
- Temporarily disabled armor and weapon loot drops on NPCs
- There is too much loot in containers in the current version. In the next update, loot from containers will be shared between them and NPCs
- Improved NPC data storage
- Moved over 400 NPCs to spreadsheet
- Easy to iterate and mod
- Improved quest data storage
- Experience
- Rewards
Minor fixes and changes
- You fill all water containers at once, instead of only one at a time
- Added tooltip to water containers explaining how to fill them
- Fixed issue with Travel button providing incorrect information in the tooltip
- Items thrown away from backpack are thrown further away, which should prevent automatically picking them back again
- Item comparison tooltip now works for tools
- Fixed issue causing red exclamation mark to not go away after visiting a quest hub for the first time
- Chosen dialogue option is highlighted when using keyboard shortcuts
- Fixed issue that caused Evasive Roll talent to result in negative damage taken
- Fixed issue causing map marker icons to not display properly
- Removed outdated low hunger/thirst warning
- Fixed issue that caused main menu Exit window to not close with the Escape button
- Fixed issue that caused pop-up dialogues to blink over NPCs titles
- Fixed issue that caused secret in Reavers Den to not update properly
- Fixed issue with Kobold and Ghoul sound effects
- Fixed level design issues in Stonebridge Crypts, Hunting Grounds, and Windy Hill
- Fixed issue with a shield blocking sound
- Fixed issue that caused crash reports to not be sent properly