Archaelund

[The_Mask]

AA title I am interested in. Archaelund. Will post any major updates of it, here.

Development Update #7
New magic system and other features, internal-testing gameplay video
Magic is here!

Archaelund's Magic System has been functional for several months, but in the last weeks we have nearly finished the implementation of the spells that will be included in the Early Access release, as well as some other key features such as spell trainers.



Careers grant access to disciplines, which a character improves to a certain rank in order to learn new spells. A strong spellcasting career such as Apprentice or Initiate can learn several disciplines, and on each new level gained the player has to decide which of them to improve, thus accessing new spells, but also being more efficient at casting spells of that discipline. A spellcaster can focus on one discipline to specialize, or raise ranks in different disciplines, to become more versatile. Early Access will include 9 disciplines with around 45 spells in total (up to rank III for now), and eventually the full system will include much more.



Attack spells are not only about damage: you can mesmerize enemies, put them to sleep, charm them, paralyze them... and of course, spellcasting enemies can do the same to you! And of course not all spells are offensive, and some spells can be cast out of combat for multiple purposes.



Internal Testing Video

We decided to share a few random gameplay clips from the Internal Testing since the trailer is already over a year old; please keep in mind it has not been edited nor "staged" as a trailer usually is, because that takes time, and also we cut it short and avoided dialogues or journal peeks to avoid spoiling too much, so this is really not capturing some of the most important aspects of the game. Still you can see the magic system in action, a complete battle and some exploration from the early areas.



Development progress

The latest testing has been very positive. Exploration, quests, combat, dialogues... all of it worked well, and the game is very stable. Archaelund is already a playable game, even if a short one until content is completed.

Even if there is still much work ahead, all the complex systems and the main elements of the game are finally in place and working. Our current target is releasing the Early Access in 4 to 6 months. We work hard to reward your patience with a marvellous game, which we can enjoy together for the years to come.

The_Mask's notes:

Steam page:

[Acrux]

Archaelund will release to Early Access on Monday. I was pretty excited about this, until I saw the roadmap that DavidBVal posted about an hour ago. It won't be leaving EA until 2026!

Development Roadmap
We present you the list of what is included in each planned "major" version of the Early Access, but there will be multiple "minor" updates that eventually implement all the listed features. Please understand that this plan is subject to change, both in the listed features and estimated dates.

Version 0.8
Estimated: April 2024

For the first months after EA release, the focus will be on improving existing game areas and consolidating gameplay, rather than adding new content. Priority will be given to fixing any reported bugs.

Visual Improvements & Immersion
Improved battle grid: less intrusive and better adapted to rough terrain.
Enhanced NPC animations and behavior, including talking animations and expressions.
More complex NPC AI behavior in real time, with daily schedules, interactions, and activities.
Revised and better synced sound effects.
Content
Two new minor dungeons added to the Peninsula, targeting levels 3-4.
Additional quests.
One new Companion.
Possible additional resolutions for existing quests.
Features
Quality of life: UI for browsing all spells, races, and talents (similar to the current Career browser).
Quality of life: selling stacks.
Improved combat AI, especially for spellcasters and specific talent use.
Gameplay Implementation
Skills revision: Several skills are unimplemented; others, like Meditation, need revision.
Crafting stage 1: Alchemy implementation.
Additional spells: Implementation of some spells that are currently listed but inactive.
Other
Improved game performance and loading times.

Version 0.9
Estimated: Q4 2024

Details for this version will be more precise after the release of the previous version. The focus is on content expansion and character advancement into mid-levels.

Content
Chapter 2 of the main quest.
Two new vast areas! Game world size triples compared to 0.8. Includes two new towns and various dungeons (ruins, caves, fortresses, lairs).
At least 20 new quests.
New companions.
Visual Improvements & Immersion
Unique customization of armors and clothing to fit the game's setting.
Replacement of some spell and talent icons with custom-made ones (replacing stock assets).
Gameplay Implementation
Level cap increase to 6 or 7.
New basic and advanced careers and talents.
Crafting stage 2 (details to follow).
Addition of Rank III spells and new disciplines.
Other
Localization.
Controller support.

Version 0.10
Estimated: Q3/Q4 2025

This version will be detailed further post the release of the previous version. It focuses on content expansion and advancing character levels to high levels. The goal is to implement all high-level content, including completing the main quest.

Content
Chapters 3 & 4 of the main quest (final chapter pending).
3-5 new areas, including at least 2 more towns and various unique locations.
Dozens of new quests.
New and unusual companions.
Gameplay Implementation
Level cap increase to 12+.
Full implementation of advanced careers.
Crafting stage 3 (details to follow).
Addition of Rank IV and V spells.

Version 1.0
Estimated Q2 2026.

This version marks the game's completion, with the final chapter of the main quest and additional high-end content. Details will be provided at a future date. Post-release, the intention is to continue enhancing the game with more content, expanded mechanics, and other improvements.

[1998]

Not surprised, but who is even buying into that EA? Couldn't imagine paying for some alpha version that's very likely never getting released.

[Mortmal]

It would be a day one purchase if it were finished, as everything seems okay, and he has the right ideas. But right now, I am not in the mood to pay to be a beta tester; it will just waste the whole experience for me. Let's hope it gets released in a few years.

[Tweed]

It's like a burger, with nothing in it. A sort of nothingburger if you will.

[rusty_shackleford]

how many copies did you guys buy

[Rand]

Why do people continue to try to make women warriors? Especially in a hierarchy like with soldiers or military government officials.
Men do not respect women in those roles (for good reason) and no women would seek those roles anyway. No normal one, anyway. (And the ones that would, would be unsuited and disqualified, anyway.)

[Mondain]

Haha he bought it

[Rand]

Haha he bought it

Me? ****, no. I pulled that image from the Steam page.

[Rand]

[Kalarion]

I played it a little last night. It's fun, I got my *** kicked by the fish-dogs repeatedly.

It could use keybinds for turning left/right. Combat is deadly on Old School, especially at the beginning, when you have no/**** armor and the fishies can 2-shot your warriors.

It looks good, and it made me feel like I was back on the beach in Wizardry 8. More to follow.

[rusty_shackleford]

Wizardry 8

You have my interest.

[Kalarion]

I've got about 17 hours in now. I'm level 2 It's because I'm slow and plodding, and also there aren't any safe fast travel options in the game right now. Walking around the map is a significant time investment.

Impressions so far:

PROS
- exploration already feels really good. The map gets filled in as you explore ala Wizardry 8, MnM 6-9 etc.
- level ups are a huge deal. Classes get impactful special abilities every level, and boosts to all their combat stats (more for fighters etc, standard fare).
- magic is meaningful. As far as strictly combat-related spells go, it seems to be nailing that EQ/Exile feel so far. Spells are powerful, mana is dear, learning new spells is expensive as ****. Conjuration discipline actually works like Mages in EQ, complete with being able to conjure temporary weapons, armor and items (really ******* good ones, at high level), and summon pets to follow you around as an extra party member.
- skills are meaningful. Skill points are extremely limited, and they're used in a lot of checks. Improving them works like perk ticks in Fallout 1/2, where you get a huge bonus to 1 or 2 skills each level, depending on your INT.
- stats are meaningful. 6 in a stat makes a difference. 8 in a stat makes you a monster in that stat's governed area, but you pay for it, heavily. Stat gains are very rare (I haven't seen any yet).
- first-person exploration and isometric, grid-based combat is heavan.

CONS
- janky as **** overall. Lots of small bugs, a couple of which are session-killing. Nothing crazy, but this is definitely EA/Alpha-level stuff right now.
- 4-man party. Absolute **** design decision. 5 should have been the minimum. I'd have preferred 6.
- UI/Inventory/Shop interface are a mess. They function once you figure it out, but not well.
- Combat map is really rough. Elevation and pathfinding aren't communicated clearly at all. Movement doesn't always make sense. objects block your ability to click-move. I'm sure this is a priority for DavidBVal and team, and it **** well needs to be. It needs it.
- Travel isn't snappy. I like strolling around, poking into every nook and cranny. I don't like spending several minutes of RL time backtracking/going to town. And you'll be doing it a lot, because the Inn is by far the best way to recuperate, and there's only one (so far).
- Character graphics aren't that great yet. Hopefully this improves with time.

I'll post more as I go.

[Dorateen]

Also add to the CONS

-no Dwarves

But other than that, I really appreciate the developer's goals. Hope he achieves much success with the game's release.

[rusty_shackleford]

kalarion claims this is good, but did not leave a positive review on steam
curious

[KnightoftheWind]

"Cocainum", "Arcanum", "Archaelund". All reminds me of this clip.

[WhiteShark]

Does speedhack work to mitigate the travel woes?

[Oyster Sauce]

[Kalarion]

OK, I've basically finished the EA content so far. There are a couple challenge fights left for me and possibly one more dungeon:
- Geldryn Raider parties (I can kill 3 at a time, but there are a couple fights with 4-5)
- the Stone Sentinel
- the Yaksa scouting party
- possibly Nosom's bandits
- possibly the Devil's Horn lighthouse

I think I'd need to start over with a much more optimized party to beat these, unless I could find a way to cheese it.

Character Development - has a sort of WHFRP vibe, with classes as careers. About 3/4 of the Basic careers are in, and Advanced careers are planned as well.
- Level ups are a big deal. XP comes dear, the majority from quest completion (combat is still a good source, just not the majority).
- You get automatic advancement to basic combat stats (weapon skills, HP/WP etc).
- Each career gets either its own unique talent every level, or an Open talent (pick your own). One thing I appreciate about Open talents is if you pick something you would get at some other point, you can pick something else when you get to it. Decent variety of Talents, more coming.
- Casters get points to spend on magic Disciplines. Each Discipline has 6 ranks. EA you can get to rank 3 if you spend every magic advancement point on a single Discipline.
- You get skill a skill point (or more, depending on level/career/INT) every level. Skills are used for the expected ****. A lot of skills aren't implemented yet, the ones that are in are useful.

Exploration - MnM 6-8, Wiz 8. First-person 360 smooth movement.
- Lots to find, scouting skills are heavily checked in the background, I loved it.
- The playable area is already a long walk. There's a cool fast travel mechanic. Basically teleporting costs WP and maybe a skill/stat check (not sure about the check).
- Respawning encounters, **** decision imo. I can understand why though, if you pick up a new char that's underlevelled you might need to grind him up a bit.
- The overworld takes a long time to load for me. But I have a GTX 960 with 2GB of RAM, so it probably won't be bad for most people.
- Camping areas have to be found (either given to you via events or via skill checks). You can either use your stored supplies for a complete rest (full hp/mp, drop a cripple stack), or forage if you have no supplies (up to half hp/wp, you don't lose cripple stacks). Inns give full refill and clear all cripple stacks (a great argument for using the inn frequently and a small decision point that I appreciate so far).

Combat - Square-based grid, turn-based. Combat is initiated by getting close enough to mobs during exploration or during events.
- Map squares and traversable terrain/pathing are still very unclear in any but open terrain.
- Maps are wherever you happen to be. So there are lots of interesting opportunities to setup fights with a tactical advantage (fighting in chokepoints etc.).
- The formation system right now is, "you're lined up facing the enemy in a square, left-right/up-down in order". Hopefully this gets expanded on later.
- Combat is crushing at early levels. Expect to get **** on, especially if you start the game on Hard.
- No death unless you TPK. Chars that die in a fight get crippled, giving them a stacking penalty to all stats until they can get a full rest.
- Animations and graphics are a little *** right now. To be expected, hopefully it improves with time. They do the job.

Misc - not much to say so far.
- 4 person party is still a **** decision. At least you can recruit I think 2 more NPCs to go along with you. So that's something, I guess.

[1998]

Big update planned for end August. Including a new outdoor area and several dungeons.

Archaelund: The Road Ahead

Greetings, adventurers!

Before we dive in, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to every player who has explored Archaelund or even just wishlisted the game. Your support makes Archaelund possible and keeps me motivated and excited to make it bigger and better every day. Thanks to you, the long road to 1.0 feels much less lonely. I am especially grateful to those who post reviews; even when a developer has a clear vision of what they want to achieve, feedback is essential for understanding our progress and building confidence.

Expanding the World

Since the Early Access release, updates have been frequent—typically every two weeks. However, the next update will be a bit different. It will include a new outdoor area, several dungeons, and many new dialogues and quests. Naturally, this extensive content needs to be released as a whole, not in small installments. My target is to release version 8.1 by the end of August, with further refinements and completions of this new area in September, possibly extending into early October. Keep in mind, these are estimates!

In addition to adding content, version 8.1 will bring several gameplay improvements, raise the XP cap, and likely the level cap (though this might be delayed to version 8.2).

The new content won't include a new chapter of the Main Quest. Once the new outdoor area meets my satisfaction (probably by version 8.3 or 8.4), I'll continue working on another outdoor area and the completion of the second chapter of the Main Quest. This objective will mark the 0.9 update. By then, the game will offer around 40-50 hours of total content and a level cap of 6 or 7.

Archaelund Future Pricing and Sales

Many are asking me if Archaelund will take part in the upcoming Summer Sale or see other discounts. I like to be transparent about our development plans, and that extends to our pricing policy as well.

The players who have purchased (and continue to purchase) the initial Early Access release have put a lot of trust into me and into the game's development. To repay this good faith, I want to protect their investment by ensuring that the game's price will only increase as it grows larger and more polished.

Sales and discounts might happen in the future, but the game will never be cheaper than the original Early Access release price of $19.99 (subject to regional pricing and taxes). For instance, I might offer a 20% discount when the base price has risen to $25, thus equaling, but not undercutting, the original price. The plan is to sell the complete game for $30 to $35, with a -15% to -25% discount during seasonal sales.

However, I can't make absolute promises for the distant future—these are interesting times, and who knows what the future holds? But this is the policy I'll follow at least until the game is released as version 1.0 and for a couple of years afterward. This policy isn't just about my gratitude to Early Access players; I generally do not favor huge discounts. Exiled Kingdoms, which has been on Steam for over six years, still keeps its original release price and typically goes on a -25% sale.

On Performance

The next outdoor area is just as big and complex as the Peninsula, but new optimizations and improvements make it run with about 25% increased frame rate, and much shorter loading times. I'll work hard to bring the Peninsula performance to the same level.

Updates?!? What updates?!?

If you tried the original 0.7 release back in January and have been off the hook since, current release 0.8 added a couple extra dungeons to the Peninsula, an extra Apprentice companion, four extra quests, new spells and items, and many gameplay improvements. Check the changelog[www.exiledkingdoms.com], or roadmap for details.

That's all. Enjoy your summer, and happy adventuring!

[1998]

Not sure how much they are to be trusted these days, but...

[Kalarion]

Game received a major update a couple days ago, it looks like it has about 1/2 its content in at this point:

Update 0.8.3 released
The game content is increased by 30%, plus many new features added
After long months of work, update 0.8.3 is available on Steam. This update triples the content compared to the original EA release; playable time is currently 50+ hours.

Again, I must send a big thank you to our Beta Testers, which have navigated all kind of weird bugs through the last week, until the last of them were fixed.

New Content & Character Advancement
Added a new outdoor region to the south of Urendale, with several dungeons to explore.
12 new quests added, raising the total to 46. Chapter two of the main quest can be advanced significantly (but not yet concluded).
Level cap raised to 6! the new XP cap is 24,000.
New Open Talents: Second Skin, Gifted Pupil, Adept Student, Arcane Scholar. There's a total of 46 Open Talents in the game now!
Six new new spells added for the disciplines Conjuration, Gateway, Auspice (available at a vendor in the new area), and also for Order and Malediction (at the Urendale vendors). More spells coming soon.

Performance
Massive performance optimizations. Framerate should increase by around 25-40%.
Added a new option to set more exact framerate limits in Settings. Limit framerate can be used to reduce noise/heat in laptops and other systems.
Added an option to set a separate limit of 60fps in the game's main menu, enabled by default.
Removed quality setting for Sky & Clouds.

Balance
Characters gain 2 extra Skill Points at level 1 of any Career, be it at character creation or when a new Career is entered. The points are gained retroactively.
You can now redistribute your companions' skill points once.
The armor rating and critical defense provided by several pieces of chain and plate armor have been slightly reduced.
Geldryn now drop specific items.
A single Potion of Deep Breath now affects your whole party when consumed. The alchemy ingredients for producing it have been updated.
Summoned creatures will now despawn if their summoner is killed or incapacitated. Certain enemies can now summon creatures!
Mycora melee damage and avoidance(deflection) increased.
The fire vulnerability of certain monsters has been slightly toned down (Druant, Yaksa, Troll).

Gameplay Improvements
Added an option to order your party inventory and stash by item type. More order options will be added in the future.
Quests can now be filtered/searched by text.
Hotbuttons can now be correctly used during combat with keys 0-9.
You can now press 'Y' to delay your combat turn(can be remapped to any key).
Enemies aggro range is now variable, depending on their AWA trait.

Bugfixes
Attacks with 'Armor Piercing' were not correctly applying it. Solved.
Enemies with shields were in most cases not applying its avoidance bonuses. Beware, they may be harder to hit now, flanking them may be essential.
Unseal spells will now properly trigger traps in chests.
Charming an enemy with talents such as "Pack Leader" or "Petty Lord" will now remove the bonus he granted to its followers.
Fixed the 'Pink People' Bug in Port Galeb.
Solved an issue that could make most of the game UI texts to go blank, related to the pop up of tutorial windows.
'Minimal' quality settings should no longer cause strange displacement artifacts with combat grid.
Potion of Deep Breath didn't work correctly when a character drank it while already drowning. Fixed.
Potions capable of recovering willpower will now work correctly.
Fixed a visual glitch that allowed to briefly see enemies in other rooms when a battle started.
Essence of Darkness will now restore willpower as expected.
The game will no longer autosave during dialogues that teleport you, such as with conduits or mages, to prevent issues.
Screen resolution will no longer reset itself to the highest supported by the system each time the game starts.
Fixed a visual glitch that could cause dead enemies to remain 'running in place'.
Flammata Leaves description now correctly states it grants +1 Spellpower, not +2.
The 'Dodge' description on character window was not showing a correct calculation; fixed.
Fixed many minor map issues in Urendale and Galeb Peninsula.
Fixed dozens of small text issues with dialogues, such as typos or minor inconsistencies.


Pricing update

Following my policy of being transparent about the game pricing, I wish to announce a base price increase since May 3rd, going from $19.99 to $24.99 (may vary with different currencies/regions)

Of course this doesn't affect people already owning the game.

From now on, you might find Archaelund participating in Steam sales, but never with a discount that puts the price below the EA launch price ($19.99).

On the horizon

The milestones leading to 0.9 are mostly done with the two large outdoor areas released (one in november, one now), but we're not there yet. The finish line is the conclusion of the chapter 2 of the Main Quest, but also new functionalities such as dual wielding, crossbows, poisons, maybe new careers and character creation options.

The good news is these new additions will come in smaller, more frequent updates! Expect news soon.

[Kalarion]

Game has come a long way from initial EA release, I'll post more impressions later but it's fun as **** to play and really great to explore and do quests.

But:


I am very upset.

[Cloharp7]

Game has come a long way from initial EA release, I'll post more impressions later but it's fun as **** to play and really great to explore and do quests.

But:


I am very upset.

Aaaaand, S K I P

[Tweed]

Once again, I have been coaxed into a snafu.

[1998]

Game has come a long way from initial EA release, I'll post more impressions later but it's fun as **** to play and really great to explore and do quests.

But:


I am very upset.

Would still play if it ever releases

[Kalarion]

I'm still going to play too, that's the truth, I'm a little ashamed to admit it but there it is.

Game is really ******* good.

[Tangerine]

I'm still going to play too, that's the truth, I'm a little ashamed to admit it but there it is.

Game is really ******* good.

Are you at least going to pirate it so you don't give money to people that hate you?

[1998]

I'm still going to play too, that's the truth, I'm a little ashamed to admit it but there it is.

Game is really ******* good.

Are you at least going to pirate it so you don't give money to people that hate you?

d1p for me

[Acrux]

I'm categorizing this one like "I'm racist but my best friend is black". David is a good game designer, plus I already bought it the first day it opened in Early Access to support him.

I guess this is now Baldur's Gate 3 for those of us who never played it.