What's Next?

[Bare Mettle]

This is a somewhat hastily written overview of what we're currently working on. I'll expand and improve on it as I find the time to do so.


We are currently working on several things but the next update will be primarily about a new arena mode that is much more complete and offers a great deal more replayability.

The fundamental mechanics of this new arena mode is that you train and equip a group of player and NPC characters to participate in a variety of arena matches, also featuring larger numbers of combatants. You will pay to enter matches and collect winnings if you obtain victory. You will have to manage you finances, purchase items, hire and maintain fighters.


The features coming to the new arena mode in the next release are:

• Persistent arena mode with progression
  
  
• Create a main character who manages your affairs, but can also fight
  
  
• Bid into matches and lose your bid or win more money
  
  
• Numerous match types with varying participants and teams
  
  
• Character and equipment rank system for match participants
  
  
• Hire NPCs to participate in matches with you or for you
  
  
• Recruit additional player characters to play
  
  
• Shop for items using the money you earned
  
  
• SKill progression for player and NPC characters
  
  
• Permanent death. Rest characters who are seriously injured or risk their death
  
  
• Procedural characters. There are always new characters to fight or hire
  
  
• A variety of arenas for matches to take place in
  
  
• Pugilism matches

This arena mode will be further expanded in future releases with the following features:

• Outdoor arenas
  
  
• Expand your business with facilities to improve and care for your fighters
  
  
• Reputation and morale system
  
  
• Customisable "heraldry" on tabards
  
  
• Multiplayer matches (LAN or low ping only)

We are also working on finalising the content for the main game. There are a 10 additional maps being developed, we are working on all of these at once and we will probably release them in chunks rather than one at a time. All core assets for the rest of the game have been developed already, but we do still need a few specific things and features for this to become a cohesive and complete experience.

Beyond the portal the game changes quite significantly. Exploring the rest of the content will not happen in a linear fashion, you will be able to go in many directions and move between the maps at many points. The plot will rapidly evolve and present you with choices that can have serious effects on the gameplay experience.


Some other features that are due to make an appearance in the near future are:

• Swapping between 2 sets of hand-held equipment with a single button press
  
  
• Uncosciousness. When your stamina reaches zero you will fall unconcious rather than die
  
  
• Dual wield combat
  
  
• Thrust attacks
  
  
• Steam Controller support
  
  
• Procedurally generated weapons, including many new types
  
  
• Removal of the paperdoll for a new inventory system

The development goals for the completed game remain more or less unchanged and include:

• Many more trainable skill techniques
  
  
• Thaumaturgy
  
  
• Ranged combat
  
  
• Co-op and PvP multiplayer (LAN or low ping only)
  
  
• Dialogue and other friendly NPC interaction

That's it off the top of my head. There's numerous things that are not mentioned, either because I couldn't think of them or because they represent spoilers or would make little sense without more context.

ETA: ASAP

[ClassicMetal]

Yeeahh! Best thing I've read this year! ;D Can't wait for the arena update, surely the game will get a boost of popularity at that point as well!

I wonder how well the AI will work with teams. The current undead bash eachother carelessly but will humans form teams aware of friendly fire?

The morale system is puzzling me. I wonder how that works and what its function is?

Great news as always and awesome to get a roadmap out here. Good Luck! :)

[The Officer That Left]

Thank you for giving us more insight mate!

Quite excited if i do say so my self...

[Dwolf]

Awesome! Can't wait to check the new upcoming content I'll sharpen my blade and keep training meanwhile

[zaratan4o]

Fro-gi smater npc's like the proctor and skeletons do avoid hitting each other. ;d So it is already a thing. Either way it is a given that human npc's etc will not just swing like ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ;d Of course mistakes can happen.

[ClassicMetal]

Originally posted by zaratan4o:

Fro-gi smater npc's like the proctor and skeletons do avoid hitting each other. ;d So it is already a thing. Either way it is a given that human npc's etc will not just swing like ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ;d Of course mistakes can happen.

Ah yes, haven't been fighting those so much to gain a clear picture about their AI. :P Of course the undead have a bit of sense in not all going out necessary at the same time either but still they are appropriately dumb. Can't wait to get fighting many humans, especially with a companion! :)

Also, I started thinking about the "Expand your business with facilities to improve and care for your fighters" part as well. I'm not sure what the out-of combat interface will be like. Will there be a kind of basic menu or some kind of real environment, like a locker room/armory or something? ;)

[USER404]

Originally posted by fro-gi:

Also, I started thinking about the "Expand your business with facilities to improve and care for your fighters" part as well. I'm not sure what the out-of combat interface will be like. Will there be a kind of basic menu or some kind of real environment, like a locker room/armory or something? ;)

It will be a real enviroment
I think it will include armory, bedroom, training room and hospital, among other spaces

[TheFawz]

Those are some very juicy details and exactly the type of thing I was hoping to hear about. I'm really excited for the Arena overhaul and didn't think it would be pushed that far (multiple fighters to manage and facilities to upgrade? Sounds like its own game!). I'm also releived to see that Thrust attacks, thaumaturgy and ranged weapons are still planned additions for the game.

I'm interested in seeing how the new inventory system is handled, as the current paperdoll system work well enough. Keep up the great work, and continue to keep us in the loop :)

[KERNBOOM]

I love the planned content! A Gladiator Arena Manager sounds awesome! Questions: Is Steam Workshop support planned or any modding capabilities? And is it not wise to include combat moves like thrust asap before the player has to re-master the controls yet again?

[Nikostratos]

Have you guys decided what to do with the change of 2 weapons system? if we'll see them being changed or not? also, what about the shields? will we carry them on the back while with a two handed weapon? even though im not sure if its historically accurate or not. Someone knows?


Oh yes, and please, PLEASE, on the next update, make the AI less stupid when i crouch, wait just a little, and attack going forward, this is 100% guaranteed to hit them, what makes it boring, but its a hell of a nice move.

[ruolbu]

I have a question regarding the controller and multiplayer. Will the steam controller simulate the mouse or do you work on a seperate control scheme that does not utilize the mouse cursor?

Mostly I wonder because of another question about local multiplayer. Not local as in LAN "local" but rather single-screen-same-machine-local. The primary problem I saw was the support of multiple mice, but apparently other modern games occasionally manage this (Trine) so it's not out of the question. On the other hand, if the controller support works in a unique way without the mouse, this problem would not even occur.

So I would like to ask for a definite reply regarding the perspective on single-screen/PC mutliplayer. I only found this:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/362490/discussions/0/523897653296854694/#c523897653297541531
http://steamcommunity.com/app/362490/discussions/0/528398719812982272/#c523897653294085085
Which is contradictiory and both by proxy.

[Ren]

stop bugging the developers so much!
let them just go at it. interacting with the community is wonderful, but you got to have a balance.

take a moment, breathe, stay focused!

maybe each day have a 30min window to answer questions AFTER "real" work has been done. am sure they know all this, make it happen smile!

excited tho, i OWN at the arena my favorite part!

[Stormbringer]

Originally posted by ruolbu:

I have a question regarding the controller and multiplayer. Will the steam controller simulate the mouse or do you work on a seperate control scheme that does not utilize the mouse cursor?

Afaik, there will be no controller support, controllers simply are not precise enough. I'm pretty sure there's dev post about it somewhere.

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA]

One of the devs have posted in a thread saying that they were working on steam controller support.

[ruolbu]

Originally posted by Stormbringer:

Afaik, there will be no controller support, controllers simply are not precise enough. I'm pretty sure there's dev post about it somewhere.

Uhhhm...

Originally posted by fghghdk:

One of the devs have posted in a thread saying that they were working on steam controller support.

Yes, here in this very thread.:

Originally posted by Bare Mettle:

Some other features that are due to make an appearance in the near future are:

• [...]
  
  
• Steam Controller support
  
  
• [...]

People, did you even read BMs post? ^^

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA]

Only read the part about arena features and skipped over the rest since that's all I really care about atm.