Absolver

Absolver

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br33dlove  [developer] Aug 16, 2017 @ 8:35pm
Absolver Official FAQ
Below is an official Absolver FAQ by Sloclap and Devolver Digital. The team will update it as important questions are gathered from community feedback. Thanks for your support and looking forward to seeing you all on the plains of Adal!

What are the details for Absolver’s release?
Absolver will initially launch on PS4 and PC August 29 for $29.99 or the equivalent in your territory. The current plan is for the game to release on PC at around 8AM Pacific on August 29 with PlayStation launching as soon as each territory’s store refreshes - which is out of our control and depends on that territory’s PlayStation Network. The game is available for pre-purchase now with a 10% off discount and exclusive gear for your Prospect. More info can be found at absolver.devolverdigital.com

Where can I find a community-led Absolver wiki?
Sloclap has partnered with Gamepedia for an official wiki located here: https://absolver.gamepedia.com/Absolver_Wiki There are many other user created destinations that will have tips and information from the game located on forums found on Steam, GOG, and absolver.com

What kind of game is Absolver?
Absolver is a bit hard to define and the concept of an ‘online melee action experience’ seems to suit it best as Absolver is ultimately a blend of an intense, customizable fighting game set within a beautiful yet modest online world. Players make the journey from lowly Prospect to vaunted Absolver by training through combat, finding and defeating specific characters in the world, and reaching the top of the Tower of Adal. Once they achieve Absolution they are free to roam the land engaging in combat, becoming a mentor to those that wish to learn from them, and entering into more traditional 1v1 matches.

It is important to note that Absolver is not an online RPG or an MMO, the scale is relatively small compared to well known games in those genres and the online interactions are much more focused and personal without the large scale server populations one might expect from an MMO.

What is online gameplay like and can you play offline as well?
Absolver is a somewhat unique blend of online and offline game, both happening in the same experience with other players passively introduced to each other’s game similar to thatgamecompany’s Journey. While Absolver was designed and intended to played online with others, players can certainly play offline and even choose to limit other players from entering their game. Though possible to complete the game offline, the team at Sloclap highly recommends that players experience the multiplayer combat and social interaction that are inherent to Absolver’s design.

The core of Absolver’s gameplay is its deep fighting mechanics and online combat. Prospects will enter the plains of Adal alone and encounter both AI-controlled opponents and live players through Absolver’s shared online experience structure. Players will roam the world as their own independent ‘server’ as the game seamlessly introduces other Prospects into their game experience. Once players encounter one another they will have a choice to engage in friendly sparring, more aggressive PvP combat, or cooperative PvE play with up to three players at once. Through online cooperative play each Prospect will be able to learn new moves from one another, progress on their path to Absolution, and gain experience points that can be spent on one of six attributes to improve their skills. More here: https://youtu.be/LT3iSAci2JU

Can PS4 and PC owners play against each other?
Not at the moment but Sloclap has done work to support cross platform play and will announce the addition of such a feature when it is available.

What languages will be supported?
Absolver will support English, French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian and Polish at launch with Traditional & Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean coming soon after launch.

Will Absolver have post launch support and new content?
Absolver will receive several free updates and content additions after the initial launch with the development team paying attention to what the community wants to see next. Features like a 3 versus 3 mode, spectator mode, and ranked matches are already underway with new moves, combat styles, and areas to explore all possible additions in the coming months.

Will there be any microtransactions, paid DLC, or some sort of Season Pass?
There are several free content updates and expansions planned for the months after launch. If the game’s success and community warrant a larger paid expansion the team is certainly open to that path. There are no plans for microtransactions or a Season Pass for Absolver.

What other platforms will Absolver come to after PC and PS4?
The team at Sloclap is relatively small so we started with PC and PS4 but hope that with success we can bring the game to more platforms like Xbox 1, Nintendo Switch, etc. There is no timetable on those ports at the moment but would love to have at least one additional platform by early to mid 2018.

How big is the world in Absolver?
The world of Adal is relatively modest and can be traversed from end to end in half an hour or so provided all areas have been unlocked. The goal was not to have a large open world but instead a realm where players could explore and encounter both NPC combatants and other live players to interact with, whether that be fighting, sparring, or simply politely bowing and going their separate way.

What is the difference between a Prospect and an Absolver?
Prospects are what the fresh, somewhat unskilled warriors that arrive in Adal are referred to after receiving their masks from the Guides. Through training, sparring, combat, and exploration a Prospect will become stronger and master the art of fighting to eventually take down a series of miniboss figures and boss fighters spread throughout Adal. Once all other tasks are complete a Prospect can make their way to the top of the Tower of Adal to face Risryn and prove their worth and joining the elite corps of Absolvers.

How does character progression work and is there a prestige system?
Players choose a base character and one of the three initial Combat Styles from the start and begin their journey into Adal. From there XP is earned through success in combat and that add up to gain Attribute Points which are then used in one of six attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Vitality, Endurance, and Willl. These attributes impact player stats such as Health, Stamina, Shards Refill rate, and damage done by attacks: some attacks will be more efficient with high levels of Strength, others will scale better with Dexterity.
As player’s levels increase, they will receive additional Tension Shards: these magical crystals refill during combat, and allow the player to use special powers, or deploy weapons. Additional slots will be progressively unlocked in the Combat Deck, allowing high level players to create more complex choreographies.
Finally, as players acquire new equipment via PvE loot, or PvP rewards, they will be able to finely tune their character’s way of fighting, by balancing protection levels, movement speed, stamina recovery, and damages from attacks.

There is no Prestige system in Absolver at the moment but if the community requests it and there is an obvious need it certainly will be considered for higher level characters.

Can you customize your character?
A character’s basic appearance is selected alongside Combat Style from the start of the game. From there, players can customize based on acquired gear that carry specific perks and attributes in addition to their unique aesthetic. More on that here: https://youtu.be/V-t-NVdIZ4w

Will there be a clan or party system?
There are no traditional clan or parties, players will be able to join in cooperative teams for PvE and in an update coming soon after launch there will be a 3v3 gameplay mode introduced.

How does the Mentor - Student system work?
Absolver also features unique fighting school mechanic where more advanced players can create their own school of combat that other players may join. The school’s creator effectively becomes a mentor to these students and this relationship allows for the mentor’s students to use their Combat Deck and the more robust catalog of more advanced moves that comes with it. More details here: https://youtu.be/LT3iSAci2JU

Can Absolver be played competitively and will the game support competitive features?
Absolver will launch with a dedicated 1v1 PvP mode that can be accessed from any of the altars found around the world. From there players can battle against a random opponent or someone from their friends list in a best of three lives match, earning experience points with each match. Shortly after launch new features will be introduced like a 3v3 game mode, spectator mode, and more based on community feedback.

Does Absolver have an ‘ending’ or is it an open-ended story?
The narrative goal in Absolver is to journey from Prospect to Absolver by gaining experience through combat, improving your character, and taking down a group of minibosses called Marked Ones before climbing the Tower of Adal for one final showdown. Once complete your character will become a vaunted Absolver and can then roam the land teaching others what you have learned in combat and proving your skill against other players online.

There are also plans for content expansions that will open new areas of Adal and introduce new goals for your character to achieve.

Can you switch Combat Styles during the game or do you need to create a new character?
While a character starts with a specific Combat Style, it is possible to learn new Combat Styles by joining Schools created by mentors. Once players learn different Combat Styles, they can switch back and forth between them as long as they are out of combat.

How are weapons and special powers used in the game?
Weapons can be found around the world and picked up for use in combat or taken from opponents by disarming them with a series of devastating strikes. Once players reach a certain level they can unlock the ability to ‘unfold’ a weapon on command during combat which uses tension shards, the rechargeable resource illustrated as floating gems behind the player.

Similarly, players will unlock special powers like healing or a shockwave to push back opponents that can be used at will provided they have the necessary shards powered up to use them. More here: https://youtu.be/4qcPJEn2bpE

Can Absolver be played with a mouse and keyboard?
Yes, though a gamepad is recommended.

What are you doing to address cheating in Absolver?
The development team at Sloclap is implementing a few measures to prevent players from cheating during combat. These features have not all been finalized but will be made public within reason once complete.

What’s the deal on framerate?
The PC version will run at 60fps on a PC with the recommended specs and at least 30fps on a PC with minimum specs. The PlayStation 4 version will run at 30fps though the team hopes to have an update in the future that gets the 1v1 mode to 60fps.

Can I monetize gameplay from Absolver on YouTube, Twitch, etc.?
Absolutely, and we hope that you do!

Are there any exclusive items?
Players that preorder the game will receive the Uring Priest set as detailed on the game page prior to August 29. PlayStation 4 players will have exclusive access to the Shabu Commander set.

Will there be a physical version for sale?
Special Reserve Games has limited edition physical sets for PC and PS4 as well as PS4 retail boxes available via absolver.devolverdigital.com

What’s the deal with Sloclap?
Sloclap is a small, experienced independent studio located in Paris and founded in 2015 by veteran designers, programmers, and artists that met while working together at Ubisoft. Absolver is their debut project as a studio and has been in production since April 2015.
Last edited by br33dlove; Aug 17, 2017 @ 3:01pm
Date Posted: Aug 16, 2017 @ 8:35pm
Posts: 0