The dust has barely settled after Foxes joined the game, but we're already back with the new content update in which we're introducing:
New glade event: Merchant Shipwreck
8 new Deeds
6 new Ghost encounters
7 new Orders
New language: Thai
and more!
Continue reading for our design notes and the full changelog.
RECENT CRASHING PROBLEMS
With the Sentinels of the Forest release, we decided to update our (rapidly aging) Unity engine version. Despite picking the most stable version available (polished by the creators for over a year), the number of crashes in Against the Storm sadly increased. While a large part of the reported issues was solved by updating hardware drivers, we are aware that for some of you the problems still persist. Unfortunately, the source of these crashes is far beyond our reach, and we have a very limited set of tools we can use to fix them.
That being said, the Merchant Shipwreck Update contains a few under-the-hood changes that, while slightly degrading the game's overall performance, will prevent the Unity engine from deadlocking itself. In case that won’t be enough, we will continue looking for a solution with more frequent builds on the Experimental Branch.
DEVELOPER NOTES
The last fourteen days were pretty intense - the reception of the new playable species was very positive, and we’ve received a lot of cool feedback and suggestions. Our community has also grown immensely after the game was recently featured on the front page of Steam. Thank you all for your invaluable support, and please give a warm welcome to all the new Against the Storm players!
With Sentinels of the Forest Update, we finalized the majority of the Early Access goals that we set on the roadmap. So, what else is there in the pipeline for Against the Storm? Worry not, we still have a lot to add to the game, and our usual bi-weekly updates won’t stop anytime soon! We will share a new roadmap in the coming days, so stay tuned!
Let’s now jump right into this newest update. This time, we bring you a variety of new content - a new glade event, new orders, new ghost encounters in the Cursed Royal Woodlands, new deeds, decisions for some previously overlooked events, multiple balance changes, numerous UI improvements, two new music tracks, and official support for the Thai language.
Merchant Shipwreck
Ghost of a Lizard Elder and Ghost of a Fox Scout
First off, let’s talk about events. The most exciting thing is of course the new addition - the Merchant Shipwreck. It’s a destroyed ship found in the middle of the forest. It has two decisions, a working effect tied to trading, and a nasty consequence if it’s not solved (I’ll let you discover that for yourself). We also looked at some older events and added new decisions where there was just one option (like in the Noxious Machinery or Corrupted Caravan). This way the only events left without multiple decisions are the smallest ones, like the Fishmen Totem or Living Matter.
Speaking of Living Matter - it’s no longer called that, as it’s now named “Blood Flower”. We decided to completely change this event’s flavor, description, and model because for a long time now it was causing some problems. Its visuals were simply a particle effect, and due to this, we needed to use an uglier fallback asset for older hardware that couldn’t compile complex shaders/FXs. Plus, quite honestly, the original Living Matter visual representation wasn’t too appealing in the first place. The new Blood Flower on the other hand is prettier, easier to maintain, more unique, and doesn’t require any special treatment for low-end machines.
Blood Flower
This update also fills a few gaps in terms of content. We added 8 new deeds, all tied to the new modifiers introduced a few versions earlier, and we added new ghost encounters to the Cursed Royal Woodlands (you can now find a few Fox ghosts). There are also 7 new orders with new objective types (completing high-value trade routes and discovering glades in quick succession).
We also took some time to improve the game’s balance in a few places. This time it wasn’t just numerical changes though, but rather mechanical adjustments to some smaller systems. Most notably, we changed how Standing is gained in trade routes (it now progresses based on Amber traded, not the number of transactions), and how Cysts are spawned during the Storm (previously, they would always appear opened. Now, if they spawn after the last open cyst was destroyed, they will appear closed). We also adjusted the spawn rates of ghosts in the Cursed Royal Woodlands to minimize the chances of having two or more of the same ghost on one map.
Last, but certainly not least - UX, UI, technical stuff, and other additions. We added the “move” button to the Trading Post, added the option to increase production limits by 5 or 10 (using Shift/Ctrl), and introduced a color-coding system to tooltips (owned blueprints are now highlighted in resource tooltips). We also fixed a ton of bugs, improved the overall stability and performance of the game, and introduced yet another language - Thai!
Trading Post
As always - thank you all for providing feedback and suggestions for the new update. If you’d like to share your ideas for upcoming updates, here are some useful links:
P.S. If you've picked up Against the Storm and have been playing it, make sure to leave a Steam review! They help a lot!
CHANGELOG
Number of changes: 85 Inspired by community: 72%
Changes marked with ⚡ were inspired by the community.
New content and features
⚡ Added a new dangerous glade event.
Merchant Shipwreck - How powerful must the storm surge have been to carry this shattered wreck all the way here? Perhaps in the distant past, there was a sea in this place? It looks as if it had been lying here for centuries. Strange voices can be heard from below the deck...
⚡ Added 8 new deeds. All of them are tied to the new modifiers that were introduced into the game a few updates ago.
Frosts - Win a game near the Frosts modifier.
Abandoned Settlement - Win a game near the Abandoned Settlement modifier.
Untamed Wilds - Win a game near the Untamed Wilds modifier.
Land of Greed - Win a game near the Land of Greed modifier.
Petrified Necropolis - Win a game near the Petrified Necropolis modifier.
Gathering Storm - Win a game near the Gathering Storm modifier.
Overgrown Library - Win a game near the Overgrown Library modifier.
Ominous Presence - Win a game near the Ominous Presence modifier.
Added 6 new ghost encounters in the Cursed Royal Woodlands.
Ghost of a Lizard Elder
Ghost of a Lost Scout
Ghost of an Old Merchant
Ghost of a Murdered Trader
Ghost of a Fox Elder
Ghost of a Teadoctor
Added 7 new Orders. All of them make use of new objective types introduced into the game - completing trade routes with a given minimum value, and discovering glades in a short time span.
Profit Margin
Profitable Trade
Fair Exchange
Export Hub
Into the Unknown
Hasty Explorer
All at Once
Balance
⚡ Rebalanced the spawn rates of ghost encounters in the Cursed Royal Woodlands. The chances of coming across two identical ghosts on the same map should now be minimal.
⚡ Changed how cyst spawning during the Storm works. Previously, every Cyst that spawned during the Storm was immediately open. Now, after the last open Cyst was burned, subsequent cysts will appear closed.
This means that if you are in the middle of burning Cysts during the Storm, and a new one appears, it will be open. But if you burn all Cysts, and a new one appears only after the last one has been destroyed, it will lay dormant until the next Storm (or until awakened by an event, like the Infected Mole).
⚡ Changed the Land of Greed modifier effect. It no longer removes event rewards.
Land of Greed - The strange totem causes you to only focus on your wealth... And the Crown is worried. Impatience grows 50% quicker, but every ongoing trade route reduces Impatience generation speed by 20%.
⚡ Added new decisions to 5 already existing glade events.
Corrupted Caravan - with the option to either cleanse it or send contaminated goods to the Citadel (tagged as corruption).
Fuming Machinery - with the option to either tear it down or fix it (and be rewarded with a decoration with a special effect).
Withered Tree - with the option to either cleanse it or cut it down.
Petrified Tree - with the option to either cut it down or heal it (tagged as empathy).
Noxious Machinery - with the option to either cleanse it or tear it down.
⚡ If a player isn’t level 2 after the second tutorial map (because they skipped the tutorial, lost a game, or an update reset their settlement), they will be automatically promoted to level 2 after entering the World Map for the first time.
Changed the reward for the “fix” option in the Leaking Cauldron glade event. Instead of giving Reputation, it spawns fertile soil around.
Changed the way newcomer scaling works. Previously, the number of new villagers was based on the population of a settlement. Now the numbers are based statically on the number of years past. This change was introduced to allow players to recover more quickly after a negative chain of events wipes out a significant portion of their villagers.
Changed the way Standing levels progress when using Trade Routes. Previously, neighboring towns would level up after a fixed number of routes were completed. Now it’s the value of your transactions that counts. This change should introduce more variance into the system, and make it possible to gain Standing more reliably (with big transactions).
Increased the Complex Food requirement in the Vitality effect. It now requires 200 units (instead of 150) of complex food consumed to add the Resolve bonus.
UX/UI improvements
⚡ The Trading Post is now movable. The “move” button can be found in the Trading Panel after selecting the building (you can also move the Trading Post by hovering your cursor over it and pressing M on your keyboard).
⚡ Added an option to rebind the “copy building” function in the Options menu.
⚡ Resource tooltips now show which buildings a player owns (they are highlighted in the list of all buildings that can produce said resource).
⚡ Tooltips for goods are now formatted differently. They display building names in a list and show the star rating of a recipe next to the building name.
⚡ Need tooltips now show which service buildings a player owns (they are highlighted in the list of all buildings that can fulfill said need).
⚡ Holding Shift when changing production limits will now change the number by 10. Holding Ctrl will change the number by 5.
⚡ The clickable area for Woodcutters’ Camp settings has been enlarged.
⚡ Resources in the “related goods” section of the Recipe Popup are now separated based on which slot they are assigned to in the original recipe.
⚡ Clicking on a need icon in a service building will now open the Recipe Panel and automatically search for the good required to satisfy the said need.
⚡ Changed the name and icon of the Obsidian Shovels perk to avoid confusion.
Improved scaling for almost all tooltips in the game. Tooltips should now be able to resize more easily in all directions.
Bug fixes
⚡ Fixed an issue with the unique effect of the Converted Harmony Altar not taking the Teadoctor into account.
⚡ Fixed an issue with the Automaton worker slot still showing the old icon instead of the new one.
⚡ Fixed some overlapping text in Resolve effect tooltips.
⚡ Fixed an issue with ghosts requiring the burning or spawning of cysts appearing for players without Rainpunk unlocked in the Citadel.
⚡ Fixed a bug that caused Fox and Lizard icons to not be clickable in the Training Expedition panel.
⚡ Fixed a few outdated pieces of ghost dialogue (they were referencing requests that were no longer present in the game).
⚡ Fixed an issue with a handful of orders appearing in maps where they can’t be completed (like an objective to build farm fields in a map without fertile soil).
⚡ Fixed a bug with scouts not playing any animation when solving the Destroyed Rainpunk Foundry glade event.
⚡ Fixed a bug with scouts not playing any animation when solving the Altar of Decay glade event.
⚡ Fixed a bug with the Sealed Vault glade event having an incorrect working effect on higher difficulty levels.
⚡ Fixed an issue with two-line order objectives sometimes cutting into other text on the HUD.
⚡ Fixed an issue with the Blight Swarm Prestige modifier not being available in Training Expeditions.
⚡ Fixed a bug with recipes in the mine displaying a one-star efficiency. They are now correctly assigned a two-star tier.
⚡ Fixed a bug that allowed Cornerstones like Firelink Ritual to appear in a game without any species with the need for Religion. From now on, if a need is not represented in a settlement, Cornerstones tied to it will not appear.
⚡ Fixed a bug that caused the ESC key to sometimes not work correctly when trying to exit the Embark View.
⚡ Fixed an incorrect objective text displayed on the HUD for Orders based on delivering goods.
⚡ Fixed a bug that caused the visual FX of a completed Order to be displayed above other UI elements.
⚡ Removed an unnecessary dot in the tooltip header of Order objectives based on delivering goods.
⚡ Fixed a bug that allowed the Destroyed Rainpunk Foundry to be deleted with the destruction tool.
⚡ Fixed a bug that caused the Herb recipe in the Greenhouse to be affected by the Leaking Cauldron working effect.
⚡ Fixed an issue with the Mine missing the worker count in the Encyclopedia.
⚡ Fixed an issue with Citadel Resource icons being inconsistently ordered below upgrades in the upgrade tree.
⚡ Fixed an issue with Twitch Chat Polls sometimes breaking after caravan voting.
⚡ Fixed an issue with Twitch Chat Polls breaking after two votes were started at the same time.
⚡ Fixed an issue with the Consumption Control panel having a brighter background than other full screen popups.
⚡ Fixed a bug with ore not reappearing while moving a building placed on top of it.
⚡ Fixed a bug with the Human Starting Ability showing the fertile soil marker on the edge of the map in games without any fertile soil.
⚡ Fixed a wrong translation in the Korean version of the Voice of the Forest effect.
⚡ Fixed a bug that caused some numbers to be obstructed and unreadable in the Japanese version of the game (like for example in the Protected Trade Cornerstone).
⚡ Fixed a typo in house descriptions in the Spanish version of the game.
⚡ Implemented multiple fixes to the Simplified Chinese version of the game (biome descriptions, some effect descriptions, order objectives, etc.).
⚡ Fixed an incorrect translation of the Fungal Guide perk in the Ukrainian version of the game.
⚡ Fixed an issue with two buildings having the same name in the German version of the game (Distillery and Tinctury). Additionally, improved translations in the Embark View and the Carved in Stone perk description.
⚡ Fixed an incorrect translation of the Procrastination effect in the Russian version of the Game. Additionally, we implemented multiple miscellaneous fixes and improvements to the localization (deeds, descriptions, perks).
Fixed a few incorrect profession names assigned to new buildings (Distillery, Beanery, Tea House).
Fixed an issue with female Fox villagers carrying incorrectly rotated objects.
Other
⚡ Added 2 new music tracks to the Cursed Royal Woodlands (during Storm).
Added a new officially supported language - Thai.
Changed the visual representation, name, and description of the Living Matter. The event (and its clone) is now called Blood Flower. This change was introduced mainly to get rid of the old Living Matter model (which was simply a particle effect) and to ground it a bit more in the game’s lore.
Improved overall stability and fixed a few instances of CPU crashes that occurred after the last engine update.
COMMUNITY CORNER
Click to unfold: [expand type="showmore"] There are two types of Against the Storm players:
Those who love TonyShape’s comics,
And those who haven’t discovered them yet.
Here are the two new ones, dedicated to Foxes and they deserve all our Steam Points: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2962734405 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2965761229 We’re also excited to see Fox buildings embellish your settlements:
First Attempt at Fox Town by u/JammyOriginal4 (Source: Reddit)
Second attempt at Foxton by u/JammyOriginal4 (Source: Reddit)
The tea doctor is all-powerful by u/chzrm3 (Source: Reddit)
Lastly, here’s a captivating short story that depicts the exciting yet daunting events of embarkation: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2965902737
For more screenshots, check out the Screenshots tab in Steam Community (and award the ones you like!). [/expand] That’s all folks! We wish you an awesome weekend and a great time with the new update.
We invite you to join us later today at 3:00 pm UTC on our Twitch channel for a developer livestream during which we’ll shed more light on this week’s Merchant Shipwreck Update and talk with Mikołaj - the game’s sound producer - about the sounds and music of Against the Storm:
Please make sure you’re ready for the new update and finish your current settlement before the Update goes live on Thursday (April 27 sometime between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm UTC).
May the storm be gentle on you, Eremite Games
HOW TO PREPARE
We release new content Updates every two weeks on Thursdays around 1 pm – 3 pm UTC. As we make multiple changes to the game’s systems, balance, and content, the game needs to force-finish any settlements that are in progress when you download the update. This aims to prevent various game-breaking bugs that could occur otherwise.
IMPORTANT: If you have a settlement in progress, it will have to be force-finished when you download the Update. You will be reimbursed with Citadel Resources but you will have to start a new settlement. Your meta progress (that is: Experience, Level, completed Deeds, unlocked Upgrades, Citadel Resources, etc.) will remain intact.
In the main menu, under the “Play” button, there’s a countdown to upcoming Updates. Please finish your current settlement before the update day if you don’t want it to be completed automatically.
Hotfix 0.48.3 (CPU crash, Input system)
Greetings, Viceroys!
We just released a small hotfix that deals with very specific instances of CPU crashing that started to occur after last week's Sentinels of the Forest Update.
We apologize to everyone affected by the issue and we are extremely grateful for your patience and willingness to help us test the fix on the Experimental Branch. Thank you so so much for your support!
What happened is that when we updated the Unity Engine to a newer version (as part of our continuous work on optimization), we inherited two issues. One related to the input system and one to the compiler that optimizes the game for different CPU architectures. We patched the input system bug and we partially withdrew from the CPU optimization. You shouldn't really be able to tell the difference in performance, but this will help with the crashing problem for players using specific CPUs.
For other players experiencing crashes, you may need to update the GPU drivers (as a result of the game moving to a new version of the Unity Engine). We've seen many such cases successfully resolved by performing a clean installation of drivers downloaded directly from the manufacturer's site instead of using the express auto-update option. You can download the drivers here:
We hope this helps and we wish everyone a great weekend!
May the storm be gentle on you, Eremite Games
Hotfix 0.48.2 (Encyclopedia, Destroyed Tea House)
Greetings, Viceroys!
In today's hotfix, we're fixing some of the issues that occured after the Sentinels of the Forest Update. Thank you for your swift and detailed reports!
Fixed a bug that caused some saves to become corrupted if the Apothecary building was present in the settlement.
Fixed a bug with the "deliver X resource" order tooltip showing an incorrect description.
Fixed a bug with two Orders having the same rewards (Firestarter and Ancient Artifacts).
Fixed a bug with the Destroyed Tea House being called "Apothecary" in the UI.
Fixed a bug with the Improvised Tools Cornerstone tooltip showing an incorrect description.
Fixed an issue with the new Puffed Grain perk not being sold by traders.
Fixed an incorrect Russian translation of the Bread Peels Cornerstone.
Fixed a bug that caused the new decorations (Overgrown Fence and Overgrown Fence Corner) to be displayed in the Encyclopedia even without unlocking them.
Fixed an issue with species entries in the Encyclopedia being incorrectly ordered.
Fixed an issue with the German Fox description in the Encyclopedia being partially cut off by UI elements.
Fixed a bug that caused scouts to not play any animation when working on Archaeological Discovery events.
We also received a few crash reports. In yesterday's update, we moved to a newer version of the Unity Engine. While it improves the game's performance in general, it may cause singular issues. Therefore, if you experience crashes, we strongly recommend trying all the solutions listed in our trobuelshooting article: https://eremitegames.freshdesk.com/a/solutions/articles/80000781533
From our experience, they tend to help in the majority of cases. We recommend starting by updating your drivers (here's a handy guide from PC Gamer: https://www.pcgamer.com/how-to-update-drivers/).
We wish you lots of fun with the new update and a great weekend!
May the storm be gentle on you, Eremite Games
Foxes join the game in the new Sentinels of the Forest Update!
Ahoj, Viceroys!
Against the Storm grows with the biggest content update ever.
Sentinels of the Forest Update introduces:
New playable species: Foxes
5 new buildings: Fox House, Tea Doctor, Tea House, Distillery, and Beanery
Starting Abilities (unique for every species)
11 new orders
3 new perks
7 new Citadel Upgrades
Increased level cap: 18
New food: Porridge
2 new Deeds
2 new decorations
New glade event
New attribute: Hunger Tolerance
5 new languages: Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Turkish, and Ukrainian
And more!
Check out the new trailer:
ALL-TIME LOW DISCOUNT AND UPCOMING PRICE INCREASE
We are thrilled to announce that Against the Storm will be featured on the Steam homepage for a Weekend Sale discount starting today, where you’ll be able to pick up the game for 25% off. If you (or your friends) have been on the fence about jumping into Against the Storm, now’s a great time to check it out!
In addition to being the best discount on the game to date, this will also be the last chance to get Against the Storm at the current price. We mentioned in the Early Access notes that the price would likely increase, and with this new species update, we feel enough content has been added for this. In two weeks we will raise the price -- for USD, the price will increase from $19.99 to $29.99, while other currencies will have similar proportional increases. This will be the ONLY time we raise the price of Against the Storm, and the price will remain at that level for the future v1.0 release and after.
But before we do that, we wanted to give everyone advance notice and a good discounted opportunity to buy the game at the lowest price. So if you'd like to get the game, please do so before April 27th, and we'll look forward to having you as part of the player community!
Viceroys, rejoice! Foxes have finally entered the game in the biggest update in the history of Against the Storm. And they didn’t arrive empty-handed, because this release also adds a lot of new content - buildings, orders, perks, decorations, deeds, upgrades, new mechanics, new languages, new music track, UI improvements, and much, much more. So without further ado, let's jump right into it.
First off, let’s talk about the new species - the mysterious and majestic Foxes. Back in January, we hosted a community vote, and you helped us decide which new species would end up in the game. Since then, we’ve been working hard on adding them to the game in parallel with delivering regular, bi-weekly updates. And today, Foxes are finally here!
Foxes are one of the more unique species in the world of Against the Storm. They are deeply tied to the forest and have evolved to live in symbiosis with the Blight. One of their most unique traits is their complete resistance to Hostility (they don’t get any Resolve penalty for it). They are skilled scouts (they are faster at solving glade events), and they enjoy working with rainwater (they get a Resolve bonus when working in buildings using it as an ingredient). Unfortunately, due to their relation with the Blight, they need constant Treatment (a new need in place of Cleanliness). Their other needs are: Any Housing, Fox Housing, Porridge (a new food type added with this update), Skewers, Pickled Goods, Brawling, and Luxury. Additionally, Fox firekeepers have the ability to lower the Hostility gained from every discovered glade.
When designing Foxes, our goal was to fill a few balance niches (like the two service needs that were only tied to one species up to this point) and introduce more variation in gameplay. That’s why we gave them a unique attribute (Hostility resistance) and tied them to glade events (via their specialization). We also wanted to round out the metal branch a bit more by requiring metal for Fox Houses and the production of Tea (a new good used to fulfill the need for Treatment). With that change, and numerous previous improvements to the metal branch (mine upgrades, tool rebalance, event revamp, pipes, etc.), we feel that this part of the game should now fall into a nice spot. Although there were numerous cool ideas for a complete metal revamp floating around in the community, we wanted to take a more evolutionary approach with this feature (rather than a revolutionary one).
Another big change coming with this update is the Hunger Tolerance system. Reading the previous paragraph, one might think that Foxes are straight up better than any other species - and to an extent, that would be true. But we also introduce a new global attribute for every species - Hunger Tolerance, which simply put, is the maximum number of hunger stacks a species can take before dying. Until now, hunger was stacking indefinitely, constantly increasing a Resolve penalty. From now on, in addition to the Resolve penalty, villagers will only be able to tank a certain number of stacks before dying (the values are as follows: Foxes 3, Harpies 4, Humans & Beavers 6, Lizards 12). That, combined with the reliance on metal for housing and Tea, as well as a low Base Resolve value, should make Foxes a bit less powerful and in line with other species.
This update also brings with it a brand new mechanic tied to species in the form of Starting Abilities. Each species now has a unique skill that is triggered once they join a given run for the first time - either at the beginning of the game (for species coming with the initial caravan) or when the first member of a new species joins the town. For example, Humans will reveal one patch of fertile soil on the map, while Foxes will show you the location of the nearest rainwater geyser. Starting Abilities are unlocked by buying upgrades in the Citadel.
Human and Fox starting abilities
With the addition of Foxes, there are also numerous areas where new content was added to support the new species. There are 5 new buildings (Fox House, Tea Doctor, Tea House, Distillery, Beanery), a new food item (Porridge, made from rainwater and simple food), 11 new Orders, 3 new perks, one new glade event, 2 new Deeds, 2 new decorations, and 7 new Citadel Upgrades. We also tweaked a lot of existing content to take Foxes into account and seamlessly incorporate them into the game. All the nitty-gritty details are described in the changelog below.
Lastly, this update brings with it a lot of smaller changes as well. We added support for 5 new languages to the game (Italian, Czech, Ukrainian, Hungarian, and Turkish), introduced a new music track to the Coral Forest (Drizzle season), and replaced 41 old icons with new custom assets (a few resources, order objectives, biome effects, and needs). We also (as always) fixed a lot of bugs, and tried to improve the game’s performance and stability.
With all that said, let’s take a look at the Early Access roadmap and see what’s left. Over the past 5 months, we’ve been gradually adding new content, revamping old systems, and polishing the game in general. During that time, some items on the roadmap were pretty easy to mark as done after one or two updates (like Twitch Integration, the new species, the Blightrot revamp, or the Scarlet Orchard’s unique mechanic), whereas others were more complicated to check off, as they could theoretically go on indefinitely (like new perks, new orders, new decorations). But there comes a time when we need to look back at the sum of all the small steps taken (like all the individual small perk batches added in the last 12 updates) and decide to mark their respective roadmap items as delivered. And with this update, we feel that most of the ongoing content expansion topics (buildings, perks, orders, etc.) are done.
Early Access Roadmap (updated April 2023)
One of the more elusive ongoing items on the roadmap you are probably all wondering about is the metal branch evolution - and why it’s now marked as completed. This was never really intended to be a big revamp or a brand-new system, but rather a gradual evolution. While we never really named any update after it, we introduced small changes here and there (mine upgrades, pipes, needs based on metal, fox housing, event revamps, biome balancing) that slowly nudged the metal branch into a new direction. After the introduction of Foxes, that long marathon is at its end.
But don’t worry, the completion of the roadmap doesn’t mean we will stop adding new content to the game! When we first put together the roadmap, it was only meant to outline the first 6 months of Early Access. We wanted to be extra careful and not overpromise on anything, only adding to it once it was completed. And now, after half a year of suspiciously smooth development, it’s almost done, and we are looking at our backlog of ideas once again! We decided to continue the Early Access program for a couple more months and add more content that we feel would benefit the game greatly. We will share an updated roadmap in the near future.
Phew, that was a long dev note… and it probably didn’t even cover everything, because there is just soo much new stuff (but fortunately the changelog has everything listed). We hope you enjoy this massive new update, and thank you for all the feedback and suggestions you provided. If you’d like to share your ideas for upcoming updates, here are some useful links:
P.S. If you've picked up Against the Storm and have been playing it, make sure to leave a Steam review! They help us a lot!
CHANGELOG
Number of changes: 120+ Inspired by community: 55%
Changes marked with ⚡ were inspired by the community.
New content and features
⚡ Added a new playable species - Foxes.
Majestic and mysterious creatures deeply bonded with the forest. They evolved a symbiosis with Blightrot through long exposure to Rainwater, which caused some visible side effects. Foxes are skilled scouts and feel comfortable working with Rainwater. They are highly susceptible to starvation.
Fox attributes:
Base Resolve: 5
Break Interval 2:00
Resilient: low
Demanding: low
Decadent: medium
Foxes have the following needs:
Any Housing
Fox Housing
Porridge
Skewers
Pickled Goods
Brawling
Luxury
Treatment
Foxes are completely resistant to Hostility of the Forest. They don’t suffer Resolve penalties from it (but they still are susceptible to the Storm Resolve penalty).
Fox firekeeper ability:
Forest Affinity - Fox Firekeepers have an unusual ability to calm the forest. Hostility from opened glades is lowered by 2 each.
Fox specializations:
Forest - a Fox scout assigned to a Glade Event reduces its working time by 5%.
Rainwater - a Fox assigned to a building tagged as “Rainwater” gets a +5 Resolve bonus.
⚡ Added 5 new buildings.
Fox House - Building specifically made for Foxes. Has to be built near a Hearth. Can house 2 residents.
Tea Doctor - A place where villagers can fulfill their need for: Treatment, Brawling. Passive effects: Vitality.
Vitality - A rich diet is beneficial for villagers' health. Gain a stack of the Vitality Effect (+1 to Global Resolve) for every 150 units of any Complex Food consumed. (the bonus is added retroactively)
Tea House - Can produce: Tea (T3), Porridge (T2), Waterskins (T1). Can use: Drizzle Water.
Distillery - Can produce: Wine (T2), Porridge (T2), Barrels (T2). Can use: Drizzle Water.
Beanery - Can produce: Porridge (T3), Pickled Goods (T2), Crystalized Dew (T1). Can use: Drizzle Water.
⚡ Added a new food item - Porridge.
Porridge is a low-tier complex food made from Rainwater (Drizzle, Clearance, or Storm Water) and Grain/Vegetables/Mushrooms/Herbs.
Porridge can be produced in the Field Kitchen, Tea House, Distillery, and Beanery.
Foxes and Humans have the need to consume Porridge.
⚡ Added 11 new Orders.
The Pack - reach a Resolve level with Foxes.
Joyful Foxes (timed) - reach a Resolve level with Foxes.
People of the Forest - reach a population threshold with Foxes.
Aid for the Fox Pack - deliver Storm Water and Packs of Provisions.
Fox Influx - deliver Herbs.
Fox Population - reach a population and Resolve threshold with Foxes.
Happy Foxes - reach a Resolve level with Foxes, solve glade events.
Homes For Foxes (timed) - have Fox Houses.
Fox Relatives - satisfy the need for Porridge and have Fox Houses.
Fox Resolve - reach a Resolve level with Foxes.
Fox Majority - reach a population threshold with Foxes, deliver Porridge.
⚡ Added 3 new perks.
Fox Pack Support - Ever since the Great Civil War, all species have been locked in a constant struggle to gain the Queen's favor. The Fox tribe remembers your help. (+3 to Foxes Resolve)
Puffed Grain - +1 to Porridge production. Gain additional Porridge every yield (from gathering, farming, or production).
Filling Dish - Porridge production increases by +1 for every 150 units of Drizzle Water produced.
⚡ Added one new glade event.
Fallen Fox Scouts - A group of fallen Fox scouts. They must have been sent to search the area to make sure it was safe... Apparently, something stood in their way. This find is causing grief among the Fox population.
⚡ Added 7 new Citadel Upgrades.
A new Brass Forge Upgrade on level 9 - unlocking the Beaver Starting Ability.
A new Pioneers’ Gate Upgrade on level 12 - unlocking the Fox Starting Ability.
A new Monastery of the Vigilant Flame Upgrade on level 8 - unlocking the Lizard Starting Ability.
A new First Dawn Headquarters Upgrade on level 10 - unlocking the Human Starting Ability.
A new Vanguard Spire Upgrade on level 8 - unlocking the Essential Fox House.
A new Vanguard Spire Upgrade on level 11 - unlocking the Harpy Starting Ability.
A new Obsidian Archive Upgrade on level 18 - taking on one of the earlier upgrades to the Grace Period (to allow for reshuffling in some earlier upgrades).
As the new upgrades were added in the middle of the upgrade tree, some old ones were pushed further up (more details on that in the balance section of this changelog).
⚡ Increased the level cap to 18.
⚡ Added 2 new Deeds.
Fox Settlement - Win a game with at least 25 Foxes.
Fox Utopia - Win a game with 30 Foxes, 15 x Fox House, 1 x Tea Doctor
⚡ Added 2 new decorations.
Overgrown Fence (Aesthetics) - unlocked by completing the Fox Settlement Deed.
Overgrown Fence Corner (Aesthetics) - unlocked by completing the Fox Utopia Deed.
Added a new mechanic - Starting Abilities.
Each species now has a unique special ability (unlockable via Upgrades in the Smoldering City).
Starting abilities are triggered once for every available species in a given run - either at the beginning of the game (for species coming with the initial caravan) or when the first member of a new species joins the town.
Humans - reveal the location of 1 of the nearest patches of fertile soil.
Beavers - extend available trade offers by 1 in each neighboring town.
Lizards - start with 10 Tools.
Harpies - start with 50 Coats.
Foxes - reveal the location of 1 of the nearest geysers.
Added a new species attribute - Hunger Tolerance.
Each species now has a new attribute: Hunger Tolerance. The exact value of this new stat can be found in the Encyclopedia in the “species” tab.
Hunger Tolerance is the maximum number of hunger stacks a species can take before dying (Foxes: 3, Harpies: 4, Humans & Beavers: 6, Lizards: 12).
A villager dies as soon as the number of hunger stacks exceeds the tolerance.
If a villager is at risk of dying during the next break they take (meaning - they will find no food and have the maximum amount of hunger stacks), a notification will appear on the left side of the screen.
Balance
⚡ Removed the Stormforged version of Mist Piercers to avoid overlap with the already existing Ancient Pact perk.
Added the Rainwater specialization tag to multiple buildings.
Brickyard
Finesmith
Advanced Rain Collector
Cooperage
Rain Collector
Greenhouse
Geyser Pump
Clay Pit
Apothecary
Rainpunk Foundry
Alchemist Hut
Added the Forest specialization tag to all Glade Events.
Reshuffled some needs for Humans and Harpies.
Humans no longer require Jerky, and want Porridge instead.
Harpies no longer require Brawling, and want Clothing instead.
Harpies no longer require Skewers, and want Biscuits instead.
Changed the Cleanliness need to Treatment (renamed it and changed the icon).
Changed the Cosmetics resource to Tea (both the name and icon)..
Added the Porridge recipe to the Field Kitchen.
The Tavern can now fulfill the need for Luxury instead of Brawling.
Changed the names of several perks.
Cosmetic Delivery Line was renamed to Tea Delivery Line.
Mortar and Pestle was renamed to Tea Infuser.
Cosmetic Specialization was renamed to Tea Specialization.
High Hygiene was renamed to Health Infusion.
Rebalanced the biome effect in the Coral Forest. Inspiring Pressure now gives a bonus of 3% instead of 5%.
Rebalanced the Archeologist’s Office upgrades in the Scarlet Orchard.
Ancient Strength - changed the bonus capacity from 5 to 3
Carved in Stone - changed the scout working speed increase from 10% to 5%.
Decryption - changed the Hostility reduction from -15 to -10.
Removed two Orders.
Tooled Up
Outerwear
Changed the reward for completing the Harpy Resolve Order. It now gives +2 to Biscuit production (instead of Skewers).
Reshuffled multiple Citadel Upgrades. The individual changes are too numerous to describe, so we decided to quickly explain just the most crucial points.
Due to the addition of Fox Houses and Starting Abilities in the middle of the tech tree (levels 8 to 12), all upgrades above their level range were moved up slightly.
Some upgrades moved up by just one level, others were distributed a bit more freely in the higher parts of the tech tree.
There are now 3 upgrades on the new max. Level (18) for three branches: Obsidian Archive, First Dawn Headquarters, and Vanguard Spire.
Citadel Resource costs were adjusted to be in line with the level at which a given upgrade is located. A new higher price range was also added to upgrades on level 18 (variations of: 156 Food Stockpiles, 40 Artifacts, 40 Machinery).
Some upgrades were moved down the tech tree. For example, the first upgrade of the Vanguard Spire (Essential Human Houses) is now purchasable on level 4 instead of 5.
The Additional Caravan Slot reward was moved from the Vanguard Spire to the Obsidian Archive.
Reshuffled level-up rewards. The individual changes are too numerous to describe, so we decided to simply give you a full list of all rewards and levels.
⚡ Added unique icons for every species in Orders that require achieving a certain resolve threshold with a given species. Previously it was just one icon (a human eye) for all of them.
⚡ Changed the objective name for all objectives based on delivering resources in the Orders UI to be clearer and easier to understand.
Changed the icons for multiple resources in the game.
Wildfire Essence
Pipes
Drizzle Water
Clearance Water
Storm Water
Changed the icons for multiple order objectives and ghost requests.
Solve Events with Empathy/Corruption/Loyalty.
Burn Blightrot Cysts.
Have Blightrot Cysts.
Attack a trader.
Starve villagers.
Use rainwater.
Forbid needs.
Changed the icons for upgrades in the Mine and Geyser Pump.
Minecart
Box Crib
Pit Pony
Tank Capacity
Automaton
Changed the icons of the unique effects on all biomes.
Changed the icons of Rain Engine effects.
Efficiency
Reliability
Low Strain
Changed the names of the favoring buff (Lighter Treatment) and debuff (Unfair Treatment) to Negligence and Favoring to avoid confusion with the new need - Treatment.
Updated the Encyclopedia entry about food and hunger to the new mechanic of hunger stacks into account.
Bug fixes
⚡ Fixed a bug with two orders (Pyromancer and Deeper Into the Wilds) having the same rewards.
⚡ Fixed a bug with some small glades having incorrectly generated resources and geysers (and breaking pump placement because of it).
⚡ Fixed a bug with some glades being incorrectly generated with the Untamed Wilds modifier.
⚡ Fixed numerous edge cases related to glade generation and event/resource placement on the map.
⚡ Fixed a bug with the Destroyed Caravan Glade Event having the same decision label twice.
⚡ Fixed the wording of the Monastery of the Holy Flame modifier description. It now correctly states that the effect applies to all needs, not just food.
⚡ Fixed an issue with Lizard scouts having no animation when working on the Altar of Decay Glade Event.
⚡ Fixed an issue with arrow keys being displayed as Num keys on the UI.
⚡ Fixed an issue with scouts working on Archaeological Discoveries not having any animations.
⚡ Fixed a bug that caused the Lightning Forest Mystery to appear in the Coral Forest.
⚡ Fixed a bug with the state previous of the Long Live the Queen perk not showing correct values.
⚡ Fixed a bug with amount indicators overlapping with checkmarks in the upgrade UI of geyser pumps.
⚡ Fixed a bug with the Resolve Preview breaking when hovering over the favoring button as the last villager of a given species leaves.
⚡ Fixed an issue with scaled-down ‘i’ letters looking jagged in some places in the UI.
⚡ Removed the state preview from the Improvised Tools Cornerstone.
⚡ Fixed an issue with numerous sounds not stopping when the game was paused.
⚡ Fixed a bug with the Twitch Integration occasionally breaking when a chat poll was created.
⚡ Fixed an issue with the Engine Corrosion effect having an incorrect border color.
⚡ Fixed some typos and grammatical errors in Russian (for example World Map tooltips) and Japanese (Hostility description).
Fixed an issue with the decision highlight in the event UI being cut-off.
Other
⚡ Improved the overall performance and stability of the game, and updated the game’s engine to a newer version. This should eliminate numerous crashes and freezes, as well as improve overall FPS.
⚡ Added official support for 5 new languages. The game is now fully translated into:
Italian
Czech
Ukrainian
Hungarian
Turkish
⚡ Added a new music track to the Coral Forest (during Drizzle).
Improved and tweaked a lot of ambient sounds in the game. Cleaned up some tracks to avoid mismatched background sounds.
The Apothecary was changed visually from a Harpy building into a Fox building.
The Clothier was changed visually from a universal building into a Harpy building.
The Herb Garden was changed visually from a Beaver building into a Fox building.
COMMUNITY CORNER
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Meat Specialization by ToneShape (Source: Twitter)
Preview Livestream (Sentinels of the Forest Update)
Greetings, Viceroys!
Join us later today (April 10), at 3:00 pm UTC, on Steam (as a part of the Lovecraftian Days event) and on the Eremite Games’ Twitch channel for a developer livestream during which we’ll present all the new features coming in this week’s Sentinels of the Forest Update, including:
Please make sure you’re ready for the new update and finish your settlements before the Update goes live on Thursday (April 13 sometime between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm UTC).
May the storm be gentle on you, Eremite Games
HOW TO PREPARE
We release new content Updates every two weeks on Thursdays around 1 pm – 3 pm UTC. As we make multiple changes to the game’s systems, balance, and content, the game needs to force-finish any settlements that are in progress when you download the update. This aims to prevent various game-breaking bugs that could occur otherwise.
IMPORTANT: If you have a settlement in progress, it will have to be force-finished when you download the Update. You will be reimbursed with Citadel Resources but you will have to start a new settlement. Your meta progress (that is: Experience, Level, completed Deeds, unlocked Upgrades, Citadel Resources, etc.) will remain intact.
In the main menu, under the “Play” button, there’s a countdown to upcoming Updates. Please finish your current settlement before the update day if you don’t want it to be completed automatically.
Experimental Update (Sentinels of the Forest)
Greetings, Viceroys!
We're thrilled to invite you to the Experimental version of the upcoming Sentinels of the Forest Update, which will introduce the 5th playable species: Foxes.
The addition of new species comes with plenty of gameplay-affecting changes and we'd love to hear your early impressions and feedback.
Please be warned, that as with any other Experimental Update, the upcoming changes are not localized, there can be bugs, and the balance might feel way off. You can find more information about the Experimental Branch in our guide: https://eremitegames.com/ats-experimental-branch/
Now, let’s dive into the changes introduced in the update.
What’s new?
The Experimental version includes all the new features (described below) but lacks the visual changes. All the new buildings and villager models are placeholder assets that will be replaced when the proper update goes live on April 13.
Placeholder villagers and placeholder buildings.
Specialization
Foxes are majestic and mysterious creatures deeply bonded with the forest. They have evolved to a mutual symbiosis with Blightrot through long exposure to Rainwater, which caused some visible side effects. Foxes are skilled scouts and feel comfortable working with Rainwater.
Fox firekeeper activates the Forest Affinity effect:
Forest Affinity - Fox Firekeepers have an unusual ability to calm the forest. Opening any glades gives 2 less Hostility (scales with difficulty).
Attributes
Foxes’ attributes:
Base Resolve: 5
Break Interval: 2:00
Resilience: low
Demanding: low
Decadent: medium
Hostility Resistance (Foxes don’t get a Resolve penalty for Hostility of the Forest - but they do acquire a penalty from the Storm)
Needs
Foxes’ needs:
Any Housing
Foxes Housing
Porridge
Skewers
Pickled Goods
Brawling
Luxury
Treatment
Treatment replaces Cleanliness to better reflect the nature of Harpies and Foxes who have a strong need to treat the symptoms of their disease caused by the Blightrot. Cosmetics are now replaced by Tea - a remedy for many afflictions - first introduced by Royal Stormwalkers (always served in metal cups).
Porridge is a new food produced by Field Kitchen, Beanery, Teahouse, and Distillery. Porridge is made from a simple food item (like Grain for example) and Rainwater.
We also made changes to other species’ needs:
Humans: changed Jerky to Porridge
Harpies: changed Brawling to Clothes
Buildings
We introduce 5 new buildings:
Fox House
Can house 2 residents.
Tea House
Recipes:
Tea (T3)
Porridge (T2)
Waterskins (T1)
Specialization bonus:
Alchemy
Rainwater
Can use Drizzle Water.
Distillery
Recipes:
Wine (T2)
Porridge (T2)
Barrels (T2)
Specialization bonus:
Brewing
Rainwater
Can use Drizzle Water
Beanery
Recipes:
Porridge (T3)
Pickled Goods (T2)
Crystalized Dew (T1)
Specialization bonus:
Warmth
Rainwater
Can use Drizzle Water.
Tea Doctor
Recipes:
Treatment
Brawling
Passive effect:
Vitality - A rich diet is beneficial for villagers' health. Gain a stack of the Vitality Effect (bonus to Global Resolve) for every 100 units of any Complex Food consumed.
We also made changes to existing buildings:
The Field Kitchen now has 4 recipes (a Porridge recipe was added)
Tavern now has Luxury (Wine) instead of Brawling (Training Gear)
Passive abilities
The introduction of Foxes also brings with it a new mechanic to all of the already existing species - Passive Abilities. A Passive Ability is triggered once for every available species in a given run - either at the beginning of the game (for species coming with the initial caravan) or when the first member of a new species joins the town.
Each species now has its unique special ability (unlockable via Upgrades in the Smoldering City):
Humans: Reveals the locations of 2 of the nearest patches of fertile soil.
Beavers: Extends available trade offers by 1 in each neighboring town.
Lizards: Start with 10 tools.
Harpies: Start with 50 Coats.
Foxes: Reveals the locations of 2 of the nearest geysers.
Once unlocked, the abilities are always active.
Orders
New orders:
Fox Influx
Fox Population
Happy Foxes
The Pack
Joyful Foxes
People of the Forest
Aid for the Fox Pack
Fox Relatives
Fox Resolve
Fox Majority
Perks
New perks:
Fox Pack Support - Ever since the Great Civil War, all species have been locked in a constant struggle to gain the Queen's favor. The Fox tribe remembers your help. +3 to Foxes resolve.
Filling Dish - Porridge production increases by 1 for every 75 units of Drizzle Rainwater produced.
Changed perk names:
Cosmetic Delivery Line changed to Tea Delivery Line
Mortar and Pestle changed to Tea Infuser
Cosmetic Specialization changed to Tea Specialization
High Hygiene changed to Health Infusion
Event
New event:
Fallen Fox Scouts - A group of fallen Fox scouts. They must have been sent to search the area to make sure it was safe... Apparently, something stood in their way. This find is causing grief among the Fox population.
Biome changes
In this update, we’re also introducing some changes to biome mechanics.
Coral Forest:
Inspiring Pressure: changed the bonus yield chance from 5% to 3%.
The Scarlet Orchard (Archeologist’s Office):
Ancient Strength: changed the bonus capacity increase from 5 to 3.
Carved in Stone: changed working time speed bonus from 10% to 5%.
Decryption: reduced the Hostility change from -15 to -10.
Unity Engine update
We also updated the Unity Engine to a newer version in this release. This will hopefully reduce the number of crashes on new GPUs and improve overall performance/stability.
When reporting Experimental Branch crashes and bugs, please also include your system specifications, the platform on which you're playing, and the zipped contents of your entire game saves folder: %userprofile%\appdata\locallow\Eremite Games\Against the Storm - Experimental
How to report:
Briefly describe the issue
Provide additional details, such as a more detailed description and frequency of occurrence.
(If possible) include a screenshot or video of the issue.
Include the zipped contents of your entire game saves folder: %userprofile%\appdata\locallow\Eremite Games\Against the Storm - Experimental
You can send them on Discord or via email: support@eremitegames.freshdesk.com
What are we interested in?
If you decide to play the Experimental Update, please share your thoughts with us!
Primarily, we are interested in your answers to the following questions:
How do the new changes affect your runs?
Have you found Foxes significantly better or worse than other species?
Is there anything about these new changes that makes the gameplay feel worse (especially more repetitive) or better (especially more diverse)?
We can’t wait to hear your impressions once you give the new Experimental Update a try!
We just released a small hotfix addressing the issues that cropped-up after yesterday's update:
Fixed a bug with scouts being idle in the Ancient Shrine after they finished working on it.
Fixed a bug with Harpies going into T-pose after working on certain glade events.
Fixed an issue with the Seal Fragment Cornerstone not working correctly.
Fixed a bug with deposit charge numbers not updating in real time in the resource node panel.
Fixed a bug with the Fishmen Lighthouse Impatience penalty displaying an unlocalized string after activation.
Temporarily removed the state preview form the Voice of the Forest effect.
Please make sure your game is updated to version Early Access 0.47.2.
We wish you lots of fun with the new changes and a fantastic weekend!
May the storm be gentle on you, Eremite Games
Explorer’s Choice Update out now!
Greetings, Viceroys!
We have a new update or two coming your way. Here's what's new in today's Explorer's Choice Update:
Event Choices system (glade events revamped)
Objective icons in Orders
3 new decorations
New music track
New event working animations
But that's not all. Tomorrow, we'll release the Sentinels of the Forest Update (aka Foxes Update) to the Experimental Branch!
So without further ado, let's dive into all the exciting updates we have for you.
P.S. Virtual beavers join forces to bring you the ultimate BEAVER BUILDER BUNDLE! Until April 9, you can save 10% on two city builders with sharp-teeth lumberjacks:
In today’s update, we bring you a revamp to almost all existing glade events (in the form of a new Event Choices system), some order UI improvements, a new perk, new decorations, a new music track, new character animations, and of course - bug fixes. We also have some spicy news about the new playable species at the end of this dev note, so without further ado, let's get into it.
First off, let’s talk about the Event Choices system. For a while now, we saw two unresolved issues with the current implementation of glade events. On one hand, there was not enough decision-making involved in solving them, and on the other hand, the existing choices (the reward options) were very limited in their flavor (e.g. what does “send to the Citadel” even mean in the context of the Mole?). On top of that, there was also a range of smaller problems: a limited time window to start an event on Prestige, over-representation of tools in events, the overall similarity of event requirements, and poor reward balance.
To address all of this, we decided to introduce a new system - Event Choices. Instead of simply giving you the same reward options for each event (“send to Citadel” or “keep loot”), most events will now have two approaches for how to solve them, with rewards and requirements tied to them (options can differ in terms of goods required and working effects, and choosing one will lock in the reward). Some of the decisions you will be making can now have more long-lasting consequences, influencing your perks and orders.
Altar of Decay choices
Let’s look at an example. You just found an Altar of Decay in a glade - a vile place, where the Sealed Ones are worshiped by those who eagerly await their return. You can act morally and tear it down, for which you will be rewarded with some loot and a Loyalty point. But you can also perform an old ritual, sacrificing one of your villagers to obtain the Altar’s power. This action will earn you a Corruption point, and convert the event into a beneficial decoration in your settlement. Both choices have different requirements, so now you will have to weigh both the rewards and the costs.
The “points” mentioned above are a new pseudo-resource awarded for solving events by making decisions tagged with a keyword. There are 3 types of tags right now (Empathy, Loyalty, and Corruption), and they influence some perks and orders in the game (to be expanded in the future).
Because of the new system, almost all events have been rebalanced or changed in some way. The amount of required goods has gone up in general, and the number of different types of resources suitable for any given slot was decreased, but on the other hand, there should now be more options overall (each event decision requires something else), threat timers have been extended by ~30%, and exploration should now rely less on tool production (we also removed Infused Tools entirely, as they were just a better version of Simple Tools, and a very niche and rarely used resource).
Blightrot Cauldron choices
Cleansing Corrupted Caravan
But the Event Choices system is not the only thing coming in this update. We also took a closer look at the Order UI and tried to improve it a bit. As you might have noticed, if an objective requires you to do something with a resource (like sacrifice it, sell it, or deliver it), its icon is always the same - it’s simply the asset of the required resource itself. This creates a problem - it’s difficult to distinguish the different types of requirements at a glance. So with this update, we decided to introduce an additional marker next to the objective icon for the following objective types: deliver goods, sacrifice goods, sell goods, produce goods, change ingredients, satisfy a need, and satisfy a need simultaneously.
This update also brings with it one new Stormforged Cornerstone (Seal Fragment), three new decorations (Thorny Reed, Chest, Cages), a new music track in the Coral Forest, new event animations for scouts, and numerous bug fixes.
And now, let’s get into the thing you’ve all been waiting for - news about Foxes! We finally have a release date for the update, and it’s April 13th! But wait, there’s more - tomorrow (Friday the 31st of March), you will be able to test the new playable species on the Experimental Branch! Unfortunately, all the fox assets will be hidden (the sly little bastards will be disguised as humans), but the balance and systems will be in place and ready for your feedback. There is quite a lot to go through, and we will share a more detailed note on the Experimental version moments before it goes live.
Fox villagers
Thank you for providing us with feedback and suggestions for the new update. If you’d like to share your ideas for upcoming updates, here are some useful links:
Changes marked with ⚡ were inspired by the community.
New content and features
Revamped most glade events by introducing a new system - Event Choices.
Until now, most events only had the same two options: keep the loot, or send it to the Citadel (or sometimes - convert a dangerous event into a positive decoration). The Event Choices system expands on that, creating more unique and flavorful decisions for almost all events.
From now on, you no longer select just the reward from an event, but you have to select the approach you’re taking to solve it first. Each approach has different requirements (goods or working effects), and the rewards are bound to it.
Let’s take the Altar of Decay as an example - you can either act morally, tear it down, and be rewarded with some loot and the Queen’s gratitude, or you can perform an old, forbidden ritual, sacrificing one of your villagers, and convert the altar into a decoration that will benefit you. Each option requires different goods and has different working effects.
Another example would be Caches found in some glades. They can now be smashed and looted using some simple resources (like Stone and Resin), or sent back to the Citadel for Amber and Reputation (but at a much higher cost - for Tools).
Some decisions in events are marked by special symbols (for Empathy, Corruption, Loyalty). Solving an event with a tag like this will count as 1 point in Empathy/Corruption/Loyalty (for example sacrificing villagers at an altar will increase the Corruption count of your settlement). Right now these statistics only influence some perks in the game, and might be required by certain orders.
A vast majority of events have been rebalanced due to this new system being added. The individual changes are too numerous to list them here, but in general, almost all resource requirements are now different, and working effects are mostly tied to just one of the two available decisions (the other is often just resources). The number of alternatives in resource slots in a single option is also slightly lower, but that’s because there are now two options to choose from (so the overall number of alternatives should still be higher than previously).
⚡ Added 3 new decorations.
Chest
Cages
Thorny Reed
Added a new Stormforged Cornerstone.
Seal Fragment - It was not you who removed this fragment, weakening the ancient seal, but you would still be executed on the spot if someone was to find it in your possession. Every Glade Event solved by making a decision marked as Corruption increases the chance of workers producing double yields by +5%. (the bonus is added retroactively)
Balance
⚡ Rebalanced the Shrine glade event in the first tutorial. It now requires fewer resources and has a slightly longer time limit.
⚡ Temporarily deactivated the Magical Rainwater Order. It will be reactivated after being revamped in a future update.
⚡ The Temple is now automatically unlocked after finishing the tutorial (instead of being unlocked at level 3).
⚡ Changed how far the Resolve threshold for generating reputation moves for Harpies after they generated a Reputation Point. Previously, every Reputation Point gained through Resolve moved the threshold by 2 points, and now it is moved up by 3 points.
Rebalanced a vast majority of events because of the addition of the new Event Choices system. The individual changes are too numerous to list here, but in general, almost all resource requirements are now different, and working effects have been reshuffled.
Working Effects are mostly tied to just one of the two available decisions (the other is often just resources).
The number of alternatives in resource slots in a single option is slightly lower, but that’s because there are now two options to choose from (so the overall number of alternatives should still be higher than previously).
More varied types of goods are now required by events. Simple Tools are now less prevalent in event requirements.
Changed the difficulty scaling for goods required by all events. Overall, the resource scaling is now steeper than before.
Decreased the number of rewards given for opening Caches in glades.
Most orders and ghost requests asking for a specific solution to a glade event (like sending stuff to the Citadel or salvaging ruins) have been replaced by objectives tied to the new decision tags (Empathy, Corruption, Loyalty).
Removed Infused Tools from the game.
Increased the production speed of Tools from 112/98/84 seconds to 90/75/60 seconds (T1/T2/T3).
Increased the time limit for all glade events by around 30%.
Changed the Calming the Forest perk. Now every Glade Event solved by making a decision marked as Empathy lowers Hostility by 40.
Removed the Forest Mitigation perk and added Frequent Patrols instead. Every Glade Event solved by making a decision marked as Loyalty lowers Hostility by 10.
Removed the Infused Tools recipe from the Finesmith. Added the Simple Tools recipe instead (tier 3).
Removed the Infused Tools recipe from the Rainpunk Foundry. Added a Wildfire recipe instead.
Changed the rewards in 3 Deeds.
The Scarlet Orchard - removed the experience reward, added the Thorny Reed decoration.
Bandit Camp - removed the experience reward, added the Cages decoration.
Trade Baron - removed the experience reward, added the Chest decoration.
Moved the Tool Hoarder Deed (win a game with Infused Tools in the storage) to the Legacy category (the Deed is no longer active).
Moved the Meat Specialization perk unlock from level 2 to level 3.
UX/UI improvements
⚡ Added small objective icons to some Orders.
Until now, objectives such as sacrificing, delivering, selling, or producing goods all had the same icon - namely the icon of the resource they were referencing.
To help players recognize objectives at a glance, we added small, flat icons to the upper right corner of the objective icon.
There are 7 objective icons right now: changing ingredients, delivering goods, fulfilling needs, fulfilling needs at the same time, producing goods, sacrificing resources, and selling goods.
⚡ Added a suffix to Hostility modifiers on the World Map and in the Training/Daily Expeditions UI, explaining that Hostility scales based on the difficulty level.
⚡ Added a progress tracker to the Petrified Necropolis modifier.
⚡ Changed the name of the Resolve effect applied by the Greater Threat Forest Mystery. It’s now also called “Greater Threat” to avoid confusion.
⚡ Changed the description of the positive effect from the Converted Altar of Decay to also include leaving villagers (and not just dead ones).
⚡ Updated the biome descriptions for the Royal Woodlands and Marshlands.
⚡ Added information about how to unlock Rain Engines in the Rainpunk entry in the in-game Encyclopedia.
Updated the Glade Event entry in the in-game Encyclopedia.
Bug fixes
⚡ Fixed an issue that caused the game to sometimes crash/freeze when Twitch Integration was active.
⚡ Goods sold via trade routes are now correctly counted towards order completion (for objectives that require selling certain resources).
⚡ Fixed a bug with the Destroyed Caravan Glade Event’s negative effect being permanent.
⚡ Fixed a bug with the recipe panel not displaying the correct values after loading saved limits (while in search mode).
⚡ Fixed a bug with the Clan Hall rotating by itself when destroyed by lightning.
⚡ Fixed a bug with the Master Archaeologist Deed not completing if the game was won by finishing the last Archaeological Discovery.
⚡ Fixed a bug with the Blight Infection Forest Mystery being drawn in games without Corruptiona active.
⚡ Fixed a bug with Orders requiring the fulfillment of certain needs simultaneously not taking unlocked buildings into account.
⚡ Fixed a bug with the Night’s Embrace effect spawning lesser effects without a name or description on the game’s HUD.
⚡ Fixed a bug with Advanced Herbalism perk being offered to the player even if they didn’t have the corresponding building.
⚡ Fixed a but with idle Automatons showing an incorrect water type being produced.
⚡ Fixed a bug with the Corrupted Caravan tooltip showing incorrect values on the Prestige 10 difficulty.
⚡ Fixed an issue with the Lightning Forest Mystery having incorrect information in its description.
⚡ Fixed an issue with the Large Baskets perk having an incorrect rarity assigned.
⚡ Fixed a bug with the Blight Incantation effect showing an incorrect expected gain value.
⚡ Fixed a bug with the Lightning Forest Mystery being drawn in biomes without copper deposits.
⚡ Fixed a bug with the Converted Altar of Decay missing a “Harmony” tag (and the tag being present on the effect instead of the decoration).
⚡ Fixed holes in the geometry of the Open Vault Glade Event.
⚡ Fixed a bug with debuff icons above villagers’ heads appearing too soon.
⚡ Improved the Korean translation of the Move On button in the ESC menu.
⚡ Improved the Simplified Chinese translation of multiple lines in the game (multiple perk descriptions, favoring, upgrade descriptions, etc.).
⚡ Fixed a few typos in the Portuguese version of the game (tutorial text, Hostility effect).
⚡ Fixed a bug with some Chinese characters not being displayed correctly in search bars and text boxes.
Fixed a bug with smoke effects casting shadows.
Other
⚡ Added a new music track to the Coral Forest (during Clearance).
Added new animations (talking, carrying out rituals, fixing, threatening) to scout units when solving glade events. Also repurposed some existing animations to be used by scouts.
Changed the name of Simple Tools to just Tools.
COMMUNITY CORNER
Click to unfold: [expand type="showmore"] Attitude by TonyShape (source: Reddit)
