We got another big update comin’! Our primary commitment continues to be delivering on our Kickstarter promises while we add stuff to the game that we just think makes it more rad, and we hope you’re as excited as we are.
Introducing…
We are working hard on the “Eat My Hat” 4.2 Update as you read this (if you read it before it comes out), slated to release in January 2024 [EDIT: Now delayed until February]. This is our second major update following the Nintendo Switch and Quality of Death releases for Barony!
I hear you in the back: “That’s the best name for an update I’ve ever heard. But what’s it mean?!?”
Let’s get right into that! The first two items we have to tease actually have nothing to do with our Kickstarter promises. While we are delivering great new features from our Kickstarter as well, we have the sneaking suspicion that nothing satisfies you like CONTENT. So here it comes.
Masks and Hats
This is something we had originally planned on saving for our big DLC update, but we figured “Why not sooner?” Currently in Barony our face slot has very little viable variety, and that didn’t sit right with us. So we decided to make a bunch of new items to fill that slot and give players more itemization choices!:
Some of the new face-slot items coming with the 4.2 “Eat My Hat” Update
But this causes a conundrum! Part of the fun of having a bunch of stylish, cool or wacky face-wear is showing it off, either to your friends in co-op or on the in-game leaderboard. Most of the game’s best helmets cover your whole face, and you won’t be able to see your cool face-slot item! What to do!?
Well we just took all the visors off the hats and made them a separate face-slot item.
Items which previously covered both the head and face shown separable into two pieces
Then we figured, while we’re in here, why not just make a ton of cool hats?
Some of the new head-slot items coming with the 4.2 “Eat My Hat” Update
Each new hat and face-slot item will have a thematic gameplay effect for you to consider as you select your gear. So you can expect a few new strategies to emerge as hats and masks compete for your equip slot!
With the ability to mix and match any headwear with any face-wear, we’re excited to see what your favorite combinations end up being. And maybe then the shopkeeper you’re most excited to see show up will be the one in the Hat Shop.
Mimics
Part 2 of this update’s namesake is obviously the hats, and here’s Part 1!
I’ll be honest, I was tempted to not announce this at all, and just let y’all discover it when it showed up in-game as it murdered you. But in the end, probably only like 5% of our players are reading this, so consider this a special warning just for those of you who are paying attention!
In 2021, (yeah it’s been two years already!) you all voted for the Mimics from our Barony Scarony Halloween mod to become a functional part of the base game. In the Halloween holiday theme, it’s just a cosmetic change to chests, but now the surprise at seeing teeth in the box will have consequences, all year round!
Animation previsualization of a Mimic in action
FUN FACT: Mimics were intended to be part of the base game prior to its launch in 2015, but we just never got around to putting them in. We’re excited to finally be adding them your list of horrors to watch out for.
There are other such monsters which may be making their way into the game…
As you’ve come to expect from Mimics in other RPGs, they’ll look just like a chest, waiting for incautious adventurers to stumble face-first into their jaws. They’ll have a few fun quirks as well, like their ability to EAT your equipped items... such as your brand-new HAT.
We’re looking forward to seeing what kinds of strategies you employ in discovering and defeating Mimics!
Seeded Games
This one is from our Kickstarter bonus goals!
What’s a Seeded Game?
Randomized aspects of procedurally-generated content in Barony are selected by using a seed value. The seed is different every game, so the randomized result is also different every game. This means, if you use the same seed you’ll get the same result, eliminating a lot of the game’s randomness! So, seeded games in Barony are ones where the players can select games that have a predictable outcome in terms of the content and challenges presented to the player.
Custom seeds, accessible in Lobby Settings by the game’s host
Some great applications for seeded games:
- Speedrunning
Many games with procedurally generated content have categories for seeded runs. Knowing the content that’s going to be in the game allows players to find and select the best seeds for completing the game the fastest! With infinite seeds to explore, and reliable pathing finally at their fingertips, speedrunners will be able to optimize Barony speedruns far, far more than ever before.
We’re fans of speedrunning here at Turning Wheel, and we hope this enriches our already awesome Barony speedrunner community!
- Periodical Challenges
With seeded runs supported, we’ll be able to host periodical challenges which allow players to participate in daily or weekly challenge runs, where every player is running the same seeded dungeon. This allows us to have more competitive leaderboards, knowing that each player faced the same challenges!
- Practice
Try new strategies in a predictable environment, maybe to get your first victory or even farm achievements!
Be Tom Cruise from Edge of Tomorrow and deftly avoid every threat by memorizing exactly what to do!
Compete in daily runs with one attempt!
We have some other ideas of what we’ll do with seeded runs that we may share on more later!
Online Leaderboards
Online leaderboards are making a return!
You may’ve noticed that since the Quality of Death Update there haven’t been online leaderboards to see how your runs measure up against the rest of the world, since none of our solutions allowed players to compete across all online platforms.
We now have a new solution, just in time for the seeded run competitions to take place!
Online leaderboards menu with new leaderboard filter options (WIP)
Combined with Seeded Runs, we’re hopeful that checking your performance on the Leaderboards will be something that more of you are interested in doing! Barony is a co-op game, but that’s no reason not to flex on your friends! Show off your sweet new hat & mask combo in your end-of-game character portrait, too.
Inventory Item Icon Improvements
Another bonus addition that’s coming with this update is that we’re replacing all of our inventory item icons!
Previously we took simple images of the in-game model. Due to the scale limitations of voxels, some models look better than others, and we knew we could do better. So we’ve commissioned the talented Matthew Griebner to overhaul all of our item icons with great, hand-crafted pixel art!
Each icon is directly inspired by the in-game voxel model, so finding the items in your inventory is still a breeze!
Matthew created the vast majority of our UI pixel art for the Quality of Death update, and his pixel art for these items fits right in and look fantastic!
Thanks for Reading!
We hope that this preview of The 4.2 “Eat My Hat” Update has given you a lot to look forward to! Now get back into the dungeon and slay some undead.
The content of this announcement was copied from the Turning Wheel Blog. Check it out!
