Folks, my heartfelt thanks to all of you! I didn't expect this expansion to receive the warmth and interest it got on release day! I am overwhelmed by the positive feedback from everyone across all media channels.
There were few issues reported on the forums and on the Discord server, so here's the mandatory patch with fixes:
Version incremented to 2.0.1a
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Added experimental native Linux build!
Fixed trading cargo with the traders from Mithdrak, which was resulting in a critical story error.
Fixed gaining 2 cargo units of the same material at sea, which was resulting in gaining only 1.
Fixed Plateau of the Dragons sometimes failing teleportation, resulting in a critical story error.
Fixed selecting "Start a new game" choice upon permanent death not handling the resume game use case from the main menu.
Fixed Unnumbered Isles teleport choice to Smogmaw not teleporting the player.
Fixed vampire 'rap' battle not clearing the bonus of the roll, causing a soft lock when rolling on the map.
I had a few Linux folks who had some issues after the new patch which we managed to clear. This helped me publish an experimental native Linux support! Let me know how that works out :)
Introducing The Serpent King's Domain: A Major Content Update!
I am incredibly excited and proud to deliver the second major content update, The Serpent King's Domain! This DLC isn't just big—it's colossal, completing the Fabled Lands series with content from books 1-7. With this update, we've brought all the published material to life, and the sheer volume of this update is almost as big as the base game!
To celebrate its release, I have an amazing bundle deal on Steam, offering a fantastic discount on the base game. Don't miss out on this special offer!
A HUGE THANK YOU to our amazing community members who helped play-test the DLC during the beta! Your feedback was invaluable, and I'm thrilled that you loved the content. I cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on it.
What to Expect in The Serpent King's Domain:
Vast New Areas: Explore the Violet Ocean and the mysterious southern continent of Ankon-Konu, navigating dense, trap-filled jungles, the Plateau of Dragons, and the haunts of Tarshesh. Confront the immortal Serpent King and seek fortune in the perilous ports of Ankon-Konu and the sorcerer's city of Dweomer.
Massive Content Expansion: With over 400,000 words, the now complete content of the game is richer and more immersive than ever.
180+ New Items: Discover mystical artifacts and practical gear to enhance your adventure.
Engaging Quests: Face new challenges that test your wit, courage, and strategy.
Innovative Mechanics: Tackle unique challenges like heat penalties in the desert, spirit combat, new blessings, crafting opportunities, and intricate puzzles.
Formidable Foes: Encounter a diverse range of enemies and situations that require a unique approach.
Rank Cap Increase: Ascend to rank 15, unlocking new heights of power for your character.
34 New Achievements: For those who love to explore and leave no stone unturned.
Special Thanks and Acknowledgements:
Community Support: Your enthusiasm and feedback during the beta were amazing. I especially want to thank Cameron MacMillan also known as 'Parsifal' from the Game Slayers on our Discord server. Not only is he a Game Slayer who knows the game's ins and outs, but he's also a fine musician who composed and recorded the awesome soundtrack you'll hear in the new DLC with his cello!
The Authors:I extend my deepest gratitude to Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson, the brilliant minds behind the original books, and to Paul Gresty, the author of Book 7, The Serpent King's Domain. Paul's work is a remarkable continuation of this esteemed gamebook series, living up to its old-school legacy with excellence.
Fellow Indie Devs: A salute to my fellow indie developers of Terra Randoma, who released their open-world roguelike at the same time as this DLC. We're both in a bundle that's currently a fantastic deal to grab.
Looking Ahead:
This is not the end! I envision at least one major update towards the end of this year or early next year. Stay tuned for more exciting content!
The Serpent King's Domain DLC is now available simultaneously across Steam, Nintendo Switch, and GOG. So go grab it and embark on your next epic adventure!
Thank you for your continued support and happy adventuring! Here's the full changelog:
New area on the world map is unlocked!
Incremented version to 2.0.0
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Added the Violet Ocean and the southern continent of Ankon-Konu (total word count is 400 000+).
Added 17 new Quests.
Added 4 new Titles.
Added 34 new Achievements.
Added 56 new Encounters.
Added 48 new Enemies.
Added 180 new Items.
Added 6 new tracks to the soundtrack.
Combat
Added Spiritual combat.
Added Heat penalties for heavy armour in the jungles and the desert.
Added several boss battles.
Economy & Weaponry
Added an artificier for item crafting.
Added new Ports.
Added new Markets.
Added new Weapons.
Rebalanced various items.
Fast Travel
Added new tickets to ports.
Added new locations to trap doors accessible via the verdigris keys.
Added new locations to the Vade Mecum.
Added new locations accessible via the Trau tunnels.
General
Increased the rank cap to 15.
Added more ways to switch profession within the story.
Added 2 new types of blessings, "Obfuscation" and "Clarity".
Added "Flask of Oblivion" item that increases inventory space.
Added various spirit items.
Added two new light sources when exploring tunnels and dungeons.
Added new curses and diseases.
Fixes and improvements
Buffed Potion of Strength: now gives +1 to Max Damage.
Reworked Chimerical Beast as a Spirit combat encounter.
Reworked Weakened Buff to reduce both Damage and Offence.
Adjusted southeastern map choice in Sokara to link to Inkswell instead of Seppuku Strait if The Serpent King's Domain DLC is active.
Reworked Hangman's Curse, Three Fortunes' Curse, and similar unique statuses to be indicated as icons as regular curses.
Added codewords reference sheet (Accessed with W key).
Added V-sync and Target Frame rate options in settings. Default video options set to V-sync ON and FPS cap (if V-sync is off) to 90 fps to avoid camera artifacts. Added FPS counter with ALT+F12.
Added Golden Sword to the game (to match the books), found in the Tower of Despair.
Added Obsidian Dagger to Trau Shop and Golden One's Bazaar.
Added aeonian flute to Ruby Citadel's "play the right note" choice.
Added The Serpent King's Domain DLC announcement to the news box.
Added The Serpent King's Domain DLC installed indicator on Main Menu that links to the store page.
Updated FAQ section.
Updated Credits.
Updated displayed prices that showed 0 sell value to display as "not available" instead.
Fixed loot chest sometimes not giving the player their equipment if more than 12 items are equipped.
Fixed stashing items not preserving the amount of stacked items.
Fixed ship pricing exceeding 999 Shards not displaying correctly.
Fixed quick load not available during loading screen to avoid critical game bug.
Fixed pressing Enter on withdraw/deposit money not working.
Fixed random item loss and equipment stashing issues during save/load within the same story segment.
Fixed unarmed combat roll in Aku's bath house having pre-unlocked choice.
Fixed critical story error in the bath house event when saving and loading at the dice roll.
Fixed changing profession sometimes not rendering a prop of the new profession.
Fixed Isle of Mystery temple icon with no visible selector with a controller.
Fixed broken scrollbar buttons for top and bottom scrolling by click.
Fixed Harbour in Large UI view having misplaced Empty Ship view.
Fixed DLC tooltip out of bounds on larger font settings for lower resolutions.
Fixed Chancellor's Residence tooltip out of bounds on larger UI settings.
Fixed inconsistency with armor tooltips.
Fixed line spacing causing meta messages to be misplaced when on 2 lines.
Pre-DLC release patch update drops for the base game!
Folks, with the Expansion release coming on May 23, I've just dropped a big patch for the base game in preparation for the new content. I will post the full change log of the update once the DLC goes live.
Special thanks to all the beta testers who helped polish this huge update. Veryfing 400 000 words with 9200 choices is no easy task for one person, so I am immensely grateful to all of you. With this, the beta officially concludes, and only last-minute bug fixes will be addressed.
Don't forget to wishlist the game to get notified of the release:
Well, folks, the time is nigh! The closed beta was immensely fruitful, and I'm thrilled with the state of the game. Watching players navigate through endgame challenges, solve intricate puzzles, and confront the final boss was exhilarating. I can't wait for everyone to experience the full game!
The largest content update for this game is arriving on May 23rd on Steam, GOG, and Nintendo Switch!
The Steam page is already live, check it out here:
I am also very happy to present you with the official artwork for the expansion. The community helped shape its direction right from the sketch, and I'm quite satisfied with how it turned out.
What about the price?
The DLC will be priced at $6.99 USD.
This update concludes the Fabled Lands series in its current form, aligning it with all the published material. However, this is not the end! I'm already gearing up for the next update slated for the end of the year.
So, dust off those resurrection deals; you'll need them!
Folks, as an indie dev I cannot be happier with the amount of support I have received not only from fans of Fabled Lands (both from the gamebook community and new players) but also from other indie game devs.
What started as a small movement on Twitter on Thursdays, to showcase our turn-based games we've worked on, became a tradition, and I've watched it grow and evolve into a fantastic community of turn-based game devs, content creators, and gamers. I'm humbled to feel part of it and honored that Fabled Lands is featured too!
So I am happy to announce that a special discount is up during the event: 55% off the base game and 15% off the Lords of the Rising Sun DLC!
Also, go and check the other games, participating in this great event:
Also, currently Fabled Lands' biggest expansion to date is being beta tested! I am more than happy with the feedback I've received on Discord from my community and cannot wait to release it to you next month.
Folks, I am happy to announce the sign-up for the closed BETA of Fabled Lands' second expansion, The Serpent King's Domain!
The DLC will include the entirety of the Violet Ocean and the Serpent King's Domain in Ankon-Konu, south from the main land in the base game. This adds a lot of new uncharted islands and treacherous waters, a whole new continent to explore, 32 new objectives, 47 new encounters, 110 new items, bumping the word count to the whopping 400 000, and more!
Ankon-Konu is a Rank 7+ end-game area, solving complex quests, culminating in one big event, that can prove quite challenging even for the seasoned adventurer. It completes the series, adapting all the printed books to this date, and makes for a rich and vivid world.
Direct message me (@ringlas) on Discord for short instructions and a small questionnaire.
Access will be given when the BETA build goes live.
If you don't own the game but you still want in, don't worry! Several keys of the full game will be awarded at random through a raffle towards the end of next week. Just don't forget to do steps 2 and 3.
If you're still here...
This week, on the official Facebook fan group, Samuel Larsson dropped a custom character sheet he made for the pen'n'paper books, and it's bloody awesome! It's pure old school magic, and hits right where it matters. Thanks to Samuel and I'm sharing this with you folks too:
Photo by Samuel Larsson
Photo by Samuel Larsson
The DLC drops on May 13th so don't forget to wishlist the game to avoid missing the launch party!
First, I owe you an apology for the radio silence on updates. The past few weeks have been personally challenging, as my grandfather, a remarkable man who lived to the grand age of 99, passed away. His final days demanded much of my time and focus. However, his spirit of perseverance has always inspired me, and I've been pushing forward with the development of the upcoming expansion.
Despite the quiet on the surface, the wheels of development have been turning. I've delved deep into testing the expansion, refining its edges, squashing bugs, and setting the stage for the closed beta. The more I polish, the more this expansion starts to shine, weaving together the fabric of a world that I can't wait for you to explore.
A Grand Challenge
This expansion is designed to challenge even the most seasoned adventurers among you. It requires thought, planning, and strategy. The quests are complex, built together like puzzles that demand solving to progress. They interlock in ways that ensure your decisions leave a lasting imprint on this new part of the world. I feel the tribes and cultures that inhabit it are vibrant, and I'm thrilled with how alive it all feels.
Target Release Date!
And now, the moment you've all been patiently waiting for: I have a release date for the DLC! Mark your calendars for May 13th. While I initially hoped for an earlier launch, ensuring a smooth, bug-free experience has been my top priority. The vastness of the content added requires meticulous attention to detail, and this slight delay into May will ensure that I deliver nothing short of the best for you.
The anticipation builds as the release date approaches. Your patience and support mean the world to me, and I'm committed to making this expansion an unforgettable journey.
Stay tuned, and prepare for a challenge that will redefine your experience in the Fabled Lands!
Hello, Adventurers! I trust you've had a rejuvenating holiday season, and here's to a thrilling 2024 packed with achievements and adventures! It's been a bit quiet on my end around new year, but I'm back with exciting news about the colossal DLC that's on the horizon for Fabled Lands - The Serpent King's Domain.
Quick Update: The narrative, choices, world map, townscapes, markets, and harbors are all set. Last week marked a milestone with the integration of new items, taking our total loot count in the game to an impressive 390!
Prepare your heroes for an array of legendary and mythical equipment to aid you in the treacherous jungles of the Feathered Lands, ensuring both style and survival.
New recipes are in store to craft unique item effects. One of my personal favorites, the Flask of Oblivion, offers that crucial extra space for your travels. And to safeguard your precious belongings, consider the Seeking String, a must-have to secure your inventory against unforeseen mishaps.
New teleportation items are here to whisk you away from danger in the nick of time.
Venturing into the southern seas and oceanic expanse of the main continent is ideal for characters of 3rd and 4th level rank. Yet, the southern continent of Ankon-Konu is designed for the endgame, demanding robust stats for survival.
With an increased power level of the characters I anticipate to travel to these distant lands, it opens up new opportunities for interesting item effects. Items like the Periapt of Purity offer immunity to diseases and poisons – indispensable for the hardcore adventurer. However, this power comes with a trade-off, affecting certain stats and your maximum Stamina.
Implementing over 180 new items has been an absolute blast, and I can't wait for you, the dedicated hoarders and explorers, to uncover what lies hidden in the expanded realms of the world :)
Ensure you wishlist the game to stay updated on all the latest developments!
A Year of Growth: Fabled Lands' Journey and What's Next
Hello fellow adventurers,
As the year's end approaches, it feels like time has slipped through my fingers, a relentless chase from one task to the next. Yet, today, as I personally celebrate another trip around the sun, I find myself pausing for a moment of reflection.
DLC dropped in February
What a year it's been for Fabled Lands! February 16th marked a milestone with the game's first DLC release, and the reception was fantastic. Landing on the front page of Steam, "Lords of the Rising Sun" didn't just give a boost to my indie developer spirit, but it also provided a substantial uplift to the game's journey.
The world of Fabled Lands expanded significantly. The newly added domain of Akatsurai is rife with intrigue and power struggles where the Shogun's authority is constantly under threat. For those seeking the arcane, the hidden magic of these lands offers bountiful new loot and expansive character development opportunities.
The year also brought Steam Deck verification and full controller support to the game. A heartfelt shoutout to the folks at Valve for not only fast-tracking the verification process but also for gifting a Steam Deck to support an indie developer like me. This gesture was instrumental in implementing full controller support and ensuring the game's seamless transition to the small screen.
Nintendo Switch Release in October!
The leap to the Nintendo Switch took a solid five months of dedicated work. Successfully self-publishing the game on the platform was a dream come true, taking me back to the NES days that ignited my passion for gaming.
Optimizing for the Switch wasn't just a technical challenge; it was a labor of love that ultimately resulted in a game that runs smoother and lighter than ever.
The Serpent King's Domain DLC
Now, my sights are set on "The Serpent King's Domain", an epic expansion that beckons seasoned adventurers to the southern oceans and the mysterious continent of Ankon-Konu. This isn't just a DLC; it's a colossal addition that's nearly the size of the base game (consiting of two books adapted: "Over the blood-dark sea" and "The Serpent King's Domain"), crafted for those who relish a challenge.
With a commitment to the series' open-world ethos, the DLC introduces more focused quests and tantalizing puzzles that culminate in a formidable boss encounter.
Get ready for new mechanics, such as crafting, enhanced blessing systems, legendary item effects, larger legendary and mythical loot tier, heat penalties, spirit combat, along with a plethora of new enemies equipped with unique abilities. The excitement is palpable, and I am eager to guide you through the perils of the Feathered Lands' jungles.
As we sail towards the launch, targeted before the end of Q1 2024, I raise my goblet to the adventures that await us!
Here's to another year of exploration and conquest!
Announcing The Most Expansive Fabled Lands DLC Yet!
Hey everyone!
Today, I'm beyond thrilled to officially announce the next monumental expansion for Fabled Lands – "The Serpent King's Domain"! This is not just any update; it's the biggest one yet, propelling the game into a new era of adventure and exploration.
A Whole New World to Explore
The Serpent King's Domain will introduce players to the vast expanse of the Violet Ocean (based on Book 3 - "Over the Blood-Dark Sea") and the mysterious southern continent of Ankon-Konu (based on Book 7 - "The Serpent's King Domain"). With this, we've now brought all the published material to life, completing the series in its current form. That's right! This DLC will feature not one, but two whole books of content! The sheer volume of this update is almost as big as the base game!
To give you a taste of what's to come, I'm excited to share a glimpse of the new world map, showcasing these new areas.
A Game Richer Than Ever
This DLC isn't just big in size; it's colossal in content. The word count jumps to an astounding 400,000, enveloping you in a narrative depth like never before. Here’s what you can expect:
Over 100 New Items: From mystical artifacts to practical gear, your inventory is about to get a whole lot more interesting.
Engaging New Quests: Each quest is designed to challenge your wit, courage, and strategy.
Innovative Mechanics: Brace yourself for unique challenges including heat penalties in the desert, spirit combat, new blessings to aid your journey, crafting opportunities, and intriguing puzzles to solve.
Formidable Enemies and Encounters: Prepare to face a diverse range of foes and unexpected situations, each requiring a unique approach.
Deep Dive into New Mechanics
In the coming dev-log updates, I'll delve deeper into each of these new mechanics, giving you a sneak peek into the exciting gameplay that awaits.
How about that new item called The Flask of Oblivion?
You open the flask and pour an inky black fluid, like thick, liquid darkness, onto the ground before you. Within moments, you see the face of the imp that resides within. You may leave a maximum of 12 possessions in the imp’s care.
Maybe it will give you some space for that loot you keep hoarding before stashing it savely in your hideouts!
Release Timeline and Availability
While I'm still honing the final details, anticipate "The Serpent King's Domain" to land somewhere around the end of Q1 or Q2 next year. This massive expansion will be available across PC, Mac, Steam Deck, and Nintendo Switch.
Stay tuned for more details, and I can't wait for you to experience the most significant leap in the Fabled Lands saga yet! Your continued support and enthusiasm make these big dreams possible – so a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart.
