Genre: Real Time Strategy (RTS), Role-playing (RPG), Strategy
Godsworn
Godsworn campaign details
Hey everyone! It has been a while since we've done an article, as we first had several events in June, and afterwards we felt like simply making progress on the game. But it is time to entertain the crowds once again.
We asked the Discord community what they wanted to hear about this time, and they said - campaign! So, let's explore what the campaign is going to be like in Godsworn.
We will cover topics such as:
How the co-op will work in the campaign
What missions you can expect during Steam Early Access
The glyph progression system
How much inspiration are we taking from history and myth
What will the cutscenes be like
Let's dive into each of these aspects and explore what you can expect in the campaign!
Co-op Campaign
Godsworn's campaign will be playable with 1 to 2 players, allowing you to invite a friend and experience the story together. In single-player mode, the other slot will be filled by an AI player which can be given basic orders. The 2-player campaign is designed to provide the flexibility to switch between player slots, allowing you to experience the campaign as the other hero choice on a second playthrough. While most of the time you will be experiencing the story together, some of the missions might feature an alternate experience for each hero.
Each mission will feature a duo of heroes, which will be part of the story in that mission. The heroes will change based on what is going on in the story, and you will be able to return to a favorite later down the line.
The Missions
To summarize a complex topic in a comprehensive way I will make a couple comparisons to other games. We were inspired by Warcraft 3 and Age of Mythology style of campaign missions. Things like thematic mission maps that are handcrafted, in-game cutscenes, small side missions to help your main objective that grants things like a buff or unit.
With that in mind, I should remind you that Thunderoak is made up of two devs. We will do our best to make it a campaign experience players expect, but usually such campaigns are made with much larger teams. For Early Access, we are aiming to have 6 missions available to play, with the rest finished during Early Access or on full release.
Glyphs
During campaign missions and challenge maps, glyphs can be obtained. These hidden powers can be found in secret areas or be rewarded upon completing certain objectives. These glyphs grant you small bonuses that prove useful in accomplishing your mission. For instance, the glyph in the screenshot below increases the hero character's health regen by 2. The variety of glyphs is extensive, ranging from simple stat boosts to small divine powers or even unique structures.
You get to keep these glyphs after the mission, and before starting the next mission you can choose which ones to have active. Additionally, you can take these glyphs into a custom game, with the option to disable them.
Story, history and myth
Now you might be wondering what the story is about and how historical it will be. The main story will be about the strife between Baltic gods while the Order launches a crusade using it as an opportunity. But as a whole, the focus will be on the gods themselves and their worshippers. We largely take inspiration from Latvian dainas (folk poems) and the Livonian Chronicle.
This world and story, while mostly inspired by the Northern Crusades and Baltic mythology, still remains an original world and timeline. Mixing history and myth, we need to take some liberties to make a coherent world and story. There might be references to stories of myth, or historical battles or places, but all told through our own interpretation.
Cutscenes
A specific question we received on Discord was: how will the cutscenes work? So let's answer that.
The in-mission cutscenes will be using in-game assets and good old camera pans. The text will show up next to portraits, basically the classic RTS way of telling a story. Whether we will have voice acting in-mission, we have yet to see, as it depends on budget and time constraints we have.
Meanwhile, the cutscenes outside of the missions will be illustrations with voiceovers. They will be in a similar style to the cover art image, while considering how much time we can spend per image. The one illustrating these is also the character concept and model artist, so we have to choose where to spend that time wisely.
Thank you for reading about the campaign and I hope that you're excited to see how it turns out. If you have any suggestions or want to see the occasional in-development shot, feel free to head to our Discord: https://discord.gg/r2qBuBXfVc
Also, in August, we have some exciting events lined up for Godsworn! We will be conducting a playtest first and then participating with a public demo during Steam Strategy Fest. There will be more info when these are getting closer. Hope to see you there!
Happy summer solstice celebration!
Happy summer solstice celebration!
While the shortest night falls on 21/22 June, in eastern Europe the celebration usually takes place on the 23/24 June. In Latvia known as Jāņi or Līgo, in Lithuania as Rasos, and in a lot of places known as Kupala night. Wreaths and bonfires are customary.
You can see the traditional wreaths as a worshipper upgrade in Godsworn. As for how we see the solstice in a mythological sense - the rituals on this night were performed to give the sun (Saule) the strength to get through the winter, as the days will only become shorter now.
So for those who celebrate, hope you have a good one, and for the rest I hope you learnt something new today. 😊
P.S. We are just back from a lot of events and travel craziness, so apologies for the silence in the development updates department. But rest assured we are back to making good progress on the game behind the scenes!
Join our Discord to get more updates and hear first about future playtests and demos! https://discord.gg/r2qBuBXfVc
Order Faction Economy
Hey everyone, today we will have a look at the economy of the Order faction and how they play differently from the Baltics.
Lets start of by discussing the lowest yet most important, the hovel! This is were your followers live, simple houses that can shelter a small family. However, with some work of the guilds, the hovels can be improved, Increasing the amount of peasants one can cram inside.
One of the core strategies of the Order is to take and hold. This strategy translates itself into individual upgrades for the resource gathering structures. This allows you to turn a simple granary into a mill, which in turn allows your peasants to farm wheat fields.
However, a good lord does need to keep the peasants protected. Building guard towers, walls and castles is of utmost importance to protect and hold your newly claimed land.
We hope you enjoyed this small preview of some of the Order economy and buildings!
If you want to know more about the game or give suggestions, feel free to join the Godsworn Discord: https://discord.gg/r2qBuBXfVc
And don't forget to wishlist and follow if you haven't already!
Godsworn Teaser Trailer and Playable Demo is live during TactiCon!
Watch the teaser trailer and try the game out in the playable demo available during Tacticon 2023! While the event runs May 11-15, the demo will be available till May 21.
Let us know what you think on the forums or the official Discord: https://discord.gg/r2qBuBXfVc
Don't forget to invite your friends for some co-op and hope you enjoy!
Godsworn soundtrack - Descent
The sound of heaven approaching. This time we're showing off a track of Michael, from the Order faction.
"Descent" composed by Claude Houde / OB-Lix Original Music
Active development updates on Discord.
For those that haven't heard yet, we have an official Discord channel where you can see what we're working on and talk with the devs directly.
We noticed that we were spending too much time making the previous articles about features, and it was seriously cutting into development time. So we have decided to make those less often, about once a month, maybe less if we have events we are going to.
Instead, we will be posting screenshots of stuff we're working on much more regularly on Discord as we can just quickly screenshot what we're working on and post it. Additionally, this way there is a lot more for the community to discuss. Hopefully this is a win-win.
We just wanted to let it be known here, so that people following only through Steam do not worry that we have suddenly fallen silent after posting so regularly before. Fear not, the game is progressing very well.
On that note, we are hosting a closed pre-alpha playtest next week. After this closed test, more open tests will follow, so do not fear of missing out. The game is in a pre-alpha state, so the experience will not be complete and it is likely there will be issues. So if you're interested in helping the game improve, join our Discord and sign up for a chance to join the playtest:
https://discord.gg/r2qBuBXfVc
Godsworn - Baltic units part 3
This is part 3 (of 3). While this might be the last part of the shared units, don't forget that these are not all of the Baltic units. Each divine hero faction also has its own special units and variations.
In today's article we will take a look at: Skirmisher, Marauder, Witch and Leshy!
The Skirmisher
Fast and agile skirmishers, they throw javelins at enemies from short range and block incoming enemy projectiles with their shields. These units are excellent at attacking the exposed flanks of your enemies. They are fast enough to escape from most humans and can "kite" them around. However, fast units such as knights can make short work of these skirmishers if you're not careful.
Upgrade: Giltine's kiss. Giltine, goddess of death, has granted skirmishers her venom. Skirmishers gain a new attack that allows them to deal foul damage and slow enemies.
Upgrade: Janis' guidance. Janis, god of passage, travel, gateways and change of seasons, blesses skirmishers. Skirmishers gain an increase in speed, allowing them to move faster.
The Marauder
Light infantry wielding a club for bludgeoning. Marauders are dangerous individuals and can often be found raiding. These units have simple armor and make up for their lack of equipment in strength.
Upgrade: Throwing axes. Marauders gain the ability to throw deadly axes from a small distance, weakening the enemy before entering melee.
Upgrade: Stunning blow. Marauders upgrade their club to be more more dangerous. Stuns an enemy for a short duration.
The Witch
A caster that deals foul damage and debuffs enemies. In a cabin in the woods, witches practice their magics and craft trinkets. Together with spirits, they brew and cook up their potions and oddities.
You might notice that they are not depicted as the usual hags in fantasy, as this would have been more of an idea that arose with the outlawing of magic. Instead, they are wielders of knowledge, eccentric, dangerous, but not monsters. Their knowledge of magic is symbolized in the snake symbol, the zalktis.
Upgrades: Sticks and bones. Witches can curse you with brittle bones and rusty armor. Applies a debuff to enemies, making them vulnerable to foul magic. In addition, the debuff reduces armor, making the unit a great counter against heavily armored foes.
The Leshy
(model is a work in progress - this is what some units look like before getting a detail pass)
A Leshy is a mythological creature shared in many Balto-Slavic folklores, known in Latvian as 'Mežainis' and Lithuanian 'Miškinis'. We went for the better known and shorter name of Leshy for clarity.
A large high health mythical siege unit that can push enemies and deals high damage to buildings. A giant woodland spirit, clad in bark and torn cloth, he scares people out of his forest. If you come across him, you must do everything possible to appease him to avoid his anger. Some survival advice would be to offer him some food, or turn your clothing inside out to make him laugh. But I'd say you're better off hiding your axe.
Upgrade: Foul spores. The Leshy's wooden skin grows symbiotic mushrooms. Whenever damage is dealt in melee range, spores are released, dealing foul damage to the attacker. In addition, the Leshy gains faster health regeneration.
Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed the shared unit overview!
Playtest?...
Some fixes from the first playtest are coming along nicely recently, so we are expecting to be ready for another playtest sooner rather than later.
If you want to find out more about the game and have a chance to join the playtest, join our Discord: https://discord.gg/r2qBuBXfVc
Godsworn - Baltic units part 2
This is part 2 of the shared units of the Baltic factions. This week we look at some strong mid game units, and to balance it out, some worshippers as well.
Both the Warrior and Raider are trained in the Warrior Hall, a later stage structure that allows for more powerful and expensive humanoids.
The Warrior
Wielding double axes and well armored, Warriors are strong and sturdy melee units. Having trained from a young age they excel in combat. In the historical setting which inspired our game, almost only the nobles were able to afford this quality armor, which was often bought from Slavic or German traders.
Upgrade: Glistening armor. As their battle experience grows, their reputation allows them to acquire better armor, switching out leather for metal. Grants Warriors a great amount of armor increase.
Upgrade: Relentless. As a Warrior gets older, rumors spread that his ability to survive battles is a blessing from the gods, or perhaps he is just too stubborn to die. When a Warrior falls below 50 health he calls out for Junda's blessing to keep on fighting for a few seconds longer, making him invulnerable for a short amount of time.
The Raider
Fast cavalry that excels at harassment tactics and can plunder the structures of the enemy if they are not careful.
Upgrade: Torches. What better way than to instill panic in your enemy than by fire? Torches are used to burn down enemy buildings, and when the building has been destroyed it will drop loot.
Upgrade: Gilded Horse. Ancient Baltic people valued their horses highly, often decorating them more lavishly than themselves. Intricate bronze decorations and little bells were common. With such utmost care for their horse, great attention is paid to the health and breed as well. Grants the Raider more health and speed.
The Pukis[pronounced: pooh-kis]
Close range area of effect fire breathing unit. A floating fiery dragon-like creature, it has an insatiable need for wealth as it consumes gold, making its power and size grow. Pukis are spirits that can be kept in the house for luck and wealth, as they will gather gold and other valuables for you. But watch out with upsetting the Pukis, it's a spiteful creature that will burn your house down if displeased.
The Pukis will loot fallen enemies after combat, becoming fuller with gold each time. The fuller it is with gold, the stronger the area of effect flame around it will become. The Pukis can be instructed to regurgitate the gold for you.
Upgrades: to be determined.
Worshippers
The humble worshipper, the most important unit of all, but also the weakest one. As a divine hero you must defend your worshippers as they are the cornerstone of your economy, and losing them can be the difference between victory or defeat. Protect them, and they will worship you, making you more powerful through their faith.
Upgrade: Wreaths. Worshippers create wreaths at the summer solstice to protect themselves from harm and honor the passage of seasons. These wreaths will be burned again at the start of a new cycle to get rid of evil. Allows worshippers to generate +1 faith at the shrine. Additionally, the worshippers gain magic resistance.
Until next time with part 3!
If you would like to find out more and have a chance to join the next playtest, join our Discord: https://discord.gg/r2qBuBXfVc
Godsworn - Baltic units part 1
Let's take a look at some units that the Baltic pagan faction features. Each god has their own combination of common units, with additional god-specific units, structures, upgrades and powers. The shared units might not always appear in each lineup, but this is something that can change as we tweak the balance of each god's sub-faction. So we'll be taking a look at these shared units first, in three parts.
The Tribesman
Light spear and shield infantry. Tribesmen are young warriors eager to gain experience in combat. They are a cost-effective counter to cavalry, but need to be produced in bulk.
Upgrade: Bear Shield. Grants the unit a health and armor increase. The upgrade also features a bear-fur hat visual, a reference to the bear-slayer legend/poem.
Upgrade: Laima's luck. The goddess favors the young and brave. She grants tribesmen a lucky hit at the start of battle, dealing critical damage.
The Ranger
Light infantry with medium range and quick arrow shots. They are skilled hunters that can accurately hit their targets at distance. However, rangers have low health/armor, and can be easily overwhelmed if not protected.
Upgrade: Recurve bow. As their archery experience grows, the rangers acquire better bows. Grants rangers a recurve bow, increasing range from medium to long, and increasing damage.
Upgrade: Stalk. Rangers attune with their surroundings, embodying the grace of a stag. Allows them to crouch down for an ambush, making a powerful calculated shot at the start of combat.
The Herbalist
Unarmed unit that heals units over time. Known by the common people as a good witch, she heals with herbs, salves, potions and magic.
Upgrade: Cure. The herbalist gains a better understanding of the healing herbs, and carries more knowledge of magic with her in a tree bark scroll. Replaces the heal of the herbalist with a stronger version that also removes debuffs from friendlies.
Upgrade: White Zalktis (Saule special). Grass snakes were considered symbols of knowledge and magic, while a rare albino version of the snake was known to be especially powerful. These snakes are favored creatures of the goddess Saule, whose blessing the herbalists must attain to gain the knowledge of the snake. Heals wounded allies in a small area with instant effect.
The Spigana
In the depths of the forests and bogs, an elusive fae creature dwells. An embodiment of the natural decay process, she leaves behind mushroom circles.
A mythical unit that throws foul magic over long range in an area, causing disease and rot. She is an excellent anti-spam unit and very effective against humans.
Upgrade: Malduguns. Wandering too long near swamps can be dangerous, as the Spigana might decide to lead you off the path with a flickering blue fire, an irresistible lure. Slows enemies that are hit in the target area.
See you again in part 2!
If you would like to find out more and have a chance to join the next playtest, join our Discord: https://discord.gg/r2qBuBXfVc
The economy of Godsworn
Hey everyone, we're back in the new year! We started this year with a closed playtest that went really well! People racked up quite some hours in the short time the playtest was available. Some of the playtesters mentioned that they quite liked the economy because it was not micro intense. So today you too can have a look at how the economy works.
Let's start by breaking down the UI on the top right corner and what each symbol represents.
From left to right:
Worshippers: These are your workers.
Faith: Used for mythical units, god powers and upgrades.
Wealth: Used for strong human units and for upgrades.
Wood: Used for buildings and units.
Food: Used for units.
Housing: Increases pop cap, for both worshippers and military units.
So you might be wondering: how do I get all these resources? The resources are gathered by assigning worshippers to a building, for example a woodcutter or your divine shrine. These buildings can be built next to resource spots such as berries, ore or deer.
However, not all resource spots grant the same yield - berry gathering grants less food than hunting deer. This becomes important as worshippers are limited, therefore going for higher yielding spots might be the optimal strategy. However, these higher yielding spots are often in more contested and exposed areas of the map.
Here is an example of the base yield differences between copper, silver an gold ore veins.
For players that prefer to turtle, there are also sub-optimal ways to gather resources from the safety of your base. Not all heroes are able to do this equally, and not with all resources. So the divine hero choice has the potential to change the economic and even overall playstyle.
An example with the hero Saule - with her god powers, she can spawn golden apple trees that can be harvested for gold. Additionally, she can use the Serpent of the Hearth buff to add an additional "worker" to a gathering building. This refers to the ancient Baltic people being described as having grass snakes in their houses, to bless their hearths and bring luck to the family.
Meanwhile the hero Meness can choose a skill called Warrior Patron, which will grant him faith for every enemy unit killed by him or his army. This encourages an aggressive playstyle as a way to succeed economically.
If you would like to find out more and have a chance to join the next playtest, join our Discord: https://discord.gg/r2qBuBXfVc
