Successor
Patchnote 0.7.36.16
Leaning into the weekend, we will drop a last update before going home to play some games.
Fixed issues with setting resolution to now adhere to the actual resolution, not the desktop resolution.
Some cleanup of the different stages in the Betrayal tutorial
A few more minor changes to the story both during the game and in the storyboards.
If you played the demo, let us know what you think—what was good and what was not so good. Your feedback helps us improve the game greatly.
Have a lovely weekend
The Playwood Project Dev Team
Patchnote 0.7.36.15
Hi everyone
We hope you're enjoying the Successor demo! Thank you to everyone who filled out the Google questionnaire or shared valuable feedback in the discussions channel.
We've just pushed a minor update with several improvements and fixes.
Patchnote 0.7.36.15 Changes & Fixes
- New players are now prompted to create a profile at the start.
- The Play and Continue buttons have been merged. If you have a fresh profile, it will start a new game; otherwise, it will take you to your last saved scene.
- The tutorial UI has been updated to dark mode and reduced in size.
- Some tutorial UI panels are now anchored to specific spots in the world.
- We've addressed issues with resolution settings—both when launching the game and when players attempt to change them. It should now be much more stable.
We sincerely hope these fixes and adjustments enhance your experience with the demo!
As always, feel free to reach out here or on Discord with any feedback or questions.
Best regards
The Playwood Project Dev Tam
Patch notes 0.7.36.13
First, a huge thanks to all of you who tried the Successor Playtest our Demo, Lord of Bones, and spent time to write us with bugs and feedback; it's a huge help.
We collected some of the feedback over the weekend and addressed some of the pressing issues, but we are not done. We are still working to polish everything up with your help.
With this patch, we have added many new playtesters who signed up.
Patch notes 0.7.36.13
Betrayal
- Cleaned out the “ax” moment in the courtyard board.
- Changed the setup at the board with guards protecting the caged archer.
- Cleaning out tutorial popup windows so that they do not stack during gameplay.
Lord of Bones
- The tutorial now shows how to navigate the region map
- Nerfed the Warpriest wave encounter (The Crypt)
Fixes in general
- Chat keys are disabled to avoid players accidentally winning or losing campaigns :/
- Hiding Keybinding in the option menu until we have them working properly
- We disabled the AI auto-cast on friendly units, which was enabled by right-clicking abilities. This was something we used for debugging.
- Corrected a few spelling errors.
- Fixed an issue where Scout Towers got units stuck and could not move or use abilities.
- Clear communication when starting in Tactical Mode - players must press the space bar to begin the fight.
- Fixed an Issue where quitting the menu from the region map and returning would block all interactions except for the camera movement.
- Fixed an issue where opening the option menu two times would stop the music.
Known issues - we are still working on…..
- When changing the resolution from the graphic options, there is an issue where the game changes to the wrong resolution, offsetting the mouse pointer.
- Try rebooting the game, setting it to Windows first, and then changing it later to full screen if needed. - We are looking into a fix for this issue.
Remember, you can join our Discord Channel and talk directly to us with any feedback or comments.
Thanks for playing
Best regards the PlaywoodProject Dev Team
Hotfixes v 0.7.36.10
Hotfixes
- Change the enemy setup in the tutorial board where you must free the Archer.
- Changes some triggers in the Courtyard to simplify the introduction of picking up and using items.
- Added scream to the guard being kicked off the cliff.
- Added navigation info when starting at the region map.
- We have added a short intro scene to the first board in the courtyard
Unverified issues.
- "Killed all enemies. Victory Screen doesn't show." -> Maybe the objective was to burn down a tent or free someone.
- We are receiving many reports of players getting stuck or unable to move, but we are still unsure where this happens in the game. If anyone has experienced this, please let us know.
Best regards
The Playwood Project Dev Team
Upcoming Demo
Hi Everyone
We’ve just launched another round of playtesting for our upcoming Demo! This special preview features two campaigns: the tutorial adventure “Betrayed” and “Lord of Bones,” an exclusive prologue-style experience for the full game.
Once you’ve tried it out, we’d love your feedback in our Steam discussion, our Discord, or fill out the Google Form (accessible from the game’s front menu when you exit).
Since last playtest we have refined and added lots of fresh content for you to explore and enjoy, so be sure to check out our full update notes on the full game store page.
Thank you for helping us shape the best possible experience—we can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Best regards
The Playwood Project Dev Team
Dev Log: The Archer
Introducing Our New Archer Model
A former mercenary of the House of Silver Coin, the Archer now roams the land in search of adventure and fortune, driven by a relentless desire to find new targets for his arrows.
The Archer is a highly potent backline unit capable of delivering significant damage from a safe distance. However, with relatively low health and light armor, they must be shielded from enemies seeking to close the gap. Keep in mind that foes equipped with shields or heavy plates can greatly reduce incoming ranged damage, so positioning and timing are key.
Abilities
Volley: Unleash a rapid barrage of arrows at a single target over a short duration, overwhelming enemies with swift strikes.
Fire Arrow: Ignite the arrow before releasing it at your target, setting enemies and surrounding tiles ablaze.
Trait
Eagle Eye: The Archer gains bonus damage when attacking from higher ground than their target.
Content Updates
We’re primarily focused on refining UI elements to improve their aesthetics and clarity, ensuring you can easily make strategic decisions.
Visual Changes to In-Game Tooltips
Updated tooltips now present essential details at a glance without breaking immersion.
Unit Equipment Slots
Quickly identify which types of gear each unit can wield, helping you optimize load-outs and tactics.
Ruler Lore
Each kingdom has a ruler with unique abilities, traits, and signature weapons. Our new Ruler Lore system reveals their hidden strengths and vulnerabilities before the showdown. While the right heroes and equipment are crucial, knowing your enemy’s secrets can tip the scales of battle in your favor.
Event Cards (Experimental)
We’ve introduced World Event Cards to add an element of unpredictability. Each region begins with its own deck of events, and whenever the Lord moves to a new tile, there's a chance a card will be drawn. These cards can trigger anything from ambushes to enemy power boosts—or even the spawning of undead in all battles for a limited time.
That’s all for this update, but stay tuned—more exciting news are on the way!
Best regards
The Playwood Project Dev Team
Update 19
It’s been a while since our last update, but we’re excited to reconnect with you all and share what we’ve been working on! Behind the scenes, the team has been busy making Successor even better, thanks to your invaluable feedback. We’ve heard your requests for clearer tactical communication, improved combat feedback, and a more intuitive interface, and we’re thrilled to deliver on those fronts with Update 19.
Player Book - Chest & Skills
Managing Equipment and ability upgrades have been moved into the player book and are accessible in the Region and kingdom maps. You can access the Player book by clicking on the Chest.
Expanded Tooltips: Hovering over a unit’s Attack or Defense values now displays a detailed breakdown of the traits, abilities, equipment, and other factors contributing to those stats.
Health Details: Hovering over Health provides comparable information, allowing you better to assess your heroes’ overall condition and survivability.
We’ve expanded the stats display to clarify how each type of damage contributes to a unit’s total damage output:
- Base Damage – Typically from one-handed weapons
- Breach Damage – Usually from two-handed weapons
- Arrow Damage – From projectile weapons (shields often block a significant portion of arrow damage).
- Frost Damage
- Fire Damage
- Poison Damage
- Holy Damage
- Arcane Damage
Magical enhancements on weapons often provide Frost, Fire, Poison, or Holy damage.
Enemy Unit Card
Pause & Inspect: While the game is paused, you can now left-click an enemy unit to view its Unit Card.
Detailed Stats: The Unit Card shows the enemy’s stats and abilities, helping you plan your strategy and figure out how to counter their strengths.
UI: Dice Representation (First Iteration)
Encounter Rolls: We’ve added a simple dice/counter representation for encounters. Whenever you select an option with a percentage chance, you’ll see a quick dice-style roll that visually communicates the result of the check.
Performence
LOD Adjustments: We’ve optimized static meshes in various areas, applying LOD (Level of Detail) tweaks to improve overall performance.
Our “Old” Map Design Returns
Map Generation Fixes: We resolved some technical issues related to map generation. As a result, we’re bringing back our earlier Kingdom and Region map designs, restoring the original look and feel.
Quest missions
We have added quests to Successor, making it possible to conquer regions by completing a string of small quests. Furthermore, we have side quests that usually unlock new heroes or unique items.
New Campaign Howling Nights
With this campaign, we introduce the winter biome to the collection and the Bloodfang sister Factions. In one of the coming days, we will bring an update focusing on this Campaign alone.
We know the gaps between updates have been longer than we'd like, and we're working hard to prioritize our time. Right now, we're focused on hitting deadlines to ensure we can release Successor for all of you as soon as possible.
Best regards
The plywood project Dev Team
Meet the Shieldmaiden
Hi everyone
We have been busy expanding the universe of Successor and continuously deepening and polishing the gameplay experience. With this update, we want to introduce our Shieldmaiden and share some of the feedback from our latest playtest.
Introducing the Shieldmaiden
The Shieldmaiden is a fierce and unwavering warrior of House Greyrose. As a seasoned veteran of the Great War, she found herself fighting side by side with Lord Craig in the conquest against the Old King. She holds honor in the highest esteem and admires true acts of bravery, yet she refuses to betray her own steadfast principles of loyalty. Known for her indomitable spirit, she embodies the very essence of chivalry in a world fraught with betrayal.
Shieldmaiden is a stalwart warrior clad in heavy-plated armor, making her exceptionally capable in melee combat. Armed with a longsword and a large shield, she deftly protects herself against arrows and similar threats, turning enemy attacks into futile efforts.
Shield Bash (Primary Ability):
With unwavering resolve, she delivers a mighty blow with her shield, dealing damage and stunning the enemy. This impactful strike interrupts any of their active abilities, leaving foes vulnerable.
Shield Wall (Secondary Ability):
She raises her shield to protect herself or an ally, increasing the target's chance to block incoming attacks. This defensive stance enhances survivability on the battlefield.
Protective Aura (Trait):
Her steadfast presence protects all adjacent heroes, providing them with additional armor and bolstering their defenses against enemy assaults.
SplatterCatGaming, well-known for his indie game impressions, recently played the Successor playtest. This is a fantastic opportunity to see the game's current state in action. His gameplay video is a great watch—full of valuable critiques and great ideas. It's always a blast when he picks up Successor for a visit. Check it out and let us know what you think in its comment section! https://youtu.be/XzD8XBwzRLw?feature=shared
Feedback from playtesting
Regarding our playtesting session a few weeks back, one of our major issues is generally a lack of communication through UI and interactions and a wish for deeper tactical gameplay.
To address this, we are working on making detailed info about enemy units, their stats, weapons, armor, traits, and abilities accessible, aiding the player in making better tactical decisions.
Feedback highlighted that battles felt repetitive and lacked variety, and playing a defensive stance would win most battles. With the coming updates, we are adding new objectives and enemy abilities that will force the player to adapt to new tactical realities to win.
There was also a desire for more content, including additional skills and hero customization options, to enrich the gameplay experience. We think this is partly due to the short campaigns, as we have yet to introduce larger Kingdom campaigns, where collecting and promoting the correct heroes and items is very important to prepare your party for the upcoming fight against the Ruler. But we will monitor this desire closely.
Add a wishlist and follow to stay updated on the final steps of the development of Successor.
Best regards
The Playwood Project Dev Team
New update and opening up for new playtesters
We’re excited to announce that in a short time, we’ll be releasing a public demo of Successor to a wider audience. But first, we’re giving you the opportunity to try out the experience early and share your feedback. Your input will help us not only improve the demo but also enhance the game as a whole.
This week’s playtest content includes:
- Betrayal – A tutorial introducing core game mechanics.
- Revenge – A short region map where you must defeat the Lord of House Greyrose.
The average playtime for the entire demo is just under an hour.
Note: If you’ve participated in a previous playtest, you may need to delete your save game to avoid any data conflicts.
We’ve also recently released a significant update, and you can review the patch notes [[url=]here].
We hope you’ll give the demo a try and let us know what you think, either through our ].
We hope you’ll give the demo a try and let us know what you think, either through our Discord channel or by completing the Google questionnaire linked within the demo.
We have a known issue where the Lord and Heroes stop auto-attacking new enemies within range; this will be patched as soon as possible.
Have fun,
Best regards,
The Playwood Project Dev Team
Update 18
Greetings, heroes of Successor!
We're excited to share significant updates and open our doors to new playtesters. Your feedback has been instrumental in refining our game, and we're eager for you to experience the latest enhancements.
Enhanced Real-Time with Pause Mechanics
We've listened to your feedback regarding the real-time with pause system. Many players found it confusing, so we've made substantial updates to improve clarity and gameplay:
Action Mode
Automatic Pausing: When you select a hero or an ability, the game now automatically pauses, allowing you to issue the selected ability or command without the pressure of real-time events.
Focus Moments: After issuing a command, the game unpauses, triggering a focus moment. Your actions play out in real-time, affecting all involved units while the rest of the world remains paused.
Tactical Mode
Strategic Overview: Press the spacebar to toggle Tactical Mode on or off. This mode provides a strategic view of the battlefield.
Multiple Commands: In Tactical Mode, you can freely inspect the battle board and use or queue up several abilities, giving you greater control over your strategy.
Focus Moments: As in action mode the game unpauses, triggering a focus moment, but once the ability or command have played out the game remains in pause until you toggle Tactical mode off.
Note:
Using abilities only trigger a focus moment if they are withing range of the target, any needed movement to reach the target will either queue up the command or return the state into real time.User Interface Improvements
Interactive Highlights: All interactive objects on the battlefield are now highlighted in Tactical Mode for easier navigation and planning.
Streamlined Hero Management: We've removed the Hero and Lord portraits from the top-right corner. You can now view and manage your roster of heroes from the player's desk.
Reputation Icon Relocation: The Reputation icon has moved to the player's desk for better accessibility.
Equipment Management: To equip new items to your Lords and Heroes, click on the Chest to open the player book and access the equipment page.
Units and Abilities Updates
Dregg Tank Ability: The Dregg Tank's pull ability now has a much higher success rate, making it a more formidable opponent.
Dregg Corpse Totem: This totem will now spawn new enemy Dreggs during battles, adding an extra layer of challenge.
Revenge Campaign Overhaul: We've revamped the Revenge Campaign with a new quest encounter that unlocks the Shield maiden hero. Prepare for an exciting new journey!
Upcoming Improvements
We acknowledge that accessing useful information about enemy units is crucial for strategic planning. We're working on addressing this issue in an upcoming patch to provide better enemy insights.
Upcoming playtest
In anticipation of the Steam RPG Festival at the end of September, we'll be releasing a short DEMO of Successor for everyone to try out!
But before that, we're offering the demo as a Playtest for those who'd like an early preview and can provide valuable feedback to help us improve even further.
Your Feedback Matters: Your insights are crucial in shaping the world of Successor, and we greatly appreciate your support.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Happy adventuring!
The Playwood Project Dev Team