For the last couple of weeks, we've been working on the full Windows Mixed Reality support for The Wizards. Today, we invite everyone who owns WMR headset to become our beta tester! On the public Beta Branch, you will find a brand new version of the game dedicated exclusively to WMR headsets.
If you'd like to helps us to improve the WMR-enabled version of the game, we kindly invite you to share your feedback using this survey form.
We'd also love to discuss the beta directly with you on our Discord server!
When we collect enough data from the survey, we'll implement the suggestions and fix potential bugs. Soon after, The Wizards will start to officially support Windows Mixed Reality headsets!
Here's how to access the beta branch:
Go to your Steam Library
Right-click on The Wizards and select "Properties"
Go to the tab marked "Betas"
In the drop-down box, select "wmrbeta"
Wait for the game to finish updating and, voila!
Thanks for your support!
Happy Halloween, folks!
CPU usage fix is live!
Hello everyone,
Recently we've got some reports from the players experiencing jittering, stuttering and low FPS due to excessive CPU usage. We're happy to let you know that we've found a source of these problems, prepared a fix, and released a patch!
We apologize for these issues and thank you for your consideration. Please consider writing a review for The Wizards, if you had enough time with the game to form your opinion. That would help us a lot!
Cheers,
Carbon Studio team
1st Anniversary Update!
Dear Wizards,
It’s unbelievable how fast time flies by! It feels like our game was released in Early Access only yesterday, and now it’s time to celebrate its first anniversary! This was a year of hard but fruitful work for Carbon Studio. The progress we’ve made since the early release would not be possible without the feedback from the community. Big shout-out to everyone who supported us, from alpha and beta testings, through Early Access, up to the full release, and beyond!
Since July 2017, The Wizards has changed significantly. We have rebuilt the locomotion system from node-based teleportation to free movement + free teleportation, more than doubled the amount of available levels, added boss fights, Arena Mode, more cutscenes, enemies and spells, and support for left-handed players. If you haven’t tried the game after the full release, now is the best time to revisit the realm of Meliora! This little fella can’t wait to meet you:
Naturally, we aren’t arriving at the first anniversary party empty-handed. In the second update after the full release, we introduce major user interface overhaul and redesigned final combat on the first level of the game (see the screenshot below). It may be a treat even for those who have finished the game already. Why don’t you revisit this level with some rule-changing Fate Cards?
Update 1.02 Changelog:
GENERAL
User interface redesign - menus within the game received an overhaul
Minor localization tweaks
Minor collision tweaks on all levels
Minor enemy navigation correction
LEVELS
Ruins
- Redesigned last fight on the first Stage (Arena with a Crystal)
- Belltower sequence visual guidance improved
We believe that year two will be an equally exciting time for The Wizards. Thank you for joining us on this adventure! Ah, and please remember to join our wizards community on Discord!
Cheers,
Carbon Studio Team
Update 1.01: Improved graphics and more!
Brave Wizards,
We are happy to introduce the first update after the full release! We would like to welcome everyone who has joined us recently and say big "thank you" to all of you who has supported us during Early Access!
We hope that you enjoy playing complete version of the game, with new levels, boss fights and enhanced visuals. If you have not revisited the game yet, here is a small teaser of what awaits you in The Wizards:
Today's update is also about the graphics!
We have reworked Shrike's Deser to make it more beautiful and immersive:
We have improved visuals of the Fireball to make casting it even more satisfying:
We hope that you will enjoy revised graphics while exploring the richness of complete version of The Wizards. Stay tuned for more improvements in the following weeks and please join our wizards community on Discord!
Update 1.01 Changelog:
SPELLS
Improved visuals of casting and throwing the Fireball
Additional effects for interaction with water surfaces
LEVELS
Desert
- Major visual enhancements
- Added more foliage
- Changes in the shape of the terrain
Ruins
- Redesigned belltower sequence
- Ethereal crystals are now easier to remove from hands
Tutorial
- Layout of the path is now less vertical and more intuitive
OTHER CHANGES
Localization tweaks for German and Chinese
Minor collision tweaks on all levels
Replaced textures of wooden barrels and carts
Did you know that The Wizards supports mixed reality capture powered by http://LIV.tv ?
Just look how awesome it is!
Full Release is here!
Brave Wizards!
We are excited to announce that the full release has successfully left Early Access with new stages, epic bosses and empowered spells for the ultimate wizardry!
We want to express our gratitude to everyone who trusted and supported us with feedback during Early Access. We are humbled that so many of you joined us on this exciting adventure.
The journey is not over though. In the upcoming months we will focus on preparing Playstation VR version of The Wizards, and during this process we will update Steam version of The Wizards with fixes, improvements and some new content.
We hope that you will enjoy exploring the richness of the full release update. You're invited to join our wizards community on Discord!
HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS UPDATE:
Completed story with new stages (Ruins 2, Ruins 3 and Desert 3)
Master Enchantments for all the spells (Yep. You can throw a shield now!)
Dynamic lighting from all the spells and improved performance
New cutscenes
Full Changelog:
Disclaimer: Due to changes in progression, all spell upgrades got reset and Spell Potential achieved on Ruins Stages 1-4 got taken away. Sorry for the inconvenience!
GENERAL CHANGES
Added two big bosses to hurl fireballs at
Major optimization of an entire game
All the spells are now casting dynamic lighting
Added new Fate Card - Easy Prey
Introduced Steam Achievements - Go get’em all!
Added missing translations and subtitles
Glass bottles are now breakable!
Campaign
- Added some changes to lore and dialogues
- Added cutscenes introducing missing story parts
- Added stage summary while holding the stage glyph
- Added fourth gem slot to the stage figures representing collected fairy shards
- Tweaked points requirement for most stages
- Telekinetic doors have been entirely removed
- All Ruins levels have to be completed before unlocking next chapter
Ruins
- Waveshooter stages has been moved from Campaign to Arena Mode
- Added two brand new stages - Catacombs and Revenant’s Lair
- Introduction of new gameplay mechanics and a new Fate Card
- Pinewood intro cutscene has been updated
- Stage 1 last combat around crystal is now a bit easier
Desert
- Added region finale - 3rd stage with a boss fight
- Ethereal crystals are now easier to remove from hands
Dungeon
- Gameplay changes due to removal of telekinetic doors
SPELLS
Master Upgrades available for all six spells
After obtaining both basic upgrades Master challenge is unlocked - upon completion you will be rewarded with a Master Upgrade
Spells are now much more responsive and easy to cast
Improvements of spells visuals
Added vibration feedback while holding Fireball or Pyroblast
Frost Bow:
Master Challenge: Kill 2 enemies with a single arrow
Master Upgrade: Ice Volley - Shooting an arrow in the sky will cause a volley of arrows to fall wherever the previous shot from the bow landed
Fireball:
Master Challenge: Hit an enemy with two empowered fireballs within 1 second
Master Upgrade: Hellfire - Hitting an ignited enemy sets nearby monsters on fire
Arcane Shield:
Master Challenge: Kill an enemy within 1 second after blocking his attack with the shield
Master Upgrade: Aegis Throw - The shield can be thrown at enemies to deal damage
Lighting:
Master Challenge: Kill two different types of enemies with a single cast of Lightning
Master Upgrade: Double Discharge - After casting the spell, both hands can be aimed individually
Master Upgrade: Arcane Barrage - The projectiles duplicate in the air.
Pyroblast:
Master Challenge: Kill 3 enemies with a single Pyroblast
Master Upgrade: Inferno - Pyroblast spits sparks around when flying by, dealing damage to nearby enemies
MAJOR BUG FIXES
Fate Cards should no longer disappear after restarting game
Destructible walls are no longer attacking players
Tutorial widgets won’t disturb aiming anymore
Fixed progression blocker caused by backtracking on Dungeon
Enemies electrocuted by Lightning’ are now properly animated
Walls destroyed by cannons are now disappearing fluently
Burning a pickup object while still holding in hand will not make the hand disappear
Bonus: The Wizards supports mixed reality gameplay capture powered by http://LIV.tv
Have a look how awesome it looks!
You're welcome to join our Discord server and share your feedback!
Release date announced
Brave Wizards!
We are excited to share with you that we are getting ready to release a full version of our game - and now we can say it officially:
The Wizards will leave Early Access on March 8th, 2018!
Upon full release, The Wizards will welcome you with lots of new content, improvements and bug fixes. Here are the most important changes and new features:
Two new stages on the Ruins
Final stage on the Shrike's Desert that will conclude the story
Boss fights with fearsome creatures
Wave-based Ruins stages will be moved to the Arena Mode
Master Enchantments - powerful upgrades for all the spells
Steam Achievements
We are very grateful for all the support we've got from you during the past seven months. We are humbled that so many of you decided to trust us an buy the game in its early stage. Now when the game is almost finished, we are convinced that it's your valuable feedback and patience that brought us so far. Thank you!
That's not everything we've prepared for you. Starting today, The Wizards officially supports LIV Mixed Reality technology! If you produce VR videos or streams, you can now use LIV client to capture MR in our game. And if you don't, please enjoy the following trailer we've prepared with LIV, and expect more goodies coming soon!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agXsdLRAUrI
Head here for more details about LIV: https://liv.tv/
You can also wishlist LIV client on Steam!
We would like to assure you that the full release will not be the end of our work on The Wizards. We will keep working on new features and improvements based on your feedback. Details on the new content coming after leaving Early Access will be revealed soon.
Patch 1.2.2 Left-handed mode, VRWorks + more!
Brave Wizards!
It's finally here! Left-handed mode, feature highly anticipated by ~12% of you, is now available in the game. We hoped to add this feature earlier, but it was much more difficult to implement than it may seem. Also, from this update owners of NVIDIA cards can take advantage of NVIDIA VRWorks™ that increase performance and allow for a new level of visual fidelity.
Right-handed players and owners of AMD cards - No worries, we still have you covered!
Last but not least, we’re happy to announce that The Wizards is now available on smartVR Store all-in-one solution for VR arcades.
What's next?
We are getting closer to the full release of The Wizards. We've introduced most of the features and content promised for the Early Access. If everything goes well, full release will happen this March. Here are some of the things we are working on right now:
Moving wave-based stages (Ruins) from Campaign to Arena Mode
New exploration-based stages on Ruins to replace the wave-based ones
Final stage for Shrike's Desert region that will conclude the campaign
Steam Achievements
Please let us know how do you like the progress of The Wizards so far and what features do you think we should definitely add before leaving Early Access! You're invited to join our Discord server and share your feedback. You're also welcome to share your thoughts in a review.
Update 1.2.2 Changelog:
Left-handed Mode
Can be turned on while starting new campaign and in game's settings
Affects dominant hand for summoning spells and interactions
Does not flip movement/teleportation on the controllers. This can be changed separately.
Spells
Frost bow - Inverted upgrade order
Pyroblast - Scorched Earth upgrade now deals more damage over time
Added ring borders around spell selectors to indicate the level of the spell
Other changes
Implemented NVIDIA VRWorks™ technology
Tutorial in the campaign can now be skipped
Major graphical optimization of Shrike's Desert
Books, scrolls and sketches are now flammable
Swords and Sorcery VR Bundle Released!
Brave Wizards!
We’re excited to share that Carbon Studio is joining forces with Nordic Trolls and Blackjard Softworks to offer you the Swords and Sorcery VR Bundle!
Our bundle contains The Wizards, Karnage Chronicles, and Dungeon Knight VR at discounted prices, offering you all the very best of high fantasy VR experiences with a combined average of 90% positive reviews. This exciting, all-in-one package delivers hours upon hours of adrenaline-pumping action and unforgettable adventures!
The bundle is flexible, meaning that if you own one or two of the included games, you can get the rest with even more discount. All the games are playable on HTC Vive and Oculus Rift and comes packed with movement options that suit the needs of everyone.
VR Dungeon Knight features co-op exploration in procedurally generated dungeons, while Karnage Chronicles delivers intense combat with RPG elements and story. These are games we couldn't recommend more! Adventure awaits!
Check out brand new trailer of the Swords and Sorcery VR Bundle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTYea5C3X70
Update 1.2.1 Shrike Desert
Brave Wizards!
We’re excited to let you experience brand new chapter of the game as an open beta - meet Shrike’s Desert! It’s a third story chapter of the game and one of our main promises for the Early Access. We’ve finished two stages of this chapter and decided to invite you to test it and share your feedback before we put the final touches to this section of the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icFy9BUTIpY
Update 1.2.1 Changelog:
Shrike’s Desert - New Region:
The Shrike Desert is located in eastern Meliora. It is a lifeless landscape ravaged by dense, magic-fueled sandstorms. At the central point of the region lie the ruins of Shrike’s Lookout, an ancient sandstone fortress that has been torn apart by a violent magical explosion many centuries ago. The aftershocks of that explosion still resonate among the ruins, and allow ethereal phenomena to pass through the veil between worlds and haunt the area. Indeed a perfect spot to look for a villain…
Ethereal Phantoms - New Enemy:
Odd apparitions that roam the desert and come after any newcomer
Deal damage and are destroyed upon impact
Invulnerable to regular spells - can only be defeated with Ethereal Spears
Desert Serpents - New Enemy:
Enormous, semi-sentient guardians brought to life by an ancient spell that spring up from beneath the sand to hurl fire-based spells at trespassers
Can spawn anywhere on a mostly flat, sandy surface
Two attacks: a fiery orb similar to Pyroblast and a fiery barrage that rains from above
Ethereal Spear - New Spell:
New type of Ethereal Magic used to get rid of ethereal phantoms and barriers
Place your hand in the ethereal lantern to infuse yourself with the ethereal power which allows to summon Ethereal Spears
New Fate Cards:
Two new cards hidden in the desert regions:
Fortify: The player has more Time Synchronization points (multiplier: -0.25)
Fragile: The player has less Time Synchronization points (multiplier: +0.25)
Fixes and improvements:
Polished hit animations
Improved throwing with Fireball and Pyroblast while walking
Minor optimization fixes for Mountainpass Castle arena
Shamans’ projectiles are now homing slightly towards the player
Support for KAT WALK VR Treadmill:
From this update, The Wizards natively supports KAT VR treadmill. Ask your local VR arcade about it, it's a blast!
Game can also be played with WASD on experimental locomotion peripherals
What's next?
In the following weeks, we’ll be working on a third, final stage of Shrike’s Desert. It will be released along with some new content in the previous stages, thus expanding and fleshing out the story of you and Aurelius.
Many thanks for all the amazing support and brilliant suggestions we received from you! We invite you to visit our Discord server and share your feedback. We also encourage you to write reviews to share your experience with fellow players on Steam.
Mixed Reality Magic!
Dear Wizards!
Today we have a special announcement for the early adopters that got themselves Microsoft Mixed Reality headsets. We're happy to confirm that our game is fully playable and runs like a charm with MR hardware. (Minor bugs are expected during the beta)
Casting spells was never that stellar before!
Here's our designer Jakub having fun with The Wizards. Can you guess what's in the box?
