Genre: Role-playing (RPG), Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure, Indie
Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem
Online Downtime Extended
Hello everyone!
the backend migration will take some more time. We're aiming for the online services to be back around 6PM CET. We will inform you, as soon as the services are back!
Greetings
Backend Migration & Online Downtime Announcement
Greetings Ascended,
As communicated previously, we have been preparing to switch our backend infrastructure to a new in-house solution. This switch will require some downtime of Wolcen’s online elements, during which time all online characters will be inaccessible to ensure a smooth and safe transition. Additionally, player friends lists will be cleared as part of the switch, and we encourage you to make a note of them before the shutdown. We understand this is disruptive, however it is a necessary step to improve Wolcen’s future online stability and performance.
We intend for this downtime to begin at 10:00 AM (CET) on Monday the 26th of September and should be completed by 10:00 AM (CET) on Thursday the 29th of September.
We will issue another reminder shortly before the downtime begins.
Have a great day!
Patch 1.1.6.5
Greetings, Ascended!
Bug squashing patch 1.1.6.5 is now live, you can find the details below.
A big thank you to everyone who has submitted bug reports to us! If you don't see a fix here for a bug that you have previously reported be assured we will tackle it when and where possible in future patches.
Added the ability for gamepad users to show/hide skill tooltips in the Skills & Modifiers screen.
Fixed an issue where Havoc Orb's Hailing Devastation ASM would only fire one projectile and then trigger a soft infinite animation loop. Fire away!
Fixed an incorrect controller prompt on the death screen in multiplayer.
Removed the unintended SFX that triggered on game launch and during loading screens.
Clarified the error message that occurs when attempting to transfer an item from the personal stash to a full inventory.
Resolved an issue where the tab icons in the gamepad navigation top bar did not correlate with the displayed screens.
Fixed an issue where gamepad users could switch UI tabs before dismissing the introductory inventory tutorial.
Fixed an issue where gamepad users could switch UI tabs before dismissing the introductory Gate of Fates tutorial.
Clarified the gamepad input prompt bar when assigning skills in the Skills & Modifiers UI.
Fixed an issue which caused the minimap to perform poorly and lag when Aether Jump and Light-Bringer were used together.
Fixed an issue where previously equipped skills would briefly appear on an empty slot after assigning a new skill.
Fixed an issue where gamepad users had the incorrect option to view their inventory after interacting with Demetra's shop UI in a certain way.
Fixed an issue where cancelling unconfirmed points in the Gate of Fates screen would occasionally deactivate nearby active nodes.
Fixed an issue where the gamepad's navigation bar would not disappear when switching to keyboard & mouse in the Stormfall overview screen.
Patch 1.1.6.4
Greetings, Ascended!
Bug squashing patch 1.1.6.4 is now live, you can find the details below.
A big thank you to everyone who has submitted bug reports to us! If you don't see a fix here for a bug that you have previously reported be assured we will tackle it when and where possible in future patches.
Speed looters, rejoice! Players can once again run to an item and pick it up with a single mouse click.
Tweaked the overly enthusiastic behaviour of the "Display Other Slot" gamepad prompt added in 1.1.6.3: it will now only show for dual slot items, rather than every slot type!
Resolved a quirk where the friends list button would disappear if the player used "Esc" to close a merchant window.
Fixed a UI issue in the Dark Market's Transmutation Forge where the UI would become unnavigable if the player tried to reopen their inventory from within the project after having previously closed it.
Fixed an issue where some gamepad inputs would not function after accessing the Consumables Menu in the War Table.
Fixed an issue which caused the UI to permanently disappear during the prologue if the player pressed "B" on the keyboard.
Resolved an issue on gamepads where a redundant travel prompt would appear above the player inside certain areas of Stormfall palace.
Resolved an issue that prevented some cutscene subtitles from displaying correctly in Chapter 3.
Fixed an issue where the quest objectives for Cursebreaker would not update correctly.
Fixed an issue where the quest objectives text for Cursebreaker would not wrap correctly and instead would extend off-screen.
Fixed several instances of quest objectives in the quest feed not greying out and disappearing upon completion.
Fixed an issue where both the player and friend's group status would not update correctly upon either leaving a group.
Fixed an issue where, if the player has a window open in the Stormfall overview and their inventory, pressing "Esc" will dismiss both.
Fixed a localisation issue where, upon staring a new campaign for the first time, "@ui" would be displayed as an unlocked skin.
Monthly Development Update - August 2022
Greetings Ascended,
It has been a few weeks since we launched Controller Support and the UI overhaul for Wolcen with patch 1.1.6.0 (you can find the patch notes here if you missed it!). Reading your feedback on this long-gestating project has been wonderful, and we are delighted with how well-received it has been. However, there is always room to improve, so, today we want to cover the future changes and additions coming to Controller Support and the UI for all users. We also have some news to share about a transition to a new Online Back End that we have been working on for a while. And finally, for those of you craving some balance in your lives, we will be divulging some information regarding our plans and progress for balancing. Read on!
Further UI and Controller Support Improvements
For gamepad users, we are currently working on some further features, which we will be adding to the game as and when they are ready. These improvements include:
Playstation controller support and UI integration.
Rumble.
We will be adding a deadzone for analogue stick input to help those with drifting issues.
The ability to remap controller buttons, and;
Mapping templates so you can switch easily between predefined layouts.
For all players, both those who use controllers and those who play with keyboard & mouse, we will also be eventually adding new functionality to the reward selection popups, allowing them to be minimised and queued.
You can expect some of these features soon, while others still require more development time.
Moving Wolcen's backend infrastructure into the future.
Over the course of September, we will be switching our backend infrastructure from Gamesparks to an in-house solution built by our engineering team. This will ensure that we can handle future game development and improve the scalability, fault tolerance, and performance of our services. Migrating the player database to this new solution will require a downtime period, during which players will not be able to access Wolcen’s online component. We will, of course, be giving you all advance notice once we have narrowed down the exact date when the migration will take place. Once complete, no action will be required on your part except to connect to an online game and play!
Balancing Plans
Some time ago, we mentioned we were preparing a balancing pass for all skills in the game, and now we are at a stage where we will start internal playtesting very soon. With this little milestone, we wanted to take a moment to reiterate the scope of our intentions and provide some context for our plans. Along with Skills, we will be doing a balance pass on Unique items to help promote their utility, value, and potential for interesting builds. On top of that, we will also be assessing the parity of Weapon Types, with a particular focus on 2-handed weapons (barbarian archetypes, rejoice!).
These extensive balancing changes are being developed with future content in mind, and therefore will launch with Chapter 4 as they are fundamentally intertwined with what the new Chapter will bring. If you missed Chapter 4’s announcement, you can read it here.
While we cannot reveal much about Chapter 4 yet, we hope to give you some more specific information about balancing in subsequent communication updates. In the meantime, sound off below or on our Discord about what Skills, Uniques or builds you want to see buffed or made viable (or perhaps even nerfed, you monster).
Patch 1.1.6.3
Added functionality that allows gamepad users to view the second item in a dual slot when comparing item tooltips. (Y on Xbox controllers).
Resolved an issue that was preventing players from comparing vendor items with their own equipped items.
Fixed an issue where, in certain scenarios, the tooltip of an equipped dual slot item would disappear after pressing shift if one of the slots is empty.
Fixed an issue where the tooltip of the first item in a vendor's inventory would disappear when switching tabs with a gamepad.
Resolved an issue which caused gamepad input prompts in the Gate of Fates screen to display "Default Text".
Fixed an issue which prevented the cancel invite option from showing in the main menu if the host was in-game and then went back to the main menu to send an invite.
Fixed an issue where the Interaction menu in the Friends List would stay open after the friend had gone offline.
Fixed an issue in the Gate of Fates screen where node tooltips could display over the Reassign Points confirmation UI.
Fixed an issue where launching the game with a slider in Audio Settings set to 0% would display 0.00 instead of 0%.
Fixed an issue that would cause navigation sound effects to stop triggering in menus after a brief period.
1.1.6.2
Resolved an issue where the equipped dual-slot item currently shown in tooltips during item comparison would change randomly. For gamepad users, we will be adding a button in the near future to allow switching which dual-slot item is displayed during item comparison.
Resolved an issue where the warning, "Your level is too low to equip this item", was obscured by longer item tooltips.
Patch 1.1.6.1
Fixed an issue where the "Willpower Generation" entry in the Character Sheet was displaying an incorrect value.
Fixed an issue where the hunt progress bar would overlap the quest progress tracker.
Resolved an instance of broken subtitling in a specific cutscene in Chapter 2.
Ultrawide monitor users can launch operations from the War Table once again.
Enlarged the exit button of the Hunt Choices menu.
Fixed a Softlock where exiting the Hunt Choices menu without choosing an option would prevent interaction with other UI elements.
Fixed an issue which prevented stats in the 'Skills' tab of the Character Sheet from updating when changing equipment.
Fixed an issue on controllers where pressing A to interact with an NPC to start an event would rapidly start said event rather than allow the player to press A again to accept.
Fixed an issue which could cause the quest progress tracker to expand infinitely in story mode.
Fixed an issue that would prevent an equipped weapon's tooltip from appearing after pressing shift on mouse & keyboard.
Fixed an issue where unfriending a grouped player would also remove them from the grouped category in the friends list.
Fixed an issue where some dynamic stats in the Character Sheet would not display at all.
Realigned the text in the 'leave group' popup.
Controller buttons with no function in the main menu no longer trigger SFX.
Resolved an issue that would cause item graphics in tooltips to flicker when pressing shift on keyboard.
Fixed an issue that would cause an enemy's health bar to disappear in some instances whilst using a controller.
Patch 1.1.6.0 - Controller Support
Wolcen patch 1.1.6.0 is now live. This patch brings:
<*> Controller Support. <*> A new UI for both controller and keyboard & mouse players. <*> Quality of Life improvements. <*> Bug fixes.
Controller support has arrived. Grab a controller, sit back, and enjoy a whole new way of playing Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem. You can swap between a controller and keyboard & mouse at any time simply by using your desired input method. While both inputs essentially share the same UI, there are a few bespoke elements for each method that will change automatically.
As of now, official Wolcen controller support is limited to Xbox controllers. However, other controllers can potentially be used with Steam’s controller configuration options. In addition, we will be implementing a few extra features after this patch at a later date: rebinding functionality so you can customise your control scheme and, for those who prefer their shapes to letters, UI icons for Playstation controllers!
Targeting system
When playing with a controller, you will be aided in combat by a targeting system that follows a few basic rules:
By default, the system automatically selects the closest available target within a cone in front of the player character. If there is no target within that cone, the overall nearest target is selected regardless of direction.
Whilst attacking an enemy already targeted by the system, the target will 'hold' on that enemy for a brief period. The system will not select another target unless a small window of time has elapsed without a subsequent attack from the player and there is another closer target, or the original target is dead.
The system comes with a target lock button that will continue to override the system indefinitely as long as the button is held.
Note that some abilities override this system, such as abilities that have a manually placeable area of effect.
With the addition of controller support we’ve taken the opportunity to completely remake large portions of the game’s UI, partly to accommodate controller support and partly to update and generally improve the player experience across the board.
The new UI elements include:
The Character Sheet
Two versions of the Player Inventory: one dedicated to keyboard & mouse, and one to controller use. Which UI is visible depends on which input method you are using at that time.
The player’s Storage Chest.
Player Cosmetics: dyes, armour skins, and pets.
Item Tooltips.
The Loot Filter.
Merchant Screens.
A series of Navigation Menus to change screens when using a controller.
The Main Menu.
The Options Menu.
Other UI elements that have not changed significantly have still been updated where appropriate to match the new art style and quality.
Controller Navigation
When using a controller, you can access a radial navigation menu by holding the view/select button on your controller. From this radial menu you can access your Inventory/Character Sheet, your Skills & Modifiers screen, the Gate of Fates, Aspects of Apocalypse, and Stormfall Overview. A short press of the view/select button will allow you to quickly bring up your inventory and character sheet.
Whilst in any menu screen, you can navigate to other screens by using the left and right bumpers, while left and right triggers will navigate between tabs within your current menu.
Whilst in a dual-panel screen, such as the new Character Sheet/Inventory screen, you can switch which panel your controller is focused on by tapping the view/select button on your controller.
Armour skins, dyes, and pets are now integrated into one menu for easy access.
The Character Information Screen has been retooled to present more information at a glance within clearly defined categories. Additionally, the Character Information Sheet now automatically opens alongside the Inventory so you can easily track stat changes as you change gear.
Autosort buttons have been added to the player inventory and storage chests. Pressing the button will automatically organise your inventory or specific storage page.
Active Skill Modifiers in the Skills & Modifiers screen now have categorised icons so you can determine at-a-glance what each modifier does.
Bringing controller support to Wolcen has been a broad undertaking and has impacted nearly every element in the game, big or small, to some degree. We were deeply aware of how highly-requested this feature is for many players prior to and during its development, and we are as equally keen to get it in your hands (as it were). There will be some unforeseen quirks and bugs, which we will address in post-patch hotfixes after this initial release.
Additionally, we will be adding extra features post-release, including:
Button remapping on controllers,
Templates for controllers,
Rumble options.
We are keen to hear your feedback on both the new UI and the controller gameplay so we can address any remaining issues and add extra quality of life features in the near future. As always, an excellent place to share feedback in on our Official Discord, where you can share your ideas with the community or send us direct messages.
Fixed a Skill issue where the 'Erupting Flesh' Active Skill Modifier for Plagueburst would not correctly increase the skill's damage.
Fixed a Skill issue where the 'Expendable Meat' Active Skill Modifier for Plagueburst would show the damage done to the player's summon when exploding.
Fixed a Skill issue where the 'Mortiferous Guest' Active Skill Modifier for Plagueburst would incorrectly summon rats when allied summons explode.
Fixed a UI issue where clicking on Zanafer Stark whilst her shop UI is open would cause the current tab to empty.
Fixed an Item issue where bows were treated as Offhands instead of Weapons when comparing items.
Fixed an Animation issue where female characters dual-wielding a pistol and a melee weapon would not settle into an animation loop whilst attacking at melee range, causing animations to desynchronise from damage ticks.
Fixed a VFX issue where the ice-nova visual effect of the Winter's Grasp Active Skill Modifier, 'Glacial Blast', would incorrectly trigger when an enemy was killed by the skill rather than frozen by it.
Fixed a UI issue in multiplayer where the 'Return to Last Checkpoint' button would briefly disappear for all players after one player had pressed it.
Monthly Development Update - July 2022
Greetings Ascended,
We would like to give you a quick update about the upcoming Controller Support patch and a little bonus tease about upcoming content. We are in the very last polishing phase and will be able to deliver a whole new way of playing Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem very soon. Play the game with either a Controller or a Mouse & Keyboard whilst benefiting from the almost entirely overhauled in-game UI and the Quality of Life additions we will be shipping with this patch.
Outside of the Controller Support team, our other teams have been busily working on new story content for Wolcen, and we are now deep into production of a new Chapter. We hope to share details with you soon, but, for the moment, we can say that Chapter 4 has been uniquely designed for replayability and will offer something for players who value narrative and players who value endgame.
Thank you for your patience, and have a great day!