SWORDHAVEN News

Greetings, friends!



Another few months have passed, which means it's time for another Swordhaven update; this one inspired by both our roadmap and your feedback: ideas and suggestions from the forums, Discord, as well as those we have got while featuring our game on Gamescom this August.



Now, without further ado: what's new?



This update introduces the Merchant background. Like all the others, the Merchant gets a unique first companion, a personal quest, and their own dungeon.



The Thieves Guild has its first quest, and Swordhaven now has a few more characters, along with new loot and books for the bookseller. We've also started working on the end-game content, though it's still a bit too early to show it to you.



Several smaller locations have also been added. You can now explore the Bleached Bone Cave and the mansion near Swordhaven (which you'll be able to settle in the future). There's also a new test ferry NPC at the Drunken Snapper Inn who can take you to the upper part of the map.



Speaking of exploration, beta players can now try out a new mode of transportation we've saved for the mid-to-late game: sea travel. There's a work-in-progress version of the character who grants you Angra, a sturdy ship fit for roaming the Gulf of Swordhaven.



To make travelling the map more fun, both on water and on dry land, we've added new text-based and combat encounters. You might come across giant worms in the savannah, improved (and generally tougher) featherbeasts, new giant frog variants and jungle-dwelling pumas, or face off against pirates and sea jellies on the open seas.



The hunting mechanic has also been updated for the new region types, each hunt type featuring a unique flavour and a small percentage chance to discover and fight a unique hunt superboss in each of the three new biomes.



Taking your suggestions on board, we've expanded the character customisation options. New head variants have been added to the character creation menu, though they're still a work in progress.


Your companions got new pictures for their specific backgrounds.

Your suggestions have also influenced enemy and companion balance, the placement of HP bars (which now hover above everything), and the issue you reported with activating interactive objects from too far away, which has been fixed in all known cases.

You can also now craft a potion with the Enthrall effect, which makes human enemies fight on your side for a few rounds, and learn the Beast Call ability from a book found in Swordhaven, allowing you to use a Survival check to temporarily recruit non-boss, non-plant-based creatures for a few rounds at a time.



Another issue you reported was friendly fire, which is now fixed for most skills, with more patches on the way. Friendly fire will still apply for certain enemy skills and items, such as the explosive potions you can craft at the alchemy station.



As always, new weapon models, new armour and shield models and icons were added to the game with this update.

We really hope that you enjoy trying out the Merchant in Swordhaven 0.8, and please stay tuned for much, much more!

Yours,
Atom Team

Greetings, friends!

Time to share the next update to Swordhaven.



While last time we focused mainly on new and updated mechanics, this time the effort was directed towards adding fresh touches to the city of Swordhaven itself, as well as enhancing the diversity of the surrounding world.
Another aspect we focused on was continuing the previously existing questlines. Of course, there were numerous bug fixes that we managed to implement thanks to your incredible reporting.
The game was also optimised, certain weapons and armour were rebalanced, and new features were added.



First of all, the crown jewel of Nova Drakonia received the following:

• New interiors were added. Characters have also been added to previously existing interiors, some connected with little side-quests, for example check the Armour and Weapon stores;
  
• Another important interior now populated is the bookstore, meaning you can finally purchase all manner of crafting manuals, complete a quest from the first village, and discover a secret that... Well, the less we say, the better;
  
• Generally, the world has over a dozen new notes, books, and manuals. You can explore and read them for flavour, as well as to gather hints about what's to come;
  
• New interiors have also been added to the Docks and Slums, not all of them lived in, but still filled with loot;
  
• Lady Korryne, previously encountered in the final stages of the sprawling volcano dungeon, can now be found at her own mansion. Be sure to check out the related quest she offers, as it leads into a new dungeon;
  
• The Bandit background now also boasts a unique dungeon, complete with a related quest, puzzles, and a boss!
  

Now let's talk about the changes to the world:

• New biomes have been added, including jungles and savannahs. All of them have their own maps, filled with new types of random encounters that are more challenging, and feature monsters specifically designed to inhabit these areas;
  
• Three new hunting text-based minigames were also added to these new biomes. Search the jungles for rare alchemical ingredients and more. Hunt-related megabosses are soon to follow;
  
• Swordhaven sewers were revamped and we are starting to populate it with characters, as well as related quests;
  
• Without spoiling much, you can now also face... THE KRAKEN!
  

Finally, the technical and mechanical improvements:

• While this is still a work in progress, all Jackets now contribute to the wearer's Health pool, distinguishing them from Armours, which generally add Damage Threshold, and make light-on-their-feet stealthy builds much more viable than before;
  
• There were some difficulty tweaks made: harder monsters received a slight nerf, while their more pathetic brethren were given sharper fangs and claws. Hopefully, this update will provide a more balanced experience;
  
• Gamepad functionality was updated with an improved UX and fixes to certain control mechanics like full party control;
  
• Ragdoll-related issues were fixed, which includes Snapper death poses, some enemies falling through the ground, and other related glitches;
  
• Combat freezing glitch was eradicated as well;
  
• Unique soundscapes were provided for all new locations and interiors;
  
• It is now possible to view location names by hovering over the locations;
  
• New tutorials have been added at the beginning of the game, making the start more user-friendly;
  
• New player portraits have been added;
  
• Numerous player-reported bugs have also been fixed. We owe you one!
  

We've also used our time to begin work on some of the end-game locations we'll showcase in future patches, including a multi-level Balta Ore Mines dungeon.
A new character background is in the pipeline, and they will also receive a unique dungeon with a boss, complete with a tragic backstory.

There is much more to come, and we hope that you will enjoy this new step towards letting our Early Access title take shape and resemble the awaited release version more fully.

Please stay tuned, and be sure to leave your feedback in the comments or over on Discord!

Yours,
Atom Team

Greetings, friends!

It is finally time to share with you the newest major update to Swordhaven. Here is a general overview of what to expect as soon as you update your game to v0.6.0:


A new Player background has been added. The Waidelott is a priest of the Dragon Cult that came to Nova Drakonia for spiritual reasons, as well as to grow in their profession, but it will only be up to you if they succeed in this, or find a new meaning in life.


As with all other backgrounds, the Waidelott has a unique personal quest with a new dungeon, a unique boss enemy, NPC interactions, follower and more.


Speaking of followers, now every constant companion has a unique starting combat technique which may not be found in any of the skill trees. Some abilities heal, some are used for stealing, and some deal damage, buff allies or debuff foes, but all are sure to serve as fun additions to the gameplay.


Old Quarter is now fully built, with loot scattered in the outside areas and all interiors available for visitation, though populating them with people is something for the next update.

Other new locations like the bad side of the city and the city docks have also been added, though these are still very much a work in progress.
Just like we did with Old Quarter, we believe sharing them in this incomplete state with you is a way to show what is to come and listen to your feedback, so please pay them a visit!


Visiting these new places in the city will prove easy, since we have as of now added an interactive map that pops up whenever you transition from one place to another, letting you pick which already visited district to fast-travel to.


In regard to QoL, it has been significantly improved. We've added features to movement, such as preventing teammates from blocking access to chests. Although this new pathfinding system is currently a bit wonky in places where the old one wasn't, these issues will be addressed, and overall, we'll be left with much smarter movement for the release.


Also, now there's no such thing as a crafting failure where you lose your ingredients without crafting an item. With this new addition, your Crafting skill determines how much durability your tool loses after each attempt. This means you'll wear through your tools faster at low Crafting levels and more slowly at high levels, but your crafting will always produce the item you want.
We have also changed the last Crafting perk to something much more viable. Now you will have a chance to *not* use an ingredient and still craft the item you wish to make. We also added helpful %chance indicators that display your chance to pickpocket or lockpick after you make a single attempt to do so on Normal.
There is also now a Bluff skillperk that allows you to escape reputation diminishment when caught stealing or pickpocketing. It works great with the new chance display QoL feature, give it a try!


Speaking of Crafting, another important addition to check out is the new mining mechanic: Some random encounter maps now feature underground areas that can spawn ore veins, which can be mined with a pickaxe. Ore can then be crafted into valuable ingots if you've studied this recipe by reading an appropriate smithing manual. Ore veins also sometimes appear in cave-type story dungeons such as the Snatcher's Lair.


A number of lesser additions have also been made. Characters sporting new costumes and portraits. Guards now patrol the streets of Swordhaven. Spawners in the Sewers and on random encounter maps have been tweaked to prevent farming. We've added unique models to many loot items. Two new fully animated chest types have been introduced for dungeons and dwellings. The weapon modification information is now much more cohesive. Enemies in random encounters have been rebalanced. Additionally, new weapons have been added, including a unique dagger, a secret maul, and more.
The list goes on!


Finally, game slowdown in some areas has been eradicated thanks to your feedback. We really appreciate your help and hope that it continues in the future!

Yours,
Atom Team


New mods:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3513925059
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3505044111

[p][/p][p]Dear players![/p][p][/p][p]As we get closer to the full release of Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy, we want to share our roadmap for version 1.0 and what you can expect over the coming months.[/p][p]First, thank you to everyone who is supporting us through Early Access, leaving feedback, reporting bugs, and helping us shape the game. Your support means the world to us![/p][p][/p][p]Release Plan and Roadmap[/p][p]We’re working hard on Swordhaven and have a clear update schedule ahead. Please keep in mind that these dates are approximate; we’re living in unpredictable times, but we’ll do our best to stay on track. Here’s what’s coming:[/p][p][/p][p]July – 0.6.0: New character background is available, a new dungeon, and several previously closed areas in Swordhaven City will become explorable.[/p][p]August – 0.7.0: Swordhaven Docks, Swordhaven Beggars Corner, Korina’s House, Pirate Fort, and more.[/p][p]September – 0.8.0: Bone Shore and Drunken Snapper Inn, Ķirzaka Castle, and related storylines.[/p][p]October – 0.9.0: Balta Mines open up for exploration.[/p][p]December – 1.0.0: Full release! The player base and the complete storyline (no spoilers here).[/p][p]Jan/Feb – 1.0.5: General bug fixes and polish based on your feedback.[/p][p]March – 1.1: Updates focused on fulfilling Kickstarter goals.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Modding, Localization, and Controller Support[/p][p]Modding: Mod support was introduced in 0.5.1. We’re excited to see what you create![/p][p][/p][p]Localization: We’d love to add more languages, but we’re limited by budget. If you’re interested in helping with proofreading or community translation, please reach out—we’d be happy to work with you.[/p][p][/p][p]Controller Support: Already available and will be improved for the 1.0 release.[/p][p][/p][p]After 1.0[/p][p]Even after the full release, we’ll continue to support the game with updates, especially those tied to community requests. Your bug reports and suggestions are always welcome and help us make Swordhaven even better.[/p][p][/p][p]P.S[/p][p]Thanks again for being part of this journey. Your feedback, encouragement, and support have been crucial every step of the way. If you have any questions or want to help out especially with localization or testing, please let us know on Facebook, Twitter, Steam, Discord, or by email [email protected][/p][p][/p][p]Let’s make Swordhaven the best game it can be together. [/p][p][/p][p]Yours,[/p][p]AtomTeam [/p]

Greetings, friends!
Hope you're ready for love! Or, for finally being able to create fully integrable mods of any complexity. Or, if not that, for playing the game without the pesky issues our last patch introduced by mistake! Cuz this time, we've got a little something for everyone.
Patch v.0.5.1 fixes an array of problems you helped us discover after the last big update. It also greatly improves the existing ModKit infrastructure and adds an example mod featuring a fully functional companion for you to either bring along—or dissect to learn how the NPC creation node constructor system works. That’s something that'll help with any modding project you may have. We even threw in something we're still avoiding in the base game—a semi-hidden romance path modded into her teammate dialogue. We really hope you enjoy it. Now, onto the changelogs:

[h3]Changelog for Swordhaven v.0.5.1:[/h3]

• Fixed camera height inside Gate Quarter buildings;
  
• Updated Old Quarter and Gate Quarter ambiance and step zones;
  
• Added icons for some items;
  
• Fixed teammate death bug on easy difficulty;
  
• Fixed NPC and item duplication issues from the release patch (issue not present in v.0.5.0);
  
• Fixed incorrect trigger activation;
  
• Fixed doors in the sewer;
  
• Fixed bugs with quest after payment (Wustus);
  
• Killing Tomer now fails related quests;
  
• Many distinctions now displayed as a list in the overview;
  
• Fixed issues with some quests;
  
• Fixed TAA mode bugs;
  
• Added sound effects for traps and toxic sewer zones;
  
• Fixed bugs in main quest progression with Bundza;
  
• Improved crocodile boss cutscene sound effects;
  
• Fixed character shaking after combat;
  
• Shield now fades properly when fallen;
  
• Fixed bug with money during trading;
  
• Hunting disabled on Mysterious Mound;
  
• Fixed various bugs with chests and inventory;
  
• NPCs Aldar and Dobrel now appear correctly when starting a new game;
  
• Updated and improved the Circus and Beast cutscene;
  
• Updated map for Secluded Valley;
  
• Fixed repeated quest encounters in beta for saves not overwritten after the bug appeared;
  
• Removed extra scene when starting a new game;
  
• Fixed worker animation;
  

[h3]Changelog for ModKit:[/h3]

• New location added to the world map near Clamreach;
  
• New companion character Liris added;
  
• Added new armour, weapons, and helmet;
  

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3478409150


Please share your thoughts, and thank you so much for reading this far.
Yours,
Atom Team