Unsung Ballads News

Hi All!

A new big update is coming soon containing the changes talked about in the dev logs since last update.
It already is on the test branch (for both the EA and Playtest versions), so if you want you can try it out right now and feedback would be much appreciated.

To change the game branch open the game properties from the library -> click Betas -> then select from the Beta Participation dropdown "test - Public Test Branch".


Previous saves will not be visible to the new version.

Enjoy!

Hi All!

September went by in a flash, but we haven't been idle.

The focus this past month has been on making the changes needed to support the mutations system. We're finally in a place where we can iterate content much more easily.

We've also worked on AI, and some enemies might act differently based on what cards they draw.

Other notable changes: weapon icons, video effects, and critical path marking.



While we're gearing up for our biggest Early Access update, note that the previous saves will not be compatible.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Hi All,

It's been another busy month, so quite a few things to talk about!

While the focus has been on enabling the supernatural part of the game, we had to invest much time into the game progression, which the mutation system depends on. This new system will allow players to push the boundaries of attributes over those of mere humans into the realm of Ballads.

Along with that central piece of work, we are also introducing the first item drops - which we talked about in the last dev log.

Of course, that highlighted a few issues with the inventory, one was that we had to mark new items appropriately.



Finally, we've also been working on the world map, touching it here and there and introducing a zoom functionality (which still needs a bit of UI work, as seen in the last dev log).



That's all for now, enjoy the weekend!

Hi Everyone,

It's been a while since our last update, and we've been busy.

For the past several weeks, the focus has been on weapon variants and mission rewards.

The first weapon variants introduced are several swords - some curved, some straight. They are historically inspired and have different effects on cards, both beneficial and detrimental. Each comes with its own visual representation and inventory icon to make recognition at a glance possible.



The default/standard/vanilla sword is based on the arming sword, or more specifically, on the Replica of the Sword of Saint Maurice (see wiki page )



Next up is the gladius, which is currently as long as a spatha. We might rename it that, although spathas were historically used by cavalry units. This one, specifically, has a golden guard, golden pommel, and ivory grip.



Finally, the sicas. These have been especially difficult to draw, as there are multiple sources with their interpretations of how they looked. You can see below the evolution of the cel-shaded civilian sica, which is still a work in progress:



We've also been working on new armor suits. Drawing them is a lot more complex due to the number of different components and, more importantly, their angled appearance. We'll share more on this later.

Of course, creating the art is only a small part of the feature. Much effort goes into the code and data necessary to support it. Different enemies have different chances of being equipped with different weapon variants. For example, bandits are more likely to sport a civilian sica, while deserters are less likely and may instead be equipped with a gladius.

The players need to be able to obtain all those new weapon variants, so we thought it was the best time to finally add item drops to combat missions. As an initial implementation, each mission now has a chance for an enemy to drop their weapons. Missions that have an item drop will be marked with a special icon.



That's all for now; follow the game on Steam for more news, and please wishlist if you haven't already.
Enjoy the weekend!

Hi Everyone,

We're excited to reveal the latest update, introducing two interconnected systems into the game: Duties and Attributes.

The attribute system, acronym S.A.D.I.C., adds more depth to the character progression and performance. Attributes values can range from Abysmal to Balladic with 7 total levels, and can be improved through training, combat and duties, and affect many different aspects of the character, from the damage they deal with certain weapons, to how many cards they can draw and keep in their hand at the end of the turn.

You can now hover over each one to get a list of current bonuses and what the next level would bring.


You can also hover over each combat attribute to see where the different bonuses are coming from.


The other major system, the Duties, is primarily used to boost attribute progression, at least at lower ranks.
Duties are assigned at intervals of 3 days for Trainees and 5 for higher ranks. When it is time for duty, the "Pass Time" hourglass button turns into a duty button, and a new badge also appears on the map.


You can't train until you complete the duty, but you can still go on missions as those take priority in the eyes of the Legion.

As a trainee, you will only have access to 3 duties initially, and that number increases as you go up the ranks.
When it's time for your assigned duty, a new screen will show the available duties as cards for you to inspect. Selection is done with cards face down currently, but the plan is to have up to 5 cards and have the cards face up in certain cases.


One thing to note about the Duties screen is that it has a lot of animations, some of them quite long. The good news is you can skip them by pressing SPACEBAR. One of our philosophies is "do not waste the player's time needlessly", so this is the first step in aligning the execution of our game with that philosophy. Animations are great, they are the bread and butter, the cherry on the topping, but when you've seen the same one the hundredth time it can become annoying. So we took a page from Civilization here.

Apart from these two major systems, there have been several touches to UI, and bug fixes, all of which we'll detail in another post.

Thank you for your continued support!
If you haven't already please wishlist and consider buying our game, or if you have any questions or feedback don't hesitate to contact us on the forums or our Discord.

Enjoy!