Experimental Update 3 – try out the upcoming changes!

Dear Viceroys!

In this Experimental Update (Early Access v0.16.7E) we want to address your feedback regarding both the Resolve system and the imbalances between the playable species.

HOW THE RESOLVE WORKED

Until now, Resolve was a mix of a few concepts. In its most basic form, it was a number from 0 to 100 representing the well-being and will of a given species. There was also the “Resolve Change” parameter, which was a sum of all effects that impacted a given species: needs fulfilled, perks, weather effects, etc. The Resolve Change value determined whether Resolve was increasing or decreasing. 

To prevent constant fluctuations and a simple +1 modifier resulting in max Resolve, we introduced Stagnation. With its own set of complex rules, Stagnation was growing and decreasing together with the Resolve value. We achieved the effect we wanted, but at the cost of reduced readability. With all the differences between species, it was almost impossible to say how a simple Resolve Effect (for example the penalty from Fallen Human Explorers) would affect a given species. The system was incredibly hard to explain in detail (just look at the length of this paragraph) and almost impossible to accurately play around with.

WHAT WE CHANGED

From now on Resolve will be a flat number. It will range from 0 to 50, and each species will start with a base value. With 10 base Resolve, Beavers under the influence of “Beaver Clan Support” (+3 to Beaver Resolve) will end up with 13 resolve. Instead of unpredictable stagnation, there will be only 2 concepts to grasp: Current Resolve and Target Resolve. 

Current Resolve reflects the Resolve a given species currently has, and Target Resolve is the sum of all effects – in other words, the value that the Current Resolve will eventually reach over time. So in the previous example, Current Resolve would be 10 and the Target Resolve would be 13.

New species characteristics

Additionally, we also changed how species relate to Resolve. Previously, this entire aspect was not really well balanced and poorly explained. With this update, we introduce a set of traits/rules that describe each species:

• Trustful (base Resolve)
• Resilient (how fast the Resolve is reacting to change)
• Demanding (how much Resolve is needed to gain Reputation)
• Decadent (how far the Reputation bar is moving up after gaining a point)

That would make the species:

• Humans: Trustful with low resilience. Mildly demanding and mildly decadent.
• Beavers: Mildly trustful with low resilience. Very demanding, but not decadent.
• Lizards: Resilient, but distrustful. Non-demanding but very decadent.
• Harpies: Distrustful and not resilient. Non-demanding and not decadent.

With the positive stagnation gone and clear rules regarding each species’ relation to Resolve, there should be no clear “winners” and “losers”.

Characteristics Table

WHAT WE’RE INTERESTED IN

Our target was to make the game a bit harder (no more tanky Beavers) while allowing much more control over the villagers’ Resolve. But as Resolve is one of the core systems in the game, it’s incredibly easy to break the game’s delicate balance with this change. We want to make sure nothing gets trampled in the midst of battle, and all the elements (base Resolve, perks, Storm effects, Hostility, Reputation from Resolve) are still nicely fitting together. On top of the balance, we want to hear your opinion about the general direction of those changes (maybe you’ve enjoyed uncertainty and the emotions it built around the previous system). We will spend the next few days reading through your feedback and adjusting the balance accordingly.

HOW TO PLAY EXPERIMENTAL UPDATES

Experimental Updates are kept on the separate branch. In order to play it, you need to install Against the Storm – Experimental Branch.

The Experimental Updates will in many cases be in a very raw state. Changes are not localized, there can be bugs, and the balance might feel way off. It has a separate save file from the main version and your progress can’t be transferred from the Experimental Branch to the main version.

You can also use the developer console on the Experimental Branch. Discover the developer commands here: Experimental Branch.

Thank you for your constant support and may the Storm be gentle on you!
Eremite Games

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