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Explore the Cursed Battlefield in the new Update!

Sep 1, 2022

Greetings Viceroys!

Today’s intro is dedicated to players with a short attention span.

What’s new:

  • Cursed Woodland’s unique mechanic: Restless Spirits
  • Rebalanced Cornerstones
  • New event: Harmony Spirit Altar
  • And more!

That’s all the essential stuff you need to know. Now you can play and discover the rest by yourself!

But if you want to learn a little bit more, continue reading for our design notes, the full changelog, and the community corner.

If you like the game and the updates, you can support us by letting your friends know about Against the Storm.

Get the game!Available in Early Access
Play the demo!Settle Royal Woodlands

DEVELOPER NOTES

It’s already the 23rd bi-weekly update to Against the Storm, and as always, we have some exciting stuff for you! This time it was a bit more challenging to prepare because some of us went to gamescom last week (cheers to all the amazing AtS players we met there!), but we hope you will not be let down by the new content that’s coming into the game. Most notably – a Cursed Royal Woodlands revamp, 5 new perks, one new Glade Event, and a major Cornerstone rebalance.

First off – the Cursed Royal Woodlands revamp. This biome has been in the game for a long time now. It was introduced almost a year ago, in the first ever update just after the Early Access launch (and before that it was teased in the first public demo of Against the Storm), but it was never really that exciting or unique (aside from its visuals). What’s more, after introducing World Map Modifiers, it simply became redundant and had no effect attached to it whatsoever. So today we decided to change that.

Restless Spirits

From now on, the Cursed Royal Woodlands will have two unique effects. The first one, Cursed Battlefield, will reshape the forest – all Glades will be the same size, and no dangerous or forbidden markers will be visible. The second one, Restless Spirits, will spawn ghosts in some of the Glades. The ghosts will have special assignments and small tasks for you to complete.

The ghosts’ requests can range from trivial busywork (like cutting down more trees and delivering goods) to malevolent tasks of questionable moral quality (like starving villagers). Every ghost will reward you for your efforts, and some might become vengeful when you ignore them.

Ghost of Blight Fighter Captain’s request

Overall, this biome is designed to be a bit more challenging and surprising than others. We wanted to give exploration a bit of a different spin in this environment and focus more on the lore and flavor of the region (as lore-wise it’s the place where the most tragic battles during the Great Civil War happened). With the Cursed Royal Woodlands done, we now also only have the Scarlet Orchard left on our list of underwhelming biome mechanics – this means that once we get around to fixing that, you can expect some brand new environments in the game.

But the biome revamp isn’t everything we bring you today. There’s also one new Glade Event – the Harmony Spirit Altar (it can be converted into a decoration!), and a major Cornerstone rebalance. Let’s talk a bit more about the latter.

Harmony Spirit Altar

For a while now we’ve felt that there are many perks in the game that fall into one of two categories: overpowered, and almost worthless. Such a division forms naturally in most balance scenarios, as players find meta builds and optimal tactics, but we wanted to at least shake up the most notorious ones.

Our philosophy is by no means that of total standardization – it’s good to have powerful synergies and perks you are genuinely excited about (and these wouldn’t be possible without some less optimal choices). But at the same time, we care about giving players a lot of different interesting options. It’s always more fun to choose between three Cornerstones you want, rather than always going with the one no-brainer perk with the best output. Our aim was exactly that – boost underperforming perks, nerf some overpowered ones, and encourage more diverse playstyles. The full list of perks can be found in the changelog below. 

We hope you’ll enjoy the new changes. And if you’d like to share your ideas for upcoming updates, here are some useful links:

Have fun and may the storm be gentle on you,
Eremite Games

CHANGELOG

Number of changes

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Inspired by community

Changes marked with ⚡ were inspired by community.

New content and features

  • ⚡ Reworked the Cursed Royal Woodlands biome. 
    • All glades in the Cursed Royal Woodlands are now the same size. Dangerous and Forbidden Glades are not marked.
    • Added a new mechanic to the Cursed Royal Woodlands – Restless Spirits.
    • Restless Spirits are similar to Glade Events but can appear alongside them and are not limited to only Dangerous and Forbidden Glades. They will ask the player for small favors (so-called Requests) or specific goods. 
    • There are calm and angry spirits. The calm ones will simply disappear if their wish isn’t granted. The angry ones will take vengeance.
    • After fulfilling a spirit’s request, it will leave a reward chest behind.
    • Restless Spirits’ requests can range from harmless busy work (like rebuilding a ruin) to morally ambiguous tasks (like starving villagers or growing Blightrot).
    • There are 30 unique Restless Spirits in the game, each with unique animations and a little bit of lore. Here are a few examples:
      • Ghost of a Blight Fighter Captain
      • Ghost of a Suppressed Rebel
      • Ghost of a Hooded Knight
      • Ghost of a Lizard General
    • The Cursed Royal Woodlands biome will now appear more frequently on the World Map and may even spawn more than just one tile in a given place (although it’s still rarer than other biomes).
  • ⚡ Added a new Glade Event.
    • Harmony Spirit Altar – An old altar found in the wilds. The ancient language carved in the stone proclaims: “Light a fire at the altar to gain the blessing of the Spirit of Harmony”.
  • Added 5 new Cornerstones:
    • Exploration Training – Rigorous training makes scouts exceptionally efficient. Every 5 villagers with the need for Bloodthirst fulfilled increase the chance of bringing back double the number of goods from Events by +20%.
    • Families Gratitude – Relatives of your villagers send gifts for treating their family members well. Get 40 Waterskins for every full Reputation Point obtained through high resolve.
    • Old Fedora Hat – An old inscription on the bottom of the hat says: “Fortune and glory”. Increases the chance of bringing back double the number of goods from Glade Events by 50%.
    • Firelink Ritual – There is nothing the Forest hates more than fire. Every 5 villagers with the need for Religion fulfilled decreases Hostility by -25.
    • Woodcutter’s Prayer – If you want to take, you must first give. +1 to Wood production. Lose all stored fuel upon picking this Cornerstone.

Balance

  • ⚡ Rebalanced numerous Cornerstones. There were quite a few perks that were too overpowered and game-defining, and there were also some that were very underwhelming. We tried to even them out a bit and allow for more valid choices when picking Cornerstones. And this time we didn’t limit ourselves to just number adjustments (some perks have undergone bigger changes, like the removal of a drawback or a mechanical change).
New effect
Back To Nature
An old, forbidden ritual. 100% more yield in all buildings using Fertile Soil. Lose all stored food (cooked and raw) upon picking this Cornerstone.
Copper Extractor
Machinery specialized in extracting copper from petrified trees. Gain 1 Copper Ore for every 5 Wood produced. Crystalized Dew production is lower by 1 (from gathering, farming, or production).
Crystaline Water
Fresh Resin still glows softly with the Rain's Essence. Gain 4 Crystalized Dew for every 20 Resin produced.
Rain Collector Filter
(the recipe is now a lot slower)
Calming the Forest
Every 2 newly solved dangerous Events lower Hostility by -50.
Protected Trade
(changed the perk's rarity from Legendary to Epic)
Crowded Houses
All houses have 1 more place.
Hunter-gatherers
All Camps production is increased by 50%, but all buildings using Fertile Soil have their yield decreased by 50%. Bonus does not affect the Woodcutters' Camp.
Ancient Pact
The cost of knowledge can be very high. You can see the content of undiscovered Glades, but discovering Dangerous or Forbidden Glades kills 1 villager.
Ritual of prosperity (renamed to Overexploration)
Newly discovered resource nodes have 20 more charges, but you gain +30 Hostility upon picking this Cornerstone.
Work Safety Guide
A standardized set of rules. Every 5 villagers with the need for Education fulfilled increase global production speed by 25%.
Trade Hub
The settlement is known as a trading hub in the region. Gain 1 Reputation Point every time you sell goods worth 60 Amber, but Reputation gain from Resolve is slower by -50%.
Prosperous Settlement
Gain a stack of the Wealth Effect (+1 to Global Resolve) each time you sell goods worth 40 Amber.
Improvised Tools
Woodcutters are tasked with creating makeshift tools. Each discovered Glade gives 5 Simple Tools, but Woodcutters have -5 to Resolve.
Deserted Caravans
Global production is 50% faster but trading is unavailable.
Sahilda's Secret Cookbook
Top 10 tips on how to cook more efficiently - by Sahilda. Gain 10 Jerky for every 10 Pie produced.
Dye Extractor
Gain 5 Pigment for every 10 Insects produced.
Peasant Supplies
Receive 3 Pack of Provisions for every new villager.
Bed and breakfast
This time it's the Guild who is going to pay you, not the other way around. Gain 10 Amber every time a Trader arrives.
Reinforced Stoves (renamed to Bread Peels)
Bakery production is 50% quicker.
Vineyard Town
The settlement specializes in Wine production. Gain +1 to Beaver Resolve for every 70 Wine produced.
Advanced Brewing (renamed to Rain Pumps)
Brewery production is 50% quicker.
Cannibalism
Gain 30 Meat every time a villager dies or leaves.
Clay Delivery Line
3 Clay per minute.
Firekeeper's Armor
Allows Firekeepers to combat Corruption more efficiently. Every burned Cyst removes an additional 50 Corruption.
Leftover Crops
Gain 1 Pack of Provisions for every 10 Herbs produced.
Precious Antiques (renamed to Guild's Catalogue)
Traders will have 1 more Cornerstone for sale.
Fiber Delivery Line
3 Plant Fiber per minute.
Grain Delivery Line
3 Grain per minute.
Cosmetic Specialization
The settlement specializes in Cosmetic production. Gain +1 to Harpy Resolve for every 70 Cosmetics produced.
Forest Mitigation
Each newly solved Glade Event lowers Hostility by -10.
Safe Haven
-40 to Hostility for every hub upgraded to level: Neighborhood (or higher).
Generous Gifts
Wealthy settlements attract wealthy settlers. Newcomers bring 40% more goods for every gained hub level.
Religious Settlement
The settlement specializes in Incense production. Gain +1 to Human Resolve for every 70 Incense produced.
Woodpecker Technique
Gain 1 Insects every time woodcutters cut 2 trees.
Training Grounds
The settlement specializes in Training Gear production. Gain +1 to Lizard Resolve for every 70 Training Gear produced.
Local Taxes
Villagers will give you their very last piece Amber for a pint of decent ale. Gain 20 Amber for every 100 Ale produced.
Reinforced Axes
Woodcutting is way easier. Woodcutters' Camp production is 40% quicker. (changed the perk's rarity from Legendary to Epic)
Biscuit Diet
A farmer's favorite dish. Farmers have a +75% chance to produce double yields when under the effect of Biscuits.
Root Delivery Line
3 Roots per minute.
Stormwalker Training
Villagers learn how to travel in the wilderness from the best - the Royal Stormwalkers. Trade Routes are faster by 40%.
Fiery Wrath
Resources you sacrifice in the Ancient Hearth burn 5% longer for every Impatience Point you have.
Old effect
Back To Nature
An old, forbidden ritual. Sacrifice 1 villager each Drizzle for 100% more yield in all buildings using Fertile Soil.
Copper Extractor
Machinery specialized in extracting copper from petrified trees. Gain 1 Copper Ore for every 12 Wood produced.
Crystaline Water
Rainwater can now be distilled even more effectively. Gain 4 Crystalized Dew for every 20 Sparkdew produced.
Rain Collector Filter
Powerful equipment for filtering small crystals. Crystalized Dew can be produced in the Rain Collector, but worker Resolve is lowered by -5.
Calming the Forest
Every 2 solved dangerous Events lower Hostility by -50. (the bonus is added retroactively)
Protected Trade
The forest recedes as heavily guarded trade caravans pour into the settlement. Hostility is reduced by -15 points every time you sell goods worth 25 Amber.
Crowded Houses
All houses have 1 more place, but break time for all villagers is increased by 25%.
Hunter-gatherers
All Camps production is increased by 50%, but all buildings using Fertile Soil have their yield decreased by 50%.
Ancient Pact
The cost of knowledge can be very high. You can see the content of undiscovered Glades but discovering a Glade kills 1 villager.
Ritual of prosperity (renamed to Overexploration)
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Newly discovered resource nodes have 20 more charges, but each time you uncover a glade 1 villagers die.
Work Safety Guide
A standardized set of rules. Every 2 villagers with the need for Education fulfilled increase global production speed by 5%.
Trade Hub
The settlement is known as a trading hub in the region. Gain 1 Reputation Point every time you sell goods worth 60 Amber, but Reputation gain from Resolve is lowered by -50%.
Prosperous Settlement
Gain a stack of the Wealth Effect (+1 to Global Resolve) each time you sell goods worth 35 Amber.
Improvised Tools
Woodcutters are tasked with creating makeshift tools. Each discovered Glade gives 4 Simple Tools, but Woodcutters have -5 to Resolve.
Deserted Caravans
Global production is 30% faster but trading is unavailable.
Sahilda's Secret Cookbook
Top 10 tips on how to cook more efficiently - by Sahilda. Gain 5 Jerky for every 10 Pie produced.
Dye Extractor
Gain 10 Pigment for every 6 Copper Bars produced.
Peasant Supplies
Receive 10 Pack of Provisions for every 10 villagers in town. (the bonus is added retroactively)
Bed and breakfast
Traders like staying in your settlement. Prices are +5% lower for every gained hub level.
Reinforced Stoves (renamed to Bread Peels)
+50% to amount of goods produced in the Bakery.
Vineyard Town
The settlement specializes in Wine production. Gain +1 to Beaver Resolve for every 75 Wine produced.
Advanced Brewing (renamed to Rain Pumps)
+60% to amount of goods produced in the Brewery.
Cannibalism
Gain 25 Meat every time a villager dies or leaves.
Clay Delivery Line
5 Clay per minute.
Firekeeper's Armor
Allows Firekeepers to combat Corruption more efficiently. The Ancient Hearth's Corruption progresses 10% slower.
Leftover Crops
Gain 1 Pack of Provisions for every 16 Herbs produced.
Precious Antiques (renamed to Guild's Catalogue)
You signed a special agreement with the Guild. Traders will have 1 more Cornerstone for sale, but Travel Cost in Trade Routes is increased by 1.
Fiber Delivery Line
5 Plant Fiber per minute.
Grain Delivery Line
5 Grain per minute.
Cosmetic Specialization
The settlement specializes in Cosmetic production. Gain +1 to Harpy Resolve for every 75 Cosmetics produced.
Forest Mitigation
Each solved Glade Event lowers Hostility by -10. (the bonus is added retroactively)
Safe Haven
-50 to Hostility for every hub upgraded to level: Neighborhood (or higher).
Generous Gifts
Wealthy settlements attract wealthy settlers. Newcomers bring 20% more goods for every gained hub level.
Religious Settlement
The settlement specializes in Incense production. Gain +1 to Human Resolve for every 75 Incense produced.
Woodpecker Technique
Gain 1 Insects every time woodcutters cut down a tree.
Training Grounds
The settlement specializes in Training Gear production. Gain +1 to Lizard Resolve for every 75 Training Gear produced.
Local Taxes
Villagers will give you their very last piece Amber for a pint of decent ale. Gain 1 Amber for every 10 Ale produced.
Reinforced Axes
Woodcutting is way easier. Woodcutters' Camp production is 50% quicker.
Biscuit Diet
A farmer's favorite dish. Farmers have a 50% chance to produce double yields when under the effect of Biscuits.
Root Delivery Line
5 Roots per minute.
Stormwalker Training
Villagers learn how to travel in the wilderness from the best - the Royal Stormwalkers. Trade Route travel time is reduced by 25%.
Fiery Wrath
Resources you sacrifice in the Ancient Hearth burn 3% longer for every Impatience Point you have.
  • ⚡ Lowered the goods required to make Flour for all recipe grades:
    • Flour (⭐) – 8 Grain/Roots/Mushrooms instead of 10.
    • Flour (⭐⭐) – 7 Grain/Roots/Mushrooms instead of 8.
    • Flour (⭐⭐⭐) – 5 Grain/Roots/Mushrooms instead of 6.
  • ⚡ Lowered the number of goods required to make Pickled Goods for all recipe grades:
    • Pickled Goods (⭕) – 7 Vegetables/Roots/Mushrooms/Berries instead of 8.
    • Pickled Goods (⭐) – 6 Vegetables/Roots/Mushrooms/Berries instead of 7.
    • Pickled Goods (⭐⭐) – 5 Vegetables/Roots/Mushrooms/Berries instead of 6.
    • Pickled Goods (⭐⭐⭐) – 4 Vegetables/Roots/Mushrooms/Berries instead of 5.
  • Increased the Resolve bonus from Pickled Goods from +6 Resolve to +8.
  • Lowered the Resolve bonus from Skewers from +6 to +5.
  • Slightly decreased the trade value of Flour.
  • Lowered the Resolve penalty for prohibiting the consumption of Skewers.
    • If the good is available in the Storage: -2 > -1
    • If the good is available in the Storage and another species is eating it: -4 > -3
  • The Resisting Flora Forest Mystery (Meat from Trees during the Storm) has been removed. It was too powerful and wasn’t really a negative effect. We might bring it back in the future as a positive modifier though (once we get into properly balancing all the Mysteries).
  • Removed 5 Cornerstones from the game:
    • Equality – Cost of rerolling blueprints is lower by 10, but Favoring is disabled.
    • Blessed Flames – Blight Fighters use the Hearth’s Holy Flame to ignite their flamethrowers. Burning a Blightrot Cyst takes 5 seconds less, but the Hearth’s Corruption grows 30% faster.
    • Meat Delivery Line – 5 Meat per minute.
    • Influential Friends – Gain 1 Cornerstone Reroll Charge for every 1 level of Standing with other settlements in Trade Routes. (the bonus is added retroactively)
    • Shorter Torment – The Storm’s duration is reduced by 33% in exchange for 33% more fuel consumption in the Hearth. (also removed as a level up reward, replaced by Firelink Ritual)
  • The Ancient Ways effect in the Clan Hall service building (boosting camp production) no longer affects Woodcutters’ Camps. The tooltip now also mentions that exception.
  • Living Matter clone no longer counts as a Glade Event

UX/UI improvements

  • ⚡ Added a storaged goods counter to sacrifice tooltips in the Hearth.
  • ⚡ Added an option to forbid the consumption of food outside of a species’ preferences. You can now prevent starving villagers from eating other species’ favorite dishes.
  • ⚡ Improved the texture of the Cursed Royal Woodlands biome in the World Map. The map tile should now be more easily visible.

Bug fixes

  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with Blightrot Cornerstones being offered in games without the mechanic enabled (Normal and Hard difficulties).
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with the Forbidden Lands Modifier spawning near the Marshlands.
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with Blight Fighters getting stuck on the map’s edge.
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with the Ruined Settlement Modifier spawning near the Marshlands.
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with the Brightstorm animation in the World Map playing on a zoomed-out screen.
  • ⚡ Fixed a typo in the Firekeeper’s Prayer Cornerstone. The description said fuel would burn faster, but in reality, it burned slower. 
  • ⚡ Fixed the progress indicator in the Stormforged version of the Urban Planning Cornerstone.
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with some Orders giving perks to Homestead production.
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with the Open Vault’s Working Effect not affecting the Harvesters’ Camp.
  • Fixed a rare bug with some clicks registering even when dragging the mouse.
  • Fixed bug with Stormforged Cornerstones being offered as Event rewards in some cases.
  • Fixed a bug with the Queen’s Advisor name not being translated to languages other than English.
  • Fixed a bug with the Combustion effect (triggered by the Wildfire Event) not destroying Sea Marrow.
  • Fixed a bug with incorrectly aligned effect icons in the villager panel.
  • Fixed a bug with Converted Glade Events displaying building materials in Atlas entries.

    Other

    • Changed the names and descriptions for the effects of the Tamed Stormbird. They are no longer generic rewards but are instead more in line with the theme of the Converted Glade Event.

    We want to thank you for all your contributions to this update. Your translations, suggestions, and reports are extremely appreciated! You can always track the progress of reported issues on our Public Bug Tracker.

    COMMUNITY CORNER

    We had a wonderful time at gamescom. It was a pleasure to meet you in person and to make new acquaintances. Thank you for stopping by and hope to see you around!

    Even though we were away, the community was busy challenging themselves. You see, there are players… and there is Arckmage:

    Prestige 20, no woodcutters? Are you kidding me?

    Although it is essential to quote Arckmage: This is on Experimental version. I do input 3 specific cornerstones for this to work. This is really more for the memes.

    Beaviful also used the Experimental Branch to try beating Prestige 5 on Level 1 with no Upgrades. How did it go? Find out:

    The main purpose of the Experimental Branch is to test the upcoming features, but if you’re looking for a new challenge you can get inspired by Arckmage and Beaviful and set up specific conditions for your next game.

    Nevertheless, we hope that the main version still holds some mysteries for you. Just like for one of our subreddit members – u/callmewoof – who found the ‘best farm ever’.

    Best farm ever by u/callmewoof.

    Meanwhile, on our Discord server, we also celebrated nyn finally getting the Paradise deed (Ensure all villagers simultaneously have every need fulfilled.). Curious how the final city looked like?

    Paradise city by nyn.

    If you want to celebrate your victories with us and other players or chat about beginner and advanced strategies, come join us on Discord.

    Speaking of strategies, let’s kick off the meme section with an accurate depiction of my Against the Storm skills:

    By Crushun.

    Definition of hype by Namylza.

    Don’t worry. We’ve all been there.

    But some things about being a Viceroy never change.

    By bubbles.

    By bubbles.

    And that’s all folks! We wish you a fantastic weekend. Maybe it will be a good time for some little party?

    Bird Party by Jhazrun.

    CONTINUE READING...