Play as Harpies before the official update!

Greetings Viceroys!

In the new Experimental Update, we are finally introducing the much-awaited Hapries! 

What’s new:

• Harpies (placeholder assets)
• New buildings (placeholder assets)
• Caravans (programmer art)
• New orders
• New perks
• And more!

We tricked you into reading this post by adding the Harpies preview image (all apologies!), but in fact, there are only placeholder assets in the game. Primarily, we want to focus on the balance and your experience, instead of the visual aspects. And you know… to keep the cool stuff for the actual update.

It’s the last stage before we release Harpies onto the main branch on February 17 and there is still a lot of balancing and bug fixing to be done. We would greatly appreciate any feedback we can get from our awesome community.

WHAT WE CHANGED

Until now, there were three species in your settlement – Humans, Beavers, and Lizards. When designing the fourth addition to this very peculiar roster, we brainstormed how we could fit Harpies into the mix. We didn’t want the game to become bloated and unreadable due to the number of different types of villagers in one settlement (especially considering that a fifth species might very well happen in the coming months). So we decided to always limit the number of species during a given game to 3 and added a new system – so-called Caravans.

Caravans are pseudo-random sets of resources and villagers you choose before starting a new settlement. They are located on the same screen as Embark Bonuses and you must choose one Caravan before starting a run. The tricky part is – they often only contain one or two species, with very different amounts of resources – so it’s always a tough choice. Do I take a bit more food with me, but at the cost of not knowing what the other two species will be? Or do I take fewer resources but at least I’m certain that I’ll have Beavers and Lizards? 

Additionally, there’s also a system in place that limits some Blueprint choices, Cornerstones, and Orders based on what species you have. Therefore, there shouldn’t be a situation where you need to complete an Order to keep Humans happy if there aren’t any in your village.

With the addition of Harpies, there’s also a massive amount of changes to the game’s already existing content. We took a look at all the recipes, goods, orders, perks, and buildings in the game and rebalanced a lot of them. The exact details of what was changed are listed below in the Changelog. 

The main point here was to not only adjust the existing balance to the new species but also take into account some of the most prevalent pieces of feedback from the community. Think goods that are rarely used, service buildings that are too underwhelming and rarely picked, or workshops that are too OP (*cough* Lumbermill *cough*). So when playing on the Experimental Branch, it’s best not to rely too heavily on past habits.

We also reshuffled the Upgrade Tree a bit, so it would accommodate Harpies and the newly added buildings. However, this particular area of the game is in a weird spot right now. We’re planning a major overhaul of the entire meta progression system, so any significant changes will happen after Harpies are released (more on that in an upcoming Roadmap update, so stay tuned!). 

Last but not least – please don’t be alarmed that all assets related to Harpies are placeholders. We still need a bit more time to refine the new buildings and animations, plus we want to keep at least something secret, so even if you play on the Experimental Branch, you will have something to look forward to. For now, we hope that recolored Humans and some boring flat buildings will suffice for testing purposes.

WHAT WE’RE INTERESTED IN

We want to find out if the new balance and content added together with Harpies is on par or better than the old one, and where it can be improved. The amount of changes introduced in this update is massive, so there’s a chance not everything is correctly adjusted. We’re also interested in any and all bugs you might encounter, as well as your general feedback to the new Caravan system and overall gameplay.

EXPERIMENTAL CHANGELOG

New content and features

• Added Harpies – a completely new playable species. They are noble and fragile, with a primal, aggressive side to them. They excel at alchemy and love to work with cloth.
  • Harpies can be unlocked in the Citadel by buying the Obsidian Archives Level 3 Upgrade.
  • Harpies have the following needs: Jerky, Biscuits, Skewers, Housing, Education, Bloodthirst and Cleanliness.
  • Added a completely new need – Cleanliness. Possible to fulfill in the Bath House and Market.
  • Added two new specializations – Alchemy and Cloth. Harpies will get the Proficiency bonus when working in buildings related to alchemy and the Comfortable effect when assigned to buildings with recipes using any kind of cloth.
  • When assigned to a Hearth, Harpy Firekeepers give 5 more carrying capacity to all villagers. 
• Added the Caravan System – an additional step the player needs to take before embarking to build a settlement.
  • Caravans can be found in the Embark Window, after selecting a hex field on the World Map.
  • Caravans can have one or two species with them. The remaining species are acquired during gameplay. 
  • Caravans have a pseudo-random assortment of resources, balanced around the amount and type of villagers in a given Caravan.
  • At the beginning, the player has two choices. A third Caravan choice can be unlocked in the Citadel. 
• Added 11 new buildings: 
  • Harpy House – species-specific housing for Harpies.
  • Bath House – service building. Fulfills the need for Cleanliness. 
  • Monastery – service building. Fulfills the need for Leisure and Religion.
  • Clan Hall – service building. Fulfills the need for Bloodthirst and Religion.
  • Forum – service building. Fulfills the need for Leisure and Education.
  • Explorer’s Lodge – service building. Fulfills the need for Bloodthirst and Education.
  • Manufactory – workshop. Produces Pigment, Training Gear, and Packs of Provisions.
  • Tinkerer – workshop. Produces Simple Tools, Training Gear, and Packs of Building Materials.
  • Grill – workshop. Produces Skewers, Copper Bars and Ale.
  • Leatherworks – workshop. Produces Waterskins, Fabric, and Packs of Luxury Goods. 
  • Press – workshop. Produces Oil, Flour, and Packs of Luxury Goods.
• Added 20 completely new Orders, each with 3 different difficulty scales. They are all based mainly around the different playable species and will be drawn based on the player’s roster in a given run. 
• Added 4 new perks:
  • Cosmetic Specialization – The settlement specializes in Cosmetic production. Gain +1 to Harpy Resolve for every 50 Cosmetics produced.
  • Religious Settlement – The settlement specializes in Incense production. Gain +1 to Human Resolve for every 50 Incense produced.
  • Training Grounds – The settlement specializes in Training Gear production. Gain +1 to Lizard Resolve for every 50 Training Gear produced.
  • Harpy Clan Support – The Flock was neutral during the Great Civil War, but you’ve proven your worth to them now. (+3 to Harpy Resolve).
• Added 3 new special effects tied to service buildings:
  • Good Health – Regular baths improve everyone’s well-being. Global Production Rate is 25% faster. (Bath House)
  • Ancient Ways – No species can claim the forest as their own, but the Lizard Clans are the closest to the wilderness. All camp production is increased by +50%. (Clan Hall)
  • Public Lectures – All are curious by nature. Villagers are quick to implement newly acquired knowledge in their daily lives. The chance for bonus production yields is increased by 15%. (Forum)
• Added 2 new goods:
  • Waterskins – made out of Leather and Oil/Meat.
  • Cosmetics – made out of Oil/Eggs and Herbs/Resin/Pigment.
• Added a new glade event:
  • Fallen Harpy Scientists – working on it will trigger a Resolve penalty for Harpies. If not solved in time, the Fallen harpies will change into Blightrot Cysts.
• Added 2 new Embark Bonuses
  • 30 Reeds Embark Bonus on level 4
  • 30 Leather Embark Bonus on level 4
  • Ale Delivery Line (5 Ale per minute) on level 7
  • Training Gear Delivery Line (5 Training Gear per minute) on level 7
  • Scroll Delivery Line (5 Scrolls per minute) on level 8

Balance

• Reshuffled almost all Blueprints in the Reputation Reward system. There are no longer homogenous groups of blueprints based on building type, but instead, they are divided into categories by the type of goods they produce and the stage of the game when they are useful. The additional Blueprint option bought in the Citadel still remains random. 
• Reshuffled the Upgrades in the Citadel. The types of upgrades remain mostly the same, but the specific rewards from buying different updates and their location on the upgrade tree have changed. Here is the full list:
  
  

  UPGRADE	UNLOCKS
  Obsidian Archives 01	Deeds
  Obsidian Archives 02	+1 Embark Point
  Obsidian Archives 03	Harpies
  Obsidian Archives 04	+1 Blueprint Pick
  Obsidian Archives 05	+1 Range on World Map
  Obsidian Archives 06	+1 Cornerstone Pick
  Obsidian Archives 07	Daily Challenges
  Obsidian Archives 08	+1 Caravan Slot
  Obsidian Archives 09	Mist Piercers Cornerstone
  Obsidian Archives 10	Sir Renwald Redmane – Trader
  Obsidian Archives 11	+1 Cornerstone Pick
  Obsidian Archives 12	+1 Range on World Map
  Dim Square 01	Harpy House Blueprint (E) Bath House Blueprint
  Dim Square 02	Artisan Blueprint Black Market Cornerstone
  Dim Square 03	Sothur – Trader Market Blueprint +1 Trade Route Limit
  Dim Square 04	Forum Blueprint Enriched Amber Cornerstone +1 Embark Point
  Dim Square 05	Survivor Bonding Cornerstone Manufactory Blueprint Prosperous Settlement Cornerstone
  Brass Forge 01	Smelter Blueprint Metal Delivery Line Cornerstone
  Brass Forge 02	Old Farluf – Trader Smithy Blueprint
  Brass Forge 03	Grill Blueprint Lost Supplies Cornerstone
  Brass Forge 04	Furnace Blueprint Rain Collector Filter Cornerstone
  Brass Forge 05	Press Blueprint Forge Trip Hammer Cornerstone
  Pioneers’ Gate 01	Rain Collector Blueprint (E) Paved Road Blueprint (E) Forager’s Camp Blueprint
  Pioneers’ Gate 02	Mine Blueprint (E) Herbalists’ Camp Blueprint Clay Pit Blueprint
  Pioneers’ Gate 03	Clan Hall Blueprint Lizard House Blueprint (E)
  Pioneers’ Gate 04	Ranch Blueprint Tanning Racks Cornerstone +1 Embark Point
  Pioneers’ Gate 05	Grove Blueprint +1 Embark Point Copper Extractor Cornerstone
  Pioneers’ Gate 06	Workshop Blueprint Improvised Tools Cornerstone Prosperous Archaeology Cornerstone
  Pioneers’ Gate 07	Supplier Blueprint Coat Delivery Line Cornerstone
  Pioneers’ Gate 08	Stamping Mill Blueprint Back to Nature Cornerstone
  Monastery of the Vigilant Flame 01	Temple Blueprint Scribe Blueprint Rich glades Cornerstone
  Monastery of the Vigilant Flame 02	Human House Blueprint (E) Monastery Blueprint
  Monastery of the Vigilant Flame 03	Apothecary Blueprint Sharp Sickles Cornerstone
  Monastery of the Vigilant Flame 04	Brick Oven Blueprint Incense Delivery Line Cornerstone
  Monastery of the Vigilant Flame 05	Cellar Blueprint Wine Delivery Line Cornerstone
  Monastery of the Vigilant Flame 06	Druid’s Hut Blueprint Small Press Cornerstone
  Monastery of the Vigilant Flame 07	Sacrificial Rituals Cornerstone Lumber Tax Cornerstone
  First Dawn Headquarters 01	Guild House Blueprint Beaver House Blueprint (E)
  First Dawn Headquarters 02	Zhorg – Trader Rain Mill Blueprint
  First Dawn Headquarters 03	Meat Specialization Cornerstone Butcher Blueprint
  First Dawn Headquarters 04	Cooperage Blueprint +1 Trade Route Limit Ale Delivery Line
  First Dawn Headquarters 05	Granary Blueprint +1 Embark Point Leftover Crops Cornerstone
  First Dawn Headquarters 06	Greenhouse Blueprint Moldy Grain Seeds Cornerstone
  Vanguard Spire 01	Exoplorer’s Lodge Blueprint Exploring Expedition Cornerstone Rebellious Spirit Cornerstone
  Vanguard Spire 02	Toolshop Blueprint Tinkerer Blueprint Trade Hub Cornerstone
  Vanguard Spire 03	Vliss Greybone – Trader Tinctury Blueprint +1 Embark Point
  Vanguard Spire 04	Ancient Stabilizer Cornerstone Alchemist’s Hut Blueprint

  
  

• Glade Events that required Offerings now require Cosmetics instead.
  
• Changed the Cooking specialization for Humans to Brewing.
• Changed the Brotherhood need for Lizards to Bloodthirst.
• Removed 3 goods from the game: Tea, Mush Soup, and Offerings.
• Renamed 2 existing goods: Manuscripts are now Scrolls, and Ink is now Pigment.
• Removed 5 buildings from the game: Pantry, Common Hall, Mammal Habitat, Teadoctor, and Library.
• Needs can no longer be satisfied by two different goods.
• Removed the Finesmith from the player’s roster. This building can now only be found in Glades.
• Removed the Homestead from the player’s roster. This building can now only be found in Glades.
• Changed the amount of Embark Bonus slots in the Embark Window. You can now only take 5 bonuses with you before a game.
• Rewards with new villagers are now random in most cases. For example, an Order that previously gave 2 Beavers for completing it will now give 2 random villagers instead.
• Service building costs have been slightly tuned.
• All worker slots in the game are now universal and will accept any species. 
• Changed the ingredients in 6 recipes:
  
  

  RECIPE	OLD		NEW
  Ale	Pottery Barrels	Grain Roots	Pottery Barrels Waterskins	Grain Roots
  Scrolls	Ink Coal	Reeds Leather Plant Fiber Wood	Pigment Wine	Plant Fiber Leather Wood
  Wine	Pottery Barrels	Berries Mushrooms Reeds	Pottery Barrels Waterskins	Berries Mushrooms Reeds
  Training Gear	Leather Plant Fiber Reeds	Stone Clay Wood	Planks Reeds	Stone Copper Bars Crystalized Dew
  Oil	Grain Vegetables Meat Mushrooms		Grain Vegetables Meat Plant Fiber
  Pigment	Berries Insects Herbs		Berries Insects Coal

• Changed the recipe layout in 30 Workshop buildings:
  
  

  BUILDING	OLD RECIPES	NEW RECIPES
  Homestead	Vegetables (1) Mushrooms (1) Grain (2) Plant Fiber (2)	Vegetables (2) Mushrooms (2) Grain (2) Plant Fiber (2)
  Lumber Mill	Planks (3) Flour (1) Simple Tools (1)	Planks (3) Scrolls (1) Pack of Trade Goods (1)
  Brickyard	Bricks (3) Crystalized Dew (1) Pottery (1)	Bricks (2) Crystalized Dew (2) Pottery (2)
  Cookhouse	Mush Soup (3) Skewers (1) Pie (2) Pickled Goods (1)	Biscuits (2) Skewers (2) Pigment (2)
  Clothier	Coats (3) Manuscripts (1) Pack of Luxury Goods (1)	Coats (3) Waterskins (1) Scrolls (1)
  Brewery	Ale (3) Wine (1) Pickled Goods (1)	Ale (3) Pickled Goods (1) Pack of Crops (1)
  Alchemist’s Hut	Crystalized Dew (3) Oil (2) Barrels (1)	Crystalized Dew (2) Wine (2) Cosmetics (2)
  Smokehouse	Jerky (2) Incense (2) Pottery (1)	Jerky (3) Incense (1) Pottery (1)
  Apothecary	Tea (3) Incense (2) Biscuits (1)	Cosmetics (2) Incense (2) Biscuits (2)
  Granary	Pack of Crops (3) Pack of Provisions (2) Mush Soup (1)	Pack of Crops (2) Fabric (2) Pickled Goods (2)
  Cellar	Wine (3) Pickled Goods (2) Barrel (1) Pack of Crops (1)	Wine (3) Pickled Goods (1) Jerky (1)
  Toolshop	Simple Tools (3) Fabric (1) Infused Tools (1)	Simple Tools (3) Barrels (1) Waterskins (1)
  Tinctury	Ink (3) Tea (2) Wine (1)	Pigment (2) Ale (2) Wine (2)
  Rain Mill	Flour (3) Oil (1) Manuscripts (1)	Flour (3) Pack of Building Materials (1) Scrolls (1)
  Butcher	Skewers (2) Jerky (2) Offerings (1)	Skewers (2) Jerky (2) Oil (2)
  Bakery	Biscuits (3) Pie (2) Pottery (1)	Biscuits (2) Pie (2) Pottery (2)
  Druid’s Hut	Oil (3) Mush Soup (2) Offerings (1)	Oil (3) Coats (1) Incense (1)
  Rainpunk Foundry	Infused Tools (2) Parts (1) Pack of Building Materials (1)	Infused Tools (3) Parts (3)
  Supplier	Fabric (2) Pottery (2) Pack of Trade Goods (1)	Planks (2) Waterskins (2) Flour (2)
  Smithy	Simple Tools (2) Barrels (2) Pack of Luxury Goods (1)	Simple Tools (2) Coats (2) Pack of Trade Goods (2)
  Scribe	Manuscripts (3) Offerings (2) Ale (1)	Scrolls (3) Simple Tools (1) Ale (1)
  Provisioner	Pack of Provisions (3) Pack of Luxury Goods (1) Coats (1)	Pack of Provisions (2) Barrels (2) Flour (2)
  Cooperage	Barrels (3) Planks (1) Pack of Trade Goods (1)	Barrels (3) Training Gear (1) Cosmetics (1)
  Smelter	Copper Bars (3) Crystalized Dew (2) Biscuits (1)	Copper Bars (3) Crystalized Dew (1) Biscuits (1)
  Carpenter	Planks (2) Training Gear (2) Pack of Building Materials (2)	Planks (2) Simple Tools (2) Pack of Luxury Goods (2)
  Furnace	Bricks (2) Copper Bars (2) Pie (1)	Bricks (2) Copper Bars (2) Pie (2)
  Finesmith	Amber (1) Simple Tools (1) Training Gear (1)	Amber (3) Infused Tools (3)
  Stamping Mill	Flour (2) Copper Bar (2) Incense (1)	Flour (1) Copper Bar (3) Pottery (1)
  Brick Oven	Pottery (3) Coal (1) Tea (1)	Pie (3) Coal (1) Incense (1)
  Weaver	Fabric (3) Simple Tools (1) Ink (1)	Fabric (3) Training Gear (1) Pack of Trade Goods (1)

• Changed the needs fulfillment in 2 service buildings:
  
  

  BUILDING	OLD	NEW
  Tavern	Leisure Luxury	Leisure Bloodthirst
  Market	Leisure Brotherhood	Luxury Cleanliness

• Changed the special effects in 1 service building:
  
  

  BUILDING	OLD	NEW
  Temple	Higher chance for bonus production yields.	Longer fuel burning time in Hearth.

Known Issues

• Some buildings are placeholders with debug names above them.
• Harpies have human models. 
• Some buildings don’t have ruined versions.
• Harpies have incorrect villager names.
• The Marshlands don’t have a biome-specific effect.
• Specialization icons repeat or are placeholders.

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

Current Experimental Branch version: Early Access v0.17.1E

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