fbpx

Greetings Viceroys!

Graceful yet bloodthirsty Harpies join Beavers, Lizardfolk, and Humans in the 9th Against the Storm Early Access Update! Grace of the Harpies Update abounds in many new features including:

  • Harpies – new playable species
  • a new gameplay system – Caravans
  • 11 brand-new Buildings
  • 20 new Orders from the Queen
  • 7 completely new Perks
  • 2 new types of Goods to collect
  • 6 new Embark Bonuses to choose from
  • and more!

If you haven’t played the game yet, you can get it with $10 discount with Epic Coupon:

We also prepared a special Update Trailer:

If you enjoyed it, give it a thumbs up and follow us! Fun fact: the large city from the trailer was inspired by Arbitrarius screenshots from our Discord server.

And as always, we encourage you to review the game on Metacritic. It helps a lot!

Continue reading for developer notes and the full list of changes, or jump straight to the specific section:

DEVELOPER NOTES

This is the update we’ve all been waiting for – Harpies have finally arrived! And with them, a lot of new content and balance changes as well. But the Harpies’ addition is not as simple as just slapping a fourth species on every game you play from now onwards. Instead, we decided to always limit the number of species in a given run to three, especially considering that a fifth species might very well happen in the coming months. To make things a bit more interesting, we decided to leave some of the species choices up to chance – and this is where a new system comes in – the so-called Caravans. 

Selected Caravan

Settlement tabs

Unknown species

Confirmed species

Starting bonuses

Purchase Upgrade to unlock

Caravans tab in the Embark window

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*). 

Resfhuffled Upgrade Tree. Purchase Obsidian Archive level 3 to unlock Harpies.

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!).

CHANGELOG

Number of changes

%

Inspired by community

Changes marked with ⚡ were inspired by community. 

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 6 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
    • Incense Delivery Line (5 Incense per minute) on level 8

New Manufactory building.

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
Obsidian Archives 01
Obsidian Archives 02
Obsidian Archives 03
Obsidian Archives 04
Obsidian Archives 05
Obsidian Archives 06
Obsidian Archives 07
Obsidian Archives 08
Obsidian Archives 09
Obsidian Archives 10
Obsidian Archives 11
Obsidian Archives 12
Dim Square 01
Dim Square 02
Dim Square 03
Dim Square 04
Dim Square 05
Brass Forge 01
Brass Forge 02
Brass Forge 03
Brass Forge 04
Brass Forge 05
Pioneers' Gate 01
Pioneers' Gate 02
Pioneers' Gate 03
Pioneers' Gate 04
Pioneers' Gate 05
Pioneers' Gate 06
Pioneers' Gate 07
Pioneers' Gate 08
Monastery of the Vigilant Flame 01
Monastery of the Vigilant Flame 02
Monastery of the Vigilant Flame 03
Monastery of the Vigilant Flame 04
Monastery of the Vigilant Flame 05
Monastery of the Vigilant Flame 06
Monastery of the Vigilant Flame 07
First Dawn Headquarters 01
First Dawn Headquarters 02
First Dawn Headquarters 03
First Dawn Headquarters 04
First Dawn Headquarters 05
First Dawn Headquarters 06
Vanguard Spire 01
Vanguard Spire 02
Vanguard Spire 03
Vanguard Spire 04
UNLOCKS
Deeds
+1 Embark Point
Harpies
+1 Blueprint Pick
+1 Range on World Map
+1 Cornerstone Pick
Daily Challenges
+1 Caravan Slot
Mist Piercers Cornerstone
Sir Renwald Redmane - Trader
+1 Cornerstone Pick
+1 Range on World Map
Harpy House Blueprint (E)
Bath House Blueprint
Artisan Blueprint
Black Market Cornerstone
Sothur - Trader
Market Blueprint
+1 Trade Route Limit
Forum Blueprint
Enriched Amber Cornerstone
+1 Embark Point
Survivor Bonding Cornerstone
Manufactory Blueprint
Prosperous Settlement Cornerstone
Smelter Blueprint
Metal Delivery Line Cornerstone
Old Farluf - Trader
Smithy Blueprint
Grill Blueprint
Lost Supplies Cornerstone
Furnace Blueprint
Rain Collector Filter Cornerstone
Press Blueprint
Forge Trip Hammer Cornerstone
Rain Collector Blueprint (E)
Paved Road Blueprint (E)
Herbalist’s Camp
Mine Blueprint (E)
Clay Pit Blueprint
Clan Hall Blueprint
Lizard House Blueprint (E)
Ranch Blueprint
Tanning Racks Cornerstone
+1 Embark Point
Grove Blueprint
+1 Embark Point
Copper Extractor Cornerstone
Workshop Blueprint
Improvised Tools Cornerstone
Prosperous Archaeology Cornerstone
Supplier Blueprint
Coat Delivery Line Cornerstone
Stamping Mill Blueprint
Back to Nature Cornerstone
Temple Blueprint
Scribe Blueprint
Rich glades Cornerstone
Human House Blueprint (E)
Monastery Blueprint
Apothecary Blueprint
Sharp Sickles Cornerstone
Brick Oven Blueprint
Incense Delivery Line Cornerstone
Cellar Blueprint
Wine Delivery Line Cornerstone
Druid’s Hut Blueprint
Small Press Cornerstone
Sacrificial Rituals Cornerstone
Lumber Tax Cornerstone
Guild House Blueprint
Beaver House Blueprint (E)
Zhorg - Trader
Rain Mill Blueprint
Meat Specialization Cornerstone
Butcher Blueprint
Cooperage Blueprint
+1 Trade Route Limit
Ale Delivery Line
Granary Blueprint
+1 Embark Point
Leftover Crops Cornerstone
Greenhouse Blueprint
Moldy Grain Seeds Cornerstone
Exoplorer’s Lodge Blueprint
Exploring Expedition Cornerstone
Rebellious Spirit Cornerstone
Toolshop Blueprint
Tinkerer Blueprint
Trade Hub Cornerstone
Vliss Greybone - Trader
Tinctury Blueprint
+1 Embark Point
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 Embark Bonuses
    • 30 Meat was moved from level 4 to level 2
    • 30 Stone was moved from level 5 to level 4
    • 30 Plant Fiber was moved from level 5 to level 4
    • 10 Planks were moved from level 7 to level 6
    • 10 Bricks were moved from level 8 to level 6
    • 10 Fabric was moved from level 8 to level 6
    • 10 Parts were changed to 5 Parts and moved from level 7 to level 5
    • Removed Resolve Bonuses to species from Embark Bonuses
  • 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:
NEW
Ale
Pottery
Barrels
Waterskins

Grain
Roots
Scrolls
Pigment
Wine

Plant Fiber
Leather
Wood
Wine
Pottery
Barrels
Waterskins

Berries
Mushrooms
Reeds
Training Gear
Planks
Reeds

Stone
Copper Bars
Crystalized Dew
Oil
Grain
Vegetables
Meat
Plant Fiber
Pigment
Berries
Insects
Coal
OLD
Ale
Pottery
Barrels

Grain
Roots
Scrolls
Ink
Coal

Reeds
Leather
Plant Fiber
Wood
Wine
Pottery
Barrels

Berries
Mushrooms
Reeds
Training Gear
Leather
Plant Fiber
Reeds

Stone
Clay
Wood
Oil
Grain
Vegetables
Meat
Mushrooms
Pigment
Berries
Insects
Herbs
  • Changed the recipe layout in 29 workshop buildings:
NEW RECIPES
Homestead
Vegetables (2)
Mushrooms (2)
Grain (2)
Plant Fiber (2)
Lumber Mill
Planks (3)
Scrolls (1)
Pack of Trade Goods (1)
Brickyard
Bricks (2)
Crystalized Dew (2)
Pottery (2)
Cookhouse
Biscuits (2)
Skewers (2)
Pigment (2)
Clothier
Coats (3)
Waterskins (1)
Scrolls (1)
Brewery
Ale (3)
Pickled Goods (1)
Pack of Crops (1)
Alchemist’s Hut
Crystalized Dew (2)
Wine (2)
Cosmetics (2)
Apothecary
Cosmetics (2)
Incense (2)
Biscuits (2)
Granary
Pack of Crops (2)
Fabric (2)
Pickled Goods (2)
Cellar
Wine (3)
Pickled Goods (1)
Jerky (1)
Toolshop
Simple Tools (3)
Barrels (1)
Waterskins (1)
Tinctury
Pigment (2)
Ale (2)
Wine (2)
Rain Mill
Flour (3)
Pack of Building Materials (1)
Scrolls (1)
Butcher
Skewers (2)
Jerky (2)
Oil (2)
Druid’s Hut
Oil (3)
Coats (1)
Incense (1)
Rainpunk Foundry
Infused Tools (3)
Parts (3)
Supplier
Planks (2)
Waterskins (2)
Flour (2)
Smithy
Simple Tools (2)
Coats (2)
Pack of Trade Goods (2)
Scribe
Scrolls (3)
Simple Tools (1)
Ale (1)
Provisioner
Pack of Provisions (2)
Barrels (2)
Flour (2)
Cooperage
Barrels (3)
Training Gear (1)
Cosmetics (1)
Carpenter
Planks (2)
Simple Tools (2)
Pack of Luxury Goods (2)
Finesmith
Amber (3)
Infused Tools (3)
Stamping Mill
Flour (1)
Copper Bar (3)
Pottery (1)
Brick Oven
Pie (3)
Coal (1)
Incense (1)
Weaver
Fabric (3)
Training Gear (1)
Pack of Trade Goods (1)
Artisan
Pigment (2)
Coats (2)
Barrels (2)
Lumbermill
Planks (3)
Scrolls (1)
Pack of Trade Goods (1)
Grove
Resin (2)
Crystalized Dew (2)
Plantation
Berries (2)
Plant Fiber (2)
OLD RECIPES
Homestead
Vegetables (2)
Mushrooms (2)
Grain (3)
Plant Fiber (3)
Lumber Mill
Planks (3)
Flour (1)
Simple Tools (1)
Brickyard
Bricks (3)
Crystalized Dew (1)
Pottery (1)
Cookhouse
Mush Soup (2)
Skewers (1)
Pie (1)
Pickled Goods (1)
Clothier
Coats (3)
Manuscripts (1)
Pack of Luxury Goods (1)
Brewery
Ale (3)
Wine (1)
Mush Soup (1)
Alchemist’s Hut
Crystalized Dew (2)
Oil (2)
Barrels (2)
Apothecary
Tea (2)
Incense (2)
Biscuits (2)
Granary
Pack of Crops (2)
Pack of Provisions (2)
Mush Soup (2)
Cellar
Wine (3)
Pickled Goods (1)
Barrel (1)
Toolshop
Simple Tools (3)
Infused Tools (1)
Fabric (1)
Tinctury
Ink (2)
Tea (2)
Wine (2)
Rain Mill
Flour (3)
Oil (1)
Manuscripts (1)
Butcher
Skewers (2)
Jerky (2)
Offerings (2)
Druid’s Hut
Oil (3)
Mush Soup (1)
Offerings (1)
Rainpunk Foundry
Infused Tools (1)
Parts (1)
Pack of Building Materials (1)
Supplier
Fabric (2)
Pottery (2)
Pack of Trade Goods (2)
Smithy
Simple Tools (2)
Barrels (2)
Pack of Luxury Goods (2)
Scribe
Manuscripts (3)
Offerings (1)
Ale (1)
Provisioner
Pack of Provisions (2)
Pack of Building Materials (1)
Coats (1)
Flour (1)
Cooperage
Barrels (3)
Planks (1)
Pack of Trade Goods (1)
Carpenter
Planks (2)
Training Gear (2)
Pack of Building Materials (2)
Finesmith
Amber (1)
Simple Tools (1)
Training Gear (1)
Stamping Mill
Flour (2)
Copper Bar (2)
Incense (2)
Brick Oven
Pottery (2)
Coal (1)
Tea (1)
Mush Soup (1)
Weaver
Fabric (3)
Simple Tools (1)
Ink (1)
Artisan
Ink (2)
Coats (1)
Barrels (1)
Training Gear (1)
Lumbermill
Planks (3)
Simple Tools (1)
Flour (1)
Grove
Berries (2)
Crystalized Dew (2)
Plantation
Berries (1)
Plant Fiber (2)
  • Changed the needs fulfillment in 2 service buildings:
NEW
Tavern
Leisure
Bloodthirst
Market
Luxury
Cleanliness
OLD
Tavern
Leisure
Luxury
Market
Leisure
Brotherhood
  • Changed the special effects in 1 service building:
NEW
Temple
Longer fuel burning time in Hearth
OLD
Temple
Higher chance for bonus production yields.
  • Removed the Seasonal Crops Forest Mystery. It’s been repurposed to a Cornerstone that adds a two-star Mushroom recipe to all farms.
  • Added new ruins to Glades: Grove, Plantation, Small Farm, Herb Garden, Greenhouse, and Clay Pit.
  • Blightrot can now destroy buildings that are in its way when it’s multiplying.
  • The Resolve to Reputation Rate has been lowered a bit for high Resolve values. This change should slow down Reputation generation late in the game.
  • Homestead perks were removed from the Cornerstone pool.
  • ⚡ Effects influencing bonus production now stack indefinitely. For example: if you achieve 120% chance for Resin from trees, you will get 1 Resin each time, plus a 20% chance of more Resin. 
  • ⚡ Lowered the amount of Resin gained from the Bleeding Trees Forest Mystery from 4 to 2.
  • Crystalized Dew was moved from the Trade Goods category to the Crafting Resources category.

UI/UX improvements

  • ⚡ Changed the range indicator for camps. It should be more clean and readable now, without obstructing objects underneath it (like roads).
  • ⚡ Production amounts in farms don’t change if an effect was removed or added between seasons. The number of crops will always be determined by what was sown in Drizzle.
  • ⚡ Added visual feedback on worker slots indicating when a good has been produced, as well as when double production triggered or the good was lost due to a negative effect.
  • Changed the Embark View UI:
    • The picked Embark Bonuses section was moved to the right panel.
    • Added a Caravan section to the left panel. 
    • When zoomed in on a tile in the World Map, the background UI elements will now be hidden.
    • Changed the amount of Embark Bonus slots in the Embark Window. You can now only take 5 bonuses with you before a game.
  • The Recipe Summary Panel is now disabled in the first Tutorial map.
  • Favoring is now impossible if there is only one species in a settlement. 
  • Improved transition between several in-game UI elements.

Bug fixes

  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with Resolve being rounded incorrectly when its value was close to 0. 
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with the Vassal Tax Forest Mystery not taking Amber and not applying the penalty for not paying.
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with icons above the Scribe being misplaced. 
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with the building overlay UI staggering when moving the camera.
  • ⚡ Fixed an issue which the magnifying glass on blueprints sold by the trader – clicking them no longer causes you to buy the blueprint.
  •  ⚡ Updated the description for the Gift from the Woods Forest Mystery to more accurately reflect the effect.
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug that caused buildings to break when they were destroyed by lightning or an explosion while they were being moved.
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug that caused the building materials to be left behind when moving a construction site.
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with Embark Bonuses being randomized with every game restart. 
  • ⚡ Fixed a bug with long Glade content tooltips colliding with Dangerous Glade tooltips.
  • ⚡ Fixed an issue with Glade revealing Cornerstones still being offered to the player even if they already have a perk that shows Glade content. 
  • ⚡ Fixed an issue with some characters missing when the game was launched on a Turkish system.
  • ⚡ Fixed an issue with profiles not loading when there are refunded Citadel Upgrades to be claimed. 
  • ⚡ Fixed the gathering animation for female Beavers. 
  • Fixed an issue with some building panels being placed too low. 

Other

  • ⚡ Added animated animals to the Ranch!
  • Changed models for multiple buildings:
    • Alchemist’s Hut
    • Apothecary
    • Artisan
    • Cellar
    • Cooperage
    • Finesmith
    • Furnace
    • Greenhouse
  • Changed the Plowed Field particle.

We’re super grateful to everyone who contributed to this update and who tested the major changes on the Experimental Branch. You’re the best!

SUGGESTIONS TOOL

If you want to request new features or suggest changes to the existing ones, please use our new suggestions tool.

Suggestions Tool

Posting suggestions is easy:

  1. Go to feedback.eremitegames.com/
  2. Login or use anonymously
  3. Make sure your suggestion hasn’t been posted already
  4. Start typing in the Create Post panel on the right
  5. Submit

Make sure to vote on other players’ ideas as well to help us identify their priority. We treat it as the main source of information for the purpose of planning new content.

Please continue to report bugs via the in-game Reporting Tool or on our Discord and Reddit.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

If you want to help us grow the Against the Storm community, there are a few things you can do:

  • Let your friends know about the game
  • Share our content and announcements on social media
  • Share your gameplays on relevant subreddits like r/Games or r/PCGaming 

Truth be told, we appreciate all kinds of support. Be it feedback, words of encouragement, or casual activity on Discord. It helps a lot and we’re very much grateful!

Now, enjoy the new update and let us know what you think!

May the storm be gentle on you,
Eremite Games team

Current Early Access version: 0.28.1R

CONTINUE READING...

Update 1.1 available!

Update 1.1 available!

Greetings, Viceroys! We’re excited to be back with a new Against the Storm update! With the dust settling from the 1.0 release, we have been able to...

read more
Patch 1.0.2

Patch 1.0.2

Greetings, Viceroys! Thank you everyone for such a warm reception of the 1.0 version of Against the Storm! We are truly overwhelmed with your...

read more