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[Alec S.]

Looking good so far!

[Wayfinder]

The game looks pretty interesting, gonna follow this one! Also, you made any considerations for the music yet?

Thanks! We have sound designer now, but may consider inviting some other composers for making ST in the future.

[Wayfinder]

Devlog #4: Potions and Doors

Hello everyone, Stoneshard dev-team here with our new weekly update!

Today we are going to speak about two features we are working on right now: potions and interactions with doors.

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Potions is the classic element of every self-respected roguelike. Player can find various potions while exploring the dungeons, which can either have the positive or negative effects.

These effects often are unknown without special scroll - that’s why it is better to be highly careful with unidentified potions. In addition we went further than the "one potion-one effect" scheme and made potions to be generated really randomly. Considering that one simple dish has different tastes being cooked by different people, then it would be quite odd to suppose that in such sophisticated science as alchemy all potions are identical.

To reflect it, some found elixirs apart from the main effect will possess some unpredictable secondary and side ones. Types of these effects vary from obviously negative to neutral and even positive. For instance, an elixir of stone skin may explode accidentally in the stomach. Suspicious extract may cause the strong buff but also change the laws of time and universe and make the one who have drunk it to teleport over a short distances randomly. Some effects conflict with each other: e.g. harming potions couldn't heal as a side effect (which is pretty obvious, of course). An amount of combinations is huge and going to grow further. It makes player less rely on the luck and plan his moves more thoroughly by means of buying identification scrolls and studying alchemy.

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Doors is the part of game surroundings which player’s character meets hardly oftener than enemies. To start, player may meet several types of doors in dungeons at once. Each of this type has it’s own set of features: locked or not, reinforced, barred or connected to mechanisms. All doors also have their level, which presents their durability and complexity of locks.

Each locked door can be tried to be picked or broken down - lockpicks and at least one point of corresponding attribute are necessary for picking attempt. And to break the door down some strength is needed - the stronger you are, the less attempts you'll need. Picking is more encouraged by game: it’s safer and brings more experience, as while breaking the door down character can get luxations and even lose some health.

Later we are planning to widen this part of a game greatly: for example to add an ability to destroy doors fully with fire or explosions, or corrode the locks with acid. All it widens the tactical constituent of gameplay significantly, making player to think everything through beforehand and use peculiarities of level design wisely.

[sbeast]

Thanks! We have sound designer now, but may consider inviting some other composers for making ST in the future.

Ok, that's cool. Well I would be interested in composing when the time comes 

[yves]

Awesome art man! I love this

[Wayfinder]

And here goes our first alpha teaser! Enjoy!

P.S. Topic description is updated as well.

[Wayfinder]

Just finished working on class abilities icons!
In Stoneshard class is an unique combination of race and archetype. Each class possess two unique abilities, one passive and one active. Also classes have different starting attributes and inventories. Lately we'll talk more about how exactly those skills work, and for now just enjoy the look

From left to right:

"Warrior" archetype: Warden, Knight, Raider
"Rogue" archetype: Shadow, Duelist, Berserk
"Ranger" archetype: Nomad, Trailblazer, Headhunter

[Wayfinder]

Little update featuring new monster - ravenous Gulon, terror of the northern woods!

It's a quite weird but very dangerous animal, which combines bear’s strength, wolf’s ferocity and wolverine’s guile. Gulons usually inhabit woody valleys of Northern Mountains, where they dig their dens far from any civilization. Dwarven tribes, notorious for their penchant for cruel entertainment, love tracking down this monster because of the huge amounts of blood, severed limbs and all other questionable fun always accompanying gulon hunters.

[Reefpirate]

Looking good! I love the type of fantasy art theme you've got here. Is there a playable alpha or demo somewhere? Or is it yet to be released to the public?

[Wayfinder]

Looking good! I love the type of fantasy art theme you've got here. Is there a playable alpha or demo somewhere? Or is it yet to be released to the public?

Thanks!

Not yet, but we're working hard on it. We plan to launch open alpha late 2017, but plans can change

[sbeast]

Just watched the trailer today, and it looks really great! I liked the background music too.

[VertexZero]

Really beautiful artwork!

[Wayfinder]

Thanks a lot!



This week we've added traps. These versute mechanisms will be waiting for unaware heroes in most dungeons. When triggered traps deal substainable damage and also can cause various injuries and bleeding. Now dungeons became even more dangerous, as you need to carefully plan your path across the dungeon rooms. Even the simplest beartrap can severely cripple or even kill your character.

[ashtonmorris]

Looks really great so far, nice aesthetic!

[Wayfinder]

And here's another update!

Featuring: trap disarming



Every turn there is a chance to spot a hidden trap within you vision range. The more Attentiveness you have, the more likely you are to spot the danger. Also there is a skill which allows you to search the environment more thoroughly, but it takes a separate turn to perform.



When you’ve successfully spotted the trap, you can try to disarm it. If your character has good Perception and Intellect, this is the most rational thing to do. However it’s still risky: if you fail the trap will still deal damage.

If dealing with deathly mechanisms aren’t your character’s strong side, you can try to avoid the triggering. You can run through the tile with spotted trap: more Agility grants higher chances to successfully avoid the trap.



And finally you can try to lure someone else into the trap. But remember: intelligent creatures (like undead, for instance) usually are aware of all dungeon traps, so they won’t be fooled so easily. But rats and other beasts are stupid enough to meet their death in a bear trap or floor spikes.

[Wayfinder]

We're glad to announce our game is now available on Greenlight! Your support is especially important at this moment, so remember to vote for Stoneshard there!

[Wayfinder]

Great news: Stoneshard is Greenlit! Big thanks to everyone who voted for us – your support was invaluable for us.

Now we can again concentrate on development, continuing implementing our concepts. Stay tuned!

[foofter]

Cute! I especially like the outdoor areas. And congratulations on getting Greenlit! :D

Reminds me of a virtually unknown and never completed Mac MMORPG from around 2000 called Lance. Which is a good thing.

[Wayfinder]

Thanks a lot! We plan to add much more various indoor and outdoor locations in the future.

By the way, this Lance MMO seems to be very obscure, as I couldn't find anything regarding it.

[foofter]

By the way, this Lance MMO seems to be very obscure, as I couldn't find anything regarding it.

It was before MMORPGs were really popular (around 1999), but it had top-down, oddly endearing pixel art characters walking around in the woods and stuff, so...

I actually found this link (searching "Lance mac Fantasoft" was the key, since Fantasoft was the publisher), but all the images are corrupted:
http://www.macworld.com/article/1021144/lance.html

The guy working on it suddenly disappeared one day...