Thanks! I’ll wishlist it for now.
The developers of For The King just posted this on the FTK Discord server:
Today we are deploying a substantial update to the X-Branch on Steam.
Dave and I have spent the last 3 weeks overhauling major systems which drive the game progression. Previously we were very limited in what we could do with FTK beyond the current quest line you are familiar with. After a lot of engineering we are now able to easily create whole new ways to play the game without disrupting any existing game content which is really great news for the future of FTK.
The update features something called “Adventure Mode” which will allow the player to choose addtional game modes beyond the main story quest. For now we have built an open exploration world which has no story or narrative, you simply start in a random realm and can go any direction you please. Leveling up will cause the world to get harder. We have kept Chaos in this mode but it is very light in comparison to the story quest.
It is HIGHLY UNTESTED and EXPERIMENTAL but If anyone is interested in playing this new mode, opt into the X-Branch in Steam. No password is required and feedback is very welcome. You are bound to see some oddities, broken localization codes, etc. We will get them cleaned up for next update. Note that old save files WILL NOT be compatible with this build!
It should also be mentioned that Jay-Nic has created a new bug submission form which is built into the game, it can be accessed through the main menu. Upon submitting a bug it will package up the output log, save file, a screenshot and store it all in a database. We should no longer be asking people for these things.
We are going to let this sit over the weekend and then do a global Steam announcement early next week. Oh, and you might run into the Hobo. :)
Take care!
If you’re turned off by the pressure mechanic in the current campaign, the promised Adventure Mode is for you and available for testing!
This is awesome! I’ve been waiting for this. I like the regular campaign but after going though it so many times it’s starting to get a bit repetitive. I love this game and I hope they keep adding content and expanding it like this.
The Shrouded Isle might best be described as a single player version of those “Vampire” forum games. Got it for the artistic style.
It’s probably 5-7 out of 10 game, depending on your love of Vampire style forum games. There’s not a huge amount of variety and to a certain extent a greater or lesser amount of luck involved. I’m not completely sold on it to be honest. The lack of character variety and the oftentimes impossible to juggle demands of three or four fail-state systems along with two or three victory point system means it feels, to me, that’s its basically just luck in the end that decides if you’re going to be able to get the ending you’re aiming at achieving.
So… in summary. It’s like a Vampire style forum game crossed with Solitaire. It is fun a couple of times through, and only takes 15m or so per game.
Yeah, I played Shrouded Isle a bit. I would say it has both atmosphere and a dark humor. You have to sacrifice a citizen every season to appease your God, while also avoiding a calamitous falling out with any of the main families, while also promoting such social goals as ignorance and obedience.
The problem, for me, is that for all its atmosphere and style, it turns into a detective game. Success depends upon uncovering which citizens are true sinners (such as being into learning) because as long as you sacrifice those citizens, you can keep all the balls in the air. Once you have to resort to sacrificing just anyone, rebellion is just around the corner.
Which might be okay, if the gameplay supported detective work, but it really falls down in that area. And for some reason, you can only sacrifice a citizen who is on your inner advisory council, so basically, if you suspect someone of having traits that seriously undermine your god, you have to give them power to do damage, in order to get rid of them. It’s all a bit muddled, and I have to admit, I lost interest after a while, after having a good first impression.
This was exactly my feeling after a couple of playthorughs. Still, it was under $10, so I certainly feel I got my moneys’ worth.
So I got a notification from Steam that I’ve been given a discount for a little game called Distrust as an owner of the developer’s previous game, Beholder. The reason I’m moderately interested is because it’s apparently a resource management game based on The Thing. Your group of survivors must deal with a shapeshifting menace while dealing with exhaustion and associated hallucinations. Impressions are positive overall but I can’t find reviews, just wondering if anyone has tried it.
I’m a little annoyed. I definitely own (and enjoy) Beholder but didn’t get that coupon.
We were discussing briefly in the stream’s chat yesterday. The store page is non-descript. The “opinions” on Steam are non-descript.
Looks like a non-game to me.
Yeah I don’t know what to make of this. @SweetJP, if you don’t end up with a coupon you can have mine. Probably not ready to roll the dice on this one.
Thanks, I appreciate the gesture but don’t worry about it. I think for me the best remedy for more The Thing is to just rewatch The Thing.
You know this just reminded me that I still need to finish the Southern Reach trilogy before the Annihilation movie comes out.
I bought it today for $8 on Bundle Stars (with code SUMMER10) and played one game on Trial difficulty (the harder one) making it to Zone 2. The other difficulty is Adventure, but pfft–who wants to play on easy?
Your helicopter crashes upon arriving at the outpost previously inhabited by your fellow workers. You control two characters that you choose from an initial pool of three with twelve others unlocked via achievements. Each character has three stats (Cold Resistance, Walking Speed, and Running Speed, each with a max value of three) and a special ability (such as Frost Resistance and Modest Rations), and comes with 0-3 inventory items. You’re then plopped in the middle of your first randomly generated zone (at the crash site) and have to make it to Zone 6.
The game is played in real time with the ability to pause during which screens are accessible (Inventory, Tools, etc.), but issuing orders is not. Each character has a Warmth, Stamina, and Satiety gauge that’s either decreasing or increasing at a rate of 1-3, and Health. Cold characters can catch a cold (according to the tooltip), while tired and hungry characters lose HPs. Each sector contains multi-room buildings that are randomly generated along with their contents. If a building doesn’t have a heat source, your Warmth will drain. If a building doesn’t have an electrical source, your characters will only walk and will have to rely on their flashlights to illuminate interactable objects. Your characters need to eat to replenish Satiety and sleep to replenish Stamina. Unfortunately, sleeping attracts the aliens. Aliens will make your characters sick when they’re in close proximity. Each alien (I’ve learned about only two, thus far) has strengths and weaknesses. The least threatening one is susceptible to light, for example.
Once your characters are dead, it’s game over. But if at least one character’s alive, he can revive the other, if he has the right item(s).
I barely scratched Zone 2, so I still have a lot to discover. And for $8, I’m enjoying it and the devs plan to add to it. The UI is very well done (particularly when interacting with objects, which I think is similar to how it’s done in This War of Mine) and the production value is nice.
Thanks for the writeup (and the Bundle Stars tip). This actually sounds pretty good.
That’s very detailed, thanks for the impressions. Sounds like the Bundle Stars deal is better than the Steam coupon too.
I’ll probably stream Distrust tomorrow, but in case it’s not clear from Mysterio’s write-up, it has nothing in common with The Thing. Except that they’re both set in snowy bases. The Thing was about paranoia, uncertainty, and freaky Rob Bottin special effects. Distrust is about desperately searching for a plank so you can repair the broken couch so you can sleep on it before your stamina runs out, but instead finding a piece of candy in a locker, but now the little floating balls that do damage to you – err, I mean, aliens – are in your way. Which building was that broken couch in again?
-Tom
Based on what the devs have said, your characters will acquire psychological afflictions that can only be cured with full rest, which is a bugger, since sleeping spawns aliens. I’ve experienced two so far (one prevented a character from hearing anything and I forgot what the other one did). I expect these afflictions will be more debilitating in higher zones, but we’ll see. But I do think they need to provide more information on the map, because it can be frustrating.
Do want!
Well THAT looks amazing. Thanks for the tip!
Its from the Crypt of the Necrodancer folks, so we can only imagine how awesome it will be.