Disclaimer: Features discussed in this post reflect what is currently under development and may change in the future.
Full notes
Full Anvil Empires update
Read the full published notes in a cleaner layout. The original post stays linked below.
What changed
0 fixes6 additions3 changes0 removals
Gameplay
Performance
Server
addedThe main focus of development at the moment is fleshing out the new Avatar system and tuning gameplay to support a more Avatar centric game. Homesteads will still be a vital component of Anvil, but are no longer something that every player is expected to build for themselves. Instead, their progression will be tied to the Avatars under their or their House's control.
changedAVATAR CHARACTERSOne of the goals behind Avatars is to simulate individual citizens within each empire. To facilitate this, Avatars will now have varying visuals, including different skintones, hair styles, facial hair, and sexes. When a new Avatar is generated, their visual characteristics will be determined randomly. You can set preferences to influence these characteristics for Avatars that are generated for you, but there is still a random element to it to ensure that the overall population of Avatars is representative of a real society.
changedAVATAR CHARACTERSTo support these new visuals and all the new character features like clothing and new types of wearable armour, the character system was completely rearchitected. While most of this work is under the hood, the complexity and effort that went into this cannot be understated. The skeleton, base character mesh, and animation system was completely overhauled from the ground up using tech that was specifically available in the latest version of the Unreal Engine. This was in part why we upgraded to Unreal Engine 5.6 last fall. Another reason for redoing the character system was to optimize it for rendering hundreds of players on screen at once. Previously, the character system was using parts that were ported over from Foxhole, a game that had a different set of requirements.
addedAVATAR EQUIPMENTNamed Avatars are intended to be persistent characters in the world that can be upgraded over time through better gear and attributes. To support this gameplay, the breadth of items that can be equipped on an Avatar has been expanded with new slots: Two clothing slots, an extra legs armour slot, and a dedicated ammo slot. As an Avatar is progressed, it can be customized with better gear in all of these slots, improving it's overall effectiveness in the persistent conflict.
addedNEW CLOTHING SYSTEMThere are two new slots for clothing: body and legs. For now, clothing will keep Avatars warm during winter seasons and snow storms, and will offer a small amount of extra protection in combat. Each side will have their own set of clothing
changedNEW ARMOUR SETSAuxiliaries will now spawn with their own dedicated set of armour, which will be low in effectiveness. Another purpose replace the visual of "naked" characters in frontline battles with properly armoured soldiers. On top of that, each side will have three classes of armour: light, medium, and heavy. Light armour will be appropriate for using ranged weapons like bows while medium and heavy armour are appropriate for frontline melee engagements.
Anvil Empires changes
addedThe main focus of development at the moment is fleshing out the new Avatar system and tuning gameplay to support a more Avatar centric game. Homesteads will still be a vital component of Anvil, but are no longer something that every player is expected to build for themselves. Instead, their progression will be tied to the Avatars under their or their House's control.
changedOne of the goals behind Avatars is to simulate individual citizens within each empire. To facilitate this, Avatars will now have varying visuals, including different skintones, hair styles, facial hair, and sexes. When a new Avatar is generated, their visual characteristics will be determined randomly. You can set preferences to influence these characteristics for Avatars that are generated for you, but there is still a random element to it to ensure that the overall population of Avatars is representative of a real society.
changedTo support these new visuals and all the new character features like clothing and new types of wearable armour, the character system was completely rearchitected. While most of this work is under the hood, the complexity and effort that went into this cannot be understated. The skeleton, base character mesh, and animation system was completely overhauled from the ground up using tech that was specifically available in the latest version of the Unreal Engine. This was in part why we upgraded to Unreal Engine 5.6 last fall. Another reason for redoing the character system was to optimize it for rendering hundreds of players on screen at once. Previously, the character system was using parts that were ported over from Foxhole, a game that had a different set of requirements.
addedNamed Avatars are intended to be persistent characters in the world that can be upgraded over time through better gear and attributes. To support this gameplay, the breadth of items that can be equipped on an Avatar has been expanded with new slots: Two clothing slots, an extra legs armour slot, and a dedicated ammo slot. As an Avatar is progressed, it can be customized with better gear in all of these slots, improving it's overall effectiveness in the persistent conflict.
addedThere are two new slots for clothing: body and legs. For now, clothing will keep Avatars warm during winter seasons and snow storms, and will offer a small amount of extra protection in combat. Each side will have their own set of clothing
Disclaimer: Features discussed in this post reflect what is currently under development and may change in the future.
The main focus of development at the moment is fleshing out the new Avatar system and tuning gameplay to support a more Avatar centric game. Homesteads will still be a vital component of Anvil, but are no longer something that every player is expected to build for themselves. Instead, their progression will be tied to the Avatars under their or their House's control.
AVATAR CHARACTERS
One of the goals behind Avatars is to simulate individual citizens within each empire. To facilitate this, Avatars will now have varying visuals, including different skintones, hair styles, facial hair, and sexes. When a new Avatar is generated, their visual characteristics will be determined randomly. You can set preferences to influence these characteristics for Avatars that are generated for you, but there is still a random element to it to ensure that the overall population of Avatars is representative of a real society.
To support these new visuals and all the new character features like clothing and new types of wearable armour, the character system was completely rearchitected. While most of this work is under the hood, the complexity and effort that went into this cannot be understated. The skeleton, base character mesh, and animation system was completely overhauled from the ground up using tech that was specifically available in the latest version of the Unreal Engine. This was in part why we upgraded to Unreal Engine 5.6 last fall. Another reason for redoing the character system was to optimize it for rendering hundreds of players on screen at once. Previously, the character system was using parts that were ported over from Foxhole, a game that had a different set of requirements.
AVATAR EQUIPMENT
Named Avatars are intended to be persistent characters in the world that can be upgraded over time through better gear and attributes. To support this gameplay, the breadth of items that can be equipped on an Avatar has been expanded with new slots: Two clothing slots, an extra legs armour slot, and a dedicated ammo slot. As an Avatar is progressed, it can be customized with better gear in all of these slots, improving it's overall effectiveness in the persistent conflict.
NEW CLOTHING SYSTEM
There are two new slots for clothing: body and legs. For now, clothing will keep Avatars warm during winter seasons and snow storms, and will offer a small amount of extra protection in combat. Each side will have their own set of clothing
NEW ARMOUR SETS
The previous sets of armour in the game were always meant as temporary stand-ins for pre-alpha. Late last year, work began on redesigning proper lore appropriate armour for each side. As part of this, four sets of armour were created.
Auxiliaries will now spawn with their own dedicated set of armour, which will be low in effectiveness. Another purpose replace the visual of "naked" characters in frontline battles with properly armoured soldiers. On top of that, each side will have three classes of armour: light, medium, and heavy. Light armour will be appropriate for using ranged weapons like bows while medium and heavy armour are appropriate for frontline melee engagements.
SUPERIOR WEAPONS
A new tier of Superior weapons have been introduced, including a new Sword, Spear, Bow, and Shield. Players will need to traverse deeper into the Underworld to find resources to craft such items.
UNDERWORLD LEVELS
The Underworld has been expanded upon. The animals residing in the Underworld have received new visuals to better distinguish them from their surface level equivalents. Players can now delve deeper into a second level where they might find never before seen threats. New resources can be procured at depths, allowing players to craft higher end gear like Heavy Armour and Superior Weapons. We are also in the development process of making further improvements to the Underworld, with a focus on robustness and quality of life.
Be sure to add Anvil Empires to your wish list on Steam. If you want to join the community, head over the to official Discord server or Subreddit.
