v0.5.8 - Skill Trees

This update revamps 9 existing skills, restructuring abilities and passives into a skill tree format, adding new icon art, and rebalancing abilities.

Also included is a new character background, "Commoner," along with the ability to customize your appearance.

Save files from version 0.5.7 are compatible, though it is highly recommend to started to a new game.

The Commoner

The Commoner is a new character background designed to offer a heightened challenge. Starting with no skills or positive traits, this character receives negative buffs with each new skill unlocked.

Roll Appearance

During character creation, you can now preview and roll to change your appearance (rolling affects both loot and appearance).

Skill Trees

Most non-combat skills have been restructured into skill trees, with new icon art, additional abilities and passives, and balance changes.

Click here to view the below image in full resolution.

• Converted to Skill Trees: Dreadheart, Warrapt, Enchanting, Chivalry, Quartermastery, Survival, Medicine, Botany, Cooking.

• Rebalanced, added, and removed abilities across these skills.

• Added hundreds of new icons for passives and abilities.

• Medicine and Quartermastery recipes are now unlocked by learning techniques, similar to cooking and alchemy, making all recipes consistent.

While the above listed skills are closer to completion, more abilities and balance changes are still forthcoming. Future updates will similarly treat Reading, Travel, Athletics, and all Weapon skills.

Due to the extensive nature of these changes, some specifics are highlighted below, but we encourage players to explore the game to discover the full extent of these updates.

Quartermastery Satchels

The Quartermastery skill now includes satchels, a new equipment type that reduces the weight of specific items. For example, the Materials satchel reduces the weight of raw materials:

Once crafted, satchels can be equipped on your character.

Note that inventory slots for satchels can only be unlocked through the Quartermastery skill tree and are otherwise invisible.

Friendly Hedgehog

"Animal Companion" is a unique summon ability in the Survival tree. When toggled, a friendly Hedgehog will accompany you on your journeys, periodically bringing gifts from the forest.

The Hedgehog is resilient and will roll into a defensive ball when low on health.

Heal Summoned Creatures

Creatures you summon now have their health displayed and can be healed with medicine.

Using medicine on a summon requires you to be within 1 tile.

Keyboard Shortcuts

• New shortcut key: [Z] for "Basic Attack." Use this to perform a basic attack on nearby targets without using the mouse. If there is more than one valid target, target selection mode is activated.

• New shortcut key: [X] for "Basic Attack (Nearest)." Use this to perform a basic attack on the closest nearby target. If more than one target is tied for nearest, target selection mode is activated.

Client Icon

The game now features a new client icon:

Sound

Sound has been an ongoing issue for some users (I blame our sound libraries).

1. Sound File Format To improve robustness across Windows, Mac, and Linux, all sound files have been upgraded to .WAV format. This increases the game size but should enhance performance and reliability.

2. Music Player You can now select music player. If music is not playing properly or causing stability issues, try switching to the other music player.

What's Next?

If you've read to the end, thanks for following along! Skill Trees will continue to be developed in future updates.

Also on the horizon are the new Polearm weapons and associated skill trees: Spears, Halberds, Tridents.

A poll on Discord determined which stance to use (the middle option won):

If you'd like to participate in community polls, feel free to join our Discord!