I’m outright reeling from the last couple of months of production. So many systems have come online, so much content has reached the game’s latest build and so many tools are now in use. Here’s a rundown:

THE ROGUE (our long-promised 3rd character class)

PVP - ranked, spar, direct challenge



PVE 2.0 - connected quests across the world map, dungeons



Combat 3.0 - covered in last Update

The Animation Previewer - you may never see it but we use it always

A New Materials System - improving our art pipeline to bring you moar

Backend 2.0 - tools for ongoing content creation and game management

The Addrighar Zone & The (new) World Map - see section on it below

You’ll see more detail on many of these in this Update, but the reason I outlined the advances here is this: 2018 has been the year of the remix. Exiles has always been about the answer to the question: can we create a satisfying multiplayer RPG experience played one minute at a time? This question uncovered so many interesting design ramifications that when the year began, we took a long look at the game and its systems and decided we could hone some things, simplify others, deepen still others. And we did. Everything in that list above is an improvement over what we had going into the year, and I’m excited to say the results of those efforts are bringing us within shooting distance of what we hope is something special.

MOAR ON COMBAT

Last update, we outlined the changes to the Battle system in detail, and since then, we’ve been working on the UI and making the controls represent the system as clearly as possible (while keeping everything right there in front of you– phew!).

To review, there are 3 resources in the game– Martial (red), Magic (blue) and Mystic (green). We’ve moved to a look in Battle where you can immediately see all of your available Abilities for ease of reference. In addition, you can see if the Ability generates one of these resources (the circles on the buttons) or consumes the resources (the upside down triangles) for devastating effects and combinations.

NEW CAMPFIRE

See those little embers bust out from the fire and hit the ground? I know you do…

ADDRIGHAR



So excited to share the World Map Zone of Addrighar in its designed glory, because it’s so important in so many ways:

It’s the largest in Embermark

It’s the center– the connector to so many parts of the continent

It’s been visibly ravaged and preserved - part of the area near where the original Breaches opened got straight-up destroyed and visibly changed (the Southwest), while parts fought back and preserved their original luster

preserved - part of the area near where the original Breaches opened got straight-up destroyed and visibly changed (the Southwest), while parts fought back and preserved their original luster It’s where House Majesty used to be and is now (look closely to see its ruined former location)

Battling within the Addrighar confines will initially have you trouncing bad guys on the plains at the base of its many sheer cliffs.

THE MAP IN ACTION

The map has made leaps and bounds, and as you saw from the details of Addrighar, we’re filling in the blanks on where you’ll fight enemies and uncover locations of hidden treasure and lore.

With the heartland of the continent filled in, check out another peek at the work-in-progress World Map in action:

PVE will take the form of interactions on the map, choosing items to engage in across the continent. Here’s an engineering proof-of-concept showing how one can lead to another after completion (there will never be this many, have no fear):



The pop-up map pips you see will guide you on Quests, let you make decisions and uncover traysure. Some will even open dungeons, which you’ve seen glimpses of in past Updates. And no, there won’t be random ones scattered out over the ocean. Or will there…?

THE MONTHLY VFX PEEK

As has become our tradition, the new VFX applied to various Abilities and NPCs from the month are presented for your consideration.

First, a very unfortunate Bear:

Next, an edit to an effect shared previously. Realized we were covering you up too much and shaved a bit off the back:

And, of course, the blade-trailing Sweeping Strike effect for maximum BA-ishness:

THE ROGUE IS NIGH (LIKE, SUPER NIGH)



Usually, I say a couple of things before visuals, but instead:

This guy is sooo close to being in the game– and we’re really excited to see him do his thing. His base loot and animations are in the engine, and we hope to have him playable in another build or two.

(this was a bug, he won’t be cutting his hands on his daggers– but we thought it was kind of BA, so I’m sharing)

And while there’s not an Ability called “Stabby Stab Stab” per se, here’s a dual-wielding animation of an Ability you probably wouldn’t want to receive in our (or anyone’s) world.

Stay tuned for details on his Abilities and strategy (you can get a sense from the opening image of this post). And check out another mid-level chest piece you will find along your Rogue-ish journey:



EMBERBEASTS IN EMBERMARK

Other than noting the markings and glow of what can only be infusion from Embers, I’ll leave this new beastie here:

LOOOOOT



Higher-tier (later level) gear is rolling off the presses as we ready what will be the initial batch of loot for rewards, finds and drops. Some of it is adapted from earlier designs and some of it is brand-new, but we’re organizing it all to create a meaningful distribution as your character progresses through the game.

Hammers:

Shields:

A SNEAK PEEK AT THE ADDRIGHAR SATTARI



Addrighar, the Zone revealed earlier, is home to several unique species, not all of whom the player will fight. One they will fight, however, are the satyr-like Sattari, a group of plains-dwellers who make their home at the edge of the wastes created by the cataclysmic Collapse in the Southwestern edge of the Zone. They’ve been raiding down into that area for years, hunting and fighting what they find there as well as gathering what resources they can.

We’re just getting started on this key race– here’s the concept:

BONUS: Why Are You Hitting Yourself?

Accidental features are the 2nd best. Despite your best efforts and obsession, you can’t anticipate everything in game production. And you try and anticipate disaster, which probably isn’t healthy. But sometimes– every now and then– you don’t anticipate a welcome feature that rears its head. Automated battles between any two characters in the game (even yourself) are now a thing– we just have to figure out how we’re going to use that…

BONUS: Another House?

A few Updates ago, I shared the new designs and names for the Houses that vie for influence over the castoff continent of Embermark. There are six.

But somehow, a mysterious unsanctioned seventh made its way into the Exiles Discord, check it out…

BONUS: AN EFFECTS TEST GONE AWRY

The Sweeping Strike VFX shown earlier, given a few tweaks, gets out of control: