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Indie Archaelund: RPG that combines 1st-person exploration with 3rd-person TB combat - now available on Early Access

mediocrepoet

Philosoraptor in Residence
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Codex 2012 Codex+ Now Streaming! MCA Project: Eternity Divinity: Original Sin 2
Bought it.

I was very hyped to play but a lot of stuff isn't in yet. Will wait a while.

first thing you might want to fix is tooltips actually showing up somewhere in the middle of the screen, rather than at the very bottom so the text is cut off.

It's a bit janky but I've found that if you move your mouse and approach the link from the middle of the screen, it'll tend to display in a better position, at least in the chargen screens.

I didn't go beyond party creation, was just curious as to the races and classes + system stuff.
 

Johnny Biggums

Learned
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
223
So I've been singing praises for a few pages (and I fully admit that I'm biased or at least favorably disposed towards this studio), but I will flag a budding but serious concern. The enemy AI and pathfinding are not strong enough. For instance, melee enemies always charge rather than manage space, don't appear to target squishy characters, and don't appear to focus on flanking or pinning. Additionally, so far (my party is now level 3), encounters have not involved enemy spellcasters, which puts a slight damper on encounter variety and problem solving in the early game. I can't recall if enemy AI is mentioned in the roadmap, but it needs attention if the game is to reach its full potential for incline.

Combat remains quite challenging, but there's this sense that the enemies are a little dumb and exploitable.

EA jank from an indie dev I'm not concerned by.
 
Last edited:

Infinitron

I post news
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Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
DavidBVal gets some press: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ne...-with-its-foot-stuck-in-final-fantasy-tactics

New RPG Archaelund is Elder Scrolls with its foot stuck in Final Fantasy Tactics​

Out now in early access

I have a sneaking affection for slightly jarring genre hybrids - games like the relatively recent Disintegration and the much older Battlezone 2, which smush action mechanics together with real-time strategy, or the rather more elegant Puzzle Quest, in which you roll around a parchment landscape fighting wizards using the power of match-3. New open world RPG Archaelund, which launched in early access this week, and was brought to my attention by RPS supporter cpt_freakout, has something of that curious enchantment to it.

You'll explore its landscape in first-person, roving sandy plateaus and frontier towns that remind me of Morrowind, at times. Bump into a foe, however, and your first-person perspective undergoes a fission reaction, splitting into a full group of warriors who are controlled in top down.

A view of the sun over a sandy beach in Archaelund from 4 Dimension Games, with palm trees on the right hand side.A battle in Archaelund from 4 Dimension Games, showing a group of characters fighting rats inside a ruin in top-down viewImage credit: 4 Dimension Games

The early access footage seems janky but endearing, and the game also has an appealingly grotty backstory (though going by screenshots, the in-game English localisation could use some polish). Gather close, my children, for it is time to speak of Lore: once upon a time, the continent of Andoria was ruled by a proud Empire. But then came the Horrors, an overwhelming otherworldly threat unleashed by a magical cataclysm.


The Empire's survivors fled across the seas to a distant colony, the island of Varannar, where they resettled and divided into four Exiled Kingdoms, each warped by their experiences of the fall. Varsailia, the strongest, are obsessed with preserving imperial history and traditions. The Ilmarans are a faction of religious zealots, while Thuram is a wacky magocracy formed by the surviving Imperial Wizards. Mercia, a kingdom founded by the old Imperial army, are all about discipline and slavery.

Being confined to a small island, the kingdoms became locked in factional warfare and conspiracy. But then, after generations of strife, sailors discovered that the Horrors had finally abandoned Andoria, leaving it ripe for recolonisation. Well, if you discount the monsters and eldritch pollution, to say nothing of the Geldryn, a race of former Andorian slaves who retreated underground during the Horror occupation, and now aspire to inherit the surface.

Rancid post-imperial setting aside, Archaelund features a kind of rag-to-riches class system whereby characters may start as street thugs, beggars and humble squires before advancing to Proper Fantasy Professions such as Knight or Battlemage. The combat, meanwhile, emphasises cunning over grinding: according to the Steam page, "when your characters advance in levels, you'll gain new tactical options to defeat your enemies, not just increased numbers."

The early access build encompasses the first chapter of the game's main quest, with character progression limited to level 4. It includes one open-ended region with sidequests, challenges and secrets that is said to span 12-15 hours of playtime. It also gives you five playable races (including minotaurs, humans and goblins), fifteen careers, fourteen skills, over 60 talents or unique abilities, and over 50 spells. There's no 1.0 release date estimate right now, but they do have a development roadmap.

Archaelund is the work of 4 Dimension Games. The developer's previous Exiled Kingdoms is set in the same universe, and as the name suggests, deals with events on Varannar before the rediscovery of the sea route to Andoria. It's the recipient of a Very Positive Steam reviewer consensus, and Archaelund's early access build is also going down well so far. One to keep an eye on, I reckon.
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Messages
1,308
DavidBVal gets some press: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ne...-with-its-foot-stuck-in-final-fantasy-tactics

New RPG Archaelund is Elder Scrolls with its foot stuck in Final Fantasy Tactics​

Out now in early access

I have a sneaking affection for slightly jarring genre hybrids - games like the relatively recent Disintegration and the much older Battlezone 2, which smush action mechanics together with real-time strategy, or the rather more elegant Puzzle Quest, in which you roll around a parchment landscape fighting wizards using the power of match-3. New open world RPG Archaelund, which launched in early access this week, and was brought to my attention by RPS supporter cpt_freakout, has something of that curious enchantment to it.

You'll explore its landscape in first-person, roving sandy plateaus and frontier towns that remind me of Morrowind, at times. Bump into a foe, however, and your first-person perspective undergoes a fission reaction, splitting into a full group of warriors who are controlled in top down.

A view of the sun over a sandy beach in Archaelund from 4 Dimension Games, with palm trees on the right hand side.A battle in Archaelund from 4 Dimension Games, showing a group of characters fighting rats inside a ruin in top-down viewImage credit: 4 Dimension Games

The early access footage seems janky but endearing, and the game also has an appealingly grotty backstory (though going by screenshots, the in-game English localisation could use some polish). Gather close, my children, for it is time to speak of Lore: once upon a time, the continent of Andoria was ruled by a proud Empire. But then came the Horrors, an overwhelming otherworldly threat unleashed by a magical cataclysm.


The Empire's survivors fled across the seas to a distant colony, the island of Varannar, where they resettled and divided into four Exiled Kingdoms, each warped by their experiences of the fall. Varsailia, the strongest, are obsessed with preserving imperial history and traditions. The Ilmarans are a faction of religious zealots, while Thuram is a wacky magocracy formed by the surviving Imperial Wizards. Mercia, a kingdom founded by the old Imperial army, are all about discipline and slavery.

Being confined to a small island, the kingdoms became locked in factional warfare and conspiracy. But then, after generations of strife, sailors discovered that the Horrors had finally abandoned Andoria, leaving it ripe for recolonisation. Well, if you discount the monsters and eldritch pollution, to say nothing of the Geldryn, a race of former Andorian slaves who retreated underground during the Horror occupation, and now aspire to inherit the surface.

Rancid post-imperial setting aside, Archaelund features a kind of rag-to-riches class system whereby characters may start as street thugs, beggars and humble squires before advancing to Proper Fantasy Professions such as Knight or Battlemage. The combat, meanwhile, emphasises cunning over grinding: according to the Steam page, "when your characters advance in levels, you'll gain new tactical options to defeat your enemies, not just increased numbers."

The early access build encompasses the first chapter of the game's main quest, with character progression limited to level 4. It includes one open-ended region with sidequests, challenges and secrets that is said to span 12-15 hours of playtime. It also gives you five playable races (including minotaurs, humans and goblins), fifteen careers, fourteen skills, over 60 talents or unique abilities, and over 50 spells. There's no 1.0 release date estimate right now, but they do have a development roadmap.

Archaelund is the work of 4 Dimension Games. The developer's previous Exiled Kingdoms is set in the same universe, and as the name suggests, deals with events on Varannar before the rediscovery of the sea route to Andoria. It's the recipient of a Very Positive Steam reviewer consensus, and Archaelund's early access build is also going down well so far. One to keep an eye on, I reckon.
Calling this TES is really braindead.
 

Tyranicon

A Memory of Eternity
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Messages
6,100
Calling this TES is really braindead.

Using Morrowind + Final Fantasy Tactics as a comparison point makes me think the writer hasn't played enough good RPGs.

Buuuuuut, it's an attractive name dropping combo that will be good for marketing, so it doesn't hurt.
 

mediocrepoet

Philosoraptor in Residence
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Combatfag: Gold box / Pathfinder
Codex 2012 Codex+ Now Streaming! MCA Project: Eternity Divinity: Original Sin 2
Calling this TES is really braindead.

Using Morrowind + Final Fantasy Tactics as a comparison point makes me think the writer hasn't played enough good RPGs.

Buuuuuut, it's an attractive name dropping combo that will be good for marketing, so it doesn't hurt.
Aw man. I was hoping for Dragon Age Inquisition + Persona 5.
 

Butter

Arcane
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Joined
Oct 1, 2018
Messages
7,701
DavidBVal gets some press: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ne...-with-its-foot-stuck-in-final-fantasy-tactics

New RPG Archaelund is Elder Scrolls with its foot stuck in Final Fantasy Tactics​

Out now in early access

I have a sneaking affection for slightly jarring genre hybrids - games like the relatively recent Disintegration and the much older Battlezone 2, which smush action mechanics together with real-time strategy, or the rather more elegant Puzzle Quest, in which you roll around a parchment landscape fighting wizards using the power of match-3. New open world RPG Archaelund, which launched in early access this week, and was brought to my attention by RPS supporter cpt_freakout, has something of that curious enchantment to it.

You'll explore its landscape in first-person, roving sandy plateaus and frontier towns that remind me of Morrowind, at times. Bump into a foe, however, and your first-person perspective undergoes a fission reaction, splitting into a full group of warriors who are controlled in top down.

A view of the sun over a sandy beach in Archaelund from 4 Dimension Games, with palm trees on the right hand side.A battle in Archaelund from 4 Dimension Games, showing a group of characters fighting rats inside a ruin in top-down viewImage credit: 4 Dimension Games

The early access footage seems janky but endearing, and the game also has an appealingly grotty backstory (though going by screenshots, the in-game English localisation could use some polish). Gather close, my children, for it is time to speak of Lore: once upon a time, the continent of Andoria was ruled by a proud Empire. But then came the Horrors, an overwhelming otherworldly threat unleashed by a magical cataclysm.


The Empire's survivors fled across the seas to a distant colony, the island of Varannar, where they resettled and divided into four Exiled Kingdoms, each warped by their experiences of the fall. Varsailia, the strongest, are obsessed with preserving imperial history and traditions. The Ilmarans are a faction of religious zealots, while Thuram is a wacky magocracy formed by the surviving Imperial Wizards. Mercia, a kingdom founded by the old Imperial army, are all about discipline and slavery.

Being confined to a small island, the kingdoms became locked in factional warfare and conspiracy. But then, after generations of strife, sailors discovered that the Horrors had finally abandoned Andoria, leaving it ripe for recolonisation. Well, if you discount the monsters and eldritch pollution, to say nothing of the Geldryn, a race of former Andorian slaves who retreated underground during the Horror occupation, and now aspire to inherit the surface.

Rancid post-imperial setting aside, Archaelund features a kind of rag-to-riches class system whereby characters may start as street thugs, beggars and humble squires before advancing to Proper Fantasy Professions such as Knight or Battlemage. The combat, meanwhile, emphasises cunning over grinding: according to the Steam page, "when your characters advance in levels, you'll gain new tactical options to defeat your enemies, not just increased numbers."

The early access build encompasses the first chapter of the game's main quest, with character progression limited to level 4. It includes one open-ended region with sidequests, challenges and secrets that is said to span 12-15 hours of playtime. It also gives you five playable races (including minotaurs, humans and goblins), fifteen careers, fourteen skills, over 60 talents or unique abilities, and over 50 spells. There's no 1.0 release date estimate right now, but they do have a development roadmap.

Archaelund is the work of 4 Dimension Games. The developer's previous Exiled Kingdoms is set in the same universe, and as the name suggests, deals with events on Varannar before the rediscovery of the sea route to Andoria. It's the recipient of a Very Positive Steam reviewer consensus, and Archaelund's early access build is also going down well so far. One to keep an eye on, I reckon.
Where do these Elder Scrolls comparisons come from? Are these people just fucking braindead and that's their only reference point for first person fantasy?
 

ERYFKRAD

Barbarian
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Joined
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Messages
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Strap Yourselves In Serpent in the Staglands Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
DavidBVal gets some press: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ne...-with-its-foot-stuck-in-final-fantasy-tactics

New RPG Archaelund is Elder Scrolls with its foot stuck in Final Fantasy Tactics​

Out now in early access

I have a sneaking affection for slightly jarring genre hybrids - games like the relatively recent Disintegration and the much older Battlezone 2, which smush action mechanics together with real-time strategy, or the rather more elegant Puzzle Quest, in which you roll around a parchment landscape fighting wizards using the power of match-3. New open world RPG Archaelund, which launched in early access this week, and was brought to my attention by RPS supporter cpt_freakout, has something of that curious enchantment to it.

You'll explore its landscape in first-person, roving sandy plateaus and frontier towns that remind me of Morrowind, at times. Bump into a foe, however, and your first-person perspective undergoes a fission reaction, splitting into a full group of warriors who are controlled in top down.

A view of the sun over a sandy beach in Archaelund from 4 Dimension Games, with palm trees on the right hand side.A battle in Archaelund from 4 Dimension Games, showing a group of characters fighting rats inside a ruin in top-down viewImage credit: 4 Dimension Games

The early access footage seems janky but endearing, and the game also has an appealingly grotty backstory (though going by screenshots, the in-game English localisation could use some polish). Gather close, my children, for it is time to speak of Lore: once upon a time, the continent of Andoria was ruled by a proud Empire. But then came the Horrors, an overwhelming otherworldly threat unleashed by a magical cataclysm.


The Empire's survivors fled across the seas to a distant colony, the island of Varannar, where they resettled and divided into four Exiled Kingdoms, each warped by their experiences of the fall. Varsailia, the strongest, are obsessed with preserving imperial history and traditions. The Ilmarans are a faction of religious zealots, while Thuram is a wacky magocracy formed by the surviving Imperial Wizards. Mercia, a kingdom founded by the old Imperial army, are all about discipline and slavery.

Being confined to a small island, the kingdoms became locked in factional warfare and conspiracy. But then, after generations of strife, sailors discovered that the Horrors had finally abandoned Andoria, leaving it ripe for recolonisation. Well, if you discount the monsters and eldritch pollution, to say nothing of the Geldryn, a race of former Andorian slaves who retreated underground during the Horror occupation, and now aspire to inherit the surface.

Rancid post-imperial setting aside, Archaelund features a kind of rag-to-riches class system whereby characters may start as street thugs, beggars and humble squires before advancing to Proper Fantasy Professions such as Knight or Battlemage. The combat, meanwhile, emphasises cunning over grinding: according to the Steam page, "when your characters advance in levels, you'll gain new tactical options to defeat your enemies, not just increased numbers."

The early access build encompasses the first chapter of the game's main quest, with character progression limited to level 4. It includes one open-ended region with sidequests, challenges and secrets that is said to span 12-15 hours of playtime. It also gives you five playable races (including minotaurs, humans and goblins), fifteen careers, fourteen skills, over 60 talents or unique abilities, and over 50 spells. There's no 1.0 release date estimate right now, but they do have a development roadmap.

Archaelund is the work of 4 Dimension Games. The developer's previous Exiled Kingdoms is set in the same universe, and as the name suggests, deals with events on Varannar before the rediscovery of the sea route to Andoria. It's the recipient of a Very Positive Steam reviewer consensus, and Archaelund's early access build is also going down well so far. One to keep an eye on, I reckon.
Where do these Elder Scrolls comparisons come from? Are these people just fucking braindead and that's their only reference point for first person fantasy?
Bitch ass niggers could be namedropping gold box or Krondor or Realms of Arkania(HD) but instead we get this.
 

Nostaljaded

Savant
Joined
Jun 4, 2015
Messages
361
DavidBVal
You may want to fix your Steam Screenshots 6 & 7, due to typo & bug.

See orange underlines:
zuXlO7m.png
 

DavidBVal

4 Dimension Games
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Madrid
PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Insert Title Here RPG Wokedex Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming! Pathfinder: Wrath
I am currently playing this game. I think the game has solid foundations but just needs more of everything.

Agreed. That's the idea. :smug:

Folks, won't be visiting the codex much these weeks, just too many forums, emails, etc. currently buzzing around my head, while I try to be focused on releasing updates. But eventually will read everything posted here.
 

Johnny Biggums

Learned
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
223
I am currently playing this game. I think the game has solid foundations but just needs more of everything.

Agreed. That's the idea. :smug:

Folks, won't be visiting the codex much these weeks, just too many forums, emails, etc. currently buzzing around my head, while I try to be focused on releasing updates. But eventually will read everything posted here.

What’s the best venue to give you feedback? Steam?
 

ERYFKRAD

Barbarian
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Joined
Sep 25, 2012
Messages
28,371
Strap Yourselves In Serpent in the Staglands Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
I am currently playing this game. I think the game has solid foundations but just needs more of everything.

Agreed. That's the idea. :smug:

Folks, won't be visiting the codex much these weeks, just too many forums, emails, etc. currently buzzing around my head, while I try to be focused on releasing updates. But eventually will read everything posted here.
Make humans barbarians you damned churl. :argh:
 

agris

Arcane
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Joined
Apr 16, 2004
Messages
6,834
i caved and bought it. the character system looks really meaty, currently autistically studying all the class options.

QQs: is dual wielding a thing, and is the number of discipline or skill points you gain per level impacted by anything other than your career?
 

cvv

Arcane
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Messages
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Kingdom of Bohemia
Codex+ Now Streaming!

Folks, won't be visiting the codex much these weeks, just too many forums, emails, etc. currently buzzing around my head, while I try to be focused on releasing updates. But eventually will read everything posted here.
What about the most important question - nowhere else to buy than from Steam? You can't sell keys yourself? Leaving 30% on Gaben's fat table?
 

mediocrepoet

Philosoraptor in Residence
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Combatfag: Gold box / Pathfinder
Codex 2012 Codex+ Now Streaming! MCA Project: Eternity Divinity: Original Sin 2
I am currently playing this game. I think the game has solid foundations but just needs more of everything.

Agreed. That's the idea. :smug:

Folks, won't be visiting the codex much these weeks, just too many forums, emails, etc. currently buzzing around my head, while I try to be focused on releasing updates. But eventually will read everything posted here.
Make humans barbarians you damned churl. :argh:
Play a green skin, fool. Or minotaur master race! :obviously:
 

0sacred

poop retainer
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Played a bit, and got filtered hard :lol: Maybe I should use the healing battery class. Being able to rest would probably make a difference too, but I don't have the Spot or Survival skill. Or maybe I'll have to wait until the game gets inevitably dumbed down balanced.

Nuking magic felt suitably powerful though, considering your abysmal starting hit chance. And even at 7 SLF I could only cast a handful of times, making it feel really impactful.
 

agris

Arcane
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Joined
Apr 16, 2004
Messages
6,834
Played a bit, and got filtered hard :lol: Maybe I should use the healing battery class. Being able to rest would probably make a difference too, but I don't have the Spot or Survival skill. Or maybe I'll have to wait until the game gets inevitably dumbed down balanced.
how far did you get?
 

0sacred

poop retainer
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MFGA (Make Fantasy Great Again)
Codex Year of the Donut
Played a bit, and got filtered hard :lol: Maybe I should use the healing battery class. Being able to rest would probably make a difference too, but I don't have the Spot or Survival skill. Or maybe I'll have to wait until the game gets inevitably dumbed down balanced.
how far did you get?

to the first dungeon, by then everyone was down to a few HP. I found some rations but no spot to rest
 

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