Couchpotato spotted RPGamer's weekly round-up.

Everything turn-based:

EVERYTHING TURN-BASED: WEEKLY RPG NEWS AND RELEASES 20 JULY 2024

It’s been a week filled with new releases, from video games that have completed their early access phase to others that have just debuted. In our beloved Weekly Recap, we cover the releases and some news from the week.

Regarding our own content, we featured an Indie Showcase featuring 10 genuine RPGs that you should not miss. Additionally, we provided some really interesting overviews and reviewed both Wildfrost and the newly released Kriegsfront Tactics Prologue.

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
We start with Shuffle Tactics, an intriguing tactical RPG with deck-building mechanics and delightful pixel art. It was announced yesterday that its public demo will be released on July 24th. This game is definitely one of the most interesting titles, and you can find more details here.

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Couchpotato spotted a new Shadow of the Road devlog:

Samurai!

It’s been a while since our last update, but rest assured – we’ve been fully immersed in some exciting developments that we’ll share with you in the coming weeks. And while we can't reveal everything at once, we'll be slowly spilling the beans.

To back this up, here’s a glimpse into what we’ve been up to recently. Ready to dive in? Let's take a journey together!

Stealth System

First off, we've implemented an exciting new stealth system that’s aimed at enhancing your gameplay experience. With the press of a button, you can slip into stealth mode, revealing the enemy’s area of control and their vision.

Just imagine sneaking past foes, using every bit of the bush and every shadowy hideout to your advantage... The thrill of moving undetected is at your fingertips!

And while in stealth mode, you can silently take down isolated enemies or even ambush them. But be cautious - if your target is too close to their ally, you can get ambushed yourself. Thrilling, isn't it?

Continuous Combat Flow

Next, we’ve reworked our combat system to feature a continuous timeline. This change brings in a lot of depth and new possibilities (more about that in the future ;)).

Each character now has a frequency that determines how often they will take their turn, and the order can be shifted both left and right within the timeline. It simply provides a more dynamic and strategic combat experience.

Hoist the sail!

To wrap things up, we have a special treat for you – a teaser for a brand-new level that’s yet to be revealed. We won’t give away too much, but let’s just say we hope none of you suffer from seasickness! ;)

Finally…

We really appreciate your patience and that’s why we want to show you that we’re making steady progress with the game. To keep up with all the latest updates and sneak peeks, join our Discord and follow us on social media.

We're excited to share more with you soon. Stay tuned, Warriors – the best is yet to come!

Couchpotato spotted a new system for Path of Exile:

Path of Exile: Introducing the Currency Exchange Market

Couchpotato spotted the fourth podcast for the Gothic 1 Remake:

Gothic 1 Remake | Podcast #04: Art & World Design

Interesting article on Techcrunch about a startup that is specifically making AI for NPCs in video games:

Artificial Agency raises $16M to use AI to make NPCs feel more realistic in video games

A group of former Google DeepMind researchers has created an AI behavior engine that aims to transform traditional video games into a more dynamic experience by improving how non-playable characters (NPCs) behave and interact with gamers.

There’s no shortage of companies using AI to generate NPCs that feel more realistic, but Canada-based Artificial Agency, fresh out of stealth with $16 million in funding, is betting its behavior engine will help it stand out from the pack.

Traditionally, NPCs are guided by decision trees and pre-written scripts, which often limit the number of outcomes a player can experience. For example, most NPCs in games respond to player behavior with a few repetitive dialogues, which can often feel unrealistic and boring.

Artificial Agency’s behavior engine throws this framework out the window, turning the game developer into more of a stage manager. The engine requires developers to give each NPC a set of motivations, rules and goals to live by, which then dictates how the NPC will respond to the player. The technology can plug into existing video games or serve as the basis for completely new ones.

The startup, based out of Edmonton, Alberta, is entering an increasingly crowded space. Competitors include Inworld, which also offers AI-generated behaviors for NPCs, as well as Nvidia, which has been working on AI-powered NPCs for some time now.

Artificial Agency, for its part, believes that integrating AI-generated NPCs into a video game’s design is the way forward.

“The conversations we often have with these studios are not about if, it’s about when,” co-founder and CEO Brian Tanner told TechCrunch. “This sort of dynamic interaction and dynamic response that our system allows is going to be table stakes in the games industry just a few years from now.”

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Like every week the RPG Crawler sums up the computer and tabletop RPG news:

RPG News Roundup (7-20-2024)

Couchpotato spotted two Vessel Of Hatred previews:

GameSpot: Spiritborn Class Impressions | Diablo 4 Vessel Of Hatred Preview

IGN: Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred - Spiritborn Class First Impressions

Couchpotato spotted two reviews for Dungeons of Hinterberg:

RPGSite: Dungeons of Hinterberg Review - Score: 8/10

RPGFan: Dungeons of Hinterberg - Score: 83/100

RPGamer reports that the Path of Exile expansion Settlers of Kalguur will be released next week:

Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur Expansion Releasing Next Week

Developer Grinding Gear Games announced the latest expansion for free-to-play action RPG Path of Exile. The Settlers of Kalguur expansion and accompanying Challenge League will release simultaneously for PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on July 26, 2024. In addition, the company announced that it will soon be running a closed beta test for the upcoming Path of Exile 2. Those interested in participating can register on the game’s official website.

Settlers of Kalguur features some familiar faces from previous content and sees players help Kalguuran pioneers establish trade between Wraeclast and their homeland, assisting them in building the town of Kingsmarch that will act as a trading hub. Players are tasked with mining special resources, hiring and protecting skilled workers, building out a harbour, and managing trading.

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The Turn Based Lovers present 10 indie RPGs:

INDIE SHOWCASE – 10 OF LATEST AND MOST PURE PROMISING INDIE TURN-BASED RPGS – EP2

SECOND SHOWCASE ABOUT SOME OF THE MOST PROMISING INDIE RPGS AND STRATEGY GAMES

Welcome to the second episode of Indie Showcase. For newcomers, this is a recap of our latest overviews dedicated to indie RPGs. So, if you missed an interesting title, you’ll find it conveniently listed in this article. Handy, right?

Turn Based Lovers is always on the lookout for those nearly unknown titles with huge potential, to give them the spotlight they deserve and help the project’s growth. I mention this because in this article, you’ll find the majority of titles without a release date, or with one that’s quite far off. Adding a few more wishlists can certainly help many projects become feasible.

Today, we’re covering pure RPGs, Strategy games, Roguelites, and Dungeon Crawlers with immense potential that I can’t wait to try. Let’s dive into this Indie Showcase.

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FANGS & FORGES
HIBERNACULUM
CRYOHAZARD
WHISPERS OF THE EYELESS
MAXIMUM APOCALYPSE: THE VIDEO GAME
SOF: ENEMY FROM THE FUTURE
DAWNMAKER
ANOXIA STATION
RUINLANDER
FORLORN MEMORIES

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Couchpotato spotted that the alpha build of Coridden is now live:

The Alpha build for Coridden is now live!

Greetings, Shifters!

Exciting news! Our playtests start today, and we can't wait for you to dive in and experience Coridden.
This is an exclusive opportunity to dive into the new content we've been working on and provide valuable feedback to help us shape the future of our shapeshifting game. 

So, what’s an Alpha build? It’s an early version of our game that we’re sharing with you for a very limited time to gather your invaluable insights and feedback. Your experience and reports will help us make Coridden even better!

On this occasion, we prepared a combat trailer to give you a taste:

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Owlcat reacts to their player survey:

GETTING TO KNOW OWLCAT PLAYERS

Some time ago, we reached out to you, our players, with a comprehensive survey to learn more about you and enhance your gaming experience. 

We want to start by saying a huge thank you to everyone who found the time to participate! Nearly 23,500 people from all across the globe took our survey, not a small figure by any means. We sincerely appreciate each and every participant for dedicating their time and sharing their valuable feedback with us.

Today, we're excited to share some curious insights and findings we've made based on your feedback.

Please note that we won't cover every single question here, as that would turn this article into a novel! Instead, we’ll focus on the key highlights. So, sit back and enjoy the read!

Locations and languages
Our players come from various corners of the world, with a majority from Europe (45.8%) and North America (39.8%). A more minor yet significant number hail from Asia (6%) and South America (3.4%). The remaining 5% of players are scattered across various other parts of the world. It's fantastic to see that Owlcat Games' captivating worlds are enjoyed across different regions worldwide. The more, the merrier!

When it comes to languages, English speakers make up the largest group at 61.55%. Following English, the top native languages among our players include German, French, Russian, Polish, and Spanish. This diversity enriches our community and adds to the global flavor of our gaming experience. 

Many of our players are multilingual, which further enables them to connect with fellow enthusiasts globally, sharing experiences, lifehacks, and tips. In total, our players speak 217 languages​​—impressive, right? And this does not include C++, which one of our respondents also mentioned!

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Tim talks about The Outer Worlds:

The Outer Worlds: Eight Playthroughs

Game Informer checked out Dragon Age: The Veilguard:

The Making of Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Cover Story Feature

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The strategy RPG Pennon and Battle has been released into Early Access:

New strategy game Pennon and Battle first gameplay reveal

The tactical RPG Space Prison has been released:

Space Prison - Gameplay Trailer

Survive the galaxy's toughest prison and rise to the top of a space gang! Explore, fight, craft, trade and learn convicts' stories to escape the facility. Space Prison is a turn-based tactical survival game with deep strategy and social RPG elements.

The remaster Riviera: The Promised Land has been released on Steam:

Riviera: The Promised Land Remaster

The strategy RPG Yaoling: Mythical Journey has been released into Early Access:

Yaoling: Mythical Journey | Early Access Release Trailer

Yaoling: Mythical Journey is a creature collecting Eastern fantasy RPG featuring an world filled with rich stories and unique Yaolings. Tasked to uncover a mysterious evil, you embark on a journey with your Yaolings, forming new friendships, engage in intense battles, and face countless challenges!

Mirror Gaming checked out Dungeons of Hinterberg:

The Legend of Zelda meets Persona – Dungeons of Hinterberg Review

GamingBolt reviewed Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn:

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn Review - The Final Verdict

The Special Program for Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.4 is starting soon:

Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.4 Finest Duel Under the Pristine Blue Special Program

Mortismal Gaming checked out Fable:

Fable 1 - Review After 100%

The party-based RPG Gobs and Gods will be released today:

Gobs and Gods: New Trailer

Hire a band of almost-heroic goblins to fight and die for you in tactical turn-based battles, accomplish silly quests for the weird inhabitants of this fantastic world, and truly become a god - at least by goblin standards.

Tim talks about The Temple of Elemental Evil:

Temple Development Timeline

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Harebrained Schemes announced a new game called GRAFT.

Gameinformer talked with Bioware about the Dragon Age series:

BioWare On Returning To The Dragon Age Series, 10 Years After Inquisition

With 10 years between 2014's Dragon Age: Inquisition, the most recent release in the series, and the upcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the latter has much riding on it. It's both a follow-up to a beloved game from a decade ago in one of BioWare’s most beloved series, and it's the first BioWare game since the launch of 2019's Anthem, a live-service multiplayer effort EA sunset less than two years later. 

Curious about the pressure surrounding the release of Veilguard, I spoke to BioWare about lessons learned from following up on Inquisition and what it's been like returning to this series so many years later. 

"We start out in pre-production," BioWare general manager Gary McKay tells me when I ask about BioWare's guiding principle for developing Veilguard. "We spent a lot of time iterating, experimenting, and innovating on different things. At one point, it was multiplayer – we did a hard look at multiplayer, but we felt we really couldn't return to our roots. And when we asked ourselves, 'What is the game that we want to develop,' we really wanted to get back to our roots, which is amazing storytelling. It's about those unforgettable characters. And it's about having the opportunity to influence the world. 

"And we really felt multiplayer wouldn't do that. But single-player RPG is really where we wanted to spend our time, so after spending that time in pre-production, really honing in on what the vision of this game is, and [being] afforded the opportunity to deliver on the creative promise of this game, [now] we're really excited about what's coming out."

McKay says Veilguard blends seasoned veterans with new voices and perspectives, and "that's really important for this game." For example, people like former Dragon Age producer Mark Darrah, who left the studio in 2021 but is now consulting for Veilguard, and creative director John Epler together have decades of experience at BioWare. They work with people like game director Corinne Busche, who joined BioWare shortly after the launch of Anthem (but brings in a love of Dragon Age from the series' 2009 start), every day to develop the game we'll be playing this fall. 

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Couchpotato spotted the patch notes for Kristala version 0.1.2.0:

Patch Notes for Kristala Version 0.1.2.0

A list of patch notes pushed for Kristala Version 0.1.2.0

The following patch notes detail all the features, highlights, and bug fixes included in Kristala Version 0.1.2.0. With this significant update, Episode 1 of Kristala's Early Access release is now 95% complete.

Features & Highlights

• Addition of the Capital City of Nisar (accessible through the main questline). If you have already completed the level, you may visit Nisar by picking up a key from the final Ellarial Font, allowing you to travel back to the starting Font and bypass the locked gate at the start of the level.
• You can now upgrade your weapons by visiting Brutus the Blacksmith.
• A third boss fight has been added to the game, accessible from the city of Nisar.
• Various NPCs and Questlines have been added, including Prada Lun, Levida, and Grinning Grimaldi.
• Addition of a Greatsword Weapon type (plus two new classes). If you have already completed the level, you can find the Greatsword as a pickup near the final Ellarial Font.
• Dynamic Difficulty mode added to the game. Begin a New Game to start your journey in a dynamic difficulty, or toggle the dynamic difficulty on/off within the game's Settings.
• An option to hide the HUD has been added to the Settings menu.
• Various minor adjustments to combat have been pushed to make the overall combat experience even more interesting and fun.
• Many improvements have been made to navigation within the Menu system.
• The Spell Tree’s overall presentation has been improved (prices of Spells now added and clearer focus to the UI).
• The Drain life spell can now be used until you run out of Mana.

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DSOGaming presents the Oblivion mod Citadel of Madness:

Citadel of Madness is a DLC-sized fan expansion for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, offering over 25 hours of play, 38 new quests, 3000 lines of dialogue, new characters, and more

Modder ‘Vorians’ has released an English version of the Citadel of Madness DLC-sized fan expansion for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. This is a must-have mod for everyone who is still playing this classic TES game. So, let’s see what’s in store for you.

Citadel of Madness features 38 new quests in total. 23 of them are in the main line, and 15 are side quests. The mod also comes with hundreds of new characters as well as over 3000 lines of dialogue, and it offers over 25 hours of play.

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Couchpotato spotted dev diary #2 for Enotria: The Last Song:

Enotria: The Last Song - Dev Diary #2

Secrets of Enotria

Hello everyone, It’s the Jyamma Games team!

Dive deeper into the creative process behind Enotria: The Last Song in our latest devlog episode! Discover insights on character design, historical research, iterative process, and more! The mysteries of the stunning world of Enotria are waiting to be unraveled.

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Couchpotato spotted two more reviews for Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn:

ACG: Flintlock The Siege of Dawn Review "Buy, Wait for Sale, Deep Sale, Never Touch?"

GameSpot: Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn Review

The Action RPG Meifumado has been released today:

Meifumado - Trailer

Meifumado is an action RPG set in a post-apocalyptic, immersive world inspired by Japan.

The action RPG Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn has been released today:

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn | Launch Trailer

From games studio A44, makers of Ashen, comes an explosive Souls-lite, where Gods and guns collide in a battle for the future of humanity.

The Adventure RPG Dungeons of Hinterberg has been released today - the Gamer Social Club already reviewed it:

Dungeons Of Hinterberg Review

Dungeons of Hinterberg is one of those cant miss indie games that will keep you entertained for your entire playthrough

When one goes on holiday they tend to go into it with a plan to either relax or explore. Whether that’s sitting on a beach by the ocean or hiking in the mountains. Dungeons Of Hinterberg gives you both of those options but adds the excitement of becoming a dungeon master who slays monsters and gains magical powers. If that sounds like a fun vacation to you, just wait until you get to the town of Hinterberg!

From the moment you start Dungeons Of Hinterberg you feel like you are on holiday. You come into the gorgeous little village nestled in the middle of the mountains. You check into your hotel and are greeted by some of the locals and fellow tourists. But this isn’t just any old tourist town. Hinterberg is full of magical portals. 25 of them to be exact and the goal is simple. Come enjoy your vacation, slay a few monsters in the portals, learn some magic and leave Hinterberg a changed person with a new perspective on life. Stay long enough and who knows maybe you complete them all!

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Conclusion
Seemingly every year one or two indie games make their way into the hearts of gamers and critics alike and become talked about in the Game Of The Year conversation. With it’s aesthetically pleasing art style to its enjoyable characters and fantastic dungeon designs Dungeons Of Hinterberg is a must play. I had contemplated giving it a 9 but due to a few odd bugs I had to drop it down. I’m sure with a patch around release those will have been fixed but I can only judge what I played. While there’s still a lot of games to come out after my roughly 20 hours with Dungeons Of Hinterberg I can confidently say it will be in the conversation for me.

Score: 8.5/10

The action RPG Chrono Sword has been announced:

「Chrono Sword」 Official Announcement Teaser

Chrono Sword is a somber souls-like action RPG uniquely crafted around time travel. Stepping beyond the limits of pixel graphics, players travel between the past and future to uncover the complicated truths of the destruction of this world, all set within this beautiful, intricately-crafted realm.

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Couchpotato spotted a new roadmap for Wartales:

Wartales Roadmap Update! [17/07/2024]

Attention mercenaries!

We are excited to share our plans for the latter part of 2024 with an updated roadmap.

The Pits will be released in August (next month)! This combat-focused DLC will introduce diverse and strategic scenarios where your goal is to lead your troop to victory. Confront formidable foes in 25 battles across 5 unique locations, each with its own distinct theme.

In October, Community Update 4 will bring free content to the base game, including a new champion and new places of interest. A drop-in/drop-out co-op functionality will also be implemented, along with balancing tweaks and bug fixes.

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