As we mentioned on our forums we are starting with a series of interviews using a fixed set of questions, about indie developers, showcasing one of their games. This is the first interview, featuring Soldak's Steven Peeler, talking about Zombasite.

RPGWatch: Tell us a little about your background and experience?

Steven: My name is Steven Peeler. I've been doing the indie games thing for the last 14 years with my company Soldak Entertainment. We have released 5 games (Depths of Peril, Kivi's Underworld, Din's Curse, Drox Operative, and Zombasite) , 3 expansions (Demon War, Invasion of the Ancients, and Orc Schism), and have 1 game (Din's Legacy) currently in Early Access. Before Soldak, I worked at Ritual Entertainment for about 6 years where I was Technical Director when I left. And before that there was boring stuff like working at Nortel for a few years and getting a computer engineering degree from A&M.

Orc Schism, the expansion for Zombasite, has been released yesterday on GOG, Steam and the Soldak site for Windows, Linux and Mac. It can now be purchased with a 10% discount and the base game, Zombasite, can be purchased with a 50% discount.

Long ago, when a necromancer attempted to raise Elves he thought to be dead, it went very wrong. Instead of raising an army of zombie slaves, a new race was born. The irate Orcs ripped the necromancer to shreds. Dormant necromancer magic has protected Orcs from zombie infection ever since, but the Zombasite, a zombie parasite, is intelligent. It has finally learned to break the defensive magic. The new infection swept through the entire Orc population like wildfire. Again it went very wrong. A war raged within each Orc between the Orc blood, the Zombasite, and the original Elven blood.

When the Orc blood won, a Dark Orc arose. With less Elven influence in their physiology, Dark Orcs’s aggressiveness and strength intensified, and they expanded their terrible savagery.
 
When the Elven blood won, the new being became one of the Mutated. The Mutated are a new, unstable Elven/Orc race. The Elven heritage has become the dominate part, but they are still corrupted with Orc blood and necromancer magic. This corruption slowly mutates them over time, sometimes in good ways and sometimes bad. No one quite understands the Mutated and everyone fears them.
 
And finally when the Zombasite won, a Zombie Lord was unleashed. Zombie Lords have full access to the strength of the Orcs and intelligence of the Elves. They are the most powerful and feared Zombies in existence.
 
With three new powerful factions rising up from the ashes of the old Orc race, how will you continue to survive the Zombasite?

Features:

Play the Bard class (Minstrel, Illusionist, and Sage specialties) (now 333 total class combinations)
Control the defense of your town
Fight new monsters (Dark Orcs, Mutated, & Zombie Lords)
Solve many more quests
Defend and explore random towns
Explore new area types
Fight with and against new clans

You can go to http://www.soldak.com for more information about Zombasite and Soldak Entertainment.

The demo for Zombasite has been updated in anticipation of the upcoming Orc Schism release. This new demo now reflects the changes that were made to the original game since the previous version of the demo.

Five new screenhots of the Zombasite expansion Orc Schism are now avaialable on the official site.

Patch 1.014 for Zombasite is live - here is the change-log:

Steven Peeler:

This patch fixes too many insanity chain reactions, adds new clan friend bonuses, makes DoTs much better, improves targeting, makes font crisper, and fixes a bunch of other minor issues.

Also Zombasite is currently 50% off for the next few days in Steam's Halloween sale.

Two new monsters for the Orc Schism addon of Zombasite, have been made available last week, the Dark Orc Shaman and the Dark Orc Warlock.

Dark Orc Shaman

With slight elven influence, Dark Orcs are more aggressive, savage, and stronger than ever before. Dark Orc Shaman are similar to their old Orc Shaman counterparts. They lead orc raiding parties, dominating enemies by weakening and poisoning them through ranged magic, all the while remaining comfortable behind Dark Orc Scouts and Berserkers. Alone, the Dark Orc Shaman doesn’t pose a deadly threat but with their devilish bands, they are danger incarnate.

The Zombasite expansion Orc Schism will introduce new monsters into the game:

Monsters

Even though the Zombasite (zombie parasites) is out of control, the land of Aleria is still swarming with all sorts of dangerous monsters. There are a ton of different monsters in Zombasite with a large variety of abilities.

For those of you that have played our previous games, you will recognize some of the monsters.

NOTE: There are plenty of spoilers below, so don't read any further if that is going to bother you.

[...]

The first expansion for Zombasite, named Orc Schism has been announced.

Plano, Texas, May 24, 2017 - Soldak Entertainment today announced Zombasite: Orc Schism.

Zombasite: Orc Schism is the first expansion for the unique action RPG, Zombasite. This zombie apocalypse action RPG is set in a dynamic, evolving, fantasy world for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Long ago, when a necromancer attempted to raise Elves he thought to be dead, it went very wrong. Instead of raising an army of zombie slaves, a new race was born. The irate Orcs ripped the necromancer to shreds. Dormant necromancer magic has protected Orcs from zombie infection ever since, but the Zombasite, a zombie parasite, is intelligent. It has finally learned to break the defensive magic. The new infection swept through the entire Orc population like wildfire. Again it went very wrong. A war raged within each Orc between the Orc blood, the Zombasite, and the original Elven blood.

When the Orc blood won, a Dark Orc arose. With less Elven influence in their physiology, Dark Orcs’s aggressiveness and strength intensified, and they expanded their terrible savagery.
 
When the Elven blood won, the new being became one of the Mutated. The Mutated are a new, unstable Elven/Orc race. The Elven heritage has become the dominate part, but they are still corrupted with Orc blood and necromancer magic. This corruption slowly mutates them over time, sometimes in good ways and sometimes bad. No one quite understands the Mutated and everyone fears them.
 
And finally when the Zombasite won, a Zombie Lord was unleashed. Zombie Lords have full access to the strength of the Orcs and intelligence of the Elves. They are the most powerful and feared Zombies in existence.
 
With three new powerful factions rising up from the ashes of the old Orc race, how will you continue to survive the Zombasite?
 
Zombasite: Orc Schism is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2017, however it will be released when it's done. For more information about Zombasite head over to http://www.soldak.com/Zombasite/Overview.html
 
Features:
*Play the Bard class (Minstrel, Illusionist, and Sage specialties) (now 333 total class combinations)
*Control the defense of your town
*Fight new monsters (Dark Orcs, Mutated, & Zombie Lords)
*Solve many more quests
*Defend and explore random towns
*Explore new area types
*Fight with and against new clans

Patch 1.011 for Zombasite has been released. This patch makes healing potions weaken infection, improves identification bonus, improves monster respawn system, and fixes a bunch of other minor issues. The changes are listed here.

Zombasite got a new patch - here's the changelist for version 1.009.

Zombasite patch 1.008 comes with a lot of little fixes:

Zombasite patch 1.008

This patch increases player mobility, fixes a few crashes, makes distributing/ salvaging items easier, sorts all NPC lists, and fixes a bunch of other minor issues.

1.008 change list:

• aren't forced to stand still as long after attacks now - greatly increases player mobility
• fixed using Shield Slam in right click slot crashing the game (jalias)
• fixed a crash when sometimes recruits aren't deleted correctly (Taolaen)
• now hunting/foraging/other npc lists and next/prev recuit buttons use main npc sorting from clan screen (Dorok)
• now items salvaged try to distribute to clan first (option can be turned off in crafting menu)
• debuffs/dots on projectile attacks no longer affect the target unless projectile hits
• fixed multishot not dropping down to normal arrow when out of mana
• tightened multishot projectile spread some
• removed collision from a lot of weed models
• gargoyles are now much tougher
• now clean up recruits that haven't been deleted correctly (Taolaen)
• changed save version to 202
• put number of potions after version number
• made monster aggression easier to mod by adding AggressionRangeMult
• no longer auto identify items that don't need identifying
• can now mod whether or not monsters are less aggressive to higher level enemies
• changed poison resistance to poison & acid resistance
• made highlight outlines a little thicker
• right clicking with melee skills no longer turns character if no target
• added a BadQuest parm for quests so can remove quests with mods
• renamed bonus chests to be less confusing
• fixed unclickable braziers in Torment Tomb and Midnight Caverns
• now EgoTalking magic modifier is marked as cursed
• now show areas burned in hunting/foraging highlight text
• can no longer try to randomize enchantments on unique items (Destro*)
• fixed a way some passive skills could be actively used (Dorok)
• fixed getting some non-relevant warnings about guard focus
• fixed a bunch of level collision issues caused by making weeds not collide
• fixed a minimap corruption around the edge of levels
• now shields show armor scraps needed to repair correctly
• now only show solve quests icon on trade screen if there is a solved quest
• fixed a way that AI clan relics could get above level 100 (Destro*)

A new patch is available for Zombasite. In addition there are also some more reviews:

Gamegrin, 8.5

Zombasite is an interesting take on the action RPG and is definitely something you can sink your teeth into, the strategic as well as the procedural nature of it all gives it a lot more longevity compared to the usual fare. It’s definitely a thinking man’s game.

Co-Optimus, 4.5/5

Zombasite is a niche title, but that doesn’t mean it’s got a big sign hanging out the front that says “only hardcore gamers need apply.” The folks in its community have put up guides to help familiarize new players with a lot of the various systems, the developer has a manual that lays out the basics, and the game itself is pretty forgiving when it comes to actually playing it and learning everything. It’s easier, too, to figure things out when you’ve got a few people looking at it. Managing a group of post-apocalyptic survivors is more fun when you’ve got a couple of friends around to help you do it, and I found myself getting a little more invested in everything when I was working with couple of people instead of all on my own. While it may be most inviting to those gamers that are looking for an ARPG with a little something different to offer from the usual loot grind, there are enough interesting ideas here that it’s worth a little bit of exploration by everyone.

Entertainmnet Buddha, 7

Given a substantial budget, a bigger team, and a little more focus on user-friendliness, Zombasite could be a real winner, thanks to its unique approach to factions and an overworld that teems with incident. It isn’t a great-looking game and those unwilling to dive a bit deeper below the surface will be tempted to dismiss it as a low-rent ARPG with a hackneyed premise. Soldak could be on the verge of something great if it could abandon some of the more tired conventions of the genre that other games have already left behind.

@Gamebanshee they report on the planned expansion for Zombasite announced in the developers October blog post.

One will be an expansion to Zombasite, which Peeler feels the game deserves in spite of its below expectations performance, while the other is going to be a new title, the central mechanic of which will focus on generations of characters who will inherit their forebears' traits:

---

While Zombasite isn't doing as well as I would like (hopefully launching on GOG will change that some), I think it deserves an expansion. So that's one of the 2 projects we will be working on. I'm not positive what the focus of this expansion will be, but some possibilities are more classes, lots more quests, more monsters, etc. The nice side benefit of working on an expansion is that it allows me to actively work on Zombasite, so that will mean fixes, balancing, and probably even some new features here and there will sneak into the base game. If you all have things you would like to see in an expansion, please speak up!

The other project is going to be a separate game that is focused around the ideas of hardcore characters with random skills and traits, the next generation of character is evolved from his/her parents, and each world has a random setup and win conditions. The general idea is each individual character life will be fairly quick, but some amount of the character's power growth will pass on to the next generation. Also which characters you evolve from will greatly control what mix of skills the new character has. Ever want a character that could stealth, use healing spells, and shoot arrows? You should be able to do that, but it will take some time improving and evolving from the right characters. I know this is relatively vague still, but if you have any ideas or games that you would like me to look at, again please speak up!

Zombasite is now available on GOG:

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Zombasite is a zombie apocalypse action RPG set in a dynamic, evolving, fantasy world for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
The dark elves have always played god by creating and enhancing underworld slave creatures. As they watched a horde of zombies destroy the huge demon city Kraval, the dark elves were tantalized by the devastating power of uncontrolled zombies, and desired to control and increase it.

Three new reviews:

• 3rd-Strike
• Teamplayergaming
• Game Ogre

Zombasite patch 1.003 is now available here.

Some Reviews:

Hardcoregamer - Score: 4/5

Gamingtrend - Score: 80/100

Skewed & Reviewed - Score: 3.5/5

CGR - Score: 8.5/10

The first patch after the full release for Zombasite is out - here is the change-list:

This patch fixes a crash, fixes some balance issues, and fixes a bunch of other minor issues.

1.001 change list:

• fixed an occasional crash when using death blow with right click
• higher level clans no longer raid newish player clans
• hopefully fixed an issue where a low level rescue quests could turn into a much higher level renegade quest (Nalidus)
• decreased rumor and sabotage costs by 33%
• now "Anything you would like?" will return things the other clan wants even if they have no money to offer for it
• loner mode is no longer hardcore only (ShiftyCake)
• family mode is no longer hardcore only (ShiftyCake)
• now if start new world in family mode and all of family is dead, change character to loner mode
• doubled initial value of healer's Life Leech and added 10% value inflation per level (Trtl)
• fixed some alt-tab problems on OSX (Namekujisennin)
• highlighting expedition buttons now shows needed expedition points
• can no longer use potions on doors (Lan)
• hopefully fixed some azerty keyboard issues on Mac (Namekujisennin)
• now player clan doors are labelled with their direction (Notorious)
• added message - Can't recruit, clan destroyed!
• NPC is a good addition to our clan dialog can no longer be said by that very same NPC (Varnis54)
• now get proper notice of not being able to repair obsidian and crystal items and doesn't use crafting items (Notorious)
• turned off void shield sound (Berserk64)
• now show on recruit skill highlights effect of work, guard, and construction focus
• made guard and R&R focus a little more obvious that they don't do any normal work in those modes
• fixed a peace typo (Varnis54)
• added randomInt & randomFloat console commands for testing purposes

Zombasite has been updated again. This time to version 0.934 of which you can find the patch update here.

There is also a new video out showing the different zombies in the game.

Here are some previews for the action RPG Zombasite.

The Game Slashers:

Overall, the value and fun per price ratio is enticing, with the game only costing £12, yet offering plenty of hours of fun through its randomly generated maps, multiple character customization options, different playstyle possibilities offered by the Clan Relation system and even a multiplayer co-op mode. With all of these in mind, production value aside, it's hard not to recommend Zombasite.

Hardcore Casual:

Overall I must say the game is certainly worth trying, though do understand you will need to put in some time for it to really click. It’s also nice that the game is being patched very frequently, as one of the latest patches fixed one of the big issues I was having (trees and other large objects now fade when you move behind them, making moving around and seeing the land much, much easier).

Gamegrin:

Zombasite is in Early Access but there is a lot of meat here if you can wrap your head around all of the systems in play. It often feels like you are spinning lots of plates at once and any one of them can come crashing down at any moment causing you to re-evaluate everything you are doing.

It is certainly a unique take on the genre and is definitely worth keeping an eye on if you are looking for something a little different in an action RPG.

PC Invasion

Hardcore Gamer

SciFi and Fantasy Network

Chalgyr's game Room

Video Games Network

In addition there is also a new patch available:

This patch optimizes things much better, adds new renegade types (Inquisitor, Blackguard, Nightblade, etc), adds losing your healthstone as a lose condition (test), and fixes a bunch of other minor issues.

Co-Optimus has interviewed Steven Soldak for Zombasite.

Co-Optimus: What's something new that Zombasite brings to the table?

Steven: That greatly depends on what we are comparing Zombasite to.

Compared to other action RPGs, Zombasite has a dynamic world that changes based on what the player does or doesn’t do, what the other clans do, and even what the monsters do. It also has lots of zombie mechanics like how you get infected, what can cure infections, what can detect infections, and even mutations that can make the plague even worse.

Compared to other zombie games, the biggest difference is that Zombasite is in a fantasy setting instead of the more common modern day setting. With a fantasy setting you have medieval weapons and armor, magic, fantasy type classes, non-zombie monsters, and more.

Co-Optimus: One of the more interesting features of Zombasite, to me, is how the world doesn't seem to wait for you to act. Quests will come and go (which may lead to some serious problems for your clan), NPCs will fight with one another, and clans/enemies will act in their own interests to further their power. It's very impressive but I can't help but wonder why. Why go to such lengths for an action-RPG?

Steven: Why wouldn’t you want the game world to dynamically respond to everything? :) Personally I think the dynamic world makes everything more immersive and adds a lot of replayability. You never quite know what is going to happen. I’m even surprised sometimes and vow to get revenge on some NPC that betrayed me when I wasn’t expecting any trouble.

Thanks Couch.

Zombasite patch version 0.929 is now available - here are some previews:

The Gamers Longe:

[...]

Overall, though, I'm looking forward to seeing what Zombasite gets with a full version. It's original, unique, and very complex in spite of its basic trappings, and with a few kinks worked out, should be a new classic.

Skewed 'n Reviewed:

[...]

All in all, Zombasite is a fun addition to both the fantasy-action RPG and diplomatic-strategy gaming scene.  The strong usage of both aspects in a single game may hinder the overall enjoyment for some players who are looking for one type of genre experience over another and the learning curve for both aspects may force casual players of specific genres into frustrating and down right unenjoyable situations.  If you are a fan of both genres, however, and are looking for a game that is working on bringing the best of both those worlds together, then Zombasite may be the game you have been dying to get your hands on.

Hardcore Casual:

[...]

If you are in the market for a new ARPG, I’d say give the demo a shot and see if it works for you. I could see this game turning some people away pretty quickly, but I can also see its depth and layered systems sucking people in and really giving them a very deep, interesting experience. I’m going to keep at it for now, because I do want to get a better feel for the interconnected content and how/if it all comes together.

Co-Optimus:

[...]

Though still in Early Access, the framework for Zombasite feels pretty solid. Fans of previous Soldak Entertainment titles will feel right at home with the different character classes, which all appear to have been lifted from Din’s Curse, and the clan management/diplomacy that was in Drox Operative. For newcomers, this is a good place to check out Soldak’s unique take on the action-RPG genre. Be prepared, though, to spend a few hours and a couple of restarts just getting familiar with the lay of the land, or just bring in some friends and have fun.

SKNR.net has previewed the Zombatsite demo version:

Zombasite Demo Preview

Zombasite is an adventure RPG from Soldak Entertainment and available on STEAM as an early access game.

In it, you and your friends are the last, beleaguered human survivors of a hellish, viral apocalypse.  The twist in this case is that the story is set against a dark fantasy backdrop versus the more popular, ‘in the near future’ setting. An evil, dark necromancer is to blame for the zombie-outbreak this time and it is up to you to ensure that the last bastion of humanity holds out at all costs.

Zombasite starts off by having you to choose a heroic class for your survivor. Think you’ll enjoy the world of magical summoning and control?  Then a Summoner is the ticket.  Prefer the good ole fashioned world of hacking your enemies to bits with an axe?  Then Zombasite has a Barbarian with your name on it.  All the archetypes are present from rogues to sorcerers, demon slayers to hunters.

Then you are dropped into your randomly generated town; the central hub for all your exploits, activities, loot storage and teleportation needs.  One thing that Zombasite quickly impresses upon you via several pop-up hints is that your town is your key to winning.  While the majority of your adventure has you outside your town, gathering weapons, supplies, and food, the town is always at risk of attack and conquest.  If you lose your town, you lose the game. 

[...]

All in all, Zombasite is a fun addition to both the fantasy-action RPG and diplomatic-strategy gaming scene.  The strong usage of both aspects in a single game may hinder the overall enjoyment for some players who are looking for one type of genre experience over another and the learning curve for both aspects may force casual players of specific genres into frustrating and down right unenjoyable situations.  If you are a fan of both genres, however, and are looking for a game that is working on bringing the best of both those worlds together, then Zombasite may be the game you have been dying to get your hands on.

Rating: 4/5

A demo version is now available for the action RPG Zombasite:

Dallas, Texas, March 23, 2016 - Soldak Entertainment today announced the availability of the Zombasite demo. Zombasite is a zombie apocalypse action RPG set in a dynamic, evolving, fantasy world for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

The dark elves have always played god by creating and enhancing underworld slave creatures. As they watched a horde of zombies destroy the huge demon city Kraval, the dark elves were tantalized by the devastating power of uncontrolled zombies, and desired to control and increase it. When they wove their dominating magic into a few captive zombies something went horribly wrong!

They hadn't known the powerful necromancer, Ciglio, had created these zombies. To control his huge armies of undead, Ciglio permanently bound his zombies and their infected victims to him. This binding was so powerful, their loyalty surpassed his untimely death. In the dark elves' pride and lust, their magic twisted into Ciglio's binding, fusing into a new, uncontrollable creation, the Zombasite.

Zombasite is a nasty, voracious, all-consuming Zombie Parasite. It doesn't just reanimate the dead into mindless zombies. It is intelligent, insatiable, and unstoppable---infecting and killing the living, spreading faster and in more ways, helping the dead utilize many of their original skills, and mutating the dead with new powers. Dark elf zombies are terrifying!

So what does this have to do with you? You are the leader of a clan trying to survive the apocalypse. This is easier said than done. When a follower dies, they can't be saved by any means. The Zombasite is highly contagious and zombies are quickly ravaging the world's surface. Food is a critical resource that must be obtained. Vendors are rare and have limited supplies. Some of the stronger monsters have survived and are as dangerous as ever. Clans of humans and monsters are fighting over what few supplies are left.  Even within your own clan it isn't safe. Humans living on the edge are even more unstable than usual. So yeah, survival isn't easy.

You can downlad the demo at the Zombasite hompage or at Steam.

Here's the second trailer for the action RPG Zombasite:

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Zombasite is a zombie apocalypse action RPG set in a dynamic, evolving, fantasy world for Windows, Mac, and Linux. -> homepage

Thanks Steven!

Several new monsters are featured on the Zombasite site. Note that the descriptions of the monsters contain spoilers.

Even though the Zombasite (zombie parasites) is out of control, the land of Aleria is still swarming with all sorts of dangerous monsters. There are a ton of different monsters in Zombasite with a large variety of abilities.

For those of you that have played our previous games, you will recognize some of the monsters.

Creeping Brood

     These passive, invisible monsters rarely move, unless someone comes near. When approached all of the nearby Brood monsters gather for a massive and immediate ambush.

Special Abilities: Invisibility, Ambush, and Stamina Burn

Variants: Creeping Brood (shown), Lurking Brood, Stalking Brood, Trapping Brood, and Ambushing Brood

The game also has a new patch, bringing it to version 0.911.

Soldak Entertainment enhances Zombasite with another patch:

This patch fixes the infinite raise bug/slowdowns, makes clans play nice more often with each other, adds a teleport stone, and fixes a bunch of other minor issues.

-> List of changes.

Steven Peeler let us know that Zombasite has received a new patch, bringing it to version 0.906. There are loads of changes, which can be summarized to:

This patch speeds up the Mac build, fixes more multiplayer crashes, makes NPCs smarter, and fixes a bunch of other minor issues.

Soldak Entertainment revealed two more Zombasite clans - the Nemesis and the Enlightment.

Nemesis: Danger Level: High

To join the Nemesis human clan, one must be without scruples or honor. Nothing is too evil for Nemesis. They fight for power, wealth, and the downfall of any competitor. Their decisions are careful though aggressive. Most clans would never trust them. They don't even trust themselves beyond short-term, common goals.

Traits: Aggressive and Deceitful

The Enlightened: Danger Level: Low

The Enlightened clan comprises various outcasts from dark and sinister races. These rebels chose to live with a personal code of honor. They survived by banding together, taking care in who they trust, and always being at the ready to defend what is theirs. Despite their unusual ethics for their races of origin, they have a solid reputation for fighting proficiency and competence.

Traits: Honorable and Defensive

Zombasite has received a new patch, which brings it to version 0.905 and comes whit a big list of changes, which can be summed down to:

This patch fixes some multiplayer crashes, fixes several bugs with clan NPCs, and fixes a lot of other minor issues.

Game-Wisdom checked out the Early Access version of Zombasite:

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In this play, I took a look at Soldak Entertainment's latest ARPG Zombasite. The company makes interesting ARPGs and Zombasite is no different. Please keep in mind that this is the beta version of the game and it's on early access at the moment.

Patch 0.904 for Zombasite brings us quite a lot of changes, such as:

This patch gives players more control of their clan, makes more clan info visible, adds a Commoner NPC class, fixes the poison cloud issues, and fixes a bunch of other minor issues.

Steven Peeler let us know that patch 0.902 for Zombasite is available now, with a long list of changes:

0.902
-----

• now clan armory item goes back to your inventory if no one wants it
• added Show Friends and Show Enemies options on NPC Locations screen
• decreased MaxModifierLevelSpread from 40 to 25 (keeps magic modifiers closer to item level)
• decreased LevelSpreadMult for higher rarity items a little
• increased move speeds for everything by 25%
• fixed clan armory hot key not working on NPC equipment screen (ScrObot)
• greatly increased summoned monsters' health, armor, and defense (Raserei)
• monsters can now spawn in empty town areas
• Fire Strike will now continue to cast if the attack button is held down (The_Wuggly_Ump)
• now Demon Hunter NPCs spawn (Thasero)
• changed protocol verstion to 31
• monsters & NPCs will now stop attacking a clan healthstone once it is down to 1 health (corfe83)
• halved rumor and sabotage costs (corfe83)
• increased bag drop rate by 50%
• fixed Incredible Poison Resistance giving fire resistance instead of poison (Tuidjy)
• doors & relics now mention that they can't be repaired (jureidinim/ScrObot)
• now color code NPC relation numbers so it is easier to see friends and enemies
• now show enemies when highlighting NPC to add to hunt, forage, or raid
• fixed some NPC clan skills not working correctly
• now pets don't count against your party size (narnach/Raserei)
• decreased respec costs by 33%
• fixed craft/salvage cursor on Linux (dragonfyre13/ridcully)
• actors moving around don't mark last player time on level any more which should fix some respawning too fast issues
• improved zombie knowledge icons
• added description to zombie knowledge screen
• removed special room dialog from NPCs
• greatly decreased chance of thanks for item NPC dialog (unless unique item)
• fixed message of what to do with relics, doors, and guards (corfe83/Zengrath)
• player's ice storms no longer leave ice on ground (Nesmo)
• switched skill screen and minimap places on configure input screen (ScrObot)
• fixed "Could not find widget Power4" error (ScrObot)
• fixed healing party member message still referring to food (ScrObot)
• now show a ? icon for crafting materials you don't have (ScrObot)
• changed dark elf zombie names (Oblivion)
• now house roof fades out when player is underneath (Crisses)
• now Town Defenses screen doesn't pop up when clicking on pet (Caal)
• NPCs can no longer get Prayer skill (Thasero)
• NPCs with volcano skill use the skill half as often now
• fixed getting a rumored location on an Arch-Nemesis that is not in the area (Zengrath)
• doubled dead body chance
• added "can't be completely destroyed" note to clan healthstones (Caal)
• now clear enemies when going to stage 2 infection
• decreased size of large shield by 50%
• can now use search for target button on grave and friend body quests
• can no longer invite an NPC to party when they are hunting or foraging (Crisses)
• unidentified items no longer show up in trade lists (dragonfyre13)
• can no longer distribute items to clan when out of town
• rotate buttons now only make 1 click sound when you hold down the mouse button on them (ScrObot)
• fixed some small issues on journal screen
• fixed NPC Locations title alignment
• now show food usage per meal in food highlight text
• fixed a couple personality typos (Roswitha)
• fixed keep a lookout typo (Roswitha)
• fixed missing localization NeedsDeadBody
• improved haunted area description (Roswitha)
• fixed some problems with character export in log (ScrObot)
• fixed a bunch of issues with vbulleting/html character exports
• fixed hardcore and cursed options still mentioning level requirement that is no longer true (ScrObot)
• fixed missing translation EnhancementDefender3Name (ScrObot)
• fixed missing translation DamagesItems (ScrObot)
• fixed NPC Locations capitalization issue (ScrObot)
• fixed typo in Hero, Guardian, and Savior achievements (Caal)
• fixed instigator name in trap announcement (Roswitha)
• fixed pick up spelling (ScrObot)
• fixed successful typo (corfe83)
• fixed Thaumaturgy typo (ScrObot)
• fixed Plaguebringers typo (Tuidjy)

A new patch has been released for Zombasite, which offers the following changes:

• fixed a problem where NPCs were running away too often when taking damage from non-monster (not scaling to max health correctly)
• allocating skill points no longer costs gold
• fixed bloom issue where screen goes black (several people)
• added skills screen key to configure input screen (Castruccio/ScrObot)
• made jewel, ring, and bag vendors more likely to be carrying their specific items (Crisses)
• made cape vendors more likely to be carrying their specific items (Tyakraman)
• doubled rotate speed on new character and bestiary screens (dragonfyre13)
• can no longer pay money to search for Arch-Nemesis when they are not in the area (Zengrath)
• bulletin boards can no longer be assassins (dragonfyre13)
• added switch weapon/shield key to configure input screen (ScrObot)
• fixed highlighting clan icon and personal lifestone icons on character menu (ScrObot)
• rearranged trait icons to be in correct order on screen
• controller now defaults to off
• now more clear when arch-nemesis is not in the area
• fixed several small issues in manual (ScrObot)
• hanged "Num Clans" to "Number of Clans (ScrObot)
• fixed MainKeyError
• fixed wording in inventory help topic (ScrObot)
• fixed wording in basics help topic (ScrObot)
• fixed food sense highlight text (ScrObot)
• moved relation screen relationship/treaties stuff around a little to fit better (ScrObot)
• fixed some sizing issues on other stats menu (ScrObot)
• fixed power comparison highlight text (ScrObot)
• fixed Power Rankings text some (ScrObot)
• fixed some missing highlight text for icons on clan diplomacy screen (ScrObot)
• fixed ceasefire text not displaying money correctly (ScrObot)
• fixed some translation issues on select gold screen (ScrObot)
• fixed rumor stuff mentioning race still (ScrObot)
• fixed several wording/spelling issues with class descriptions (Roswitha)
• fixed irritating spelling (ERYFKRAD)
• fixed gate into town text

Steven send us word that Zombasite is now available on Steam Early Access and on the official Zombasite site.

Dallas, Texas, October 13, 2015 - Zombasite is now in Early Access! (Windows, Mac, and Linux)

Buy Direct at http://www.soldak.com/Zombasite/Buy.html
Steam Early Access at http://store.steampowered.com/app/408960/

Gamers who buy Zombasite Early Access (direct or Steam) will receive full access to the latest beta build, a reduced price of only $14.99, the opportunity to give Soldak feedback which can influence the game, and of course, the final version when it becomes available.

Zombasite is a zombie apocalypse action RPG set in a dynamic, evolving, fantasy world for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

The dark elves have always played god by creating and enhancing underworld slave creatures. As they watched a horde of zombies destroy the huge demon city Kraval, the dark elves were tantalized by the devastating power of uncontrolled zombies, and desired to control and increase it. When they wove their dominating magic into a few captive zombies something went horribly wrong!

They hadn't known the powerful necromancer, Ciglio, had created these zombies. To control his huge armies of undead, Ciglio permanently bound his zombies and their infected victims to him. This binding was so powerful, their loyalty surpassed his untimely death. In the dark elves' pride and lust, their magic twisted into Ciglio's binding, fusing into a new, uncontrollable creation, the Zombasite.

Zombasite is a nasty, voracious, all-consuming Zombie Parasite. It doesn't just reanimate the dead into mindless zombies. It is intelligent, insatiable, and unstoppable—infecting and killing the living, spreading faster and in more ways, helping the dead utilize many of their original skills, and mutating the dead with new powers. Dark elf zombies are terrifying!

So what does this have to do with you? You are the leader of a clan trying to survive the apocalypse. This is easier said than done. When a follower dies, they can't be saved by any means. The Zombasite is highly contagious and zombies are quickly ravaging the world's surface. Food is a critical resource that must be obtained. Vendors are rare and have limited supplies. Some of the stronger monsters have survived and are as dangerous as ever. Clans of humans and monsters are fighting over what few supplies are left.  Even within your own clan it isn't safe. Humans living on the edge are even more unstable than usual. So yeah, survival isn't easy.

For more information about Zombasite, head over to http://www.soldak.com/Zombasite/Overview.html

Features:

* Survive the zombie apocalypse in a fantasy world
* Experience uniquely created worlds for every game, with different areas, monsters, items, and quests
* Explore a dynamic, evolving, living world
* Lead a clan of followers who have their own personalities and skills
* Navigate relationships with rival clans using diplomacy, trade, war, and raids
* Adventure with your friends with co-op multiplayer
* Your choices truly impact the game!

Soldak Entertainment released the first trailer for Zombasite today:

Learn about the clans of Zombasite in this update:

Heart of Gold

Danger Level: Low

The Heart of Gold clan believe they have found the path to enlightenment through generosity. They are excellent money managers and always have an overabundance of wealth. It isn't the great sums they own that make them feel rich, but rather the giving away of money and helping others. This is the true path to peace and happiness. With the zombie infection ravaging Aleria, their talents and gift are more needed than ever. The Heart of Gold clan is on a mission, and through their work, they plan to restore Aleria to order once more.

Traits: Financial and Generous

Fang

Danger Level: High

The fierce fighting naga clan, Fang, would like everyone to think their bravado and deadly warrior skills are their most impressive asset. The truth is that it is almost impossible to unravel the truth about the Fang Clan. They are more than practiced liars; they're impeccable spies besides. Reveling in others' misfortune - especially if they had a hand in it - is all part of their sadistic game. That, and their eternal thirst for power.

Traits: Deceitful and Spies

Demon Spears

Danger Level: High

The Demon Spears clan makes up in numbers what it lacks in strength. The swarm-like mini-demon scree like to eat soft tissues, like organs or eyeballs, especially after a successful bloody encounter. Though cowardly in nature, they thrive on chaos and follow it like a blood scent into unpredictable battle tactics. They will make deals and allies, but seldom keep promises. The Demon Spears will happily lie, even for fun.

Traits: Chaotic, Deceitful, and Recruiter

New Zombasite monsters are showcased on the Soldak Entertainment website:

Even though the Zombasite (zombie parasites) is out of control, the land of Aleria is still swarming with all sorts of dangerous monsters. There are a ton of different monsters in Zombasite with a large variety of abilities.

For those of you that have played our previous games, you will recognize some of the monsters.

For more information about Zombasite read this overview page.

The Zombasite website has been updated with information about the Fang clan.

Fang

Danger Level: High

The fierce fighting naga clan, Fang, would like everyone to think their bravado and deadly warrior skills are their most impressive asset. The truth is that no one can unravel the truth when it comes to the Fang Clan. They are more than practiced liars, but impeccable spies besides. They revel in other's misfortune, especially if they had a hand in it. For naga, it's all sociopathic fun and games. And a grab for power.

Traits: Deceitful and Spies

The Zombasite devs are making great progress - take a look at these monsters:

Even though the Zombasite (zombie parasites) are out of control, the land of Aleria is still swarming with all sorts of dangerous monsters. There are a ton of different monsters in Zombasite with a large variety of abilities.

For those of you that have played our previous games, you will recognize some of the monsters.
NOTE: There are plenty of spoilers below, so don't read any further if that is going to bother you.

Overview

Zombasite is a zombie apocalypse action RPG set in a dynamic, evolving, fantasy world for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

The dark elves have always played god by creating and enhancing underworld slave creatures. As they watched a horde of zombies destroy the huge demon city Kraval, the dark elves were tantalized by the devastating power of uncontrolled zombies, and desired to control and increase it. When they wove their dominating magic into a few captive zombies something went horribly wrong!

They hadn't known the powerful necromancer, Ciglio, had created these zombies. To control his huge armies of undead, Ciglio permanently bound his zombies and their infected victims to him. This binding was so powerful, their loyalty surpassed his untimely death. In the dark elves' pride and lust, their magic twisted into Ciglio's binding, fusing into a new, uncontrollable creation, the Zombasite.

Zombasite is a nasty, voracious, all-consuming Zombie Parasite. It doesn't just reanimate the dead into mindless zombies. It is intelligent, insatiable, and unstoppable—infecting and killing the living, spreading faster and in more ways, helping the dead utilize many of their original skills, and mutating the dead with new powers. Dark elf zombies are terrifying!

So what does this have to do with you? You are the leader of a clan trying to survive the apocalypse. This is easier said than done. When a follower dies, they can't be saved by any means. The Zombasite is highly contagious and zombies are quickly ravaging the world's surface. Food is a critical resource that must be obtained. Vendors are rare and have limited supplies. Some of the stronger monsters have survived and are as dangerous as ever. Clans of humans and monsters are fighting over what few supplies are left.  Even within your own clan it isn't safe. Humans living on the edge are even more unstable than usual. So yeah, survival isn't easy.

Zombasite is scheduled to be released in the 2nd quarter of 2015, however it will be released when it's done.

Features

• Survive the zombie apocalypse in a fantasy world
• Experience uniquely created worlds for every game, with different areas, monsters, items, and quests
• Explore a dynamic, evolving, living world
• Lead a clan of followers who have their own personalities and skills
• Navigate relationships with rival clans using diplomacy, trade, war, and raids
• Adventure with your friends with co-op multiplayer
• Your choices truly impact the game!

In this week's update for Zombasite one of the 20 clans is made known. In this case the Demon Spears Clan.

The Demon Spears clan is ever growing. The swarm-like mini-demon scree like to eat soft tissues, like organs or eyeballs, especially after a successful bloody encounter. Though cowardly in nature, they thrive on chaos and follow it like a blood scent into unpredictable battle tactics. They will make deals and allies, but seldom keep promises. The Demon Spears will happily lie, even for fun.

The Zombasite site has been updated with two new monsters, the Hulk and the Zombie Hulk.

Hulk

A big, tusked, armor-plated beast, the hulk evolved underground. Hulks are vicious and will kill and eat anything. Underground races fear them, even the dark elves. They’re solitary creatures except when breeding, preferring a large territory in which to hunt.

Special Abilities: Stunning Hit
Variants: Hulk (shown), Mammoth, Gargantuan, Behemoth, and Colossus

Zombie Hulk

Zombie Hulks are just as big and nasty as ever. Despite their size, they have learned how to hide well by lying in depressions and hollows, camouflaged amongst ground debris. The Zombasite and decomposing body both create a large mixture of gases compressed amongst rotting organs, dried life fluids, and decaying tissue. The volatile vapors are explosively released upon death.

Special Abilities: Hide and Death Explosion
Variants: Zombie Hulk (shown), Zombie Mammoth, Zombie Gargantuan, Zombie Behemoth, and Zombie Colossus

Developer Steven Peeler of Soldak Entertainment notified me he has released  six new screenshots this week for for his next Action-RPG called Zombasite.

For those that are following our latest action RPG, Zombasite, we have another update for you. We have released the first 6 screenshots of Zombasite.

Steven Peeler of Soldak Games notified me he posted anew update for Zombasite on his website. The new update talks about  the games traits. As usual here is a sample.

We have recently enhanced the skills system in our upcoming game Zombasite with traits. Traits are passive skills that are meant to significantly change how you play and/or build your character.

There are 20 traits spread evenly across all 5 attributes (strength, dexterity, vitality, spirit, and intelligence) and are unlocked when you meet the attribute requirement (50, 100, 150, or 200 points). Only points allocated by you count for this requirement (i.e. a ring of strength doesn't help you unlock a strength related trait). All 20 of these traits are available to every class.

Traits can significantly change your character. This is because they have major positives, but also because they all have negatives. You will need to take into account the positives and negatives and make a difficult choice to take the skill or not. Since you still need to use a few skill points to get the skill, getting the skill is not automatic when you meet the attribute requirement.

I have a feeling that many people will design builds around the traits they plan on eventually getting. I hope it will even encourage some people to put points into some attributes that aren't typical for that class, like intelligence for a warrior.

To make all of this a little less vague, here are some examples:

Pierce - All projectiles pierce their victim and continue to possibly hit more enemies. Each projectile does 15% less damage though.

Vanguard - Adds your defense to all nearby allies, but your defense is decreased by 20%.

Pain Delay - All incoming damage converted to damage over time, however you take 25% more damage.

Blood Magic - Skills use health as your power source.

Soldak Entertainment sent us a message about their new RPG, which is an action RPG with zombies, named Zombasite

Zombasite is a zombie apocalypse action RPG set in a dynamic, evolving, fantasy world for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

The dark elves have always played god by creating and enhancing underworld slave creatures. As they watched a horde of zombies destroy the huge demon city Kraval, the dark elves were tantalized by the devastating power of uncontrolled zombies, and desired to control and increase it. When they wove their dominating magic into a few captive zombies something went horribly wrong!

They hadn't known the powerful necromancer, Ciglio, had created these zombies. To control his huge armies of undead, Ciglio permanently bound his zombies and their infected victims to him. This binding was so powerful, their loyalty surpassed his untimely death. In the dark elves pride and lust, their magic twisted into Ciglio's binding, fusing into a new, uncontrollable creation, the Zombasite.

Zombasite is a nasty, voracious, all-consuming Zombie Parasite. It doesn't just reanimate the dead into mindless zombies. It is intelligent, insatiable, and unstoppable-infecting and killing the living, spreading faster and in more ways, helping the dead utilize many of their original skills, and mutating the dead with new powers. Dark elf zombies are terrifying!

So what does this have to do with you? You are the leader of a clan trying to survive the apocalypse. This is easier said than done. When a follower dies, they can't be saved by any means. The Zombasite is highly contagious and zombies are quickly ravaging the world's surface. Food is a critical resource that must be obtained. Vendors are rare and have limited supplies. Some of the stronger monsters have survived and are as dangerous as ever. Clans of humans and monsters are fighting over what few supplies are left.  Even within your own clan it isn't safe. Humans living on the edge are even more unstable than usual. So yeah, survival isn't easy.

Zombasite is scheduled to be released in the 2nd quarter of 2015, however it will be released when it's done.