Hey guys, the new version is available on Steam now and, as before, it will be available on other platforms as soon as we stabilize it.

In this update we added new factions with their optional questlines, namely - Free Drones, Protectorate and the super secret one. We added most of the remaining areas that we planned for the game, which include Upper Underrail and Lower Underrail passages, so speaking geographically most of the game is complete. If you want the full list of what's new, check out the previous two dev logs before reading further.

One thing to note, however, is that if you want to experience the new questlines you'll probably have to start a new game, unfortunately, since we had to make some changes to existing areas and quests in order to fit them in.

Before I insert the obligatory list of miscellaneous changes, here's a little sneak peak at some of the new areas, focusing primarily on the mighty Protectorate war machine.



Screenshot unworthy stuff:

• Bugs
  
  • Creatures immune to fear are no longer immune to Engrage (unless they are immune to all mind-affecting effects)
• Tweaks
  
  • Eviscerate bonus damage per bleeding would changed to 50% (down from 100%)
    
  • Taste For Blood now stacks 10 times (down from 20)
    
  • Damage resistance provided by laminated fabric ballistic panel now scales with quality (though it's still weaker than the other one) and the damage threshold is increased; these changes will not apply to stuff that has already been generated in ongoing playthroughs
    
  • Melee resistance bonus of riot gear armor changed to 75% (up from 50%); also not retroactive
    
  • Maximum number of oddity XP required for leveling now caps at 25 (up from 15)
    
  • Maximum number of studies and/or amount of XP per studying reduced (or rebalanced) for a number of oddities; overall, less experience is available through some oddities now
    
  • Classic XP required to level changed to 1250 (up from 1000) * level
    
  • Base classic kill XP bonus per target level reduced
    
  • XP from a number of quests reduced
    
  • Lockpicking/hacking XP per required skill reduced

The leveling/XP changes introduced here are just the first step. I'll be tweaking leveling speed and level cap stuff further in the next update. From those that start a new playthrough with a new character in this version I would appreciate any feedback that they can provide on the leveling speed, time they hit level cap, and just general leveling experience (of both classical and oddity systems).

* * * * *

Now I want to talk a bit about the future development plans. I won't be giving you a release date, though I can safely say it won't be this year as I initially hoped. However, know that the end is in sight.
When it comes to mechanical stuff, there are still stuff like components, items, feats, abilities, etc to be added. However, there are currently no plans to add any more major mechanics (gas and fire should be the last). From the content side there are two parts of the main quest left that, as it happens, take part in two locations that are yet to be added - Institute of Tchort and Deep Caverns.

So here's what going to happen.

The next content update that we release will feature Institute of Tchort part of the main questline. This will be the last Early Access release. Afterwards, only the Deep Caverns are left before the game is complete. When we finish those, we will take extra time to polish up the game (we won't release Deep Caverns right away), especially the older areas which are no longer up to par with the new stuff. We will also take extra time to test the game to stomp out as many bugs as possible. Then we will release the game in full, make lots of money, retire to a tropical island and live happily ever after. That's the plan at least.

How long will this take? As long as it needs to. It would be pointless for me to give you a release date estimate, since I will gladly ignore it for the sake of the game as I did before. The quality of the game is my primary concern and in the long run that is best for everyone. We're nearing the end, though, so stay patient, dudes.

Hey guys, the new version is available on Steam now and, as before, it will be available on other platforms as soon as we stabilize it.

In this update we added new factions with their optional questlines, namely - Free Drones, Protectorate and the super secret one. We added most of the remaining areas that we planned for the game, which include Upper Underrail and Lower Underrail passages, so speaking geographically most of the game is complete. If you want the full list of what's new, check out the previous two dev logs before reading further.

One thing to note, however, is that if you want to experience the new questlines you'll probably have to start a new game, unfortunately, since we had to make some changes to existing areas and quests in order to fit them in.

Before I insert the obligatory list of miscellaneous changes, here's a little sneak peak at some of the new areas, focusing primarily on the mighty Protectorate war machine.



Screenshot unworthy stuff:

• Bugs
  
  • Creatures immune to fear are no longer immune to Engrage (unless they are immune to all mind-affecting effects)
• Tweaks
  
  • Eviscerate bonus damage per bleeding would changed to 50% (down from 100%)
    
  • Taste For Blood now stacks 10 times (down from 20)
    
  • Damage resistance provided by laminated fabric ballistic panel now scales with quality (though it's still weaker than the other one) and the damage threshold is increased; these changes will not apply to stuff that has already been generated in ongoing playthroughs
    
  • Melee resistance bonus of riot gear armor changed to 75% (up from 50%); also not retroactive
    
  • Maximum number of oddity XP required for leveling now caps at 25 (up from 15)
    
  • Maximum number of studies and/or amount of XP per studying reduced (or rebalanced) for a number of oddities; overall, less experience is available through some oddities now
    
  • Classic XP required to level changed to 1250 (up from 1000) * level
    
  • Base classic kill XP bonus per target level reduced
    
  • XP from a number of quests reduced
    
  • Lockpicking/hacking XP per required skill reduced

The leveling/XP changes introduced here are just the first step. I'll be tweaking leveling speed and level cap stuff further in the next update. From those that start a new playthrough with a new character in this version I would appreciate any feedback that they can provide on the leveling speed, time they hit level cap, and just general leveling experience (of both classical and oddity systems).

* * * * *

Now I want to talk a bit about the future development plans. I won't be giving you a release date, though I can safely say it won't be this year as I initially hoped. However, know that the end is in sight.
When it comes to mechanical stuff, there are still stuff like components, items, feats, abilities, etc to be added. However, there are currently no plans to add any more major mechanics (gas and fire should be the last). From the content side there are two parts of the main quest left that, as it happens, take part in two locations that are yet to be added - Institute of Tchort and Deep Caverns.

So here's what going to happen.

The next content update that we release will feature Institute of Tchort part of the main questline. This will be the last Early Access release. Afterwards, only the Deep Caverns are left before the game is complete. When we finish those, we will take extra time to polish up the game (we won't release Deep Caverns right away), especially the older areas which are no longer up to par with the new stuff. We will also take extra time to test the game to stomp out as many bugs as possible. Then we will release the game in full, make lots of money, retire to a tropical island and live happily ever after. That's the plan at least.

How long will this take? As long as it needs to. It would be pointless for me to give you a release date estimate, since I will gladly ignore it for the sake of the game as I did before. The quality of the game is my primary concern and in the long run that is best for everyone. We're nearing the end, though, so stay patient, dudes.

Hey guys. I've put the game mechanics aside for now and we're all focused on churning out content for the following update.

In this update we will be rounding up almost entire game world outside of Church of Tchort and Deep Caverns. Player will be able to learn more about the Protectorate and Free Drones and the conflict between them. Optionally, player can decide to throw in their lot with either the freedom loving partisans or the imperialistic lawbringers. There's also another secret faction offerring more opportunity for those observant enough.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG_vK7-svWs

In other news, I finally took the time to fill some long outstanding holes in the presentation department.

Firstly, I hired an artist to do the portraits. There's lots of them to be drawn so don't expect them all to be finished in the next update. In the screenshot above you can see the portraits are lit in the same manner as the characters on the map. I find that this adds to the atmosphere, but this can be disabled in the options for those who disagree. Players can also make their own custom portraits and the game will offer them on character creation if they have been placed in the appropriate folder and are of appropriate format.

Secondly, it was time to expand the musical repertoire. With only four tracks covering the numerous and diverse locations of Underrail, the music tended to get quite repetitive. As with the portraits, don't expect us to be able to cover the entire game with new music immediately. The sample above is the music for the Foundry. Enjoy.

* * * * *

Finally, here's the obligatory list of minor stuff:

• Nice things
  
  • Enemies will now threaten and taunt you in combat. Currently all have the same collection of phrases, but we plan to customize these in the future for different characters/factions/locations. We'll be looking for feedback on these - do the taunts occur too frequently/rarely, is there some particular taunt that is repeated too often, etc. Of course, for those who don't like this sort of stuff, it can be disabled in the options.
• Fixes
  
  • Electrobolts will no longer jump to passive objects that are completely immune to them (e.g. destructible rocks)
    
  • You can no longer load individual bullets during combat as stated by the tooltip
    
  • Removed various leathers that were way too high quality for their type from certain stores
    
  • Burst fire will no longer trigger hostilities against secondary targets caught in the burst cone unless they actually take damage
    
  • Arena commentator will no longer order everyone in Core City to kill you if you happen to aim your burst in his general direction
• Tweaks
  
  • Crawlers buffed and their AI has been slightly tweaked

Let me know what you thought of the new stuff, guys. Cheers.

Hey guys. I've put the game mechanics aside for now and we're all focused on churning out content for the following update.

In this update we will be rounding up almost entire game world outside of Church of Tchort and Deep Caverns. Player will be able to learn more about the Protectorate and Free Drones and the conflict between them. Optionally, player can decide to throw in their lot with either the freedom loving partisans or the imperialistic lawbringers. There's also another secret faction offerring more opportunity for those observant enough.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG_vK7-svWs

In other news, I finally took the time to fill some long outstanding holes in the presentation department.

Firstly, I hired an artist to do the portraits. There's lots of them to be drawn so don't expect them all to be finished in the next update. In the screenshot above you can see the portraits are lit in the same manner as the characters on the map. I find that this adds to the atmosphere, but this can be disabled in the options for those who disagree. Players can also make their own custom portraits and the game will offer them on character creation if they have been placed in the appropriate folder and are of appropriate format.

Secondly, it was time to expand the musical repertoire. With only four tracks covering the numerous and diverse locations of Underrail, the music tended to get quite repetitive. As with the portraits, don't expect us to be able to cover the entire game with new music immediately. The sample above is the music for the Foundry. Enjoy.

* * * * *

Finally, here's the obligatory list of minor stuff:

• Nice things
  
  • Enemies will now threaten and taunt you in combat. Currently all have the same collection of phrases, but we plan to customize these in the future for different characters/factions/locations. We'll be looking for feedback on these - do the taunts occur too frequently/rarely, is there some particular taunt that is repeated too often, etc. Of course, for those who don't like this sort of stuff, it can be disabled in the options.
• Fixes
  
  • Electrobolts will no longer jump to passive objects that are completely immune to them (e.g. destructible rocks)
    
  • You can no longer load individual bullets during combat as stated by the tooltip
    
  • Removed various leathers that were way too high quality for their type from certain stores
    
  • Burst fire will no longer trigger hostilities against secondary targets caught in the burst cone unless they actually take damage
    
  • Arena commentator will no longer order everyone in Core City to kill you if you happen to aim your burst in his general direction
• Tweaks
  
  • Crawlers buffed and their AI has been slightly tweaked

Let me know what you thought of the new stuff, guys. Cheers.

Hey guys, we took a couple weeks off in August/September to recharge our batteries, but we're back now and we're kicking it into high gear. While we're also working on new areas and quests (we'll get to that in some future dev log), I'm taking this time to finally implement last of the game mechanics (not quite done yet). In this case that would be fire and gas.





You will now be able to create fire bombs (such as Molotov cocktail) that set character, creatures and the ground on fire as well. The burning ground is very dangerous as it deals both flat and -percentage of max health- damage so you cannot ignore it even on high levels. The amount of damage dealt depends on the intensity of the flames (which depends on the power of the fire bomb, but can also stack if you throw multiple bombs).

You'll now also be able to craft gas grenades. The only type of gas grenade at the moment is "Toxic Gas Grenade" which deals flat bio damage. The damage dealt depends on the density of the gas (it's more dense at the source). While toxic gas doesn't deal damage quickly, the grenade does last for a long time and also bio resistance is currently not present on standard combat armors and if introduced later it will not be in generous amounts. Specialized equipment to deal with this and more powerful bio-hazzards will be added in the future. Also, players will encounter permanent sources of toxic gas in certain places (such as the one on the screenshot).

* * * * *

In other news, I've taken the time to do some UI improvements. This is probably the definitive list of the UI changes as I have tons of other stuff to get done before we release the game so I hope I answered most of your complaints/suggestions:

• Added larger font options for everything (object labels, tooltips, quest notes, pop-up dialogs, combat log, etc)
  
• Moves the combat log window slightly so it won't interrupt scrolling anymore
  
• Added an option to auto-end turn when the player is out of MP and AP
  
• Added more hotkeys (swap weapons, toggle shield, etc; might add more if necessary) and added keybinding options
  
• Inspected containers that are empty are now marked as such
  
• Increased the font in Combat Stats Overview window
  
• Available component for a given blueprint will now be highlighted in the same manner as when trading
  
• Double clicking (or ctrl clicking) a component will automatically transfer it to the crafting screen if appropriate blueprint is open
  
• Clicking a crafting slot will automatically fill it with the first available component if empty, or clear it if full
  
• ESC/ENTER and other intuitive hotkeys (such as Y/N) will now work inside confirmation boxes
  
• While holding SHIFT player will not be able to issue move command as to prevent people from accidentally moving when they meant to shoot; keep in mind though that you'll still be able to issue a melee attack command that might require movement even when SHIFT is held

That's all for now dudes. Cheers.

Hey guys, we took a couple weeks off in August/September to recharge our batteries, but we're back now and we're kicking it into high gear. While we're also working on new areas and quests (we'll get to that in some future dev log), I'm taking this time to finally implement last of the game mechanics (not quite done yet). In this case that would be fire and gas.





You will now be able to create fire bombs (such as Molotov cocktail) that set character, creatures and the ground on fire as well. The burning ground is very dangerous as it deals both flat and -percentage of max health- damage so you cannot ignore it even on high levels. The amount of damage dealt depends on the intensity of the flames (which depends on the power of the fire bomb, but can also stack if you throw multiple bombs).

You'll now also be able to craft gas grenades. The only type of gas grenade at the moment is "Toxic Gas Grenade" which deals flat bio damage. The damage dealt depends on the density of the gas (it's more dense at the source). While toxic gas doesn't deal damage quickly, the grenade does last for a long time and also bio resistance is currently not present on standard combat armors and if introduced later it will not be in generous amounts. Specialized equipment to deal with this and more powerful bio-hazzards will be added in the future. Also, players will encounter permanent sources of toxic gas in certain places (such as the one on the screenshot).

* * * * *

In other news, I've taken the time to do some UI improvements. This is probably the definitive list of the UI changes as I have tons of other stuff to get done before we release the game so I hope I answered most of your complaints/suggestions:

• Added larger font options for everything (object labels, tooltips, quest notes, pop-up dialogs, combat log, etc)
  
• Moves the combat log window slightly so it won't interrupt scrolling anymore
  
• Added an option to auto-end turn when the player is out of MP and AP
  
• Added more hotkeys (swap weapons, toggle shield, etc; might add more if necessary) and added keybinding options
  
• Inspected containers that are empty are now marked as such
  
• Increased the font in Combat Stats Overview window
  
• Available component for a given blueprint will now be highlighted in the same manner as when trading
  
• Double clicking (or ctrl clicking) a component will automatically transfer it to the crafting screen if appropriate blueprint is open
  
• Clicking a crafting slot will automatically fill it with the first available component if empty, or clear it if full
  
• ESC/ENTER and other intuitive hotkeys (such as Y/N) will now work inside confirmation boxes
  
• While holding SHIFT player will not be able to issue move command as to prevent people from accidentally moving when they meant to shoot; keep in mind though that you'll still be able to issue a melee attack command that might require movement even when SHIFT is held

That's all for now dudes. Cheers.

Hey guys, the new version is up. We're all very happy to have finally released this. It's the centerpiece of the game, our Athkatla/Sigil/Neverwinter. The main story still has places to go and we still plan on introducing more factions and sideplots, but expect the future updates to be a lot more focused and a lot less spacious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rmm48LYz3I

We showed you bunch of screenshots already, so for this occassion we decided to make a short teaser trailer instead.

As before, we're releasing it to Steam first until we're sure it's stable and any potential major bugs that we missed during internal testing are fixed.

And because no dev log would be complete without a bullet list, here's an incomplete list of minor tweaks and stuff that were done since the last dev log:

• Tweaks
  
  • EMP mine blueprint component requirements changed to be the same to that of the EMP grenade
    
  • Increased the amount of bear traps crafted when not applying poison to 10
    
  • Increased the amount of caltrops crafted when not applying poison to 10
    
  • Reduced the cost of metal plates and, by extension, some items that are crafted from them
    
  • Added an option to turn off automatic door opening
    
  • Removed the cooldown of Burst attack (don't know why it was there in the first place)
• Bugs
  
  • Hopefully finally fixed the bug(s) that caused the factions to get all messed up after the Junkyard showdown event
    
  • Merchants will no longer roam while in bartering mode
    
  • Game will no longer crash when saving while mining
    
  • Chemical pistols have weight now
    
  • Action point counter fixed to work with extreme amounts of action points
    
  • Adrenaline shot will now always properly grant 20 bonus AP
    
  • Execute will no longer deal extra damage even if the target is not stunned/incapacitated

Enjoy the update folks, report bugs and let us know how you liked it. Cheers.

Hey guys, the new version is up. We're all very happy to have finally released this. It's the centerpiece of the game, our Athkatla/Sigil/Neverwinter. The main story still has places to go and we still plan on introducing more factions and sideplots, but expect the future updates to be a lot more focused and a lot less spacious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rmm48LYz3I

We showed you bunch of screenshots already, so for this occassion we decided to make a short teaser trailer instead.

As before, we're releasing it to Steam first until we're sure it's stable and any potential major bugs that we missed during internal testing are fixed.

And because no dev log would be complete without a bullet list, here's an incomplete list of minor tweaks and stuff that were done since the last dev log:

• Tweaks
  
  • EMP mine blueprint component requirements changed to be the same to that of the EMP grenade
    
  • Increased the amount of bear traps crafted when not applying poison to 10
    
  • Increased the amount of caltrops crafted when not applying poison to 10
    
  • Reduced the cost of metal plates and, by extension, some items that are crafted from them
    
  • Added an option to turn off automatic door opening
    
  • Removed the cooldown of Burst attack (don't know why it was there in the first place)
• Bugs
  
  • Hopefully finally fixed the bug(s) that caused the factions to get all messed up after the Junkyard showdown event
    
  • Merchants will no longer roam while in bartering mode
    
  • Game will no longer crash when saving while mining
    
  • Chemical pistols have weight now
    
  • Action point counter fixed to work with extreme amounts of action points
    
  • Adrenaline shot will now always properly grant 20 bonus AP
    
  • Execute will no longer deal extra damage even if the target is not stunned/incapacitated

Enjoy the update folks, report bugs and let us know how you liked it. Cheers.

Hey guys. We've been quiet lately, but that's only because we've been working hard on the biggest and the most difficult section of the game, center of the game world, the metropolis that is Core City.



The Core City is the place of extremes. On one hand we have the oligarch families and their associates who live lives of luxury (or at least what can be considered such in the world of Underrail) while on the other hand the slums are filled with the poor that perish daily from hunger, disease and gang fighting.

The masters of Core City know how to keep the masses complacent though. What started as place for gangs to settle their disputes has grown to become the most popular form of entertainment in the city and the whole of Underrail. We're talking about the Arena, the Roman style field of combat where they pit men against various deadly creatures as well as gladiator against gladiator. All for the viewing pleasure of the numerous Arena fans. Watching people die violently is the favorite pastime for the oppressed masses of Core City.



People from all over the Underrail pay for the privilege to watch direct broadcasts of these fights as well as take trips to Core City to watch the matches live, if they can manage to get hold of tickets which are always sold out quickly. The Arena and the its betting office have made the oligarch families rich.

Players will, of course, be given an opportunity to test themselves in the Arena and see if they have what it takes to climb all the way to the top and claim the title of Invictus.

Beyond that they will also have an opportunity to enter the Gauntlet, and new blood sport where the contenders race through series of rooms, each containing a unique challenge, to be the first to reach the finish line and claim the prize, or die trying.

* * * * *

This update will be taking us a bit longer than we expected, but in many ways this is the hardest section to develop. It encompasses more intractable NPCs than any other update, way more urban areas than any other city so far as well as multiple quest-lines. All this stuffs had us stretched a bit thin, but if we get this part of the game right it should be more or less smooth sailing to completion.

Hey guys. We've been quiet lately, but that's only because we've been working hard on the biggest and the most difficult section of the game, center of the game world, the metropolis that is Core City.



The Core City is the place of extremes. On one hand we have the oligarch families and their associates who live lives of luxury (or at least what can be considered such in the world of Underrail) while on the other hand the slums are filled with the poor that perish daily from hunger, disease and gang fighting.

The masters of Core City know how to keep the masses complacent though. What started as place for gangs to settle their disputes has grown to become the most popular form of entertainment in the city and the whole of Underrail. We're talking about the Arena, the Roman style field of combat where they pit men against various deadly creatures as well as gladiator against gladiator. All for the viewing pleasure of the numerous Arena fans. Watching people die violently is the favorite pastime for the oppressed masses of Core City.



People from all over the Underrail pay for the privilege to watch direct broadcasts of these fights as well as take trips to Core City to watch the matches live, if they can manage to get hold of tickets which are always sold out quickly. The Arena and the its betting office have made the oligarch families rich.

Players will, of course, be given an opportunity to test themselves in the Arena and see if they have what it takes to climb all the way to the top and claim the title of Invictus.

Beyond that they will also have an opportunity to enter the Gauntlet, and new blood sport where the contenders race through series of rooms, each containing a unique challenge, to be the first to reach the finish line and claim the prize, or die trying.

* * * * *

This update will be taking us a bit longer than we expected, but in many ways this is the hardest section to develop. It encompasses more intractable NPCs than any other update, way more urban areas than any other city so far as well as multiple quest-lines. All this stuffs had us stretched a bit thin, but if we get this part of the game right it should be more or less smooth sailing to completion.