Hello there, Companions!

So, it’s been six months since our Steam Early Access release and we’ve learned a lot during this time. We’ve released a total of 7 big updates during the first half of the year that Glorious Companions has been out. We thought that it would be the perfect time to sum up how it all went.



First of all, we want to thank all of you who supported us throughout the release and up to this point. We’ve received countless quality feedback reports and suggestions on how to improve the gameplay experience. We know that we’ve launched really early and we’re glad to have your support during the development process.

Let’s recall what our plans were for further development when we launched. Here’s a quote from the release announcement:

Short Term Continuous Updates (aka things you can expect in the coming weeks)
Valrenay Abilities Updates
New Weapon Types Updates
AI Updates
Hair Style Options for Player Characters
Bug Fixes & QoL tweaks
Balance Patches

Big Content & Feature Updates
Scarres Fully Playable Race Update
Camping System
World Map 2.0 (region based, roads, simulated trading, new environment assets)
Settlement Management and Sieges Update
Procedural Generation of Battle Locations (based on their position on the world map)
Anderia Fully Playable Race Update
Trigoths Fully Playable Race Update
Politics & World Map AI Update
Peer-2-Peer Multiplayer Update
Mercenary Faction Update
Ancient Guardians Uprising Update

So let’s see what we actually managed to do since then:

• Lots of QoL tweaks and bug fixes.
  
• Unexpected Captain Update that introduced new mechanics that we didn’t plan beforehand. It differentiated the Captain units from the other companions and improved Captain survival during battles.
  
• Added new neutral enemy groups.
  
• Implemented Firearms and reloading mechanic.
  
• Implemented Company Overview panel.
  
• Implemented Food & Companion Happiness Systems.
  
• Reworked the AI.
  
• Added Day & Night cycle in battles.
  
• Added the Custom Battle mode and the Battlecrew Builder.
  
• Implemented local and online multiplayer.
  
• Implemented Procedurally Generated Battlefields.
  
• Added Diplomacy panel.
  
• Implemented a few special abilities for all Valrenay units.
  
• Implemented the Camping System.
  
• Added functional Options screen and rebinding controls.
  
• Added new Shields.
  
• Had a Halloween Event that introduced new enemies, new interactive world map objects and new legendary items.
  
• Added new character portraits for the Valrenay units.
  
• Made Trapper into a playable character based on your feedback.
  
• Revamped the Character Creation screen.
  
• Added an Easy Start option.
  
• Added a Changelog to the main menu.
  
• Implemented tips showing on the loading screen.

As you can see we’ve managed to release a lot of stuff that we didn’t expect to work on, however, some other things took us longer than we had hoped for. The main offenders here are the Scarres that we’ve nearly finished, but we’re still implementing special abilities for all of them. We want to launch them properly with all features fully working.

The other thing that we had hoped would take less time to implement is the World Map 2.0 Update. Unfortunately, we’ve had so much on our plates regarding other tasks that we haven’t had much time to pour into it.

We’re also striving to be as transparent with the development as possible, thus we’ve created a public roadmap. Now you’ll all be able to track progress and learn what exactly is in store for the full release of Glorious Companions.

Check out the Development Roadmap here: https://trello.com/b/nyHcc2eE/glorious-companions-roadmap

Also, we're always ready to answer your questions or feedback on our official Discord server. Join the community here: https://discordapp.com/invite/cSp6znH

As some of you might have noticed, we’ve also commissioned a new cover artwork for the game! We feel it represents the mood of the game way more accurately. What do you guys think?



You can check out other works by the artists on his website.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments! And take advantage of the Autumn -34% Sale while it still lasts, should be up for a few more hours ːsteamhappyː

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1001040/Glorious_Companions/

Hello there, Companions!

After our yesterday's update we're back with a nice sale for Glorious Companions. Until December 3rd you'll be able to buy it for $10 less! ːsteamhappyː



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1001040/Glorious_Companions/

Have fun and let us know if you have any questions or feedback!
Also tell us what you think about the new promo art we've got ːcozyroeː

Hello there, Companions!



Today we’re releasing an update that introduces a new Valrenay playable class, Trapper. We’ve heard your feedback regarding male playable characters and we’ve decided to rebrand this whole idea. We want you to think of these characters as classes, each with their own strengths and weakness, but ultimately with plenty of room for you to customize. While each race will feature 5 classes total, we plan on making the final class (until now known as the fifth unit “tier”) a prestigious one (thus not playable as a captain) that you’ll have to spend extra coin on to hire.

We’ve also finally updated the character portraits to a higher quality artwork, as opposed to the old renders that looked really out of place. Here’s a brand new look for our Blade Dancer & Trapper.



The update also features a new “Easy Start” option when starting a new campaign playthrough. This should come in handy if you’re just starting out, or you want to get through the boring bits a little bit faster.

• Valrenay Trapper now became a playable character as a captain.
  
• Trapper received face and hair options.
  
• Character creation screen revamped.
  
• Added new character portraits for the Valrenay race.
  
• Turned off the Halloween themed menu and battlefields.
  
• Added an 'Easy Start' option when starting a new game.
  
• Added tips that show up on the loading screen.
  
• Added a changelog window in the main menu.
  
• Added a loading circle to the loading screen.

• Lowered EXP required for unit levels from 6th and up.
  
• Lowered EXP required for company levels.
  
• Lowered the spawn rate of Spiders Nest interactive object on the world map.

• Fixed Quest panel sometimes rendering over the Unit / EQ panel. (thanks to Phil85 for the report)
  
• Engineer's Heal now works on player characters too.
  
• Fixed the bug with camping while in city area.
  
• Fixed rotating after attack mismatch in the battle state.
  
• Fixed AI not suffering AP penalties.
  
• Fixed a number of bugs with incorrect synchronization of the battle state when using some of the Valrenay abilities.
  
• Fixed a bug with some attacks using up Movement AP.
  
• Cleaned up attack tooltips. All disadvantageous notes will appear in yellow from now and advantageous ones in green.

In the meantime we've started working on the first boss in Glorious Companions. Take a peek at this work in progress model:

• Fixed a bug where the Resolution change would revert on clicking 'Back' even after applying the changes.
  
• Fixed the UI & HUD in the Main Menu and on the World map to work in various window size ratios, including 4:3 and 21:9.

Hello there, Companions!



We've prepared a short video showcasing some of the changes in the Halloween Update:


Here's what's new:

Bug fixes:

• Fixed displaying Energy in HUD.
  
• Fixed a bug with entering enemy melee zones.
  
• Fixed a bug where the game would freeze at the beginning of a week.
  
• Fixed a bug where the Hunger wound wouldn't apply to hungry units.
  
• Fixed a bug with the meat gained from Hunting didn't refresh the value in the HUD.

We'd love to hear your feedback on the Camping System. Is it fun? Do you have any issues with it or suggestions? Let us know in the comments!

Hello there, Companions!



Today we’re releasing a Halloween themed update that also introduces a big, new gameplay mechanics into the game, the Camping system, along with a bunch of new content and fixes.
To celebrate this, the game is now 25% off! Make sure to tell your friends and family!

If you encounter any bugs with new systems, please report them on our Forums or on our official Discord Server. Keep in mind that you’ll probably have to wait until the next in-game week to access new quests, items, etc if you’re using an old save file.


Each company on the world map will now feature their own energy meter (condition), which is used when moving across the continent and when engaging in combat. If the energy drops down to zero, the party is forced to camp. For that reason, wise commanders should plan their camps ahead of time to avoid getting trapped in enemy territory.

Camping will open up new gameplay options for you to choose from. Now you’ll be able to delegate your people to hunt for food, heal the wounded companions or cook a tasty meal to boost the company’s morale. Each of your units will be more predisposed towards different responsibilities at the camp. For example agile units will yield better results when hunting, while strong companions will serve you better building fortifications.

For now two Camping activities are still locked for future development - Crafting & Watching Prisoners.


Yes, they’re finally in the game. You’ve waited long enough for them.


We’ve sat down to fix some of the old quests and add new ones. There are a total of 12 new quests, including two special ones that will grant you new Halloween-themed items: the Eternal Punishment and Eternal Vengeance. To get them you’ll need to raid the Spider Nests scattered across the island. We’ve raised their spawn rate quite a bit to celebrate Halloween, so make sure to take advantage of it while it lasts.


While we’re on the topic of new quests, during the Halloween event you’ll have a unique chance to obtain limited items - the legendary Eternal Punishment sword and the Eternal Vengeance axe.

Just raid some Spiders Nests, collect the Spider Eggs and cash them in for an epic reward! Beware though, the new Spider enemies will have a few special abilities up their hairy sleeves, so you’d better not let them surprise you.

The battle locations also received a time-limited Halloween-themed decor, make sure the check them out while they’re available.


The shield models have been changed and there are quite a few new shields to choose from. We’ve split the Ranged Defense and the Melee Defense into two different stats so there’s more to play around tactics-wise.

In this update we have also addressed some of the concerns raised by the community: food amount problems, merchant money issues, the ability to discard items and the Berserk Rush bug to name a few.


Here’s the full changelog

Temporary:

• Main Menu got a little spooky to celebrate Halloween.
  
• Added a number of special Halloween decorations on the battle locations.
  
• Increased the number of Spider Nests on the world map.

Content:

• Implemented Camping System and Camp Battles.
  
• Added a controls rebind screen in settings.
  
• Added a graphics settings screen.
  
• Added a new interactive object on the world map: Spider Nest.
  
• Implemented a new penalty for failing the attribute check in interactive objects that results in a battle.
  
• Added 2 new legendary weapons with On Hit effects.
  
• Added 2 new enemies: Spider Queen and Spider with a unique Captain Call “Call Of The Nest”.
  
• Added 12 new quests and changed some of the old ones.
  
• Added 5 new types of shields.
  
• Changed Moon Shield to Griffin Shield.
  
• Changed the Hunger mechanic: you can find it displayed for each unit in the Unit Panel and the Overview Panel.
  
• Implemented pathfinding on the world map: companies will now avoid traversing through the water, etc.
  
• Added an Item Context Menu in the Unit Panel. It’s accessible under RMB and the Quick Action (equip/unequip) is now under the MMB.
  
• Added a Discard option for items.
  
• Added a new Bandits type - Shadows. They’re more powerful and wield more expensive equipment.
  
• Regular Bandits got nerfed and will now wield barely any armor and only cheap weapons.
  
• Redesigned the melee control zone mechanic in battles. Units won’t be able to pass through a defense line without getting a few hits in return anymore. This should make it more feasible to protect your Captain, enhancing the positioning aspect of the game.
  
• Added 6 new food items.

Balance:

• Abandoned Camp will now trigger a battle with bandits on attribute check fail, instead of inflicting a permanent negative trait.
  
• Sped up company movement on the world map.
  
• City merchants will now have a guaranteed minimum number of food items in store.
  
• Increased the capacity of Food items.
  
• Bandits will now travel with some materials and food in their party stashes.
  
• Increased food drop rate from Animals.
  
• Split Shield defense bonus into Ranged and Melee.
  
• Increased the number of Bandits on the world map compared to Animal neutrals. (Say goodbye to Hunter Simulator :D)

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a bug with Captain Calls not always working.
  
• Fixed starting wolves not dropping any loot.
  
• Added quite a few improvements for the enemy AI.

QoL improvements and tweaks:

• Merchant gold now refreshes every week.
  
• All tooltips react quicker now.

Hello there, Companions!



This time we’re here with a short tease of the upcoming Halloween Update for Glorious Companions. Aside from the Halloween-themed additions, we’ll also release a brand new gameplay mechanic - the Camping system.



Each company on the world map will receive their own energy meter (condition), which is used when moving across the continent and when engaging in combat. If the energy drops down to zero, the party will be forced to camp. For that reason, wise commanders should plan their camps ahead of time to avoid getting trapped in enemy territory.

Camping will open up new gameplay options for you to choose from. Now you’ll be able to delegate your people to hunt for food, heal the wounded companions or cook a tasty meal to boost the company’s morale. Each of your units will be more predisposed towards different responsibilities at the camp. For example agile units will yield better results when hunting, while strong companions will serve you better building fortifications.



Yes, they’re finally coming. You’ve waited long enough for them.

We’ve sat down to fix some of the old quests and add new ones. Discover what’s new for yourself!

While we’re on the topic of new quests, during the Halloween event you’ll have a unique chance to obtain limited items - the legendary Pumpkin Helmet and the Eternal Flame sword.
Just raid some Spiders Nests, collect the Spider Eggs and cash them in for an epic reward! Beware though, the new Spider enemies will have a few special abilities up their hairy sleeves, so you’d better not let them surprise you.

The battle locations will also receive a time-limited Halloween-themed decor, make sure the check them out while they’re available.

In this update we will also address some of the concerns raised by the community; food amount problems, merchant money issues, the ability to discard items, the Berserk Rush bug to name a few.

Hello there, Companions!



Today we’re releasing a long awaited update that introduces special abilities for all Valrenay units. Now everyone will have at least a few to let them shine on the battlefield. It is by no means the complete selection of unit skills, we plan to have at least 10 special abilities to choose from for each unit.

If you have any questions or suggestions, head over to our Steam Forums or our official Discord Server.

• 6 new abilities for Valrenay Gunner: Steam Punch, Shield Bash, Watch Out, Taunt, Papa Bless, Power Knee Gong.
  
• 3 new abilities for Valrenay Engineer: Fixer Upper, Steam Release, Frag Grenade.
  
• 2 new abilities for Valrenay Blade Dancer: Hurricane Strike, Dance of Blades.
  
• 2 new abilities for Valrenay Trapper: Makeshift Weapon, Ancestral Equalizer.

• Reduced AoE of Baron’s Rain of Bullets from 3x3 to 2x2.
  
• Changed the Battlepoints cost of most weapons and armor pieces.
  
• Changed Valrenay Resource stats.
  
• Changed the dead trees from half cover to full covers.
  
• Balanced the resource / ap costs and cooldowns of Valrenay abilities.

• Fixed a bug with playing two consecutive games in the online mode.
  
• Fixed sorting and calculating MVP in post online battle window.
  
• Fixed a double aura / stacking auras bug.
  
• Fixed a bug with leveling up Construction company attribute even though it is disabled.
  
• Fixed last enemy AI behaviour.

• Added quest giver’s name in the UI.
  
• Added a small resource bar under units’ health bar in battle.
  
• Implemented company’s First Aid attribute.
  
• Added Resource bar under the HP bar in battle UI.
  
• Optimized game save file size.
  
• Changed how the permadeath chance is calculated and now your units may die even in a won battle if their wounds were grievous enough.
  
• Added an option to level up the Resource attribute.
  
• Added an orbiting camera rotation under LMB in battles.
  
• Changed the movement on the world map to RMB for consistency.
  
• Added camera scrolling under LMB on the world map.

As for the Scarres, we’re currently working on their armors and special abilities. Here’s an Acolyte in Fur Armor:

• Added increasing LP cost for leveling up attributes in Campaign.
  
• Changed Battlecrew Builder's popup when switching a unit to be more intuitive.
  
• Added turn time limits to Online battles.
  
• Made unit battlepoints cost more intuitive in Battlecrew Builder.
  
• Optimized Rain of Bullets' fx.
  
• Fixed a bug where the game would detect a timeout in Online battles after the battle was already finished.
  
• Added sound effects when someone joins an online lobby or sends a message.
  
• Fixed a bug with lost battles in Campaign. (reported by Does)

Hello there, Companions!



Today we’re releasing a small update with the promised Baron’s special abilities and some QoL improvements / bug fixes.

• 5 new abilities for Valrenay Baron (Rain of Bullets, Knockback, Pierce Through, Way Out and Farewell).

• Battlecrew Builder: fixed unit highlight that caused the game to crash and didn’t display correctly.
  
• Battlecrew Builder: fixed quite a few bugs with abilities in unit customization.
  
• XP gain no longer shows in Custom Battles.
  
• Fixed spawning multiple obstacles at the same place.
  
• Trapper’s Piercing Throw animation fixed.
  
• Fixed a bug with some auras getting resolved at the wrong time.
  
• Fixed sizes that some obstacles cover on the battlefields.

• Battlecrew Builder: added an option to unequip abilities.
  
• Battlecrew Builder: added Tooltips.