May 24, 2019

Sarge's Advice for Exploring the Frozen Wastes!

Vambrace: Cold Soul - Headup Games

Alright, grunts! Looks like we’ve made it this far. You feel that chill in the air? Yeah, that’s the feeling of death creepin’ ever so slowly toward us. Literally. We’ve got a long way to go before we reach our expedition’s objectives, so listen up because I have a few golden nuggets of wisdom to impart. Who knows, it might just save your hide!

So, the basics first. As you greenhorns remember, I visited the Recruiting Wall in the Hunters’ Camp to hire you. It’s always important to make sure you assemble a team that complements your objectives and play style. Second, you want to make sure you’re well supplied and equipped for the expedition ahead. If we intend to reach our destination, there’s no going back...that is, unless you’re okay with losing all your progress.

Now this part’s really important. You can toss in the towel and run back home to momma at any time of your campaign (so long as you’re not caught up in something). The good thing about this is that all your surviving allies will come back with you. You also get the keep the loot you gathered while exploring the wastes. The bad news is that you will lose any progress you made toward your end goal. Listen, there ain’t no shame in making a tactical retreat. If your party falls on the campaign, you lose everyone, everything you gathered, AND all your progress. Sometimes you just gotta know when to call a spade a spade.

As we move between neighborhoods, we’ll have to make decisions about which paths to take. This is going to affect the layouts of the maps ahead and the frequency of certain encounters. Some neighborhoods have more hostile actors mucking about. Others are full of loot. The benefit of where to go is simply something you’ll have to learn about each district during your visits.

Ah, look at that. A clean map and everyone’s fresh as a daisy. Once you’re in a particular neighborhood, your job will be to navigate your team to the exit path. Along the way, we’re going to be facing a variety of randomized encounters on each street. What? You didn’t expect the forces of darkness to just lie down for us, did ya?

As you can see, traveling from street to street will reveal what’s lying in wait for us. It could be loot, hostile enemies, traps, strange encounters, mercenaries for hire, and more.

Now, this doesn’t mean we can just bandy about willy nilly. Exploring streets causes our Vigor to drop by one point. Do you also see that little green bar in the bottom left corner? That’s the Geistometer. It measures the Ghost Fog in the air. That is, it lets us know how close Mad Shades are to our location. When it crosses a certain threshold…

Every path becomes hostile with powerful enemies. Getting to the exit becomes a much more challenging affair. Do you see that indicator in the upper left corner? That shows how close you are to the Boss Dungeon. You get closer by reaching the exit paths. Ultimately, all roads lead there!

If we survive everything else in our way, we still have to contend with the local Shade. Victory, is how we make sure our little tale progresses. So, you ready to get your hands dirty? Yeah, that’s what I thought! Move out!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/904380

May 9, 2019

Sarge's Guide to solve Conflicts: Combat!

Vambrace: Cold Soul - Headup Games

Listen up, grunts!
We’re about to make for the surface. It’s no secret that Icenaire is crawling with vengeful wraiths and mad survivors right now. We’ve all lost friends to the King of Shades’ minions, so I don’t need to remind you: We need to be extra careful. In any case, we have our mission objectives and you’re our best hope for getting through this thing alive.

What’s that? You’ve never walked the city streets post-curse? How’d I get saddled with a greenhorn like you?! Nevermind that. I don’t want any of you knuckleheads getting killed up there. It reflects poorly on me, after all. So, follow these instructions, and maybe we’ll all make it back in one piece.

First, the basics. For the purpose of this demonstration, we’ll be taking a look at a few key stats.

Your Health is indicated by the heart icon. It denotes damage you take in combat. Your Vigor is indicated by the flame icon. It denotes your weariness from the expedition. Looks like you’re pretty well rested right now. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case once we’re in the middle of our trek. Take damage in combat and this number is gonna drop. Wanna guess what happens when either of these stats hits 0?

Right! You buy the farm. So, try not to let that happen, okay?

Your Combat ability is indicated by the crossed swords icon. The higher it is, the more likely you are to hit your enemies and deal more damage. Hmm, a 4, eh? Not so shabby! I guess appearances can be deceiving. There may be some hope for you after all.

Your Awareness is indicated by the eye icon. The higher it is, the more likely you are to alert and help your party avoid hidden traps. This will also increase your initiative when we begin turn-based combat.

When combat begins, every character will have access to two skills; your Standard skill and your Flourish. You can use the Standard skill every turn, provided you have something to target.

Your Flourish is a more powerful or specialized skill. It can be used when you charge your Flourish Meter. You can do that by successfully attacking your enemies or making decisions quickly.

Hold your horses there, greenhorn. What’s that? You’re already itchin’ for a fight? We’re just getting started! I need to walk you through the turn based combat system first. It’s do or die up there and if we lose anyone they’re not coming back.

When you enter combat, your team members will be indicated in the upper left corner. Your enemies will be displayed in the upper right corner.

Positioning is EXTREMELY important in this game. From the center, each fighter’s position will indicated in ascending order from 1-4 (for their respective side). Yellow indicates the player’s team. Blue indicates the enemy team.

At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see this arrow. Remember the Awareness stat I discussed earlier? Your characters’ initiatives are determined by it. A character is more likely to take action earlier with a higher Awareness.

When a character reaches the arrow head, it’s their turn to make a move. You can see the order that characters will be taking action. Make sure to plan accordingly. It helps to study your enemies’ patterns.

There are three basic Attack Ranges in this game. Short, Medium, and Long Range. Every recruit brings their own unique strengths to your team and they specialize in very specific weapons.

Short ranged attacks can only target enemies in the first or second positions. They must also be performed from either the first or second positions.

Mid-ranged attacks can only target enemies in the first or second positions. They can be performed from any position in the party.

Finally, long-ranged attacks can be performed from any position and target any enemy. That’s my personal favorite. Haha!

Since good positioning is key, you can always swap places with other characters - even in the middle of combat! This could be a good idea if somebody in the front has been taking heavy damage and you want to put them in a safer spot.

You can defend yourself to avoid damage. However, this comes at the expense of Vigor. Remember, if your Vigor drops to 0...well, we can put a fork in ya.

Targeted enemies are indicated by the red reticule. Try to strategically focus your attacks on enemies based on their turn order or abilities.

If you dispatch an enemy, your remaining foes will move up in positioning. This also means that they may be targeted if they were previously out of range.

Now, this part is super important, so don’t forget it. You can’t access your inventory and start using items in the middle of combat. Now that wouldn’t be very realistic, would it? So, remember, you can only heal your characters if you either have someone with a unique ability to do so or manage to find a safe camping spot to unpack.

As harsh as this sounds, we’ll probably lose some good people up there. It can’t really be helped. Luckily, we still have a lot of able-bodied men and women in Dalearch who are committed to the cause. Make sure you visit the Recruiting Board from time to time to assemble your team. Pay special attention to how your unique members’ skills complement each other in combat and the expedition at large.

One more thing, if a team member perishes on the battlefield, they’re gone for good. That means you’ll lose the item that was equipped on them. It will also decrease your party’s ability to pack loot. If the main character, Lyric, gets knocked unconscious, the expedition is over. So, as side characters, we gotta make sure she is well cared for.

Alright, that’s all I have to say on this subject. Now, let’s see what you’re made of, soldier. Move out!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/904380

Apr 27, 2019

From Etheria to Icenaire: The World of Vambrace

Vambrace: Cold Soul - Vincedings

Vambrace: Cold Soul is a gothic fantasy set in the world of Ethera. This world is divided into several realms: Edena, home to the cosmopolitan humans and famed for its large metropolitan cities; Sylvia, realm to the matriarchal Sylvani Elves and a region of dense forests; Zumurrud, a vast, arid desert land and home to the Naziri Drows; Asadal, an island country called home by the seafaring Foxier merchants; and Dokkheim, a land in the frigid north that is home to the Dwarves, the world’s unrivaled smiths and tinkers.

Icenaire was popularly known as “the Jewel of Dokkheim.” It holds the distinction of being the first Dwarven city built above ground. While the city was once a prosperous trade hub, it has long since fallen to ruin under a mysterious curse. The city has been surrounded by the Frostfell, an impassable wall of ice, ever since this curse took hold. Those who died within the city walls returned as mad or sober wraiths. The city’s survivors retreated underground, where they now wage a desperate campaign against the one responsible for this spell, the King of Shades.

A map of Icenaire

Evelia Lyric’s vambrace, an ancient relic known as the Aetherbrace, gives her the unique ability to pass through the Frostfell. Her presence emboldens the resistance fighters since she can lead small strike teams to areas that were previously inaccessible to them. Icenaire is divided into four distinct quarters: the entertainment, residential, industrial, and temple districts.

The Entertainment District is the located in the northern quadrant of Icenaire. Unlike most Dwarven cities, which are stiflingly rigid and homogenous, Icenaire prospered greatly from its laissez-faire policies and open nature. As the years passed, this burgeoning quarter served to satisfy all manner of vices for the city’s diverse populace. Although it is now in complete ruin, not all is lost; the Ghost Bazaar, a vibrant trading hub is open for business. The spooks there are even willing to deal with the living who bring hell money to the table.

The Residential District is the located in the southern quadrant of Icenaire. The ward once boasted thriving estates and commercial services catering to the needs of its local residents. Slums developed in certain areas of this district as a result of an influx of economic migrants. Dwarves, many of whom were significantly more affluent than their migrant counterparts, tended to live in other quarters of the city. This area was the site of the bloodiest fighting during the Incident and its ruins are a haunting reminder of the carnage that took place.

The Industrial District is located in the western quadrant of Icenaire. The city was once a technological marvel, far outclassing its contemporaries. The innovations and practical work needed to maintain such advancements took place here. Cutting-edge factories loom large and maintenance golems go about their daily routines unimpeded. Access to most of this area was off limits to average citizens to prevent accidents and safeguard sensitive information. The city's "heart", the great Nibelung Furnace, continues to pump steam throughout Icenaire.

A city close up

The Temple District is the located in the eastern quadrant of Icenaire. It caters to the varying religious needs and traditional practices of the city's multi-cultural people. The Dwarves, despite their agnostic background, sought to accommodate the diversifying population's needs by sanctioning religious practice in the district. Their plan succeeded in both satisfying the locals and drawing travelers to their iconic temples. One can now find academic facilities and temples dedicated to all manner of religions.

As Evelia, you will be leading campaigns through all of these punishing locations and more - each with their own distinct aesthetic, sub-quests, expeditions, loot, and encounters. We hope you will enjoy exploring this frozen city as much as we did creating it!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/904380

Apr 25, 2019

Coverage and Feedback from PAX East!

Vambrace: Cold Soul - Headup Games

After showcasing Vambrace: Cold Soul together with developer Devespresso Games at our booth at PAX East with a playable demo, we had some cool feedback and coverage on our roguelike fantasy-adventure:

Kotaku featured Vambrace: Cold Soul in their article "15 Games That Grabbed My Attention At PAX East" and are "now extremely excited": "Unlike Darkest Dungeon, there’s much less grinding, with overall progression pinned to collecting pieces of armor rather than experience points. Hallelujah!" You can find the full article HERE.

For USgamer Vambrace: Cold Soul is one of "The 10 Best Indie Games of PAX East 2019": "I love Darkest Dungeon, so something in the same vein with a few tweaks is right up my alley.". You can find the full "Top 10" list HERE.

Vambrace: Cold Soul is also featured in "The Best Indie Games of PAX East" by CGMagazine (HERE), in the hands on feature by GamerHub.TV (HERE), in the PAX East Spotlight by The Geekly Grind (HERE) and in the coverage by Gaming Cypher (HERE).

In addition to the press feedback we received tons of good ideas and great feedback from all you guys at PAX East! Thanks a lot - it's very important to us and with that we working hard to make your feedback come to life!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/904380

Apr 18, 2019

This is Devespresso Games!

Vambrace: Cold Soul - Vincedings

Devespresso Games is a small independent development studio based in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 2015, the team settled on the name due to the fact that they never had a central office location and often do their dev work remotely in various cafés around Seoul. This tradition still holds true today with the team usually assembling for in-person meetings when the occasion calls for it (but, usually when one member happens to be passing through another's hood). From the team's inception, their design priorities have always focused on three conceptual cornerstones: 1.) Hand-illustrated, 2D graphics, 2.) Immersive, narrative-driven gameplay, 3.) Fun.

The team gets a lot of inspiration from studios, like Vanillaware, that have intentionally chosen to pursue a creative direction based on 2D aesthetics. They believe that the qualities of this art style are timeless, regardless of generation or platform. They also relish in the huge visual impact the art delivers as the game's first impression. The art and animation of games such as The Coma: Cutting Class and Vambrace: Cold Soul were all done by Minho Kim. These assets range from cutscene graphics, in-game level assets, dialogue GUI illustrations, and much more.

The members also grew up on a steady diet of retro Western and JRPG classics. The team believes it's important that every story provides an immersive experience with interesting characters, plots, and concepts that leave an indelible impression on the player. T.L. Riven, the lead narrative designer, moved to Korea in 2006, where he would later encounter Minho. They began working together in the games media industry, but discovered they shared a passion for creating new worlds and bringing them to life. His journey as a lifelong gamer and working in South Korea as an English instructor would inform the narrative experience of The Coma series and mesh well with the conceptual foundation Minho had created for worlds such as Vambrace.

Hyunho Kim, Minho's younger brother, is a musician with a knack for making electronic dance music. However, as can be imagined, working on the team's game projects often call for tracks outside his favorite genre. He's collaborated with musicians like Norihiko Hibino, of Metal Gear Solid and Bayonetta fame, and Emi Evans who lent her amazing voice to the Nier: Automata soundtrack. The soundtrack for Vambrace: Cold Soul will be the most epic yet, featuring sweeping orchestral compositions and deeply atmospheric music.

Minchan Kim, the brothers' cousin, is a programmer with a natural talent for making games. Vambrace: Cold Soul is his very first title, and an amazing accomplishment considering it's his first outing. Minchan began working on the game, part-time, while still finishing up his college degree. He had never used the Unity engine before, but learned its ins and outs within record time (he had 1-2 months to prepare for development). He'd go on to create nearly every one of Vambrace's game modules from scratch. He's also working on the team's newest title, The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters, and focusing on a new, exciting killer AI.

Vambrace: Cold Soul represents a big departure from the team's first title, The Coma: Cutting Class. This time around, the team is focused on creating an epic story, featuring 25-30+ hours of replayable dungeon crawling, 10 character classes, and multiple endings. According to T.L. Riven, "This really represents the culmination of everything we learned from working on The Coma: Recut. We took those lessons to heart and made everything more expansive, deeper, and content rich. This game is for people who enjoy deep, fantasy stories and lore, punishing roguelite gameplay, and beautiful art. It's a real love letter to the JRPGs we grew up with and newer indie titles like, FTL, that have heavily inspired Vambrace's mechanics."

Vambrace: Cold Soul will be available on May 28th for Steam on PC, Mac, and Linux.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/904380