Join Community Manager Ezrabell in the next Community Livestream as he plays MapleStory! Grab your snacks and prepare for an adventure of fun in this upcoming livestream. Join us on any of the platforms listed below this Friday, September 15th at 4:00 PM PDT (7:00 PM EDT).
CM Ezrabell will be playing MapleStory on his character, partaking in activities and events around Maple World from the v.244 Punch King Palooza update! There will also be giveaways throughout the stream! We will be giving away the Pearl Shell Chair along with some handy consumables such 2x EXP Coupon (15min) x5! Make sure you don't miss out on the fun~ See you Friday!
The team’s been very busy since we released Part Three of TALES, and all the subsequent hotfixes. We have lots to talk about so I’m going to dive right in!
QUALITY OF LIFE UPDATE
Between all the work splitting the game, working on TALES content, and the free updates to Survival over the past year and more, we’ve gotten behind in our bug maintenance, and we just weren’t happy to see some long-standing issues still lingering, along with newly introduced bugs.
The team has spent the past several weeks working through a big list of issues, and they are just putting the finishing touches on a Quality of Life Update which will fix over 150 bugs in the game, across Story, Survival, and TALES. We’re going to keep chipping away at our bug list over time, but hopefully somewhere in this list of 150+ fixes, we manage to hit at least a few of the bugs you’ve personally been struggling with in the game.
The QoL Update is now locked, and the Test team needs a couple of weeks to finalize and verify the bug fixes show up correctly in the release branch, so we’re currently targeting a QoL update launch near the end of the month. For the full list of fixes, keep an eye on Steam, the official forums, or our social channels to be notified when the QoL Update goes live.
And as always, if you encounter a bug and want to report it, please use our Support Portal. Bugs reported there are reviewed, vetted, and then find their way into the main database where the Test and Dev teams can review, evaluate, prioritize, and fix.
TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY, PART FOUR
As with the other parts of TALES (our paid DLC for Survival Mode), Part Four will come with a free update to Survival, and the team is packing in a range of content and gameplay features targeting release by the end of the year. We’ll get more precise with the release date and feature list as we get closer to launch, but to give you a sense of what’s being added, you’ll find:
the new MINE region, showcasing some new hazards and a new gear item
the second TALE, following up on Signal Void from Part Two
several new gameplay tools and mechanics, including the Travois and some new clothing
and great free updates to Survival, including -- wait for it -- proper coverings for first-person hands!
We’ll release a full list of items taken from the TALES roadmap and more information about what’s being included in the free Survival update as we get closer to launch. It’s a big update and will be a great way to finish the year!
HINTERLAND MERCH STORE VIRTUAL “POP-UP”
Many (so many!) of you have been asking us when we’ll re-open the Merch store. We’re in the middle of redoing the Hinterland website in anticipation of all the new things we’re making, and our plan is to launch a whole new store with new items when that’s done.
In the meantime, by your request, we’re going to clear out some of our existing merch in time for some holiday gifts, as the new store won’t be online before the international mailing cut-off for this year’s holiday season. You’ll be able to grab from a series of legacy items including posters, hoodies, hatchets, and mugs. This will likely be the last time they are available before the new store goes live, so if you like these legacy items, grab them when the Pop-Up goes live (exact timing TBA).
Once we open the pop-up store we’ll announce the sale on Steam, our official forums, social channels, and our mailing list. If you want to be notified of the sale and grab a discount code, sign up for the Hinterland mailing list. We don’t have a firm date yet, but we’ll announce the details ASAP.
NEW PROJECTS?
Many of you have been asking us about what we’re working on “next”. Obviously, we’re working on Episode Five, and the completion of TALES, both targeting finalization in 2024. But part of the team has also been hard at work on new things. Why? Because it takes years to create and develop new ideas and new games, and we need to have something new ready by the time THE LONG DARK is finished next year. This is critical to our continued existence as an independent game studio.
This is especially true now as we can see how tough the games business has become, with independent studios shutting down all over the place, growing pressure on the business models we’ve come to depend on, and other macro shifts in the global markets. Hinterland and our projects exist within this broader context, and part of my role as head of the studio is to make good decisions for our long-term survival. Managing portfolio and growth is a big part of that.
We’re not quite ready to take the lid off our secret internal projects yet, but I will say that there are three in development, all original and Hinterland conceived, funded, and with plans to self-publish, as we’ve done with THE LONG DARK. Two of them are ambitious, large-scale projects that will set the foundation for Hinterland’s future beyond THE LONG DARK. One of them is a smaller project that started out as an incubation with a small external team, and grew to the point where we brought the team and the project in-house so we could support them better and guide development in a more hands-on fashion according to Hinterland creative values and culture. We’ll have more to share about this smaller Hinterland project within the next six months or so. What I will say is it’s a thoughtful, beautiful, linear sci-fi game that is very very different from THE LONG DARK, and being made by a small team. And with this team having come in from outside Hinterland, the development has not impacted progress on THE LONG DARK; it’s just been something that’s been done alongside our other work.
As for the other bigger projects, we won’t be saying much about them until Episode Five is closer to launch.
SPEAKING OF EPISODE FIVE...
Yes, it’s still in development. No, we aren’t saying much about it yet. It’ll ship in 2024, and I will tell you more about it before the end of the year, including sharing a title and key art reveal, as well as a bit more information about the plot (but no spoilers!). As you can imagine, we have a lot of story to wrap up in Episode Five, and a lot of groundwork to lay for the future of THE LONG DARK IP in how we complete the WINTERMUTE storyline, for games and other projects, so Episode Five will be our biggest yet. I know you’ve waited a long time for this, and I can’t wait to tell you more about it when the time is right. It should be a fitting end to what we hope will come to be seen as a survival epic for the ages.
THAT’S ALL...
Stay tuned for more info about TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY, Part Four, in the coming months, and keep your eyes open for the release announcement for the Quality of Life Update, and the Merch Store Pop-Up. Again, if you haven’t already done so, we recommend you sign up for the Hinterland mailing list, since due to the current social media apocalypse, we’ll be using it more and more to stay in touch with our fans. If you'd like to discuss this dev diary with other Hinterland fans, we encourage you to jump into the Official Forums.
We hope this message finds you well. As many of you have probably heard, Unity Technologies announced a significant change to their licensing model, introducing a "Unity Runtime Fee." This fee is based on the number of users installing games built on their engine, among other factors.
What Does This Mean For Our Games?
Voids Adrift, Voids Adrift: Island Designer, Lone Masts and other titles we have developed are currently powered by Unity. While these changes are noteworthy and will impact the financials of our studio to a certain extent, we want to make it clear: We have no plans to cease development on any of our games.
Future Uncertainty
The future is somewhat uncertain, as it often is in the fast-moving world of game development. While we've enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Unity, these changes are prompting us to consider other options, including potentially porting to another engine in the future.
Committed to Excellence Despite the evolving landscape, we remain committed to delivering the quality gameplay experiences you've come to expect from us. We're taking these changes in stride and actively exploring avenues that let us continue our passion for game development in the most efficient and sustainable way possible.
A Plea for Understanding
As we navigate these challenging waters, we hope for your understanding and continued support. Rest assured, your satisfaction is and always has been our utmost priority. Your feedback, as always, is invaluable to us as we make decisions for the future.
Thank you for being an integral part of our community.
We'll continue to provide updates as we have more information. Stay safe and keep gaming, Nomads!
We hope this message finds you well. As many of you have probably heard, Unity Technologies announced a significant change to their licensing model, introducing a "Unity Runtime Fee." This fee is based on the number of users installing games built on their engine, among other factors.
What Does This Mean For Our Games?
Voids Adrift, Voids Adrift: Island Designer, Lone Masts and other titles we have developed are currently powered by Unity. While these changes are noteworthy and will impact the financials of our studio to a certain extent, we want to make it clear: We have no plans to cease development on any of our games.
Future Uncertainty
The future is somewhat uncertain, as it often is in the fast-moving world of game development. While we've enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Unity, these changes are prompting us to consider other options, including potentially porting to another engine in the future.
Committed to Excellence
Despite the evolving landscape, we remain committed to delivering the quality gameplay experiences you've come to expect from us. We're taking these changes in stride and actively exploring avenues that let us continue our passion for game development in the most efficient and sustainable way possible.
A Plea for Understanding
As we navigate these challenging waters, we hope for your understanding and continued support. Rest assured, your satisfaction is and always has been our utmost priority. Your feedback, as always, is invaluable to us as we make decisions for the future.
Thank you for being an integral part of our community.
We'll continue to provide updates as we have more information. Stay safe and keep gaming, Nomads!
*Added the function to abandon a match during an online match. *Fixed a problem that may have caused network errors. *Fixed a bug that caused the freeze when a specific card was copied. *Fixed other minor bugs.
Due to the update on September 13, 2023, there is an issue with the order of questions becoming incorrect. Furthermore, we have identified a bug that causes previously fused questions or cleared questions to revert to an uncleared state.
We will promptly address and correct these issues. We apologize for any inconvenience.
We are pleased to announce that Archons: Arena is now available. To celebrate the occasion, the price of admission is discounted by 10% for the first week.
We plan to release the first content update next month. It will introduce Mentalism, the first of seven magic schools.
Cursed Zones have appeared on the Lost Island. The abominations known as Malformed Nagas have been conducting sacrificial rituals in order to converse with the cosmos. The spaces near the cursed zones are torn asunder by blood magic - Explore these zones at your own risk. Epic loot lies within!
The Cursed Catacombs entrance appears…
To those of you who answered MAP to last week's riddle, congratulations you were correct! The Cursed Catacombs have opened up to adventurers who dare to step into its corridors. The dark and dangerous labyrinth is filled with traps and enemies. There is only one extraction at the center of the map, and players must fight to escape! Good luck to all those who enter the Catacombs…
But an ever bigger surprise is right around the corner!
Expedition Agartha goes 1.0
Next Thursday 9/21/23 Expedition Agartha will be releasing 1.0! With the combination of community feedback and a hardworking team, we have created a world we are incredibly proud of. We want to thank our community for its continued support through this expedition. We have had our ups and downs, but truly through it all we have remained true to our vision and mission for this game. Creating the first medieval melee extraction looter survival game on the market was our dream, and getting to share that with you is our privilege. That being said, 1.0 will come with some necessary changes.
At the launch of 1.0, Free to Play users will continue to have access to the Lost Island and Freebooter Arena
Access to all the maps will be available to those with the Supporter Pack, which will newly be dubbed the Mercenary’s Edition
In order to support this new configuration, the map rotation will be removed
There will be a third edition of the game called Ascended Edition, where users will have access to the full game, the Mercenary Edition DLC, plus additional DLC which is to be announced
These changes will help the hardworking developers keep the lights on and encourage players to actively participate in all the new features and maps the team has rolled out and will continue to roll out in the coming weeks.
We’re excited to showcase these new features for you and we cannot wait to see all of your daring excursions. Keep a lookout in the next few weeks for announcements even more exciting, more daring, and more adventurous developments! In the meantime join us on the Wandering Wizard Discord to engage in gameplay discussions and keep up with giveaways .
As always, safe expeditions.
Patch Notes
General:
Added new mercenary arena map, The Cursed Catacombs
Added new Cursed Zone events to The Lost Island
Updated Kapala shrine to have all upgrades and 20 items instead of 10.
Hubworld : All Quest NPCs moved to Island - Updated first time spawn point - Travel to boat moved over to the shore near Ching’s House
Added better loot chests to Skirmish Events on Lost Island
Cursed Catacombs quick launch added to the party menu.
Kapala shrine sale removed
Kapala shrine can no longer have conflicting upgrades (broken bones upgrade on blade weapon)
HUD Block icon warning animation when receiving unblockable hit
Looting corpses disabled on Prison Break Tutorial before teleporting to cell
Pause menu visual overhaul
Firelance nerfed to 300 damage from 500. Firelance ignite sound added and animation rate slowed down to 0.5
Bug Fixes:
Fixed infinite money loop from crafting Wootz Steel by reducing the value of Wootz Steel
Fix for "Death approaching 1 minute" message after extracting.
Kapala shrine tracking bug in the "Introduce Yourself" tutorial fixed.
Fix for a bug where clicking unavailable maps would always result in a "Not all party members ready." warning.
Follower bots should no longer bug out if their leader extracts or dies, because they now die when the player leader extracts or dies.
Equipped bag names in inventory wrapping bug fixed
Bug fixed where class unlock prices would change after switching classes.
