KickStarter Solasta: Crown of the Magister Thread - now with Palace of Ice sequel DLC

[whydoibother]

Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tacticaladventures/solasta-crown-of-the-magister

https://www.solasta-game.com




https://af.gog.com/en/game/solasta_crown_of_the_magister_lightbringers_edition?as=1649904300

Spoiler

12.6 GB patch up on Steam for me, in Europe. Probably global.
Start downloading, internetlets.

 

[jackofshadows]

It's out on Steam, fuck yeah!

 

[Removal]

If you verify the game in gog, it'll start the update to 1.0

 

[Larianshill]

The way Mountaineer gets one part of the Shield Master feat on the max level is honestly hilarious, and baffling.

 

[Bara]

Mountaineers base their martial arts on the the mountain goat by ramining things.

 

[V_K]

The way Mountaineer gets one part of the Shield Master feat on the max level is honestly hilarious, and baffling.

Pushing enemies is very useful in Solasta since you can push them off various ledges to their deaths. This just gives you the opportunity to do that as a bonus action rather than main action.

 

[Abu Antar]

Game is officially out on Steam.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tacticaladventures/solasta-crown-of-the-magister/posts/3199204

Solasta 1.0 Full Launch - We're finally there people!

Hey there folks,

This is it. A little more than a year and a half after our Kickstarter, we're finally there - Solasta 1.0 is now available on PC. Now the only question that remains is... Are you ready?

We wouldn't be there today without our feline moral support squad

Solasta 1.0 - Available now!
Solasta is finally 100% content complete and ready to be enjoyed by everyone out there. You will be able to play the entire main campaign as well as experience all the sidequests we've prepared for you!

Here is what you can expect from Solasta 1.0:

• A full epic campaign that will take you from level 1 to 10
• A large amount of sidequests to enrich and gear up your party
• Several new and exotic environments filled with dangerous monsters
• A full orchestral upgrade of Solasta's Original Soundtrack
• Many improvements requested by the community
• Less bugs, more stability, better performance
• A sizeable update to the Dungeon Maker (still in beta) with 3 completely new environments, new monsters and new gadgets that we'll go into more details below

The 1.0 version is compatible with saves from the March Spring Update, however we do recommend to start fresh to ensure you get the final launch experience of Solasta!

Spoiler

Kickstarter Backers - How to access your Rewards?
Alright, you've got some free time, drinks and snacks at hand - how do you make sure you have your in-game rewards once your start your campaign?

Q: I didn't even receive my Steam / GOG Key of the game. Where can I find it?

A: You should have received a CrowdOx email long ago with your login information. Just log into CrowdOx and you'll be able to find all your rewards there: https://portal.crowdox.com/digital

Q: I can't find my CrowdOx email / information. What do I do now?

A: No worries! You can simply request a new mail by entering your Kickstarter email address over there: https://app.crowdox.com/retrieve/tacticaladventures/solasta-crown-of-the-magister

Q: I'm trying to add the key on Steam, but I'm getting a message saying I need the game already installed?

A: That's very likely because you're trying to install a DLC before you've installed the game. Make sure you start by adding the game key on Steam before adding the DLC keys.

Q: How do I get my in-game Kickstarter Items to appear in-game and where can I find them?

Depending on your Backer Tier, you will receive keys for the following DLCs (cumulative):

• Kickstarter Backer Items DLC (18€+ backers): Contains the Early Bird, Dwarven Bread, Six League Boots, The One Ring & Spoon of Discord items.
• Digital Kickstarter Content DLC (36€+ backers): Contains the Everlasting Torch item & Special VFX for the Burning Hands & Sacred Flame spells.
• Loaded Dice Package DLC (58€+ backers): Contains the Loaded Dice item.

You will need to install those DLCs first, and then go to Caer Cyflen. There will be a chest located next to the Monument of the Dead near the Legacy Council, the items will be in there. This should also work on existing saves, not just fresh runs!

Q: Some of these items are not magical / don't do anything?

A: Don't forget to identify them! If you don't have a wizard, Hugo Requer can help you (he's located in the marketplace, close to the tavern)

Q: I'm seeing two Burning Hands & two Sacred Flame icons when choosing my spells?

A: That's normal! You can choose between the Kickstarter version or the regular version of the spell. They both do the same thing, but the visuals will be different.

Q: What about the other digital rewards?

A: So, originally we wanted to have all the digital rewards at launch, but with the amount of work we had to prepare the 1.0 launch we preferred not to rush out them out. The digital rewards available at launch are:

• The In-Game Kickstarter Items and VFX
• The Supporter Pack Dices (if you're a backer you received a free Steam key of the Supporter DLC)
• The Digital Orchestral Soundtrack (Steam Soundtrack, FLAC & mp3 format)

The digital rewards we'll work on releasing in the coming weeks:

• The Solasta Digital World Map (psd & png format)
• The Dev Documents
• The Solasta Tabletop Sourcebook PDF

For the Solasta Tabletop Sourcebook, we will give you an update later on it with the rest of the other Kickstarter Physical Goods. Thank you for your patience!

Q: What about the physical rewards?

A: We'll give you an update in the coming weeks about the Kickstarter Physical Rewards (Vinyl / Adventure Box / Sourcebook). Originally we had intended for them to be sent within 3 months of the 1.0 release, but with the current COVID situation it may take a bit longer - though worry not, we're getting there (we'll release more pictures & info in the next update).

Dungeon Maker Update - Stronghold, Lava Caves & Elven Palace
With the 1.0 launch of Solasta, the Dungeon Maker has also received a significant update! Stronghold, Lava Caves and Elven Palace will now join the sides of Necropolis, increasing the number of available environments in the Dungeon Maker to four! Each environment has very different visuals, mood and props available, making them unique in their own right. Just take a look below!

Stronghold - Library

Elven Palace - Dining Hall

Lava Caves - Mine Tunnel

We have also added quite a few new features, such as inner walls to break existing rooms into smaller rooms, activator gadgets to remotely trigger other gadgets such as doors or monster spawns, a key / lock system to allow doors and chests to be opened with specific items, huge and gargantuan monster spawners...

If you want to learn more about all of that, just head to the Dungeon Maker Guide!
---------------------------
Alright folks, that's all for now! Go and enjoy the game, and thanks again for all your support. If you run into any bugs, please inform us on Steam, Discord or our forums!

 

[Larianshill]

Yes, DM, I rolled my stats fair and square. How could you ever tell?

 

[V_K]

Oh shit, the new Dungeon Maker update adds plates and switches. That's hugely welcome . The puzzles part of the game have been probably the biggest disappointment for me - they've clearly put effort into adding various puzzle mechanics, but insisted on either making them very easy, or just have a book with the solution lying nearby. I've only found three puzzles in the game somewhat engaging (nowhere near challenging, mind you).
But now someone can do a Grimrock-style mod!

 

[Harthwain]

So, I downloaded the game earlier today, thinking it got released. It cost me >12GB. Now I learned that the actual release was later in the day and the game has to... download another >12GB?



But seriously, why do you need to essentially re-download an entire game?

 

[Grampy_Bone]

1-10 is not a full campaign.

 

[Lacrymas]

Still not out on GOG?

1-10 is not a full campaign.

It is.

 

[Decado]

1-10 is not a full campaign.

Sure it is. Done properly, 1-7 could be a full campaign. As I recall, the level cap in BG1 was around 7, 8 with Sword Coast.

 

[NJClaw]

1-10 is not a full campaign.

Somebody forgot to tell that to Baldur's Gate, one of the best D&D campaigns in a videogame I can think of.

 

[whydoibother]

Whuddaya think, does the equipment exist to run a good DEX fighter? I want a berserking slashy elf at the front lines next to my all defense overly cautious dwarf cleric.

 

[Lacrymas]

Somebody forgot to tell that to Baldur's Gate, one of the best D&D campaigns in a videogame I can think of.

Most 5E pre-written campaigns end at around lvl 10 too.

 

[whydoibother]

Somebody forgot to tell that to Baldur's Gate, one of the best D&D campaigns in a videogame I can think of.

Most 5E pre-written campaigns end at around lvl 10 too.

Temple of Elemental Evil was a low level campaign too, and its some of the best digital D&D.

 

[Cryomancer]

1-10 is not a full campaign.

It is. On 5E, less than 3% of the players even played above lv 10. And the CR of monsters and his abilities are different on 5E. Vrocks for eg, was CR 9 and now are CR 6. You can take out 80% of monster manual on lv 10. 5E is not like pathfinder, where most adventure paths end above lv 15. Even otherworldly adventures on 5E like descend into arvenus end at lv 13. And in some 2E games, you have even more limited level caps. Like the Baldur's Gate 1, eye of the beholder 1 and Dark Sun : Shattered Lands. I love high level gameplay, but we already have KoTC2 and PF:WoTR. Why a third high level game in a single year?

 

[Lacrymas]

Why a third high level game in a single year?

You are showing surprising restraint here.

 

[Ontopoly]

1-10 is not a full campaign.

Somebody forgot to tell that to Baldur's Gate, one of the best D&D campaigns in a videogame I can think of.

Surely though, IcewindDale is better, right? That would mean higher leveled campaigns are better too.

 

[V_K]

So now that it's out, impressions, as promised. Some of it I've kinda posted already. Overall, I was getting a huge throwback to Goldbox and Dark Sun. From the former, it has the structure - you go through a relatively linear succession of dungeons fighting large-scale battles punctuated by occasional encounters (or in case of Solasta, cutscenes) that sometimes allow you to make a choice or pass a skillcheck to avoid a fight or pick an alternative path. From the latter, it's the four-strong party and more engaged exploration. Although many quests give you one or two companions, so I'd say roughly 30-50% of the time you're fighting with a larger party.

The very good:
- The rules implementation. I don't play TT DnD so take it with a grain of salt, but as far as CRPGs go, I like 5e better than both 3,5e and ADnD. It's cleaner and less convoluted than 3.5e, but less rigid than ADnD, with just enough customization options to differentiate characters of the same class from one another. And I really, really love what they did to Vancian magic - it finds just the right balance between preparation and flexibility. And the power curve seems just right - not too steep, but not too flat either.
- UI. Controversial, I know, many people here hate how it looks - but to me the big thing is how it works. It's literally one of the easiest and most painless RPG UIs in recent history - which is even more impressive, given that it's also one of the more complex RPGs in recent history. The only somewhat unwieldy part that took me some getting used to was moving the camera and characters in 3D space - but then again, I don't think any other isometric RPG fares better at that.
- Verticality and lighting. Even if spells and items for both are relatively easily available, it just makes fighting so much more fun. Highlights include: casting moving lights spell then have it chase a vampire that's desperately running away from it; having my rogue exchange blows with a ghoul while standing on the sides of two pillars, very literally head to head; blasting a fireball up in the air, making a flying lizardman lose concentration and fall prone etc. It also has a huge effect on magic - spells that were largely useless (who'd waste a 3rd level slot on Daylight?) or just not implemented in other DnD games, become real gamechangers - so a mage feels like a proper mage and not just a fireball gun.
- Crafting. I never though I would say that, but I liked crafting in Solasta. First, it's a throwback to crafting in older games - i.e. it's pared down to basic alchemy and item enchanting, plus making special ammunition. Second, crafting recipes are, for the lack of better word, really well curated - you don't have a gazillion recipes for useless junk, duplicating stores' stock, all the enchantments you can do are fairly unique and useful. And finally, the UI is, once again, the most painless crafting UI I've ever seen.
- Dialog system. Another controversial aspect given that the game makes every dialog into a cutscene. But those are short and used quite sparingly, while there are some mechanics out there - particularly the insight roll revealing, if passed, chances of success for various dialog options. Simple, but it makes dialogs more gamey. And then the personality tags are a nice way to give player-generate characters some, well, personality.
- Reactivity. While not a Quest for Glory or Age of Decadence multiple paths kind of game, there's a respectable amount of checks for proficiencies, backgrounds, languages etc. - sometime just for flavor, but sometimes allowing to avoid battles or opening up alternative paths.
- Difficulty options. They're granular and allow you to finetune everything - from damage modifiers, to AI, to rule variants.

The good-but-could-be-better:
- Level design. On the one hand, the locations are varied and interesting, both in their visual design and in their mechanical focus. Once again, lots of options to use dialog skills or stealth to bypass combat or gain tactical advantage. Some are rather linear, but some are not, featuring a lot of optional content. On the other hand, the point-and-click system and the map showing all the containers trivialize exploration. You just click wherever you want to go and the algorithm figures out the path for you, unless you need to push a boulder or open a door somewhere on the way - and then the automap just shows you all points of interest. Although there are secret doors here and there that are not shown on the map and have to be found manually. But I just wish it had OTS camera and WASD movement outside of combat, it would make exploration a lot more engaging. And I've already posted about puzzles.
- Magic system. On the one hand, as I've said, I really like 5e magic and the verticality and lighting focus make it a lot of fun. My issue was with their implementation of reagents - I chose the option to have them be fully simulated, but either I haven't cast a single reagent-based spell, or reagents are never used and the spell just requires you to have them in your inventory. Also, UI-wise, I wish the game differentiated between crafting ingredients and spell ingredients.

The bad:
- To be honest, the only bad thing I can say about the game is that its final area felt somewhat uninspired. It just lacks the spice - you simply go through some very linear - though occasionally brainfucky - location and fight enemies you've already fought elsewhere.

 

[Bara]

We wouldn't be there today without our feline moral support squad

There was at least one dog photo in those dev updates Myzrym! Erase not their contributions!

Anyhow looking forward to getting off work. Biggest win about this game is not being in the bloody sword coast or any part of the forgotten realms and having something new to explore for a change.

 

[Larianshill]

I saw this, and knew that the world is in need of great heroes to save it. Meet the team.

 

[whydoibother]

Good: UI
Bad: Level design

Couldn't disagree more.
Good: ruleset implementation and level/encounter design, especially the meaningful verticality and light.
Bad: audio-visual presentation (including UI), and the webcomic tier writing.