Serpent in the Staglands Update #17: DRM-free Downloads, Beta 2.0

The latest post-funding update for the Serpent in the Staglands Kickstarter is out, and includes information that is, I’m sure, relevant to the interests of the game’s backers. First of all, Whalenought Studios divulged their plans concerning the DRM-free copies of the game, which will be hosted on their own website. Accounts for all backers will be created using their Kickstarter e-mail addresses. Secondly, the update includes a laundry list of fixes, improvements and altogether new mechanics that are being implemented in the upcoming 2.0 version of the game beta.

I’m going to quote a couple of beta updates that strike me as particularly interesting:

Resting with camp rations – There are various puzzles and events in the game that trigger due to daytime or nightime. Though there are a couple choice ways you can affect that beyond overwrold map travel, we now have one more included by use of camp-rations, a stackable item. When outside of town, as a Spicer camping outside in a town would be quite frowned upon, you can use the item and select someone to watch over the camp. That person doesn’t regain any health, and if they have Woodwise, can hopefully get a good roll preventing being waylaid.

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Runes – Various ancient machines in the game require a runic symbols to be drawn in blood to activate. You won’t get a lot of application of this in the beta areas, but we turned on the feature for three of such scrolls that you may have come across in the beta, and you can doodle as you will.

Spells & Skills grade 2 – The website gameplay page will be updated with additional information on grade 2 skills and spells soon, so get excited for more combat procing variations and powerfully debilitating spells, including polymorphing into the powerful wolf, a spell worthy of creating a build around.

Updated Pathfinding – Originally your characters moved in a formation that would attempt to be created even across obstacles. This has been updated so characters check to see if their target position is blocked, and funnel towards the originally clicked position if so. Nice and elegant, and no more crazed party member looking for routes across the landscape to get to a position around a ledge.