Solasta: Crown of the Magister - Director's Log and Community Vote
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Mathieu Girard, the CEO of Tactical Adventures, brings us this "Director's Log" article where he talks about the crowdfunding success of Solasta: Crown of the Magister and the game's immediate future that's being guided by the MVP (Minimal Viable Product) principle. If you'd like to know what's next for the game and what the MVP principle is all about, you should check the article out. Here's a quick snippet:
The Next Stage
Therefore, our new MVP objective (what we are working on right now) is building what we call the “Exposition” of the game, meaning the first few hours the player will get to enjoy. This requires creating many new systems, content, and levels compared to what we had for the Kickstarter. Among others, we must have character creation and customization, classes and archetypes, introduction and tutorial, world map and navigation, first campaign missions, and lots of stuff I cannot speak about right now. I know that a lot of you might be very eager to play Solasta, but we want to make sure to reach a certain level of quality before placing it into your hands – and we also don’t want to have too much of the game spoiled for you. That being said, keep an eye out for updates – we do want to give our community a little something!
That is pretty much it for today, aside from another topic that emerged from Kickstarter feedback: Content and Modding. This subject has become a priority and we are also working on it - we will provide you with an update sometime later.
Thank you for your attention!
Then, you should direct your attention to this article that announces a community vote that will determine which Wizard Archetypes we'll see in the game. More on that:
Hello there folks,
It's been quite some time since our last Community Vote, hasn't it? Wait, what's that? There haven't been any Community Votes since our Kickstarter Campaign? Oooohhh bummer. That won't do, that won't do at all!
Head to our Forum Thread to cast your votes!Community Votes
- You must be logged-in in order to vote.
- The vote will run from Friday December 13th to Sunday January 13th 12:00 am PT.
- You can vote for two out of three archetypes.
- You can't change your vote after casting it.
- Feel free to argue your case as to why the Archetypes you chose are by far superior to the last one in the comments below to educate the others (but stay civil).
When we stated back during our Kickstarter that we wanted to build the game with you, our community, we really meant it. Not "build the game FOR us" though - that's a very important difference - as we do have a solid creative vision for Solasta. Rather, we have all sort of cool ideas (at least we hope they are!) and a limited amount of time to implement them, so we thought... why not let you, our future players, decide on that!
And that means we have a little something prepared for you every month until Solasta is released, starting this very month of December with a choice between three Wizard Archetypes. As you already know, one Archetype has already been revealed in our Kickstarter Demo - the Shock Arcanist, wielder of potent and destructive evocation spells. Now, the time has come to decide what the other two will be.
Trust us when we say, we've already had a hard time narrowing the candidates down to three. It is now up to you to choose the remaining two who will make it into the game at launch.
The Archetypes
Greenmage
By Edalliath Keenmind, Loremaster of the Arcaneum
To the sylvan elves, magic weaves through every aspect of life. In addition to a powerful range of nature-related spells, the greenmages are versatile scouts and archers. Choose this archetype for a character who is useful in the outdoors as well as a good support combatant.
The tradition of the greenmages originated among the sylvan elves. They patrolled the borders of sylvan elf lands, using magic to confuse and discourage trespassers. Their magic evolved to use the forces of nature against enemies, drawing on the sylvan elves’ deep connection with the natural world. When the Cataclysm struck, the corresponding mana drain prevented arcane magic from working. The greenmages compensated by developing their non-magical skills in woodcraft, stealth, and archery. As magic returned, the greenmages kept these mundane skills honed as a complement to their returning magical powers. Those dire times had taught them a powerful lesson about the limitations of magic.
The greenmage tradition is no longer exclusive to sylvan elves. In the post-Cataclysm world many greenmages, especially those in the sylvan elf communities of the Snow Alliance, shared their knowledge with humans, and even with a few dwarves and halflings.
Greenmages are resourceful individuals, at home in the wilderness. They are skilled in outdoor survival, and deadly opponents in both magical and mundane combat. Even rangers respect the greenmages’ wilderness skills.
Greenmages commonly wear light, flexible types of armor that do not interfere with their arcane abilities. They are also extensively trained in archery. Their close relationship with nature has led them along some unusual paths, and they are reputed to have mastered certain spells that other wizards might consider unsuitable. Their skill in both magic and archery is rumored to lend their arrows unusual properties. In addition, some claim to have seen greenmages absorb blows that should have been mortal, and keep on fighting undaunted.
GAMEPLAY
To the sylvan elves, magic weaves through every aspect of life. In addition to a powerful range of nature-related spells, the greenmages are versatile scouts and archers. Choose this archetype for a character who is useful in the outdoors as well as a good support combatant.
Stonemage
By Heironymus Shearwater, Loremaster of the Guild of Antiquarians
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the first stonemages were dwarves. Their race has a natural affinity with rock and stone – so much so that some of the earliest dwarven traditions maintain that the first dwarves came into being when mana suffused the underground world and caused a few rocks to achieve sentience. Be that as it may, the dwarven mastery of stone magic is fully equal to their skill as stoneworkers.
Since the most ancient times, dwarven stonemages used their magic to shape tunnels, protect against rockfalls and cave-ins, and find valuable ores and gems. They were also vital in defending the hill dwarf kingdoms against the expanding Manacalon Empire of the high elves, burying their foes alive and sealing off the entrances to their underground realm.
In the centuries since the Cataclysm, Solasta’s races have learned to work together in order to survive and thrive. The path of the stonemage is now open to anyone who can find a teacher, and many elves and humans, as well as a few halflings, have become masters of this magical tradition. It has been claimed, only half in jest, that some dwarven masters particularly enjoy teaching elven students, both for the difficulty they have in pronouncing ancient dwarven spells correctly and for the satisfaction of proving that not all magic is elven in origin.
While the tradition originated underground, the powers of a stonemage are just as useful within a stone building. Being keenly attuned to the vibrations of rock and stone, a stonemage can spot a flaw, a trap, or a hidden entrance quite easily under most circumstances, and even manipulate those natural vibrations to weaken or collapse part of a tunnel, cave, or building. They have a superior command of spells relating to stone, rock, and the element of earth, and experienced stonemages can draw the unyielding resilience of rock into their own bodies, fortifying them against enemy attacks.
Regardless of their race, stonemages tend to exhibit qualities that are normally associated with the dwarves. They are tough in mind and body, determined, unyielding, and reliable. They usually listen more than they speak, and know more than they tell. In battle, they can turn any rocky environment into a weapon against the foe. A stonemage is a welcome addition to any party of adventurers that is contemplating an expedition below ground.
GAMEPLAY
Masters of earth and stone, mages of this tradition are - quite literally - in their element in a stone building or an underground complex. They are able to spot dangers others would miss, draw on the strength of stone to protect themselves, and turn the surrounding rock into a weapon against their foes. This is a perfect archetype for exploring caverns and ancient ruins.
Loremaster
By Heironymus Shearwater, Loremaster of the Guild of Antiquarians
The study of magic is an exacting one, and no wizard can achieve mastery without a great deal of learning and research. For some, the pursuit of knowledge becomes an end in itself, and these wizards are known as loremasters.
This magical tradition is younger than many others, at least in its current form. While there were some wizards in the days of the Manacalon Empire who devoted themselves to the accumulation of knowledge, the knowledge of the high elves was immense, leaving little to be discovered. All that changed with the Cataclysm of a millennium ago. With so much knowledge lost in the Empire’s collapse, recovering as much as possible became the key to power in the post-Imperial age, and the path of the loremaster became a matter of survival rather than a purely intellectual pursuit. Their skills are much in demand, and it is not uncommon for loremasters – especially young and ambitious ones – to join expeditions into the Badlands and search for lost knowledge among the ruins of the Empire.
To say that all loremasters are highly educated and skilled researchers is to state the obvious. Their minds are rigorously trained to absorb and recall information on any topic, including spells. At higher levels of mastery they can call spells instantly to mind and cast them with little or no preparation.
Each of the delegations to the Legacy Council includes a staff of loremasters charged with examining the objects and documents brought back by Council-sponsored expeditions. Others teach at universities or other scholarly institutions or advise at the courts of rulers, and some make a comfortable living using their superior ability to scribe scrolls or mix potions.
To a party of adventurers, a loremaster offers an unrivaled understanding of history and magic, useful spellcasting support, and the ability to make sense of ancient inscriptions and other clues that can help them understand their surroundings or warn of danger nearby.
GAMEPLAY
It has been said that knowledge is power, and Loremasters are masters of knowledge. They learn spells more easily than others do, and can cast some without needing to prepare them. They also have an advantage when scribing scrolls and concocting potions. This is an ideal archetype for a player who is interested in discovering ancient mysteries rather than throwing showy and destructive spells around.
