Disclaimer: Features discussed in this post reflect what is currently under development and not necessarily what will be shipping with the next test. Anything mentioned below may change at any time due to the experimental nature of Pre-Alpha development. Nothing mentioned here should be taken as a promised feature or addition to the eventual game.
UNDERWORLD
This phase of development introduces the Underworld, the subterranean part of Anvil's persistent world. The Underworld is where new threats, resources, and a new mining game will reside in the future. Not only will the Underworld be a big part of gameplay in future, but it will play a key role in Anvil's lore and overall universe.
This next test will include an initial bare bones version of the Underworld in the form of underground caves that can be accessed from various entrances on the surface of Calligo. Entrance locations are randomized and will lead into small isolated underground areas containing Iron, Stone, Coal, as well as elite animal threats. The longer term plan is to build this initial version into a larger network of interconnected caves subterranean mines.
Small structures like Firepits and Storage Chests can be built underground. Some vehicles like Hand Carts can also be brought down to help transport resources. The Underworld is completely devoid of light, so carrying or building Torches is essential for traversing these areas.
CATAPULT
The Catapult will be the second siege weapon in the game. While the Battering Ram is a close quarters weapon, the Catapult will serve as ranged artillery when assaulting a Fort.
The Catapult will require four players to move. The reloading process is similar to the Scorpion, requiring a player to carry and place a projectile into the bucket. One player operates the crank for rearming, while another player operates the lever for firing. The Catapult fires at a fixed range and is relatively inaccurate, requiring multiple shots to successfully hit a target.
COMBAT UPDATES
The next steps towards improved combat are being taken in the form of attack chaining, weapon modes, equipment hotkeys, and other changes. Note that these are work in progress prototypes that on their own won't have a big impact, but are small steps towards a larger plan.
ATTACK CHAINING
Multiple distinct attacks can now be performed in sequence. Up to three attacks can be chained together in this manner, with each subsequent attack having a unique hit pattern and damage values. Initially, this will only be available on the Sword weapon.
WEAPON MODES
Support for alternate weapon modes has been implemented. Pressing the F key will change modes, which is a process that will take time and isn't instantaneous. Most weapons in the future will have a unique alternate mode. Initially, alternate modes will only be available for the Short Bow. Players will be able to switch between direct and indirect fire modes using this system.
EQUIPMENT HOTKEYS
With the constant need to equip items into the primary and secondary hand slots during gameplay, a new equipment hotkey system has been added. Number keys 0-9 will be used to swap an item in the inventory into it's associated hand slot. To assist in this, an abridged version of the inventory will be rendered on the HUD, indicating which keys correspond to which slot. Under this new system, the R key will now be used to arm primary weapons and CTRL-R will be used to arm secondary weapons.
OTHER EXPERIMENTS
There are a few other experimental changes being developed for combat. The melee system has been upgraded with more sophisticated hit patterns that are made up of multiple collision points that are triggered over time as a weapon moves through the air, as opposed to the previously basic system that used a single collision point triggered at one point in time. In addition, the speed of attacks scale with total stamina and Shield guard drops when attacking. Once again, these features are only implemented on some weapons and much of it is still in an experimental stage of development.
Territory Ownership
The concept of friendly and enemy territory has been added. This was done to resolve several issues identified by players and to evolve the PvP game to the next stage of development. The map is now divided into territory based on Starting Deployment Points and Tier 3 Towns, with the latter having a stronger weighting. To expand into enemy territory, players must built Tier 3 Towns. Certain structures like Beacon Towers and Homesteads can only be built in friendly territory. This is to address the player feedback that Beacon Towers and Homesteads were being used offensively, which is against their intended roles. In addition, this addition should help make Towns more significant in general again. Expect the rules around Territory Ownership to be iterated on several times before it's working as expected so the team is eagerly looking forward to feedback on this one.
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