Hey folks! Our early access release is looming. As were getting closer, were trying to put small bits of polish here and there. This blog post is basically just a bunch of smaller things we did that were happy about.

Landmarks node improvements

The Landmarks are special nodes that revolve around a specific world location. These are always around the same position in the world and have a unique name. Up until now, only cities had unique names, so weve expanded this to special locations as well. Landmarks are usually also accompanied by a unique model in the world.

Bestiary

Were finally doing the content for the bestiary chapter in the book. We plan on having entries for all Abominations in there, with some flavor text to accompany them. This one here is a mockup prototype because somebody who was supposed to make it forgot I'd need this image today. *smh*

Node links

A small improvement we made to the node links is adding a soft fade to them when highlighting is turning on and off.

Outro cutscene

We finished the outro cutscene, so now finishing the game will have some visual and narrative sense!

Spell effects

Were adding some good oomph to Spells to make them visually distinct from Skills.

Directional targeting smooooothnes

Recently we made directional targeting use a different way of calculating the effect area, which makes it feel much smoother when the mouse is near the character, as it behaves similar to when its farther away.

Achievement icons

We made all icons for achievements, so now MarkoZ is very sad that his custom-made icon will no longer be featured in the game.

Pending mana

One small pet peeve of mine was that mana didnt behave the same as AP on the action bar. Now it does!
As you can see, were doing some strides to making the whole thing be as polished as we can make it. That said, I absolutely know there are things that could be done better, but as weve been working on this so long, weve become blind to some inefficiencies and UX issues. Were very much hoping to have a bunch of players point these issues out to us and together wed work out how to best improve things. The best ways to tell us about these issues are going to be the Steam forums and our Discord server for some instantaneous communication. Next week well drop the early access release date, so stay tuned! MarkoP https://store.steampowered.com/app/600610/The_Hand_of_Merlin/

[ 2021-04-21 11:08:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

The Hand of Merlin is a turn-based rogue-lite RPG in which Arthurian legend clashes with cosmic horror. Recruit a company of up to three mortal heroes and guide them in spirit on a desperate journey from Albion to Jerusalem. Explore a richly-imagined medieval setting on the brink of apocalypse. Trade with merchants, improve your heroes and unearth ancient relics. Search for the lost fragments of your soul, scattered across the multiverse - and save as many worlds as you can.


Enjoy a compelling story inspired by Arthurian legend, the Matter of France, and the history of Al-Andalus - with an unusual twist. Make choices in interactive encounters that change every time you play. Written by Jonas Kyratzes (The Talos Principle, Serious Sam 4) and Verena Kyratzes (The Lands of Dream, Serious Sam 4).


Master the tactics of squad-based and turn-based combat to conquer both human and demonic foes. Your enemies will be tough and ruthless; make use of cover, set up ambushes and coordinated attacks, harness synergies between different Hero classes and skills.




Carve a path across the lands of Albion, Marca Hispanica and Al-Andalus. Will you take a dangerous route, risking life and limb in pursuit of a legendary relic? Or will you choose a safer path? Plan and prepare. Negotiate, barter, fight. Tackle challenges. Suffer losses. Recruit new Heroes. Earn Gold, Supplies and Renown. Be careful: your choices are permanent, as is death. But don't tarry - evil never rests.


Use Renown to level up your Heroes, and choose between a randomized set of new skills or improved attributes. But choose wisely! Select skills with great synergy and balance your party for the road ahead.




As you jump from one parallel dimension to the next, history is reshaped. Different kings rule the land, changing the encounters, characters, and events. No two worlds are ever quite the same, and each journey will be unique. And should your heroes fall, remember: defeat is not the end, only a new beginning.


Seek out towns to improve your arms and armor, or stumble upon hermit artisans in the wild. With every day that passes, the world plunges deeper into darkness, and you will need all the equipment gold can buy.


From a peasant's humble luck charm to the legendary sword wielded by Arthur himself, items imbued with magical power are scattered about the world. Some you will be able to purchase from merchants and collectors, but others will have to be earned through acts of heroism - or displays of wit.



Rain thunder and brimstone upon your foes! Seek out and gather Soulstones to restore your power and unlock new Spells. Even if defeated, your spirit will retain all of your collected arcane knowledge as you jump into the next dimension.


There are as many worlds as there are stars in the sky. In each stands Camelot; in each there is a Grail. But there is only one Merlin, and his eternal burden is to stand against the horror from beyond. Each world that is saved is saved forever; each world that is lost is lost for good.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/600610/The_Hand_of_Merlin/