OtherSide Entertainment have posted what will probably be the last Stygian Sentinel update prior to the New Year. In it, they discuss their plans for how combat will be implemented in Underworld Ascendant:

As with the other game systems, our goal with combat is to give the player a range of interesting choices on how to approach a problem. At the same time, we don’t want seventy-five buttons for the player to memorize. The trick is in striking the right balance between tactical depth and keeping the system streamlined enough so that players can readily get a handle on combat.

We also realize there are different types of gamers out there. Some love moving though a 3D space like an over-caffeinated ninja. Others prefer to be more careful and slower-paced about their actions. On the team, Chris is a twitch gamer. His idea of perfection of movement is Ninja Gaiden or running around in Mirror’s Edge and Titanfall. Tim isn’t as much a fan of twitch gameplay, preferring more paced and tactical thinking in his combat.

Since we’re a role-playing game at heart, we’ll be leaning more towards tactical pacing for Underworld Ascendant.

A good example of more tactical pacing would be the sword fight from the film Princess Bride. In it, two masters use both their skills and the environment in an intense match, but don’t fly around a la Iron Monkey.

One way to introduce some twitch gameplay into the system is to have a handful of ‘twitchy’ abilities deeper in the skill tree. This way, players who enjoy these aspects can get it, if they work for it.

Additionally, there is some news about the first prototype build of the game…namely, that it is now available to more of the people who backed Ascendant on Kickstarter (or via the game’s website proper):

As you know, we released our early Prototype “Playground” build to high level backers last month, and have made a number of updates and bug fixes to it since then.

Starting today, we’re offering early access to the Prototype build available to all of our backers who pledged at the Pioneer or higher tier as a $5 Add-On. With this Add-On, you’ll also earn a $5 credit good towards a future pledge. To learn more details, go HERE.

And to end the post, OtherSide Entertainment would like to thank you (yes, you):

We can’t thank you enough. The fans have allowed this motley crew of dreamers to follow our passion. In the games industry this is a rare gift. With that in mind, we’ll continue to work hard on Underworld Ascendant over the coming year to make a great game, worthy of its pedigree, for you to enjoy.

We’ll be taking a bit of a needed respite over the upcoming holidays. As such, you can expect our next newsletter on January 11th.

In the meantime, Happy New Year!

So there you go. We look forward to hearing more news from the Underworld in 2016!