Oh man, this is a big one! A ton has changed in Fimbul since the last devlog.
Note
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Items
There is now an equipment and loot system. The player can currently equip a weapon and an off-hand slot. The player can also store items they find on the ground in their inventory. These items can include mead of mending, skaldic verses, or better weapons and shields. Mead of mending heals the player, and various qualities of it can be found throughout the dungeon. As the player descends deeper, these items may become harder to find, so make sure to stockpile!
Combat
Combat has also gotten an overhaul. Axes allow you to cleave, meaning you hit both the enemy you’re attacking and the space behind them. This is useful when multiple enemies are swarming, letting you hit two enemies at the same time!
Having a shield equipped will allow the player to bash an enemy, pushing them one space away. This can be used to push enemies into traps.
Magic
In Fimbul, the player can use magic in the form of skaldic verses. These verses can be found while exploring. There are currently 3 different verses:
| Skaldic Verse | Effect | Demo |
|---|---|---|
| Verse of Far-Step | Teleport to an open space | |
| Verse of Rime-Call | Freezes enemies | |
| Verse of Fear-Song | Enemies flee in terror |
Map Expansion
Instead of a static, square room and pre-placed enemies, there is now a fully randomized dungeon. This dungeon is meant to look and feel more like you are winding through the roots of Yggdrasil rather than a traditional room-and-corridor dungeon layout. There are no blocky rooms, and hallways twist and turn. As the player progresses through the different floors, the map will start to expand. Depth 1 will be smaller than depth 5, and so on.
Realms
Realms consist of 3 levels, each with its own distinct tile palette. After the player reaches the Iron realm, stronger weapons will start to appear. For now, that’s the only difference between each realm.
| Realm | Screenshot |
|---|---|
| Mist (starting realm) |  |
| Ash |  |
| Iron |  |
| Bone |  |
| Frost |  |
| Blood |  |
| Venom |  |
| Shadow |  |
| Urd (final realm) |  |
Enemy Variety
Enemies have also received a revamp. There are now several distinct enemy types, each with its own behavior:
| Codepoint | Enemy Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
s |
Dvergar Scout | Fast and fragile. Chases you, bolts when hurt. |
S |
Dvergar Shieldbrother | Blocks corridors. Won’t move, only strikes. |
& |
Draugr | Relentless undead. Immune to verses. |
N |
Nornir Weaver | Reads your moves. Sidesteps your cleave line. |
Each enemy has different AI. For example, Dvergar scouts will start to flee once their HP is below a certain threshold. This makes the combat more dynamic, requiring different tactics for different encounters.
General
Other smaller additions to Fimbul include the following:
- The ability to disarm traps.
- Press
xto enter examine mode. Useful to view your surroundings. - Press
?to view a help overlay. This shows the available keybinds.
This was a bunch of awesome work. I’m really excited to see this game start coming together!
Until next time 🤙