We’re less than a week away fromNightingale’s release, the highly anticipated open-world survival game by Inflexion Studios. The developers have released an update on the state of the game in the run-up to launch and, just in case anyone missed it, we’re going over the highlights. There are some big changes and a lot to be excited about.
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Stress Test Success
A recent server stress test appears to have been a (mostly) resounding success. Almost 50,000 players were in-game over nine hours without any crashes or server outages. There was a bit of an unfortunate incident where some players received their invitations to the test (via Steam) too late to join in, which is a shame, but overall things went well. The developers were able to collect the data they needed and everything ran smoothly.
We also got some details on how the stress test is going to differ from the final release. Key binding will be possible in the full release, which is always nice to see. The full release will also include a full tutorial, so you can expect where and how you start the game to be very different if you’re jumping in for a second time. That does mean you won’t have immediate access to advanced weapons and building tile sets, but that’s to be expected in any game.
A lot of the player feedback from the test was on the UI and UX elements. Inflexion are now looking at drag-and-drop functionality for the hot bar, changing the way status effects are communicated, and hiding the HUD when it isn’t active. These may seem like small things, but in a game as big as Nightingale, this stuff makes a huge difference, and it’s good to see the developers are aware of that.
And of course, the developers are looking into any reports of bugs and crashes on the player’s end. Overall, the test was a success, and it looks like Nightingale is in a good place for release.
Cracking The Vaults
A lot of previews for Nightingale focused on the “Vaults”. In this update, we got a bit more information on what exactly they are. Vaults are essentially dungeons that contain combat or puzzle challenges and players can take them on for a chance of rare or powerful loot. Regular Vaults can be accessed via portals in the realms, but the endgame Apex Vaults can only be accessed through a specific hub area that becomes available later in the game. As you might expect, these are much more challenging and always end with an “Apex” boss fight.
There are also realm cards that can be used to access Apex Vaults, and there is a system in place for players to use their own portals to access them, bypassing matchmaking. Beware though, as Apex Vaults are designed for 4 to 6 players. If you go in alone, be prepared.
Changes To Realm Cards
Some of these were teased during the stress test, but there are changes to the Realm Card system (which dictates the nature of the spaces you play in) afoot for the full release. Minor cards will no longer be played alongside major and biome cards when starting a realm. Instead, you’re able to find a “realmic transmuter” which will take your minor card and apply that change to the realm that you are in, with no load times. These changes include things like low gravity, or spawning a blood moon, which summons fearsome creatures.
You will only be able to apply one minor card at a time in a given realm, but you aren’t locked into a choice and can swap out cards for new effects. There will be 50 minor cards in the game at launch, but the developers are taking suggestions on what cards players would like to see in the future. I think we can expect to see a fair few more in the future.
Returning to an old realm is also now possible if you use the same combination of cards as you did previously. Until now, if a connection to a realm was lost or if you closed a portal, you could use your cards to generate a similar realm, but could never get back to the one you had left. That’s all changed. You can now revisit realms as well as all the progress you may or may not have made there. You also have the option to start the same realm fresh if you want a do-over. There is also an option to set realms to public, which will allow anyone who plays the same combination of cards to enter it, leaving open all kinds of interesting multiplayer possibilities.
Lots to think about. There have also been a raft of smaller tweaks to things like Carnute behaviour (you have to specifically challenge them now), and hail, which will be less deadly in the full release. The developers also went over a few FAQs. Most importantly, the game will cost $30 at launch, and Nightingale is going to be online only.
That’s everything you need to know. Stick with us for more information in the run-up to release. Who knows, maybe I’ll encounter you in the realms at some point.
