- Rend Developer Letter: Launch! - 29 March 2019
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2Fd0f2739346b4a807ea814a5a579e1eac627e284b.jpg Warriors, the glorious day is upon us: Rend is leaving Early Access! We launched Rend into the Steam Early Access program on July 31, 2018 as a fully developed survival game that offered room for growth and our goal from the start was to continuously grow and improve the game by working directly with players to gather feedback every step of the way. https://store.steampowered.com/app/547860/Rend/ Rend has seen significant updates and improvements during the eight months of its Early Access – all addressing top player requests, interests and concerns – including 50+ game patches and nine major content updates that introduced new game modes, artifact weapons, biomes, creatures, player abilities, siege weapons, and more. And today with the release of its final content up…
- Rend Early Access Patch 9 - 29 March 2019
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2F1016826c67279afd183e91b9af78db2d96f9d463.jpg Patch 9 introduces an interactive world map, a major update to Control Points, and dozens of important bug fixes to issues reported by you, our dedicated player community. This patch will deploy at 2:00 PM PDT (GMT-7) on Friday, March 29. Interactive World Map The initial design for Rend was to place iconic landmarks and clear pathways for a faction to use as common points of reference in relation to the central Yggdrasil tree which often defaulted as a generic “north” for each of the three map triads. Although this tribal knowledge approach was functional, it ended up not being practical as it put the onus squarely on player communication. This also made it difficult for new players to get up to speed within a reasonable window of time. To improve overall player qual…
- New Feature: Interactive World Map - 10 March 2019
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2F949f7d9b065ab628b6230add091914f0fed2a33b.jpg This Early Access article highlights an upcoming feature that the Rend community has been asking for since the days of Alpha: an in-game world map. Player feedback has driven the interactive design of this feature, originally only available as a static image on external fansites. Read on for an overview of how the addition of this map is set to change how you play Rend when it arrives in our next major game update! FROM WORD OF MOUTH TO WORLD MAP The initial design for Rend was to place iconic landmarks and clear pathways for a faction to use as common points of reference in relation to the central Yggdrasil tree which often defaulted as a generic “north” for each of the three map triads. Although this tribal knowledge approach was functional, it ended up not being pr…
- Patch 9 Available Now on PTR - 7 March 2019
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2F775a5cc3be421e1fa756e3f117860b29929c1e33.jpg Patch 9 introduces more than 250 gameplay improvements and bug fixes as well as redesigned Control Points and an all-new interactable world map. A overview of these new features and more can be found in the preliminary patch notes. With internal testing complete, we’re inviting players to participate in an early public test of Patch 9 on the Public Test Realm (PTR) server before it goes live. Here’s how to participate in the test: 1. Open Steam and click Library at the top. 2. Right-click on Rend in your Steam Library and click Properties. 3. Click the Betas tab, select “publictest” from the pulldown menu and click Close. 4. Steam should detect the Rend PTR patch and begin downloading it. Restart Steam if it does not. 5. Run the game (should show as “Rend ” in your St…
- Rend Early Access Patch 8: Patch Notes - 29 January 2019
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2F327a171f5ff69b1275879c10d97c8ead9335bc1f.jpg Patch 8 introduces a major update to Bow combat, rebalanced and amended Ammunition and other crafting recipes, and dozens of important bug fixes to issues reported by you, our dedicated Early Access community. This patch will deploy at 8:00 AM PST (GMT-8) on Tuesday, January 29. Bow Combat Rework We’ve made a comprehensive update to how Bow combat works. As of this patch, you draw your Bow by clicking and holding the left mouse button and fire the arrow by releasing the button. This means you can take as much or as little time as you want to fire your arrow. Additionally, the damage, velocity, range, and accuracy are all scaled by how far you have drawn your Bow before firing. Zoom (ADS) is still controlled by right clicking but is no longer required to draw or fire a…
- Rend Roadmap: Optimizing the World Map - 14 January 2019
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2F33f3879835c3764178c98654a6f5c0508df49ebf.jpg This Early Access roadmap article explores the newly optimized realm of Rend with specifics about the macro and micro adjustments to the map. Our earliest players will recall that this is not Rend’s first map change, however, it is the most significant in terms of scope. Read on for insights from the developers into how the game’s map has changed as of Patch 7 and why! REMAPPING REND One of the final steps of Rend’s Winter roadmap was to optimize the game world’s familiar triangle-shaped layout with the goal of creating more interesting terrains from a gameplay perspective; this means introducing terrains full of bottlenecks, choke points, and narrow corridors. While the map is still roughly the same shape and size, there is now less overall landmass available to play…
- Rend Developer Letter: Winter 2018 - 27 December 2018
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2F8e8843328f900aec0b6c4c5b526e97efc850ea0f.jpg This has been a year of milestones for Frostkeep Studios. We doubled in number of team members, progressed through our Alpha testing and content roadmap, were featured at a half-dozen major game industry events, reached the front page of Twitch with our partner program, and self-published Rend as an Early Access title on Steam just to name a few highlights. With 2018 coming to a close, let’s review some of the recent studio and game developments since our Fall Developer Letter. Crafted from Humble Beginnings What started with a trio of ambitious industry veterans has become the passion project of twenty full-time Frostkeepers. The Rend team continues to grow with new engineers, programmers, designers, and producers joining our ranks in recent months. Through their add…
- Save Big on Rend in the Steam Winter Sale - 20 December 2018
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- Rend Roadmap: Introducing Artifacts - 19 December 2018
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2Fe64d3ac9f0c2e84ec447682ea2191468ca1e35a4.jpg Our fifth Early Access roadmap article delves into artifacts, one of Rend’s most unique features. Inspired by the mythical treasures of the gods from ancient Norse myths, these mighty items can shift the balance of power in a saga. Read on for an introduction to how artifacts change the core Rend experience, examples of artifacts weapons and equipment, and most importantly how to claim them for yourself in-game! WIELD THE TREASURES OF THE GODS Survival is the essence of Rend where every fallen tree branch or shard of flint can mean the difference between suffering through a bitterly cold night or the rudimentary shelter of a campfire. In this unforgiving world where weapons and armors are crafted from what a player can find, encountering a magical gift sent from Valha…
- Rend Early Access Patch 7.1: Patch Notes - 19 December 2018
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2Fceeba80674421f105531fd3cf4e18105cedf1477.jpg This interim patch fixes a number of minor yet important issues reported by the Rend community in Discord and on the official and Steam forums. It also changes how the Warehouse reflects its material capacity and Favor payout behavior. Thanks to our diligent players for their constructive feedback and bug reporting! General The Warehouse now displays the item count in white while you can gain Favor for depositing that item. The count changes to yellow when this value is exceeded and further deposits won’t be rewarded Favor (this Favor or soft cap is approximately 66% of maximum capacity). In addition, the Favor value for an item in the Warehouse is hidden when depositing it will not give you any Favor (due to that item being past its Favor cap). Balance Looting a spaw…
- Rend Early Access Patch 7: Patch Notes - 14 December 2018
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2Feb3d3212539fedb1785f9c3807618a87c423ae17.jpg Patch 7 introduces a number of gameplay and quality-of-life features that we’ve been working on in parallel with the Patch 6 series including the new faction storage system, a new map layout, and our first pass on artifacts and relics. We’ll have full feature articles published for these features but a brief overview can be found in the patch notes here. We'd also like to extend our thanks to the diligent and dedicated testers on the PTR server this week! General Warehouse and Armory Each faction stronghold now has a Warehouse which stores raw resources that all faction members can access by spending Favor (previously Warehouse Credit). The Armory functions in a similar way, only with armor and weapons instead of resources. Favor is a new currency earned by depositing…
- Rend Roadmap: Streamlined Storage - 12 December 2018
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2F630ee7878954b7750e8b220e30c56cadb33b7bf6.jpg Our fourth Early Access roadmap article dives into how we’re taking player insights to heart when it comes to designing a faction stronghold storage system that is both easy to use for new recruits while at the same time protects the team’s assets from internal sabotage. Read on for an overview of the changes we’ve made based on community feedback plus what’s ahead. SIMPLIFYING STORAGE From our own adventures in Rend, we know that making sure contributing teammates have access to a faction’s resources and crafted equipment can be equally as important as being able to securely store them. Some of the most common feedback we received from Early Access players has been the frustration over losing valuable stockpiles to less upstanding faction members or malicious saboteu…
- Artifacts (Patch 7) Available Now on PTR - 11 December 2018
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2F45691e00e566f0635942beaee7ed6d7f7fb6d956.jpg Patch 7 introduces a number of gameplay and quality-of-life features that we’ve been working on in parallel with the Patch 6 series including the Warehouse system, a dodging mechanic for players, a new map layout, and our first pass on artifacts and relics. We’ll have full feature articles published for these features but a brief overview can be found in the preliminary patch notes. With internal testing complete, we’re inviting players to participate in an early public test of Patch 7 on the Public Test Realm (PTR) server before it goes live. Here’s how to participate in the test: 1. Open Steam and click Library at the top. 2. Right-click on Rend in your Steam Library and click Properties. 3. Click the Betas tab, select “publictest” from the pulldown menu and click C…
- Rend Roadmap: Crafting Reconstructed - 4 December 2018
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2F7ad510153914102e8af5d305e4217e5f722dad11.jpg Crafting is necessary for survival in the brutal and unforgiving lands of Rend but that doesn’t mean it can't be fun too. Over the few short months since Early Access began, we’ve been listening to the community’s valuable feedback on this core game system to make crafting easier to use, faster to master, and altogether a more enjoyable experience. Here’s an overview of the changes we’ve made to Rend’s crafting gameplay as well as improvements to expect in the near future. Rebuilding a Better Crafting Experience For a comprehensive overhaul of Rend’s crafting system, we started by redesigning how the core materials encountered in the game are sourced and consumed with the intent of reducing complexity and tedium. Nearly every recipe in the game has been updated to req…
- Rend Early Access Patch 6.3: Patch Notes - 1 December 2018
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2F843a44f6656356c8996ebd46da28343c2cb44ba4.jpg This interim patch introduces significant bomb damage rebalancing as well as fixing a number of missing or outdated recipes to resolve progression blockers. Also, the much-missed Stonefire Oven has made its return. Balance Reduced Wood Siege Bomb damage from 250 to 150. Reduced Bronze Siege Bomb damage from 750 to 300. Reduced Iron Siege Bomb damage from 2500 to 500. Reduced Divinite Siege Bomb damage from 5000 to 1250. Reduced the crafting time of Adhesives. Dramatically increased Feather drop rates given how common they are required in new recipes. Increased output of Amber Paste recipe to where it was before the latest patch. Crafting Hardwood building pieces (such as walls) no longer require Dross Metal. Personal Mysticism Table and Faction Mysticism Table now hav…
- Save Big on Rend in the Steam Autumn Sale - 21 November 2018
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2F287a904ed837403aac725bed783abd4500660302.jpg Fall doesn't only refer to leaves: it also means falling game prices. The harvest season has officially begun with today's launch of the annual Steam Autumn Sale - and Rend is participating. https://store.steampowered.com/app/547860 Save big on Rend during the Steam Autumn Sale: 66% off the normal Early Access price! We've also launched two new game modes making now the perfect time to gift Rend to the survival gamers in your life (or to finally buy it from your Steam wishlist). New to Rend? Be sure to catch up on the latest game developments with our Early Access roadmap, community issues board, and full notes for Patch 6 and Patch 6.1. Hurry, this sale ends on November 27 at 10:00 AM PST (UTC-8)! Read more at https://www.rendgame.com/news/article/steam-autumn-sale-n…
- Rend Early Access Patch 6.1: Patch Notes - 20 November 2018
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2Fafdc6fe0f542636f9c6137cad5a3ea33d83cba4c.jpg The team’s taking a Spirit Axe to one of Rend’s core systems to create a streamlined crafting experience. This patch expands upon the initial Early Access roadmap changes introduced in Patch 6 last week with the majority of the game’s crafting tables restructured for easier navigation when searching for a specific recipe. Clearer categories are just the beginning: many early-game recipes have had rare or hard-to-find materials removed to expedite game entry and recovery from inventory loss. We’d like to thank the intrepid players braving the new Classic mode this past week and for sharing their feedback with us, much of it incorporated into this patch! As a reminder, read our Rend roadmap feature to learn how the new Classic (PvP) and Exploration (PvE) game modes diff…
- Rend Roadmap: Combat Reloaded - 19 November 2018
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2F309c7675fded1c90a6bfda6315ac32503830e967.jpg Even in its earliest designs, Rend’s development has been guided by two principle mechanics: survival gameplay and third-person-shooter gunplay. Over the course of Early Access, we’ve been harvesting player feedback and found that while Rend’s survival elements are strong (if a little daunting which we’ve begun to address as of Patch 6), its gunplay needs to feel more impactful and visceral. We’ve taken the community’s insights to heart, evaluating where combat can be improved upon further and how best to make Rend’s weapons “feel good” with the goal of designing the game’s combat to be competitive with other mainstream multiplayer shooters. AIMING HIGHER WITH REND'S GUNPLAY Combat improvements will always be a top priority for our team. Feedback from our Early Access…
- Rend Early Access Patch 6: Patch Notes - 17 November 2018
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2F949f7d9b065ab628b6230add091914f0fed2a33b.jpg As our Fall 2018 Developer Letter stated, Rend’s extended content schedule means more impactful releases and Patch 6 is no exception. The first of our major Early Access roadmap game updates, it introduces significant, sweeping changes to Rend’s crafting, research, combat, and siege gameplay in addition to dozens of quality-of-life bug fixes. Patch 6 also brings with it two new game modes, Classic (PvP) and Exploration (PvE): read our roadmap feature about how they differ from Faction War mode. Over the next few weeks, players can anticipate more articles that share developer insights and dive deeper into Rend’s Early Access roadmap topics. We’d like to thank everyone who joined the Rend PTR to test out Classic mode and tell us what worked and what needed work: your f…
- Play Rend's New PvP Game Mode Early - 8 November 2018
https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F28056153%2F81f98d0aa285f54532f8d977cb36ba1dbad015ab.jpg Since Rend’s first public-facing Alpha, the community has been asking for a version of the game that more closely resembles classic survival titles. In tandem with other Early Access roadmap features for Fall-Winter, the team’s been hard at work preparing a factionless game mode for Rend. With internal testing complete, we’re inviting players to participate in an early public test of the game mode on a special Public Test Realm (PTR) server before it goes live. Learn more about the new Classic and Exploration game modes here. Here’s how to participate in the test: 1. Open Steam and click Library at the top. 2. Right-click on Rend in your Steam Library and click Properties. 3. Click the Betas tab, select “publictest” from the pulldown menu and click Close. 4. Steam sho…
