April is here, and as always with a new month comes new Patreon rewards! Here's a look at the new hat and mount for the month of April (bat theme).



Remember, these are available exclusively to Heartwood Patreon supporters during the month of April. Core patrons receive the hat and Ancient patrons receive both the hat and mount as an appreciation for their support. For more information, visit the Heartwood Patreon Page.

Shout out and big thanks to Ancient member OptimusCrime for modeling this month's hat and mount!

Originally posted by warby in #announcements / Heartwood Online Discord:

We've decided to drop an unscheduled partial update!

As you all know we're currently deep in development working on the Shadowfang region. Due to the scale of this expansion it needs more time in the oven. There are a lot of moving parts and new features so we have to make sure everything is in order before unleashing the wolves!

Today's Update

Originally we planned to release PvP with the Shadowfang update. But you've waited long enough to get revenge on your enemies. So today's your lucky day...

⚔️ PvP is now live at the Bawlow Arena, along with 1v1 duels!

1v1 duels can be initiated anywhere in the world similar to the player trade function. Remember, Heartwood is still in early access so PvP is in the early stages right now. We'll be adding dozens of new abilities and a talent tree overhaul over the next few months. Expect many tweaks and changes as we monitor player battles. Become a master PvPer early so you can crush your foes in battle grounds and other PvP events when we add them in the future.

Next Update

What does this mean for the crafters and PvE players? Well we have more good news. Fishing & cooking is almost ready. The next update will include fishing and some other surprises like trophy catches! 🏆 🐟

Originally, we wanted to include fishing & cooking in the Shadowfang update but we're releasing it early to make sure that content is coming out more frequently for you guys. Game development is very iterative process, plans change frequently. As much as we'd like to stick to the plan of 1 BIG update, breaking it up into a few smaller updates will add some extra spice to your play sessions. (And keep some folks from yelling "WHEN UPDATE!!"...right? 💀)

In other news, we just hit 40,000 discord members! Thanks for being part of the heartwood community.

Originally posted by Davro in #patch-notes / Heartwood Online Discord:

v0.4.6 - Patch Notes

Patch 0.4.6 is introducing some exciting new mechanics that we felt could use some more explanation so players may better understand our goals with the update. To help with this, we've broken up the patch notes into a few sections.

PvP

• PvP has been enabled at the Bawlow Arena!
• A 'Duel' option has been added to the player inspect UI

New Abilities

Next up we have some new Abilities. Each spell is class specific, and will replace the base 'Self Heal' at level 10. All healing effects and buffs from these spells will be improved with player levels in an effort to keep soloing more viable throughout the leveling experience.

• Stone Skin (Warrior)
  Heals you and grants an Armor bonus that lasts for 5 seconds.
• Evasion (Rogue)
  Heals you and grants a Dodge bonus that lasts for 5 seconds.
• Barrier (Mage & Priest)
  Heals you and grants a protective Barrier that prevents a set amount of damaged based on your level. Barrier will fade after 10 seconds even if it has not been depleted.

Shields

Outside of the Overseer's Gaze, shields are often overlooked in favor of more damage. While shields do help with survivability, we wanted players to see a more noticeable increase in defensive capabilities when opting out of damage. This update marks the start of some changes that we will be introducing to shields that should make them a more viable option for players who want to feel more durable.

• Block Chance and Block Value have been introduced for ALL shields in the game
• Block Chance determines the likelihood that an incoming attack will be blocked
• Block Value determines how much incoming damage is reduced by when an attack is blocked
• Bonus Armor from certain shields has been converted to Block Value

Stat Adjustments

Lastly, we have some sweeping changes to the amount of stats that players gain from gear and leveling. The goal here is to introduce fast paced PvP without having to increase player damage drastically. We also wanted the current feeling of PvE to remain the way it is now. To achieve this goal, we're reducing player health gains across the board and lowering monster damage to match them. Additionally, all classes have had some stats removed from their level gains and have been given Health Regeneration in return. This is an early step towards our upcoming talent overhaul, and is also a way to reduce downtime in PvE for classes with fewer healing options.

• All Health gains have been reduced to ~1/3 of their original value. This includes Health gained per level and Health gained from all types of gear.
• To compensate for this change, all enemy damage has been reduced to 1/3 of their original values. This includes basic attacks and abilities from all monsters and bosses.
• Dodge, Armor, Cooldown Reduction, and Focus are no longer gained from level up. These attributes can still be improved through gear and the current talent system.
• All classes gain the following stats when reaching a new level:
  • Health
  • AP/MP based on class
  • Health Regen
  • Self Heal amount has been reduced to match new Health values
• Due to the sweeping changes to player stats, all talent points have been refunded for free

Class Specific Changes (Priest)

• Holy Nova healing reduced to match new Health values
• Purify healing reduced to match new Health values
• Purify healing reduced by 50% unless cast on allies

Misc. Changes

• 'Level Up' event is now viewable by all players
• A new mount has been added to celebrate the bloodshed in Bawlow Arena
• Added a channel time for 'Teleport' that can be interrupted by damage or input from the caster
• Dispel animation now properly plays over targeted affected when removing negative or positive effects

Originally posted by JerryPie in #announcements / Heartwood Online Discord:

Wow...It's just over 5 months since launch and Heartwood has grown so much. It's been a blast working with such an awesome and supportive community.

The last 2 updates were holiday events. Although holiday events are fun, they don't offer the same long term benefits as permanent content. (Unless you were lucky enough to snag a Pumpkin Staff 🎃)

Now that the holidays are over we're back on the dev grind and finalizing some lasting features, or in gamer lingo... sweet, juicy, CONTENT. That said, we know you've been eagerly waiting for an update and we're excited to share some info on that today.

🧱 Update 1: QoL (dropped today)

Today's update includes a lot of important core features that will help us develop future content more efficiently like housing, pets, new talents/spells, and much more... Along with these dev team improvements, this update includes a handful of bug fixes and quality of life features such as:

• New Overseer mechanics to prevent boss holding 😉
• Party loot improvement
• Leaderboard fix
• Chat fix
• Many system improvements, see ⁠📄 patch notes (below) for more info.

🐺 ⚔️ Update 2: Shadowfang & PvP (next update)

The one you've all been waiting for...

• Expanded map size for more adventures
• New gathering resources
• New crafting tiers
• New equipment/gear
• New free to earn mounts/cosmetics via quests and drops
• A slew of new enemies & npc's to interact with (like those elusive wolf men)
• PvP arena!
• PvP dueling. 1v1 anywhere in Heartwood
• Improved survivability and ability tweaks to balance classes and make soloing more pleasant.
• Reputation, quests, and new legacy marks!
• And other secrets... 💫

Also, a few fun stats:

• 962,647 accounts
• 5,383 jailed players (Brutus is watching) 🍅
• Total exp for all players: 169,372,719,446

The dev team's malnourishment and sleep depravation have lead to profound hallucinations in the form of new game features. 2024 is going to be a great year for Heartwood.

Originally posted by Davro in #patch-notes / Heartwood Online Discord:

v0.4.5 - Patch Notes

• Added /age command to check character play time
• Added 'last seen' for friends and guild members
• Added a 'Logout' button to character select screen
• Logout option on Dashboard now takes players to Character Select screen
• Hat visibility setting saved on logout
• Mounted status saved on logout
• Fixed a bug that would cause players to be stuck in guilds even after leaving or being kicked
• Fixed misc bugs with Leaderboards
• Fixed a bug that would cause players to get stuck in place when dismounting by casting a spell
• Fixed a bug that would cause the chat text box to lose focus, allowing hotkeys to function while chat was active
• Updated channel names in chat channel select dropdown
• 'Group Loot' used to drop items only for the party member who delivered the killing blow to a monster. Common drops are now cycled through party members in order. Rare and uncommon items are still rolled on
• Updated Overseer to prevent griefing and holding boss
• Updated reconnect method to prevent frequent disconnects when playing with weak connection
• Fixed party loot settings UI
• Added a confirm button for requesting account deletion

Heartwood's servers were reset earlier this evening and after three weeks running, that marked the end of the first Winterforge Event. The cosmetics/mounts earned will remain but the dolls, essences and other event-related items have vanished along with the elves (which were beginning to invade just about every inch of map 🤣).

For now, Heartwood returns to "normal." While players worked to finish the event quests, the developers didn't skip a beat behind the scenes and they continue to work diligently toward the growth of Heartwood. The next update shouldn't be too far out, so stay tuned!

As always, big thanks to the folks helping with data collection for this event so far. If you notice something out of place or missing, feel free to DM me via Discord (Maro) or join us on the Atlas Discord.

Here are all the Winterforge discoveries that have been added to Heartwood Atlas so far:

Event Quests

• Reindeer Headdress
• Winterforge Reindeer
• Blessing Friends / Cursing Enemies
• Weary Plea
• Slothful Request

Event Items

Event Armor

Event Mounts

Event Monsters

Originally posted by JerryPie in #announcements / Heartwood Online Discord:

A deep cold descends over the forests of Heartwood as citizens make last minute preparations for the Winterforge holiday season!

Winterforge is a time to forge friendships new and old! But the festivities are at risk, what could all of the commotion be about?

Originally posted by Davro in #patch-notes / Heartwood Online Discord:

v0.4.4 - Patch Notes

Winterforge has come to Heartwood!

• Added new NPCs for Winterforge holiday event
• Players can now destroy items in their inventory
• Updated stack splitting option to allow numeric entries
• Updated bulk deed creation to allow numeric entries
• Fixed an issue that prevented iOS users from interacting with the Bone Mines crystal
• Fixed an issue that caused all classes in player inspect UI to show as 'Warrior'

Originally posted by Davro in #patch-notes / Heartwood Online Discord:

v0.4.3 - Patch Notes

• New System: Deeds
  Deeds are used to create larger stacks of items that can be traded between players. Deeds are created and redeemed in the bank.
• Players can no longer drop items on the ground. (Don't worry, enemies still drop items)
• New Chat UI Menu
  Clicking a player name in the chat window will now open a UI window with social options. Certain features (trade, party) are limited to server or player range
• Updated Trade UI
  Trade UI now indicates more clearly when items and gold have been removed or updated in the trade window. Additionally, a short countdown has been added before trades can be accepted
• Updated trade request popup to show a timer
• Trade requests will now disappear if either party declines
• Updated Player Inspect UI to show player level and class
• Fixed an issue with muting that allowed players to relog so they could become unmuted
• Added a command in Bank UI to 'Move All'
• Added a new button on the player inspect UI for blocking players
• Added a new login animation to better indicate startup
• Added location to character select screen. Players will now see what region their characters are in from character select
• Several updates to player logging systems
• Several improvements to backend functionality in preparation for new content features and growing playerbase
• Fixed graphical issues with several hats
• Fixed graphical issues with several mounts
• Fixed a graphical issue with hair #10
• Added new Patron rewards for December
• New Trade Requirement
  Due to Heartwood Online being a free to play game, we've had an increased volume of low level accounts who abused game features to scam and conduct other illegal activity. In response, we've set a small level requirement of 15 character level or 15 crafting level to unlock trade. This small time investment should help slow down the use of throw away accounts that were used for exploits or other crimes.

We'd also like to introduce some new discord and game mods to the team! Thanks for all their amazing help so far.

Discord Mods

• CapnYeti
• Koi
• Maro
• Odin

Promotion to In-Game Mods

• Aput
• One

Originally posted by warby in #membership / Heartwood Online Discord:

Oops! We didn't post last months reward in the discord because we got tied up between Bone Mines launch and the Pumpkin Festival event. These 2 things kept us on our toes and we didn't get a chance to make the patron announcement. But as you've all seen, those rewards were added in game.

Moving on... We're excited to announce the 6th month of our patron member rewards! The mythic razorback! Legends depict him as both a symbol of strength and a harbinger of danger. He is the embodiment of untamed wilderness. Remember you still have a few days left to obtain the 5th month Ancestral Vulture cosmetics. Once December hits they will be locked away forever.

Note: The Boar rewards are our 6th reward, not 5th as stated in the image below.

According to an announcement by Davro this afternoon, it looks like we can expect to see another wave of bug fixes along with some quality of life enhancements next week. This includes the introduction of bulk deeds for mass trading, an anticipated solution to help improve the exchange system. Also, within a few weeks there will be a small holiday event rolling out so keep your eyes peeled!

Originally posted by Davro in #announcements / Heartwood Online Discord:

Hey everyone! We have a double dose of updates on the horizon!

📜 Update 1: QoL Enhancements

Next week we'll be dropping a popular requested feature, bulk deeds! You'll now be able to enjoy the convenience of mass trading without worrying about the stack size. Also included in the update is another wave of bug fixes, quality-of-life improvements, and other conveniences. (More information will be posted about these features in the upcoming patch notes)

🎉 Update 2: Snippets of Holiday Fun!

It's the holiday season and we don't want to miss an opportunity to celebrate. So, in a few weeks there will be a small holiday event, sprinkling some festive surprises into your play sessions. It's been a warmer year in Heartwood so you won't see snow this winter. 😉 As always, please remember Heartwood is still very young so this holiday event is going to be small. In future years you can expect more elaborate holiday event quest lines. Right now our main focus is on bug fixes, quality of life improvements, and more permanent content like dungeons, monsters, crafting skills, and gear! So we don't want to get overly sidetracked spending time on an event that only lasts for a couple of weeks.

---

We just hit 3 months since launch! So we wanted to share some insane stats with you guys:

• 558,745 accounts
• 3,364 jailed players (Brutus requests you throw tomatoes) 🍅
• Peak online players: 4,293
• 11,482 free cosmetic drops from monsters
• Combined playtime for all players: 417 years

Thanks again for being part of the Heartwood community. Stay tuned for more announcements.

As expected, the Pumpkin Festival wrapped up late last night, spelling the end of Heartwood's first ever official event! In the blink of an eye (and even without a server reset), all the harvest decor that we've grown accustomed to over the last two weeks vanished along with Darian on the banks of the river in Stone Glade. Of course, this means that monsters will no longer drop event prizes, but the limited edition collectibles will remain for players who participated. Their keepsakes will serve as reminders of this exciting Heartwood milestone.

This event was meant to be relatively "tame" and only gave us a small taste of what's to come in the way of events. As the game is still very young, the small team of developers wanted to give us something a little extra, but they also wanted to appropriately balance time spent on this event versus the already ongoing rapid development. And with this one now behind us, that work on the foundation will continue at full steam.

For players, the game returns to "normal" for now, but there's much to be excited for with more improvements and additions on the horizon. On top of that, the holidays are just around the corner!