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[Jaysen]

We want to have character customization (at least hair and beard) in the game at some point. But as this is a purely aesthetical feature we focus on gameplay improvements first.

[Jaysen]

Time for a big announcement: The Goblin Update will hit the game next week - that will be by far the biggest update yet. Also: Orcs, Orcs, Orcs:

Dev Blog #50: Progress Update - Goblin Update Next Week, Orc Visual Makeover

You’ve already read the headline: The ‘Goblin Update’ will go live next week! Break out your heater shields, dust off your helmets, bid your savegames farewell and get ready for the big update. With the Goblins all new and shiny, and getting all the attention, Orcs have gotten green with envy. We can’t have that, so we’ve taken them to the makeover booth for the most exciting visual rework yet.

Goblin Update Next Week!

If everything goes according to plan, by the end of next week you’ll get your hands on the biggest update we’ve done so far and can try out all the changes and additions since our last update a month ago. Although we keep calling it the ‘Goblin Update’ there is a heap of new features, items, balancing adjustments and more coming with the update in addition to adding a new faction to the game. Battle Brothers will definitely play and feel differently and we are looking forward to your feedback on all the changes and additions we have made.

There’ll be a full faction reveal blog post about the Goblins sometime next week in which we explain the lore of the Goblins as well as their individual units, weapons and fighting abilities in detail so you can get in the right mood.

Just to remind everyone: The coming update will break compatibility with your current save games!

Orc Makeover

We’re pretty satisfied with how Orcs feel in the game overall. They have a clear identity as reckless and ferocious melee combatants who overwhelm the player with pure physical strength and wreak havoc in any battle line. Orcs come off as intimidating and brutal opponents, and fighting them feels quite different from fighting other opponents in the game. Their visual design makes up to no small part their identity in the world of Battle Brothers, so that’s what we’ve been taking a look at this week with our continuous efforts to overhaul all the older assets.



Since those original Orcs visuals were really beginning to show their age, they’ve been completely redone from the ground up. Take a look at the comparison to see how the new Orcs are much more detailed looking. As we’ve previously established about Orcs in the world of Battle Brothers, their skin gets darker the older they become, which is why Young Orcs have the fairest skin. However, in order to give all the Orcs a more coherent look we’ve adjusted their skin colors to be a bit closer together. We’ve also darkened the color palette slightly and tilted it more into an olive hue to better support the menacing look we’re going for, especially with the Young Orcs who previously could turn out quite bright. The faces you see are just some of several different ones available for every type of unit!

The look of weapons and armor is also something we want to take full advantage of in making every faction feel unique and less generic. If you read up on the lore of Orcs you’ll learn that they live in largely nomadic tribes and support themselves by hunting, gathering and taking from others. They possess no knowledge of mining or agriculture, and while they know how to craft metal, they’re not particularly skilled at it, which is why their creations are crude and unwieldy. Orcs already wield those large and heavy weapons that match their physique, but we wanted to really give them a unique armor style as well that is in line with their lore of having limited access to metal and not being able to process it properly.



Young Orcs make up the backbone of Orc society, as Orcs usually don’t have a high life expectancy but are quite reproductive. Their armor now has a more tribal and improvised look than before, and is largely made from resources that Orcs have the means to produce themselves in abundance - a variety of animal hides and bones. To round things up, we've also added two new lower tier weapons - the Tree Limb and the Cudgel - for their use.



Berserkers are Orcs that put themselves into a battle frenzy by taking drugs or hypnosis – and some of them are just straight up crazy. They can occasionally be found wandering alone on what could be described as pilgrimages to slay particularly dangerous beasts. If they succeed, they may wear parts of the slain beast as decoration, possibly also in the belief that it confers powers to them. Their armor is therefore made up of various bone elements from their victims.



Orc Warriors are seasoned fighters, as evident from their darker skin color and collection of scars. Years of gathering spoils from raids and battle have allowed them to loot all kinds of armor, break it apart and assemble it into one huge abomination for themselves that actually fits their massive and coarse bodies. As you can see, their armor is made up of various pieces of human equipment, like a helmet’s facemask, a piece of chainmail or a split kettle hat. It’s as much protection in battle as it is a collection of trophies from their past victories. For the finishing touch, ears, fingers and sometimes whole heads are also quite popular.



With the new armor style we’re confident that Orcs now have an even stronger identity in the game, one very much distinct from other factions. The many different looks of armor and different faces now available should also add lot of visual variety to the Orc battle lines that was previously missing.

[PanH]

Nice, Goblin update is close
Also, I like the new orcs looks, it's true that they apart from the warlord having armor, I found most of the others to be really similar. Honestly, I'd kinda want to be able to play as orcs, just for the fun, even if it was bare bone.

[Crazy Horse]

Outstanding work. This sort of craftsmanship and attention to detail on normally generic fantasy themes is part of what makes this game so unique. I tip my hat to Overhype.

[Girlinhat]

So how do you get started, best?  Missions seem to be given out randomly, some easy or others impossible, or else 'go to this town' which gives no exp.  And how do you get better gear, since it seems based on town shops which aren't always stocked.

[PanH]

So how do you get started, best?  Missions seem to be given out randomly, some easy or others impossible, or else 'go to this town' which gives no exp.  And how do you get better gear, since it seems based on town shops which aren't always stocked.

Stuff : Village have meh stuff, towns have ok stuff and quite a lot of it, castles have military grade gear.
Even though escorting or traveling missions don't give you exp, they give you money, and gear is a good way to improve at first. Having all your brothers with a decent chest and head armor is great. If you see a patrol in fight against bandits or such, go help them, you'll get the loot which is quite useful for low risk (though not much exp if you stay at the rear).
You can reroll missions if they are too hard (accepting, break contract, and search again).

[Girlinhat]

How useful are archers?  I feel like they should be pretty great, but they get penalties for having another person in the line of fire, so hiding behind allies isn't helpful...

[Taricus]

Only if said ally is directly adjacent to an enemy (Though in that case, switching to a billhook or pike works well), otherwise, there's no penalty to shooting.

[PanH]

Archers aren't that great now, but they'll get better with next update it seems (notably better ranged skill). I prefer pikemen atm.

[Jaysen]

Archers are definitely a viable choice, especially after the update coming by the end of the week. We did some tweaks to ensure it makes sense to have both ranged and melee units in your gang.

In preparation for the big update i have for you everything about the new Goblin faction: Weapons, Units and Lore:

Dev Blog #51: Goblin Faction Reveal

We’re excited to finally be able to reveal the newest addition to the world of Battle Brothers: The Goblins. They come with unique characters, skills, weapons and armor, and lore of their own. All of those things we’ll talk about today, so let’s get going!

The actual update to the game will come together with an extensive changelog later this week!

Introduction

Goblins live in the lands beyond the reach of human civilization, in small states of their own, often encompassing only a single but heavily populated city. Although distant relatives to the Orcs, they don't have much in common apart from their color of skin.

Goblins have a complex social structure of different castes, the two most important of which are the lower caste and the political caste. The lower caste is the most populated by far, and members are born into servitude to their state or city, with very little rights other than to work for the benefit of the great Goblin state. They can be drafted into service at any time or otherwise assigned tasks with no say of their own. Although they make up the backbone of any Goblin state, they're considered somewhat expendable, and their individual lives don't matter all that much in the pursuit of power for members of the political caste.

Unlike most humans, Goblins are not ruled by a single individual, but a council drawn from the political caste. The council decides on any action the Goblin state should or should not take and may mandate the drafting of Goblins from the lower caste led by a Goblin Overseer to perform any task, such as to attack rival Goblin states. Members of the council often change as individuals bribe, scheme or even assassinate to get rid of their rivals and attempt to secure more power for themselves. Although the council will proclaim that any action is for the betterment of the state, in reality, many decisions are the result political backstabbing, such as sending a rival council member to oversee an attack knowing full well that he'll get killed along with all the other Goblins sent there. A political victory, sure, but also an example of Goblin states repeatedly weakening themselves.



Goblins do not share a language with Orcs and otherwise have little in common, but they are nevertheless able to communicate with them on some level. To avoid roaming Orc tribes raiding their city states they often pay tribute until they've passed, and sometimes fight them if they seem weak enough in numbers. Orcs have also been used in political machinations and sent against rival Goblin states - which backfired more than once. Goblins consider roaming tribes of Orcs almost a force of nature outside of their other rivalries. They're considered primitive, stupid even. They can be avoided at times, used at other times. But there is no stopping nature in the long run.

From a game design perspective we wanted to introduce a faction that fighting against feels very different from our existing factions. Goblins have a heavy focus on ranged combat and lowering the effectiveness of Battle Brothers by applying various status effects. With their ranged weapons they often prefer a defensive tactic and let the player come to them to press the attack, challenging the very stationary approach that dominates many a player’s tactics. Ultimately we want there to be no one superior tactic that is best against all enemies, but the need to always adjust your tactics based on the enemy you’re facing. This makes for a much more interesting and diverse combat experience in the long run, and Goblins are another step into this direction.

Goblin Physique

In Battle Brothers, Goblins are physically weaker than humans and about the size of a large child. Due to their small size they’re unable to wear heavy armor or wield heavy weaponry, and they can’t take a lot of physical punishment before going down. They don’t have the most stamina and they’re also not the bravest, though the latter may be in part due to being essentially forced into arms.



On the other hand, Goblins are dexterous little creatures. They use their small weapons with astounding accuracy to go for weak spots in their opponent’s armor, and because of their size and general skittishness are harder to hit reliably than many other opponents. Goblins are also quite cunning and intelligent, and to make up for their lack in physical strength rely on their wits, on ambushes and dirty tricks, on poison and superior numbers, to wear their opponents down. Because they’re at an inherent disadvantage in open battle, a lot of their tactics revolve around the use of ranged weapons, holding their opponents in place, and flanking them using their Wolfriders.

Goblin Weapons and Armor

Because Goblins are quite crafty and intelligent creatures, they have a whole arsenal of deadly tools available to them. Neither their armor nor weapons are particularly heavy, given the Goblins' physical limitations, but they're well made and balanced. Their equipment emphasizes their preference of mobility and ranged combat to wear down their opponents from afar. Their armor is made of leather as well as metal, and they wear mail and a variety of scale armor. All of their weapons and tools can be looted and used by the player, although they aren't the most damaging ones. Their armor can't be looted as it would fit only children.



A popular weapon with Goblin infantry is the 'Spiked Bola' - small iron balls with metal spikes bound together with rope, to be hurled at a target from a distance. Another specialized tool is the 'Throwing Net' - thrown at an opponent, it leaves them unable to move and lowers their ability to defend themselves, until they manage to cut it down. The 'Jagged Pike' can keep opponents at bay with its long range and tear terrible bleeding wounds.

Goblin Skirmisher

Goblin Skirmishers are the various types of melee infantry that Goblins employ. They are armed with a melee weapon of Goblin design - pikes, spears, falchions, long knives -, may carry a shield or throwing net, and often have spiked bolas as a secondary weapon to use from range should the opportunity present itself. They’re relatively poor at charging the enemy but quite competent in delaying an enemy charge and holding the line for Goblin Ambushers to pick the enemy off one by one.



Goblin Ambusher

Goblin Ambushers are dedicated ranged troops armed with bows of goblin design and wear light camouflage armor that offers little protection but makes them hard to spot from a distance. Presumably because of their experience in fighting heavily armored Orcs, they’re trained to target weak spots in their opponent’s armor for increased direct damage. Their arrow tips are coated in poison which makes vision get blurry and moving in a coordinated fashion take a monumental effort. The effect of poison slowly diminishes with each turn after getting hit.



Goblin Wolfrider

Goblins breed large wolves for war to use as mounts for their feared Wolfrider regiments. Wolfriders are faster than any infantry on the battlefield and can also move quickly through difficult terrain. This makes them them ideal to circle around a static battle line and attack archers and other lightly armed troops with from the rear, with the wolf supporting its rider by snapping its jaws at the enemy. Thanks to their swift mounts the Wolfriders are hard to pin in close combat and may break off attacks when the odds turn against them or a better target presents itself.



On hitting a Wolfrider unit, either the rider or the wolf may be hit, and they may be killed independently from each other. Killing just the wolf may leave a Goblin Skirmisher to continue fighting on foot, while killing the rider will have you face a frenzied wolf no longer kept in check by its rider.

Goblin Overseer

Goblin Overseers are veterans and members of a higher caste mandated by a Goblin council to lead and oversee a regiment of Goblins in performing a task. They're clearly recognizable as being in charge due to their ornate armor and helmet, and they carry long whips with which they can whip the common Goblin to perform better, and to get fleeing Goblins back into line.



Because Goblins are drafted into service, the Overseer plays an important part in keeping everything together. Should he fall, Goblins are much more likely to fall into disarray, rout and flee the battlefield instead of soldiering on.

Goblin Shaman

Goblin Shamans are members of a small and secretive caste whose members seemingly possess otherworldly powers. Those powers are no less mysterious and inexplicable to the average Goblin than they are to a human witnessing them, and the nature of their power is a jealously guarded secret. In Goblin society, Shamans are often consulted as oracles, healers and experts on poison, and although not part of the political caste, hold tremendous power of influence.



In battle, Goblin Shamans support their troops by commanding nature itself. They have been witnessed to make vile roots grow from the ground in an instant to hold people in place, and to send a swarm of a thousand black flies onto their opponents. Up personal, however, they are but frail old Goblins with no real weapon.

[ThtblovesDF]

Welp time to boot it back up.

Btw, if named weapons or special weapons could have any kind of color indication that would be great - to often when selling 30+ orc garbage items, I sell a special one, too.

And a sort inventory button or any way to sort it myself would be great, i.e. "always repair, forever mine" supplys "sell in next shop pile" or anything like that.

[Majestic7]

Waiting for the new update with hand in my pants.

While waiting, a random suggestion: profession-based trait tree. Basically, it would serve to differentiate BBs if every background had a trait tree (well, or a trait line) of their own. For example, a bard could take traits to improve the morale of the group, a witch-hunter gain bonus against unnatural enemies, a blacksmith provide equipment bonus to the whole group etc. Perhaps we could get our own character in the beginning with a special leader trait tree and if he kicks the bucket...well, too bad.

[Elfeater]

Waiting for the new update with hand in my pants.

While waiting, a random suggestion: profession-based trait tree. Basically, it would serve to differentiate BBs if every background had a trait tree (well, or a trait line) of their own. For example, a bard could take traits to improve the morale of the group, a witch-hunter gain bonus against unnatural enemies, a blacksmith provide equipment bonus to the whole group etc. Perhaps we could get our own character in the beginning with a special leader trait tree and if he kicks the bucket...well, too bad.

Possibly add buffs as they reach different levels? So a level 1 Witch Hunter is what we have now, a level 3 has a bonus against unnatural enemies. And so on up the levels.

[Neonivek]

Goblins remind me of a lot of real life armies that were based entirely around sending people to pelt enemies with bows or slings... and then run away over and over again.

[Majestic7]

Possibly add buffs as they reach different levels? So a level 1 Witch Hunter is what we have now, a level 3 has a bonus against unnatural enemies. And so on up the levels.

That would eliminate the hard choices on whether to take the profession-specific trait or a general trait, though.