Roots Released
Greetings Wielders
The wait is over. Our new faction DLC is here, and with it, a fresh update for Songs of Conquest as a whole. Creating Roots has been one of our most rewarding challenges yet. It was unlike anything we’ve done over the past seven years. We didn’t just want them to look different; we wanted them to feel different. And we believe we’ve grown something truly special. Twisted, beautiful, and entirely its own beast.. or fungi.
As we mentioned last week, we are also releasing our game for Nintendo Switch today. Its a small console, but it's a big step for us as developers. From the moment we started dreaming about porting our game, we have fantasized about seeing Songs of Conquest on the Switch, and that day is finally here! It's just a wonderful experience, taking the beautiful pixel world of Aerbor and defeating your enemies from the comfort of, well, anywhere.
But today is not only about bark-covered horrors and resource-converting insects and hand-held consoles. This is also a significant update for everyone, not just those picking up the DLC. We remain committed to improving and expanding Songs of Conquest for the entire community. Your continued support, whether in the form of ideas, feedback, or thoughtful balance suggestions, fuels everything we do. We cannot implement them all, but we read them, we discuss them, and we appreciate them.So, thank you. From our pixel-pushing, strategy-loving hearts to yours. You are the spellbook to our caster, the gem to our artifact. And speaking of artifacts, let’s look at the new magical items we’ve added with this update. A trove of new treasures now awaits to be unearthed in Aerbor, or perhaps torn from the hands of your defeated enemies, we don’t judge.
A cloak made of mushrooms really just screams fashion.
To help you put these new trinkets to good use, we’re also releasing a free new map. It’s a compact, high-pressure battlefield called Invasive, perfect for testing your mettle against the ever-encroaching Roots. Whether you win or wither, we think you’ll enjoy the ride.And just because you didn’t pick up the Roots DLC doesn’t mean you won’t encounter the new troops on the battlefield. We’ve added them as enemies on several of our previously released Conquest maps, and if you’re diving into a random map, don’t be surprised if you face the horns and blade of a Terror or the deadly fumes of spawns sooner rather than later. Or just start up that map I mentioned, you’ll be sure to face them in all their glory there.Lashers and Lobbers are waiting for you; they are friendly like that.
Our design work never really stops. The balance changes, the tweaks, the experiments that keep theorycrafters awake at night, those are still coming. Many of the updates in this patch come from community suggestions, while others are born from hours of play and internal debate. As an example, Nornors and crones now trigger spearwalls, barracks just cost wood and stone to upgrade, and we’ve changed the cost of shaman tents. This is just a few examples, and for the full list, make sure to check the changelog. We could talk about bug fixes, but let’s face it, you're here for the fungi.
The Tree Mothers want you to buy it
If you have followed our devlogs, you know that Roots was one of the earliest ideas we planted. Now fully grown, they offer a unique style of play. No other faction commands all forms of Essence the way Roots do. The options for spellcasting and tactical variation are nearly endless, though mastery will require more than just a green thumb.We’ve created seven new maps just for this DLC. Some are tightly designed tests of your skill, others are steeped in lore and story, my personal favorite is Growth, where you, as a new Vessel, discover both your history and the purpose that drives the Tree Mothers that guide you. Other maps offer more room to roam, explore, and perhaps you will, like our initial testers, discover strategies that surprised us. There’s a lot to uncover, and we can’t wait to see what you find.
A whole bouquet of maps, yours to enjoy!
Gameplay-wise, Roots introduces moments unlike anything else in the game. Maybe it’s the sense of power as the bodies of your fallen foes rise as broken vessels, ready to march in your name. Maybe it’s snaring your enemies in the grasp of the Tree Mothers. Maybe it’s finding an Essence combination you never tried before. Roots asks more from you, but it also rewards those who think a step ahead.
Friends who die from a laser blast together, stay together.
And then there’s the new biome. Our artists and level designers have created something that feels alive, dangerous, and almost sacred in its decay. The glowing mushrooms, the vine-choked ruins, the lumbering horrors. It’s a rich, revolting canvas that we cannot wait to build on. We expect it to become a favorite for custom map creators and campaign builders alike. Why not cut a giant bug open as you look for treasures or fight the guardians of Tangled Burrow?
We're pretty sure they just ate something they shouldn't have. Never trust a strange mushroom.
At your command stand nine new Wielders—or Vessels, as the Roots would call them. They are agents of the Tree Mothers, shaped from reanimated corpses, at least one Faey nobility, and nightmare-spun visions. Each one is distinct. Each one offers a new style of play. And each one is waiting to be discovered by players willing to dig deep. Roots have taken hold. Now it’s your turn to grow with it.
Pretty soon, the Lavapotion team will head off for our government-mandated vacations, catching small, elusive days of sunshine as we rest and roll up our sleeves for the times ahead. There is more planned for Songs of Conquest and more planned for Lavapotion as a whole, and we hope that you will be there with us, along for the ride, every step of the way.
See you on the battlefield!
/Anders and the rest of the Lavapotion team
Read the changelog here!
https://www.songsofconquest.com/changelogs#changelog16