Hello everyone,

It's been 7 months since we released Drova and as a team we have now said goodbye to Drova (the support will not be stopped of course). We are now working on a new project.

In these last months we have released 3 major content patches. Above all, we have learned through Drova what Drova means to you and what you want.

During this time we have read and evaluated all of your feedback and started to brainstorm about our new project.
Thanks again to everyone who left us feedback, every feedback was very helpful!

We have uploaded a video for you where we talk about the new project, how Drova will remain and what our goals are as Just2D. (The video is in German but there are English subtitles available).

We are now embarking on a journey that will be different from Drova. And we are up for it! But most of all we are looking forward to going on this journey with you. We will upload regular updates on Discord, Twitch and YouTube and discuss topics with you, just like we did with Drova. Drova has become what it is today because of you.

See you soon,
Just2D

https://youtu.be/5IGsurhtMAI

Hello,

unfortunately with patch 1.3.2 in chapter 4, there was a cutscene with cay where the player got stuck and the game didn't continue. We fixed that.

We have just released patch version 1.3.2. It contains small bug fixes, which you can read about below.

Furthermore, in the last episode of Behind the Pixels, we specifically addressed your questions and answered them (video is in German, but with English subtitles). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsDeWSUIOwI
Perhaps we answered a question there that might interest you? Or you may have your own questions. Write them in the comments and we will answer them in a future video.

What do we do now after Drova? What's next? We'll answer that in the next update video, which will come next week.

Just2D

Finally, here's a list of other bug fixes, balancing changes and the like that we've done in the context of this update:

• Added safety teleporters to allow leaving Forest Primeval in later chapters after bugging in and being stuck in there
  
• Added a teleporter to a certain room where some people have bugged in and were stuck
  
• Added Adwin to character info in journal
  
• Added a pop-up when Germans try to report that "Rennofen" is a typo (it is not :D)
  
• Adjusted some object colliders in the world to avoid getting stuck
  
• Tweaked aggro ranges for Bygone warriors in underground dungeons
  
• Tweaked tooltip of "Gladiators' Armor"
  
• Reduced the collider when using "Gift of the Wolf"
  
• Fixed some graphical tile/object issues in the world
  
• Fixed a bug where player got stuck in a dialog loop with Lukan
  
• Fixed a bug where items were removed from inventory when putting an item on a puzzle statue
  
• Fixed some locations where Misty Step didn't work consistently/as intended
  
• Fixed a bug where spell "Charge of the Boars" could be looted everytime after saving/loading
  
• Fixed lots of typos
  
• Fixed a daily routine for Jero where he was looped sitting down/getting up
  
• Fixed some minor issues with some journal entries
  
• Fixed a bug where player couldn't talk to Kora, Tia and Sorcha
  
• Fixed a rare bug where Ella could die in the Deep Mines
  
• Fixed a mushroom that couldn't be looted
  
• Fixed a dialog option with Sorcha, where player could say something that wasn't known
  
• Fixed a tooltip layout when using the biggest font

Travelers of the Otherworld!

We have just released patch version 1.3.1. It contains small bug fixes, which you can read about below.
Furthermore, we are currently having a campaigne where you can get Cay as a Plush, if you are interesting click here: https://www.makeship.com/products/cay-plush

Have fun with Drova and have a nice weekend,
Just2D
________________________

Finally, here's a list of other bug fixes, balancing changes and the like that we've done in the context of this update:

Fixes

• Fixed a potential softlock in cutscene with Bertine
  
• Fixed a potential softlock when NPCs get knocked out by bleeding during cutscenes
  
• Fixed a bug that caused 1.3 beta testers not being able to finish Liesl quest in later chapter
  
• Fixed a bug where Diemo sparks can't be percepeted after saving/loading
  
• Fixed lots of obstacles where player got stuck
  
• Fixed a cat dialog where the dialog box was empty
  
• Fixed missing footsteps sfx and music in new caves
  
• Fixed a edge case where player could get past Asmus without ever talking to him at the beginning of the game
  
• Fixed a bug that caused preplaced corpses of animals to not rot properly
  
• Fixed a bug that didn't trigger the spark correctly during expedition
  
• Fixed a bug that caused not to spawn Stalker egg in during the quest with Babsi
  
• Fixed bug where Aidan didn't take the ingredients for the Potion of Forgetfullness
  
• Fixed some tile errors in the world
  
• Changed name colors of new weapon spells
  
• Removed some weird objects that were visible out of bounds at the entrance of the Pit
  
• Removed crime reactions close to training area at Ruin Raiders
  
• Added a safety check to auto saves when fighting Draugr waves in the new dungeons
  
• Added friendly colors to health bar of new conjure spells

The wait is over! Update 1.3 called "The Flesh Rises" is now available!

After two weeks of intensive Beta testing we ironed out issues which sneaked into the game. Thank you for participating and helping us out here! It was a pure joy to connect with you on Discord and via the Steamforum and hearing your thoughts on our new content and reading through your feedback on the Balancing. That really helped to get things right.

Once again: Thank you for your support. You contributed in enabling us to create the Update in the best possible way!

Since this is the last big Content Update for Drova, we want to give you some insights about decisions we've made after the Release of Drova and what role you played in this process.

In the following Video Chris talks about the time right after the release and about the new Update. As always the video is in German language but English subtitles are available!


First of all we were indeed surprised by how well the Drova release worked out. We always believed in the project but everyone of you helped outperforming whatever we imagined upfront. Via your reviews and feedback you showed us that we indeed created something special with Drova. Something we can be proud of and something we wanted to build up even further.

Aftter Drova started off strong we knew we couldn't just move on to the next project. We wanted to give back. For all your love you showed for our little game.

We'll be honest here: We thought about creating a DLC and we did some research on that. But we ran into an issue here: All RPG DLCs we love are closed off and add additional areas to these games with new questlines and so on and most of the DLCs can be played without the main game itself as well (and some also come with prepared savegames etc.).

Through your Feedback we quickly realized that this wasn't the best way for Drova to become an even better game. Wishes you had mostly were focused on specific features and gameplay mechanics for the game. They were based on certain quests, quality of life improvements and so on. We wouldn't have been able to deliver on both things. We're a small team, we can't work on a DLC at the same time while also improving the game based on your feedback. And we didn't want to create a DLC with Features which were also essential for the game itself (e.g. new difficulty options, fast travel and so on).

So instead of going for a DLC we decided to come up with a plan for three major Updates in a timeframe of 5 months. And then take on the task to improve the game based on your feedback to make Drova the best possible game.

In 1.1 we introduced changes based on the feedback we received early on. We made controls even more customizeable, added a new cateogry within the Journal which allowed you to find NPCs easier and we also added a new questline to unlock Fast Travel.

With 1.2 we focused on a new difficulty. Quite often NG+ was requested. And a harder endgame. But the way we envisioned Drova NG+ doesn't work out pretty well which is why we've decided to create a special difficulty which allows player to make use of their knowledge about Drova. We also added new behaviours for monsters so that the new difficulty would indeed be a fresh challenge even for experienced players.

And now 1.3 introduces tons of changes based on your feedback again. We've added new challenges and optional content for you to discover in later chapters. And new spells. We also took our time to adjust Chapter 3 based on your feedback. Scroll a little bit down and you'll find more detailed infos about the recent changes.

And now we've reached the end of those three updates. And with that an even longer chapter for us comes to an end. Drova was our life for the last four years and it influenced our lifes in so many ways. During all that time you followed us, you've been there for us. You helped shaping up Drova to become the game it is today. And we can't thank you enough. You are the reason why we can continue creating games. And that's exactly what we'll do.

From now on we will, next to releasing some small additions here and there and bugfixes for Drova, concentrate on a new project. We cannot really say much about it just yet as we're still in the process of prototyping, throwing ideas around and testing out things. But one thing is carved in stone: We want to build upon the experiences we've made with Drova. And it will, once again, be a RPG.



Many of you fell in love with a small little piglet in the Forest Primeval. We got so many requests for a Cay Plushie and some of you even started a poll on our Discord for that. We loved the idea so we started looking around right away.

In cooperation with Makeship we created a Plushie for Cay! The Plushie will be declared as funded once at least 200 preorders have been made. So it is now in your hands to make it a success story!

Here's a link for the campaign[www.makeship.com]!

And now let's check what's new in Patch 1.3!


Quite some of you wished for more content for later parts of the game. For the new Patch we took that feedback serious and added fresh lategame content. And yes, of course there was more feedback and all of the new content and changes in the following list are based on your feedback!

WARNING! Some of the changes contain heavy spoilers. If you did not play through Drova just yet and you don't want to get spoiled you should REALLY skip this part!


This is the biggest change we ever made since the release of Drova. The description is vague on purpose as you shall get a chance to discover on your own what this is all about:

Uncover secrets of the Bygones. How did the Red Moor come to life and what did the Bygones do there back in the days? Follow the hints and you will find something huge but will you be able to follow the path till the very end?


Even before the Rune Magic of the Bygones was discovered there was Magic in Drova. The Divinities shared their Runes with some of their closest human beings which allowed them to cast Magic in a natural way. Find the hidden secrets of the original inhabitants of Drova and discover their magic!

Many of you were sad that Magic comes in quite late in Drova. That's mostly due to the fact that we developed Drova as a game with a close combat focus in which your resources to cast magic build up by hitting enemies with your weapons.
We always wanted Drova to feel grounded. That's why the first things you can learn are of physical nature till you later get your Runestone to cast Magic.

We do understand though that some of you want to have that Mage fantasy in Drova right away. For that we have added a new spell category which will allow you to cast magic even without a Runestone. These spells are influenced by the Mind attribute which means investing in it early can give you some advantages.

We hope that this brings those players who want to play a mage closer to their fantasy. For us this was the best way to implement it into the world of Drova. Let us know how your experiences are with that addition.


Yep. We've got tons of Feedback regarding Chapter 3. Many had the feeling that they couldn't act like they wanted or how their character would have acted. Or they were shocked after the bossfight and what tragedy was caused afterwards.

The results and topics caused by the expedition are an important point within the story of the game. It changes everything and gives a twist and it allows the player to understand their faction and their actual goals. And it allows the player to question the decisions.
Additionally if we added an option to not catch the Divinity, that'd have massive influences on later parts of the game. We would need to add a massive chunk of additional content for Chapter 4, adding a completely new story. Which... well, means that it'd also change the game in more ways than we can even imagine.
And yet, we do understand those who didn't like how the events turned out. We will keep that in mind for future stories told by us. This helps us to plan out things a bit better in the future and include alternative ways right from the very beginning.

We still took a look at the expedition once again and changed a couple of things which should make the events a bit less shocking and maybe even a bit more understandable.

Now you have the option to question the events way more during the Expedition itself. Also reactions of people have been adjusted when you warned them. Together with Diemo you can now also pre-warn the Divinity and inform it about the events which are about to happen. That even has an influence on the fight itself.

We also added a dialogue with Reija in the Library to give you another option to reflect and think about the events in Chapter 3.


New notes appeared about a ruin of the Bygones! The Bygones are known for their experiments with Rune Magic to discover new ways of using it. It seems that they worked on a way to improve warriors with Magic...

Search for the ruins and face magically improved warriors. Only by doing so you can discover the secrets hidden in there.


Many of you who played a warrior disliked the fact that they had not enough spells in the lategame to play the kind of warrior they wanted to be. Maybe those having that warrior fantasy don't want to throw fireballs or energy strikes but just want to hit someone with an Axe right in the face.
Since many events in Drova rely on the Runestone and the option to get access to that Magic, we have added new spells which are based on weapon types and add magical damage based on your weapon and type of weapon.
The new spells can be discovered in Chapter 4.



Another feedback we got was that most of our caves and dungeons use the same graphics. We have now added a new tileset for the Red Moor which should give you some variety for the underground areas of the game and that you will have the feeling to be in the Moor even while in a cave.


Here is a list of other changes we made and added to the game.

• A new spell was added which has nothing to do with casting magic on a Weapon and is also not related to the Old Magic.
  
• New Discover-Options - A bunch of new objects can be found and contain information when take a closer look.
  
• Treasure Maps are marked as found.
  
• Credits are now played slower and can be speeded up by pressing a key.
  
• Nests of flies have a new animation when not destroyed.
  
• The laughing animation was reworked and should look better on all NPCs.
  
• In English smirking has been reduced (and replaced with other words here and there).
  
• 3 new weapons with improved focus generation have been added. These shall support the player early on to focus on Mind rather early in the game.
  
• You can now tell Reija that you found Monk in Chapter 1.
  
• You can now snitch on Katsa and Mursel at Levin.
  
• You can now tell Meluna that you defeated Bady.
  
• New journal entry which gives a hint on where to find your equipment after getting drunk with Eugen.
  
• New monsters appear in chapter 2 and 4.

• Focus Form: Decreased time to max burn rate from 30 to 15 seconds.
  
• Kick: Reduced strength scaling by 50%.
  
• Magic Missle: Increased damage from 200 to 250.
  
• Rune Spear: Duration increased from 20 to 30 seconds.
  
• Blaze: Slightly increased cast time.
  
• Battlecry: Now Increases only physical damage.
  
• Spells no longer suffer from reduced poise damage when hitting multiple targets.
  
• Ring of Blood: Reduced healing by 33%, but improved healing when using weapons with lower damage (like daggers).
  
• Gladiator Armor: Damage reduction reduced from 90% to 70% for NPCs.
  
• Swords: Slightly decreased charge time of sword's third combo attack.
  
• Daggers: Increased critical damage multiplier of the secondary from 200% to 250%.
  
• Focused Strikes: no longer affects multihit attacks with spears.
  
• Increased HP of Jero/Molvina and Drivanius by ~20% on Insane among other slight adjustments.

• Fixed Wind Talisman, so it increases only physical damage.
  
• Some text adjustments here and there.
  
• Some changes to environment here and there.
  
• Fixed an internal error when loading during loot interaction.
  
• Fixed two hair presets that had visual errors.
  
• Fixed error where package can be duplicated when looting Asmus.
  
• While Henik is in the warehouse his location in the journal will be "Nemeton Market".
  
• Fixed energy storages at the platform puzzle to only react to magical damage.
  
• Fixed an dialog error that caused overlapping sounds.
  
• Fixed some non-lootable items in the world that were blocked by other objects.
  
• Fixed an issue in the deep mine with Jendra that caused a cutscene to stuck sometimes.
  
• Fixed exploding flesh monster that kept running while exploding.
  
• Fixed a bug in spell menu that caused an amount number to pop up.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused enemies to have wrong poise values if they have a variant in insane mode.
  
• Fixed wrong focus bar slicing in the ability tab.
  
• Fixed Blaze spell so it hits objects like training dummies.
  
• Fixed Spear talent generating Endurance for each enemy that got hit.
  
• Fixed some places where player could get stuck between some obstacles.
  
• Changed Venia channel animation in the intro.
  
• Dried Heart of Sprigga: now affects flesh monsters properly.
  
• Aldos Ring no longer has the tooltip part with “if multiple are equipped…”.
  
• Fixed quest “Road to the Pit” so that Jola still guides you there if you have been there already.
  
• Fixed that Mottek couldn’t be attacked after guiding you to the Pit.
  
• Fixed Baldo walking out of his cage sometimes.
  
• Reduced chance that NPCs in a group block the player.
  
• Fixed a rare bug with Kendrick resulting in a stuck dialog.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused bandits not to use consumables.
  
• Removed the possibility to loot the gladiator helmet from ada before beating her in the arena.
  
• Fixed a bug that causes the game to freeze when talking to NPCs entering/leaving caves.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused the player not to stagger blocking too much when using Dorian’s Heirloom.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused the journal entry of “The Way to the Red Tower” to not update properly when playing Remnants Camp.

Travelers of the Otherworld!

We have just released patch version 1.3 Beta 4. Soon our beta will end, so if you want to check it out yourself before the official release, check out:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1585180/view/539973539856385765

Have a nice weekend,
Just2D
________________________

Finally, here's a list of other bug fixes, balancing changes and the like that we've done in the context of this update:

Balancing/Changes

• Battlecry now only increases physical damage
  
• Wind Talisman now only increases physical damage
  
• Increased HP of Jero/Molvina and Drivanius by ~20% on Insane among other slight adjustments
  
• Added 8 directional animations for "Gift of the Wolf"
  
• Added sounds and visual effects to the crystal when fighting the waves in the new dungeon
  
• Increased number of hits needed to progress after beating new boss
  
• Added an animation to boss enemy when he enrages (missing a sound)
  
• Improved healing with "Ring of Blood" when using weapons with lower damage (like daggers)

Fixes

• Fixed Bady not fighting properly when fighting him a second time after the arena
  
• Fixed small tilemap errors in the world
  
• Fixed wrong collisions with actors when using "Gift of the Wolf"
  
• Fixed an bug that caused enemies to have wrong poise values if they have a variant in insane mode
  
• Fixed wrong focus bar slicing in the ability tab
  
• Fixed camera bug when transition to the optional ending

Travelers of the Otherworld!

We have just released patch version 1.3 Beta 3. Some fixes from the last patches were not applied correctly and the entry to the new boss encounter was blocked.

If you didn't play the beta yet, you can see here how to join it:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1585180/view/539973539856385765

Have a nice week,
Just2D
________________________

Finally, here's a list of other bug fixes, balancing changes and the like that we've done in the context of this update:

Fixes

• Fixed colliders that were active before the boss fight and blocked the entry
  
• Fixed some changes form last patch were not applied correctly
  
• Fixed some menhirs that faded completely
  
• Fixed some pixel and tile errors in the world
  
• Fixed an issue in the deep mine with Jendra that caused a stucking cutscene sometimes
  
• Fixed exploding flesh monster that kept running while exploding
  
• Fixed a bug in spell menu that caused an amount number to pop up

Travelers of the Otherworld!

We have just released patch version 1.3 Beta 2. I want to use the opportunity to thank everyone who has played the beta so far and reported bugs and gave feedback: these are insanely useful for us!

If you didn't play the beta yet, you can see here how to join it:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1585180/view/539973539856385765

Have a nice week,
Just2D
________________________

Finally, here's a list of other bug fixes, balancing changes and the like that we've done in the context of this update:

Balancing & Changes

• Nature Touch - Reduced additional heal per point of Mind from 2 to 1 per tick and increased duration from 13 to 18 seconds
  
• Added additional obstacles to the new boss encounter
  
• Gift of the Wolf - Can now be reversed by casting the spell
  
• Gift of the Wolf - Increased collider size
  
• Added sound when finishing the third button in the new dungeon

Fixes

• Fixed a softlock that occured when using multiple buttons in the new dungeon
  
• Fixed tooltip of Nature Touch
  
• Fixed several graphical issues with Gift of the Wolf
  
• Fixed energy storages at the platform puzzle to only react to magical damage
  
• Fixed an dialog error that caused overlapping sounds
  
• Fixed the remaining tilemap collider bugs
  
• Fixed that new spells can be picked up multiple times after loading a savegame
  
• Fixed some non-lootable items in the world that were blocked by other object
  
• Fixed some item localization issues

Travelers of the Otherworld!

We have just released patch version 1.3 Beta 1.
In case you missed it, we are having a beta branch for the next few weeks before the offcial 1.3 patch releases. If you want to help find bugs and give feedback, please check it out:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1585180/view/539973539856385765

Have fun with Drova and have a nice weekend,
Just2D
________________________

Finally, here's a list of other bug fixes, balancing changes and the like that we've done in the context of this update:

Balancing

• Ring of Blood - Decreased lifesteal rate by 50%

Changes to new boss

• Added a short pause when player is in high range and not attacking
  
• Increased Poise Damage of slow attacks
  
• Adjusted some hitboxes
  
• Added colliders to the body after it died

Fixes

• Fixed new dialog option with Meluna if selling a certain item before talking to her
  
• Fixed obsidian spear spell not working after defeating new boss
  
• Changed how to get the new spell from Diemo Sparks
  
• Fixed lots of visual tilemap errors
  
• Fixed an issue with tilemap collision (some issues still remaining)
  
• Some changes to environment here and there
  
• Fixed render order of new transformation spell
  
• Fixed an internal error when loading during loot interaction
  
• Fixed weird black line on a breakable wall after saving/loading
  
• Replaced some items that weren't lootable properly
  
• Fixed fading on new wall murals
  
• Fixed a bug where health bars stayed visible on defeated Draugrs in new dungeon
  
• Fixed a bug where camera goes out of bounds when entering Red Tower from nemeton side
  
• Fixed two hair presets that had visual errors
  
• Fixed error where package can be duplicated when looting Asmus
  
• While Henik is in the warehouse his location in the journal will be "Nemeton Market"