Fishing, the wilds and houses with an upper floor

Several things went live together today. All of it remains part of the closed alpha, and scope may change.

Fishing and cooking. In Reedhouse, Tomas Ashcombe teaches Fishing I. You can buy the rod at Reedhouse Fishing Supplies. You fish at the canal, the pond and the river: cast, wait for the bite, reel in. Cooking turns game meat into simple dishes. Both are calm side trades that have nothing to do with combat. You manage them in the professions window, which opens with the K key.

The wilds feel busier. Wolves roam the heath in pairs, deer herds cross the meadows of Lanterford Vale, and other animals wander. There is a new patrol on the Fallow Row road, runners between camps, and resting spots where enemies sometimes stand still. If you approach a pack, check how many there are first.

Eleven houses with an upper floor. Houses whose facade shows two storeys now have a first floor inside as well. The rooms are furnished by use, from a family home to a training room. Small rooms are shown in the middle of the screen so nothing sticks to the edge.

Names and the title line. Trainers, vendors, innkeepers and similar characters now show a role line under their name, such as “Herbalism Trainer”. Name and line carry a colour by attitude: greenish for friendly, yellow for neutral, reddish for hostile. The level number shows difficulty. In the menu you can switch the title line and the attitude colour off separately.

Controls. NPCs turn to face you when you talk to them, and service characters pause what they are doing for it. Innkeepers and profession trainers are also there at night. At vendors a click selects and a right-click buys, with a confirmation for expensive purchases; trainers ask before you learn. Character select can be reordered with arrows. A hint appears under your feet at doors and stairs, hanging signs sit in front of the window light, and long hair is redrawn from behind.

The closed alpha remains at levels 1 to 15, with human and Ithreni characters and Warrior, Priest and Mage. The status page lists the current scope. Sign up for the waitlist through Join in; places are limited and the alpha is free. The alpha agreement governs how progress is handled.

Saltwarden Online is inspired by classic MMORPGs and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any other game or its publisher.