Dissonance Mode Changes (Patreon)

As part of the lead-up to our coming Old Acquaintances DLC, some members of the team have been taking on board the feedback regarding certain aspects of the game’s difficulty, and thus, we have decided – along with a slew of other things – to revamp Vagrus’s Dissonance Mode. Most importantly, once we release this update, players will be able to permanently change their Wasteland Mode savegame to load in Dissonance Mode from then on. We’re also working on adding several additional elements to it, but before we get into that, let’s talk a little bit about the goals of the game mode.

It is no secret that Vagrus - The Riven Realms simulates a difficulty more often found in old-school RPGs, which is why we knew at release we’d have to implement a mode that would be a little more forgiving. That mode was and still is Dissonance Mode. While Wasteland Mode simulates dynamics closest to what we feel is the reality of the Riven Realms, its alternative is set up to give players various advantages and make things slightly easier. It is, by no means, an “easy mode”. Dissonance Mode confers the following benefits to players:

• The vagrus receives a hidden advantage in Tests and other percentage rolls

• Respeccing Companions can be done an unlimited amount of times

• Trading is, as a whole, slightly more profitable

• Faction tasks are generally more profitable

• Supplies are cheaper

• Hunting or Foraging have higher yields

• Negative Enduring Effects or penalties have a reduced impact across the board

• There are greater breaks between random Crew Combat encounters; the player has more favorable odds in Crew Combat encounters that occur randomly

• Reduced enemy Accuracy in Companion Combat

• Companions heal at a faster rate while resting

Those benefits are already in play, but the trouble is that players could only begin a new campaign in Dissonance Mode. Consequently, if a player was struggling to survive there was no way out; they simply had to start a new campaign. With the mode now accessible during a playthrough, those players will be able to curb some losses and effects through Dissonance Mode. It is important to note that once a savegame is switched to Dissonance Mode, there is no going back as it would cause too many issues and exploits. We are also considering offering some further optional benefits when the switch happens to somewhat set off the previous hardships, some of which are immediate. These are subject to change but currently include:

• Stat boosts for comitati

• Upfront coin to help propel a vagrus’s operations

• An increase in Movement Points (especially so if the comitatus is already dangerously low)

• Reputation/Loyalty point bonuses to prevent companions from leaving the comitatus (this one is a big may

After this has been implemented, all players will need to do is select any savegame already in Wasteland Mode and load it into Dissonance Mode. Doing so will give a number of warnings (most notably that it is a one-way change), but after you click through, both immediate bonuses and long-term benefits will be accrued moving forward. We shall have more details as we draw closer to our next build, so for now, we reckon you do as you always do: stay safe, stay watchful, and conquer the wasteland!

– The Lost Pilgrims Team