Expeditions: Samurai is expected to receive a variety of changes to its gameplay, interface, and presentation after the developers collect feedback since the game entered Early Access a few weeks ago. A major planned change will raise the maximum number of players per party from four to six in most areas. Smaller places such as castles and manors will still allow groups of four, but most other areas will allow six characters.
Dialogue interactions are also being expanded so companions can make use of their own skills during conversations. Currently, dialogue skill checks are centred on the player’s main character. The team involved in the development is at the same time making preparations to alter the trading screens, the user experience of the world map and the overall interface, as well as carrying out several revisions to the stealth mechanics.
Enemies will become more likely to enter combat after witnessing an attack on an ally, while characters will remain in sneak mode after carrying out a stealth takedown. Ranged sneak attacks will receive a cooldown, and attacking enemies who are already aware or alert will no longer provide bonus sneak attack damage.
Additional features currently in development include:
- Rebindable mouse inputs and more options during character creation.
- Several visual updates are also planned. New outfits are being developed, including a replacement default outfit for Kage, while both Kage and Piet are receiving updates to their faces and beards to bring their presentation closer to the level of detail seen across other characters.
- Certain weapon models, especially daggers and pistols, are also being reduced in size.
- Changes are also being made to visual effects, including improved gunsmoke effects for pistols, arquebuses, and tanegashima, as well as for the guns used by De Albatros.
- The visual effect which is currently displayed when a character gains an action point during a battle is also being changed. This effect was originally used as a placeholder drawn from the level-up visual effect in Expeditions: Rome; it will now be replaced by the level-up animation, while gaining an action point will have a new and more subtle visual effect.
