Solasta 2 will add the warlock class and cooperative multiplayer in its first early access update, PC Gamer reports. The update, labelled early access update 1, is scheduled for September 10 and also carries a round of fixes and stability improvements.
Multiplayer supports up to four players in a single session, either starting a new game or joining one already in progress. According to PC Gamer, the host can hand an arriving player an existing character, or that player can bring one of their own or create a new one on the spot. Control of companions who join the party can be split between players as the group goes, every player gets a vote on major story and dialogue choices, and a ping system is being added to help groups communicate.
Two subclasses for the new warlock
The warlock joins a class roster that currently runs to fighter, wizard, rogue, cleric, paladin and sorcerer. Its two subclasses are the timekeeper and the dreamer. PC Gamer describes the timekeeper as a support option that buffs allies to act faster while stripping enemies of their reactions, and the dreamer as a controller that commands nightmares, inflicts exhaustion and puts enemies to sleep.
Update 1 also collects a set of changes aimed at players who run a full party themselves. Character customization expands with more hairstyles, tattoos, warpaint and beards; stats can be rolled randomly; spell component rules become optional, letting players choose between rulebook accuracy and a simpler system; roughly 30 additional world events are scattered through exploration; cloud saves arrive; and controller players get a way to switch into cautious mode.
A second update is scheduled for the last quarter of the year. PC Gamer reports it will add another class, two more ancestries, the start of act two, an increased level cap and a crafting system. Solasta 2 is currently available in early access on Steam.