Obsidian was 'surprised' that Avowed players bounced off one of the RPG's most important systems: 'That frustration came through loud and clear'

There are very few good examples of RPG crafting systems. I'll make an exception for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which makes alchemy and blacksmithing tactile and engaging. Otherwise? Get outta here with your busywork. And it looks like a lot of Avowed players feel the same way.

Avowed's upgrade system caught a lot of flak at launch, which required players to use upgrade materials to keep their favourite weapons and bits of armour viable as they explored new areas. Crafting is often treated as optional in RPGs, but not so in Avowed, where it's a system you're required to engage with. And that caused some problems.

"We were definitely surprised by how many people consistently bounced off the upgrading experience," gameplay director Gabe Paramo recently told RPG Site. "We were trying to create a tight gameplay loop. The player completes content, upgrades their gear, and faces harder content. But because the game is open-area, players who really wanted to explore were getting stopped in their tracks in ways we didn't anticipate."

Eager players would jet off on new adventures, and then get stuck, not because the fights were too difficult, but "because the upgrade system wasn't keeping pace with their curiosity," said Paramo.

It was feedback that Obsidian couldn't overlook, he added. "That frustration came through loud and clear. We've since addressed it and made the experience much more gradual and less binary."

These changes feature in the recently-launched anniversary update which, along with new races, a new weapon and a NG+ mode, makes some big changes to progression and, in turn, the upgrade system.

"When the game first launched, there was a strong community sentiment that the economy was way too tight," Paramo said. "Players felt like they were bouncing off the content too quickly, not enough unique gear variety, equipment prices in stores felt too steep, the upgrade system required too many resources, and the world wasn't providing enough to keep up."

So Obsidian's tried to fix that. "We were able to address all of that. Players can now engage with the progression systems the way they want to. The friction has been smoothed out significantly, and the progression curve feels much more gradual rather than heavily stepped."

It's a change I can get behind. It mostly seems to be related to the new custom difficulty modifiers. As well as making your character and companions more powerful, you can make some broader adjustments to the world, changing merchant prices and upgrade material costs. So you'll be able to more easily buy useful gear, while upgrading said gear will be less of a faff. There are also workbenches dotted around the world now, so you no longer need to return to camp to improve your equipment. You can check out all the changes in the 2.0 patch notes.

Avowed's anniversary update is out now.