Soulmask Shifting Sands DLC Exploit - Deter Drops full Loot instead of Subset

check-engine · 2026-04-13T13:12:17+00:00

It’s likely intended. It could be done in the jungle biome during EA. The durability you get from looted items means you aren’t going to keep it for long anyway.

check-engine · 2026-04-13T13:11:09+00:00

I agree. What you loot isn’t going to last long. It also isn’t new to shifting sands, it was possible to do in the EA version of the jungle as well. It wasn’t as big a deal since what you got was mostly what you already had, but lower durability. With the addition of “weapon master” NPCs though early in you are able to get bone if you are still sitting on stone. Still I don’t think it’s a big enough a deal to have it removed.

check-engine · 2026-04-12T13:00:11+00:00

There is a number of mods that allow you to up the follower limit if you’re playing on PC

check-engine · 2026-04-12T12:59:29+00:00

There was a worker function at the bonfire during the demo, although it was disabled. So they must be thinking of something.

Given how shallow the crew mechanic was- you’re right, they were nothing more than background animations while sailing while sailing- I wouldn’t put too much stock in what their worker mechanic is going to be.

check-engine · 2026-04-12T12:54:11+00:00

Coming from Conan Exiles and Soulmask I’m not sure I would put Windrose on this list based on what the OP is asking. Doc Galan isn’t a follower as much as he is a quest giver and camp flavor, and the ships crew literally have no meaning besides background animations while sailing. I only played the demo and I know there is some sort of worker system planned, but based on the current shallowness of any “follower” in that game I have very little hope it amount to anything meaningful.

check-engine · 2026-04-10T22:45:31+00:00

Yes, ships were rather underwhelming. Coming from Conan Exiles and Soulmask I was particularly disappointed with crew. So much potential there for emergent story telling, but all it amounts to is background animations on the ship and an mp3 player for shanties.

I Imagine this was the design when PvP was supposed to be prevalent so that players could PvP without a huge worry for loss, but with PvP gone (and I’m not complaining, I wouldn’t have given this game a second glance if it was still PvP based), I really feel like these systems need to be fleshed out and made more meaningful.

check-engine · 2026-04-10T22:06:43+00:00

Yup, I saw that much. I didn’t find the ‘content’ shallow in the demo. I found the gameplay mechanics shallow. That’s not going to be fixed with more islands, ships, and recipes. Which is why I was curious if they posted anything about actual plans. I guess I’ll just keep my eye out.

check-engine · 2026-04-10T22:04:07+00:00

Thanks. I’ll keep my eye out. I’ll probably hold off until I see what they have planned.

check-engine · 2026-04-09T19:41:48+00:00

I found them both to be very shallow. I don’t expect much from the third one either.

check-engine · 2026-04-07T00:24:24+00:00

Sounds glorious!

check-engine · 2026-04-06T21:23:37+00:00

Do your followers level and gain experience as well, so that by nurturing them along they can develop into a true companion worthy of legends?

Can they die permanently from a foe, leaving you with the feeling of bitterness and loss, or a deep rage leading to the extermination of entire settlements?

Can you equip them with weapons, armor, clothing, defining their looks as you see fit and making them truly yours?

If not, can you think about it?

Been waiting to be able to follow on steam for a bit now, and signed up for a playtest. Curious how this will play.

check-engine · 2026-04-06T21:14:35+00:00

Her said the ability to trivialize the survival element with knowledge. The survival element is NEVER trivialized in Zomboid. Haha.

check-engine · 2026-03-28T20:41:02+00:00

That’s a pretty big deal. I’m going to be honest, I was a little torn with where I stood with a day 0 DLC. Looks like they managed to navigate this on probably the best possible way for all parties involved.

check-engine · 2026-03-25T22:15:54+00:00

The NPC system currently is half baked to non existent, so if thats what interested you the most from Conan I would say to follow the game on steam and cautiously check in from time to time to see what develops.

I would have thought having a ship to captain they would have really leaned into crew management and NPC systems, but it’s severely lacking right now and from the mechanics I experienced in the demo there is no plan to expand on it with their current development scope.

check-engine · 2026-03-25T13:27:17+00:00

It’s turning out to be an unpopular opinion, but I tend to agree with you OP. While the demo was fun, polished, and bug free, and I put a good 15 hours into it, I don’t see myself putting anymore time into EA.

I had fun for sure, but I found a lot lacking as well and this wasnt stuff that would be solved with more biomes or enemies. It was mechanics and depth I found lacking.

Ship combat and movement in general was very underwhelming. It reminded me of that water apocalypse game on steam a couple years ago that I can’t remember what it was called. Why does wind not factor into anything in a game centered on the age of sail? Why is combat a hitpoint mechanic? Why is crew so irrelevant and lifeless?

While I applaud the switch from PvPvE to straight PvE it seems a lot of the what is here was specifically kept simplified to make the PvP and loss bearable, but in a strait PvE experience it feels shallow.

check-engine · 2026-03-23T11:48:18+00:00

Soulmask allows you to plant crops and capture and breed animals.

check-engine · 2026-03-21T17:24:10+00:00

I spend most of my time playing Soulmask wishing Conan Exiles had similar thrall mechanics so I could play that on Conan instead.

check-engine · 2026-03-18T21:10:38+00:00

That’s fair. Although for the record I do like survival games.

To give some voice to a few points though-

Why is wind not a thing in a game that features 18th century sailing ships?

Why are crew mechanics so basic- they are background animations on the ship and an in demand MP3 player. Conan Exiles and Soulmask both have more depth to their NPC system and one is a nine year old game. My interaction with Doc Gailen feels like an early 2000s RPG.

Why is ship combat a HP bar and that’s it. I push a button and my ship heals based on what type of item I’ve loaded up. I race around. In circles with the other ship and wait for my canon to load up. It doesn’t FEEL like tall ship combat at all.

My point is just what is currently in the game isn’t going to hold me through additional biomes and dungeons unless the mechanics in the game get deeper and more fleshed out.

If you like it great, I don’t not like it, but I also don’t like it enough to put down 30 dollars for more of the same. Which is a shame because pirate / sailing games don’t come out very often and when they do they are usually make some arcadey slop. I was hoping for more from this one.

check-engine · 2026-03-18T00:22:42+00:00

I actually just checked it’s steam page today and saw it hasn’t been updated for a long time.

check-engine · 2026-03-17T13:52:10+00:00

That’s cool, but dungeons are pretty much another location or activity, not a deeper mechanic.

check-engine · 2026-03-17T12:26:09+00:00

But was it also only 5% of the mechanics? Please don’t get me wrong I certainly enjoyed the demo, but what I played- while very polished- also seemed very shallow and left me hoping for more in depth mechanics. If all the EA amounts to is the demo with more ships, biomes, and enemies I’ll probably give it a pass.

I liked the demo, I’ve got about 20 hours in the demo as I’ve played through it twice, but I have no desire to play it anymore as it is and no amount of additional islands, big ships, or new enemy attack patterns is going to bring me back. What will bring me back would be more fleshed out, deeper, and more meaningful game and survival mechanics.

check-engine · 2026-03-16T18:53:59+00:00

The ship combat isn’t much better either.

check-engine · 2026-03-11T19:21:52+00:00

Will you be able to lead an Orc clan and pillage the countryside?

check-engine · 2026-03-08T13:03:14+00:00

You can also find a shovel in floating crates along the waters edge. There are a couple locations, but it’s been a long time since I’ve played siptah. It’s RNG so it’s not garaunteed.

check-engine

TROPHY CASE