When preparing Umbra Turris 4th Edition for publication, there were a few chapters that we wanted to work on again. One of them was the combat section. We didn’t have any comments from you that anything in combat – after countless adjustments that were made thanks to your suggestions – needed to be changed. But we felt that the 4th edition required us to take another look at the mechanics. A few months ago, there was an idea to change the combat mechanics to make the game more dynamic. It would also become simpler, making it more accessible to younger players and easier for those just starting out.
From time to time we talked about our ideas for possible changes, but without any specific arrangements. As the finalisation of the rulebook is near, we had to take a closer look at the combat rules, as we planned to replace them with new ones. We must honestly admit that, to our surprise, the old combat rules turned out to be much better and more exciting than our new proposals.
Ultimately, we came to the conclusion that changing the rules to simpler ones could do more harm than good to the game. The abilities of races and professions work very well with the old mechanics, and we also know that not everyone likes the general trend of simplifying all the rules. So we decided that, in the end, Umbra Turris will stick to the combat rules known from previous editions. The certain level of complexity of this game is its advantage and we considered it inappropriate to adapt it to the current trend.
We want the game to stand out and for players who are figuring out the rules to be excited about finding interesting combos. So if someone is looking for a simple game, the 4th edition of Umbra Turris will unfortunately not be one. Moreover, the rulebook includes several additional rules that will further enrich the gameplay.
Once the rulebook is completely finished, we will be able to tell you a little more about the changes.