Valheim, the Viking survival RPG that has taken Steam by storm, has issued a new update aimed at improving farming in the game. Update 0.148.7, released on March 29, decreases the use delay with the Hammer, Hoe, and Cultivator.
Valheim, developed by Iron Gate Studio and published by Coffee Stain Publishing, is in Early Access after being released on February 2, 2021. There have been a few updates thus far, the last of which came out on March 23, but the popular indie game's developers have larger expansions planned to come out over the course of this year.
This update fixed some sound glitches, changed the look of the credits screen, added missing names, and did some localization updates. Most significantly, however, common tools the Hammer, Hoe, and Cultivator have had some alterations. This update promises a slightly lower use delay and queued button presses "for a smoother experience," according to the patch notes on Steam. Also part of the update is a new, separate walk-sneak snow footstep special effect.
For Valheim players this means that building and repairing with the Hammer should be just a little faster. On top of this, players who commonly level and adjust the ground with the Hoe, and rely on planting and farming with the Cultivator, should have an easier time too. It should be noted that Valheim's developers have laid out their planned larger-scale updates in an organized roadmap, and while this tweak is helpful, it isn't part of a larger update.
While small, updates such as 0.148.7 are a big part of what helps earn titles like Valheim glowing reviews from their players. Adjustments to quality of life within a game are sometimes undervalued in the industry, and this is a prime example of a developer tweaking things to keep its players happy. The building and farming within Valheim were far from broken, but this little change should make them work even better than before without changing the feel of the game dramatically.
There is a school of thought, however, that survival games such as this one succeed because they are difficult and arduous. The grind of gathering material, crafting the right tools, and upgrading characters are core pieces to Valheim's gameplay loop, and are supposed to be a challenge. Luckily, the subtle change within this update shouldn't affect the survival aspect of this title too much.
Valheim is available now in Early Access on Steam.
Source: Steam