Hi Everyone! Welcome to this devlog update! We took a short break over the holidays to recharge and gather even more exciting updates. Now, we are ready to share our progress and give you some insights into our development process. We know many of you are eagerly awaiting the game and news about the beta release date, so we will share everything that is on our mind and be transparent about the development process. Before we dive in, we invite you to join our Discord to get news firsthand!
[hr][/hr] In this devlog video, we featured Yuki! She is a tank, but rather than relying on bulk and blocking attacks, the little kitsune excels through agility and mobility. Many of her damage abilities also serve as evasion tools, letting her avoid harm while staying on the offensive. Her ice powers provide strong crowd control, keeping enemies at bay. [previewyoutube=yVuI_IJM8eQ;full][/previewyoutube]
The game has been delayed since its first announcement because its scope has expanded significantly. Our original plan was much simpler, but our passion for the project inspired us to add many new features along the way. Our goal is not only to create an exceptional game but also to set a new standard for a 2D MMORPG. We have made several improvements to our original plan to enhance the game. Here are some of the major features that have evolved over time:

• Customization Initially, the game was designed to offer only skins for each hero, similar to League of Legends. Today, players can not only choose different skins but also customize every heros colors using in-game dyes (hair, clothes, armor, etc.). Additionally, we have added options such as various hairstyles, helmets and armor pieces, allowing each skin to have a unique look.
• Mounts and Pets We introduced both mounts and pets because they add an extra layer of excitement to the gameplay. Players now enjoy the thrill of hunting for rare cosmetics in the open world. Boss drops are even more rewarding with the inclusion of exclusive mounts and pets. For players who are not typically interested in such things, these still become valuable in player trading due to their rarity.
• Open World The original plan for the game was more of a "dungeon crawler," with cities serving as lobbies and missions or dungeons forming the core gameplay. We expanded this idea by adding a vast open world that encourages exploration, offers hidden chests, engaging quests and secret locations where players can discover things and even mounts and pets locations. Although the "dungeon crawler" aspect of the game still plays a significant role, the open world creates a richer and more immersive experience.
• Artifacts and Trophies Heroes were originally able to customize their build with orbs alone, but we felt this approach was somewhat limited. That is why we introduced artifacts that grant two additional active skills and trophies that provide two passive abilities. With these new options, we created around 200 active skills along with many passive skills. This gives players more freedom to shape their builds and opens up new possibilities for unique rewards and future updates!
• Mini Bosses Although the game originally featured many complex boss encounters in the endgame, we believe that exciting challenges should be part of early levels and regular missions as well. That is why we have introduced and continue to add a large number of mini bosses throughout the game. We feel that these encounters are essential to making the leveling experience more dynamic and engaging.

These examples represent just a few of the major enhancements we have added during development. Many smaller improvements were implemented as well, and together they have greatly improved the game. While these additions have increased development time, we are confident that the results will be well worth the wait. [hr][/hr]
Now, let's review what we've accomplished over the past few months and whats left to do before the beta!

• We completed the entire system and configs for all upgrades of Equipment, Artifacts, and Trophies (those were hundreds of recipes).
• All loot tables have been finalized for enemies, missions, and bosses, covering every type of reward, including equipment, artifacts, orbs, and and tons of different cosmetics.
• We finalized all the experience gains for enemies, missions, and bosses.
• As we mentioned in the previous devlog, we completed customization for 10 heroes. This time we added 7 more, making a total of 17 heroes ready to customize.
  
  
  
• We completed and configured the Open World enemies loots.
• The last set of pets we planned to add is finished, totaling 195 pets to collect. There will be no more additions for the release.
  
  
  
  
  
• We finished and balanced additional enemies, including many new mini bosses and standard monsters like demons, succubus, and reavers.
  
  
  
  
  
  Which one did you like the most? Share in the comments!
• We completed and polished many Adventurer Guild missions and created new maps.
• Some Open World quests were completed.
• The mission victory screen is complete, including rewards and experience. The Death and Retry screens have also been done.
• We finished 4 new Orbs for each hero, for their defensive abilities.
• Our cinematic system is now in place, helping us design improved quests and cinematic sequences.
• We completed many new mounts, though some exclusive ones are still in progress. Each endgame boss will drop a rare, exclusive mount and pet. In the coming weeks, all planned mounts will be ready!
  
• 10 new artifacts, which were needed to balance some rewards, especially for bosses, have been added.
• The Quest Log system is fully implemented, along with its tracking feature.
• The Databook is finished, featuring the lore of locations and NPCs you interact with.
• We completed the Bestiary! It provides the lore of various monsters and tracks the number of monsters defeated.
• Some of the Story quests were completed along with their cinematics.
• The Achievements system is now complete! It tracks your progress and milestones, rewarding you for various challenges and accomplishments throughout the game.
• All the new arts for Emotes are complete. Theyre now in pixel art instead of regular 2D and will follow the heros customized colors.
  
  
• We finished the NPC shop system.
• The Story Replay system is now fully set up, letting you replay cinematics and unlock them as you progress through the story.
• We completed the Adventurers Guild credits system. This in-game shop refreshes monthly and offers a variety of rewards in exchange for credits. Players can earn these credits only by completing Guild missions, making it an engaging way to reward regular participation.
• The new Ticket system is also ready. Tickets can be exchanged for guild credits and used during missions to activate temporary effects. These effects vary widely. For example, the Growth Ticket boosts your experience gains, while the Soulbound Ticket significantly increases drop rates but locks the dropped items to your account.
• We finalized several internal systems, including multi-instanced parties and a multi-instanced open world with different difficulties.

Our focus is now entirely on developing the Story, Open World and its Quests. In short, these are the final elements needed to complete. Although this part of the game remains in its early stages, it is the only major missing element at this point. As we mentioned in previous devlogs, nearly every gameplay aspect such as heroes and enemies has been completed and polished. However, the addition of the Open World introduced several extra tasks that we must address to ensure everything works seamlessly. [h5]Beta[/h5]We plan on doing an alpha internally with our team in march and then a Closed Beta in July. We will share more details when the time comes, because things can go off the rails, but hopefully this will not be the case! [hr][/hr]Thanks for reading all the way through! Well keep working hard to make the game more complete each time. If you can support us by sharing this devlog and giving it a thumbs up, it would help us a lot. See you next time! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2454980/Drakantos/

[ 2025-02-28 18:43:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi Everyone! For the past three months, weve been working hard, and we are pumped to walk you through some of the cool things we have developed! But, before we dive in, we would like to extend an invitation to join our Discord. We're constantly sharing teasers and chatting with our community there. Come say hi!
[hr][/hr] In this devlog video, we featured Marly, a priest who can heal and uses holy shields to protect her allies while dealing damage. She excels in AOE attacks and defensive abilities. We also highlighted the elf Irhaal, an agile damage dealer who wields a twinblade and specializes in fast, fluid combat. Additionally, we gave a brief glimpse of the Open World features! [previewyoutube=85DjP0kWYzw;full][/previewyoutube] Now, let's cover more of the things we developed during this period:
We have big news about customization options! Many of you asked for more ways to make your hero stand out, so we developed a system where each hero skin has unlockable styles. Our goal is to ensure everyone feels unique! These styles can include different hairstyles, hoods, helmets, armor variations, and other details. Additionally, you can use dyes to customize each part of your hero, with color palettes varying based on the material, making it highly customizable!

Example: Orbryn and Byron - different styles in their "default skins"

In the game, character colors will be locked by default, and players can unlock them using dyes, which are obtainable through rewards and gameplay. These dyes are tradable, making them valuable even for players who may not want to customize their looks, as they can be traded or sold to others.
Were launching with at least six styles per hero. Weve already completed this system for 10 heroes, including a skin for Mohazus (and remember, if a hero has a skin, it can also have several different styles for that skin).
On the left, Mohazus' "default skin" with a different style. On the right, Mohazus' skin, which will also have different styles.
The development team is fully focused on the Open World and Story, which are the least developed areas. That's because we first prioritized core gameplay mechanics, enemies, bosses, and Adventurers Guild missions. Those are now almost done and shifted down in priority.

• We're working on the world map, adding progression, and connecting cities with their surroundings to encourage exploration and player engagement. Were also introducing various exploration mechanics such as chests and puzzles, and numerous unlockables like the grappling hook, city teleporters, or tools for gathering resources like ores and wood.
• We have revised all the World Lore and each hero/npcs backgrounds. We've also revamped our cinematic system to display cutscenes as you progress in the story.

• Lots of improvements were made to the NPC system. We added some small touches to the dialogue system like new visual interactions, icons, shops, a forge for upgrades and even crafting.

• Weve also completed hundreds of items that will drop from enemies and missions. Soon, well begin distributing these rewards in loot and missions, as well as artifact upgrade recipes and other refinements.
• Weve created new artifacts that let you temporarily switch to another hero on your account, allowing you to create powerful combos and synergy with your current hero. This enables strong burst damage and provides the flexibility to enhance your strategy during challenging encounters. Note: For those who might not know, artifacts add 2 new skills that are unlocked in your account and can be used by almost any hero.
• Some of the Coliseum events are now complete. These solo survival challenges can appear randomly from time to time. Youll face waves of enemies, and at the end, you must defeat a champion to prove your worth. Do you have what it takes to emerge victorious?

• We have finished two major bosses. Each of these major bosses has at least 3-4 stages and a variety of unique mechanics and attacks. We don't want to spoil them too much yet, so we will leave them to your imagination.
• Speaking of bosses, we finished tons of minibosses that will appear as bounties in the Adventurers Guild missions. Basically, every mission will have its own set of bounty bosses. We showed some of them before, but these are the new ones we did recently!

Which one did you like the most? Share in the comments!

• Adorable new companions are now complete! Some of them were winners from our Create a Pet contest. With 150 pets ready for launch, were done adding new ones for now, though we may introduce more as special rewards in the future.

• Well also introduce some special pets that you'll nurture from their very first steps. Take a sneak peek:

• Weve finalized how you can get pets in the wild: you need to get or cook a treat and simply give it to them. If they like it, theyll become yours. Its a simple but cool feature!

Thats all for now, folks! Thank you all for reading this far. Well keep working hard to make the game more complete each time. If you can support us by sharing this devlog and giving it a thumbs up, it would help us a lot. See you next time! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2454980/Drakantos/

[ 2024-10-18 15:51:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! This Devlog will be a bit different from the others. This time we'd like to explain a bit more about how the game is going to work. Let's get started with some informations:

Future Devlogs

[quote=Dev notes]To keep you updated on our progress, we've been posting monthly Devlogs and several teasers on our Discord. However, to make the Devlogs more interesting and complete, we will now post them every three months. This way, we can bring you more exciting updates and content without disrupting our development pace. During this period, you won't be left without updates. We will continue posting teasers and content regularly on our Discord and other social media platforms, so you can stay closely updated![/quote]

Dates

[quote=Dev notes] We know many of you are eager to know an ETA on when the game will be released. However, this is not an easy task for any game developer company (not even for AAA). We have a lot of content ready, but there is still much work to be done. We want to release a game filled with content, especially since it's an MMORPG designed for long-term play. We don't want to launch the game as quickly as possible, we want to release it with plenty of features for the players. We are working hard and aiming for a release around mid-2025.[/quote] The featured hero this time is Liam. Since he has appeared several times before, we decided to showcase his gameplay along with a game teaser. In the video, you can catch a glimpse of a city in the open world and a mission from the Adventurers' Guild. [previewyoutube=1xdJY1ekhu8;full][/previewyoutube] Leave a comment below with your thoughts on the interfaces, gameplay, etc. Your feedback is essential for us to keep improving.

Gameplay

We've seen many people asking whether the game is an MMORPG or a co-op ARPG. In short, yes, it's an MMORPG, but it's definitely different from the conventional ones. We didn't follow the traditional formula and created something more unique. We're trying to combine the best aspects of an open world with the best of dungeon crawlers. Below, we'll explain in more detail how this will work. [hr][/hr]

Open World

In the game's open world, you'll be able to meet all the other players on your server, just like in any MMORPG. This part will focus more on:

• World exploration;
• Facing enemies;
• Finding chests and secrets;
• Solving puzzles;
• Collecting resources;
• Searching for pets;
• Story progression;
• Side quests;
• And more!

Additionally, we have the classic market where you can buy and sell items to other players as well as many minigames and activities to do in the cities and areas you explore and unlock.

Beginning:

Starting in the game, each character will have a different prologue, showcasing a bit about their story, personality and how they become involved in the main plot (villains will have a separate part, but we'll explain that at another time). This means the beginning of your journey will be unique depending on the character you choose. Eventually, players will arrive in Fairdale, the 'starting' village in the open world. We designed it this way to make it easier for friends to connect and avoid the issue of starting in different regions.

Quests:

After playing other MMORPGs, we've concluded that we no longer like doing linear 'talk here and there' quests, often mandatory for leveling up. That's why, in Drakantos, quests will have a real purpose and the rewards will not be only gold and experience, they will include unlocking systems, shops, artifacts, exploration tools (like a climbing hook to access new locations), and so on. We will also have many side quests and specific stories for certain characters. For example, a certain quest might require knowledge of Magic, so only mage characters will be able to complete it. It's important to note that these quests offer horizontal progression, meaning that completing a mission with one character will count for your entire account.

Experience:

Of course, you will also earn XP by facing enemies in the open world, but as we mentioned, this part will be much more focused on exploration and quests, rather than 'farming' or 'leveling.' For this, we will have the Adventurers' Guild. [hr][/hr]

Adventurers' Guild

We briefly mentioned the Adventurers' Guild in our last Devlog. This system will be the more 'Dungeon Crawler' part of the game that we talked about. All the major cities and villages will have an Adventurers' Guild. In these locations, you will be able to access the game's world map, with various missions available to choose from. These missions change periodically, altering both the maps and their main objective.
Currently, we have 120 different maps, with various biomes, and they function like dungeons. All of them were handcrafted, without procedural generation, because we believe it can make maps feel generic, and we want them to have a unique touch. The main objectives range from simple tasks like killing all the enemies in the mission, collecting specific items, finding something unique, escorting merchants, rescuing kidnapped villagers, finding a wanted boss, to defending villages from invaders or stopping conflicts between other factions. For example, you might have a mission to kill an Orc Leader in an elf map because they are in an ongoing conflict, and you end up getting involved in a battle between the two factions to find your target. This means that even if a familiar map is selected, the objective will vary a lot, making it different each time.
Sneak peek at some sub-bosses

Secondary objectives and Rare Special Events:

In addition to the main objectives for each mission, there can also be various random secondary objectives. Some examples:

• You are escorting a merchant at night when suddenly, you are ambushed by undead monsters.
• You enter a cave and come across a cultist ritual.
• You are collecting an item in the forest and find wild animals being devoured by a Griffin, which then starts to attack you.

And there can also be rare special events. Examples:

• NilVarix, the demonic clown, appears and proposes a challenge. Imagine you have already completed the mission, but can you finish it with a giant hand trying to crush you? Or by swapping places with other players? Or with a giant magnifying glass where you can't move while being watched.
• A golden gnome appears, and you need to defeat it before it escapes.
• A mercenary might offer you a proposal to attack other players during a mission, leading your group to raid other players' missions with the goal of eliminating them, and vice versa.

If you choose to complete these side missions, your reward at the end will include a bonus specific to each special or secondary event. All these situations will make the player experience much more fun and varied, reducing the repetitiveness of grinding and making the game more dynamic.

Ranks and Difficulty

These missions will appear based on your Rank in the Guild. This Rank is linked to your Power, which is essentially your strength with equipment (an overall item level). As you increase your power, you can rise your Rank. Each difficulty has the power of the enemies and minimum and maximum requirements for completion.
This means you can adjust the difficulty according to your preference. If you enjoy challenges and want to test yourself, you can advance in rank with the minimum requirements and attempt more difficult missions, accelerating your growth. However, if you prefer an easier difficulty, you can remain at your current rank for longer or even do missions from lower ranks. So, you can proceed at your own pace or even help friends who are at different ranks. The best part is that this setup facilitates the introduction of new content in the future. For example, if a rank has a limited variety of enemies or missions, we can introduce more content, and this will multiply the possibilities once integrated into the system, enriching the entire experience.

Matchmaking

To avoid queues and long wait times in the future, when you choose a mission, it automatically starts after a few seconds. If other players are also trying to do the same mission, you will join them. Otherwise, you will go alone or with however many people were also trying.

The standard queue is for 3 players, but the mission will start regardless of whether or not other players are found. In this case, other players can join you up to a few minutes after the mission has started, joining as reinforcements (or you can join someone else's mission that has already started). Enemy difficulty scales with the number of players to maintain consistent challenge levels. This scaling also adjusts if players quit or disconnect during the mission. In a premade group, you can play with up to four friends. We've set the player cap at 1 to 4 because we find that this number offers the most enjoyable experience. The game's top-down 2D perspective doesn't provide the expansive view you'd get in a 3D MMORPG. Furthermore, given it is a more paced and punishing action RPG, too many players on screen can make the gameplay chaotic. However, this limitation only applies to the regular Adventurers' Guild missions, we have other content designed for larger groups, including PvP and PvE modes.

Conclusion

In summary, the game is an MMORPG at its core, sharing the same world with thousands of players. There will be a wide variety of challenges during both the level-up phase and the endgame, offering difficulties for all tastes and allowing you to play with your friends from the beginning. Once again, we thank you for all your support. We hope you enjoyed this Devlog! Let us know in the comments what you found most interesting! See you next time!

[ 2024-07-08 20:52:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Greetings, adventurers, from lands near and far. I'm Thomas, the bard cat, this month's star. This time, I have the honor to present the devlog, sharing some of the latests news about what the devs have been working on. But first, allow me a moment to extend an invite, not to my showthough that'd delight! To Drakantos' Discord, gather around, where followers of this vibrant land abound.
[hr][/hr] It's my pleasure to introduce myselfI'm Thomas, The Bard cat! A charming adventurer at your service, specializing in support and crowd control. [previewyoutube=oSiG8GVkKp4;full][/previewyoutube]See all the other hero teasers here. [quote=Dev notes]Dev Note: Playing with Thomas is like playing an instrument, you need to match the colors of the notes when using 'Resonance' to increase the effectiveness of the spell.[/quote]
- The Devs revealed a short gameplay video with a first look inside the cultist tower. This grand and terrifying location might send a shiver down your spine just at the sight of its entrance. It's a place where only the bravest adventurers will dare to enter. [previewyoutube=wWarDbYiLRA;full][/previewyoutube] I wrote a short song about this adventure: In the cultist tower, so tall it sways. Devoted to demons in wicked ways. The devs dared enter, bold and brave. But alas, it was their early grave! [quote=Dev notes]Dev Note: In this gameplay teaser, you can see the appearance of a mini-boss while we were in the elevator. As we mentioned before, many different things can happen in a dungeon. For example, in the elevator, a mini-boss might appear, other enemies might show up, or nothing might happen at all. We want to include many special events and twists to add variety so that the experience will be diverse and fresh each time. -- It would be great to hear what you think about the gameplay in the comments. We appreciate your feedback! [/quote] - Ophis boss was completed, and the crafters of our world, the developers, have now set their sights on a creature of legendsa GIANT Hydra! Below is a glimpse of the progress made on the arena for the boss battle against the Hydra. This grand stage is being sculpted with care, preparing to bear witness to a battle of mythical proportions.
- The Devs are working to add different types of quests in the Adventurers Guild. This time, they have added missions that involve escorting NPCs to perform specific tasks, all while enduring survival waves. Tons of NPCs and varied tasks have been created for this mode. Now, they will work on another mode: Elite Hunt! In this new mode, you are entrusted with the task of locating and hunting elite enemies. [quote=Story]Story: For those who might not know, the Adventurers Guild was founded many years ago by a group of adventurers who recognized the need for a reliable organization to handle the various challenges faced by the people of the Empire. The Guild provides services to various lands and villages of Derid. They are known for their skilled fighters, heroes, and mercenaries, who are hired to handle problems that the local authorities may not be able to solve on their own. [/quote] - It's always good to see new companions, this month some charming new pets, including cats and dogs, have been completed.
Even though I am a cat, I must admit, these dogs are quite adorable. - Some special mobs that can rarely appear, were also finished and added to the world. Mimic: Picture yourself strolling along, joy in your heart at the sight of a chest ahead. But then, BOOMa crafty mimic lies in wait instead!
Gnome: A Gold Gnome that runs around dropping gold, which you need to kill before it runs away, inspired by the Diablo gold goblin!
So, that concludes our gathering today, dear friends! If you've enjoyed our time together, please press the like button and share this with your friends! I look forward seeing you in Derid!

[ 2024-05-30 15:40:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi there! Welcome to our April Devlog! Are you eager to chat with the developers and get the latest updates on the game? Join our vibrant community on Discord. We're excited to see you there!
[hr][/hr] This month, meet Reya, the Lightning Queen! This battlemage is the fastest hero in the game. Though she is squishy, her exceptional mobility lets skilled players dodge attacks with ease. [previewyoutube=bdkTrXeInsw;full][/previewyoutube] We also invite you to watch all the other hero teasers that we have already revealed here. - As promissed on our last devlog we worked on Ophis boss fight. It was pretty hard because the battle has many stages, we had to create several new sprites for the boss and an entire new environment. We won't reveal the boss to keep it as a surprise (sorry, guys). But, we can show you a glimpse of the elevator inside the HUGE Demonic Cult Tower.
Check out the full version of this teaser on our Discord. - For the Adventurers Guild missions, we finished new variations of missions, that you need to search for specific items. Along with the revisions of the missions, we are adding a lot of variations now to keep the experience diverse and fresh each time. All of them are handcrafted, not procedurally generated (which often feels generic). The HUD for this system is almost finished, and we will probably show it to you next month! - We started doing some items as well! We've finished the art and configurations for about 400 piece of equipment.
- The Relic system was started and finished this month. Those relics will grant powerful passives for your heroes, and some can change a lot their gameplay. Like artificats, this system will offer another kind of horizontal progression of your account, once unlocked, you can use it in any hero.
- Some other small things we did in April: we finished a Parallax system to use in high places (example in the GIF below), added a tiger as both a new enemy and mount, included some cats as pets, and created other misc decorations. We also worked on several internal aspects to improve and optimize the game.
What did you like more about this devlog? Share your toughts in the comments! As always, thank you for all your support, it really keeps us going! Don't forget to like and share with friends, it will help us a lot. See you in the next month! [hr][/hr]Extra: We also want to show you the 1/4 scale statue we made of Reya!

[ 2024-04-30 15:03:30 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi there! Welcome to our March Devlog with the latest news about the game's development! First off, we invite you to join our Discord! There, you can chat with the devs, interact with other fellow members, and check out exclusive teasers.
[hr][/hr]This month we want to present you: Iris, the mage illusionist. Her gameplay is very different as she is a ranged, squishy hero but acts like a tank, using her abilities to mitigate damage and trick enemies. [previewyoutube=kCFVuQL10Jg;full][/previewyoutube]Let us know in the comments if you like her style of gameplay and which of the heroes presented so far was your favorite. - The Ozul boss fight has been completed, and we're taking a break from boss battles for now. Next, we plan to work on the Ophis boss, but she requires a complex environment and cool elements for her fight, so we need to finish the sprites first. - We've created 10 new traps to deepen the immersion: giant boulders rolling towards players like in 'Indiana Jones' movies, avalanches, bee hives falling from trees, occasional trees deciding to lie down, and more. Its a jungle out there!
- We also worked on Nil'varix, he is a demon clown that likes to see chaos. He can appear in any mission offering players a contract. If the players accept, a challenge will occur during the mission, and if they complete it, the rewards will be greatly increased in the end. We finished 15 challenges for now, but plan on doing a lot more until the next devlog. [quote=Dev notes]Dev Note: These challenges are amazing because they completely change the gameplay of something you normally do. For example, if you've already faced the Ice Wyvern boss, you're familiar with its mechanics, but, imagine facing the same boss with an additional mechanic from a challenge! It will add a new layer of possibilities to the gameplay. [/quote] Feel free to suggest more cool mechanics that can randomly appear in the demon contract! Here are some examples of the challenges we created:

• Chain the players together, requiring them to move within the chain's limited range.
• The players swap places every X seconds.
• Every enemy you kill drops a bomb that explodes after a while.
• Randomize a card for each player, and some enemies will have this card displayed on their heads. The corresponding player must remove this mark. If the wrong player hits it, he will receive damage as punishment.
• A giant hand follows your team for the entire mission, trying to smash you.

- We are now finishing the PvE main lobby HUD for regular missions, which includes difficulty settings, group finder, and other features. - For the environment, we've completed the sprites of the Adventurer's Guild tavern (sneak peek bellow) and a lot of miscellaneous items that will be used in missions. These include herbs, supplies, NPC belongings, etc.. We are now working on Ophis boss stage like we mentioned before.
- We are constantly creating new mounts and armors. Considering the color variations, we have about 275 different combinations of saddles/mounts!
- Our level design team is still working on revisions and revamps of old maps (even the starting village was redone). They have also finished more missions for mobs that previously didn't have any, such as the Banshee and the new Dire Wolf. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your support is deeply appreciated. If you could leave a comment, like, or share with friends, it would truly help us. Thank you again!
See you in the next devlog!

[ 2024-03-28 20:36:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi there! Welcome to our February Devlog! First, an invitation: If you're keen to voice your thoughts and interact directly with our development team, make sure to join us on Discord. There, you can also participate in community events, vote for the next hero teasers, and much more!

Development

- We asked you to choose between Urijor and Ojore. Your choice was clear, and we will be unveiling Ojore, he is a Brawler with Geomancer powers! [previewyoutube=TF1KmHxJWZI;full][/previewyoutube] - We completed the Irhaal boss battle! His fight ended up being very challenging and fun with basically only new attacks and mechanics. This brings our total to 16 endgame bosses that are 100% ready. For the next month our goal is to finish at least Ozul (img bellow) and Ophis boss battles.
- The main focus of the programming team is in optimizations so the server can handle as many players as possible, so we reworked a lot of old core systems. - We also worked on a new preset system. This system allows you to arrange up to 4 builds of orbs and artifacts in each hero. It will be very useful, as you may want different builds for PvE, PvP, or specific maps or bosses. - We keep working on the UI. This month we planned the PvP and PvE interfaces, and we are implementing it in the game. Moreover, due to the addition of various new systems and features, we updated old interfaces, such as the cosmetics interface that we showed in a previous devlog and now it looks like this:
- After we showed the cosmetic HUD above, many people were curious about that green platform. Those are displays that will appear in lobbies, party screens, victory screens, etc. You can unlock them in your account and equip whichever one you prefer for each hero! Some of them are bosses or mission drops and some of them are exclusives for PvP. For example you can show your PvP rank while playing regular missions, or you can show your rare drop display in a PvP match. Here are some examples of displays that we did as rewards for the PvP ranks: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Mithril, Adamantite and Ethereal (for the top X players of a specific hero), respectively.











- We finished all abilities, art, icons, voice, balancing, emotes, and orbs for Hero 21! Its identity remains a surprise, so leave your guesses in the comments! - Our collection of mounts and pets keeps growing! We added many new mounts to the roster, like Magic Drums, Donkeys, Bears, Dire Wolves, their saddles, armors and colors variations. We also worked on the sprint animation for several mounts and tested and added some monsters that can become mounts like the Yeti.
- For the environment, we focused on reworking some important places that had placeholder sprites, like the Adventurer's Guild tavern (sketch bellow). Plus, we did a lot of misc stuff as well, like the Dark Woods trees and tons of new decorations.
- One last thing, we added 5 more active artifacts, bringing our total to 165 now!

Concept Art Contest - Results!

This month we had our first concept art contest on our discord. We had a hard time choosing pets because you guys had a lot of great ideas. Our team chose 12 pets that we liked the most and that had a positive impression on the community. Sadly, we couldn't choose some because we didn't want to deviate too much from the theme and style of the game.
Congratulations to the winners: -Rikas-, Who are you, VermilionGirl, Jonathan Oliveira, Drakanslyy AKA Fan N1, SnapeAK, Isaac em Hiato, Slow, CaroU, , Kuchi and Pimenart. We already brought 3 of them to life in the game!
Thank you very much for your support and attention! If you enjoyed this devlog, remember to leave your comment, like, and share it with friends, it helps us a lot! See you next!

[ 2024-02-29 22:03:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi Everyone! Welcome to our January Devlog! Before we delve into the updates, we'd like to invite you to join our Discord! We have a vibrant community and we are always sharing new teasers there!

Development

In this month's hero teaser, we'll be showcasing the dwarf Orbryn, an Engineer from Garmorli! [previewyoutube=Sty6F5c2OaI;full][/previewyoutube] - As mentioned on our previous devlog, we did a total of 160 active artifacts. This month, our focus has been on refining these artifacts by writing their descriptions, recording in-game GIFs, and conducting extensive balancing and internal testing. We have also modified them to use charges instead of cooldowns, with a limited number of charges per mission, boss fight and PvP (explanation below). [quote=Dev notes]Dev Note: We think cooldowns are less effective because, if you want to optimize, you would need to use everything once the cooldown is up. This approach is not ideal for situational artifacts like shields or things that require strategic timing. So, with charges, you can control the best time to use them, and we can achieve more balance overall in all content. The artifacts still have a bit of a cooldown, but it's only 5-10 seconds.[/quote]- The Level Design team has finished the maps of the two biggest cities, Kasteron and Ereluna, for the open world. They have also remained dedicated to the ongoing revamp and review of older missions. New version of the Ereluna Throne Room
- For the environment, we focused on the 'Demonic Cult Tower' sprites. You saw it in our last devlog, but this time we are working on its interior, including all rooms and decorations. - About mounts, the concept we showed in a previous devlog, is now a reality! The system is 100% ready with the sprint, collection and other necessary things. - Using some animals and creatures we already had in the game, along with a bunch of cool new saddles we made, we've got plenty of mounts ready to hit the road! If we consider different colors and saddles, we have around 65 variations for now, but we're far from finished. We plan to create many more mounts and also develop armors and more awesome content related to them!
- We've also made a change on how the ultimate works. For those unfamiliar, they function similarly to Brawl Stars/Overwatch, where you charge your ultimate by landing hits with your regular abilities. Once it reaches 100% you have your ultimate ready to go. We've kept that system, but now we'll also allow players to accumulate 'energy' beyond 100%, up to 125%. So when you use your ultimate, you will spend 100% of your energy, but still have some remaining if you've gathered more than that amount. [quote=Dev notes] Dev Note: We did this because some heroes' ultimates are easier to pull off, requiring less positioning and timing, so they had an advantage. They could use their ultimates as soon as they got them and start gathering energy very fast. On the other hand, heroes that needed more positioning were having a worse performance. With this change, you've got the option to wait a bit before using your ultimate since you can now stack up to 25% more energy before you decide to use it. [/quote] - As this is a Devlog showcasing Orbryn, we also wanted to give you a sneak peek of the Dwarven Kingdom.
- We've returned to working on the bosses, finishing the balance and skills of the Undead Wyvern, and the Irhaal boss fight. Now, we're planning to do more! We have 15 ready but are aiming for at least 25! - 17 adorable pets (including some color variations), were completed. This brings our total to 62!
We are kicking off our "Create a Pet" contest! This is your chance to let your imagination run wild and dream up an amazing pet. Whether youre sketching out your ideas with a pen or bringing them to life digitally, were eager to see your unique creations! To participate, join our Discord and submit your creation in the event channel. We would love to hear which part of this devlog captured your interest the most. Thank you once again for your time and continued support! See you in the next devlog! [hr][/hr] Team Note: We've been watching your video responses to our devlogs and love seeing your feedback and reactions.

[ 2024-01-31 21:58:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi Everyone! Welcome to our December Devlog! First we want to wish a Happy New Year to you all! A massive thanks for all your support and let's go 2024!! Join our discord to receive teasers and interact with our community and devs!

Development

In this month's hero teaser, we'll be showcasing the elf Faendar, an Archdruid from Ereluna! [previewyoutube=6ndJ8yBT7N4;full][/previewyoutube]Learn more about his backstory/lore on our discord. - As we mentioned in the previous devlog, the game design team shifted their focus to theActive Artifacts, which are another system that helps you customize your build, adding new skills that are unlocked in your account and can be used by almost any hero. We have finished all that we wanted for now, totaling 160! (77 new this month). Now, part of the game design team will start working on the passive ones! - Our art team is doing the last hero, whose identity is still a surprise (what type of hero do you think it is? share in the comments). We are also creating more pets and developing new environmental assets for the demon worshipers' domain. This area is set to be vast and scary! Below, you can see the initial sketch and how it turned out. Sketch
Final Version
- The Level Design team has started planning the open world, carefully connecting locations to enhance the overall player experience. Simultaneously, the other part is dedicated to the ongoing revamp of older missions, ensuring they meet the highest standards of gameplay. - Our programming team has finished the new updater, and a lot of optimizations. - In our latest devlog, we had completed the mount animations for 8 heroes, and now we've finished animations for all 20 heroes! We've also created additional animations for artifact usage and other miscellaneous stuff (for all heroes).

- We've finished 34 new pets bringing our total to 50 so far. Once we complete everything we have planned, we'll start working on creating awesome mounts!
- We also started and finished our 20th hero, Ojore! He is a tank with a mix of Brawler/Geomancer abilities. We finished all his art and animations, including his victory pose, mount, death, battle stance, all attacks, emotes, icons, and even orbs.

That's it for this month's devlog. The team took a two-week break for Christmas and New Year, so we had only 15 days, but even so, we made a lot of progress! What did you like most about this devlog? Let us know in the comments. See you in the next devlog!

[ 2024-01-03 22:02:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi Everyone! Welcome to our November Devlog! Before diving into the updates, we'd like to invite you to our Discord. This month, we've introduced a new gallery with the splash art and walking animations of all the heroes.
We're also conducting polls for the upcoming hero teasers and sharing some teasers for you to get a sneak peek at the development! Your presence there would be awesome!

Development

- Last week's community poll decided our next hero teaser between Liam and Zeugladius. Your choice was clear, and we're eager to unveil the Paladin Errant: Zeugladius! [previewyoutube=_3T2QbsD_Pg;full][/previewyoutube]Learn more about his backstory/lore on our discord. - The game design team shifted its focus from bosses to artifacts and has completed 93 of them so far (we had 20 in the previous devlog)! For those who are not familiar, artifacts are another system that helps you customize your build, basically adding new active/passive skills that are unlocked in your account and can be used in almost any hero. - In our latest devlog, we showed the prototype of our mounting system which garnered a lot of positive feedback. Since then, we have developed the mounting animation for 8 of our heroes.
- Since we started designing the missions, a lot of new assets, systems, and monsters have been created. Because of that, our Level Design team has now begun a long but necessary journey to revisit and revamp our earlier missions to ensure they all offer the best gameplay experience. - We've finished creating the splash art for all the heroes. Each one has been carefully designed, capturing the unique essence of every hero (we posted them all on our Discord). - We created an Undead Wyvern!
-We worked on environmental assets for the Ereluna Palace interior, banners for all factions, debris, small objects, and a lot of miscellaneous objects for decoration. - We made more progress in the HUD, updating the cosmetics tab to add the mounts and other cosmetic itens. - We have developed 6 new pets. Would you like to have this cute little bear pet?
Or, do you prefer this adorable skelly one?
- Our programming team finished a lot of internal systems that will help the team as a whole. They also worked on the equipment system and on a cool "chain" system that was used to create some of the artifacts, monsters and boss mechanics. This month we reached 100k wishlists!! As a indie team, we're really grateful to see our project connect with so many people. Big thanks to everyone for your support. What did you like most about this devlog? Leave it in the comments for us. See you in the next devlog!

[ 2023-11-24 23:15:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi Everyone! Welcome to our October devlog! First we'd like to invite you to join our Discord. We plan to increase the number of teasers and other smaller updates about the development there. We also aim to do more polls to gather feedback from our community. Your presence there would help us a lot!

Development

- We received multiple feedbacks regarding the movement speed of characters while walking on the map. We've then prototyped a mount system and we'd like to hear your thoughts: Do you like this system and would you like to see it in the game? What kind of mount would you like to have? Leave your answers and suggestions in the Steam comments below!
Some heroes will have their own abilities as mount as well
- Here's Yura's gameplay teaser, one of the 20 playable characters. We intend to include a hero teaser in every devlog so you can get a glimpse of each hero. Feel free to share your thoughts on this format in the comments. [previewyoutube=QylSCR8eVnc;full][/previewyoutube]Learn more about her backstory/lore on our discord. - We've completed another boss, along with its introductory cutscene. With this, we've now finished 12 out of the 20 bosses we planned for the game. Although we dialed back our focus on bosses this month because we needed to finish their respective scenarios/boss room first, we're already developing two more, aiming to complete them by next month. Below is an image of the Druid Temple in Ereluna, the setting for one of these confrontations.
- We've finished the artifact system and have completed the creation of around 20 active artifacts, but there will be many times more than that. For those who aren't aware, the game will have various playable heroes, each with their skillset. Two interesting systems we're developing, Orbs and Artifacts, will further diversify your gameplay experience with them:

• Orbs: They are rare items that change what your skill does, they work like talents, but, being items, you have things to chase in the endgame, look for new 'builds' and rare drops. We can also release new orbs with each update, which means that even an old hero can get new skills, different 'builds', or mechanics after their release.
• Artifacts: Each hero can equip up to 4 artifacts, 2 active and 2 passive. The actives are basically two extra skills, and combined with the passives they will provide a possibility of different combinations and combos, so you can create different "builds" that adapt to your playing style.

- We are updating the character art for menus and icons, and we have finished 8 heroes. While the previous art was in "Chibi" style, we opted for a more "mature" style, as we noticed that, although some like the chibis, most prefer the "traditional" art.
- We produced dynamic videos of skills, Orbs, and Artifacts of each hero that illustrate the attacks in action. This way, you can view each move as you delve into its description.
- About the Hellgate we briefly mentioned in the August devlog, we are making assets/sprites for the bosses. They are more complex because the battle against them will be with lots and lots of players together. We have already finished the animation of two of the main demons and are finalizing the third. We want to do 4 of them, so we are almost there. - We've finished the art for over 10 pets, even though it's not our current focus. For those who adore having a unique pet companion, expect a range of collectibles and companions
Liam's Gryphon Pet We thank you once again for all your support! We will continue to keep you updated on the game's development here and on our social media channels! See you next time!

[ 2023-10-27 22:10:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi Everyone! Welcome to our September Devlog! In this edition, we will provide updates on the game's development and also unveil our first Official Gameplay Trailer.

Development

- We've completed all the necessary environmental art assets for the Coliseum, a huge structure located in the heart of the Human Empire. This arena will be the setting for various survival modes and challenging duels in the future!
- Moreover, we've designed a range of other environmental assets, including boats, fountains, new structures for the elves, and more. - As mentioned last month, we created environmental assets for different kingdoms. We're now finalizing the construction/decoration of the cities of Akamond (Mage Tower) and Ereluna (Elven Kingdom ). Every detail has been planned to give these places genuine depth and authenticity. - We've completed two more complex bosses and their introduction cinematics. Check out a sneak peek of the creation process for each: "Urijor" Boss:
"Korz" Boss:
- We've finalized the HUD for emotes, skins, pets, and character abilities. Specifically for abilities, we've integrated animated videos that showcase each attack, making it easier to comprehend the functions of both the abilities and orbs. - We've completed all the animations and sounds for the first World Boss, which we won't reveal to avoid giving away story spoilers. Moreover, we've also designed the art for its arena, tailored specifically for this battle. Next month, we'll create the mechanics of the boss itself. As mentioned earlier, this one, along with the other world bosses, will feature a high level of complexity, showcasing at least 10 stages and a variety of distinct attacks. - Weve created a new monster, a sub-boss, called Doppleganger. - We welcomed a new team member who will assist us with level design! - We continued creating a variety of new missions/dungeons. Currently, we have over 100 handcrafted maps for these missions, not to mention the numerous 'surprise' elements that can vary within each mission. - We've finalized our pet system! Although we haven't begun developing the pets themselves, the interface and the system are ready. Who's excited about having a pet in the game?

First Official Gameplay Trailer

We are thrilled to share our very first official gameplay trailer with you! With a plethora of scenes, monsters, and content to choose, it was a challenge to pick just a few highlights. We truly hope you enjoy it! [previewyoutube=CCXVQxJkBtQ;full][/previewyoutube] We can't thank you enough for your continued support and encouragement. It's heartwarming to see our community grow, and we'll continue to update you on our progress here and through our official Discord. Remember to leave a like and comment if you enjoyed this Devlog! See you next time!

[ 2023-10-03 10:26:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone! We're delighted to welcome you to our first dev log on steam! We'll be sharing all the latest updates and exciting features we've been working on!

All of the environmental art assets for the Dwarven Kingdom, including the mines, structures, houses, palace, and even the villagers, have been completed. The same applies to the Elven Kingdom. Regarding the Human Empire, we have finished the construction of the new church in the capital city of Kasteron, as well as all the missing elements in the Akamond Academy (the mage school).

We have finished two new PvP modes, Escort and Deathmatch, adding up to the previous mode, Control, for which we have created 10 maps. The maps in each mode play a crucial role since they have the potential to alter the entire strategy and meta.
We created new monsters that were needed for the Hell Environment, and now we have 110 unique enemies. We also continued working on the bosses; we finished the 10th (shown in the image below) this week and completed the sprites for the 11th. All of them have at least 3-4 stages and a variety of unique mechanics and attacks. We're striving to maintain this minimum level of complexity for all of them. Sketch:
Final version:
- We have also begun working on the Hell Gate boss, which will consist of at least 7 or 8 stages. All of its sprites have been completed, and most of the mechanics are in place. However, we still need to balance and test the boss within the Hell Gate mode itself.
As always, we are consistently creating new missions/dungeons, and we are nearly completing 2 or 3 distinct areas for every type of enemy. Currently, we have over 100 hand crafted maps for these missions, not to mention the various randomized elements that can differ in each mission, etc..
The programming team is still working on the HUD. We've made significant progress, but we're still far from done. While many systems are ready, designing and implementing the HUD in the game is a time-consuming process, especially because we are ensuring that everything is fully functional with a controller in mind.
We are also working on the game's first World Boss, which is currently in the art/pixel art stage. This one will be challenging to create because it will consist of at least 10 stages and numerous attacks. It will play an important role in the world's storyline.
We have added a new screenshot to our Steam gallery. It features the Adventure's Guild in Kasteron.
Thank you all for your support, and we would love to hear your feedback about this style of devlog, and what other things you would like to see here. See you in the next devlog!

[ 2023-09-02 00:09:56 CET ] [ Original post ]