[olist]

Animation Rework

In May and June, we've been slowed down by a complete overhaul of our animation systems. We decided to switch to Advanced Locomotion System (ALS) in UE5. At first it looked like a fast and simple thing, but ended costing us months of work. And then additional weeks of fine tuning.

However, the benefits are we are able to use many cool animations from a universal library and not drain our budget on custom anims - which means we still get to finish the game =)

[previewyoutube="K2PClyEiZH8;full"][/previewyoutube]

We've also added a testing space that looks cool without being ashamed for grey boxes all the time.

Interaction System Upgrade

It started from a simple thought: certain doors need to be closed and react to a specific key to unlock them. But that also means that guards should have a key-carrying system as well. Which led to a whole array of design decisions and code overhaul.

Thanks to that, we now can do this:

[previewyoutube="UQGXsQkxh4k;full"][/previewyoutube]

But also these distractions:

[previewyoutube="rFZmXMdlJxA;full"][/previewyoutube]

[previewyoutube="O_hm-ZNdZdw;full"][/previewyoutube]

It also allows for moments where AI reacts not only to the sound but the fact that the door that was supposed to be closed is now open:

[previewyoutube="gBbn9ZMi7mE;full"][/previewyoutube]

Animations and interactions together look like this:

[previewyoutube="otzkmYSpEL4;full"][/previewyoutube]

Level Design continues (even though UE puts up a good fight)

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/45289355/f7959bfd9be20bbefedf9f4c28b949720640c2a5.png"][/img]

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/45289355/6b660df39723d894f2b174f7dce9290d06607e12.png"][/img][img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/45289355/be8ce1fb38632174a31679a8df0c8276fb0d5404.png"][/img]

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/45289355/e0ef3a709c5aa1e782f7f2942d88a3fc534931f7.png"][/img]

Further plans:

• implement hit reactions

• polish visual component of shooting and melee combat

• create an under-door camera

• a whole lot of other things

[/olist]

Stay tuned!

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/45289355/cb3752443d510dc9a339e79638a7be3a91db7b01.png"][/img]

[ 2025-07-08 10:19:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey folks, During March and April we've been working on:

• shooting
• picking up and moving bodies
• enemy AI

Shooting

Despite how easy it might sound, these are the things we had to take care of:

• is it trace or projectile?
• how to make a big weapon not clip with the character model
• should the trace go from the actual muzzle or from the third person camera
• what about a camera shake for impact
• what about vfx (and why doesn't it work properly?)
• should you go into melee combat while having a gun when the enemy gets to close, and if yes - what happens to the gun

etc So far the technical side of the shooting works, what's left is to add hit reactions. Without them it's hard to understand if it's a hit or miss. Early iterations:

Later iterations:

Picking up bodies

We did it. And then we decided to switch to a universal animation library for all the characters, and it broke the feature completely. So we'll have to do it again.

At early stages of development it looked hilarious.

Enemy AI

One of the biggest systems we worked on so far is the AI re-make. We did have an AI module before via UE blackboards, that already had sight and sound detection. However, we encountered some inflexibility of the system (and bugs) that didn't allow us to implement a more complex AI behavior. So we switched to a State Tree:

Detection Meter

The scheme above is an NPC guard's field of vision in Kvasir, represented by colored zones and associated states: Alerted State: Closest to the NPC is a small red zone indicating the "Alerted" state. If the player enters this zone, the NPC becomes immediately aware of the player's presence. Investigation State: Beyond the red zone, there is a larger yellow zone that triggers the "Investigation" state when the player enters it. This state is likely less aggressive than the "Alerted" state, suggesting the NPC is suspicious but has not yet confirmed the player's presence. Investigation Gauge: At the periphery of the NPC's vision is the green threshold, which is the trigger point for the "Investigation Gauge" to begin filling. This suggests a mechanic where the NPC becomes gradually more suspicious the longer the player stays in this area. The closer the player is to the yellow zone, the faster the Investigation Gauge fills up, increasing the risk of detection. Visibility Impacts NPC Thresholds: factors like lighting or the player's stance (standing, sitting, running, etc.) would affect how easily the NPC notices the player. This is how it ended looking under the hood:
Our early mockup of state visualization for enemies (when a certain state is active):
And the in-game implementation. It's pretty cool that we can now play animation on switching states - as in this case the guard let's out a small ghasp.

Waking up stunned opponents

Another thing we did in this iteration is the guards are finally able to wake up each other (placeholder animations).
We studied player feedback on MGS and Splinter Cell AI complexity, and we're looking forward to making AIs smarter in how they react to threats, also based on their class in future iterations.
That's all for now. Stay tuned for more updates next month!

[ 2025-04-23 09:52:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

This is what we were working on for the past month. 1. We finally got our weapon wheel working: [previewyoutube=VSQg9Fb8h5c;full][/previewyoutube] 2. We also finished rigging the last of the demo's opponents - the Heavy. [previewyoutube=Z1OEn0obOaA;full][/previewyoutube] 3. The UI heart is now beating when enemies are close. The distance needs to be tweaked after level design tests. [previewyoutube=SHRNoZiB6Hk;full][/previewyoutube] 4. You can hide in bushes and become semi-transparent when in crouch. [previewyoutube=7uHscZCINao;full][/previewyoutube] For the demo level we have plans to include a mini garden into an office premise. But in future we plan to have much more greenery, so this should come in handy.
5. Level blockout in progress:

We're now working on:

• shooting
• picking up and moving bodies
• enemy AI
• level design

[ 2025-03-08 09:32:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Steam has zero visibility so far. So thanks for supporting us, folks!

[ 2025-02-03 14:41:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Scale in level design is super important. That's why we have a special level to test all the metrics: [previewyoutube=RLIcy8d9ZtA;full][/previewyoutube]

[ 2025-02-02 09:20:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

KVASIR is heavily inspired by stealth adventure games like Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell. And one of the coolest mechanics we noticed there that was so rarely use elsewhere is the "environmental awareness". Meaning how much you blend in and how easy/hard it is to spot you. Here's an example from Splinter Cell that we used in our documentation:

1. VISIBILITY METER

In KVASIR, the visibility meter (aka light indicator) reveals how visible you are in the environment. At first it was just how much light are you under right now (hence "light indicator" title). But then we realized that player's visibility should depend not just on the light around you but also on your opponent's sight radius. And different opponents will have different sight radius and reaction time. So you'll need to stay in the shadows to outsmart them. [previewyoutube=OmiRsIRYGug;full][/previewyoutube] We also have a couple of shorts on the youtube channel, made for the single purpose of adding vids to our steam posts. But turns out Steam doesn't support shorts. So I'll just drop the link to the playlist (but you also can follow us onTikTok): [previewyoutube=dblQznC-T2o;full][/previewyoutube] Since we already made the technical component to track visibility, next we'll have to painfully tune it in every single location. The challenge here is make the intuitive visibility equal the component's state. E.g. there should be no cases, where the player's sure they are standing in the shadows, but the visibility meter is half-full etc.

2. SOUND METER

Just like with light, we also incorporated sound detection. Of course, the opponents will react to sound, so the speed with which you move and the surface matters. In our original concept, sound meter shows two values: [olist]

player's sound level

background sound level [/olist] Background noise = any noise that is NOT made by the player, having less weight the more distant it is to them. As long as the players sound is not higher than the background - they will not be heard. The rest also depends on opponents hearing radius. It took us quite some time to figure out how to use the wavy visualizer that we wanted in UE - the one you can see on the vids. So right now it only shows how much sound the player makes. And based on our playtests we'll see if we even need the added complexity of background sound level. That's all for now. You can support us on ko-fi and make the release date a bit closer. Your balkan dad wishes you a good weekend! meanwhile dad himself:

[ 2025-01-25 20:00:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey folks, Dima has managed to launch Kvasir on Steam Deck this week. All three of us are loyal fans of the platform. So we thought it would be cool to launch there as well. Also, you're looking at a very cool, updated UI of ours. Please contain your excitement.

Right now we're testing the max amount of info present at the same time, so it will be way less crowded.

[ 2025-01-24 11:09:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

It is time to say goodbye to this fella. He's been with us for the past year.
And now we have finally upgraded him to this guy.
Well, isn't he gorgeous!


Also upgraded the rig and some of the animations.

[ 2024-11-30 07:29:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

How it started >> How it's going

Its been less than a month since we launched our Steam page, and were absolutely overwhelmed by your warm support and encouragement. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for checking out our game! A quick introduction for those new to our journey: about a year ago, Kvasir began as a passion project of a husband-and-wife duoAlina and Arvy. Together, weve spent over a decade each in the game industryArvy as a UI/UX lead and artist, and Alina as a producer and narrative designer. Being long-time fans of the stealth and immersive sim genres, weve felt these areas have been not only lacking fresh ideas and new titles, but even not repeating what was already achieved in stealth. So we decided to take matters into our own hands and make the kind of game weve always wanted to play. However, as two non-coders, diving into Unity and Unreal Engine was a steep uphill battle! Luckily, an old friend and former colleague, Dima, joined our team as the only person who knows how to wrangle game engines. Since then, the journey has been nothing short of turbulent. Soon all three of us had to find new jobs (only one of us is full-time employed right now) and face financial challenges. At one point, we spent months customizing a pre-made solution for the game only to realize it wouldnt work. Reverting those changes and essentially restarting in October 24 was a tough pill to swallow, but weve come back even more determined. Through all the ups and downs, weve managed to make steady progress, and were excited to give you a sneak peek into what weve been working on. Thank you for being a part of this journey. Your support means everything to us as we continue to pour our hearts into Kvasir. Stay tuned for more updates! Alina, Arvy, and Dima

[ 2024-11-27 16:48:33 CET ] [ Original post ]