Good afternoon, everyone! It's Wednesday again, the usual day in which I share my ideas behind the enemies and the mechanics of game. Today, we're talking about the last main race involved with the sunlight mechanic.

Sun Under A New Light

During development, I thought of another way to interpret sunlight as a mechanic. Gnomes are purified, goblins are stunned, what else can I do? In the deeper areas of the Tower, sunlight will have a primarily offensive role, but in the early levels, light has an additional mechanic: that it isn't always an helping tool for the player, and this is where the nagas come into play. These overly elongated snakes, as King Shorty would say, are immune to sunlight (for reasons you can discover this Saturday if you want). This fact introduced a very interesting twist during level design, opening up new possibilities, including the fact that the player is in danger if a naga passes through an open window, something that otherwise wouldn't be possible, because there were no enemies immune to sunlight!

The Consequences of Sunlight Immunity

This new obstacle also increases the complexity of the levels, because there could be situations where goblins and nagas pass in front of the same window, so it's up to the player to figure out the best way to navigate that space without ending up in the game over screen.
Sometimes, it might be necessary to move a crate to block the naga; other times, you need to purify a gnome before passing; and sometimes, the presence of a window might not be a true obstacle at all. Because of their presence, opening a window or simply passing through a lit area is no longer so straightforward. For this reason, I believe that designing a level with a naga in it is more challenging than one without, because, even though their mechanic is very simple and might even be considered a "non-mechanic", the consequences they bring are complex to manage. That's why I think their addition to the game has been essential and stimulating.

The Nagas' Design

I also want to spend a couple of words explaining their design. Each naga that has invaded the Kingdom of Gnomia wears a water drop on top of their helmets. This choice is heavily influenced by their lore, but I think it is also effective in giving them a distinct look from their counterpart in other games, and from the goblin themeselves in mine (afterall they are a very similiar race, aesthetically). They are also very small, at least if compared to their equivalent in other popular medias. This choice has been done in order to make them feel unique, fresh and a bit over the top. They are basically a little bit taller than the average gnome! After all, you have to imagine them standing no taller than your waist, looking up at you with a ferocious, zealous grin. I think it would look quite silly! I hope their design intrigues you and that their presence in the game encourages you to try it if you're undecided. If you want to learn more about nagas, their culture, and their very peculiar religion, make sure to check out the Steam page this Saturday! Thank you for reading this devblog and have a great day! -Giuseppe

[ 2025-05-21 14:12:19 CET ] [ Original post ]