Calm, patient, warm, peaceful... All are words that will immediately spring to mind when asked to describe your typical Nun. Unfortunately (or fortunately, given the circumstances) none of which quite apply to Darksburgs Neurotic Nun, Sister Abigail. As you can see for yourself, in part 2 of our survivor introduction series...


















Stay tuned for our next character introduction, coming soon!

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After this week's introduction of the first Survivor (Runolf: The Gleeful Gourmet), it's time to meet the devious antagonists of Darksburg, who will stop at nothing to thwart the Survivors plans: The Revenants!

Which side will you choose?

















Stay tuned for our next character introduction, coming soon!

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It's time for us to introduce (or re-introduce if you have been following us for a while) you to The Survivors! While this wave of character introductions focuses on our heroic band of misfits, the devious revenants will also be making an appearance down the line, so keep an eye out...

But why re-introduce all these characters? The fact is that Darksburg is only in its Alpha phase and as you probably know, many things can change in a short time, especially during this period of development!

All of that out of the way, we have so many things to show you, so let's start!


















Stay tuned for our next character introduction, coming soon!

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Hey everyone!

Welcome to the second chapter in the Darksburg Dev Diaries! Where today we will be talking with our Art Director Jérémy and 3D Artist extraordinaire Philémon about all the work that goes into conceiving, creating and finalizing some of the unique and distinctive characters that you're going have the chance to meet in Darksburg.

Jeremy:

I was really inspired by the character design in recent games like Battlerite, Overwatch and Paladins in terms of stylization and how vibrant the characters look, but I tried to find something in the design process that would make it feel "Darksburg" and not like it could fit in or was lifted from either of these games.

Since we have a top-down view in game, we had to exaggerate the body shapes and the scale of their accessories/weapons. We also had to simplify the characters color-palettes as much as possible so that they would be more recognizable and readable whilst playing against hordes of zombies.



Jeremy:

We mainly focus on the gameplay feel whenever we want to add a new character to our roster but we also want to find some cool visual ideas. So it's actually quite straightforward: as soon as we have an idea of what the character should do and how it should be played, we start working on the early sketches and push it to the final concept through iterations with the game design team. At this point, we also begin work on the concept for their skills and abilities visual effects and how they would look in the game.

Then we can start working on the 3D model: we make a quick blockmesh so that the animator can start working on the character while the 3D modeler brings it to the final in-game look.

Philémon:

Once Jeremy has done some good sketches for a new character, I start with a 3D template that we compare in-game to the other characters, to check the proportions and level of details. Then, when the character design is approved by the team, I start the high resolution modeling phase in which Jeremy gives me a lot of feedback and paint-over, this way, I can make sure it lines up with what he wants.
Then, when the team is happy with the result, I create a low-polygon model on top of the previous one, which will be the in-game model.
Now, with the help of some software, I transfer all the details from the first 3d model to the new one by generating base textures. We call this: the baking phase.
Finally I can work on the final textures, adding colours and set the amount of reflection/metal for each material.

To be sure the character works in game, I regularly put it in our engine to check the level of details, the tints, the saturation, etc, to ensure that all of the main aspects of the character are well readable in the game view.

I am satisfied only when Jeremy and the team are convinced and happy with the result and follow this process until the character is done.



Jeremy:

We really wanted to avoid being too obvious in terms of fantasy stereotypes. We didn't want people to play yet another "warrior" or "paladin" or "mage" even if the game is set in a low-fantasy environment.
So we decided to go for a more "down to earth" approach in terms of "character class" : an Innkeeper, a Nun, a headhunter and yeah, a werewolf because he looks badass and brings a bit more depth to the lore and even a plague doct.. oops did I say too much?



Jeremy:

Our first character was Sister Gwendoline (which we eventually renamed Sister Abigail) and she was supposed to be a badass nun fighting with a huge hammer. Honestly, there's no particular reason as to why we decided to go for her first, except that the idea seemed super awesome and it would be such a blast to kick off a new project by showing some crazy-cool concept arts to the team. Also, I must say that it was, in my opinion, the best idea to show that the game would be featuring unusual badass characters instead of the redundant fantasy-esque classes.



Jeremy:

To have them look extra-cool mostly, to make the players go "damn they look nice, I want to play every single one of them!!". It's really hard to achieve when you go "hey guys, let's play as an Innkeeper!" haha
So basically yeah, for me, it was all in the design process, trying to find just the right amount of cool stuff without overdoing it everytime.

Philémon:

We have one constraint which has a huge influence on the characters’ graphics processing; the top-down game view, far from the action. The characters must be readable from a distance and they can’t be too “noisy”.
Some characters’ parts could be scaled up or inflated to make them visible and a lot of these seem huge up close, but perfectly sized in-game.
We also try to focus on the main shapes and avoid small details.
For example, I make as few folds as possible and I simplify them as much as I can.
Every aspect of our character creation is driven by this constraint. Shapes, Colours, Objects size, etc.. It seems obvious, but It’s really important to see the 3d model in the game view frequently throughout the process to avoid and potential surprises at the end, which could result in having to rework entire character aspects.

Check out some of Philémon and Jeremy's artwork by clicking the links below!

Jeremy
Philémon

We hope you enjoyed this look behind the scenes. We'll have much more to come in the near future! Make sure to add Darksburg to your Steam wishlist to get all of the latest information.

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Hey everyone!

Finally, we have the pleasure to introduce you the last Revenant in date: The Executioner.

We hope that you enjoyed discovering all this characters as we enjoyed creating and introducing them.

Be careful of The Executioner!







During his life, Gerald Sauer was a kind but very impopular man. Hated by the populace but also held in high respect — as executioners usually are, he had virtually no friends and yet found solace in the warmth of his little family, especially his 4-year old daughter, Martha.

Blessed with a very keen sense of justice, he carried out all his executions with a steady hand and a peaceful mind, for he knew that what he was doing was fundamentally right, even when the other citizens of Darksburg showed him no gratitude for doing the dirty work.


Only on one occasion did he doubt the Baron's judgement: that one time when he had to burn a young gypsy named Lorraine at the stake, who had been accused of witchcraft. Gerald did so, but only relunctantly, because he somehow felt she was innocent.

He was never the same after that, but "fortunately" for him, this didn't last long, as the plague took him soon after, making him one of the most powerful and vicious Revenants. He now haunts the streets of Darksburg, blindly executing the few remaining Survivors who have the misfortune to cross his path...




Abduct a Survivor and drag them into a dark alley. Stop moving to choke them… or let the lesser infected knock them out!








Use your axe to deal massive damage to a Survivor. Can be used instantly or charged for insta-kill. Make the most of street corners to surprise them!













If you want to know more about The Raven Master character design evolution and the awesome work of our artists during the development of Darksburg, here's the link of the complete post we shared on Imgur: https://imgur.com/gallery/8UXfkct



We hope you enjoyed this first look at all Darksburg characters! Make sure to wishlist Darksburg and stay tuned as we'll be sharing more news with you very soon!




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Before the plague, Bertram Rabenschwarz, an expert at sending messenger ravens, was a quiet but peculiar man, often seen creepily mimicking some of their avian traits.
The townspeople would constantly mock him for that, cooing and cackling behind his back and throwing bread crumbs at him.

In retaliation, Bertram began to sow discord by redirecting his ravens to people that should never have read the messages they bore, bringing some dark secrets to light and destroying alliances, friendships and families alike.

One can still run into him in the streets of Darksburg, although they would be ill-advised to take him lightly, for since he's become a Revenant, his winged pets feed on bigger game than mice and rats…





A whirlwind of pitch-black feathers that obscures the Survivors' sight and slows them down. Also allows other Revenants to appear close to the Survivors.







A murder of crows flies in a straight line, damaging and overwhelming the Survivors it hits. Not very powerful, but can be combined with the Featherstorm to great effect!














If you want to know more about The Raven Master character design evolution and the awesome work of our artists during the development of Darksburg, here's the link of the complete post we shared on Imgur: https://imgur.com/gallery/zaJd1Pb



We hope you enjoyed this first look at The Raven Master! Make sure to wishlist Darksburg and stay tuned as we’ll be introducing the next Revenant very soon!




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Hey everyone!

After the Brute, we're glad to introduce you the second Revenant, the Burning Witch! We hope that you'll enjoy discovering her as we enjoyed creating her.

Let's burn!






Lorraine Ardeleanu was a young gypsy fortune teller with no power of claivoyance but an excellent sense of what people wanted to be told, and she made good money doing just that.

Unfortunately, her usual mumbo jumbo about "dark forces afoot" was not exactly to the taste of one superstitious nobleman: Baron Manfred Von Darksburg did not take her "omen" lightly and hoped to avert his fate by speedily sending the gypsy to the stake for witchcraft.

Touched by the plague while she was still ablaze, she is now constantly burning with an inextinguishable fire and an eternal wrath, making her one of the most dangerous and relentless Revenants.





A lightning-quick dash that leaves a blazing trail on the ground. Good for splitting a group of Survivors, or dashing away from danger. Using Fiery Temper instantly refreshes its cooldown.








A powerful, high-damage explosion around the Burning Witch. Throw fireballs at Survivors to charge this skill. When it is up, the Burning Witch will sport a distinct fiery glow, so beware: your enemies will know your intentions!














If you want to know more about The Burning Witch's character design evolution and the awesome work of our artists during the development of Darksburg, here's the link of the complete post we shared on Imgur: https://imgur.com/gallery/A4yPJB6



We hope you enjoyed this first look at The Burning Witch! Make sure to wishlist Darksburg and stay tuned as we’ll be introducing the next Revenant very soon!




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Hey everyone!

We're glad to start the new character's introduction wave. After the Survivors, let's meet the bad guys, the Revenants!

We hope you'll enjoy discovering these new characters as much as we enjoyed creating them.

Let's start, and unleash the Brute!






The name "Jorg Bähr" probably didn't ring a bell to many people in the Dreadmire county, but if you merely uttered the nickname "the Brute", most merchants and middle-class travellers would turn pale and shiver, knowing instantly which specific brute you were referring to, for Bähr was probably the tallest, strongest and meanest of them all.

A wanted highwayman due for beheading, Bähr was "saved" by the Plague that turned him into a Revenant. He's now a raging, braindead pile of muscles clad in a pilory, which, come to think of it, is pretty much what he was right before turning.





A head-on charge that knocks back the Survivors and deals them a fair amount of damage. Can be stopped instantly by pressing the button again while running.








A powerful spin that stuns Survivors in range. Can be tricky to land, but very punishing when it connects. May also be used to halt the Heaume Run instantly!













If you want to know more about the Brute's character design evolution and the awesome work of our artists during the development of Darksburg, here's the link of the complete post we shared on Imgur: https://imgur.com/gallery/xLQ9DsX


We hope you enjoyed our introduction to the group of Revenants you'll be helping to stop the group of Survivors!

Make sure to wishlist the game and stay tuned as we still have plenty more to announce!

Hey everyone!

We're happy to share with you some of the awesome work of our artists, Jérémy Vitry and Philemon Belhomme, during the development of the game!

First character ever imagined for Darksburg, Sister Abigail evolved a lot during both the pre-production and production process.



Originally thought to be a fierce crusader, armed with a long sword, she was designed to slash her way through hordes of zombies.

With the choice of going towards more over the top character design, it appeared that this badass warrior was a bit out of context: she needed to appear as if she was taken from her monastery and thrown into the zombie apocalypse.




Younger, with a lighter armor, the following interrogations on Sister Abigail’s equipment was her weaponry.

It was already agreed that faith would be the base of some of her abilities, but what kind of weapon could represent the state of mind she would be into when the infection hit?




The first cross she carried was heavy and glowing, and we actually modelled the entire character, thinking that it would fit the lore and the ambient of the game.




It quickly appeared that the cross was too massive, too shiny and could not be the first thing she found as a weapon after hearing the zombies coming.

The simply wooden cross better fits the character design and the general sensation that we want to give to the game: you are surviving, largely outnumbered with what your character managed to grab as a weapon.



The general aspect of Abigail’s abilities also evolved and became cleaner and more impactful with the development process.

For example, her ultimate ability: Exorcism in February 2019...





... and today.




If you want to see more work from our artists, you can check their Artstation:

• Jérémy Vitry: https://www.artstation.com/kuru
  
• Philemon Belhomme: https://www.artstation.com/kiuun

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Varag is an elderly Wolfman. What's a Wolfman, you ask? Well, theories abound as to the origin of the affliction, ranging from curse to wolf bite. The reality is that nobody knows for sure, and Varag never was keen on giving explanations.

In any case, it meant he's been feared and loathed in equal measure, and more often than not, hunted by bigoted and mean-spirited humans. It is worth noting that, given his berserker tendencies, such hunts rarely ended well for the aforementioned fools.

That is, until a not so foolish bounty hunter finally captured him. Not one to hold a grudge, Varag now works hand in hand with other survivors to make it out of the city. After all, there's nothing like a zombie apocalypse to bring people together!










A mighty leap that repels and damages enemies upon landing. Equally effective as an offensive or as a defensive move.







A vicious bite that deals massive damage to enemies in front of Varag. Can be charged for increased reach and damage.







Use the prison gate as a barrier to parry the attacks.







Varag temporarily reverts to feral state, which deprives him of his shackle and shield, but allows him to use his other skills much more often. Additionally, mauling and biting enemies gives a bit of temporary health!












We hope you enjoyed our introduction to the group of survivors you'll be helping brave the dangerous streets of Darksburg!

Make sure to wishlist the game and stay tuned as we still have plenty more to announce!