Feb 4, 2024

Wet Sand - Shroomie

Hi everyone! We'd like to say at once - this is the last diary for chapter 3! Yes, we're at the finish line, but there are some problems. Let's talk about them.

Animations

If you've read past diaries, you'll remember how worried we were that there would be problems with animations. Firstly, we had never done them before, and secondly, back at the beginning of development, we focused on another project that had animations, and decided for ourselves that it was an indicator of quality and high skill that we didn't possess.

But it turned out to be quite simple. And after all the animations for chapter 3 were inserted, it was decided to update the NSFW scenes from the first and second parts. And that's where the problems happened. Before, there were just static images in NSFW scenes and we could afford to draw 5-8 different frames. Along with that we wrote text for the scene and everything was more or less harmonious. Animations turned out to be more expensive and that's why we limited ourselves to 4-5 loops. Here came the question - how to be if the text describes something that is not in the animation? Gather the necessary footage and animate it now and increase the development time of the chapter because of it (we didn't count on that), or postpone, release the chapter only with animations in the last part, and finish the past ones in the hotfix later?

We also thought about animating not only NSFW scenes, but also some ordinary ones. We tried it on the example of water in this frame:

But it didn't work out very well, and it was hard to come to an agreement in the team about which shots should be animated and which should not. So this idea is on hold for later.

Deadlines and tests

We're big fans of computer games ourselves and, just like you, sometimes waited for releases that were constantly delayed. Then, being players, we were very angry with the developers and didn't understand why they delayed games. Now everything is clear to us :)

We formed the roadmap as soon as the first chapter was released, giving ourselves 6 months for each new chapter. Things change during the development process. Our appetite has increased and now the third chapter is almost twice the size of the first chapter! We're still targeting a February release, but we admit that polishing can take longer. This is primarily so that you don't have a negative experience during the walkthrough and we don't have to go back with tons of fixes.

There are different situations during tests. Sometimes, only a couple questions come up after passing (and that's stylistic), and sometimes there are more than a hundred of them and the programmer starts looking for reasons not to fix them :) Especially many disputes are related to artistic vision - music, blackouts, sounds, time of objects' appearance, etc.

Here's an example - we went through five iterations of this table for one of the mini games, even though it's not such an important part of the game:

New stage

We (and you too, probably) have noticed that with each chapter the game becomes more and more complex and qualitative. It's normal, because we also learn in the process and can afford more and more new features. We've already cited the development time of the chapters, where the first part we did a year and a half and it turned out to be 2 hours, and the third chapter we do half a year and it is two or three times longer. The quantity and quality of images has increased. Look at how, for example, the marvelous backgrounds are brought to the general style:

If before we looked at other representatives of the genre with awe, not even hoping to reach their level, now we can compare Wet Sand with them in some moments. It seems to us that the addition of animations, expansion of the story, new costumes for characters and the addition of side quests will raise the game one more step up!

Approx list of innovations

- What we can say for sure is that there are 3 new mini-games waiting for you. They won't be as big as Tailwind, but they will be quite interesting too.
- Naturally, as it was already said many times - animated scenes will appear in the game.
- If you believe the tester, the chapter takes about 5-6 hours with a quiet passage.
- You will be waiting for three side quests with three female characters from the team, each for 20-30 minutes.
Here's the background from one of them:

- There will be a second page in the relationship book ;)
- We listened to your feedback on the second chapter and decided to add the ability to skip the card game Tailwind like other mini games.
- Numbering will be added to the Gallery to make it easier to find unopened scenes.

By the way! The Pirates vs. Ninjas festival was recently held and you, dear players, did a great job supporting our team of corsairs!

Many thanks to everyone who is waiting and supporting Wet Sand! We rarely release updates (but what updates!) and we realize that we can only keep things interesting with news. But we are thinking of releasing chapter 4 in installments so that we can have content every month. We'll see how it goes. In the meantime, we are back in development and will try to do everything at the highest level!

Feb 4, 2024

Dev Chronicles: Combat in Alpha

Feudal Lands - Feudal Lands

Dev Chronicles: Combat in Alpha

Drew -- January 24, 2024

Feudal Lands distinguishes itself in the MMORPG and survival game genres with its unique approach to combat, blending traditional elements with groundbreaking innovations. Our title transcends the usual direction-based combat of survival games by offering MMO-style talents paired with an ability-combination system reminiscent of action or fighting games.

Stances: Classes & Customization

The journey in Feudal Lands begins with a choice of weapons that will define your Stance (our term for classes). So far, we are working on (but still in early stages and some NYI):

Knight: Greatsword
Berserker: 2-Handed Axe or Hammer
Spear Guard: Spear/Polearms/Halberds
Guardian: Longsword and Shield
Assassin: Dagger
Blade Dancer: Dual wield (short swords, axes)

Players aren't confined to a single weapon selection; instead, they can pair different weapons to create a class that truly resonates with their style. This dual specialization capability opens a plethora of strategic combinations, allowing players to experiment with playstyles and combat tactics to face their foes.

Talent Trees: Over 100 Points Per Tree

We want your decisions to matter, beginning with your spawn location and your directional path. In many survival games, that is where it ends: successfully “getting off the beach.” With our title, we don’t want the decision making to stop there.

In several games before us, you level up and get talent points to spend. You then will use these points unlock new skills or abilities. That traditional experience will carry over to Feudal Lands. This should be familiar to MMORPG players; however, we have designed our system to better mesh with survival gaming, a genre that never utilized it before – at least at the level we are delivering.

In Feudal Lands, character development is deeply nuanced, with each talent tree offering over 100 points to distribute, along with uncapped levels to earn them.

Combat: Fast-Paced, Intuitive, and Challenging

The combat in Feudal Lands is designed to be fast-paced and easy to learn, yet mastering it is a rewarding challenge. Players must perfect their timing, gear choices, and combat strategies, especially when coordinating with party members. This ensures that each combat encounter is unique and engaging.

Engaging in Greater Conflicts: Open World and Siege Combat

In Feudal Lands, players' characters play a crucial role in both small-scale skirmishes and larger conflicts such as wars or open world PvP. The game brings new challenges through its dynamic terrain and environment. Players must adapt to various conditions, use advanced skills, and leverage their combat knowledge to thrive. This variety ensures that every encounter feels fresh, thrilling, and, above all, challenging.

End-Game Glyphs and Soul System (More Info to Come at a Later Date)

As players approach the endgame, they will encounter Glyphs and eventually our Soul System. While more details will be revealed in due course, these features promise to add further depth to character development by introducing elemental magic enhancements and the ability to specialize in multiple Stances.

The goal of adding these systems is to spice up survival combat without the boring limitations of directional combat, all while enabling players to define and refine their roles within Solstice as the game progresses.

Ready? FIGHT!

Feudal Lands aims to set a new standard in combat mechanics for survival MMORPGs. We offer a rich and dynamic combat experience through our blend of combo-based fighting and extensive customization through weapons, talents, glyphs, and the soul system.

We look forward to sharing this new combat system with you, so you may wage wars over silly trees and key territories.

As Alpha approaches, please join our Discord! This is where we engage with the community, answer questions, and – when necessary – adjust scope (sorry engineering) to deliver a product worth your time and hard-earned money!