The Kristala Dev Blog - Issue #3
Welcome back, loyal warriors, daydreamers, and imagineers! You're tuning in to the third installment of the Kristala dev blog.
Kristala is a third-person dark fantasy action RPG crafted using Unreal Engine 4. We're currently in development for PC, and we've got future console releases planned for the Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation.
As always, we welcome and encourage your feedback (this is a game for you, after all!), so be sure to register for a site account and send us your thoughts below.
Now, let's get started!
Programming
Ever cruel to players, Will made updates the fierce Lacodon enemy, decreasing its size and upping its aggression. This will make it a foreboding threat for any players foolhardy enough to face it!
Not only is Will plotting doom, he's also working on debugging the poison system in lieu of a few problems that have been plaguing it (pun fully intended).
Additionally, Will's working on programming a creepy spider enemy you'll find in our Dalamase level. Stay tuned for future updates on this eight-legged fiend!
Story Design
Justin's certainly been busy! This week, he crafted two new newsletter stories, created a few more enemy descriptions, and continued his foray into building out the Nasahara region (just wait until you see this place in-game!).
He also added some descriptions for weapons, armor, and items for the Dead City in hopes of properly arming players against the relentless hordes they’ll most certainly face.
Lastly, Justin has been hard at work penning the Game Design Document for Kristala, providing a concise game history from beginning to end. This section of the GDD will help our developers fully understand Ailur’s rich history and prevent any juicy lore details from getting lost in translation.
Be sure to check out our first installment of The Sagas of Kristala to discover how the Sacred Crystal was brought to Ailur, and how its Shattering granted the creatures of the planet their magic abilities.
Also, don't forget to register for the Kristala newsletter to snack on more tasty stories from Ailur each month!
Character Design
Kieran’s been a busy bee! This week, he completed the base mesh, textures, and starting armor for our Sykomana model. The character's completion means he can now work full-time on finessing the Nisarga Clan model.
Kieran’s already finished with the Nisargan’s base mesh and textures and is well on his way to completing the character's clothing too. Once completed, we'll be able to use the Nisargan's base mesh for the other clan's models too.
Ultimately, this will help speed up our overall character design process. Here's a look at some of the updates to the Nisargan. ...Dat detail doe!
Environmental Design
Cass has literally transformed the Dalamase from swamp squalor to stone sophistication!
Using one of the swamp house he'd previously crafted, Cass repurposed the structure for a building we’re calling "The Mortuary." By altering the swamp house textures from wood to stone, Cass has generated a whole new aesthetic for the mortuary setting without needing to build an entirely new structure.
It seems Cass's approach to game dev is to work smarter, not harder - and that's a motto we can certainly get behind!
Level Design
Joe has been somewhat a dynamo over the past week, planning out five different swamp levels - with plans on tackling more!
Not only did Joe carve out space in our build for the new levels, he's also started detailing them with assets, making the world of Ailur feel a little more natural. Some of Joe's recent additions include bridges, buckets, and some fierce bog foliage.
Ever the perfectionist, Joe continues fine-tuning the lighting and effects for these levels too.
Lead Level Designer, Tiffany, continues to add in sinister elements to the Dalamase, implementing fog and cobwebs to the swamp cave. There's something about the way she does it that makes us feel like the eerie environment is alive...even though it's long been abandoned.
Erm...at least...we think?!
Rigging / Animation
The Nisargan character has been making fine progress thanks to Allie. She’s currently focused on the model's weight painting, a process that helps it “remember” required heaviness in specific areas.
Allie's careful handling of our custom character rig is sure to aid in the implementation of believable animations as we continue the buildup for our first teaser trailer reveal!
Marketing / Web Development
Bode has been relentless in spreading the Word about Kristala to our Spanish-speaking audience! He not only contacted large Facebook communities associated with Dark Souls to introduce them to the world of Ailur, but he also reached out to well-known Youtubers and streamers to help spread the hype.
Bode also created the official Kristala Español Facebook page to regularly update our Spanish-speaking audience on what's new in the world of Ailur - like this review.
As always, Sarah is a one-woman army! She recently implemented a website chat module and contact-tracking system to our CMS in the hopes of delivering more personalized and relevant content to our audience (hey...that's you!).
Menu / UI Design
Bianca has been working diligently to build out the UI for Kristala's magic, enhancement, and weapon-leveling trees. She’s officially completed the character status menus, which means the bulk of the UI is finally coming together to work seamlessly in-game.
Concept Art
l_aciel continues to wow us with her revamp of the official Kristala poster. Words truly don’t do this masterpiece justice, but they'll have to suffice until we're ready to publicly release the image. Stay tuned! ...It won’t be long before it makes its debut.
Until the new poster design is launched, head over to the official Kristala Discord community for your chance to win a copy of the original Kristala poster design. Simply join the server and check out the Giveaway channel for entry rules.
Who knows? One day this baby just might be a heavily sought-after Kristala collector's item...
Welp, that's a wrap on the third installment of the Kristala dev blog!
Remember: be sure to register for a site account and share any questions, constructive criticism, and related comments about this week's updates.
Until next time - stay weird, imagineers!
-The ACS Dev Team