In the latest development week, Depths of Erendorn's teams achieved significant progress across various areas. The 3D Modelling team refined the centaur's model, optimising its mesh and initiating the texture baking process. Simultaneously, the Client-Side Programming team enhanced the Dry Log system, introducing character controls and enabling settlement fast travel. The Server team improved movement synchronisation and successfully integrated the 3D Nav system, addressing identified bugs. The Environment team enriched visuals by enhancing the settlement entrance, and the Animation team showcased technical prowess with Centaur rig adjustments and an in-engine Human Knight Control rig. The VFX team refined effects for closer alignment with the game's artistic vision. This collective effort exemplifies the diverse talents at Depths of Erendorn, shaping the game with innovation and precision. As always, join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit for daily updates on Depths of Erendorn. Alternatively, join our Discord for all the latest! - now let’s get into it!
3D Modelling
The 3D Modelling team at Depths of Erendorn achieved significant milestones over the past week. The team completed the sculpting phase for the Centaur, adding refined details to enhance the overall quality of the model. To optimise the low-poly mesh for baking and animation, a thorough check of the topology was conducted, leading to strategic adjustments. Following this, the team efficiently unwrapped the mesh and initiated the texture baking process. The beginning of the texturing phase marks a crucial step in bringing the model to life with vibrant and realistic visual elements. These systematic tasks demonstrate the team's expertise in the comprehensive 3D modelling pipeline, from sculpting to texturing. Examples of their accomplished work throughout the week can be explored below.
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Programming
Client
The Client-Side Programming team at Depths of Erendorn dedicated the past week to refining and resolving issues in the Dry Log system. The focus was on meticulous clean-up and error correction, addressing peculiar bugs to ensure a smooth and reliable system. The team effectively divided their efforts between incorporating controls for character manipulation during Dry Tests and preparing the client for streamlined fast travel from the settlement into the game world. These tasks highlight the team's commitment to optimising functionality and user experience within the game. Additional work from the Client side tam can be seen below.
- Targets of abilities correctly react to damage, with visuals and sfx.
- Misassigned variables in dry events have been fixed.
- Minus caster vfx and sfx, abilities correctly process in dry logs.
- Some spaghetti code has been neatened up to save us some future headaches.
- Replaced some important parts of the ability data handling that were accidentally deleted.
- Updated how spawned entities are handled in the Dry Level to allow them to be moved, rotated, identified, despawned and used with templates.
- Added the ability to save entity presets into a Dry Template, this means that specific classes can be spawned in to perform their unique abilities when the template is run.
- Added fast travel message handling and requests.
- Added a fast travel panel for selecting and requesting destinations.
Server
The Server team at Depths of Erendorn invested the past week in enhancing the movement code and undertaking a significant refactor to improve the synchronisation between client and server time calculations. The outcome of this effort is a much smoother gameplay experience, with movements closely aligned or identical to the server's ticking. This marks a substantial improvement, aiming to eliminate persistent issues like small teleports at the start of movements and interrupted movements. Building on this progress, the team has successfully integrated the new 3D Nav system into the game this week. However, the introduction of this code has revealed various bugs that required dedicated attention for resolution. Amidst bug fixing, the team also allocated time to adapt dungeon generation to accommodate the new Nav system, a crucial step given the transition from a 2D to a 3D process. This comprehensive update reflects the team's commitment to refining core functionalities and ensuring a seamless and immersive gaming experience for players.
Environment Art
The Environment team at Depths of Erendorn has been actively engaged in advancing the game's visual landscape. Notably, the main entrance to the settlement underwent significant enhancements. The gate size was increased by approximately 50%, accompanied by the incorporation of additional kit pieces for added detail. A redesign of the roof shape now aligns better with the new roof style, and a structured roof was implemented, offering the potential for a portcullis-style opening. Furthermore, the team created a distinctive archway for the settlement market, adorned with trim for visual appeal. Engine material fixes and adjustments were also executed to seamlessly integrate with the new settlement kit. These collective efforts signify the team's dedication to refining and enriching the visual elements within Depths of Erendorn's environment. Examples of their accomplished work throughout the week can be explored below.
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Animation
The Animation team at Depths of Erendorn has made substantial progress in the past week. Utilising the latest updated mesh of the Centaur, the team continued rig adjustments, incorporating face bones, and initiating the process of painting skin weights. These meticulous steps contribute to the creation of a refined and lifelike Centaur model, ensuring authenticity in its movements. Furthermore, the team expanded their efforts by creating a basic Human Knight Control rig in the engine. This rig not only includes controls for the character's movements but also provides the flexibility to adjust armour, offering enhanced capabilities for animation adjustments and creation directly within the engine. These innovations showcase the team's dedication to streamlining the animation process and exploring new possibilities for in-engine animation. Examples of their achievements throughout the week can be explored below.
Visual Effects
The VFX team at Depths of Erendorn has been actively engaged in refining visual effects to align closely with the game's artistic vision. This week, they began by working through concept art sheets from the previous week, ensuring consistency and fidelity to the established design concepts. Additionally, significant efforts were dedicated to developing new textures and materials aimed at bridging the gap between VFX and painted style. The team expressed satisfaction with the results achieved thus far, indicating progress towards achieving the desired aesthetic. These endeavours reflect the team's commitment to delivering visually stunning and immersive effects that enhance the overall gaming experience. Examples of their work throughout the week can be explored below.
That’s it for this week’s devlog, but have you seen our monthly roundup of December yet?!
