Roundscape II - Weekly Report #2

Hey folks!

Time for the weekly RS2 Progress Report.

No problems so far!

Things are going well, surprisingly well. Considering our current development speed, I feel confident that we are able to release content fast and secure. Everything's looking good for a first release this year.

We've done some changes to the general look of Roundscape 2. Thanks to a new soft fog system and the subtle use of LUT (Smart Color Filters), we are slowly able to capture the vibes of Roundscape and provide a fun and fitting art direction.

Enemies Ahead

And the best part: The more content we create, the faster it is to create even more content. It's the very nature of 3D Dev thanks to its modular asset structure. Upon finishing a defeat animation for the goblin archer, we can also use the animation on a goblin brawler! 

While Roundscape II won't offer a huge enemy library such as Roundscape Adorevia, you can expect a lot of factions and different enemies. So far we've finished some orc, goblin, wolf and "Chain Demon" foes for you to fight in the first build.

It just works

We've also finished two crucial systems since the last weekly report: Swimming and Fall Damage. Neither of them is crucial to the gameplay of Roundscape 2, but we do want to provide a dynamic experience. Dynamic gameplay is very important to us.

User Interface

And we've finished a huge part of the user interface. All the Menus are working, except for the Companion and Class Menu, which we will tackle this month.

Thanks to using a new engine, we can create a way more intuitive UI that supports both mouse and keyboard very well. You will also be able to see the most crucial values on all menus.

The Settings Menu was quite tricky to set up, but we want to make sure to provide a good amount of choices to personalize your controls. We will expand on the Settings menu a lot throughout future builds. We love FOV Sliders and Custom Controls as much as you do. Furthermore, we also want to add some accessibility options for people with eye problems or who can only play with one hand.

The World of Adorevia

And we've started the work on the second Exploration Map for the first build.

Roundscape II won't be a fully open world RPG, instead we will be using levels similar to Kotor, Dragon Age or Baldur's Gate. They are still quite large, but they have limits.

This allows us to feature a lot of different settings and places to visit without the massive task and burden of optimizing an open world.

Roundscape II will feature two kinds of levels.

Hub Maps

Hub Maps are places such as towns or villages, where you do not have to expect combat. On those maps your Companions will do their own thing and you get the chance to bond with NPCs or Companions, trade or just enjoy a walk through the town.

Exploration Maps

Exploration Levels are those where you can encounter danger, where you and your companions will venture forth to find danger and treasure. No worries, they also hold friendly NPCs and a lot of secrets that do not require combat to be obtained.

The first Build of RS2 will feature the Maryton, a town near Vesunna, as the first Hub Map and two Exploration Maps for you and your companions to explore.

What kind of locations from Roundscape Adorevia would you like to visit in Roundscape II?

Two elves, one player

Talking about Companions, the first build will feature three Companions. Two of them we've already shown off.

Natalia, the blonde and mature elf, is the fierce and protective Sheriff of Maryton. She is used to leading, keep that in mind if you decide to recruit her.

Miawenys, or Mia, is a Nun of the Eternal Rose and quite the opposite of Natalia. She is caring and quite emotional in nature.

The third companion will stay a secret for now! But considering that Natalia is a fighter and Mia a magic user, you can probably guess what kind of character it will be.

We hope you liked this new insight of Roundscape 2!

- Kal