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Developer diary #3
We can characterize the past month as a month of difficult UI solutions. We began preparations for our Kickstarter campaign, worked very hard on different UX scenarios, made a flop of our first bash at the multiplayer option, and developed the first draft of the AI, a lot of story tools and other things related to the animation, FX and cinematics. Also, we finished the first draft of the balancing of one of the key mechanics of the game, namely the world map. …
Developer diary #2
During the first month of the new year we passed several important milestones in a row. We finished the first music track for the game and completed work on the rotoscope data of our first two characters—Ramlin and the archer Ark. We also began to work intensively on the network part of the game and a new game designer joined us—focusing on balance and the game mechanics. Also, we completed work on the animatics and the storyboard for the game’s intro video. …
Developer diary #1
I’m eager to complete the game in the space of a year. It’s damn hard, even when you know exactly what to do. It was obvious from the very beginning that we’d have to do everything simultaneously: write a novel, turn it into a script, work on its technical adaptation so we could launch it in Unity, draw backgrounds and characters, and create visual effects and animation for the combat system. All in the best traditions of indie agile: fast, steady movement forward …
A new approach to turn-based strategies
From the very beginning the combat system of Ash of Gods was a mix of classic TBS (turn-based strategy) and a card game. However, all of this started trivially: with a blank sheet of paper. I’m sure if you’re interested in playing a tactical game armed only with your pencil and a scratchpad while waiting for a plane, you’ll consider this to be a pretty good beginning. We were playing in our old office, even before we’d quit our previous jobs and started our own company. We gathered as a small group during lunch break to play, using tables drawn on a sheet of paper. We constantly changed the rules, trying to find the ideal variation. It was very entertaining. For instance, we left the opportunity for each player to shout in the middle of the battle: “I came up with a new rule! From now on, …
What, why and for whom we are doing this
We’re not a clone of The Banner Saga or of The Banner Saga 3, though it’s the most popular question and the most frequent thing people criticize us for. I’m endlessly grateful to Arnie Jorgensen and his team. But we are writing our own long story – and I will tell you about it on this website. It’s always hard for me to sit in front of a blank page, choosing the first word to type. My friend and colleague Dmitry Erokhin (the game designer of this project) asked me whether I understand who this text is addressed to. I think it’s addressed to all those people who are interested to know why this project happened. Why me and my friends are working on it and what goals we want to reach. I hope all of this will be interesting for you, and this post itself wouldn’t look like just another lot of boasting by a bunch of indie developers. …