This update covers the current state of the project, what’s been worked on over the past couple of months, and some of the systems that are starting to come together.
The focus recently has been less on adding surface-level features and more on building a solid, scalable foundation for the game.
Moving from Blueprints to C++
One of the biggest efforts has been migrating systems from Blueprints into C++.
This wasn’t primarily about performance. The main driver was team scalability:
- Reducing merge conflicts
- Making collaboration smoother
- Keeping systems easier to maintain as more developers get involved
During this migration, a lot of systems were also:
- Refactored
- Simplified
- Structured around reusable templates
Template-Driven Design
A key theme across the project now is template-driven systems.
Instead of hardcoding behavior:
- Characters, skills, and monsters are defined through configurable templates
- Systems become easier to extend without rewriting logic
This approach is already being used across:
- Character setup
- Skills
- Monster behaviour
- World interactions
It’s a major step toward making the game scalable long-term.
Server and Infrastructure
On the backend side, there’s been experimentation with different deployment setups:
- Standard single-server setup
- Kubernetes-based clusters (currently testing single-node and multi-node)
The goal here is to prepare for future scaling, even though some setups are still being refined.
Character Creation
Character creation is now functional with:
- Race and gender selection
- Current support focused on humans (with variations like “undying” as visual variants)
- Plans to expand into:
- Orcs
- Dwarves
- Elves
All customization options are driven through templates, making it easier to expand without major rework.
Test Map and Development Workflow
A dedicated test map is being used for development.
Instead of loading the full environment:
- Systems can be tested quickly in isolation
- Skills, combat, and mechanics can be iterated faster
This significantly improves development speed during experimentation.
Skills System
The skills system is already quite flexible:
- New skills are easy to add
- Supports different archetypes (fighter, mage, druid, etc.)
- Includes abilities like:
- Healing
- Movement (blink)
- Offensive spells (fireball, smite)
- Utility skills (e.g. mining)
The current focus is not on polish, but on:
- Building a scalable system
- Allowing rapid experimentation
- Defining how skills interact with other systems
Balancing and animation polish will come later.
Monster Abilities and AI
Monsters are now capable of using skills in a similar way to players.
Key features:
- Monsters can be assigned skills via templates
- Skills can include:
- Movement restrictions
- Damage over time (bleed)
- Self-healing
- Behaviour is driven by configurable rules:
- Health thresholds
- Status conditions
- Cooldowns and probabilities
For example:
- A monster might use a skill when the player is below a certain HP percentage
- Or apply a status effect if one is missing
This creates a flexible system for designing varied encounters without hardcoding behaviour.
Crafting and Resource Gathering
Crafting is starting to take shape, with a slightly different approach to resource gathering:
- Resource nodes are represented by decals in the world
- Players can mine near these nodes to gather materials
- In future:
- Skills will help locate hidden nodes
- Some resources may be concealed or require exploration
Notably:
- Mining is not strictly limited to fixed nodes
- There is potential for hidden resources and treasure mechanics
Current materials include:
- Copper
- Tin
These can be combined into:
- Bronze → used for crafting early equipment
Crafting Stations and Progression
Crafting is tied to the world through stations:
- Basic stations in villages and towns
- Advanced crafting requires specific locations
For example:
- High-tier gear may require travelling to unique environments (e.g. volcanic areas)
This ties progression to exploration rather than just menus.
Design Direction
Across all systems, the current focus is clear:
- Build scalable foundations first
- Keep systems flexible and data-driven
- Enable rapid iteration before polishing
Many elements are still placeholders or unpolished, but the underlying structure is now in place.
What’s Next
Upcoming areas of focus include:
- Continued backend and server improvements
- Expanding races and character options
- Refining monster AI and combat behaviour
- Building out crafting and profession systems further
- Integrating these systems into the main game world
