August Dev blog

[p]Mr. Z here, we've got a bit of news to go through for this update so lets get right into it. We've had a few breakthroughs development-wise, we've been quiet lately on the community front but also very busy behind the scenes as release approaches.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]To begin we'll be discussing the final pass on Combat mechanics. Currently we're overhauling the combat system, by tweaking and adding new mechanics so the combat feels release ready. Additionally, the Longsword combat animations are receiving a full update as the last pass didn't meet our combat standards. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Once the Longsword animations are completed we'll begin combat testing again immediately so we can fine tune all the values and see what other changes are needed to improve the combat feel. Shields and ranged combat will also be receiving a pass. As well, the One Handed sword and Shield variant will be getting an animation pass as we feel they also don't quite meet our standards for combat.[/p][p][/p][p]We're currently in the middle of doing a localization pass on all the text in game. We currently support the following languages.[/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We hope to get this in by the next patch and we'll be requesting community assistance with improving the localization.[/p][p][/p][p]We’ve added a new music system to really enhance the immersion of the game, with a variety of tracks that play and change over time. This keeps the soundtrack feeling fresh throughout your play sessions and adds an extra layer of atmosphere to the world.[/p][p][/p][p]We have a server queue now, you will no longer have to compete for the single open slot on a server while joining.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]KZ has been busy doing many art fixes this month, as well as improving the performance of the survival map.

 World Polish & Fixes
KZ here, I’ve been combing through the maps, cleaning up and refining hundreds of small details to make everything feel sharper and more immersive:[/p]

• [p]Fixed foliage clipping into rocks and adjusted foliage placement across the board for more natural landscapes.
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• [p]Addressed LOD issues and made smoother transitions to reduce visual popping.
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• [p]Cleaned up dozens of clipping issues and performed general map touch-ups.
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• [p]Gave the UI a round of polish passes to make it feel more consistent.
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• [p]Fixed asset-related crashes, corrected broken rotations, and resolved collision issues.
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• [p]Fixed blood mask issues across characters.
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• [p]Corrected loot spawns that weren’t working as intended.
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• [p]Adjusted animal spawn placements for better gameplay balance.
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[p] AI & Level Design Updates[/p]

• [p]Improved AI placement and refined their pathing for more believable movement.
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• [p]Built an entirely new Training Map from the ground up.
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• [p]Revamped and rebalanced the Moss Map for better flow and visuals.[/p][p]
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• [p]Completed the Cathedral Credits Map, featuring backer statues and gravestones to honor supporters.[/p][p]
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• [p]I have Re done all the cliffs on the maps with better assets now collisions are more solid and they just generally look better[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p] Audio & Environmental Immersion[/p]

• [p]Enhanced river and waterfall sound effects for more depth.
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• [p]Tweaked wading sounds and adjusted movement speed when moving through water.
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• [p]Extended ocean ambience so waves can now be heard closer to the shore.
  
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[p]Performance & Optimization[/p]

• [p]Huge performance jump — from ~30 FPS in the last demo to 90–100 FPS in current tests this of course varies on different hardware but this is based off mid range pc results (still a work in progress). [/p]
• [p]Conducted extensive asset and texture optimization to keep performance smooth.
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• [p]Reworked beach blocking volumes for cleaner gameplay boundaries.
  
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[p]Ongoing & Upcoming Work[/p]

• [p]Finalizing hair physics (still to be implemented).
  
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• [p]Continuing work on tree LODs to make transitions even smoother.
  
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• [p]More Optimization
  
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• [p]More Polish across the board Generally trying to get a solid base for EA
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[p][/p][p][/p][p]Volker and Phanzor have been busy putting together an official Wiki for the game. We hope to populate the wiki with as much information as we can to help players get past the learning curve in the game more easily. If you would like to help out, please contact them directly as we need some volunteers to help maintain the wiki.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]https://rdbkstudios.fandom.com/wiki/Renown_Wiki[/p][p][/p][p]We are also pleased to announce that the dedicated server tool is now available on steam for everyone to download. You will not be required to own the game to host the server as it is available on the anonymous package for anyone to install. We also put together a guide for Linux server hosting on the wiki https://rdbkstudios.fandom.com/wiki/Community_Server_Hosting_-_Linux It is also possible to host on Windows though there is no documentation currently for that. We will be updating the server page as more features are added for server admins. For any large communities interested in testing the dedicated servers before launch, please get in contact with our Community Manager Volker so we can understand your needs better and possibly schedule some tests.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The customization system now supports new skins, including all the backer skins. Backers will be getting their skins on launch day. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We would like to thank our gracious backers for helping our team make it this far, its been through your support that we've been able to develop this game as a small independent team. Release is almost around the corner, its time to start getting your friends hyped up for launch and we hope to see you raiding each other on launch day.[/p][p][/p]