Darfall News

It's me, Lukas, and in today's devblog, we're excited to share insights into the redesign of the main menu, the introduction of new loot chests and their mechanics, and the introduction of hero class-specific quests!

[h2]Main Menu[/h2]

Our main menu redesign aims to set the tone for Darfall, capturing the essence of our world through both visuals and music. We envisioned the menu as an “iconic” view that immediately immerses you into the game's atmosphere.

[h3]The Portal[/h3]

Initially, we explored the idea of a demonic portal, visualizing the invasion's onset. This concept featured an army of demons pouring out, set against the backdrop of Darfall Wastes.



You can see the initial sketches, then the 3d model and finally how would it look like in the menu.

While looking amazing, even though this was far from final art, we wanted to try another perspective, which would more capture the actual gameplay and main goal of the game.

[h3]City Under Siege[/h3]

Our next idea brought the focus to a city under siege by the undead.

This direction required experimenting with various architectural designs to find the right fit for Darfall, exploring different perspectives to achieve a balance between scale and detail.



We then needed to capture the best point of view, to create a sense of scale, while being able to show off the undead army.

You can see we even modelled the entire scene, this is so we can dynamically adjust the camera to check all of the angles, which would be very problematic with concept art only, as you need to redraw basically entire scene each time you want to try a new perspective.



The final product, thanks to Dalibor's exceptional talent, not only showcases a city fighting against the undead but also embodies Darfall's color palette of blue, orange, and purple.

This, combined with the main theme music and dynamic menu animations, aims to be a memorable first impression for you.



[h2]Hero Class Quests[/h2]

We're also introducing unique quests for each hero class to enhance their distinctiveness and provide engaging objectives within survival maps.

Each hero has one unique quest that can be completed on any survival map, the quest always fits the thematic of that hero.

[h3]Magus[/h3]

For the Magus class, exemplified by our main character Ardan, the quest involves a corrupted obelisk that you must cleanse using your magical abilities.

This mission tests your ability to defend against demonic assaults while maintaining your focus on the obelisk. Moving out of obelisk area will decrease the quest progress, so stay close!



[h3]Slayer[/h3]

Kalen, our Slayer, faces a formidable demon lord powered by demonic sigils.

You must disrupt this power sources, facing lesser demons after each sigil, before confronting the demon lord himself and having a “nice conversion” with him (using your Greataxe).



[h3]Ranger[/h3]

Nariel, the Ranger, is tasked with finding and purifying a mutated ancient tree and its guardian.



Then you need to track the beast and end its misery. But be prepared, it won’t be an easy fight.



[h3]Quest Design[/h3]

You can also see behind the scenes into the initial design of all 3 quests done in Figma. As with any mechanics, we always design the concepts in whiteboard first to get the flow and details down before actual implementations.



[h2]Treasure Chests[/h2]

To add depth to the looting mechanics, we've introduced three tiers of treasure chests: Poor (Gray), Fine (Green), and Epic (Purple), each offering loot of varying quality and difficulty to access.

[h3]Nature Chests[/h3]

These forgotten chests, found throughout the map, require keys for access, which can be discovered in monster camps or crafted, adding a layer of strategy to your exploration.



[h3]Orc Chests[/h3]

Protected by orc warbands, these chests vary in difficulty, with the most valuable ones located within heavily guarded orc fortifications, challenging you to engage with fort defences and orc warlord in combat.



[h3]Undead Chests[/h3]

Situated in undead territories, these chests demand a resource sacrifice for their treasures, introducing a tough decision-making aspect to your looting strategy.



You can pick any of 3 resources offered you wish to sacrifice, which will open the chest.



To make the exploration more interesting and reduce the amount of times you need to return to base to heal up or get energy, there will be also rare spawns of healing and energy fountains.



There are many, many new additions to mechanics and map features, but we want to leave some also for the next devblogs, right?

[h3]Visit in Paradox Interactive HQ[/h3]

Lastly, we had the pleasure of visiting Paradox Interactive HQ in Stockholm, discussing Darfall's future and how we can make it the ultimate RPG city-building experience for you.

However, we all got surprised by sudden snow haha! 😃



Thanks for reading this update. We're eager to share more with you in our next devblogs.

Lukas and rest of the team from beyond the darkness of Darfall

[h2]Big Announcement[/h2]

Hello, Darfall community!

It’s me Lukas and we have some thrilling news to share that marks a new era in the journey of Darfall. We are incredibly proud and excited to announce our partnership with the renowned game publisher, Paradox! More specifically, their Arc initiative.

This collaboration is not just a milestone for us at SquareNite, but also a testament to the potential of Darfall.

For us, collaborating with Paradox is a dream realized. Their commitment to crafting quality, strategic games that captivate players for countless hours aligns perfectly with our vision for Darfall.

Check out the announcement trailer!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1961600/Darfall/

[h2]Meet the Team[/h2]
Before we dive into what this means for Darfall, let's take a moment to appreciate the people behind the scenes. Here's a snapshot of our first office we set up beginning of this month, where magic happens every day.

From left to right, meet Erik, Lukas, and Martin:



[h2]January Highlights[/h2]

January has been a month of relentless passion and hard work for our team. Here's a sneak peek into what each of us has been up to:

Lukas:

• Generating of voice overs for all the human units
  
• Cage captive system for map camps
  
• Added abilities to elites and bosses
  
• Hero gathering animations (finally!)
  

Martin:

• UI improvements and art for the “survival timer”
  
• Forging of our company logo
  
• Improving the survival world map
  
• Guidance of music composer for Darfall
  

Erik:

• Getting to know the project!
  
• Adding abilities to undead Graveguard elite
  
• Implementing the “survival timer” into UI
  
• Giving loot chests some special features
  
• Added numerous new tutorial steps
  

[h2]Game Feature Spotlight[/h2]
As we progress towards our early access in the upcoming months, let's go over the newest additions in more details.

Handcrafted Soundtracks

Thanks to our Paradox cooperation, we're excited to welcome Robert Bruckmayer, an exceptionally talented Slovak music composer, to our team.

He'll be meticulously crafting the soundtracks for Darfall, starting with the main theme that you can hear in our announcement trailer. This soundtrack resonates every time we hear it, capturing and elevating the essence of the Darfall universe.

Survival Timer

The “Survival Timer” now displays not only each impending undead invasion night but also the countdown to the ultimate challenge - the final demonic invasion.



Boss Abilities

Our elites and bosses now boast unique abilities, adding an extra layer of tactical depth to your gameplay. Here is a peek at the Blazing Overlord, the formidable final boss in survival mode.

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This demon leaves a trail of fire in his path and occasionally unleashes a radial inferno, challenging you to adapt your troop positions swiftly to escape his scorching wrath.

Loot Chests & Art

Our loot chests have undergone a stunning transformation, both visually and functionally.

We're proud to introduce Jakub, a supremely talented freelance artist who has joined our team to elevate Darfall's visual aesthetics. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the revamped chest models:



Main Menu Concept Art

We're also sprucing up our main menu in preparation for the grand release. The main menu concept art is currently being crafted by our talented concept artist friend, Dalibor.

Here are a few sketches from the work he has done. We will reveal the final concept art in upcoming dev blogs!



Studio Logo

And finally, feast your eyes on the newly minted logo for our studio, SquareNite, created by Martin!



This logo symbolizes a “squared knight”, imbued with elements from Darfall, to signify our first game. The three peaks in the helmet crown design pay homage to Slovakia's national emblem.

And More...

This is just a small glimpse of what's to come. We have many more features and additions up our sleeves, which we'll either leave as surprises or gradually unveil in our upcoming dev blogs. Stay tuned for more exciting updates!

[h2]The Paradox Impact[/h2]

Our partnership with Paradox is a game-changer, quite literally. Thanks to the partnership with Paradox, we’ve been able to make some significant enhancements to Darfall.

This includes huge improvements to sound effects, the hiring of a skilled music composer who will bring audio experience to the next level, and additional talented artists to elevate the game’s visual experience. Their support has been instrumental in bringing our vision for Darfall closer to reality.

[h2]What's Next for Darfall[/h2]

As we move closer to our early access release, we want to thank our community from Discord and other social media for your support. Your feedback, enthusiasm, and love for Darfall have been our driving force. Stay tuned for more updates, and get ready to experience a world like no other in Darfall!

With gratitude and excitement,
The SquareNite Team, from beyond the darkness of Darfall.

Welcome to the 13th installment of our devblog, Paladins of Aganor! It’s me Lukas, and today we're diving into the inspiration behind, and the current iteration of, the hero perk system.

In case you missed it, don't forget to check out our previous devblog #12, where we delved into the intricacies of the newly reworked survival map, showcasing its enhancements and difficulty options.

[h2]Perk System Overview[/h2]

Our current perk system represents a pivotal aspect of hero customization. It consists of various nodes that you can unlock using perk points.



These nodes offer a range of enhancements - from health and damage boosts to the exciting possibility of doubling loot drops (yes, double legendary drops if you are super lucky!). They even allow heroes to directly mine resources like iron or silver.

For those interested for more behind the scenes technical info, I have also created a coding session with implementation in Unity:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eQ9XHY99Jo

[h3]Earning Perk Points[/h3]

We've designed multiple avenues for accumulating perk points to allow diverse strategic approaches:

- Leveling up a hero grants +1 perk point.
- Using the 'Book of Knowledge' item from the inventory also adds +1 perk point.
- This valuable book drops from defeating elite or boss enemies.
- Additionally, the 'Book of Knowledge' can be crafted in the new Library building, which consumes mana orbs.



Our aim is to provide you with a variety of strategies and sources to acquire these points.

[h2]From Concept to Reality[/h2]

[h3]Initial Design Stage[/h3]

In the early design phase, depicted in Figma, the focus was not only on the node visuals but also on the mechanics of acquiring them.



Initially, I considered a progression system where performing specific actions with heroes, like resource gathering or enemy combat, would level up related skills. However, this concept often leads to a grinding routine seen in other RPGs, such as Albion Online, and didn't seem to fit a strategy game with city-building elements.

[h3]Final Design Choice[/h3]

Ultimately, I decided on a more straightforward approach: unrestricted perk points that you can assign freely. This decision steers clear of grinding and offers flexibility in character development.

[h3]Inspiration and Future Expansion[/h3]

A major source of inspiration for our perk system is the intricate passive tree from Path of Exile, renowned for its depth and complexity.



This model offers us the exciting potential to continually expand our system. We can add more ranks to existing nodes, like health or damage boosts, or introduce entirely new enhancements to further grow our hero's capabilities.

Stay tuned for more updates and insights in our upcoming devblogs!

- Lukas from beyond the darkness of Darfall

Welcome back, Darfall enthusiasts, to our 12th devblog! It's Lukas here, ready to dive into the latest enhancements we've made to the survival world map of Aganor, as well as introduced difficulty options into the game.



In a shift from the typical UI dropdowns seen in similar genre games, we've embraced a world map approach for our survival mode. This decision isn't just about a fresh gameplay experience; it's about laying the foundation for the expansive Darfall universe, complete with its diverse races, sprawling landmasses, and iconic cities.

Below is our initial world map design, crafted using Incarnate. While this version won't feature in the game directly, it's a crucial step for us developers in shaping Aganor's geography before its digital implementation.



For lore enthusiasts, this map is more than just a tool - it's a window into the world of Darfall. You can trace the paths our heroes have taken and the sites of pivotal events that have shaped our universe.

As for the Darfall Wastes' mysterious northern reaches, we're keeping that under wraps for now. Rest assured, it's a region teeming with perils and rich in lore, with plenty of surprises in store as we advance the game's story through the campaign mode.



Our world map's evolution is ongoing, but here's a sneak peek at its current form in Magica Voxel. This tool is our go-to for everything from terrain modeling to creating trees and units.



A big shoutout to Jany, our talented freelance artist, who's spearheading the 3D modeling of the world map.



We're upping the game with adjustable difficulty levels, offering new challenges for every player.

Before launching a map, you can select from three difficulty options:

- Easy: Enemies at 80% standard damage and health. Score multiplier: 1x.
- Medium: Default setting with enemies at 100% damage and health. Score multiplier: 1.2x.
- Hard: Unlocks after a medium difficulty victory. Enemies have 130% damage and health. Score multiplier: 1.5x.

And here's a glimpse at the revamped hero selection, map choice, objectives, and difficulty screen:





We've repositioned cities on the world map for clarity and alignment with the new continental layout. This change not only clarifies your progression path but also integrates seamlessly with the updated map.

Now, you can also view the survival days required for each map, adding another layer of strategy to your gameplay.

(Please keep in mind, the bellow model is work-in-progress and does not represent the final version)


Stay tuned for more updates, where we will go over the new Perk System and thanks for being part of our Darfall journey!

- Lukas from beyond the darkness of Darfall.

Hello, everyone!

It's me Lukas and I’m excited to delve into the biome features that are in the works for our Early Access release. Our aim is not only to offer visual diversity across biomes, but also to enrich gameplay by introducing unique challenges and interactive environments.

The three starting Early Access biomes are:

1. Grassland
2. Desert
3. Swamp

Each biome is designed to offer more than just eye candy, they integrate unique natural obstacles or events that compel you to adapt your gameplay strategies.



In the Grassland biome, prepare yourself for heavy storms, accompanied by rain, fog, and lightning. These weather conditions are random and will sporadically occur as you progress through the map.

- Lightning Strikes: Not only do these add a visual spectacle, but they can also be dangerous for your city. Lightning can strike randomly across the map, causing damage to whatever it hits.
- Spread of Fire: To make things more challenging, lightning strikes can ignite fires. These fires will spread and last for a certain duration, posing a risk to both units and structures in their path. Fire damage is currently mild, as there's no fire defense mechanism in place. We plan on evolving fire mechanics in future updates.



[h2]More about Fire[/h2]

Fire will play a larger role in the game. Our plans involve allowing you to use fire as an additional defensive line by igniting a flammable surface, such as oil, just before the undead wave reaches you.

One scene that comes to mind is the famous Battle of Winterfell in Game of Thrones, for those of you who have watched it:



In Darfall, each tile and object has a flammable level, which determines how quickly fire can spread to that tile if there is already a fire nearby. For example, grass tile has a flammable level of 1, while in the desert, it may be just 0.5, preventing the spread of fire on sand.

To recreate a flame wall similar to Game of Thrones, we can introduce buildable flammable oil tiles with a high flammable level, such as 10. Igniting just one of these tiles will rapidly spread the fire to the rest of the connected oil tiles.

Here is a quick preview of some flame wall tests we plan to integrate into the game in the future:



So for now, the only way how the fire can be created is via lightning strikes, as there are still unanswered design questions regarding the fire, particularly how to ignite it and how to combat it when it spreads into your city.

Any ideas will be much appreciated! Feel free to share them on our Discord.



The desert biome has its own environmental obstacle: heatwaves. At any moment, the temperature can soar, affecting your workers' efficiency.

- Adapting to Heat: You can counter the impact of heatwaves by crafting specific building upgrades—a refreshing mug of beer for your workers. This innovative mechanism will negate the adverse effects of the heatwave entirely for that structure.





In the Swamp biome, mud is the primary natural obstacle. Although it doesn't trigger like other events, mud patches are present right from the start.

- Reduced Mobility: These mud patches slow down the movement speed of any unit—friend or foe—that crosses them.
- Counteracting Mud: You can build roads over these patches to eliminate the slowdown effect. Road construction becomes a strategic necessity in this biome.



[h2]What's Next?[/h2]

That sums up the features of our initial three biomes. Post Early Access, expect to see even more biomes, each teeming with its own set of unique features and challenges.

So, stay tuned for more exciting updates from us!
- Lukas