Aethermancer News

[h2]Hello and welcome to this devlog, we‘re so glad you could make it!![/h2]



We started our closed Alpha almost three months ago and while everyone‘s been busy stoking and testing, we‘ve been quite busy going through all the feedback and figuring out how we can improve the game further. Along with lots of important, valuable feedback we‘ve also received a large amount of suggestions regarding different game aspects. Since the exploration (overworld part of a run) didn‘t feel quite right yet, we‘ve been doing quite a lot of changes, which I‘m excited to tell you about today! Also last time we spoke, the map was still one piece, so I think you all deserve a much needed update!

Since we couldn‘t focus on everything right away, we had to pick a few things to focus on for now. But one thing that all of these things are aiming towards is to add more variety to the exploration and mix things up. More specifically we‘re currently aiming to add more choices for the players as well as having more things to explore. Since statements like that are quite broad, let‘s look at some of the things we‘ve changed thus far and take a quick peek at what we’re currently planning on adding later on.

[h3]Choose your Path[/h3]
I‘ve already hinted at the fact that somebody took a Nicer Dicer to our maps and everything is in tiny pieces now, right? Well yeah, we‘ve cut up the map into multiple smaller sections with each section having their own reward in terms of which NPC you’ll meet etc. At the end of each section, you will usually have to make a choice on where to go next. So you’ll need to decide if you’d rather visit Lily or go shopping at the merchant’s. Your decision will affect how you can influence your team, so you might wanna take note on what you can expect where (or just follow your heart and choose the cutest NPC).



[h3]Retraining the NPCs[/h3]
Speaking of NPCs there are also a few changes coming for them. Each one of them will now offer different events based on specific parts that make up your team. For example Sir Tiberion will no longer be able to give you a new artifact for the Aethermancer to use during battle, but instead only focus on equipments. But don’t worry, we found somebody else that will take care of artifacts during your run. You might be familiar since they’re usually hanging out in Pilgrim’s Rest: Alioth, the Envoy. Oh and they’ve brought backup, so you might also meet the Cook during your runs in the Fractured Ruins.



[h3]It's shiny - it's new - we want it![/h3]
But let’s not give too much away and move to our next topic: Loot drops!
Before you would usually get a loot drop once you’ve beat an encounter, which would drop you an equipment with affixes. While you might now find an unguarded loot drop in some areas, what’s inside will also vary depending on the loot drop’s tier. You might get an artifact, equipment, monster mementos, gold, Aether Crystals or Skill Rerolls. Each equipment will now also have a base effect, which can be improved by upgrading the equipment to a higher tier.



[h3]More events to explore[/h3]
We’ve also added a few new events to the exploration. You might stumble upon a blessed pond, which will offer you cleansing of Corruption in exchange for some of those nice shiny gold coins of yours. Another new interactable is the elemental challenge, where one of your monsters of that element will try to complete a challenge. Who knows, you might get lucky and get something out of it. Oh and if you’re feeling a bit pyromantic, you can also light up a memento as your ticket for entrance at some places.



Ok enough talking about actually implemented stuff, let’s talk about hopes and dreams and some-more-concrete-things-we-are-planning-on-adding-to-the-exploration-at-some-point-in-the-near-future.
For example we’ve heard rumors that if you go to one of the altar tables and offer it a memento, it might accept your trade and offer you a temporary boon in exchange.
We’ve also heard rumors that some of Pilgrim’s Rest’s population has gone missing in the Void, so who knows, maybe you can spot one and help them get back to Pilgrim’s Rest? (Don’t use Sir Tiberion’s directions though, I’m not sure if he can actually tell left from right).
Another thing we’re looking to add are Curses, which will make a part of your run harder but might also yield higher-tier rewards (though you need to make it out alive first). No need to make your life harder every time though, it’s up to you whether or not you want to take on the additional challenge.
Oh and we’re changing some things about where we’re generating stuff like Void Jumps and smaller loot stuff.

I think this pretty much sums up everything I can tell you guys at this point in time though I would like to tell you about some more secret stuff if I was allowed to.




[h2]Hopefully this gives you a good update on how the alpha is going so far. Thanks for reading and see you next time![/h2]

How time flies by! After the years spent making Monster Sanctuary, we are happy to be at one of the best parts again: sharing a new game with testers for the first time!

Our studio has been working on Aethermancer since mid 2021, and today, we announce the start of our upcoming Alpha. I’m sure you all can imagine that this is an exciting, but also a little nervous time for us at moi rai games, since this will be the first time people get to interact with our newest game, Aethermancer.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



Important note: Testers won't be allowed to share gameplay footage in streams or videos, so please keep that in mind if you want to be a tester!
To keep it fair, we are conducting a raffle in our Discord server until April 17th (check #announcements). For every 500 participants, we add +5 tester spots!



Most people are familiar with a Beta, where a game is ready for testing, but can have a few bugs or glitches. The difference with an Alpha, however, is that it’s more rough than that. Instead, the game itself is somewhat further from complete, and anyone who tries it will expect to encounter many bugs. Additionally, an Alpha will be missing various key story and gameplay features in comparison to later versions.





If it’s so unfinished, why would we want others to look at it? Because we have a lot to gain by doing so! By having some people outside of our direct dev team experience the game and record feedback, it can give us insights which we may not have noticed from our perspective. We can always try to plan for anticipating how people will interact with our game, but nothing beats an actual hands-on approach and hearing directly from the players. Using this kind of info can help us evaluate how we’re doing, and if we feel like we’re accomplishing our goals or going in the right direction. Theoretically, we could wait for Aethermancer to be a little more complete before its first introduction to the playerbase, but getting an early checkup can diagnose potential issues earlier as opposed to later. Essentially, we prefer a more community-driven approach to our development processes, like we did with Monster Sanctuary.



If you’re concerned about being qualified, don’t worry, because it’s not overly complicated. What you do is: play the game, report bugs as you see them, and write your feedback about it. “What if I don’t know what to write about?” Have no fear, for in addition to free-form writing in specially designated Discord channels, we will also have a preconstructed survey form. Not only does this make it easier for some to record their thoughts when being asked specific questions, but it also allows us to collate and quantify data into easier-to-digest formats. Having these multiple formats allow differing people to better express themselves for our consideration during the continued development of Aethermancer.



While those participating in the alpha won’t be able to publicly stream game footage, we do have a dev stream scheduled. To be announced next week!



Why are we doing a Raffle? Since running an alpha takes time and resources for us, we have to have some kind of limitation on who can participate in it. To help ensure a certain level of fairness, we have decided to utilize a raffle system to let in a certain amount of people. “But what if I don’t get in?” Don’t worry, because our Alpha occurring means that we’ll have a publicly available demo soon-enough™. So, it just means that it’s a matter of time till everyone can play around with Aethermancer! Join our Discord here to participate in the raffle!

[h2]Hey and welcome to another devlog![/h2]



The world of Terastae is riddled with bugs and odd shapes. I got invited by the creators of this magical world to take a deep dive into all the wondrous flora and fauna.

I, as an entomologist, love the hidden world of bugs and naturally, I had to go and see for myself. For you, my fellow entomology enthusiasts, I have written this guide on how to find bugs and explore them safely. Of course I’ve also shared my experiences here with our lovely Team that granted me access so they can find them too!

In preparation the team told me to still take a monster with me just in case. You never know what or who you come across, right? So my first stop was at the Monster Shrine to pick my companion, The shrine however thought I wasn’t allowed to reincarnate a monster and I was therefore handled like a pack of tomatoes at the grocery store.



One of the most common places to find these small crawlers is at the corners of the cliffs, they especially like those tiny nooks and crannies. Here it's important to keep your surroundings in mind as getting stuck is a real threat. However, regularly you can also find something amiss. This keeps things interesting and, at least to me, makes it worthwhile to check every single corner. Have you experienced the joy a person can get by gently pulling a bug out of the wall?



Alternatively shifting perspectives is another important tool when looking for bugs.being on a heightened terrain making it so you can see further ahead. What some people tend to miss however is that jumping down in between a fence and a cliff for example, makes some bugs emerge from the height. These creatures are so fascinating that I'm usually stuck there for hours just staring at them. Of course, at some point I leave, but it's truly something else.



I continued my journey and was amazed when I saw that not only I was on the hunt for bugs, but some monsters were doing the same thing, copying my techniques. Look at this Ooze's bug hunting skills!



Sometimes you encounter some friendly beasts that just want to cuddle, the environment is not always their ally though, as you can see here:



While most bugs get scared off if you're running by fast, some seem to be attracted by my movement. This made me curious, so I dashed around and found the most peculiar of bugs I’ve encountered so far. Somehow, the bug interacted with the monsters inhabiting this world and made them dizzy and wonky whenever I ran into them. I have to admit, it was quite fun!




Before my trip I was warned about some rare occurrences that 'might happen' while on the lookout for bugs but I didn't realise the severity of the situation until I got stuck in a flying tent myself! After calling for help for a while I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and use some of my unique skill set to get out of the situation. After reporting this incident to the team, they told me to immediately report those since they are hazardous to the inhabitants. Speaking of stones, I discovered something very interesting; I could walk through some of them



After discovering all these awe-inspiring bugs, I felt that it was time to rest, so I decided to take a look around to find a good place to relax. After some scenic detours I discovered this lovely pond and decided to walk through the water. Some monsters wanted to join me regardless of how many times I showed them how easy it was, they just couldn’t enter the water for some reason. So I decided that it was futile to teach them and just cooled my own feet for now.



At the end of the day, I asked to see the monsters up close and personal in combat, but that's something I’d like you to explore for yourself. Unfortunately, the team immediately started removing all the beautiful bugs I discovered during my trip. They said it was important to prepare for the first visits from people outside of the team. It may be a little sad, but I know better, and am aware of this fact: there will always be new bugs to discover or some might re-emerge after a while due to the changes made!

[h2]I hope I could inspire some excitement for bugs and otherworldly shenanigans with this Devlog, and I can't wait to see how everyone will experience this wild adventure alongside me! [/h2]

Hey and welcome to this new devlog that is full of T I L E M A G I C !



I'm Malika and this devlog is all about the tile magic in Aethermancer!
First off, there are two reasons why we use tiles in Aethermancer.
For one, the level generation requires a flexible tool box to put together the environment, and tiles work as the basic Lego bricks to set the foundation. On the other hand, it saves time. Even if I were to draw the entire environment by hand, I would copy-paste certain unimportant and repetitive segments to save time. Tiles do just that.



Broadly speaking, tiles can be described as images that are arranged in a grid.
Most commonly they are rectangular, but in fact they can come in many varying shapes. There's even 3D variants placed in a three-dimensional grid.



The above is a classic example of dungeon tiles from the old Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
But we're getting off track. The tiles used in Aethermancer are 2D sprites and placed on a square shaped grid and can be separated into three types:

• Borders - they include fences and similar objects that are used as a separator
  
• Terrain - it defines the ground texture
  
• Walls - the walls are basically the separator to indicate higher elevated terrain
  

I'll be focusing on the Border type fence tiles going forward and it's going to get a lot more technical as I will be introducing Tile Magic aka Auto Tiling to you.
While tiles can theoretically be placed without care for their neighbors, this wouldn't look very polished. Just look at these lonely fence tiles.



Instead, it makes sense to have tiles change depending on their surroundings. After all, these interconnected fences look much nicer.



Ensuring that a placed fence tile automatically adjusts itself to its neighbors is what auto tiling is all about. And making auto tiling work requires both a comprehensive set of rules that work in all different placement scenarios and a full tileset that covers all variants needed to visually represent the changes.
In the fences' case, I use a tiling method known as Wang tiles. More specifically, the fences use the 2-edge version.



Think about it: In the previous example with the fences, each fence tile wants to add a connection to the side where it has a neighbor. Since they are square, they can have 4 sides and respectively up to 4 neighboring fences that they could connect to.
That's why, if you look at it more abstractly, each fence tile can be divided into 4 parts like so:


Each segment can either be connecting or not connecting. This makes for a total of 15 different cases - the amount of different tiles that is required to cover all cases (If you were to rotate your tiles, it would be even less for a total of 6 cases. But that wouldn't work with the perspective of these fences).
It's because of the 2 different states (connecting or not connecting) applying to each edge, that this tiling method is called 2-edge Wang tiles.

Here's the resulting fence tileset.



You might notice that there are two completely non-connecting fence pieces. They are basically the same in terms of rules. It's a case of: the single fence pole looked weird, so I added another version but couldn't bear to throw away the first approach. It might come in handy, right… right?

The auto tiling requires one rule for each tile.
Here is what this looks like in unity:


As with so many things in game development, the set in its current state has one major downside:



The tiling rules are telling the fences to behave this way: to connect to all neighbors. Still, nobody would build fences like this.
Instead, it should look somewhat like the following picture.



It took quite a bit of trial and error, but in the end I solved this issue with more auto tiling magic by adding another set of rules to the same tileset.

What if we could tell the tiles that there is an inside and an outside to a fenced off area?
To do this, I added a 16th tile to the set that was ~drum roll~ empty!



Then I added additional rules that checked if the neighbors and corner neighbors are also fences.


Take this new rule as an example. Before it would have created a three-way connector if it had a top, right and bottom neighbor. Now it also places a straight piece. This is because it knows that its right-hand neighbor fence also has a north and south connector.

In addition to these alternate rules for existing tiles in the case that all the surroundings are occupied by fences, including the corners, an empty tile will be used instead.

I know this is all rather confusing. And I'll admit that the whole thing gets a bit complicated. It took me a few trials and failed approaches to complete a working set of rules.
But I'll spare you the gritty details and demonstrate the auto tiling of this awesome set with 16 tiles and 31 tiling rules.



I can guarantee that drawing fences with auto tiling is weirdly satisfying.

[h2]I hope you had fun reading about tile magic despite it getting a bit technical! Maybe you're even ready to create your own satisfying auto tiling set?[/h2]