Tavern Ventures: Guilds & Tales News

[p][/p][p]There's been a lot going on in the back of production lately. Currently on tap we have a complete overhaul of in-game animations using the tools previously described, but also-[/p][p][/p][p]We changed a few things in the game:[/p][h3]
The innkeeper[/h3][p]Moving the innkeeper has been changed - from now on we move on the WSAD keys. Yes, W and S also move the innkeeper. Forward, backward, left or right the character will go where you want.[/p][p][/p][h3]Action dots[/h3][p]Points have been added to the game to mark places where interaction is possible. To interact, all you have to do is walk up to the spot where the marker is.[/p][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]There are many items and decorations in the tavern. We decided to add a feature for some of them that is not limited to visual aspects.[/p][p]
[/p][h3]New management view[/h3][p]You will immediately see two places that have been enhanced with the aforementioned action dots. Not only has this changed, but also the appearance of the window that this place opens. [/p][p]
[/p][h3]Innkeeper's counter [/h3][p]From now on, this place also functions as the management of the inn. Here you can manage your employees such as waiters. [/p][p]
[/p][h3]Menu[/h3][p]Approaching the menu hanging on the wall opens the possibility to change the dishes that your inn serves.[/p][p]
[/p][h3]Even so, [/h3][p]As you can see, the innkeeper's animations are not yet as we would like them to be. However, you know from the previous publication of progress, that we are working on it. We hope that soon we will be able to present you new, and better character animations in our game ;)[/p][p][/p][p]See you next time![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]
[/p]

Today a slightly different topic. It will be about the problems we encountered and what we are doing to solve them.
As you already know, we are working on improving the animation at Tavern Ventures.
Unfortunately, things do not always go as we would like them to…



At first, we created animations in Moho and Adobe After Effects - tools that offer extensive editing and customization of character movement (Moho and Adobe After Effects are popular 2D animation programs used in both - film and game production).
We later decided to switch to Rive because it provided better control over the interactivity of the animation thanks to its state machine system (the state machine in Rive allows you to create dynamic animations that respond to user interactions, which is particularly useful in games and interactive applications). Unfortunately, Rive has a relatively limited set of animation tools, which became a challenge for us.



We tried to work around these limits by using pre-prepared animations in the form of image sequences (PNG sequence), but the files turned out to be too large, resulting in long loading times and unacceptable performance. (PNG sequences are often used, but many high-resolution images can put a significant strain on the application's memory and loading time.) Therefore, we decided to fully redesign the animations in Rive to better match the tool's capabilities.

However, after a lot of experiments, analysis, and code work, we were able to develop a solution that allows us to combine animations created in other programs with Rive smoothly. This allows us to use more powerful animation tools and then export the effects to Rive in an optimized form. This will greatly speed up our workflow and allow us to create high-quality animations faster.

What will come out of this solution? You will find out in one of the next updates on our progress.
See you there!

We come with an update on the progress of our steps. Work is in full swing, and today you will see the changes that are taking place at Tavern Ventures.

[h2]MAP[/h2]
Work on the map is still in progress, but you can already see what changes are coming. Almost everything is being redrawn, and when each of the elements is in its final place, you can be sure that we will present it to you without delay. Before looking at our “work in progress”, let's take a look at how the map looked before we started working on it.



[h3]Okay. Now we can already look at how it is changing.[/h3]



[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


[h2]What else?[/h2]

[h3]Animations[/h3]
The changes do not omit animations as well. The innkeeper will receive fresh animations, but not only. Animations are also created for the new character, which has not been presented yet.

[h3]Upgrades[/h3]
We are taking the first steps to upgrade the system. The first outlines of the operation and visual concept have been created. For this month we are introducing and testing the system in the form of described rectangles, and when we are satisfied with the operation and its visual aspect (which we can't say at the moment) you will see the effects of our work.

[h3]See you soon![/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2437180/Tavern_Ventures_Guilds__Tales/

New year, new me! Like every year, many of us have our New Year's resolutions. Whether it's to lose weight or to make your dreams come true. We resolve to create a game for you that will give us and you satisfaction. We have another year of news, changes, and improvements ahead of us, which we will be happy to inform you of, but let's see how the game has changed over the years.

[h3]Let's start with 2021 when work on the game just began[/h3]


[h3]
The year 2022[/h3]



[h3]2023[/h3]




The last year in this list is last year 2024, in which we also began our activities in sharing our progress with you. Let's recall how it looked and remember that this is not the end. We still have some work ahead of us, and we hope that this year will bring us what we want from Tavern Ventures.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2437180/Tavern_Ventures_Guilds__Tales/

If you are curious about the future developments of the game, we encourage you to join our discord server and add the game to your wish list so you don't miss out on future articles.

See you back here!

Christmas is just around the corner! We will soon be sitting down to Christmas dinner, opening presents, and remembering what we have experienced this year.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very merry and healthy Christmas. We also hope you find all the games you want under your Christmas tree and get some brand-new gaming equipment!





As 2024 also comes to a close, we have a summary of our work on Tavern Ventures for you.

[h2]Year in review [/h2]
Over the past year, we have made significant progress in the development of the project with numerous changes and improvements:

[h3]Gameplay changes: [/h3]
We abandoned the marketplace in favor of dungeons, which added strategic depth to the game. We added combat, sabotage, and enemy squads to increase interaction between enemies.
We added mini-games and mechanics for moving teams around the map.

[h3]Development and optimization: [/h3]
We tested different versions of upgrades and introduced optimizations to the map, increasing its size.
We added workstations to the kitchen and replaced icons for prospectors, dishes, and ingredients.

[h3]Interface and user experience: [/h3]
We built a completely new UI and added tooltips and toasts.
We created a tutorial that, although outdated, was key at the show.
We introduced keyboard shortcuts for player convenience.

[h3]Animations and tools: [/h3]
We used Rive for animations and implemented them on the map.
We created a map editor for the team and added analysis tools.

[h3]Automation and technical support: [/h3]
We automated the process of building new game versions, including MacOS support.

[h3]Events and extras: [/h3]
We participated in two events to showcase our progress.
We added Easter eggs as a nod to the community.

[h3]This year has been full of challenges, but also successes that have brought us closer to completing the project![/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2437180/Tavern_Ventures_Guilds__Tales/

[h3]Social Media:[/h3]