Developer Q&A: The game is too dark? We’ll fix it!

[p]Hello, esteemed cultivators! I’m A Mao from Muwa Game Studio, currently developing the card-based survival cultivation game Card Cultivation: Nine Palaces Illusory Realm. Feel free to add it to your wishlist on Steam — thank you for your support![/p][p]Card Cultivation: Nine Palaces Illusory Realm Steam store page:[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]At the beginning of last month, our game launched its Playtest, and we've received a lot of positive feedback from players.[/p][p]In today's dev log, I’ll be addressing some of the questions you all raised. If you're interested, feel free to click the link to watch the gameplay video , or scroll down for the detailed text and images.[/p][p][/p][p]The first point: Many players have mentioned that the game lacks guidance in several areas, such as scene exploration, alchemy gameplay, and the encyclopedia.[/p][p]We are already working on improving this. Our current plan is to implement a world map system, where players can view all the available maps and click to directly move to the map they want to visit. This will make it much easier than relying solely on the small indicator in the bottom right corner to navigate.[/p][p][/p][p]Additionally, we will strengthen the new player tutorial tasks. When new systems, features, or cards are introduced, hovering over them will display specific operation instructions and animated tips. For more complex systems, such as the Dan Furnace, detailed guidance will appear when the card is clicked, ensuring that players don't miss any important instructions. We will also optimize the alchemy output and related tips.[/p][p]The encyclopedia is another area we've been planning to improve. In the future, we will add categories and other features to make it easier for players to find the items they need.[/p][p]The second issue is related to the visuals. Some players have mentioned that the game’s screen is too dark, while others have said that the UI and fonts are a bit hard on the eyes, with too much information displayed at once.[/p][p]Regarding the brightness issue, we’ve also noticed this problem while testing on different monitors. Our plan moving forward is to increase the overall scene brightness, especially during nighttime. After this adjustment, we will also add a brightness adjustment feature, allowing players to customize the screen brightness according to their preferences.[/p][p][/p][p]In addition, we’ve added new text outlines and changed the fonts on the cards to improve clarity and readability. This should make the numbers and text on the cards much easier to distinguish. We are also planning further optimization for the overall UI and card rendering. Once we’ve made these improvements, we’ll evaluate the results and determine the next steps for further adjustments.[/p][p][/p][p]Finally, regarding what everyone is most excited about – adding more cultivation content in the future game progression. The Playtest mainly focused on the Mortal to Qi Refining stage, but we are considering introducing an "Encounter" system in future versions. This will allow players to experience various encounters or NPC events in the early stages, gradually building the story of the game. From the perspective of the protagonist, players will be able to experience a unique cultivation journey step by step.[/p][p][/p][p]Once players reach the Foundation Establishment stage, the focus will shift significantly toward cultivation content. The character's attributes will undergo a major transformation, with attributes such as Spiritual Sense, Willpower, and Righteousness vs. Evil replacing the mortal attributes. The UI will also undergo a comprehensive change to reflect this shift in the cultivation journey.[/p][p][/p][p]At the same time, the Soul Nucleus System will be unlocked (Soul Nucleus, activate!). This is a major and unique cultivation system, divided into the modules of Mind Sea, Perception Sea, and Qi Sea. However, the Soul Nucleus system is vast and complex, so we'll need to complete it first and see how it fits with the gameplay before refining and adjusting it.[/p][p]In future updates, we will also add more features to the game, such as weapon crafting, spiritual field cultivation, cultivation methods, affix crafting, demon binding, magic treasures, and boss challenges, among others.[/p][p][/p][p]If you have any more interesting ideas, feel free to leave them in the comments or join Junyang to chat with us. If possible, we’d also appreciate it if you could add our game to your Steam wishlist — thank you all in advance![/p][p]Now, I have to get back to developing game content, or else the Junyang fans will start whipping me again. That’s it for this dev log — see you next time![/p][p][/p][p][/p]