Ylands News

Ahoy Ylanders!

Welcome to another entry in our developer diary! Today, we’re excited to take you on a journey through the lush, diverse vegetation that breathes life into the world of Ylands. Our team of 3D artists has worked tirelessly to craft the unique plant life that populates each of our distinct biomes. These plants not only add to the beauty of the game but also play a crucial role in your survival and adventure.




[h3]Vegetation Categories
[/h3]
In Ylands, the vegetation is divided into five main categories: Trees, Bushes, Plants, Mushrooms, and Underwater vegetation. Each category plays a crucial role in the ecosystem and offers different resources and interactions for players.

Trees, Bushes, and Plants are dynamic elements in the game, each going through three distinct growth stages. These stages represent the plant’s life cycle, from a small sapling to a fully mature form. Over time, you’ll see these changes reflected in the game world, adding depth and immersion to your experience. Notably, trees can be cut down to gather essential resources, which is vital for crafting and building in Ylands.

In Ylands, we have six biomes, each with its own climate and environment. While some are rich in flora, others are more barren and challenging. Here's a closer look at the vegetation that you'll encounter as you explore these varied landscapes:

[h3]Polar Biome[/h3]
The Polar Biome is an unforgiving and hostile environment. Here, ice and snow dominate the landscape, creating a barren wasteland where nothing can grow. The lack of vegetation in this biome highlights the extreme conditions adventurers face, emphasizing the importance of preparation and resource management.



[h3]Arid Biome[/h3]
The Arid Biome is characterized by its hot and dry conditions, with landscapes that range from savannas to deserts. In this challenging environment, vegetation is sparse but resilient. You’ll find iconic Saguaro cactuses, Opuntias, Sisal agave, and tough savanna grasses. Scattered savanna shrubs and hardy Acacia trees add to the landscape’s rugged beauty. Each plant in the Arid biome is a testament to survival, thriving in one of the harshest climates in Ylands.



[h3]Temperate Biome[/h3]
In the Temperate Biome, the world comes alive with fresh, green growth. This biome is home to rich meadows and sprawling woodlands, featuring a diverse range of vegetation. Majestic Oaks and elegant Birch trees form the backbone of the forests, while Maples and sunflowers add splashes of color and variety. Cow parsnip can be found in open meadows, its tall stalks and broad leaves swaying gently in the breeze. This biome offers a peaceful and vibrant environment, perfect for those who appreciate nature’s beauty.



[h3]
Monsoonal Biome[/h3]
The Monsoonal Biome is a place of contrasts, with a humid, green environment that experiences dramatic seasonal changes. This biome is lush and teeming with life, featuring towering Willows, ancient Metasequoias, and sturdy Cedar trees. The vibrant Rhododendrons and delicate Prunella plants add a burst of color to the landscape, while the iconic Bamboo and Cherry trees bring an exotic touch. This biome’s dense vegetation provides a stunning backdrop for any adventure.



[h3]Taiga Biome[/h3]
The Taiga Biome offers a cold, quiet environment where coniferous forests dominate the landscape. Here, you’ll find towering Spruce and Larch trees, alongside resilient Dwarf pines. The undergrowth is rich with ferns and other hardy plants that can withstand the biome’s chilly conditions. The Taiga’s serene atmosphere, with its dense conifer woods, is perfect for those who seek solitude and peace in the wilderness.



[h3]Tropical Biome[/h3]
Finally, the Tropical Biome is a humid, overgrown paradise brimming with life. This lush environment is dominated by Rainforest trees and towering palms, creating a dense canopy that shelters a vibrant undergrowth. Banana trees, colorful orchids, and sumac add to the biome’s rich diversity, creating a thriving ecosystem where life flourishes. The Tropical biome’s dense vegetation and vibrant colors make it a truly immersive experience for any adventurer.




Crafting the vegetation for Ylands has been a labor of love. Each plant, tree, and shrub was carefully designed to reflect the unique conditions of its respective biome. We aimed to create a world that feels alive, where every piece of vegetation contributes to the overall experience, whether you're gathering resources, building a shelter, or simply taking in the scenery.

We hope you enjoy exploring these diverse environments as much as we enjoyed creating them. Stay tuned for more insights into the world of Ylands in future diaries.



Stay Classy!

[h3]Ahoy Ylanders![/h3]


The summer holiday season is in full swing, people are having a great time outside the office, but do you know what makes them excited to come back to work? It's our furry colleagues! We figured we might introduce some members of our team who you probably don't know yet.


[h3]Ylands Canistheraphy Team[/h3]

Yes, we have our own team. Working in the gaming industry is quite mentally demanding and this is the best way to cope with all the stress. Let's meet the team!

Rocky

This good boy is a senior canistheraphist for Ylands team who is present almost every day and boosts our morale tremendously. He received his canistheraphy license in 2019 (seriously, he passed the test) and is spreading joy in our team for almost year and a half now.




Haiki

She might be small but her dedication to driving away any potential threat is immense! Sometimes, it's a bit too much, as pigeon outside a window can mean an involuntary break from a meeting. Yet, she makes up for it by letting us scratch her belly, so win-win!




Charlie

The smallest of our therapists, Charlie sits at the reception, making sure we are always stocked up on fruit, vegetables and candies.



[h3]Home Office Squad[/h3]

It would be a pity to stay in the team of Ylands so we've included more Bohemia Interactive pet workers from other teams as well. Especially cats, as they are the most active home office helpers. You know, sitting in your spot, judging the quality of our work or sleeping on our keyboards.




[h3]Slack channel for cute pets photos[/h3]

Yes, that's what we do. Whether it's from the office, home office or holiday people are sending their cuties for others to admire. It is called #Random-Aww and everyday you can find photos just like these there. A lot of our furry friends even have their own emoji on our company Slack!



Feel free to share your own pets with us here or on our Discord server: https://discord.com/invite/ylands


[h3]Stay Classy![/h3]

[h2]Ahoy Ylanders!
[/h2]

As you probably know, it takes a while to create a video game. Once it is done, there is still a long way to go as the testing begins. The story ylands are basically like small games within Ylands and testing them before the experimental is released can get quite interesting. Peek behind the curtain and see some of the more interesting screenshots from our testers. We will go from the least disruptive bugs to the most, so you have something to look forward to.



1. Once the Starcharter sends you here the door should unlock for you. These minor scripting errors are basically must-haves.



2. Off with the heads! Eh...we mean, not the heads but placeholder statues. Yes, even "bugs" like this is what our testers are capable of noticing.



3. How many dogs do you see? Even though someone might see one cerberus those are actually just two dogs in one spot. One bug, two dogs.



4. Let's enter the mobile realm which is abundant with proper bugs! Forget barely noticeable double dog or easily fixed locked door we present you random blank spots! It appears that parts of the Ylands world ceased to exist here. Ooopsie!



5. DANGER! DANGER! PARTICLE EFFECTS OVERWHELM!



But if you played the 3rd story yland you know that we successfully managed to mend all of these. In case you didn't play the story, you should definitely do so! Let us know how you like it once you are done.

In the meantime...

[h3]Stay Classy![/h3]

[h3]Hello Ylanders! [/h3]

Today, we want to share one of the bugs we've encountered in our game. As developers, we sometimes come across bugs that are more funny than frustrating, and today was one of those days.



While testing costume changes in the profile window, we discovered that when you go into the game and change into any costume, after returning to the main menu, you might be in for a surprise when you check your profile window. Instead of seeing your character in their default outfit, you’ll find them standing there in their undergarments, but with the hands from the last costume you had on still attached.

We reproduced this bug several times with different costumes, and the results were quite interesting.





While this bug has given us a good laugh, it’s something we need to fix.

Sometimes, issues can be funny and easy to solve, but it's not always like that. Some issues are so complicated that we can spend months sending them back and forth until we find a fix.

It is very important to see reports from you about the issues you are experiencing. For example, there are many combinations of hardware, and we cannot have them all in our offices. But if you experience something that we are not, sometimes even looking at your log can give us answers we need to solve your issue.

Thank you for your continued support and for your feedback that helps us make our game more bug-free.

Happy Ylanding and Stay Classy!

Ahoy Ylanders!

Today, we spoke with our Art department about what's coming to Ylands! And we bring you a short peek into the brand new guardian of Arid caves!

Conceptualizing the Arid Hyena
The creation of our new hyena creature for the Arid region in Ylands started with the need for a guardian of the dark, mysterious caves. We chose a hyena for its reputation as a cunning and resilient animal, aiming to evoke a sense of danger and challenge. The goal was to create a creature that fits the harsh, unforgiving nature of its environment. This creature is meant to add a new layer of depth and excitement to the game, challenging players in unexpected ways.




From 3D Model to Life: Crafting the Hyena
We built the hyena directly in Blender, focusing on sharp edges and glowing green crystals to emphasize its role as a cave guardian. Following our pipeline, we skinned the model in Maya to ensure smooth integration with our animation workflow. The final model, with its intimidating stance and piercing eyes, meets our vision of a menacing creature. Every detail was crafted to enhance the creature’s unique and formidable presence within the game world.

Animating the Guardian: Breathing Life into Our Creation
For the animation, we reused the set from the Wendigo, as both creatures share the same skeleton. This approach allowed our artists to add more variations while enabling our animators to focus on other critical tasks. Creating a new animation set is very time-demanding, so reusing existing animations was a practical solution. By optimizing our resources this way, we were able to enrich the game’s animation quality overall.

What are your thoughts? Are you looking forward the the hyena? Let us know! 


Stay Classy!