Ylands News

Ahoy Ylanders,

Let me start by saying that we love all feedback. Both positive and negative. One of the things that makes us happy is reading your suggestions on what to add to the game, how to balance it, and how to make it better. And we get tons of suggestions and ideas every day from you.

How we collect feedback
Every month or so I go through every site we have (Forum, Steam, Discord, social media, ...) and write down in a huge multipage table what people suggested and how many people want that idea in the game. Then we talk about the most wanted or just generally very creative ideas at a meeting. We discuss how we could implement them, what would it change and how long would it take.

The process of getting your idea into the game is not simple. For every Update, we have a list of features that should be added and bugs that should be fixed. So after we talk about your suggestion in a meeting, we try to figure out which Update it would fit in. Generally, it should go with something similar. Example: Many people wanted to see ghost pirates in the game and we needed some more Random Encounters for Temperate Region et viola! 

So please note how much work and time goes into getting just one idea in the game. And we have collected hundreds of ideas from you. 
With the process out of the way let's talk about some ideas that already made it into the game!




[h3]You suggested adding a utility belt, a backpack with more slots in inventory, an ammo pouch, or more containers.
[/h3]
Done! We expanded all containers greatly. We have added an ammo pouch. We have added the much-requested lunch box!
One thing we cannot do however is add slots to the inventory, imagine the mess it would create. You wouldn't see the icons properly, we would have to make all the buttons smaller and add a scroll bar in the inventory. Overall this change doesn't seem effective to us. We are always thinking about how to make your traveling luggage lighter though! So I am sure we will come up with something to make you even more content in the future. 

[h3]Tech-tree
[/h3]
Tech-tree is something that was suggested many times over many years. And from the first time we read the idea - we agreed! After many months of discussions and work the Tech-tree is now a reality.

[h3]Blank book/ folder to add notes in
[/h3]
Done! We added a folder for all your various notes. One suggestion we get a lot is adding a book you could write in. While it is a great idea it is also very complex since it would require a custom UI screen. 

[h3]Chickens
[/h3]
Just one word for you - Takahe.

[h3]Other things you wanted and we added:
[/h3]
Custom Editor tools
Running
Auto-sort in inventory

In case you want to know more about what can or cannot be implemented in the game read our Community Corner: here

Thank you again for motivating us to make the game better.

Stay Classy!

Ahoy Ylanders!

Today’s dev diary will be about how we created life and populated Ylands with various creatures. We believe the visual style of Ylands is best suited for hand-keyed animations. We decided not to use mocap in development as the cartoonish animation style brings more freedom for us as creators and is the only way to achieve the desired animations in many cases. Can you imagine someone could train and force an endangered species like a Pangolin to do a special attack in mocap? (big grin) Yeah, we can't either... So it is also very humane and no animal (or monster) was harmed in the process of animation.

When we want to get an animal into the game we first work with references. We try to get as many videos, movies, and pictures as we can. That way we can establish the character and behavior of the animal. If we have a clear character for it, most of the work will be much easier as we know what we want to achieve. We animators need to interpret the character of the animal as we are a type of actors who are not standing in front of a camera but are comfortably hidden behind our computer screens. We don’t experience stage fright, that's cool, isn’t it? For some animals, it is easy to get inspiration as we have them at home, or a nearby zoo, for some it is more difficult like the Pangolin we already mentioned. Sometimes, it is outright impossible to get a real-life reference, such as when we introduced alien animals. But this also has a positive side: if there is no reference for the animal/monster, we can use our imagination! And that’s so much fun!

After that, it’s pretty straightforward. We have to make a set of 23 animations that we need for monsters - for example, various attacks, walking, running, and idle variants. For tamable animals, we need a few more animations, and for mountable animals, we need up to 32 animations. Making those hand-keyed animations can take up from 2 to 5 weeks. As all entities share almost the same amount of animations it gives you, the player, the freedom to make animals behave as you wish in the Editor. You can force the peaceful rabbit to behave like a rabid monster. And that is what we like at Ylands, it is your call, your game! So go on, find them, take screenshots, can you count how many animals and monsters are in our game?

That's all for this week! 
Stay Classy! 

Ahoy Ylanders!

This week, our programmer Radek will share a few insights about our internal system called Notice Board. This nice addition to our game is a digital bulletin board, crafted to enhance your gaming experience by bringing you relevant information happening around the Ylands game.

Key Features

Dynamic Content Updates: Keeping players informed and engaged is crucial, so we've developed a dynamic hub filled with content to ensure you never miss out on the essential happenings in the Ylands universe. Stay updated on upcoming patches, new shop content, latest features, and game changes.

Visual Experience: To get your attention, we have designed an aesthetic board with a charming board theme. Our UI Designer carefully crafted the variants of paper notes that are easily integrated into the dynamic system we developed.



Technical Aspects

Originally the tool was required by the marketing team and it was intended to be just a place with brief notes served to the players updated approximately once a month. Because of this simplified design and underestimation of the potential size of that system, we encountered several complications during the development process.

We chose a more simplistic approach inspired by the classic blog systems but we had to work with static data uploaded on the server. We chose the JSON file format for storage.

The JSON file you upload to the server needs to be manually edited, which can be easy for a tech-savvy person, but can be a nightmare for the average PC user. That's why it's important to choose the right tools while simplifying the editing process itself, which was also underestimated at first.

If you're building a tool that requires the work of others while giving you the ability to update content fairly frequently, reach for a database solution rather than static data and expose some simple frontend app with convenient editing tools. Unfortunately, we were limited by time and did not expect that the system would become such an integral tool.

Fortunately, there are ways to automate these things, so we created a spreadsheet where the marketing team can update their data while keeping track of what has been published. They then generate a JSON file from that table and just send it to the backend server.

While this process still requires the involvement of at least 3 people, editing such a spreadsheet and then uploading the final changes to the server takes much less time.

In conclusion, we'd just like to point out that it's always a good idea to consider the importance and potential workload of such a system and invest time in developing tools and then working with them more efficiently accordingly. Since its release, the Notice Board has become one of the most visited places in Ylands.

We are constantly working on improving the Notice Board and have some exciting additions planned for the next update.


Is there something you'd like to see on the Notice Board? Let us know!


Stay classy, ylanders!

[h3]Ahoy Ylanders![/h3]

With update 2.2, those who started a new game (or reset their progress) can experience a new introductory scene before arriving at the starting island. Let's discuss why it was added and what it brings to Ylands.

One of the biggest challenges for free-to-play (F2P) games is retention. Many players try them out, but only a few stick around long enough to make a significant impact. Casual F2P games, like shooters, puzzles, and match-threes, have it easier. They can showcase their core gameplay almost immediately after the player starts the game for the first time (despite clicking through countless popup windows).

For a game like Ylands, this is much more complicated. Up until 2.2, you started with nothing and very little to do besides picking up items. You picked grass, sticks, stones, and flint. These were your first minutes in the game, and based on this, you decided whether to give it more time, which could turn into hours. The math is simple: more new players playing the game equals more effort put into improving the game for everyone.



In update 2.2, we added the Tech Tree and Handbook Quests. Suddenly, you can clearly see what you can achieve and how to get there. There's always something interesting to do.

However, this doesn't entirely solve the problem I mentioned earlier. For the new player, it's more like a promise that there are some great things ahead and that the game becomes much more fun and interesting once you get past the "gathering phase."

What we wanted to do was give players a taste of how great it is to have your own ship, explore various unique places, and do it as soon as possible.

This is why the short playable intro scene was added. Based on the numbers we've seen, it seems to be working. More new players are finishing the subsequent tutorial than before, and they are staying longer.

Knowing that this works, we can safely proceed to the second phase of the Intro scene operation - releasing a vastly improved and polished version of the intro scene. We believe this will give new players even more reasons to invest time in the game, discovering its unique and complex nature. This new version of the intro scene, featuring sailing, underground exploration, and more sailing, should become available in about a month or two.

Have fun and stay classy, Ylanders!

[h3]Ahoy Ylanders![/h3]

All of the beautiful melodies that accompany you on your adventures in the world of Ylands are here for you now. Purchase the Ylands Original Soundtrack by the composer Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer on Steam!

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Going out to grab some groceries? Put on the dungeon music (aka Memorable Mysteries) and feel the thrill of a golem lurking around the corner on the streets of your own town!

Changing a lightbulb or fixing a shelf? Casually Crafting or Building Blueprints are the songs for this occasion! But be careful, you might start to see polygons if you give in to that feeling too much.

Facing an aggressive person on the street? Don't forget to change the song on Hostile Hyena and remember, if you manage to gain a certain distance, they'll leave you be!

The time to bring adventure to your everyday life is now. Get the soundtrack here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2848670/Ylands_Original_Soundtrack/


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[h3]Track Listing:[/h3]

• Adventure Awaits - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Serene Sunrise - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Casually Crafting - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Building Blueprints - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Propeller Pack - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Evening Encounters - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Very Vague - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Hostile Hyenav - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Memorable Mysteries - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Naval Navigation - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Underwater Universe - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Quirky Quests - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Lazy Life - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Interesting Idea - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Kind Kerfuffle - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Gloomy Ghosts - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Fluty Flute - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Diving Deep - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Terrorbird Terror - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Ominous Omen - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Random Rest - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer
  
• Just Join (Already) - Bohemia Interactive, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer