Development Log #39

[p]Welcome once again to the weekly Development Log for Lionhearts, an up-and-coming project on Steam created using Unreal Engine 5.[/p][p][/p][p]To preface this week let us just say: we're so sorry for the lack of updates these past few weeks! We've been very busy trying to get Lionhearts: Mêlée, our combat demo, finished ASAP for all of our supporters out there.[/p][p][/p][p]Over the last three weeks, the team has made significant strides across both technical and art development on Lionhearts.[/p][p][/p][p]A major focus of our programming team during this time has been improving the clarity and usability of the game's UI and HUD elements, with notable upgrades to alert messages, damage indicators, the Favor Tree, and main menu navigation. These changes greatly improve readability and minute-to-minute feedback during gameplay.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Additionally, a critical issue that prevented combat from properly replicating across all clients has been resolved. This bug was the primary cause behind delays to the Melee demo for backers, and its fix marks a major milestone toward a stable multiplayer experience.[/p][p][/p][p]Meanwhile, the 3D animation team continued combat animations for the one-handed sword. Some of the animations were revisited, with clearer directional telegraphs implemented to better communicate incoming attacks. While most historically accurate animations were ultimately scrapped for now in favor of better gameplay readability, the team plans to revisit a more refined balance between realism and mechanical clarity in the future.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Finally, several new team members have been onboarded over this period, which should significantly accelerate development pace moving forward.[/p][p][/p][p]If you haven’t gotten a chance to check it out yet, our Kickstarter campaign is now accepting late pledges! Even if you only have a few bucks to spare, it helps us more than you know![/p][p][/p][p]Reminder: We have begun handing out Discord rewards to Kickstarter backers, such as roles and other special permissions. Check your Kickstarter messages if you're a backer for info on how to claim these rewards![/p][p][/p][p]Please join us on our Discord server where you can ask questions and participate in our growing community![/p][p][/p][p]Be sure to wishlist the game on our Steam Page, too![/p]