Hey there :)

I hope you're all doing swell and are ready to dive into today's post with me! Buckle up, it's a long one.

"What makes a good game tutorial?" is a question we've had to answer while working on Vahrin's Call.

Our tutorial has changed many times over the game's development cycle and through much re-working and refinement, we now finally have a tutorial we are happy with.

Before we get to the current tutorial though, I want to talk about some of our older iterations.
I think it would be interesting to discuss how the tutorial for Vahrin's Call has evolved over time and more importantly, why we believe the final version works much better than our previous ones.

So without any further ado, let's dive in!

The earliest tutorial we have footage of is one that you may recognise, as we talked about it almost 3 years ago now in one of our earliest dev logs: Vahrin's Call Dev Log #02

In this version, you found yourself in a small, isolated and overgrown area, alongside one of the main protagonists. This character served as your guide, teaching you the basic controls of the game.

As this tutorial was focused on 'learning-by-doing', this character would tell you how to do something and then you would be required to do that thing in order to progress to the next part of the tutorial.

We liked this approach, as it ensured you were being taught everything you needed to know, early on.
We were focused on teaching you everything at the very beginning of the game, as we didn't want you to be confused about the controls mid-way through your adventure.

Additionally, we believed that forcing you to perform an action in order to move on was a good way of ensuring you knew what each button did moving foward.

"forcing" is an important word to remember as we continue..

While this tutorial functioned as intended and was successful at teaching you the basics of the game, it was incredibly hand-holdy. Slowly progressing through the tutorial and not being able to go at your own pace felt like you were being babied, resulting in quite the frustrating experience.

Moreover, we found that by having the tutorial take place in its own seperate area, we were taking too long to get you into the action. It reinforced the feeling of "Ugh okay, let's get this tutorial over and done with so I can move on and get started with the actual game."

Integrating the tutorial into the first area of the game (the Barathrum Forest), and having it flow smoothly with the gameplay was our next objective.


Introducing tutorial number 2!

This is the tutorial that stuck around for the longest time, as we found it to be a significant improvement from the previous iteration.

As I mentioned, we aimed to integrate this tutorial into the the Barathrum Forest.
We used the same pop ups from the previous tutorial (after a visual upgrade) and set them to appear on screen as you progressed through the area.

This approach felt much smoother. You were no longer required to press a certain button or perform a specific action in order to move on, you could now progress at your own pace.

Having a much larger area to work with also meant we had more freedom to teach you everything you needed to know about the game, and adjust the pacing of the tutorial for a more natural experience.

So! A much better method than the first...but not without its flaws.

While we were happy with the pacing of the tutorial and how it was now a part of the first area in the game, the problems arose around the pop ups themselves.

Each tutorial pop up in the world would appear on screen when you entered an invisible trigger box.
It would then remain on screen until you left this box.

One of the trigger boxes, visible in editor-
As the trigger boxes are invisible in gameplay, we found that players would unintentionally exit and re-enter the box, causing the pop ups to constantly disappear and reappear on screen. This was distracting and annoying, especially during sections that involved combat.

Furthermore, we found that the pop ups didn't need to be on screen at all times while in the box; as after you had read the pop up and got all the information you needed, it was now just unnecessarily taking up space on your screen.

We considered some solutions to these problems, but in turn they would create other problems.

Setting the pop ups to only appear on screen for a set amount of time after entering the box, would not allow us to account for the variable speeds at which players read.

Setting the pop ups to permanently disappear after you leave the invisible box would solve the issue of them constantly disappearing and reappearing when you exit and enter the box again, but it doesn't prevent them from staying on screen unnecessarily long. It also stops you from being able to go back and re-read info from a part of the tutorial, if you forget something and need a refresher.

*breathes*

Now, if that all sounds overly complicated to you, then don't worry! We were thinking the same thing, and it's this that lead us to the current and final version of our tutorial, a much more simplified approach which we think works much better than those that came before it.

As you traverse the Barathrum Forest, you'll notice mysterious signs placed around the environment, and reading these signs will give you info on how to play the game.......and that's it!

This approach is incredibly simple compared to the other ones we talked about, but aims to cater to all types of players, by giving you full control over when you view the tutorial information.

Text will no longer appear on screen when it doesn't need to, you can read all of the information at your own pace, and you can revisit any of the signs at any point, if you need a refresher on something.

Whether you're the kind of person to meticulously follow a tutorial to make sure you fully understand everything, or you prefer to figure things out entirely on your own, with this the choice is left up to you.

And I think we will leave it there! This was a bit of a long one and I fear I'll drive you insane if you have to read the words "pop up" or "tutorial" again. Congratulations if you made it all the way to the end!

I want to know what you guys think though. Do you tend to follow tutorials or do you like to dive in and figure out everything by yourself? And what do you think of the approach we went with in the end?

Either way, thank you all very much for stopping by as always and we will catch you all again next Friday for our final post of the year!

Cheers all~

Happy Friday all!

I can't believe we're in December already. Are you guys getting into the festive spirit?
Hope you've managed to get all your Christmas shopping done!


From time to time we receive questions about the weather system in Vahrin's Call, and while many of you probably have a good understanding of what kind of weather the game features, I bet not many of you know what the world of Leyda looked like before this system was introduced.

In the grand scheme of things, the introduction of dynamic weather to world is very new. However, it may suprise you to know that originally not even a day/night cycle was planned to be a part of the game, as the entire story used to take place in a single night.

This was long ago, before we started sharing the game's development with you all, back when the game was still called, "Exodus: Rising". I wonder how many of you remember that name?

Anyway, back to the weather system!

Dynamic weather in Vahrin's Call offers up a breath of fresh air when exploring the world. From bright and sunny, to torrential downpour and everything in between, it's nice exploring these fantastical areas at different times of the day and in different weather conditions.

While the weather in Vahrin's Call doesn't impact gameplay - it's purely cosmetic - one of the benefits of being a semi-open world is that we can more easily cater each area in the game to have specific weather conditions, to better match the atmosphere we're trying to deliver in that location.

We're excited to see you dive into the areas we've been keeping behind closed doors, and unravel the mystery of what has befallen the once great city of Vahrin!

Before I go, as this was more of a laid-back post taking a little look at the weather system in our game, I'm curious as to what your favourite weather conditions are! Do you like it when it's sunny, snowy, rainy, stormy, foggy? Do you prefer certain weather in games, compared to real life? Let me know!

I think next week we'll take a look at our new in-game tutorial, so be sure to stop by and check it out~

Have a good weekend all!

Howdy all! Hope you're all doing great as usual :)

This week, I wanted to talk to you guys a little bit about weapon abilities in Vahrin's Call.

By now, you've likely seen some of the weapon abilities you'll be able to get your hands on in the game, but what exactly are they, how do they work and how can you unlock them? That's what I wanted to discuss in today's post!

Let's start off with what exactly weapon abilities are.

To put it simply, they are special attacks that you can use with any melee weapon you have equipped.
While they can often offer more utility in combat than normal melee attacks, they do come at a high stamina cost, so you'll find yourself being able to use them more frequently without getting tired, as your character develops.

There are 4 unique sets of weapon abilities in the game, and which ones you use will differ depending on the weapons you have equipped:

• Greatsword abilities - Available with any greatsword
  
• Great axe/great hammmer abilities - Available with any Great axe or great hammmer
  
• Shield abilities - Available when using any one-handed weapon with a shield
  
• Dual wield abilities - Available when using two of any one-handed weapons, simultaneously

Additionally, every weapon ability in the game is different and comes with its own benefits in combat.

One greatsword ability, for example, may focus solely on dealing big damage at a close range, whereas another may deal little damage, but cover a larger distance and briefly stun your enemy.

So! Now that we have an understanding of what weapon abilities are. how do we use them?

Well, upon starting the game you'll have two weapon abilities automatically unlocked for every weapon. You can get your hands on more weapon abilities in the same way you get your hands on new weapons, armour, magic spells and consumables...by exploring the world!

Special attacks may come as part of a reward for finishing a side quest or for killing a certain enemy.
You may discover some purely by adventuring off the beaten path, or by purchasing them in the shop.

As you progress through the game and delve further into Vahrin's depths, you'll have the opportunity to unlock stronger abilities, which will aid you in conquering the various foes you'll encounter.

Finally, how you actually activate a weapon ability while in combat is something that ties into our combo system, but I think we'll leave that for a future update, as we near closer to the game's release.


And that will conclude this post!

I know many of you have already seen these weapon abilities in gameplay before, but I felt it was important to cover them in more detail. Hopefully you now have a better understanding of what to expect from them when you dive into the world.

I hope you enjoyed today's read and we will catch you all once again next Friday!

Cheers all~

Howdy all!
Hope you're all doing splendidly as always.

We've been getting a lot of new eyes on the game lately, which is absolutely fantastic to see.
If you're reading this and you're new to our story-driven, high-fantasy world, Hello! Happy you found us :)

With that in mind, I wanted to take some time to clarify how story progression works in Vahrin's Call, as questions about how this works in our game are pretty common.

Most of you have probably heard us refer to the game as "semi-open" by now, but what does that actually mean?

Well! In Vahrin's Call you'll have a wide range of interesting areas to traverse on your adventure.

Some areas in the game are open, offering you the chance to discover hidden treasure, unlock new skills and spells, take on side quests and more. The sprawling farmlands of South Vale is a good example.

Other locations in the game provide more linear, dungeon-like experiences.
These serve to progress the main story and push you further into the city's depths.

The crumbling caverns of the Aeternyte Mine, for example, are one of the key areas that will advance the main narrative and grant you access to other parts of the world.

With this in mind, how you choose to explore all of these areas is entirely up to you.

If you want to run through the open areas and load straight into the locations that focus on the main quest, then you're absolutely free to do so.

Alternatively, if you're like me and can't move on until you've searched every square inch of an area first, then feel free to spend as much time exploring as you like. There are many things to discover off the beaten path, after all!

Finally, you won't need to be concerned about side quests only being available for a limited time.

I know some of you were worried that after progressing a certain amount through the main story, certain side quests would no longer be available to accept. That's not the case though. All side quests in the game can be started and finished at any point. so if you would like to focus on the main story initially and check out side quests later down the line, you can do just that!

And that will conclude today's post!

I know some of you likely already had a good understanding of how the story progression and quest system works in Vahrin's Call, as it's something we've covered in the past, but I hope you learned a thing or two from this read nonetheless.

Wishing you all a lovely rest of your week, and we will catch you again next Friday!

Cheers all.

Hello Hello Everybody!

As the title suggests, today we're going to be taking a look at dual wielding in Vahrin's Call. I know many of you have been asking for this, so without any further ado, let's jump right in!

We've always wanted you to be able to dual wield weapons in Vahrin's Call.
Our initial plan was to ship the game without this feature, and then introduce dual wielding as part of a free DLC, sometime after the initial release.

However, I'm sure you'll be happy to hear we've been working extremely hard to get it into the base game

In Vahrin's Call, you'll now be able to equip two of your favourite one-handed weapons to use simultaneously in combat.

As with every other weapon class, dual wielding also comes with its own set of unique weapon abilities, allowing you to further customise your approach to combat.

Dual wielding offers up a brand new playstyle, unlike anything else in the game.
If you like your fast-paced, light-weight gameplay, but aren't interested in the defensive perks that you get with a shield, dual wielding might just be the perfect fit for you!

And don't forget! There are no classes in Vahrin's Call that restrict you to using certain weapons, items, spells or abilities. So why not experiment a bit?

We've been working on dual wielding for quite some time now and everyone on the team is really happy with how it's coming together. It's still a little unfinished, but it's already a ton of fun diving around and slicing through enemies before they even get a chance to speak.

Do you think you'll give dual wielding a go in Vahrin's Call? We'd love to know!

Hope you enjoyed reading today as always!

Have a lovely weekend all~

Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone~
Hope you're all doing swell and had a fab Halloween! It was raining in England again this year...shocker..


In Vahrin's Call you'll be able to block and parry incoming melee attacks. Incredibly useful if you're not a sword swinging psychopath such as myself, and prefer a slightly more tactical approach to combat.

I thought I would take today to go over those two mechanics in a little more detail, and so by the end of this you should have a better understanding of how blocking and parrying work in the game.


Let's start with blocking!

In Vahrin's Call, you'll be able to block enemy melee attacks, preventing you from taking damage.

You can do this with any weapon you have equipped (besides the bow), but it's important to remember that not all attacks can be blocked...If you find yourself pinned down by a greti, then I hope you have the firepower or stamina to deal with the situation and escape unharmed, because those giant fists will smash through anything in their way.

Speaking of stamina, you'll want to keep an eye on that if you plan to block often.
You'll find that with every attack you block, your stamina will decrease.

If you try to block an attack while your stamina is low, your enemy will tear straight through your defence and leave you open to attack.

That's about all there is to say when it comes to blocking, so let's talk parrying!

Much like with blocking, you can parry attacks with any weapon of your choice, minus the bow.

Parrying an enemy will cause them to stumble, leaving them open to attack for a short while.
You can parry an enemy by blocking just before their attack hits you, but again be careful, not every attack can be parried.

Hitting the attack button immediately after parrying an enemy will deliver a counter-attack.

Lastly, if parrying isn't your kind of thing then you might want to consider using a shield. Unlike with other weapons, shields offer a more defensive playstyle, automatically deflecting enemy attacks.

So! That concludes today's update, taking a closer look at blocking and parrying in the game.

Whether or not you decide to use these mechanics in combat is of course entirely up to you, and will largely depend on your chosen playstyle.

Regardless, I hope you enjoyed today's read!

Have a lovely weekend and we'll catch you again next Friday~

Howdy everyone!
i hope you're all getting into the spooky spirit and have some nice plans for Halloween this year~


Every time we add a new sound effect into the world of Leyda, we apply something called attenuation.

What is attenuation? Well that kind of depends on the context, but in this case, it's what allows us fade out the volume of certain sounds depending on how close you are to them.

As you can probably imagine, almost every sound in the game uses attenuation. There are very few times where we want a sound to play at the same volume, no matter where you are in the world. However, some exceptions include background music and certain ambient sounds, like subtle wind.

After initially applying attenuation to a sound effect, there are tonnes of cool options we can customise, and which of these options we customise will vary depending on the the type of sound we're adding and the area we're placing the sound in.


Changing the shape of the attenuation is incredibly useful and we do this often, as certain environments and types of sounds are better suited to certain shapes.

A bird chirping in a tree, for example, is well suited to spherical attenuation, whereas box attenuation works nicely for adding ambient sounds to a room.


Another interesting option we have at our disposal is the ability to spatialize audio.

Applying spatialization to a sound essentially means that you'll be able to hear it in 3D space.
If the source of a sound is on your right and you're wearing headphones, you'll hear it in your right ear.

Picture yourself strolling through a forest and suddenly an arrow whooshes past you. Even without seeing the arrow, spatialization would allow you to hear which side of your body the arrow flew past.

Despite this being the more realistic approach to sound design, we don't use the effect too often in Vahrin's Call. Applying it to too many sounds can feel jarring when turning your character, as the sounds constantly dart between your ears.

That being said, we do have the option to customise spatilization further. We can adjust the non-spatialized radius, which controls how close you have to be to a sound before it returns to being 2D.

This means we can have a sound play predominantly in one ear at a distance and then slowly transition to playing in both ears as you near closer and closer to the sound. This is useful for voice acting in Vahrin's Call, particularly when enemy bandits spot you and call out before attacking.

Attenuation is something you're likely not to notice while on your adventure, and that's a good thing!
It's one of those things that helps sounds to blend into the background and feel natural, and so most of the time we don't want it to demand your attention.

I think we'll end it there for today!


I hope you all enjoyed today's post, a mini-introduction to what attenuation is and how we're applying it to all manner of sounds throughout Vahrin.

Have a spooktacular Halloween and we'll catch you again next Friday!

Hello hello once again all!
I hope you've been doing splendidly this week as always~


Today, I wanted to talk to you a little bit about a small feature in Vahrin's Call, a feature that I hope you'll put to good use while exploring the world.

We've talked about sound design many times over the course of the game's development, but we've never really touched on audio settings and how much control you, the player, will have over audio in the game.

Every sound used in Vahrin's Call falls under one of these categories:

• Music
  
• Voice
  
• Effects
  
• Weather
  
• Ambience
  
• UI

In the settings menu you'll be able to adjust the volume for each of these categories independently from one another, creating a more bespoke experience while you explore the world.

*Work in progress UI*

If you're looking for the most immersive experience possible then you may decide to increase the ambient volume and lower the music volume.

Having a bit of a hard time understanding those villagers over the rainfall? No problem! Turn the voice volume up and bring the weather volume down.

Now, I realise this isn't a breathtaking, exciting new feature that will change the entire game, but it's still something I really wanted to talk about. It's nice to have full control over the volume of everything in the world and I've personally found myself customising these settings more than I thought I would.


So! I want to hear from you guys now.
Do you think you'll play around with these settings at all, or do you tend to hop into a game and not touch the settings unless you need to?

Of course, you'll have more settings to customise beyond just audio, but I think we'll cover those when our UI is feeling more polished.

I hope you all enjoyed today's read! I know it was a bit of a minor update, but it's something I've been wanting to cover for a while now.


Have a lovely weekend and we'll catch you again next Friday!

Cheers all :)

Hey again everyone!
Hope you're all doing swell on this Friday 13th and are having a day filled with luck and good fortune!

It dawned on me that when we talked about the voice acting we're currently working into the game, we didn't really cover cutscenes all that much, and that's what I wanted to talk a little bit more about today.

In Vahrin's Call, we're using cutscenes in two main places.

• To introduce a new boss
  
• In NPC conversations that progress the main story

Both of these, the latter especially, are very time consuming to implement. It requires several of us on the team working together to get everything functioning as intended.

In the case of NPC conversations which require more attention to detail, we have a step-by-step process that we follow for each cutscene.


Working in UE4's Sequencer, we begin simply by creating a new sequence and then positioning each character where we want them in the scene.

Next, we import every line of dialogue that will be used in the scene and time them to play like a natural, back and forth conversation.

Once we're happy with the flow of the conversation, we mark specific parts of the sequence with key frames.

Thanks to a system set up by our programmer, this will allow you to skip to the next line of dialogue in a conversation with the press of a button.

We then go through the cutscene, adding animations and facial expressions to characters, as well as setting up where we want characters to look at certain points in the conversation.

The next step is adding different camera shots. This step takes the longest, as adjusting the timing and positioning of each camera can be tricky to get right and involves a lot of fine-tuning.

After this, all that's left is putting on the finishing touches!
In this stage, we may add a fade to the start or end of the cutscene and/or make lighting adjustments.


As you guys can see there's quite a bit that goes into making each of the cutscenes in Vahrin's Call.
I hope you can agree that all the time and effort we put into them is absolutely worth it though!

I know you haven't had the chance to see too many in action just yet and of course everything is currently a work in progress, but I'm looking forward to showing you how it's all progressed once things are more polished.


As always, I hope you enjoyed today's post and we hope to see you here again next Friday!

Cheers all~