Recently it was brought to our attention that certain achievements were not being awarded after completing certain tasks within the game. We've gone back and made sure that these achievements should now be available to all users. It may require repeating certain tasks to reactivate the unlock through steam, which can be done using the chapter select in the "Extras" menu.
In addition, we've added another achievement that was not initially part of the steam listing! It's a hidden achievement, however, so we can't reveal too much about it here. Instead, here's a treatise on "shit talking," presented by our very own Caspian:
(Artwork by the always wonderful Carina Strauch)
GDEX 2019 Expo
Hi everyone!
As we’ve alluded to in previous posts, we’re a small indie developer comprised of a core group of 3 people. Akash was entirely self funded, developed, and published quite literally in a small studio above a garage.
We are part of a small but dedicated community of game developers in the Midwest, and this weekend one of the largest expos in our neck of the woods is about to drop!
Find us wandering around the expo floor or in one of the many events at GDEX 2019, and we will give you a free Akash: Path of the Five beanie!
This are high quality and have fully embroidered logo, and perfect for the fall and coming winter. We originally produced these to give away at AX 2019 and PAX, but we still have a few left!
You can find our more info about GDEX at http://www.thegdex.com , and of course please feel free to reach out to us on Twitter too!
As always, thank you again for your time, and for playing our game!
A Special Gift for Everyone Playing Akash: Path of the Five
It has been a little over a week since Akash: Path of the Five launched on Steam. It was an extremely hectic time for us, both in the weeks leading up to and during the release of the game (not just on Steam, but also on Nintendo Switch, which was a first for our tiny little company). There were highs, lows, and a fair amount of sleep lost, but we got it done! Whereas most developers might (and should) take a breather and let their publisher's marketing department handle the work of carrying the game over the finish line, we don't really have that luxury because we don't have a publishing or marketing department to speak of :p
Indie dev, for us, is about engagement: beyond interacting with users on social media to help clear up bugs or answer questions, we appreciate hearing about your experiences in our games. No matter how big or small the title, we want you to know it is the product of a core group of only 3 people working as hard as we can, essentially wearing multiple hats in order to get our best work into your hands.
To that end, we have decided to share a very special piece of commissioned artwork, produced by the incredible Kholouz featuring Akash's main character Aurora visiting her birth city of Aquaba, rendered in stunning clarity:
We were particularly impressed with kholouz's color, value, and attention to detail, as demonstrated here in this small snippet of the full image at its native size:
We have created a new folder within the Akash: Path of the Five game data path called "Extras". In this folder, you will find a copy of this images at 1080p and native 3000+ pixel resolution, compatible with HD and UHD displays. As of this announcement, this image is available, for free, for everyone who owns (and will own) the game.
In order to access the "Extras" folder:
Navigate to Akash in your steam library.
Right click on the title of the game and select "properties"
click on the "Local Files" tab
click on the "Brows local files..." button
An explorer window will open, revealing the Akash install. The Extras folder is visible here.
Be sure to keep an eye out for more free goodies in the future! Also, please let us know if you enjoy additional content like this, and we'll be sure to throw something special in there from time to time! Even though the initial launch discount has ended, we will work hard to add to the value for those of you who decided to take the plunge on our very first visual novel.
As always, thank you to all of you for taking the time to play our game and tell us what you think.
Game update: Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements
Hi everyone!
We’ve been hard at work since Akash launched, tracking down and fixing a couple of annoying bugs that slipped through our tired fingers.
We don’t have a single update being released, rather it has been a series of small updates (600 kB to 15 mb) which include a number of small fixes:
Fixed an issue where certain spoken lines were not spoken (some things are NOT better left unsaid).
Fixed an issue where the relationship select menu would not appear when using chapter select (we promise this wasn't some sort of attempt at a clever mini game.)
Additionally, we have made sure to improve certain performance metrics at lower quality settings. If you’re running a lower end system beneath the minimum recommended specifications, running the game at low or very low will disable V-sync, and should allow the game to run better on these systems (V-Sync is used to prevent screen tear, however it can be resource intensive for lower end systems).
Frame rate is still capped at 60 fps for high, very high, and ultimate settings, as V-Sync is enabled.
Next: we’ve clarified how Akash uses system resources. Our foliage engine, which makes the trees and grass sway dynamically in the background is probably the biggest draw on system resources, along with ambient occlusion, paint filtering, and depth-of-field blur. We’ve made sure to disable shadowing at the lowest levels to decrease system load. Changing the graphics options will also affect the depth of the paint filter applied to the background visuals (the lower the depth, the less the overhead). This is most apparent when looking at the grass in the main menu. Remember, you need to confirm your settings with the button at the bottom of the graphics menu before your changes will be visible. This will apply all your changes at once.
The following is an example of the game running on the highest available settings on a Surface Book 2 with both an integrated GPU and a mobile 1060 processor, set to an internal resolution of 1080p. Average frame rate is a v-synced 60 fps. GPU utilization remains fairly consistent across different scenes, dipping lower during indoor and peaking during outdoor areas. GPU load peaks at during outdoor scenes at 79% on this system (which, fun fact, has over 100 hours of play and editing time accumulated for Akash alone), and this is while running other processes (including capture and image editing tools) which add additional GPU overhead:
If you’d like additional graphical options, please, let us know in our discussion groups. Feedback will help us grow the game because it helps us determine the need to commit resources to making additions, as we are a very small group (only 3 people) so we generally have to triage between features and fixes. If it's something that's important to you, we'll do our best.
Because visual novels are not traditionally dynamic and 3D, we also realize this is new territory for a lot of players, hence our decision to keep the visual options simple. Though our minimum recommended requirements are conservative, most modern PCs should be able to run Akash with few issues, save for more energy-efficient ultrabooks. (Another fun fact: Akash was originally developed with the PS4 in mind, which today equates to a mid-range 2013 consumer laptop). Based on Steam's hardware survey, the majority of players should be able to tweak the available settings to have a fairly smooth experience.
But, as with many things this is a process, and like other games, we think Akash will change over time as its community grows on steam.
As always, thank you for your time, and for playing our game!
Are We The ... Baddies?
As promised, we now present further explorations of Akash: Path of the Five’s backstory. As previously mentioned, this is not essential reading: the story of Akash is designed to be enjoyed on its own. However, we are happy to provide this look into the lore for those with questions about the narrative.
**Spoilers ahead!**
The Al'wani often invoke the Goddess throughout the course of the game. The inference to be drawn from this is that they were, at their inception, a matriarchal society.
This notion should seem paradoxical at first, however, as Akash is ruled by a village of male elders, who have risen to power in part due to the ever dwindling numbers of elemental women in the last days of the Great Decline. And it was in their desperation that an agreement was drafted with their human neighbors of Haven, to essentially exploit them in order to sustain their people.
At various points in the story, it is the male elders who constantly try to reinforce the status quo, at times nearly coming to blows with one-another over how to address the coming crisis, yet failing to address the fact that the often-invoked and long-held 'treaty of nonaggression' has failed to prevent the progressive stagnation of elemental society.
What is to be gathered from all this? In short, They are a matriarchy that has long since lost its matriarchs. As female voices have dwindled in their culture, they have lost integral connection their spirituality. The Goddess statue outside the village is symbolic of this, as it lies untended and in disrepair.
As result, as a people, they have lost their way, and in their desperation to prevent their race from dying out, they have made the troubling choice to exploit the human women of the neighboring village of Haven. (If this situation seems disquieting or untenable, that is because it is intended to be, from a literary perspective).
Indeed, whereas the Al'wani elders often position their human neighbors as the aggressors throughout the story, it is the actually the elementals themselves who are, in fact, the villains in this tale. And it is only upon this realization that Aurora is able confront the elders, end their injustice, and render a meaningful change for her people.
Further aspects of the each path are designed to allude to this: Humans are often referred to negatively by characters in the story. For example, they are vilified by Caspian and the elders, who appear to have a more prejudiced view early on in the game. This is but one extreme, however, as each boy's perspective provides a slightly different albeit skewed impression about their human neighbors; some are decidedly more positive and optimistic (Lux), some are intrigued (Rowan), some are attracted to what is forbidden (Rocco), and some are apathetic or indifferent (Ignatius). Whether taken individually or collectively, all are based on incorrect generalizations because they are the byproduct of an isolated and xenophobic society (or to be blunt, good, old-fashioned ignorance).
It is only through their experiences with Aurora as the game progresses that they can develop a more complete and less prejudiced perspective of their human neighbors. It is the culmination of their shared experience, and their re-connection with the Goddess, that the first steps toward a peaceful and open relationship with the humans of Haven is established during the peace talks the 3 days before the coming of age ceremony. This new outlook is symbolized by Aurora’s open invitation for them to join the festivities of the Al’wani harvest festival. It is a small but significant first step because, as we know, changing a long-held worldview is often a slow and difficult process.
As we have stated before - Akash is meant to be enjoyed like 'junk food,' and is inherently intended as a lighthearted experience, so we don't believe this story is particularly deep. Grasping all the finer points of the narrative is not essential to enjoying the game. But we are pleasantly surprised that many of you requested further insight into the background and subtext, and to those inquisitive players, we will always be happy to provide.
As always, thank you for reading, and for taking the time to play our game!
A Brief Bit of Al'wani Lore ...
Over the course of Akash: Path of the Five, players are exposed to tidbits of lore hinting at the mystery behind events plaguing the Al'wan (elemental) people. By design, this was not explored in depth, in part because we wished to keep the focus of the story on the characters and romance, but also because we feared that too much world-building and exposition would be considered distracting to some players.
It has quickly become clear, however, that there is indeed interest in some of the events which have led the elementals to the precarious position they now face. So, with little fanfare, here is a very brief history lesson. Please note this is not essential reading: the story is designed to be enjoyed on its own. However, we are happy to provide this look into the lore for those with lingering questions about the narrative.
**Spoilers Ahead!**
The Al'wani people live in a world governed by 5 elements: Fire, Wind, Light, Water, and Earth.
Their creation myth holds that the Goddess forged them from the very elements themselves, and split them into tribes scattered across the realm. These tribes are individually represented in each of Aurora's classmates, as well as various other characters she meets over the course of the game.
It is important to note that the village of Akash is unique among elemental settlements because it is the only elemental society where multiple races of Al'wan live side by side. This is not out of any animus, however, but rather because Al'wan tend to prefer environments that best suit their particular element. Akash is dominated by male elementals because, as noted in the beginning of the story, the numbers of their women have long since dwindled; this is something quietly referred to as Khifad, or "the great decline." Though Aurora is not the only girl in the village, she is the first young woman to come of age in Akash in over 200 years and, thus, is sought after.
Events take a turn when, in the latter half of the game, Aurora comes into possession of a mysterious jewel that is initially used by Shaman Lee of the human village of Haven to negate the elementals' natural magic abilities during their raid. It soon becomes clear, however, that the jewel is far more than a nullifier of Al'wani magic: it has the ability to enhance their powers and amplify the wearer’s power of persuasion. More importantly, it has some connection to the Goddess - the very nature of this connection is up to Aurora to explore.
During Elder Borasco's lecture, reference is made to Lucerna of Munawar, a 'notable elemental female' who died protecting her people. Should the player choose to listen to the lecture, they will learn that Lucerna was known to be the last of her line, and died during a great battle. What is NOT stated by Borasco, however, is that the event of her death marked the beginning of the modern era of the great decline that the Al'wan now face.
After the jewel surfaces in the story (having been found by the humans in 'some old elemental ruins,') it begins filling Aurora's dreams with visions of elemental children. More specifically, she is confronted by a manifestation of an elemental girl in the final dream. The girl of Aurora's vision is Lucerna herself; The pendant belonged to her last, and is thus imbued with her essence. It is far more ancient than her, however, and is, in fact, an artifact of the Goddess, passed down through the Al'wani matriarchy as a physical connection to their deity and their spirituality.
A key point, as well: the jewel ultimately is not what saves the elemental people at the end of the day. Though its appearance is providence, it is ultimately up to the wearer to utilize it correctly. This is evidenced by the fact that, when the jewel alone is used to exert Aurora's will, the results are either a violent or nonviolent maintaining of the status quo which, as we will explore in another update, is presented as an unacceptable situation with no real solution in sight.
Rather, it is only when the jewel is used to restore their spiritual connection with their Goddess and their past which, ultimately, ends their patriarchy-induced societal decline.
As always, thank you for taking the time to learn more about our game!
Behind the Scenes: How the Background Visuals Were Created
Hi everyone!
Some astute players have already noticed that Akash has higher than usual minimum specifications for the average otome / visual novel! Well, we thought it best to do a quick breakdown to explain how and why.
We set minimum specifications to include discrete graphics cards because Akash is not your usual visual novel, at least in terms of computer spec—rather than utilize the usual 2D tools / gamebuilders, we opted to use Unity game engine to create 3D Vistas and composite the visuals with a custom oil-paint filter to allow the background to blend better with the digitally painted sprites. The game also uses a separate database system to drive dialogue and story (essentially running a second game-engine in the background).
A quick visual breakdown of a scene later in the game might help illustrate this a bit:
A look at the wireframe gives a sense of the visual density, since we use a dynamic camera, ALL elements must be laid out in 3D.
The texture / material pass, which includes pixel light shaders and particle systems to drive things like fire, smoke, billowing leaves and fog.
The final pass, which includes a custom paint shader, designed to give the game a watercolor look, while allowing for better compositing of the digitally painted sprites.
Ultimately, we decided on this approach because we wanted Akash's presentation to be dynamic and dramatic, with sweeping cameras, animated trees and grass, animated background characters to create spaces which come alive. Additionally, Akash uses UHD content (4K sprites), so that the game can continue to look great on higher definition displays as technology improves.
Because of this implementation, Akash has higher demands upon hardware than your average visual novel / otome.
We've been careful to position the game as a modern title with demanding specs, and we certainly don’t want you to take the plunge if you’re uncertain your system will be up to the task. We wanted akash to stand out, and the 3D visuals gave us one opportunity to buck the usual expectations of the genre.
If you like, you can improve performance on lower end systems by decreasing the resolution and the quality settings—this won’t affect character sprites significantly, however, just the fidelity of the backdrops.
As always, thank you for reading, and for your interest in our game!
Akash: Path of the Five is Live on Steam!
We've been waiting in breathless anticipation, for SO long, and now finally the cat's out of the bag!
We truly hope you'll enjoy your time with the game! Please @ us on Twitter @Akash_game and @truantpixel to share your choices, your experiences, and most importantly, to tell us what you think about our humble take on the otome genre!
We've got a special 10% launch discount in place until 10/8! Additionally, the Digital Deluxe DLC content is also available as part of a bundle, which is also discounted down to $31 USD for the whole package.
And, as always, thank you for taking the time to play our game!
ONE WEEK TO GO!
Hello everyone! We're excited to announce that Akash: Path of the Five is coming to steam in just 7 days! We thought now would be a good time to go into detail about how much the game will cost, and what kind of bundle options are available.
The base game (which includes the entire interactive otome experience) will retail for $29.99 USD, however during the launch window, those purchasing the game will receive a 10% discount, dropping the price to $27 USD!
But wait, there's more:
In addition, we have created a separate "Digital Deluxe Edition DLC" which will retail alone for $9.99, however if purchased with the game will net a 15% launch discount, dropping the total bundle price to $34 USD! This DLC includes:
A 25-track OST, featuring a sweeping score composed by Fat Bard and produced by Truant Pixel
40 Meme stickers for use in social media featuring Aurora, Lux, Ignatious, Caspian, Rowan, and Rocco in various hilarious poses.
A 4K Wallpaper featuring the MC and her 5 potential suitors.
A very special edition CG / Wallpaper featuring the mysterious 6th suitor.
A 44-page digital artbook featuring unseen and unused content, a behind-the-scenes look into the creative process, hilarious comics, and more!
As always, thank you for being a part of this community, and for taking the time to experience our game!
It's almost time!
It's almost time! Launch day is 10/1/2019 worldwide! If you're browsing the community hub in anticipation of playing Akash, be forewarned that many of our earlier reviewers / curators are posting screenshots of their experience, and while they've taken the time to hide end-game content, there are still many CGs / reveals which will count as spoiler content for some users! As such, if you're sensitive to spoilers, we'd recommend avoiding the community hub for now, until you've had the chance to experience the game for yourself. And if you're enjoying Akash before everyone else, please feel free to share your experience, but be sure to mark any spoiler content as is appropriate.
