KOTCL Dev Diaries - Today we'll talk about balance
[p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/9e2af7d8a62dfd2576295385752a7c2ecc2306e2.png"][/p][p][/p][p]This diary entry will resemble the previous one only in that it’s not exactly traditional. If you’ve been following our activities, you probably know that we’re cunningly plotting a final, “director’s cut” of the balance, which we are already working away at.[/p][p]So today I’d like to tell you about that version—about its essence, spirit, and core, about what we want to achieve and when we will achieve that, at least approximately.[/p][p]For this noble cause I cornered Mihail who stakes his head on the rebalance. He’s a tiiiny bit busy, but it’s okay, we’ll distract him and grill him.[/p][p] [/p]
I’m rubbing my hands with anticipation; let’s get started!
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/0528ff1699d362d93ce21f0111f1d8d1b5aff05c.png"][/p][p]Q: Well, Misha, what’s the rebalance about? What’s our goal here?[/p][p]M: There are several goals. The first on the list, but not in importance, is correcting mistakes. We analyze what is done and how it’s done, and think of ways of doing things better[/p][p][/p][p]Sounds reasonable, but quite broad.[/p][p] M: Correcting mistakes will be necessary for our next project.[/p][p] I’ve already told you about that in one of the previous diary entries.[/p][p] M: The second goal is to remove imbalance both from the heroes and the opponents, to make the enemies behavior more fair, and the rewards more proportionate.[/p][p] Personally I like looking for imbalances to have fun with them. But fine, let’s see.[/p][p] M: There won’t be dramatic removal of game mechanics; most of the changes will be in the numbers.[/p][p] Now that’s interesting.[/p][p] Q: How do you work with numbers? Is there some sort of system?[/p][p]M: The system is based on leveling out the damage and defense potentials for opponents and heroes. Those potentials are scaled through the biome progression. The principle changes a bit depending on what is being rebalanced (cards, items, economy or a cluster of specific mechanics).[/p][p]Q: Misha, enough with the big words! Not everyone here is a game designer.[/p][p]M: If you take cards, for example, then we initially set a certain number as the basis for attack or defence per cost unit and build up other cards of the same type on that basis.[/p][p][/p][p]Still a bit complicated.[/p][p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/7bdefc9f02ebd85a6f47019f8a0c44a7c2e8c358.gif"][/p][p](While we are having fun here, our artists keep creating beauty)[/p][p][/p][p]M: In any case, all mechanics come down to—“reduce the enemy’s health without letting your health be reduced”.[/p][p]The difference is in the number of steps, and there can be many intermediary mechanics. The task is to make those mechanics viable and interesting.[/p][p]Q: Will there be “trash” mechanics? That’s part of gameplay, too, isn’t it—to pick decent mechanics and filter out unusable ones.[/p][p]M: It’s more interesting to choose between two good things than between an obviously good thing and trash.[/p][p]Q: So there will be no trash at all?[/p][p]M: No, not in its pure form. There will be mechanics of different usefulness and applicability.[/p][p][/p][p]Did you understand? I know I didn’t.[/p][p][/p][p]M: Progression largely depends on what you chose earlier and how it stacks with your current choices. Choice is a cumulative thing.[/p][p][/p][p]Seems clearer now.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: If you match cards and items just the right way, then will any mechanics work?[/p][p]M: Yes, sort of like that.[/p][p][/p][p]When will it be ready?[/p][p][/p][p]Q: What can you say about progress? Are there some parts that you think are finished? What percentage is that, in your opinion?[/p][p]M: Actually, common mechanics and Persival’s particular mechanics are mostly finished, they just need some final touches. Then we can start physically implementing them on the test servers and polishing.[/p][p]Q: WHEN?[/p][p]M: The first stage of testing will be done around autumn. Based on its results, we’ll develop our next plan.[/p][p] [/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/069cc1ce78fdccd5b12a51da26c81724e4ea9bf2.gif"][TAG-160][/p][p]As I understand it, we still have some time to play around with the vanilla balance. If anything’s unclear, feel free to ask, as usual! [/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p]This diary entry will resemble the previous one only in that it’s not exactly traditional. If you’ve been following our activities, you probably know that we’re cunningly plotting a final, “director’s cut” of the balance, which we are already working away at.[/p][p]So today I’d like to tell you about that version—about its essence, spirit, and core, about what we want to achieve and when we will achieve that, at least approximately.[/p][p]For this noble cause I cornered Mihail who stakes his head on the rebalance. He’s a tiiiny bit busy, but it’s okay, we’ll distract him and grill him.[/p][p] [/p]
[/p][p][/p][p]Soon, destiny introduced me to a person who would turn my life upside down.[/p][p][/p][p]We first met when I tried to steal from him. He grabbed my arm with a grip of steel and, to my surprise, he dragged me not to the guards but to my pals. It turned out that everyone in the gang, except me, knew him.[/p][p][/p][p]“Is this wretched girl yours?”[/p][p][/p][p]“She is. This is Vanadis, the new girl. What’s she done?”[/p][p][/p][p]“Nevermind, it doesn’t matter. I’m Mortis, nice to meet you.”[/p][p][/p][p]He was an average-looking man; suspicious, but not really remarkable against the backdrop of my circle back then. Just a fraud of some kind. But we got along well. He wanted to learn more about me, asking a question here and there. But I didn’t tell anyone about my past, save for the fact that I’d killed someone with scissors when he tried to rape me. I told it to everyone—to send a message. [/p][p][/p][p]However, Mortis knows how to worm himself into a person’s trust. One day I confessed to him that I’d become a thief and a bandit against my will and that I’d like to live a normal, peaceful life. After that he told me about the Heathlands.[/p][p][/p][p]“Far in the North, beyond the Northern Ridge and the border of the Empire, in the Heathlands, there’s a settlement of humans who fled there to start a new life. They are mostly escaped peasants, but there are bandits and convicts there, too.”[/p][p][/p][p]So, what makes me better than them, I ask?[/p][p][/p][p]I developed a dream and a goal. I trained hard to kill anyone who would stand in my way. I tried to learn more about the Heathlands, piecing together everything I heard from others. I figured out how to get there. The hardest part was crossing half of the Empire without running into mercenary patrols that look for runaways with the purpose of getting a ransom for them.[/p][p][/p][p]Then a disaster happened. Our guys robbed the wrong person—some local noble. In retaliation he ordered his mercenary scoundrels to round us up. They killed almost every one of us. By pure chance I managed to beat the chasers off and slink away.[/p][p][/p][p]Mercenaries, all of them – elves, dwarves, and orcs – all come from the North to serve the wealthy men of the Empire, and for good pay, too. The powerful keep the poor in submission and fear by using the services of foreigners who don’t give a damn about us. So the rich are on the top, the poor are on the bottom, and this disgusting layer is between them, in the middle. That’s why I don’t like those pompous elves and greedy dwarves. Humans have to stay away from them and closer to each other.[/p][p][/p][p]I didn’t know what to do again, although I wasn’t confused. There were many other gangs left in New Agreement. I almost joined one of them, but Mortis found me earlier. He said he was headed for the Northern Gate and could take me with him. Of course, I agreed right away! At that moment, my dream of the Heathlands seemed almost real.[/p][p][/p][p]We traveled on the main roads in broad daylight, not shying away from anyone. At first I thought he was insane, and then I thought he wanted to get me killed. I cursed myself for having trusted him until I realized that no one seemed to be noticing us. I started peppering him with questions: How, What, Why? He only smiled slyly and kept telling me to trust him.[/p][p][/p][p]Around halfway we came across a discomfiting convoy: guards were taking three fettered escaped peasants somewhere… to the gallows or to the mines – it made no real difference.[/p][p][/p][p]Mortis suggested we kill the guards and free the poor captives. I refused. I didn’t want to put my dream at risk. Mortis pretended to be surprised.[/p][p][/p][p]“Those are escaped peasants, just like you. Do you not feel sorry for them?”[/p][p][/p][p]“I do, but what can we do...? Wait! I’ve never told you I’m an escaped peasant.”[/p][p][/p][p]“We could’ve saved them.”[/p][p][/p][p]“Save three peasants? Don’t be ridiculous, Mortis, that’s nothing. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of them. Say we free these three; they’ll be caught again or killed, anyway. To actually fix something, you need power. You and I can’t change anything.”[/p][p][/p][p]“As you say.”[/p][p][/p][p]“Listen, I’ve got a goal that’s more important than anything. I want to reach the Heathlands and start a new life. I’m not going to risk everything for the sake of three miserable captives! Shut up and stop tormenting me.”[/p][p][/p][p]We were close to the Northern Ridge when Mortis’ plan misfired. We were noticed by mercenaries, the very same peasant catchers whom I feared the most. Several orcs and an elf – a fine company. I realized right away that those cutthroats wouldn’t leave us alone, and I silently said goodbye to my dream.[/p][p][/p][p]When it became clear that a fight was inevitable, Mortis knocked them all out in five seconds, himself not getting even a scratch. I was rendered speechless. He said, “It seems like this will require some explanation”.[/p][p][/p][p]He took a long time telling me about himself, and I noticed another surprising skill of his: to talk for a long time and not really tell anything. When I remember that case, I think he attracted the mercenaries’ attention on purpose, to show me his strength. That was all part of the plan, of his grand game.[/p][p][/p][p]We passed the Northern Ridge without any incidents and parted ways in the Northern Gate.[/p][p] [/p]
KOTCL Dev Diaries - I’ve lost count (not really).
Knock, knock—let’s get back at it
[p]
[img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/52855a944526cec96d7a28495ba2f3d8696de703.png"] I put in some decent effort while working as a part-time reporter for The Echo of the Northern Gate. If you don’t know yet, there will be a series of reports on social media. The pilot post is already up; check it out and subscribe, all the links are at the end. Don’t miss out—I’m very satisfied with my first report. Self-satisfaction is my main motivation. As it is for our whole team? I’m sure that I'm not alone in admiring the fruits of my own labor. Every creator from our studio thinks to themselves when playing Knock, “Man, isn’t this game great!” Or at least that’s my assumption, anyway.
[/p][p]I remind you that through me you can ask any KOTCL character any questions. That way it’ll be even more fun, I think. If you haven’t found an answer to some question in the game, or if you want to ask something just for laughs – don’t be shy! If the answer is a spoiler, I’ll give an appropriate warning. And now… [/p][p][/p]
And Now Some New News!
[p] [img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/d0e277b8d63846008788a80ef9943692e0efb8a0.gif"] We’ve released a non-ordinary patch, in which, beside bug fixes and UI improvements for consoles, there is a small and bright green button for Steam Deck. Knock on the coffin lid is now officially compatible with the little box from Valve. The game was tested by Valve specialists, and they gave us the highest rank of compatibility with their handheld device. Congratulations to all of us!
We’ll still need to tweak the font and image sizes (we want everything to be perfect), but this is a real achievement. Hooray, comrades!
As for the final re-balancing announced earlier, I don’t have much to share with you for now, except that work is in full swing, and it’s thorough, systematic work. These aren’t just quick fixes here and there; we are not going to fix one thing only to have something else break elsewhere. It’ll take some time, but the “director’s cut” of the balance might turn Knock into the game you were expecting from the start. In the meantime — make sure you get your fill of the vanilla version.
And now…
[/p]
A Peek Inside Our Gamedev Team
[p]
I put in some decent effort while working as a part-time reporter for The Echo of the Northern Gate. If you don’t know yet, there will be a series of reports on social media. The pilot post is already up; check it out and subscribe, all the links are at the end. Don’t miss out—I’m very satisfied with my first report. Self-satisfaction is my main motivation. As it is for our whole team? I’m sure that I'm not alone in admiring the fruits of my own labor. Every creator from our studio thinks to themselves when playing Knock, “Man, isn’t this game great!” Or at least that’s my assumption, anyway.
[/p][p]I remind you that through me you can ask any KOTCL character any questions. That way it’ll be even more fun, I think. If you haven’t found an answer to some question in the game, or if you want to ask something just for laughs – don’t be shy! If the answer is a spoiler, I’ll give an appropriate warning. And now… [/p][p][/p]
And Now Some New News!
[p] [img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/d0e277b8d63846008788a80ef9943692e0efb8a0.gif"] We’ve released a non-ordinary patch, in which, beside bug fixes and UI improvements for consoles, there is a small and bright green button for Steam Deck. Knock on the coffin lid is now officially compatible with the little box from Valve. The game was tested by Valve specialists, and they gave us the highest rank of compatibility with their handheld device. Congratulations to all of us!
We’ll still need to tweak the font and image sizes (we want everything to be perfect), but this is a real achievement. Hooray, comrades!
As for the final re-balancing announced earlier, I don’t have much to share with you for now, except that work is in full swing, and it’s thorough, systematic work. These aren’t just quick fixes here and there; we are not going to fix one thing only to have something else break elsewhere. It’ll take some time, but the “director’s cut” of the balance might turn Knock into the game you were expecting from the start. In the meantime — make sure you get your fill of the vanilla version.
In the last entry I told you how we come up with jokes for our game, and it seems to have turned out quite well. I hope you were able to mentally experience that process. An open-door strategy is common practice for the gaming industry. We see our players as part of our team, but even a hint of formality or clichés can often spoil the whole idea. Well, there won’t be any here: I’ll try to plunge you into the little world of our studio without any theatrics, so make sure to take a deep breath.
The Pain of Creativity
Since our line of work is creative, our main task is to come up with ideas. Coming up with ideas can be difficult, whereas implementing ideas, assuming that one has professional skills, enough time and dedication, seems like a matter of technique. Or does it only seem like that? See for yourself: our game designer who came up with Bjorn couldn’t really “bring him to life”. The idea was awesome, but Bjorn just wouldn’t co-operate. We gave Bjorn to another game designer, who struggled with him for several months, but couldn’t quite get him right. But then a third game designer made Bjorn fully playable in only a couple of weeks—using the idea of another person who hadn’t been able to implement their own concept. Such things happen that way sometimes—and sometimes they don’t.
We’ve released a non-ordinary patch, in which, beside bug fixes and UI improvements for consoles, there is a small and bright green button for Steam Deck. Knock on the coffin lid is now officially compatible with the little box from Valve. The game was tested by Valve specialists, and they gave us the highest rank of compatibility with their handheld device. Congratulations to all of us!
We’ll still need to tweak the font and image sizes (we want everything to be perfect), but this is a real achievement. Hooray, comrades!
As for the final re-balancing announced earlier, I don’t have much to share with you for now, except that work is in full swing, and it’s thorough, systematic work. These aren’t just quick fixes here and there; we are not going to fix one thing only to have something else break elsewhere. It’ll take some time, but the “director’s cut” of the balance might turn Knock into the game you were expecting from the start. In the meantime — make sure you get your fill of the vanilla version.
And now…
[/p]
A Peek Inside Our Gamedev Team
[p]
I put in some decent effort while working as a part-time reporter for The Echo of the Northern Gate. If you don’t know yet, there will be a series of reports on social media. The pilot post is already up; check it out and subscribe, all the links are at the end. Don’t miss out—I’m very satisfied with my first report. Self-satisfaction is my main motivation. As it is for our whole team? I’m sure that I'm not alone in admiring the fruits of my own labor. Every creator from our studio thinks to themselves when playing Knock, “Man, isn’t this game great!” Or at least that’s my assumption, anyway.
[/p][p]I remind you that through me you can ask any KOTCL character any questions. That way it’ll be even more fun, I think. If you haven’t found an answer to some question in the game, or if you want to ask something just for laughs – don’t be shy! If the answer is a spoiler, I’ll give an appropriate warning. And now… [/p][p][/p]
And Now Some New News!
[p] [img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/d0e277b8d63846008788a80ef9943692e0efb8a0.gif"] We’ve released a non-ordinary patch, in which, beside bug fixes and UI improvements for consoles, there is a small and bright green button for Steam Deck. Knock on the coffin lid is now officially compatible with the little box from Valve. The game was tested by Valve specialists, and they gave us the highest rank of compatibility with their handheld device. Congratulations to all of us!
We’ll still need to tweak the font and image sizes (we want everything to be perfect), but this is a real achievement. Hooray, comrades!
As for the final re-balancing announced earlier, I don’t have much to share with you for now, except that work is in full swing, and it’s thorough, systematic work. These aren’t just quick fixes here and there; we are not going to fix one thing only to have something else break elsewhere. It’ll take some time, but the “director’s cut” of the balance might turn Knock into the game you were expecting from the start. In the meantime — make sure you get your fill of the vanilla version.
In the last entry I told you how we come up with jokes for our game, and it seems to have turned out quite well. I hope you were able to mentally experience that process. An open-door strategy is common practice for the gaming industry. We see our players as part of our team, but even a hint of formality or clichés can often spoil the whole idea. Well, there won’t be any here: I’ll try to plunge you into the little world of our studio without any theatrics, so make sure to take a deep breath.
The Pain of Creativity
Since our line of work is creative, our main task is to come up with ideas. Coming up with ideas can be difficult, whereas implementing ideas, assuming that one has professional skills, enough time and dedication, seems like a matter of technique. Or does it only seem like that? See for yourself: our game designer who came up with Bjorn couldn’t really “bring him to life”. The idea was awesome, but Bjorn just wouldn’t co-operate. We gave Bjorn to another game designer, who struggled with him for several months, but couldn’t quite get him right. But then a third game designer made Bjorn fully playable in only a couple of weeks—using the idea of another person who hadn’t been able to implement their own concept. Such things happen that way sometimes—and sometimes they don’t.
Since our line of work is creative, our main task is to come up with ideas. Coming up with ideas can be difficult, whereas implementing ideas, assuming that one has professional skills, enough time and dedication, seems like a matter of technique. Or does it only seem like that? See for yourself: our game designer who came up with Bjorn couldn’t really “bring him to life”. The idea was awesome, but Bjorn just wouldn’t co-operate. We gave Bjorn to another game designer, who struggled with him for several months, but couldn’t quite get him right. But then a third game designer made Bjorn fully playable in only a couple of weeks—using the idea of another person who hadn’t been able to implement their own concept. Such things happen that way sometimes—and sometimes they don’t.
Bjorn can be a headache for you occasionally, but that’s because he’s designed to be very unusual. You thought we made a Slay the Spire clone? Well, think again—try playing as Bjorn. Persival was made familiar to you on purpose so that you would feel in your comfort zone. But Bjorn rudely kicks you out of that same comfort zone because that’s how the artist envisioned it.
Jokes aside, creativity is a very dangerous process that requires energy, time, money and recognition. We wouldn’t have made it without you. When I was figuring out bug reports in Japanese, I cursed everything and everyone. But without bug reports in Japanese, or Spanish, or Chinese, without likes and reviews we wouldn’t have gotten far. Not only because you help us, and that help is free and invaluable (although that is true).
However, I want to lead you to another, dare I say it, philosophical conclusion: the whole point of creativity is to make something cool for someone else—for example, for you the player, and then have you appreciate that work. By the way, your likes are always nice.
Boy, did I get dramatic here! Now would be the perfect time to show you the cynical backstage of the game industry—but we don’t have one. So I’ll keep freewheeling in this friendly chat format, and you’ll be my lighthouse. If you want to guide me somewhere, light the way in the comments.
Oh, right! I promised you Vanadis’ autobiography! Here’s the first part:
[/p]
Vanadis’ dying letter
[p]
My name is Vanadis. I was born in a peasant family. All my childhood was spent in housework, but I had some joyful moments, too: my father taught me how to shoot a bow quite early and he took me hunting with him. I liked shooting and hunting most of all. I can’t say I felt unhappy about my lot.
When I grew up, a guy from a nearby village courted me. I had liked him for a long time, so I agreed to marry him. The wedding preparations started.
One day, I went to the fair to pick out fabric for my wedding dress. Unfortunately for me, I caught the eye of the local landed lord. He quickly found out where I lived, and started bothering me. He was persistent, and brazen, and unnecessary, and out of place. I wanted badly to start screaming so that father would come and kick him out! But I understood how that would’ve turned out for all of us. So I showed him the door myself every time and kept telling him I was taken. After that, my fiancé went missing. Of course, that scum killed him, or had him killed.
My fiancé went missing, but the lord reappeared, demanding that I belong to him only, getting gropy and threatening… When he tried to throw me down on the floor, I killed him unthinkingly—as it happened, a pair of scissors were close at hand.
I had to flee. I took only my bow with me, nothing else. I hid in the woods for some time. I hunted partridges and hares so I wouldn’t have starved. But I didn’t know what to do next. Besides, I was certainly being searched for. I was certain that my days were numbered.
Once I met a woman who was gathering brushwood. She came up to me, saying,
“Some hired swords are prowling about the wood. I keep stumbling on them every day; they’re looking for a girl. Is that you?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
I told her everything, and she took pity on me and offered me refuge at her farm. I agreed because I had no idea what to do.
I was warmly welcomed at the farm. The sons of the kind woman started wooing me, but I had no time for them. During that peaceful time I grieved the loss of my missing fiancé more and more. But my peace didn’t last long. The old farmer also started sneakily giving me explicit hints. When he realized he had no chance, he started grumbling… “She has to go…” “If they find her, we’re all in big trouble…” “At least have some pity on our kids, you shameless girl! Leave! Don’t abuse my wife’s kindness…” and other words in the same vein.
Long story short, the kind woman helped me pack for my journey. She gave me hiking clothes and shoes, a knapsack with food, and told me what to do.
“Go to New Agreement. It’s a huge city. No one will find you or even look for you there.”
She said something very important before we parted:
“Your beauty can become the biggest woe of your life, or it can be your biggest advantage—if you learn how to use it.”
Those words stuck with me for life.
I had a long way to walk, but I didn’t lose heart. I had enough food, warm clothes on my body, and comfortable shoes on my feet. All I had to do was to not get caught by guards and patrols, so I mostly walked along the edge of the roads at night. That’s how I met two of my comrades in misery – escaped peasants.
I told them my story, and they told me theirs. They ran away when some lord threatened to take away their land and send them to the mines for debts. That’s a common thing. I’d heard enough of such stories since I was a kid. I felt sorry for them and shared my food. But they took away everything I had, even my shoes and my bow.
And that’s when the nightmare started. I had no food and no bow to hunt with. I was barefoot, with just a dress on. I had to go far. I started asking for help at nearby farms, but they drove me away, even threatening to call for guards.
I started stealing from gardens and chicken coops. When someone saw me, I ran away. When they would catch me, I was beaten and driven away. Thankfully, they never turned me in.
Finally, I reached New Agreement. What a sight I was! But nobody paid attention to how I looked. The city turned out to be full of homeless, dirty, poor, and barefoot people. But of garish luxury there was also more than enough. A city of contrasts, you know.
I continued to steal, and I was doing it pretty well, it seemed. I even found a place where I could sell stolen things. But local bandits quickly tracked me down:
“This is our turf. Only we can work here. Do you think just anyone can come here and steal from our clients? No way! Who are you, and where have you come from?”
“I ran away from home and came here to hide… I don’t know where else to go and what else to do.”
I thought they’d kill me, but they didn’t even beat me up.
“Fine! You’re quite the thief, you’ll come in handy. You’re in our gang from now on.”
So that’s how it happened – good people fleeced me, and bandits saved me. I quickly got my bearings among them, got to know everyone, got on with everyone, and learned everything. With these folks you have to stand up for yourself and stick with the strongest, who’ll stand up for you.
Soon, destiny introduced me to a person who would turn my life upside down.
KOTCL Dev Diaries - Double 3
Knock, knock, travellers! I’ve missed you.
[p][/p][p]Re-inventing the diary format for the third time, I’ve gotten a taste of freedom. The first diary entry was an introductory greeting. The second one was focused on feedback — we tried to answer all of your questions and even engaged super-busy Innrey for that one (if you had no idea what keeps him so busy, then read the previous entry). This time, we’re not going to bother or distract Innrey. The third entry here will be fully mine. [/p][p]And I prefer asking questions to answering them. [/p][p][/p][p]But first, an announcement for you.[/p]
ANNOUNCEMENT
[p] I’m going to travel around Midian, interview the characters from Knock on the coffin lid, and share the interviews on social media. So be sure to keep an eye on our profiles and pages so you don’t miss interviews with Millenis or Zaratosh.[/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/772d65e593edbbbc429dae185d805573dcfb483d.jpg"](Anyone know who this is?) [/p][p]If you want to ask our characters about anything, you can do that right in the comments down below. I’ll do my best to pass your questions on to them.[/p][p]And now, let’s proceed to my questions.[/p]
Question 1
[p][/p][p]Question #1 is, are you afraid of spoilers? Don’t worry, the secret report of the Fire Brotherhood that I leaked to you last time can’t be found in the game. But if you liked it, I have a real bomb for you — Vanadis’ autobiography![/p][p][/p][p]What caused her to write it, remains a mystery for me, but the authenticity of the document is unquestionable. And of course, you won’t find anything like that in the game.[/p][p][/p][p]As you might already know, by the start of the game Vanadis already knows Mortis. Her autobiography sheds light on their acquaintanceship. There’s a lot of Mortis in the document. The text is quite long. It’s for real lovers of the long-read. Hence, I’ll probably put it in the end of the next entry, so that the unprepared can easily skip past it.[/p]
Question 2
[p][/p][p]Question #2 is, have you, while playing KOTCL, ever found yourself in a situation that cracked you up/floored you/made you happy, or made you feel more than indifferent in some other way. I’d love to read about that in the comments section. [/p][p]For obvious reasons, I’m not afraid of spoilers. The plot of Knock is for the most part my brainchild, so I know better than anyone that it’s full of funny, unexpected, slightly creepy and full-on scary events of all sorts, which you can stumble into.
[p][/p][p]Have you come across the eyes in the dark? When we were creating this battle, we doubted that anyone would notice them at all. But that didn’t stop us.[/p][p][/p][p]Also, have you collected all of the goblin legends? All the stories about Lydia? Does anyone actually know who that Lydia lady actually is?[/p][p] Oh, and have any of you roasted the bear carcass using the elven idol for firewood? Ha-ha, that one is on my personal top list. What’s on yours? As for me, I love the jokes in the game.[/p][p][/p]
Jokes are a serious matter!
[p][/p][p]There are tons of jokes and references in our game, true, but have you noticed that all that goofing around happens against a backdrop of utter gloom? [/p][p]We thought long and hard about what atmosphere we should support and decided we’d throw in some jokes on top of our original depressive concept, while mixing in some hardcore stuff here and there.[/p][p][/p][p]As a result, the game doesn’t feel like a complete circus (although that would be hard with a plot like ours), but you won’t have to play stone-faced all the time, either— there’s stuff to laugh about every now and then.[/p][p][/p][p]It’s especially noticeable when playing as Bjorn. He’s the most tragic hero, deeply unhappy and resentful toward the whole world, so we gave him more jokes than the others. His laughter has a bitter edge, and his humor has a touch of full-scale absurdity.[/p][p] [/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/6d00f93b007765e22a0517e82020d10cf9eb0914.gif"][/p][p](While we are having fun here, our artists keep working away)[/p][p][/p][p]Do you want to know how jokes for the game are born? If you think that we intentionally dream them up, that’s wrong. I believe that a joke can’t be made up on purpose, and there’s nothing more excruciating than trying to squeeze out some sort of, you know, “humor”.[/p][p][/p][p]In reality it’s done like this: we get together to work out how to develop a certain event. Everyone shares their ideas, and we can never do that with straight faces: we crack jokes, we make crazy suggestions, we giggle and guffaw. And during that process good jokes are born that appear in the game and go down in history. [/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/e71fd67705e7d5bea753888b23a2736e30b607c3.gif"][/p][p][/p][p]That’s probably all for today. Don’t forget about us—we have a lot of exciting stuff to share. See you in the comments and in the next diary entry too![/p][p][/p]
And don’t forget to keep up with our activity on social media — my first interview with a game character is coming soon!
The previous diary entry was a bit unusual (noticed?), and continuing it in a worthy way won’t be easy. But I’ll try. By the way, this is going to be something like a series, so I recommend checking out the previous entry if you haven’t read it yet. That said, my idea for changing the format is actually to keep it from settling down and becoming predictable. So it doesn't get stale, so to speak. That means there won’t be a consistent direction — and more importantly, there shouldn’t be one. We don’t take the easy path.
Feedback
Are you curious about Redboon’s new projects and future Knock universe updates? So am I. As you can see, we’re not going anywhere, but no final decision has been made about the new game yet. In other words, I don’t really know what it’s going to be either. A lot depends on the results of the final rebalance — because that rebalance is also a kind of search for the next game. Yeah, I’m mostly circling around the topic. Maybe Innrey will say more. By the way — where is he?
While We Wait for Innrey
While we’re waiting for Innrey, I suggest circling around the Divine Mite for a bit. You’re curious to know more about it, and I happened to get my hands on a secret report from the Brotherhood of Fire for just a moment — enough to make a copy:
“The object was found at the depth of 80 meters in one of the caves of the Northern Ridge (the exact coordinates are of higher secrecy and are specified in Appendix 4.14e). The doorway is cut right into the stone; the door is made of unknown material, which generally corresponds to the description from archives. The door is sealed. The number of seals is 16, which can indicate a level of danger that we haven’t encountered before.
All the seals are placed directly on the door, in special slots. In the side passages, which symmetrically radiate in different directions, 16 altars were found, each with an empty seal slot. That also corresponds to the description from archives and allows making definitive conclusions. Previous experiments have shown that upon taking the seals from the door, the being inside wakes up and displays astonishing mental power. However, after that the seals can be placed on the altars, and the awoken monster will not be able to leave its den, and its power will become limited. One can only guess as to who created such technologies and what their purpose is.
This is the fifth of the similar objects that were found by the Brotherhood at different ends of the world at various depths. Unknown monsters are slumbering underground. Their dens are sealed so they cannot come out. It’s better not to touch them, but all possible precautions ought to be taken. I hereby order that a monastery of the Brotherhood in the direct vicinity of the cave’s entrance be found. The monastery’s priority will be protection of the object. Senior Brother Quintus is tasked with the coordination of all the necessary works.”
Hope that didn’t make things too clear? This chthonic monstrosity should remain mysterious.
What’s next on the list? Shoots? Shoots.They won’t let me into Shoots if I spill too much, but yes — it’s an actual organization. They hunt for forbidden knowledge, grow their power, study cause-and-effect, and learn how to control the world. But most importantly, they want to know why the Supreme Gods created Midian. They need that knowledge in order to gain the ability to choose. To oppose the gods? Or to help them? To have a choice — you need to know the purpose. Does someone who can't see the consequences of his own deeds need free will?
Oh, hey Innrey.
About the New Project The new project will be announced very soon. I think the video diary will be ready by the end of the month, as long as nothing gets in the way.
When will there be a Kickstarter/Steam page for your new game? We’ll probably skip Kickstarter. Steam — much later, because we still haven’t decided in what format we’ll present the project first.
About New DLC The team is currently working on a new game mode. Whether it’ll be released as a DLC or a standalone game is still unclear. But once we have something to show for Knock on the Coffin Lid, we’ll definitely let you know 🙂
About Fan Modding “If you open the game for modding, people will make a ton of mods.” The game isn’t closed to modding. In fact, I think Knock was even added to a modding site — our players told us about it. Creating a full-fledged editor for Knock, though, unfortunately isn’t possible. The project is just too complex and tangled — any change creates a flood of bugs. The reason is the weak core architecture, which dates back five years. Fixing it now simply isn’t feasible. For the next project, we’ll definitely build it with modding support in mind from the start.
About Innrey Bring back Innrey’s closing words to the news format! I’m happy you still remember me :) That’s really nice ^.^ I’m incredibly deep into the new project right now. I literally don’t have even an hour to spare. Once we announce our next game, you’ll understand — we’ve accomplished a huge amount in just two months. I’ll definitely return with video diaries once the intense development phase is over.
About Bugs, Sadly When are you going to fix the bugs? Literally any moment now :) We had to do a lot to release on PS and Xbox, and we also added a bunch of final features — which could have broken things again. We didn’t want to fix bugs that might immediately reappear. Same reason as always — the weak base architecture of the game. Now that those last features are in place, we’ve thrown the full team at bug fixing. Very soon, I think, we’ll have cleaned them out of every corner ;)
Thank you all for staying with us after release! I truly want to keep bringing you new games and updates. I hope I’ll have a chance to share more details with you in the coming weeks! By the way, Knock on the coffin lid is discounted on all PS, Xbox and even the GOG shop until the 15th of July.
Since the main work on the game has already been done, we are expecting a sharp shortage of news, and the developers' diaries will naturally mutate into something resembling an author's column, and I will be the one entertaining you.
I am not a new person in the company, but rather one of the oldest employees, who co-authored all the texts for Kotcl with the narrative game designer. By the way, how do you like them? I can entertain you in various ways, and suggestions/proposals/questions in the comments are welcome. My tone will be as relaxed and friendly as possible, because we are here to play games, not to discuss stock market quotes, right?
But first, a bit of news
The main work is currently focused on rebalancing. Yes, again. The game is so large-scale that we barely managed to handle it by the release, and now we have the opportunity to approach the balance issue more thoughtfully. If you didn't like the previous version of the balance, don't go far, we have another chance to please you. The main direction of the rebalance is a more thoughtful and mathematical gameplay. If before it was pure fun, now we want you to think more. But we'll keep the fun. The update will be released when it’s done.
We are also actively improving compatibility with the Steam Deck. The main focus is to enlarge the interface elements so that everything can be easily read and played on the small screen. Overall, we aim to achieve full and seamless compatibility with the Steam Deck. The update will be released (guess when) when it’s done .
And you won't believe it, our artists and animators are still polishing the visuals and refining the visual features without which we cannot show you all the content. So don't be surprised if, during a new playthrough, you encounter an event continuation that wasn't there before. However, these are very targeted changes, nothing globally new, but still.
And now let's talk
And now let's move on to the essence of the new format. Do you know Batu? A joke for those who completed the add-on with one of the NON-canonical endings. And do you know how many endings there are in total?
I won't tell you which one is canonical, because if you see it, you'll immediately understand that it's the one. And you know, we set ourselves the task that no player would ever be able to uncover all the content? It sounds very ambitious and a bit mocking towards the players, but the goal was noble: we wanted you to find something new in the game even after 100, 200, or 1000 hours of gameplay. We overextended ourselves a bit, and still didn't implement all the ideas. But we achieved the goal. In any case, I, while playing Kotcl, sometimes encounter situations that I myself came up with and forgot, because it's impossible to keep such a volume of information in mind. And it turns out it was implemented, wow! It's like accidentally meeting an old friend on the street whom you haven't seen in a long time.
When we invented Knock, I first came up with an entire universe in which the game would exist. We didn't aim to tell you everything about this universe; the game simply exists within it, following its rules. It's more convenient to create content when you start from a solid foundation.
Do you want to know where the Divine Mite came from? I can tell you. Seriously, it has a backstory. Or maybe leave it as mysterious and enigmatic as it is? Do you know who the Shoots are? I'm itching to write to you about them, but very little is mentioned about them in the game texts.
Do you know what the basic idea of Kotcl is? It lies in the interaction between the strong and the weak of this world: the former possess knowledge, power, and authority, while the latter possess free will. And if we talk about the former, which are obviously Mortis and Millenis, there are even more powerful beings above them, for whom these two are initially just pawns. The main characters try to play by their own rules, and in this, they are no different from Mortis and Millenis, who try to play by theirs.
In general, we will be discussing such things in the coming days or so. The plan is roughly like this, but as we know, a conversation is a mutual affair, and our conversation with you may not go exactly as planned. Or not at all as planned. And that's good. We'll see how it goes.
Thank you for your support and feedback—it means the world to us. See you in the next dev diary!
KOTCL Dev Diaries - Custom Mode!
Knock-Knock, Travelers!
How are you spending the first month of the summer? Have you already visited the famous green beaches of the bog? If not – we highly recommend it! The experience will stay with you for a lifetime. Just be sure to bring a nice long stick to fend off the local mosquitoes...
But while you’re still not packing your bags and buying tickets – take a moment to read this dev diary! We’ve gathered the most important news and other fun stuff.
Let’s go!
Custom Mode
As you probably already know, we released a major update with a new game mode this week – Custom Mode. With this update, we wanted to bring more creative freedom to KOTCL by allowing you to create your own challenges, unique runs, and fun scenarios.
We’re looking forward to seeing your creations and hope you enjoy the update!
Who's Knocking?
We already showed this background in one of our previous diaries – and now we’re showing off the progress!
This time the scene is filled with people and special characters, lit by torches with red lamps. We’ve carefully crafted the mood of the scene and adjusted every little detail to match it. The process is long and complex, but the result is always worth it!
Also, you might spot a certain inseparable pair of characters – can you guess who they are and where they’re from?
How about a chit-chat?
Hello everyone! Smell that coffee? That means Andrey aka Innrey has arrived – not just with a steaming mug, but also with some updates.
It’s been a while since our last diary, and as you’d expect, we’ve got more news. First of all, of course, we want to talk about Custom Mode. With this mode, we aimed to create a space for players not only to play but to create. In our case, you can create custom hero starts – with unique sets of cards, items, and modifiers.
Console releases are behind us now and turned out to be less scary than we feared. Though, of course, each platform has its quirks.
We’re also working more actively on a new project and hope to share some details and insights soon.
Once again, we want to thank you all for your support and feedback – without you, we wouldn’t be able to see our mistakes, fix them, and most importantly, witness you playing our game. That’s the best feeling in the world!
Thanks for playing! Join us on social media:
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Custom Game mode is here!
Knock-knock, Travelers!
[p][/p][p]It's time for another major Knock update! In recent dev diaries, we shared our development progress, screenshots, and comments from Innrey, and today we’re finally releasing this update into the wild![/p][p][/p][p]Now let us briefly introduce this new game mode to you.[/p][p][/p]
[p][/p][p]This is what we’ve been working toward! Create your very own adventure with custom challenges, difficulty, starting gear, and so much more. Express your creative self and bring your strategic fantasies to life!
[p]Want to start with a full demon set? Or maybe with a few dozen Ethereal Armor cards? Go ahead - why not even a hundred! Choose any items, weapons, potions, and of course, cards found in the regular game, in any quantity you like!
[p]In the new mode, you’ll be able to choose from a range of unique modifiers - some helpful, others challenging. Want to start with a 50% discount from merchants? You got it! Want enemies to resurrect after death? We’re not sure why, but you can do that too. [/p][p]Basically, the sandbox is yours to experiment in! [/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/7e8eb46feaec51490ef9da2c9723cf972295f2af.gif"][TAG-50][/p]
Share Your Thoughts!
[p]How do you like the new mode? What else should we add to it? Share your thoughts in the comments on this update or on our social media via the links below. And of course... [/p][p]Thank you for playing![/p]
Two days ago, we set off on another adventure — a journey into the lands of consoles! We spent a long time testing the game with joysticks, PlayStations, Xboxes, and toasters. We did everything in our power to send you on a dark journey through Midian right from the comfort of your couch, with a gamepad in hand. It was a thrilling event, but after releasing the game and DLC over the past 10 months, we weren’t afraid of any late-night hotfixes or softlock bugs.
And the result of all that hard work is you can now play KOTCL on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S!
But of course, we haven’t forgotten about our dev diaries—as always, we’re here to share updates, progress, and other cool tidbits.
Let’s go!
Still Drawing Away!
In the last dev diary, we showed you some ideas for an event background. We’ve moved past the selection stage and we’re steadily heading toward the final result. Even in this WIP version, you can already feel the eerie atmosphere of a crypt—one no living soul has stepped into for many, many years…
Make Yourself at Home, Wayfarer...
We’ve told you about this elven druid before, but since then our animators have breathed the essence of life into him and his surroundings! You can almost feel the campfire crackling cheerfully and the meat on the spit sizzling appetizingly. All would be well, if it weren’t in the middle of the swamp…
What brought him there is still a mystery. Maybe you can unravel his secret?
How About Some Chit-Chat?
Hey everyone! Taking the stage is Andrew aka Innrey, a coffee mug in hand as always.
As we mentioned at the start of this diary, on May 21, we finally launched on consoles! It wasn’t an easy task, but we pulled it off! We’re already receiving our first reviews — some positive, some… not so much. Shoutout to all the console players reading this dev diary after playing Knock!
It’s hard to believe the game’s been in development for five whole years — but this last year has been the climax. What once felt almost out of our reach is now becoming reality.
In previous diaries, I shared my thoughts on our next game and talked about some of our early steps towards it. However, some players misunderstood my comments, so I’d like to clarify a few things about Knock. KOTCL is still our top priority, we're continuing to work on bugs, fixes, updates, and everything else. We’re working on the next game only very lightly for now, while our main focus remains on future updates for KOTCL.
At the same time, we’re starting to carefully move forward with the new project. We’ve got plenty of ambition, and we’ll definitely share more with you in time. After the console release, there’ll be fewer dev diaries, but more news. We’re not going anywhere; we’re still hard at work.
Thank you for your support, your involvement, activity, and your feedback— t’s our rocket fuel for moving forward. See you soon, friends! The console version is already out, and summer, along with new stories, are just around the corner!
Thanks for playing! Join us on social media:
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Console release is already here!
Knock-knock, Travelers!
We’ve been preparing for a long time, stocking up on supplies for the journey... And now, the day has come.
Knock on the Coffin Lid: Complete Edition is out now on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S!
To celebrate the occasion, of course, we’ve put together a full trailer:
A Whole World Awaits
Set off on an epic journey through the lands of Midian and uncover the the mystery not only of your death, but also of your enigmatic resurrection. Along the way, you’ll meet many new companions, or those who merely pretend to be.
Change the Fate of the Kingdom
You’ll encounter numerous events along your journey, and their outcomes depend solely on your decisions. Will you claim the throne of the Northern Gate? Will the goblins remain enslaved or rise to rule the orcs in the Crimson Steppes? Will the Elves be wiped from existence, and who will become the ruling power in the Castle of the Northern Gate?
Crush Your Enemies
Your journey will be filled with danger, and only a true hero will survive. Choose from 12 unique subclasses, each with its own rules and powerful abilities.
Adventure Awaits!
PlayStation Store: https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10013738
Microsoft Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/knock-on-the-coffin-lid/9n4pvqq541cc
And finally—thank you for playing! We achieved this together, and we couldn’t have done even a fraction of it without your support. Thank you for your kind words, and we’ll see you in future updates!
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KOTCL Dev Diaries – Console Launch is Just Around the Corner!
Knock-knock, travelers!
The console release is coming next week—May 21! It’s time to start the countdown. We’re still deep in testing on joysticks, PlayStations, Xboxes, and even toasters. We’re doing our best to make sure you can embark on your gloomy journey through Midian from the comfort of your couch, gamepad in hand. It’s definitely an exciting event, but over the past 10 months, we’ve already been through a full release and a DLC launch. So neither a late-night hotfix nor a softlock bug scares us anymore. Hopefully, we’ve got this!
By the way, don’t forget to add our game to your wish list on the PS Store—and of course, check out our brand-new trailer:
Let’s go!
Sketching Something New!
Right now we’re busy creating a new background for a certain event, and we thought we’d share a bit of the process. At this stage, we’re deciding which option will work best across several criteria—and after careful thought, we’ll pick the one to move forward with. Then comes polishing, some more polishing, animators, and polishing again, and lots and lots of effort to deliver you the final result. We hope that once this background makes it into the game, you’ll notice the progress and appreciate the work we’ve put into it!
Oh my God, they killed K… Oh Wait, He’s Fine
We’ve decided to refresh some animations—and Vanadis’ pet resurrection animation is no exception. Under certain conditions, any pet can rise from the dead and then it will get a chance to avenge its killer! We want only the best for our beloved pets!
Mechanisms, Again?
Taking a mechanism apart into gears is easy, but putting some gears together into a mechanism that works? Not everyone can do that. In our case, you’ll have to craft the gear itself AND find a use for it! Not the easiest task… but maybe you’ll be rewarded with something special? Maybe you'll be super strong, have super speed… or maybe even invisible?
Drop your guesses in the comments!
How About Some Chit-Chat?
Hey everyone! It’s Andrew aka Innrey here again—this time I have no coffee, but I have some news.
We’re continuing our preparation for the PlayStation and Xbox release (which, by the way, is happening next week!). It’s a pretty thrilling moment for us, but in the best way possible, we’re completing a major milestone for Knock. It’s hard to believe the game has been in the works for five whole years, with this last one being the most intense. What once felt nearly out of reach is suddenly becoming real.
In the last dev diary, I talked a bit about our new game. We’re making progress there too, but right now, of course, our main focus is on the console version. Looking ahead, we’d like to create something that gives players more freedom—more room to tell their own stories, even within a virtual world. So yes, we’ve got big ambitions, and we’re looking forward to sharing them with you. After the console launch, the devlogs might slow down a bit—but we’ll have more news to share instead. We’re not going anywhere and continue to work as usual.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve noticed that fewer and fewer bug reports are coming in, which hopefully means the game is getting more stable. But we want to hear from you—have things improved and become more stable? Are there fewer moments where you want to stop the game and move to the Frontier for good? If anything does break, you know where to find us: Discord, or the handy buttons in the main and pause menus.
Thank you for your support, your engagement, and your feedback—it’s the rocket fuel that keeps us going.
See you soon, friends! Consoles, summer, and new stories—they’re all just around the corner.
