KOTCL Developer Diaries: glossary, events, and some philosophy
Knock, knock, travelers!
Another week has passed by virtually unnoticed, and here we are with the latest development news. Meanwhile, there are 4 weeks left until the release. Let’s start!
In Full View
There's nothing better than a convenient interface, so we strive to make ours just that. To make its font and general appearance more pleasant, there will be a new card layout in the glossary. It will depend on your screen resolution and adjust accordingly. We believe this new arrangement will be much more convenient.
Perfect Order
While we're in Mortis' library, it's worth mentioning another small change in the book of the heroes, specifically in the events section. Events encountered by the heroes along the way will now be displayed in a logical order according to biomes, starting from the Frontier and ending with the Northern Gate. Previously, they could appear in a random order, which wasn't very nice. Perfectionists will definitely understand us :)
To Eat Honey You Must First Get Into The Hive
Do you hear that buzz? It seems there's a beehive nearby. Will you risk it and take a chance to get some delicious, healthy honey, or would you rather not risk the righteous wrath of its creators?
Be extremely careful, the bees can be very ruthless in their attempts to defend their home!
Complete Desolation
The Northern Gate has been severely affected by demonic influence. Fleeing from evil, many people left their homes without looking back and abandoned these places. The heroes may encounter many empty houses along the way.
If you stop by one of the abandoned taverns, you can either find something interesting or leave empty-handed. Our animators have added more character to this event and made it move.
Philly and Killy Ugly Crying
Philly and Killy are two huge and formidable dwarves who keep half of the Frontier in fear. But, despite their brutal appearance, each of them is capable of mourning a brother who has fallen in battle. Now we can finally hear how they lament this loss (in their characteristic terse and stern dwarven manner, of course). Is that sad? Absolutely. However, this is life—it's either you or them.
What a Twist!
During the balance adjustment process, we had to change quite a few things. But speaking of specifics, the Trap card, known to you as a Skill, has now moved to Attacks and has been slightly transformed in appearance.
How About Some Chit-Chat?
Greetings! This is Andrew aka Innrey, the founder of RedBoon. The closer we get to D-Day, the more I think about our project as a whole. Today, I want to talk about what we consider to be the heart and soul of KOTCL—our game philosophy. When we first started creating the game, it was important for us not to just create entertainment, but to try to give players an experience that would truly influence and inspire them.
First and foremost, KOTCL is a story. A very long story, as you may have noticed, that explores important themes, which are in my opinion: friendship, betrayal, hope, sacrifice, and morality. I believe that games, like any form of creativity, can be not only a means of escape from reality, but also a powerful tool for conveying both emotions and important ideas. The characters, storylines, dialogues, interactions, and decisions in our game were all created with the aim of evoking real feelings, experiences, and reflections in you.
Secondly, our philosophy is to create a unique and engaging game-play experience. We tried to incorporate familiar mechanics and make them not only interesting, but somewhat unusual as well, all while maintaining the game's accessibility for everyone. It’s extremely important to make you want to explore the game’s world, delve into its secrets, solve its mysteries, and overcome various challenges. This was a big experiment, one that big studios are often afraid to undertake. But we have nothing to lose, so we took the risk. We hope the risk was justified and that you will enjoy our storytelling style.
The aesthetics of the game are also very important to us. It was crucial for us to create a world that looks and sounds unique. A lot of effort was put into creating a beautiful visual style as well as soundtracks that would immerse you in the world of Midian from the very first minute.
But most importantly, our philosophy is based on respect for you, our players. We have listened and continue to listen to feedback, read reviews and suggestions at every stage of development. We really want to make the game to meet your expectations and possibly even exceed them. Your opinion and support are incredibly important to us—you know that, and we hope it truly shows.
There is very little time left until the release, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the moment when we can share the result of all these years of development with you. I want to believe that KOTCL will truly resonate with your hearts, judging by the feedback and reviews we are receiving from you now, this seems to be not far from the truth.
I never tire of expressing my gratitude to our community for staying with us and continuing to support us. You are our inspiration, our pillar of strength, our life-giving productivity buff:)
On this lyrical note, we conclude this issue of the developer diaries. See you in exactly one week, friends!
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Speeding up! New KOTCL release date
Greetings, travelers!
We have great news for you that you definitely didn't expect! Thanks to the tremendous efforts and coordinated work of our team, we are ready to announce a new release date.
The new release date for Knock on the Coffin Lid is August 8, 2024 🎉
This was made possible by your support, feedback, and enthusiasm. We greatly appreciate your patience and faith in us.
We also want to remind you that everyone who purchased Knock on the Coffin Lid before the release will get the DLC "Nightmares of Millenis".
Stay with us and keep an eye out for updates. There's still a lot of exciting stuff ahead!
KOTCL Developer Diaries: it’s getting hot!
Knock, knock, travelers!
This summer is truly a hot one, and we don’t mean just the scorching sun but the pace our team is working in anticipation of the release. Meanwhile, there are 5 weeks left until that day.
Guiding Star
When you’re searching for answers to the main riddle for our heroes—namely, how to defeat evil—it’s very important not to lose your bearings and not to stray from the right path. To achieve this, not only have we created a large event chain but we are also working on that chain’s visual components, specifically the auxiliary UI.
After the heroes discover key events, icons will appear on the map and in the event log to draw the players’ attention to new and important information.
The Magic of Animation
This week, we took another peek into the animators’ room to see how real magic is done. While no one is looking, take a look for yourself at how a certain mysterious and spooky event comes to life.
The first thing that awaits us is the familiar ‘palisade’. Our animators meticulously fine-tune and build it…
...to make even things that can no longer move, move.
Additionally…
Since we’ve touched on the topic of animations, let's focus here a little longer and take a look at the newest results of event-animation and more!
Neither Friend Nor Foe The inhabitants of the Northern Gate who were unaffected by demonic influence are sick and tired of their new neighbors. They are ready to give their rescuers a very warm welcome. Don't miss this chance to prepare for an upcoming battle.
Don’t Mess with Sigismund The new ruler has managed to mess things up. But naturally, he doesn’t see it that way himself, so he’ll cling to the throne with all his might. Be careful, waving a scepter isn’t the only thing he’s capable of...
What's Inside?! Many people ask this question when passing by various mysterious places. Indeed, here’s an abandoned well in the middle of the Rotten Bog, and there's definitely someone inside it—what could go wrong? Just remember that curiosity can lead one to dire results. Spare yourself!
News on Free Runs
You've probably already heard and not just once that we’re working hard on updating the free-run mode. Currently, our team is working on the visual part of the task, which will not only dial up the ambience but also help you get your bearings.
How About Some Chit-Chat?
Hi everyone, this is Andrew aka Innrey, the founder of RedBoon. Yes, the atmosphere in our studio is truly hot right now, but we are keeping our heads up and facing all the challenges just like this dwarf.
Time is working against us; we have a lot to do and test, but seeing the current results, I’m proud—proud of our game, our team, and our warm and friendly community.
We have reached the phase of development where we’re not only finishing new features but also tidying up and polishing the entire game. I hope you notice this in our diaries.
Just a few weeks before the release is a special stage that requires even more concentration and effort. We’re doing a lot of testing and bug fixing. Every detail is important because the fruits of several years’ work, and your impression of KOTCL, depend on it. We’re working on the final balancing of the game play, fixing errors, polishing of the visual effects, and much more. Unfortunately, not everything will be ready by the release day. I’m talking about the daily runs which we’ve currently disabled for further refinement. Unfortunately, we’re running short not only on time but also on our internal resources to get everything done at once without losing quality.
In conclusion, I’d like to thank everyone who shared their opinion on the free runs and simply supported us in the comments of the last diary. My friends, you are our great support and help. You give us the strength to move forward and motivate us to achieve more! I cannot stress enough the value of your feedback for us. It is especially important now, when we’re still able to pull a couple of all-nighters :)
And with that, we say goodbye to you, but not for long. See you in a week!
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Attention, question: how do you feel about credits?
Greetings, players!
As we approach the release, it's natural to consider the question of the credits. We decided to do something special: in KOTCL, the credits will become the final part of the narrative, presenting personal endings based on your playthrough and the decisions you made.
What do you think of this idea? Let's discuss! Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments. Do you watch the credits in games until the end? What do you think about post-credit scenes? What information would you like to know about the developers?
We value your opinion and look forward to hearing your suggestions and feedback.
KOTCL Developer Diaries: Running Freely Towards Adventure
Knock, knock, travelers!
Summer is gathering pace, and we hope you're enjoying these warm days. Development continues, and today we’re eager to share the results of this week with you. By the way, there are only 6 weeks left until release. Let's go!
In the Very End
In the story mode, after fully completing a hero's journey you find yourself back in the crypt. The last run being too tough, or the opposite, won’t be an issue anymore—soon, the hero selection screen will contain a new button that will allow you to choose a comfortable difficulty level for future adventures without any hassle.
Event Parade
More and more events are coming to life before our eyes. Isn't that wonderful? Our animators did a fantastic job. Let's take a look at the results!
Ready or Not… When traveling through the Frontier, always be on your guard. There's a good chance you'll encounter some hostile dwarves (are they ever friendly?) and get into a skirmish. Fortunately, sometimes you can hide and avoid direct confrontation. But still, stay vigilant.
A Soup Out Of... a Firebrother? If you decide to change the original recipe of the two old hags in the bog, not only will you save a person from a sad fate, but also receive a reward from said person. And a valuable reward at that!
Bring on the Idols! Unlike the treacherous dwarves, we’re not in a hurry to destroy other people's places of worship. We don't recommend you do either. It's not worth it angering the Spirits and other higher powers, you know. On the contrary, everyone in Midian should have a sacred place. Who knows, maybe the Spirits do hear all the prayers and requests?
Oh, and here’s the updated idol of the Fire Brotherhood—bright, sinister, and fiery! Don't forget to make an offering if you have the necessary resources.
They Can Speak!
In the thick of fixing bugs and introducing new features, we often come across brand new bugs. When we discussed funny bugs in one of our video-diaries and mentioned talking wolves, we couldn't imagine that soon they would be joined also by boars and even a puddle.
How About Some Chit-Chat?
Hi everyone, this is Andrew aka Innrey, the founder of RedBoon. During development, I've read a lot of different feedback about our game, especially after bigger changes in the story mode, when we receive comments on how we've "killed" the roguelike genre and so on. Let me say right away, a plot is a plot, my friends, and to fully reveal it, some sacrifices have to be made. But let's talk about the "roguelike" genre and our game in this context.
When you get down to it, the roguelike genre means random level generation, turn-based gameplay, limited resources, functional complexity, and irreversible death of the character. Of course, as the industry has evolved, developers have started adding more and more features, but the mentioned aspects can be considered the main principles of the genre.
As developers, we have not forgotten about the roots of the genre, so besides the story mode, the game has a challenge mode, which includes free and daily runs. Initially, the free run mode fully embodied the roguelike genre with its complete randomization of battles, enemies, and events along the way, unlike the story mode, where almost everything is fixed in place permanently. In a nutshell, free runs have less of the plot, but more randomness, battles, and hero leveling up. They’ve always been an important part of the game, and our goal was to create a mode that would suit both new players and genre veterans.
However, with time we wanted to modify the free-run mode. On top of it being a vehicle for simple runs and testing builds or some game features, we decided to add more functions to it that can be useful in the story mode or future runs. Thus, one of the key elements of free runs has become the tree of leveling-up, which allows players to gradually pass levels and improve their heroes as the difficulty level increases. In addition, the modifier system on the tree adds new challenges for players. This makes each run unique and requires adaptation and strategic thinking. This way we’ve maintained the element of randomness and unpredictability that is so important for the roguelike genre.
We really wanted to integrate free runs with the story mode so that these two modes don’t exist separately, but complement each other. Completing free runs can bring you rewards and bonuses that can be used in the story mode, making it much easier to progress through the story-line. This creates additional motivation for players to explore both modes and play to their enjoyment.
I understand that any changes can evoke completely different reactions from players, especially from those who value the traditions of the genre. But still, I think that our innovations not only preserve the main principles but also bring new elements that make the game more exciting and deep.
What do you think about all of this? Do you agree that our game can be called a roguelike or not? Are you looking forward to the updated challenge mode?
I really hope that we will soon finish working on the free and daily runs so you’ll see a lot of new things.
I’m grateful to everyone who shares their opinion and helps us make our game better. We have a lot of interesting things ahead, and we’re doing our best to make both you and ourselves happy.
This isn’t a goodbye; we’ll see you next Friday!
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HOTFIX 0.94.016 IS NOW AVAILABLE!
Knock-knock!
A small update 0.94.016 has been released, where we fixed an issue with localization in Chinese.
The bug occurred due to a font change, which lacked several important characters.
KOTCL Developer Diaries: New Horizons
Knock, knock, travelers!
Time passes by at a frightening speed, while we continue developing and sharing the latest news. What did this Friday bring us?
Follow My Lead
The dwarf from the previous diary is still overjoyed with his new movements, and we won’t get in his way. Let’s just see what this guy is capable of now—let him show off.
Going Beyond The Limits
To make the game adaptable to different monitor formats, we created special frames and even customized them for different biomes. Now, no resolution will ruin the image or the atmosphere.
Magic of Animation
Events continue to come to life, and this is great news. Several of them became animated this week.
Traveling alone through the desert is an interesting experience, but it’s much safer to join experienced caravaneers. For a small fee, they’ll lead you on the safest route. With a bit of luck, a touch of charm, and some persistence, you might even learn some secrets and find answers to your questions.
Goblins are renowned for their potion-making skills. Just take the growth elixir for example! But every potion needs a key ingredient. Are you ready to provide the goblin alchemists with a highly valuable resource? The choice is yours.
This sad troll is in trouble and desperately needs help. Help him, and he will reward you. At the very least, he won’t eat you. But be careful—one wrong move and the troll will go berserk!
Project Runway
Once again, we’ll lift the veil on behind-the-scenes and show you the sketches of unique outfits our designers made for the heroes. After all, a new, true ruler needs a fitting garment, right?
Five Six Seven Eight!
Bjorn and his alter ego act in turns, which are naturally accompanied by various movements and effects. As much as we’d like to show the real beastly nature of the lycan, some actions create unnecessary noise in the game flow and irritate the eyes. For example, when in the beast form, Bjorn often gets on all fours and howls shrilly. This action can occur frequently during battle, and to avoid making Bjorn do push-ups every time he uses a skill or talent, the animators have created a new trick for him.
How About Some Chit-Chat?
Hello, friends! This is Andrey, the founder of RedBoon. Today I want to talk about the topic of game achievements.
Our lives are filled with goals and achievements, big and small—be it successfully graduating from school, entering university, or advancing in a career. But for me, game achievements are just as important. Since childhood, I’ve been passionate about video games, setting goals like being the best player or the first to reach a high level. I especially enjoyed leveling up characters and helping others do the same. I still keep screenshots of my achievements in World of Warcraft as symbols of my successes.
Many in my team are just as passionate. That's why in our game KOTCL we pay special attention to the achievement system. There are already more than 150 achievements in the game, and I face a tough question: is that too many?
Most of them don’t require big effort to obtain. But besides these easy ones, there are major ones—completing the game, defeating a boss in an interesting way, unlocking an entire side quest chain. We could combine some achievements into a single overarching one and reduce their number to 50, for example. Essentially, the player would still do the same things, but they would receive notifications about new achievements less frequently. But I think it’s better not to change anything.
So once again—is it too many? Will such a large number of achievements deter “achievement hunters”? What do you think? Your opinion is important to me. We still have time to change things in the game before release :)
We are now adding hidden achievements. Some of them will be taken from the existing ones to hide spoilers.
That’s it for today’s diary. Check out our social media and don’t forget about our Discord channel.
See you soon!
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DevGAMM 2024 results
Friends!
DevGAMM is over, and we want to thank you for your support and participation in the voting.
We were nominated in two categories. Unfortunately, we are coming back without awards, but we received a lot of great feedback from the visitors. And that was amazing!
Thank you to everyone who met us in person; it was a pleasure to talk to you.
Well, we continue our race towards the August release. Stay tuned.
Help KOTCL win on DevGAMM 2024!
Friends,
Knock on the Coffin Lid is competing for the People's Choice Award at DevGAMM 2024 in Vilnius. We need your support now more than ever!
Please vote for us using this link: bit.ly/dgvilnius2024
Thank you! Together we are strong!
KOTCL Developer Diaries: Animating, Drawing, and Telling
Knock, knock, travelers!
We're glad to see you again at our favorite spot—the pages of our developer diaries. Our team has been working hard all week to bring you exciting news, and we think we've succeeded. Let's get started!
Developer Video Chronicles
Finally, we’re ready to show you the latest episode of the video developer diaries. In the video, we discussed in detail the major update that was released last week. We also had a conversation with our scriptwriter and narrative game-designer about their hard life challenging roles, and of course, asked them the questions you sent us. Enjoy watching it!
Demonic Days
We’re currently working especially hard on the third act of our heroes' story. Several demonic events have received long-awaited animations.
The Keeper of Illusions can easily confuse you and make you feel as if you were far away, at the orc vendor’s shop in the Crimson Steppes, instead of wherever you actually are. Be careful, he's very cunning!
The Keeper’s minion, the Spawn of Illusions, might not be as powerful, but he shouldn't be underestimated either.
Meanwhile, the Keeper of Greed still can't get enough of admiring his own presumably very valuable treasures. Will we ever find out what's inside that chest?
How Events Come to Life
When animating an event, our animators first set up special lines that will later control the behavior of every movable part of the image. Initially, it looks like this:
After that, the magic happens—hocus-pocus, and presto! The result undergoes revisions and adjustments, reaches the final stage, and is then introduced into the game.
Exploring New Horizons
We continue to develop events by creating entire chains of them. One very interesting event starts in the Bog and ends at the old cemetery of the Northern Gate. We're excited to share with you some snippets of the artists' work process. Soon you'll be able to see this all in the game.
A Combative Dwarf on an Equally Combative Boar
This week the next one to receive updated Spine animations was an aggressive boar-riding representative of the dwarves (are there any non-aggressive dwarf representatives?) He’s very excited about this update. Just look at the way he's swinging his axe. Beware! And never use 2 cards of the same type in a fight against a dwarf.
How About Some Chit-Chat?
Hello everyone, this is Andrew aka Innrey, the founder of RedBoon.
Today, the diary will be without the usual conversation. This is because Knock on the Coffin Lid is participating in DevGAMM in Vilnius this weekend, and I am here as well.
By the way, at DevGAMM, we have been nominated in two categories: Most Anticipated Game and Excellence in Visual Art. Wish us luck!
If anyone wants to meet and chat in person, come by our showcase spot. I’ll be very happy to see you.
And with this we'll wrap up our Friday diary. See you next week, friends!
