KOTCL Developer Diaries: the book of events gets its content
Knock-knock, adventurers!
We’re happy to see you again. How was your week? Ours was very productive. Once again, we sneaked into Mortis's records without permission. We weren't caught, which means we brought back some delicious details! Let's take a look at what we managed to obtain.
An update in the book
We’ve started filling in the book of events, which will be updated with each of your games. Every event goes through special refinement before settling on its page. We'll show you only some of them, in case you've just started playing. You’ll have to fill the book up yourself, exploring the maps and meeting various characters!
Education, education, and education
After all, it's never too late to learn, right? That’s what we had in mind when we started to prepare tutorials for those who have never encountered our game before. Persival needs a sparring partner for such a challenging task, but he's a seasoned warrior and chooses foes within his skill level. As for us, we can only peek into our artists’ folder to see who will help our hero teach the travelers having newly arrived in the kingdom.
Nazim and Kiara
We continue working on animations. Nazim has finally got a full cycle of animations; he has even learned how to die dramatically. It seems that our Oscar-winning zombie has a worthy contender now.
⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀
Kiara went to the animators’ room for polishing and got her spine-skeleton. Along the way she tried on quite an extravagant lipstick color. We are very curious about what our animators will come up with in the end.
In other news
The work on the final battle continues. Currently, our programmers are working on implementing the final animations, and our sound designers are already fleshing out the scene with sounds and music. We really like how it's turning out. Maybe we can persuade Mortis to allow us to show you a small spoiler of the final battle? Write to us in the comments if you want to see what we've accomplished.
That's it for today. Don't forget to visit our social media and send greetings along to our team.
See you in the next diary!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
KOTCL developer diaries: mushroom harvest and other game effects
Knock-knock, adventurers!
We’re happy to see you again on Friday, as usual, when the workweek comes to an end. We've had a very eventful week, as usual. Let's dive into the world of development!
Meet the mushroom hunter
The map of our kingdom continues to be enriched with new event animations. While most of the events have already been animated for a long time, there’s still some work to be done. For example, this very provident gentleman brought us a jar from his own reserves. The aroma is simply terrific! So don't forget to pay him a visit. He definitely has some treats for you.
⠀⠀⠀⠀
Nazim and his whip
Here we have a more detailed process of animating Nazim – the character we showed you last time, when Mortis wasn’t looking. In the meanwhile, Nazim has acquired a long whip that can bend in all directions.
It may look funny in the picture, but we assure you that it bends perfectly! Here's the animation we’ve created so far:
Status animations are indispensable!
And of course, we can't overlook effect animations. We're only showing you some of them, but in reality, there are many more. We’re working hard on all of them every day.
⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀
We have a secret...
It lies in the fact that we’ve almost finished working on the animated scenes for the Tarot mode and the final battle. We can't show you the result yet, but we guarantee that you’ll like it. You’ll also find out what happens when Mortis gets angry.
Last news for today is that the final battle is nearly finished and has been sent for sound design! You can look forward to new music and high-quality sound effects in the combat scene. We are eager to show you the result, but you’ll have to wait just a little longer.
That's it for today. Don't forget to visit our social media and Discord for fresh updates on the development process. Make sure not to miss the news about the next update, which will happen very soon!
See you in the next diary!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
KOTCL Developer Diaries: summer entertainment for animators
Knock-knock, adventurers!
Summer is in full swing, so we're sweating three times more than usual during our work. We still rummage through Mortis’ notes when he isn’t looking. The main thing is not to leave any traces! Get out your fans and some water, as we’re embarking on another development journey!
Welcome to the dungeon!
It seemed like just recently the dungeon in the Steppes was in the early stages of development, but now we're adding the finishing touches and soon will add it to the game. We already have maps and lever switches; all that's missing is the quest end point. So what does this point look like? We can only give you a hint in the form of an image. It's not difficult to solve the riddle – similar locations already exist in all the other biomes on the map.
Who else can you encounter among the sands?
You've already met trolls and orcs many times, and they have surely made quite unambiguous impressions. But who is this guy with that magnificent mustache? Surely he’ll teach us how to use a whip... or maybe he’ll rob us blind. There's something treacherous in his gaze, isn't there? Our animators are currently working on his animation, so you’ll soon meet this fine gentleman as well.
The mystery of the pit
While Mortis hasn't returned to his study, let's take a look at how our recent find is doing. It's a wild but lovable creature, and its animations should reflect that. Admit it, don't you just want a companion like that for yourself? But you won't be able to make friends with it; you'll have to fight it!
Feeling tired? Take a break!
And concluding today's march in feature material is an animation of an unsuccessful battle ending – Persival is tired of fighting and has thrown all his weapons down at his feet. He doesn't desire anything anymore; he just wants to rest. But we know whose knock will wake him up in a couple of minutes.
That's it for today! While we’re making our way out of the battle zone, feel free to check out our social media and make sure to join us on Discord – we always welcome lively conversations.
See you in the next diary!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
KOTCL Developer Diaries: character stories
Knock-knock, adventurers!
We’re happy to see you again! This week, we once again sneaked into Mortis's library while he wasn't looking, and leafed through the character books. Do you want to see what else we managed to snatch from his book shelves? Let's go!
Character books
It seems that the more you go on adventures, the better you get to know the hero whose story you wanted to know all the way through. But what if you want to freshen your memory of all the abilities and additional cards, or check whether all the endings are unlocked? Glory to Mortis, he’s already got entire tomes prepared for that exact purpose.
In these tomes, you can not only see your current progress but also inspect each character’s special equipment. Class items will undoubtedly make your runs much more enjoyable, so it's worth remembering what you need to find.
Every action will be recorded!
We’ve mentioned before that each character will have unique endings. Remembering all the events is not easy at all, but Mortis's notes will help you with this too. You can see already unlocked endings in the character books to adjust your route accordingly.
Last but not least, all the unlocked cut scenes belonging to the characters will also be recorded in these wonderful books. We won't spoil it with large numbers of images; we'll just show you the template where the notes will be.
What do we want!? A journal! When do we want it!? Now!
But Mortis won't be the only one keeping records for you. We’ve finally started finalizing the event journal, which will be available during your runs, so you can track your quest progress on the go, without looking into Mortis’ books. The journal framework is already in the game; we’ve taken note of all your creative solutions to the problem you’ve sent us on our Discord during previous updates. Very soon, your characters will be recording your progress in their journals themselves.
While we’re testing and updating various events and features, we bet you’re eagerly anticipating all these changes to appear in the game. So, to keep things interesting, we suggest you come join our Discord and other social media platforms to make the waiting more enjoyable.
That's it for today! See you in the next diary!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
KOTCL Developer Diaries: a bit of everything
Knock-knock, adventurers!
Another week of development behind us and it’s time to see what we’ve been working on during this time? Let's go through the list together. Rise out of your coffins – and off we go!
Dungeon maps
Our artists continue working on mapping the local world, and this time their magical hands made the dungeons grow and bloom. It's hard not to get lost in them, but we'll do our best to ensure that you don't lose sight of light at the end of all those tangled tunnels.
Lost ones
It seems we've made so many cards that we've lost track of whether all of them have their own artwork or not. So when yet another card labeled "in progress” appeared out of nowhere, we quickly (with the help of our artists, of course) created this artwork for it.
Effects
"There can never be too much ice!" – we thought. So we increased the size of the iceberg that appears during freezing to make it more accommodating for multiple enemies. However, it grew too much in the process, and we had to chop it down with ice axes. The things we do for our heroes!
Luckily, our animators found us some fire in the effects library, so we didn't freeze while hacking away at the ice. But this guy was less fortunate – he ended up with lethal burns, even though he's a demon.
The update road
And, of course, we're preparing for the next update – we’ve already assembled a new version and are testing it rigorously to avoid a large number of bugs and ensure that everything we've added works correctly. This will be one of the final updates before the release version, so we want everything to be in its place.
Also, new animated cut scenes have been sent for voiceover and the Tarot mode is being expanded, along with a UI being finalized for it. Unfortunately, we can't take a peek at the work just yet – Mortis is closely watching us after the last time, if you know what we mean...
That's it for today! Don't forget to visit us on our social media and send greetings to our team – we always love seeing your comments and suggestions.
See you in the next diary!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
KOTCL Developer Diaries: books, books, books!
Knock-knock, adventurers!
We hope your summer mood matches ours and that you're also enjoying the sunshine and touching grass more often! We can't wait to tell you what we've been up to all this week, so follow us... to the library!
What do we have on the shelves?
Yes, Mortis has an extensive library. After all, he knows almost everything about everyone. Our heroes are no exception. He meticulously records everything they do and adds it to his special books, which he keeps in a dedicated place.
If we ask very politely, he might even let us flip through those books before they make it into the game. Are you ready to take a peek?
The book of knowledge
Yes, as you may have guessed, we’ve finally completed the game glossary. Just a few details still need some attention, so soon we'll be ready to replace the old display with a brand new one.
All the items are being neatly placed in their slots, and you'll be able to read about each one in detail. The same goes for the cards!
You'll be able to see unlocked cards, items, and enemies from the menu without entering the game itself. We've taken your feedback into account, and we're eager to hear what you think of the new design. Write us in the comments!
Friend or foe?
Also, as we mentioned before, everyone you encounter on your journey will be recorded in Mortis's books.
You'll be able to read about each character separately, remember what an enemy of interest does, and keep track of how many more you need to capture. After all, enemies are mysterious creatures – you have to catch them all!
With great news comes great responsibility
The closer we get to the end of development, the harder it is for us to part with old, long-familiar things. We've redesigned the game multiple times, starting from scratch several times, and you've witnessed and supported our endeavors for a long time. We want to ask you to prepare yourselves for the fact that when the game is released, your adventure will have to start from scratch. Many games don't support old saves when transitioning from early access versions; and our game is no exception. Such is life, even if it begins with a knock on the coffin lid.
That's all for today. Please don't tell Mortis that we were rifling through his books when he wasn’t around! Drop by our Discord and other social media platforms.
See you in the next diary!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
KOTCL Developer Diaries: cartographic mayhem
Knock-knock, adventurers!
Today our journey into development will be a bit different from what you're used to. This time, we’ll delve into exploring maps! Whip out your sextants, magnetize your compass needles, and let's go!
Predicting events
The hardest thing is walking along a path that you thought you knew and stumbling upon unknown events in unfamiliar places. Should this event be marked as a regular battle? Is this battle a secret one? The developers have gone too far again!
But that's all in the past now, since we've finished linking events to the characters’ stories. This means that there should no longer be any errors in displaying events in the story mode. And since the changes affected the game's "core," visual changes are also inevitable. Therefore, our artists have temporarily transformed into real cartographers and have set about renewing the paths!
⠀⠀⠀⠀
It may seem like nothing has changed, but we assure you, that's not the case. We're confident that the boldest among you have already started searching for the differences. Write in the comments if you managed to find them all!
Dungeons and... dragons?
We've sent our bravest artist to explore the dungeons. Recently, we showed you levers; now we're putting final marks on the maps to make your exploration of the location more fun and exciting. Who knows, maybe you'll even encounter a dragon on your journey and claim the treasure?
⠀⠀
⠀⠀
⠀⠀
This week involved a lot of behind-the-scenes work on events and bug fixes, as well as linking new animations to the characters. Even when it’s not visible to us, the work is in full swing, and bugs are being caught and fixed at a rapid pace. All that's left for us is to await the next update to see the results.
That's it for today! Don't forget to check our social media for our latest news.
See you in the next diary!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
KOTCL Developer Diaries: summer game hustle
Knock-knock, travelers!
June has arrived in the blink of an eye! Happy Pride to you all! The sun is shining through the windows of our office, and we’re setting off on a new journey with you.
Crossroads
We've had countless joint runs with you! We've traversed the steppes and swamps, collected all sorts of items and potions, played with different decks, and even picked up several chests along the way! All of that, while playing for different characters. Then it occurred to us: the characters should be present at all transitions between locations. So we mustered up the courage to knock on the doors of our artists' workspace, and asked them to implement this idea. It turned out really nice – it's always great to see yet another puzzle piece fit into the overall picture of our game.
By the way, Vanadis handles the boat as well as our boys do. It's clear that she has many years of training in rough environments under her belt!
Dialogues about... dialogues
Recently, we’ve started peeking at what our narrator-designers are up to. It turns out they're adding some things to make your immersion in the story more interesting. Mortis is also ready to appreciate all the wonderful stories that our characters are going to tell him.
Of course, the dialogues require portraits of those with whom the heroes, under your guidance, will interact on their journey. Our artists have taken that task up too. Here are a few portraits that are ready to be introduced into our game:
Status animations
Have you ever wondered what barbs look like? How do you know that you've received a bleeding status? And what exactly happens at the end of a turn? Our animators know the answer. They've gotten around to the status displays, making it even easier to track them. There are just a few more effects to finish, and then we can add them all to our game!
⠀⠀⠀
That's it for today! Which transition between locations did you like the most? Tell us in the comments! And don't forget to visit us on Discord and other social media platforms.
See you in the next diary!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
KOTCL developer diaries: we know what you do in the dark!
Knock-knock, adventurers!
Our newest diary is here – we've brought our book where everything that happened this week is recorded. Pour yourself a pint of elven ale, roast a steak, and let's go!
The end is merely the beginning
The endings are still not fully finished, but there's very little left to do! The pages of our book are getting fuller each day as the old endings that you've seen many times before are finding their place in that big tome too. Our narrative designers have been eagerly anticipating the meeting with the first brave soul who dares to explore all the storylines. Are you ready to accept this challenge?
Mortis knows what you do in the dark
We were wandering through the development department and accidentally found ourselves in a completely dark room. Suddenly there was a rustle and a sigh, and then red eyes lit up right in front of us. Now we don't know what we should do with our new tenant. The debates about its new form went on for quite a while. First, it showed us all its eyes:
Then we asked the creature to change its form a bit. Now we can't get enough of its cute expressions:
Eyes can tell a lot about you... even if you’re a monster lurking in the darkness.
A secret addition to the deck
Every time we think we've finally gathered the deck we need, someone keeps slipping new card art between the pages of our diary. Well, we can't help but show them to you, as we're flipping through the book together.
The work on the final battle is still in progress. We've already settled on the mechanics and are still passionately discussing their implementation. All the while the animation department is preparing everything for the units' functioning. We've even managed to update the game and fix numerous bugs!
The old-timers remembered the golem, so they immediately started playing with him after the update, as he reappeared and brought along a fantastic item. What kind of item is it? Find out for yourselves by unlocking this amazing ally in the game!
That's it for today. Don't forget to check our social media and engage with us on Discord. We're looking forward to your jokes, character builds, and suggestions in our channels.
See you in the next diary!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
KOTCL Developer Diaries: onwards, to the Book of Knowledge!
Knock-knock, adventurers!
It's time for another one of our diaries. We've stopped paying attention to how quickly the days fly by, and we advise you to do the same. Just know that today is Friday, and as is tradition, we’ll embark on a journey through KOTCL development together. Polish your buckles, put on some new gear, and let's go!
Now, before we're out on the road again, we'd love you to check out the latest video diary, which has just hit our YT page: https://youtu.be/KyAFPLV7jKE
Don't forget to say hi to our team in the comments!
What is life without movement?
The enemies of our heroes' are busy in the animators’ room – they need to handle a multitude of eyes and not lose a single one along the way. Fortunately, this demon has long learned to keep an eye (or rather all his eyes) on himself and catch the particularly nimble ones with his bare hands. We can't blame him for having wandering eyes when stunning main characters like ours keep coming at him!
The one-year target for eye jokes has been hit; let's move on!
The book of knowledge and event tracking
We often see your questions about how to remember and fit all the event subplots into your mind as you make your way to the castle.
We're happy to inform you that we're still actively working on Mortis's book of knowledge, where all your steps will be recorded. You'll be able to read it at any moment during your journey and plan your further actions.
We've also nearly finished the glossary. The only thing left is its design, which our artists are currently working on.
We’ve already shown you once that we use still images to display events in the book of knowledge. That work has not stopped since then. Here are a few of the finished images that we can show you. You'll be able to see the rest in the game very soon!
Minor adjustments to some details
Amidst all the hustle and bustle of drawing event endings, we completely forgot about the existing biome endings! But recently we returned to them, and started tidying them up to ensure everything aligns with a single unified style.
And here are some fresh endings for different events that are still being worked on. We hope you'll get them all!
This lonely zombie has wandered into our weekly report and he’s standing there, waiting for something. Do you think he’s ready to become a full-fledged hero in some event, or does he need to work on himself a little and grow a couple more mushrooms?
The bug fix update
Oh, you probably can’t wait to get another one of our updates! It seems that our programmers along with countless liters of coffee have finally conquered some particularly tricky bugs. That means the latest update is ready and waiting for you in the game! You can read about what's new here: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1232580/view/3684552363765862080
That's all for today. Don't forget to check our social media; we're always happy to chat with you and answer your questions!
