Hi ranchers!!đđ Iâm back with a new devlog for The Ranch of Rivershine, featuring riding trails, sheep, a new villager and a sneak peek at Rivershine's original soundtrack! â¤ď¸
Lupine Meadow
The main addition to Rivershine this month is the first trail riding area, the Lupine Meadow! This vast, open field features a large maze to explore on horseback, a flock of sheep to chase around and a farm where youâll be able to buy hay and grain for your horses!
To add a bit of life to these new environments, Iâve started adding other animals you can encounter in addition to horses! Youâll now find sheep you can chase and herd together. Later on, I think it would be fun to add a minigame where you can lead them back to their enclosure every day for a bit of money⌠But for now, theyâre free to roam the meadow!
New Competitions
Since we now have access to a new area, Iâve also added four cross country courses you can unlock in the Lupine Meadow! These competitions are all a bit harder than the town competitions already in the game, but the prizes for winning are also higher!
New Character
Iâm very happy to introduce the fourth character I've added to Rivershine⌠Jai Maji! Youâll encounter this villager early on in the game as he lives in town. As a ranger, his job is to run the park office and help you access and upgrade the trail riding areas⌠He might even have a few tips about wild horses heâs seen while exploring the trails!
Meadow Upgrades
After unlocking access to the Lupine Meadow, youâll be able to further upgrade the trails by adding obstacles of different difficulties around the map. This will allow you to practice cross country and add a little bit of challenge as youâre riding around the meadow!
World Map
As the world got bigger, it became obvious the player would need a little help to find their way around! Iâve added a map for each zone currently in the game, which is the ranch, the town and the meadow. Each map contains information about the main interest points in that area, such as the trails to neighboring areas, the shops and where the villagers are.
New Logo
Finally, as you might have already noticed, we have adorable new cover art for the game, drawn by the amazing Kyu!
Thank you everyone for following my progress with The Ranch of Rivershine! Feel free to comment about what youâd like to see next in the game, or if you have any questions about what Iâve shared in this devlog!
Devlog #6 Tutorial & Character Creation
Hi ranchers! Iâm back with a new devlog for my progress on The Ranch of Rivershine this summer! đźđź
Tutorial & Quests
The main feature I've worked on this month is the first day tutorial. The tutorial includes multiple events to introduce all of the core features in the game, such as purchasing your first horse at the auction house, participating in a riding lesson, meeting fellow villagers, exploring your ranch and taking care of your new horse.
Along with the tutorial, there are also going to be quests youâll receive as you progress in the game. These quests can include, for example, collecting certain items, training a horse to a specific skill level, winning a competition or exploring a new area. The main rewards earned from completing quests will be unlocking new cross country competitions to participate in, or some money to spend in town!
I also posted a new video going more in depth on what the tutorial contains if you're curious to see how it looks in game! â¨
Villagers & Shops
Now that youâll be earning money from quests and competitions, youâll also be able to spend money! Of course, youâll be able to spend money on horses in the auction house, but thereâll be more things to purchase such as equipment, tools and treats to care for your horses.
For now there are only three stores open in town, but Iâll be adding more specialty shops as I add new villagers to Rivershine!
Arena Courses
In addition to tools and items, youâll be able to purchase upgrades for your ranch, such as new obstacle courses! These can be used both in your outdoor and indoor arenas to train your horses whenever you want. The courses are sold by the trainer, who offers a variety of obstacle styles and difficulty levels.
Improved Controls
After getting feedback from a few playtesters this month, I worked on improving the controls both while riding a horse and on foot. Youâll now be able to spin your horse on itself to change your direction and run around with 8-directional movement, which is really useful when youâre leading your horse!
Rider Animations
Iâve added more interactions for the rider to create synergy between the player and rider. For example, the rider now squeezes its leg when going up in speed, and will lean forward or backward when going up and down hills.
In addition, you might also catch the rider petting the horseâs neck, looking around or stretching their feet out of the stirrups when you stay idle for a bit!
Character Creation
Finally, Iâve implemented a character creation system! There aren't a ton of options for now but Iâll be adding more clothes, hairstyles and other details along development. Youâll be able to customize your character at the very start of the game, and then change it again whenever you want from the wardrobe in your house.
Thank you everyone for following the development of The Ranch of Rivershine and I wish you all a cozy fall! â¤ď¸
Devlog #5 đ Cross Country & Ranch Life!
Hi ranchers, I hope your summer is going well! Iâm back with a ton of progress to share about The Ranch of Rivershine! In the past month I've been focused on implementing competitions and adding more interactions with your horses! đđ´
Cross Country Competitions
Overview
The cross country competitions are the main way you'll be able to progress in the game and earn money. Youâll be able to access more competitions by completing quests, unlocking new areas and training your horses to a higher skill level.
Difficulty Level
Competitions are ranked between 4 different difficulties: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Expert. Youâll need a horse with the required jump skill level to participate in higher level competitions, so make sure to keep up with their training!
There will be 6 unique maps for the competitions, each with all 4 levels of difficulty, for a total of 24 unique cross country courses.
Prizes & Ribbons
Winning competitions is pretty straightforward, as your only goal is to cross all obstacles as quickly as possible. Depending on your time, youâll place between the 1st and 6th position and earn the corresponding prize and ribbon. Each ribbon your horse wins will be displayed in their stall and will increase their value at the auction house, so make sure to perform your best!
Earlier last month, I released a video showcasing gameplay footage of the competitions and talking more in depth about this feature. If youâre curious to know more about the cross country, be sure to check this out!
Ranch Improvement
Stable
The stable got a new look! As itâs now more spacious and with bigger windows, itâs easy to see your horses from the outside and get more natural light in. This 4 stall stable is the second upgrade youâll be able to get for this building, as it can be upgraded from 2 to 12 stalls!
Pastures
The pasture has been expanded from having only one large fenced area, to four of them! Each area is separated by gates you can open and close to control which pastures your horses have access to, and which horses should be kept together in the same pasture. This will come in handy when breeding is added, as you might want to keep stallions and mares separate!
Arenas
Hereâs an overview of the training area on your ranch, with the round pen as a new addition! While the round pen doesnât currently offer any unique training activities, it will come in handy when I add foals later on. They will have their own training techniques, such as lunging, walking over obstacles or being introduced to equipment. These activities will mostly take place in the round pen, so keep an eye out for what Iâll add here!
Wild Forage
You can now gather items in the wild to give to your horses! As you feed hay, grains and treats to your horses daily, they will need a lot of consumable items to be kept healthy. These items can either be purchased in a shop or, if youâd rather save some money, foraged around the ranch and the town!
As I add more areas and different seasons in the game, the items youâll find will also change depending on the weather and area youâre exploring.
Horse Treats
In addition to hay and grains, you can now also give your horse a treat every day! Treats are usually fruits or vegetables, such as carrots and apples. Compared to hay and grains, which are usually given in the morning, treats are best given in the middle of the day to increase your horseâs energy.
Energy is lost as you do activities with your horse, such as training them or participating in competitions. If your horse has lost too much energy, they wonât be able to do much, or even gallop for the rest of the day! Itâs handy to carry treats with you in case your horse needs a little energy boost.
Halter Lead
Horses can now be led around with a halter! Itâs useful to move your horse around in the pasture, bring them in and out of the stable, or simply to have them follow you around! Once youâve earned a horse's trust, youâll be able to simply whistle for them to follow you. But foals and new horses will need to be led until they get to know you better!
Finally, I wanted to share a video I just posted talking more in depth about all the new features Iâve added in July! If youâd like to see these new features in action, be sure to check it out here!
Take care everyone! â¤ď¸ ĂloĂŻse
Devlog #4 đ´ The Town of Rivershine & Its Villagers!
Hi ranchers! đ´ Development for The Ranch of Rivershine has been going really well this spring, which means I have a ton of new features to share in this devlog... So let's saddle up!
Rivershine Town
After working on this level for months, I'm happy to finally share a full overlook of the town! This is where you'll begin your adventure, meet your fellow townsfolks, visit shops, bid in the auction house and start competing in cross country!
For now, the buildings are mostly empty indoors. I'll be modeling furniture and decorating the villagers' houses as I add more townsfolks!
If you're curious about the town's ambience, make sure to listen to the music composed by Matthew Harnage for the town! The game will feature a full original soundtrack, with unique tracks for each areas you'll explore!
River & Waterfall
I also took some time to create nice water shaders and particle effects. Considering the name of the town, I figured the river should take a central part of it!
Villagers Behavior & Dialogue
Now we'll need some townsfolks to populate Rivershine! I've created the first villager you'll meet in town... Madelaine Beauchamp, the auctioneer! She'll help you buy your first horse after arriving in town and get you set up for competitions.
The first step to interacting with villagers is a dialogue system, which I've now implemented. There's still a ton of content I'll need to write for tutorials, quests and the storyline, so this will be an ongoing effort. But I'm happy we can get chatting with the villagers!
Additionally, I've also been implementing a schedule for the villagers. This means that they'll change their behavior depending on the season, weekday and hour. Their schedule will impact for example when they sleep, when they open their store and where you can find them. But I want to add even more actions to their daily life, which brings me to our next feature!
Furniture Interaction
To add more depth to the villagers' daily schedule, they'll need to be able to interact with furniture and tools. This will allow them to do a lot of different actions like go to sleep, sweep with a broom, brush a horse or eat a meal at the table. As I've just started implementing this system they can for now sit down, lay down and open doors. A good start, but I'll still have a lot more to add here!
You will also be able to use furniture just as the villagers do, so for example you'll be able to sit down at a table with them. While this doesn't add to the gameplay, I'm hoping that fans of roleplaying will enjoy this detail!
Horse Mane & Tail
Now before the end of this devlog, let's get back to horse business! I've been redesigning the horses' manes and tails to add physics, different lengths of hair, multiple colors and patterns. I'm loving how unique and nicer this makes the horses look!
Thank you everyone for following my work on The Ranch of Rivershine! Please feel free to ask me if you have any questions about the game, or hop on the Discord if you'd like to join the game's community! â¤ď¸
