Development Update 16.05.2025

Hello everyone, welcome to this week's progress report. 

Level: 
Our Environment team has made great progress placing the updated tree blockouts in the pillar region, helping to shape the area’s overall look and feel. Alongside that, we’ve begun implementing the latest batch of finalized prop assets. Polishing efforts have also continued across key locations — most notably the Warrior Village, which is coming together beautifully. 

Code:
This week, we started working on ranged combat AI. To start with, we implemented an algorithm which allows us to calculate the velocity a projectile needs to hit a moving target.

We have also made some adjustments to crouching and climbing; you can now directly climb into gaps the character can only enter while crouching and you can't stand up anymore if there is not enough space to do so. Climbing should be more reliable when falling down now, as well.
The development on the Spline Mesh prop has been completed. It has settings for custom materials, collision, global thickness, thickness at each spline point and whether it should loop.
Internally, we built a tool that allows us to quickly convert story mode props into sandbox-compatible props, which will be helpful for adding the first batch of story-mode objects soon.

We also started work on outfit color customization.

Character:
We continue to progress on the enemy creature variations and modeling of the end boss. Additionally, we have created more small outfit pieces such as a female tank top and summer dress, and shorts for the males to get the summer vibes going. We also made a small user-requested transfer of the tuxedo model for Corbac and Drakon.

Animations: 
In the animation department, we had a lot of animation transferring to do this week. We created dodges for all humanoids and staggers of different lengths for the monsters - depending on their weight class and the attack and weapon used, they will stagger lightly, normally, or heavily, which is important for balancing. We have finished the move set and combat AI for the hyena enemy, as well. These fellas from the old pre-demo days can now make their proper comeback as the Blackrocks' attack animals.
We are also almost done with the animations for the Max x Kenda x Kenda minigame and aim to have it implemented in the engine by next week.

Design:
In the design department, we continued testing different dialogue camera set-ups and exploring ways to improve the dialogue camera for features like emotes. We have also done a lot of reviews of the Adûn area and worked on new concepts for the A-level romances.

Thank you for all your continued support,

-Wild Life Team