Hey guys!

Chris here first, just introducing all of our new team members. I also want to quickly nudge in here that we're on time with production and we'll be launching alpha in July and beta a couple of months after! I'll have a more exact date soon. On to the new team members!

Andrew (Coder): He is Arakion's experienced new lead coder. He's working on shoring up all our systems and creating everything we need moving into alpha testing.

"Greetings & such. I'm Andrew. I'm coding the guts of a game I love in a language I love in an engine I love so I'm gonna get right back to that."

Periyanna (Coder): Peri is a great coder who has taken over lead on the card game.

"Hi Guys, I am Prasanna I am working on the card game logic and multiplayer, I love challenges, I love coding , and I am enjoying every bit of it

Nikki (Intern Artist): Currently working on character and pet concept art

Drew (Level Design): Developing ideas, puzzles and layouts for tons of new levels for everyone to enjoy.

"Hello all, I'm Drew, not to be confused with Andrew. I'm working on level design and really pushing myself and the team to create great content. Hoping to stump a few of you with my puzzles."

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Jack's here now for the introduction of a new type of updates: the "flash updates"

We’re striving to write new updates every week to keep you posted, and we hope you enjoyed the last ones.

But long posts are time consuming and we need time to develop the game, so let’s try out this new “revolving” template for quick updates.

Here’s how the revolving method works:

This first time we’re going to post a complete report for every section involved in the development. For future updates we plan to split the updates into sections and post about one section at a time. There are four sections, so we hope to update you monthly about every one of them. They are: Art & Animation, Story & Level Design, Coding & Testing, and Game Design.

Here we go: the first flash update about the Arakion team!

Story & Setting (from Jack):

• Creating concepts for the Darkest Night setting
• Writing and choosing concepts to implement enemies to be faced in The Darkest Night
• Editing and completing the Floating Islands concepts
• Editing and completing the Ancients concept
• Editing and completing the main antagonist
• Designing primary character dialogue structures based on character personalities

Coding (from Maus, Acade, Periyanna and Chris):

• Working on the database structure
• Creating custom tools needed to develop the game
• Developing the network capabilities for card game and Arakion multiplayer
• Refining current code within the game
• Refining the GUI System
• Optimizing the path finding system

Art (Chris, Drew, Audrey and the rest of the art team)

• Temple Region
• Forest Region
• Animation from Mixamo
• Multiple prop and character creations
• Working towards finalizing the alpha levels

Game Design (Chris)

• Restructured the stat system
• Gor are no longer a playable race, being replaced with a yet to be released race
• Restructured the UI (it is now a diagetic UI) 
• Structuring DLC and Expansion systems
• Fleshing out the final character design systems

We will send you more of these flash updates just to let you know what’s going on.
Any feedback is welcome, you may post your comments here or on the Arakion forum.

See you soon!

Attached is a obligatory image.

He again Kickstarterees.

Here is the first update from one of the coders Maus. He's working on the data storage, structure, multiplayer and the card game

-Chris

Hey everyone, 

Chris here, today we're giving you all a very lengthy video update to enjoy that focuses on how we've made Arakion a procedural world and how this adds an extra level of detail and breath into how the world evolves as well as a uniqueness to everything.

Maus' update was supposed to be attached to the end of this but it ran a little long so I"ll be posting his update tomorrow.

Enjoy!

-Chris

I had to cut out a lot of the changes and updates the game has had in these 5 months because of the videos length but I'll be posting them this week.

Hey Kickstarterees,

Chris here for another Sunday update. There are a few things I want to discuss in this update including character creation, magic structure and backer rewards. I've been wanting to show you all the excellent combat system that Arakion has in place, but I'm going to have to put it off for another week. Everyone on the Arakion team is working hard squashing bugs that popped up after we upgraded our software systems (we upgraded two weeks ago, hence the lack of an update last week) so we haven't been able to record good combat footage to tease you, but you'll get it soon!

Important: Backer Rewards!

The first thing I want to mention here is that we've received additional funding for another content pack. So all backers will be receiving an additional campaign for the main story arc. If there is something you would like to specifically see in the game feel free to discuss it below. I've been working hard with people interested in helping fund the game to get as much content as possible for you all.

The Card Game: we are all still working hard creating Arakion as well as the card game. The card game beta is still at least a month away but I just want to let everyone know that there will be exclusive beta (and alpha if you're in the category) access for each Kickstarter backer! Each Kickstarter backer additionally will receive in game funds as a special thank you for supporting Arakion.

Custom content backers: Now that we've finally gotten our software purchased, learned and the team is settled in, we'll be getting a hold of all the custom content backers soon! So get ready to create some awesome content for Arakion!

Character Creation

(A female gor battlemage being created in the new Arakion system, the armor is unfinished and the GUI is disabled, we'll show it off soon :: right click copy image url for full size)

The character creation system in Arakion has received a complete overhaul, and while we're not quite ready to show off all the cool new features that are involved I want to talk to you about them today. 

When I originally created the prototype for Arakion I hearkened back to the old days of RPGs where you had preset faces that you would choose from. While this is very nostalgic, a lot of backers asked if we could implement a fully customize able system. So after a lot of tinkering and hard work, we now have a full customization system in place for Arakion. 

Now since the shoulder up is the main area you'll be seeing throughout the game, we took special care to add in a lot of customize able features for each race. Here are just a few of the things each race has to offer

• 2 - 4 Unique features for each race (for example, Tree Ents have twig growth, Gor have distinct tattoos, Satyr have horns)
• 8+ unique hairs and 16+ generic hairs for each race / sex
• Hair Length
• Eye Colour
• 8+ unique noses, eyes, lips for each race / sex
• Facial Morphers for complete control of sizes and shape
• 8+ Distinct heads for each race
• Texture Blending to combine multiple facial looks (for example this gives you a gradient of age or makeup you can add rather than having "steps")
• Multiple jewelry and tattoo options
• Lots of hat/helmet/headgear options
• Voice selections with tone and pitch modifiers appropriate to each race
• and much more...

Our goal with Arakion is to create a deep RPG experience where you are in love with not only the story and game but every character you make, and having preset faces just wasn't cutting it. So I hope our overhaul has you all excited.

Magic Structure

(A work in progress please add comments about the system below)

In Arakion, magic isn't structured in the same fashion as your typical RPG. There are 3 main types of magic in the game, light, dark and arcane (Good, Evil and Neutral). These magics act in a "rock paper scissors" fashion. The type of Magic each character leans towards is a reflection of their personality. We understand that no character is all good or all evil so we've added a good gradation when it comes to this approach.

There are also multiple minor magics in the game, these include your typical fire, earth, ice etc...  These have no damage bearing on each other (water magic does not deal additional damage against fire) instead each element adds a specific type of damage to your skills or weapons. For instance fire magic adds a damage over time effect while ice adds a freeze effect.

So what does this all mean? Well what this ends up doing is creating some very cool possibilities for each character. Keeping with the fire example, lets say one of your characters is an evil S.O.B and has been heartless the whole game. His skills and equipment will reflect that. If he has a "Fire Sword" that suddenly becomes a Hellfire Sword gaining a darker aura and dealing additional damage to light based enemies.

The reason why we decided on this sort of structure is so that each decision you make has just a little more impact on how your character plays. 

Inner Party Dialogue and Relationships

So this is something very cool and I'm excited about that we're currently implementing in Arakion. Instead of being non moving heads at the bottom of the screen, each character in the party will be able to look at, talk to each other, point things out during your adventure and even build relationships with one another! A little example...

Lets say your party comes upon a locked chest. This party happens to have a wary seeker and a overconfident warrior.

Seeker: This chest... looks trapped...

Warrior: Whaturya doin waitin for it there r' goodies inside! Traps be damned - lets force er' open!

Seeker: Warrior, you're going to get us all killed! I advise we either move on, or attempt to disarm it.

Warrior: You th' eart uva pansy!

Player has the warrior force open the chest, a trap is set off damaging the Seeker.

Seeker: ARGH!!

Warrior (laughing hysterically): oops... Ahhh HAHAHAHA

Seeker: One of these nights, when you're sleeping I am going to FINISH YOU!!!!!

Warrior: BAH HAHA HAHA, did ya see tha' I open th' chest and u're all POOF... Sizzle!!! Ahhhhhhhh HAHAHA

Seeker: sigh...

So throughout your adventures in Arakion you'll come across a lot of situations where your characters dialogue is pertinent and they may have different opinions regarding the situation to help you through it. Even if you're wandering around they could simply strike up a conversation with one another. Each characters personality is based off traits, class and race.

A Final Note

I want to just to let everyone once again know how grateful I am for the opportunity of a lifetime you have given me. Every team member is working hard to make sure we make something special and unforgettable.

Two updates next week, the first regarding the software we're using the second will (hopefully) be the combat update. As always if you have any ideas or comments please add them below!

Until next time,

Chris Taylor

The final playable race!

It's Chris here ready to introduce you all to the final playable race in Arakion. After a lot of internal debate, conceptualizing and fussing we decided to make an entirely new race exclusive to the Arakion universe.  

Without further anticipation here are some shots of the Gor! (right click copy image url if you cant click on it for full size)

Creating the Race

When creating the race we wanted to not only bring something new to Arakion (without borrowing from other mythology) but we also wanted to create something that people would be excited to play. After-all what's the point of a playable race if no one wants to conquer the world with them. With all of that in mind we created the Gor (working name), a cross between goat, ape and human.

The males average height is 5'3" while the females average height is 5'7". As you can see from the images they are extremely muscular and robust.

Battlemages also originate from the Gor society. The Gor make excellent Warriors and Battlemages.

A Brief History

**The history and story of this race is still a work in progress**

The Gor are an extremely stout and hardy race existing deep within the desolated forests of the Eastern Continent. Forged from millenia of war and hardships, they are the only race to survive on the Eastern Continent and not come under the rule, slavery and mutation of the Fae. The fact that they exist on the Eastern Continent means during your travels in Arakion you'll come across multiple groups of them.

They are in addition to everything else, the only race that wasn't involved in The War of the Skies.  Both Fae and Human were wary of bringing them into the war, concerned by their battle prowess and uncertain allegiance. 

The following is from Jacks desk

Gor Society

Gor have a religious society, happy with mystical matters and comfortable with unending rituals. Their existence is marked by a long list of rituals that guides them from birth to death, through every day of their life.

The Gor are conservative and conformist in the extreme. Their complex religion demands them to follow strict rules; furthermore Gor society supports the caste system and limits use of magic to lower castes.

Every caste has its own rituals and the entire society has major interconnected ceremonies, involving great season festivals.

The ruler of their nation claims to be a god, descendant of an ancient deity. The political and religious systems are inseparable: the ruler of the land is also the head of their main Temple.

Oh. Do you remember when I said that Gor society limits the use of magics? That’s because Gor law allows to practice magics only to battlemages! And Gor are the main race who can follow the path of the battlemage.

(BTW for now these are only setting laws, NOT gameplay rules. To be more clear: Gor characters can play any class and a character of any race can play a Battlemage.)

Battlemages have been employed as elite squadrons of the temples for centuries. They follow a strict code of behavior and they’re paragons of their race. Their training is ruthless. They have the respect of their society, standing out from every other caste.

Any Gor, of any caste, can try to become a battlemage. But battlemages can’t quit their training and failure for them means slavery or death. Usually the former leads quickly to the latter.

Gor and the other races 

Fae military and cultural expansionism have threatened the way of living of the Gor for a very long time: that’s one of the main reasons the two races became deep seeded enemies. Gor look at the Human race with mistrust because human societies seem too chaotic, and in all of the years the Gor have fought the Fae, Humans have never once came to their aid.

Oh. Gor are a vegetarian race... did I mention that? So ents... beware!

*end of stuff from Jacks desk*

Next week we're going to go in depth on the Battlemage, with in game footage, screenshots, class mechanics and more!!

-Chris