Update 1, 2024 June 22

Hello there. Here I am updating my progress regarding Abyssonance for the full commercial version. From this point on, I'll continued to post my devlog regarding "Abyssonance Emergence" using the jam version page so it's obvious continuation of my work.

While it's rather abrupt design in everything regarding Abyssonance project, it's built upon a solid foundation of my sorcery universe which I designed from the primordial universe into big bang into the existing world. Essentially I have super solid foothold to reference regarding the universe laws and how the world works in natural cycle.

Abyssonance series will set in the era in which Abyssonance active all around the world from the starting point "Abyssonance Emergence" to somewhere unknown. Basically this series has no end for future development. But afraid not, I won't left any cliffhanger for each version.

The Abyssonance Emergence will set in specifically the very start of this era until the end of sudden invasion from Abyssonance. The story is essentially have its own ending, while some loose ends might still be there for the sequels, but they're not the main focus until it's set in the specific story.

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The cover image is the picture I painted myself. While it's still not good enough due to skills issue, I'll continued to improve my skills as much as I could while also working on Abyssonance Emergence.

I'm planning to continued working on my sketches until I feels like it's good enough for the game. Some days I might also practice coloring and stuffs I won't update on itch all the time with this, but will be updating on Artstation which is my new account. Don't mind my old account though, since it's kinda use my old email and full of my bad artworks. Then I'll also shared on my X(used to be Twitter) which is also my new account since the old account couldn't access anymore.

While I don't mind using AI arts as placeholders, I still planned to paint my own images to use in the full version since I wanted to add my identity or signature into my games.

But I still got some criticism toward the use of AI arts....I mean if they're there for me to use for free then why not? I'm not even using them to make money but only to convey my ideas, visions, and messages. It's the useful tools. While I knew that there are some questionable ethics and practices, I'll let people involved solve them since it's beyond my control.

As for my philosophy in game development. I'd say let's use every existing tools to make game development easier. Currently the game development is already hard as it is despite there might be some tools or templates to help you get starting. Since I wanted to make every possible things by myself, I'd try them first. But at the end I'd rather find SFX packs to use instead of make my own.

This part is to answer the memers out there. I won't make my own game engine, develop my own OS, or even make my own computer. It's stupid to go that far.

My goals are to have my own world. Making games is just a way to express my ideas into the world and allowed people to enjoy while I'm also able to enjoy myself. I'm someone whom believed that game developers should play their own games no matter which position you are. Heck even security or janitor should also play the games developed by the studio they're working in, so they could feels somewhat proud of what their jobs contributing to.

Anyways, this is it for the philosophical, making excuses, blah blah blah.

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I'm still working on the planning stage. As I mentioned above, the full commercial project for this game is "Abyssonance Emergence".

I worked on story plots, how I'd develop the entire game, and how I'd do marketing.

I don't like making devlog videos or even tell a lot about the work in progress of my game. I think it's better to keep most things hidden and focus on presenting what's important for the game.

But since this is itch post, I'd focus more on the philosophy of game development instead of trying to advocating my game. Because there are many game developers here and I think most people whom following this project are game developers.

As for artstation and X, I'd try to post just anything which are not high spoilers. So basically there would be concept designs and stuffs.

I'm still not sure about posting on reddit or finding content creators. I think the game is still too early to reach the general players but still provide some updates for people whom likely interesting in game development journeys or people whom like to catch early hidden gems.

I'm quite confident in the demand of Sorcery Tech genre which is the combination of Sorcery and Technology, since it's not appear in frequent enough. The most we have would be the idea of "Magitech" from final fantasy(FF XV for the one I'm inspired from), and some obscured wizardly in cyberpunk world such as Shadowrun series  or Arcanum which is in steampunk aesthetic instead of neon aesthetic.

I'm still not sure about the game pacing. Personally I wanted the game to be easy to play or at least easy to control. I also like more fast-pace action games than weighted games like Elden ring.

To be more specific, I like the combat of the game "Prototype" featuring "Alex Mercer" as an anti-hero with devastating super powers.

And Assassin's Creed series. I know some people may not like how simple the combat is, it's feels good to play.

But there is this problem about "parry". I don't want to deal with accurate physics animation or execution animations.

So I'm leaning toward Prototype style combat. Which is something that people don't really talk about. I personally feels like it's somewhere between Elden ring and DMC series. The pacing is fast enough and impactful.

Though I still have to left some rooms for my future plans.

One of my future plans would be to make more RPG style combat. Basically I want each actions to have some kind of calculations instead of the acccurate physics. I want to focus to relying more on numerical stuffs and give the virtual feeling of being impactful than using animations to make stuffs feels impactful.

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Before I get into my dream goal or future plans outside of project Abyssonance, I want to invite you to join my discord server.

I limited the number of uses to 10, so I wanted only the first 10 special people to join first. Discord Invitation

It's not the discord server about me or my project, but for someone which enthusiasm toward Sorcery Tech or my philosophy in game development. I don't want people whom already have their own paths to join, because I don't want to derail them from their paths.

My path is unorthodox and not guaranteed for success.

Special people should consider these before decide to join me.

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Now let's talk about my dream goals.

Well let's get stuffs outside game development out first.

I wanted to build a community which living amongst nature. Dig a lake and canals around the land. Plant forest, not economic trees. Have small home garden to enjoy high quality plants. Have small orchard for high quality fruits that's hard or even impossible to find in the market.

Then maybe make a game studio which focus on training new people in game development. It won't give me much revenue but it'll produce a lot of future game developers which using my philosophy to approach game development.

Have money freedom, so I don't have to worry if I'm gonna fail at something.

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Here is my "dream game".

Look at Ragnarok Online. Think of it as a singleplayer game which have core systems right there. For example, class system and quest system.

Make it into my own world. So essentially I'd want to make the world of Sorcery Tech into such a huge world with unique lores, quests, environment, etc.

But I don't like RO combat system, though some stuffs could be use. For example, the idea of double attack and critical strike.

Class based skilltree could be somewhat changed into the modernize version of more open style, but we could do the restricted style too.

The crafting classes could be use as occupation similar to how RO2 early version works. It's a shame that people didn't like it enough, but I personally like that version of RO2 than the later versions.

Essentially the dream game is to have such impressive world to adventure. That's why I'm focusing on world building more than trying to have interesting game systems or trying to be innovative.

But that might not be justified about why it's being such a game if I just want a huge world to adventure, especially when I took RO as my inspiring goal.

Actually I wanted it to be like GTA V. That's right, the ability to use various vehicles and tools along with dynamic world which the players can interact with. But that's not enough, it's also combined with the fact that there are so many cities and different areas to visit. Not to mention the open nature of quests in RO.

The game won't have main narrative or anything. It'd be faction specific questlines, lore questlines, etc.

IF anything, I see it's possible to make such a game. Because the huge world only need me to have proper workflow to fill. With solid workflow, it won't be that hard to make something new.

The rest would be to expand the system, which is to work on a small portion of them at a time and simpler versions to at least make them functional to learn about them before improve them into scalable systems.

My dream game is achievable. Some people whom given up on their dream goals might try to discourage or straight up deny the possibility of it being a success. Don't be discouraged.

You too can make your dream games.

IT just need to dissecting into much much smaller versions and gradually work toward them.

It's required at least half your lifetime to work that's for sure if you're aiming to have as ambitious game as mine.

But if you're making a lot of games while building toward your dream games, you'd also build your own career as a game developer.

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Having your dream game, as ambitious as it might be, is inspirating and a good motivation for you to continued on game development path.

I knew some people whom easily achieved their dream life goals. They've got everything they ever dreamt at the age of 22 and felt lost.

From that moment, I knew that I must have my dreams which could be continually to work and never end.

Then I realized that people whom easily achieved their dreams are just having shallow dreams. When you feels lost at some point because you didn't think you'd suddenly become a millionaire and not even dare dreaming about become a billionaire or trillionaire, you'll realize how shallow it is to dream of such materialistic goals.

No offense, but if you're somehow have your goals or dream goals as having a lot of money, beautiful houses, sport cars, etc. Just imagine as if you already have all those things. What would you do?

That's why having ambitious dream games to develop is a good thing to have. It's hard to achieve and it's scalable....that's right here is programmer brain for you "scalable".

I won't even talk about having some abstract spiritual journey goals. It's too abstract and even if you're reaching "there", I doubt that most people gonna like it.

That's maybe why I decided to came back to more tangible goals and have more tangible dreams than some abstract dreams that most people wouldn't understand even if they try to come up with more logical explanation.

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Alright this is my long arse devlog that I can't promise that I'll make any update in regular interval. But I'll come to update once I've got something else or at least established a solid foothold within unreal.

I'm not sure how long would that be, but ideally I'll try to make some samples for the player character to see if my workflow is working as I expected.