The past week has seen Depths of Erendorn continue to expand across its characters, gameplay systems, environments and audio, with several areas of development reaching important new stages. The 3D Modelling Team has completed the Tavern Master and begun developing the Inn Keeper, while the Client Team has continued refactoring the inventory system and preparing the latest Level 3 abilities. Major progress has also been made on the server-side foundations of the new dungeon system, with new environmental features, multiple layouts and floors now being brought together for standalone testing, alongside the introduction of the foundations for Hardcore Mode. At the same time, the Environment Team has developed a new procedural approach to cave ceilings, while the Sound Team has begun establishing the audio direction for the next batch of abilities. As always, join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit for daily updates on Depths of Erendorn. Alternatively, join our Discord for all the latest! - now let’s get into it!
3D Modelling
Work on the next settlement character has progressed this week, with the 3D Modelling Team moving the Inn Keeper from an initial blockout into the refinement stage. The team has established the character's overall proportions and silhouette through the sculpting process before beginning to add greater definition to the model and develop its individual features. This early detailing is helping shape the Inn Keeper's appearance and establish a stronger visual identity that will distinguish the character within the settlement of Depths of Erendorn. The work builds on the recent completion of the Tavern Master, allowing the team to continue expanding the settlement's cast of NPCs while maintaining a consistent level of character detail across the game's inhabitants. Further refinement and detailing will continue as the Inn Keeper progresses through the sculpting stage.
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Programming
Client
The Client Team has continued refining the foundations of the inventory system this week, with further progress made on the backpack refactor and the next stage of work on equipment slots. A key part of this process has been evaluating which elements of the existing system are best suited to remain within UML and which can be moved into C++, particularly where widget layout and presentation are concerned. Working through these challenges is helping the team establish a more effective balance between the two approaches while reducing unnecessary complexity within the wider inventory system. Alongside the refactoring work, the team has also prepared the preliminary Blueprints and data assets for the latest Level 3 abilities, while updating their descriptions to reflect the current designs and functionality. These changes continue to strengthen the client-side foundations of Depths of Erendorn, while preparing the latest abilities and equipment systems for further development and integration.
Server
The Server Team has been pushing several major gameplay systems forward this week, completing the final batch of Level 3 player abilities before turning attention towards more complex abilities for enemy dungeon groups, including Storm Elves and Zentragal casters. Alongside this, significant progress has been made on the new dungeon system, bringing the caves closer to a playable test build with varied bridge styles, integrated rock ceilings, water-based vegetation, stalagmites, stalactites, falling drips and subtle lighting effects. Terrain generation has also been refined to remove seams around rock formations and preserve water and riverbeds beneath formations, while the latest caves can now be assembled and tested in a standalone build across different layouts and multiple floors. Editable art kits and a consolidated artist guide have also been prepared to support further visual refinement. The team has additionally implemented the foundations of Hardcore Mode, allowing players to create Hardcore characters whose first death ends the challenge while preserving their character as a normal character, alongside death records, personal summaries and a settlement memorial for viewing previous Hardcore runs. With the core implementation and initial checks completed, further deployment and end-to-end testing are now being prepared.
Sound Design
The Sound Team has continued preparing the audio foundations for the next batch of abilities in Depths of Erendorn, using the current ability designs and descriptions as a guide for developing their initial sound concepts. Work this week has focused on creating early audio drafts for abilities including Decoy, Open Guard, Misdirect, ShadowSnare and Succumb To The Void, with each effect being shaped around the intended function and visual identity of the ability. As the corresponding visuals are brought into the engine, these sounds can be further refined and adjusted to ensure they complement the final effects and timing in-game. This early preparation allows the team to establish a distinct audio direction for the upcoming abilities while leaving room for further iteration once their visual implementation is complete. Together, this work continues to expand the growing sound library supporting the next wave of abilities in Depths of Erendorn.
Environment
The Environment Team has continued shaping the visual identity of the new dungeon spaces this week, with the focus shifting upwards to the cave ceilings. After moving away from an earlier flat-rock design, the team has developed a more natural vaulted approach featuring dissolved domes, recessed pockets and hanging rock formations designed to read effectively from the game's isometric camera. To support the procedural dungeon workflow, a new Houdini generator has been created to carve domes, cupolas and scalloped pockets from rock slabs, with each seed producing a unique ceiling tile while retaining the same strata banding established across the cave walls. Further refinement has addressed overly smooth surfaces, black speckling and flattened plateaus, while adjustments to larger 48 metre spaces have helped maintain the depth and shape of the vaulted forms. The team has now prepared four ceiling sizes, ranging from 24 to 48 metres, with four variants of each for a total of 16 tiles ready for integration into the dungeon generator. With the cave ceilings now taking shape, work will next move towards developing the stalactites that will further enrich the environments of Depths of Erendorn.
That’s it for this week’s devlog, but have you seen our monthly roundup of August yet?!
