u/Becuzus

https://preview.redd.it/2stble3pdt0h1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=276fe8b63eb7e7d9645ee36f408b3cb93f5ea04a

I tried playing Crimson Oath, and I really liked how it captured that heavy, weighty Soulslike feel.

Since I’m also part of a team developing an action RPG, I know how difficult this kind of game can be to make. Because of that, I can imagine how much work went into it, and I truly respect what the team has achieved.

Maybe because I’m also a developer, I really hope this team finds commercial success with this project and gets the chance to create a sequel with even higher-quality art.

​2 days ago, we shared the VANRAN demo here and received a lot of honest feedback from hardcore Soulslike / ARPG players. Some of it was tough to read, but it was exactly what we needed.

boltjamison
We have made a major overhaul to the dodge system.

We reduced the recovery time after dodging, and players can now counterattack more immediately after a dodge. Dodge and perfect dodge also now affect the groggy/stagger gauge, so the system responds more clearly when players evade attacks successfully.

We also kept the existing sprint key, but added key mapping so players can sprint with the L3 button.

The issue where shields did not consume stamina while blocking was a bug. It has now been fixed.

EconomyConscious666

We are currently fixing the display settings issue. An update addressing this should be released within the next few days.

Inventory sounds will also be added. This was really helpful feedback.

We are also working on inventory indicators for newly acquired items.

Substantial-Glass-18

After hearing your feedback about sound, we are adding more SFX.

Monster-related SFX have already been added.

In the next update, UI sounds will also be added.

Regarding animations, we have revised several of Madan’s boss animations. Some attack motions that were previously handled through programming have been changed into proper animations.

sticknotstick

Your feedback was very impressive, and the way you expressed it was very respectful. We were genuinely grateful for it.

We are planning to fix the resolution bug and release it in an update. We need a little more time to make sure it is stable.

bourneok

We have significantly refined the dodge mechanic.

The focus is now on avoiding attacks and immediately counterattacking afterward.

L3 sprint has been added.

The “I am a blade” line has been removed.

havox3

The resolution option issue is a bug, and we are currently fixing it.

Dodge and sprint are still assigned to the same key, but we have added L3 sprint.

More graphics options are planned before release, though they may take some time to implement.

We are working on indicators for newly acquired items.

All of the UI suggestions you mentioned are planned to be applied.

We will think more carefully about the music.

Character customization is not currently planned.

We are taking your feedback about the story presentation seriously and discussing it internally.

A sword-throwing skill is already included in our development plans.

The Luck stat affects content where the player can receive random weapons from the Goddess. Higher Luck increases that probability.

Your idea about changing masks through the blacksmith has been shared with the team, and the response has been positive.

The second bonfire was placed there for the demo to make things more convenient for players.

The bug where Madan falls through the floor was treated as a top-priority issue, and it has now been fixed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
We know VANRAN still needs a lot of work, but this kind of feedback genuinely helps us move in the right direction. Thank you again to everyone who played the demo, criticized it honestly, and gave us a chance to improve it.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3449370/VANRAN/

https://reddit.com/link/1t8vgmu/video/1x4rswu3780h1/player

About 3 months ago, we shared a video here showing the player climbing onto a giant bear and fighting while the bear was moving. The post received far more attention than we expected, so we wanted to share a development update on what we have been working on since then.

After building the climbing system, refining the combat mechanics turned out to be much harder than we expected.

The biggest reason was physics.

The monsters we wanted to create had to be extremely large, and when the player collided with them or got hit by their attacks, the reaction needed to feel believable. We did not want the player to simply snap onto a surface or look like they were being pushed around by some invisible force.

One of the hardest parts was making the transition from aerial movement into climbing feel natural.

We wanted the player to be able to launch into the air, approach a giant monster, grab onto its body, and smoothly transition into the climbing state. But problems started happening when the player was attacked while airborne.

When a monster hits the player in mid-air, the physics reaction needs to feel powerful enough to match the size of the creature. At the same time, it cannot completely break player control or make the climbing transition feel random.

So we had to keep adjusting the balance between animation, physics reaction, hit reaction, and player input.

This became one of the biggest challenges of combining giant monster climbing with Soulslike combat.

Another major challenge was making the giant monster defend itself like a living creature.

If the player can climb anywhere too easily, the monster starts to feel less like a living being and more like a moving stage. We wanted the monster to resist the player’s climbing, instead of simply allowing it. It needed to shake the player off, prevent the player from staying in one place for too long, and stop the player from freely reaching dangerous parts of its body.

To achieve this, we developed several systems.

First, while the player is in the climbing state, the monster checks which bone the player is closest to. This allows the monster to understand where the player is currently attached to its body.

Then, based on that position data, the monster chooses an appropriate defensive motion.

For example, if the player is hanging near its arm, the monster can shake or swing that arm to try to throw the player off.

If the player is on its back, it can twist its torso to break the player’s balance.

If the player gets close to a weak point, it can perform a stronger reaction to push the player away or force them to reposition.

This system was important because we wanted the monster to feel aware of the player’s position.

We did not want climbing to become just a simple path to a weak point. We wanted it to feel like a fight happening on the body of a giant monster. Instead of simply climbing up the monster, we wanted players to feel like they were fighting on top of a living, massive creature.

The video we are sharing now shows another monster built with the core technology we developed from that giant bear prototype.

It is still a work in progress, but we wanted to show how this system has evolved.

We are not fully satisfied with it yet, and there is still a lot more polish needed.

We are also currently working on an even larger boss fight, featuring a colossal boss monster about four times the size of the monster shown in this video.

The monster in this video is playable in our current demo, so please give it a try and leave us a review if you can. Wishlists would also help us a lot.

STEAM. VANRAN DEMO