I'm really excited to share a brand new feature with you that we believe will add another layer of immersion to your adventures - Directional Sound Emitters!

Sound Emitters: The Beginning

This inspiration for this feature came from an appreciation of the incredible atmosphere that the game Operation Flashpoint achieved by adding sounds to their missions. We felt our game, being more narrative than graphically driven, needed something to make the environment come alive and stimulate the imagination of our players. We started with a simple idea: that a campfire should sound like a campfire, and things just grew from there. The human mind associates sounds and smells with memories. Therefore, appropriate sounds can transport your mind to the intended environment and truly make places come alive.

How Do They Work?

With this feature, you can place sound emitters on your maps when using the adventure creator. You can use your own sound files or select from a list of pre-made sound files we've provided. When a character gets within the range of the emitter during gameplay, the sound will be played, enhancing the ambience of the scene and really helping to set the atmosphere. This is great for adding environmental sounds like bustling town squares, roaring fires, the rhythmic beat of a blacksmith's hammer, or even the terrifying growl of a lurking monster!

Tips and Considerations

While this feature is amazing, moderation is key. Try not to add too many sound emitters to the same adventure encounter, as that could create a chaotic symphony of sounds that can overwhelm your players. For more nuanced control, you can disable the directional volume control to make the sound equally loud in the entire range of the emitter. This is particularly handy for creating the indoor sounds of a specific room or space.

The system even lets the walls and trees block the sound emitters spread, so you can use a central placement and the range to make the sound fill an enclosed space like a room. Experiment with this to create dynamic soundscapes that truly bring your adventures to life!

The Challenge

Developing this feature was quite an adventure itself! Working with trigonometry to adjust the volume and left/right pan of sounds to make them directional for that extra touch of realism was a fun challenge. There was also an unexpected obstacle to overcome in the form of the game's internal background music, which required a significant restructuring of how that music is activated and handled. But now, thanks to that, you can pause the background music when you approach the bard in the local tavern and hear him playing authentic medieval music.

Final Thoughts

The goal of this feature, as with everything we do, is immersion and atmosphere. It's about creating that feeling of truly being in the character's shoes, experiencing the situations they are travelling through. Sound emitters bring an essential element to the game that makes each encounter truly come alive.

Directional Sound Emitters are now available to everyone in the adventure creator tool. We can't wait to see (and hear) what you come up with!

Until next time, keep adventuring and happy creating!

We're excited to announce that we've just rolled out a new update for our game, adding two classic spells: the colourful "Colour Spray" and the protective "Armour" spell. This update not only brings new abilities to your spellcasting characters but also adds a new layer of strategic depth to our gameplay.

Colour Spray

First on the list is the Colour Spray spell. It's a dazzling display of clashing colors that can potentially stun, blind, or even knock unconscious any creatures caught within its vibrant fan-shaped spray. This spell is a fantastic tool for crowd control, allowing you to incapacitate multiple enemies at once based on their level or Hit Dice. We've worked meticulously to ensure the spell's mechanics align with its OSRIC and traditional D&D rules, all the while making it visually appealing in the game environment.

We've implemented the concept of the area of effect (AOE) for this spell, allowing you to mark a cone-shaped area on the map. The effects of the spell will depend on the caster's level and the level or Hit Dice of the creatures within the AOE. Also, remember to stock up on the required components - a pinch each of powder or sand that is coloured red, yellow, and blue!

Armour

The second addition in this update is the Armour spell. This spell creates a magical field of force that serves as if it were scale mail armour. The spell grants an Armor Class of 6 to the target (bonus of 4 Armour Class points), which does not hinder movement or prevent spellcasting. This spell adds a significant defensive boost to your characters, especially useful when they're in a pinch.

One key detail we've implemented is that the spell's effect is not cumulative with other similar effects, in line with the original OSRIC and classic D&D rules. We've also added a visual element - a character under the effect of the Armour spell will have a silver aura, symbolising the protective force field.

It's important to note that the Armour spell lasts until the wearer sustains cumulative damage totalling greater than 8 points + 1 per level of the caster or until it is successfully dispelled. Be sure to have a piece of finely cured leather in your inventory as a required component for casting this spell.

We're thrilled to bring these spells into our game and can't wait for you to try them out! So update your game now, memorise these spells, and let your adventure take a colourful turn!

Stay tuned for more updates, and as always, happy adventuring!

Before today, login and user profiles were purely cookie-driven. Restricted to the machine and browser you used the game on when you filled in your player name. This ends today with the database-based user profiles.

Existing Player ID Cookies

There is one important note however. The profile you create will adopt the Player ID number from your Player ID cookie in the browser where you create the profile. This will be independent of whether you are a backer and create the profile on the development version, or you create it on the early access public beta version.

In laymans terms: Create your profile on the computer and in the browser which contains the adventures you want to keep.

Characters and Parties

Since there are only generic characters, you will most likely lose your existing parties on all PC. The way characters and parties are stored will be completely redone in a near future and will be included in the database-based storage.

I will however, try to avoid database-driven storage as much as possible and keep as much data in the browser as possible. Any database or file-checks ads load to the server and slow down the user experience. I want the game to keep running lightning-fast in all browsers and on all computers.

I hope everyone is happy with the new login system, which will be expanded with lost password functions and Twitter Login functionality very soon&tm;

When it comes to game development, the conventional wisdom is that it takes a team of experienced professionals working full-time to create a game that's engaging, balanced, and bug-free. But what if you're a solo developer, working from home, with no budget to speak of? Can you still create something that's worth playing?

Meet Peter Munkholm, the developer behind Creatures & Chronicles, a turn-based RPG set in a fantasy world of magic and monsters. For the past few weeks, Peter has been hard at work creating a game that's accessible, fun, and full of surprises. And while the road ahead may be long, Peter is making remarkable progress in turning their vision into a reality.

One of the challenges of developing a game on your own is figuring out how to create content that's varied and interesting without overextending yourself. Creatures & Chronicles tackles this challenge by offering a range of options for players to customize their experience. For example, players can create their own custom party of heroes, selecting from a roster of generic characters. While custom character creation isn't yet implemented, it's on the roadmap for future development.

Another key feature of the game is the adventure system, which lets players link together encounters into long chains, forming complete modules. This approach gives players a sense of progression and a feeling of accomplishment as they move from one encounter to the next. And with the recent update, the forest, desert, and plains graphics have had a huge overhaul, making the game look like an illustrated version of a real-life tabletop game.

Spellcasting is another area where Creatures & Chronicles shines. While spellcasters like wizards and clerics can only choose from a small list of spells for now, the list will be expanded over time. Custom parties also gather experience points and will eventually be able to level up, which adds an additional layer of progression and customization.

The game is also making progress on the items and equipment front, with the coming addition of armor, weapons, and equipment vendors inside adventures. This will pave the way for more complex encounters and adventures that require players to upgrade their gear and choose the right equipment for the job. Bringing the wrong equipment could result in disadvantages like freezing in snowy and cold environments or even hunger and starvation.

Of course, no game is complete without a solid foundation, and Creatures & Chronicles is making strides in this area as well. The combat system is turn-based and tactical, allowing for plenty of experimentation and customization. While the fighter classes are currently underpowered compared to the paladin, cleric, thief, and wizard classes, the addition of proficiencies for weapons and specializations is currently in development, which should help balance out the classes.

Despite the challenges of developing a game on their own, Peter is making impressive progress. In addition to crossing 100 followers on Twitter, the new Kickstarter campaign already has four backers. And while it's challenging to both develop and market the game at the same time, Peter is committed to making Creatures & Chronicles a success.

So, what's next for Creatures & Chronicles? Peter has plenty of plans, including adding more spells, introducing custom character creation, implementing treasure gathering in adventures, and expanding the game's combat system. But for now, the focus is on creating a solid foundation that will allow the game to grow and evolve over time.

In terms of development, the focus has shifted towards adding more content to the game. The team is currently working on adding more encounters, adventures, and locations to explore, as well as expanding the roster of monsters and enemies that players will face. The goal is to make the game feel rich and full of content, with a sense of discovery and exploration that will keep players engaged for hours on end.

One exciting new feature that's currently in the works is the ability to create custom characters. This will allow players to build their own heroes from scratch, choosing their race, class, skills, and abilities. This will provide a new level of customization and personalization that will help players to connect with their characters on a deeper level.

It's clear that Creatures & Chronicles is a passion project, driven by nostalgia and a love for the RPG genre. And while the road ahead may be long, there's no doubt that Peter's vision for the game is taking shape. If you're a fan of turn-based RPGs, then Creatures & Chronicles is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

But even with all the challenges, I remain committed to making Creatures & Chronicles the best it can be. The progress made in just a few weeks is proof that anything is possible with dedication and hard work. And while there is still much to be done, I am excited for the future of the game.

As development continues, I will keep fans and backers updated on the progress of Creatures & Chronicles. I am grateful for their support and believe that together, we can create something truly special for the RPG community.

Who knows? With a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, and support from the game backers it might just become something truly remarkable.