SteemKnights - Development Blog #001

TL;DR

SteemKnights Development Stream schedule; it's now every week on Monday at 19:00 UTC
Development Updates
- New asset pack; see images below
- @cloud925 is continuously working the new UI at the moment; see screenshots below
Eternal Artifacts game design updates
- No steemed games anymore
- We instead reward played games with an in-game token (token name suggestions are much appreciated)
- You can essentially play for free
- But you need to purchase a starter kit to enter the battlefield
- Classic Mode will still ship with Eternal Artifacts client
- We will introduce a ranking system to better matchmake players by skill; more on that on future posts
- Introduction of in-game items as NFTs on the Steem blockchain
- Overhauled RPG kind of style battle system; more on that on future posts
Please let us know what you think of all these proposed changes
Have a great weekend!

Greetings Lords and Ladies,

Welcome to the first official post of the SteemKnights Development Blog.

Today I want to give you the first details on the previously teased new game mode code-named "Eternal Artifacts".

But first a few updates for those who did not read the post from earlier this week.

I, the Development Stream host @mrbandler, changed the stream schedule from a Monday and a weekly switch to Friday to a consistent Monday at 19:00 UTC every week. This should be easier for everyone to memorize and much easier to manage within the grander scheme of the project.

While I am on that note, join our Discord for notifications when @mrbandler goes live on @threespeak (here) and Twitch.

Now, before we come to the really fun stuff of this post a quick overview of what happened on the development of SteemKnights "Classic Mode".

DISCLAIMER: Everything we show is subject to change and does not represent the final state of the game

Due to the improved performance that we now have with the core rewrite, we want to put a lot more stuff on the screen and for this, we went out and bought some new assets that we can play around with. To give you a glimpse of what the new SteemKnights might look we want to show you some screenshots of them:

I hope we can show most of these assets in a SteemKnights setting in-engine on the next SteemKnights Development Blog post. Join @mrbandler for a level design session on the next Development Stream if you are interested in how these assets will transform into the new SteemKnights look!

@cloud925 also was very productive and worked on the new UI that'll have a cleaner look and improved user experience.

Here is a quick look at the new battle HUD:

If the GIF doesn't show here is the direct link.

Let's dissect the HUD a bit and look at the additional information it can give you about the battlefield at a single glance.

Turn Timer

The turn timer is now a orb that slowly drains out over the duration of the turn.
We plan to color it dynamically as we get closer to the 0 seconds mark.

Player Plate

The player plate now shows a "health" orb that displays the sum of all remaining knights on the battlefield. And drops when one of the player knights is killed.

Additional @cloud925 added number plates for all knight types so the player can easily know how much of each type he/she has left.

Enemy Plate

The enemy plate also shows the "health" analogous to the player plate.
In the number plates, where the screenshot currently only shows question marks, we will show the amount of already revealed knights of the enemy.

So, what do you think? Is it an improvement over the previous HUD or is there information missing that you would like to see integrated into the HUD? Let us know in the comment section below!

Alright, now I kept you waiting long enough. Let's talk about our design concept for "Eternal Artifacts".

As a first step, we want to change the way battles are played.

Instead of placing a bet for a certain amount of Steem you will be able to just search for a match and receive a token upon the completion of a battle. Of course, you will receive more on winning than losing. To make it short, Eternal Artifacts can be played completely for FREE! One caveat though, before you can get into the action you need to buy a starter kit for your knights (more on that later).

We haven't found a cool name for the token (yet). Maybe some of you can help us in that regard and leave a suggestion in the comment section below. It would be much appreciated!

Currently, we are matching the opponents only depending on the amount of Steem betted. Based on the changes above we will introduce a ranking system not only to find opponents at your skill level but also to give you the possibility to fight your way to the top! More on the ranking system in the following posts...

For all of those who liked the way SteemKnights works now, we are still shipping the "Classic Mode" with "Eternal Artifacts" so you can always fall back to a few steemed games.

The biggest change will be the introduction of in-game items as NFTs on the Steem blockchain. Items will be weapons and equipment for your knights.
But why would we do that if we already have a battle system in place where no equipment is needed?

That's because of our next great change: the battle system. It will contain way more strategic elements with an RPG kind of style. We will go into more depth on the battle system and all its related mechanics on our future posts. So stay tuned!

So, what do you think about all the changes we have in mind?
And do you have any suggestions?

Alright, so that concludes our first SteemKnights Game Development Blog.
Have a great weekend and we will see you on the battlefield!