As the development of Guild Master: Langris continues, we've been hard at work shaping the game's core elements and enhancing its visual appeal. Here's a rundown of the latest developments:

Coding with Shora - Quest Simulation System
Teaming up with the skilled RPG Maker programmer, Shora, of Shora Lighting, we've been focused on creating a dynamic quest simulation system. This system is pivotal to the game, as it allows players to hire guild members and embark on exciting quests. The collaboration has been fruitful, and we're making significant strides in bringing this system to life, adding depth and immersion to the game.

Graphical Improvements - Portraits
We've embarked on graphical improvements, including character portraits. As much as I love the fire emblem portraits, I don't think they fit witht he aesthetic of the game, especially if we are making a commercial game. Working closely with the talented artist alonelyspirit, we're redesigning character portraits to elevate the visual storytelling in Guild Master: Langris. Please note that @alonelyspirit also creates NSFW art, so we advise discretion if visiting their twitter page. Below, you can find the new character portraits, showcasing the remarkable transformation.



Graphical Improvements - Battle Sprites
In the realm of character aesthetics, I've partnered with the exceptional Aleksandre Shonia to revamp our battle sprites. Our goal is to breathe new life into the characters, aligning them with the vision we have for Guild Master: Langris. I've provided sketches that outline the creative direction we're taking, setting the foundation for the character redesign process. Additionally, we're not limiting ourselves to character redesign; we're adding enemy sprites for combat encounters. Stay tuned for a glimpse of Alex's work, which will clean-up my designs.





Skill Learning Overhaul
One of the most exciting changes we're implementing is a complete overhaul of the skill learning system. Drawing inspiration from Grandia II's mana egg system and mastery levels, we're introducing a more strategic and immersive approach to skill acquisition. This will empower players to shape their characters' abilities and deepen their connection to the game's progression.

Personal Challenges
On a personal note, I've been dealing with some family matters that have required my attention, including expecting my first child within the next month. Balancing personal life with game development can be challenging, but it's a reminder of the importance of self-care during this journey. Rest assured, I remain dedicated to Guild Master: Langris and will continue to work diligently to bring our vision to fruition.

Conclusion
The development of Guild Master: Langris is an exciting adventure filled with creativity, challenges, and collaboration. We're grateful for the support and enthusiasm from our community as we strive to create a memorable gaming experience. I will try to have a new update atleast every 2 months. Keep an eye out for more updates, and thank you for joining us on this incredible journey!

Hey all!

I plan to release regular progress updates to give players an idea of what is going on in GM: Langris as I develop it. This will keep me accountable while also staying diligent to the project. This first progress report is meant to give a full idea of the major aspects that are key to making Guild Master Langris, the game that I envision it to be.

Guild Master: Langris' gameplay focuses on a few aspects: Exploration, Dungeon Delving, Building, Comprehensive Combat, Recruitment and Story & Character Progression.

With that vision, the following aspects have been the focus of my development so far:

• A world worth exploring
  
• A system to build onto your guild that effects game play
  
• Player choice integrated into the story
  
• A combat system that rewards and punishes good and bad gameplay
  
• Player agency in combat development
  
• Gameplay with more at stake than losing battles

As Rudne, you will get to explore the many storied lands of Langris, from the mystic ruin filled southern kingdom of Grisford, to the five beast clans in the Land of Fang & Claw, to the mysterious scarred landscape of the Ashlands in the center of the continent, and many more locales. With Dungeon-Delving being a major way to explore and find great new resources, you can build onto your Guild's property and build new weapons, armor and items for Rudne and her guild mates.
Growing The Guild

The whole focus of the guild is to get the feeling of building your Guild from the ground up. The 5 Attributes of Society are major factors in this series, so the development your guild facilities and assets will effect these things! Choosing to purchase new buildings will not be a linear progression, as choosing to build certain facilities over others comes with pros and cons. I'm in the process of charting out the development tree for guild progression, but that will take a little bit. Also, more than establishing buildings in your "Guildquarter" you will have the opportunity to establish outposts and take up residency in buildings throughout Langris, that you find as you explore.

Combat

As you explore, no good RPG would be good without good combat! My hope for the combat of Guild Master: Langris is to create a combat system that rewards a mastery of its elements. Opening up new opportunities for players who learn their enemies weaknesses and exploit them, while creating challenging and dynamic battles that require strategy as the game goes on. On top of that, characters will have various classes and "specialization" opportunities throughout Guildmaster. As characters level up, they will get to choose what skills they would like to focus on. Choosing certain skills will prevent characters from learning other skills. (Choosing to follow the flame spirit Moto, prevents you from creating a contract with Burafu the Ice spirit etc.) These choices will culminate in players making wildly unique party compositions.

Characters

Much of the story of the game will be focused around heavy characterization of the individuals that are in the world of GM:L. With a lot of optional character interaction in the form of quests, fun interactions and cutscenes, I want characters in Guildmaster to be endearing and memorable. I will be putting a lot of stock into the writing and development of each character.

Current Work

My main focus right now is establishing the main systems of the game. Setting up the coding for day/night system of the game is crucial, as many of the other elements of the game are dependent on it. In essence, it will be fairly simple, but I am creating processes and common events that are going to be the bread and butter of the game.


Basic but crucial comm0on eventing!

I am currently looking for mappers, pixel artists, coders and editors to help with the project as well. Though it's not imperative, I think if I had 1-2 more hands to help with the game that would increase the productivity and the quality of the game overall, so I would be delighted if there were someone who would like to join the project!

If you are interested in joining the team, feel free to contact me at my website:
https://www.alientekinc.xyz/contact

I'm currently working toward a demo that will setup the the first parts of the game, showcasing the battle system and some basic development mechanics for both your characters and the guild. I am hoping to release the demo by Mid-May.

All of this will lend to a story where Rudne has many choices that will shape her and her guild's reputation, allowing her to recruit 20+ characters from around Langris, to join her exploits to become the most prestigious guild in all of the land.

Future updates will not be this long, as this is the first, but you can expect these once a month in the future, around this time each month.

Happy April folks! Hope you're doing ok, and hope you're being good people.