Hi everyone,
I wanted to share a quick update on the latest development progress. I don’t have screenshots or videos to show just yet, but there have been some major changes to the game that I think you’ll appreciate.
What has been done so far?
Crowding
Creatures can no longer occupy the same space. Each tile is divided into a 3×3 grid, meaning a maximum of 9 creatures per tile.
Creatures now pathfind and move in relation to each other — they can’t pass through one another, so when things get crowded they’ll find alternative routes or ask others to move out of the way.
Creatures will never get stuck due to a bad dungeon layout. They will always find a way out (though it may take some time).
Slower creatures can force faster creatures to walk behind them during the same phase (if there are no alternative routes).
Ghosts and living creatures are allowed to occupy the same space.
Pathfinding
Fishmen can travel through water just as they would on land, and they can also fight from water.
Trogosaurs can travel through lava just as they would on land, and they can also fight from lava.
Bats can now move over both water and lava.
Exploring
Creatures now explore as intended, and their Exploring property determines how far from their base they’re allowed to go.
Fonts
I refactored the text system so we can use fonts that aren’t installed on the system — instead, they’re bundled in the game folder.
Updated the font to something more appropriate.
Text is much sharper now.
Creature Status bar
Updated to a more modern version (the old one was more than 10 years old).
Includes LOD behavior depending on camera distance and whether the cursor is hovering nearby.
Shows only what’s necessary — default states like full health or good mood are hidden.
What is left?
Balancing creature combat and fleeing.
Making sure the new font works with Simplified Chinese.
Ensuring possession works as intended.
Adding a new “Crowding” status that can lead to unhappiness if it gets too high.
Optimizing the pathfinding algorithm to use less memory.
Other minor bug fixes.
I’ll try to share a video or screenshots as soon as I have time — I tend to prioritize development over marketing (probably my biggest weakness).
One side note: after more than 10 years of working on Dwelvers, I’ve accepted that I probably won’t earn back all the time I’ve invested. But I keep developing it because I genuinely love it — and because I still believe the game has huge potential.
Until next time!
/ Rasmus