Hello everyone,
Welcome to the July devlog for Veyora.
This month has been a very important step for the project. While the next Closed Beta update will take a little longer than usual, the reason is simple: instead of releasing only a small patch, I am currently working on many larger improvements at the same time. The goal is to create a stronger foundation for Veyora and prepare the game for the first public demo, which is planned for the Steam Next Fest on October 19.
Veyora is still a solo developer project from a small Swiss studio, so some things naturally take more time. But this also means that every system, every village, every hidden chest, every quest and every detail is built with a very clear vision in mind.
A better world to explore
One of the biggest topics this month has been the world itself.
Veyora is not meant to be a game where you simply steal or collect everything everywhere without thinking. Instead, exploration should feel rewarding without replacing crafting, trading, farming or questing.
That is why I am currently working on a more balanced loot system. Players will be able to find basic loot such as water, apples and useful small items in different places around the world. At the same time, rare loot, hidden chests and valuable discoveries will be placed more carefully.
The idea is that exploring the world should always feel worth it.
Hidden places in forests, mountains, villages, ruins, dungeons and even deep underwater areas around Lake Veyora can contain something useful or special. You should have a reason to leave the main road, climb a hill, check behind an old house or dive into the lake.
New loot system
The loot system is currently being improved and expanded.
Players will be able to find:
Basic resources in believable places
Hidden chests in the open world
Rare loot in dangerous or remote areas
Items in villages, forests, caves and dungeons
Rewards for exploring places that are easy to miss
The goal is not to fill the world with endless random items. Instead, the loot should support the feeling of discovery. When you find something hidden, it should feel intentional and rewarding.
Map system improvements
Another major focus has been the map system.
The previous map was mostly a test version. It worked as a basic feature, but it did not yet feel like a real part of the game. I am now rebuilding and improving the system so that players can use the map in a much better way.
Veyora is designed to be playable alone, but also with friends. A better map system will help players explore together, find each other and plan their journey through the world.
More meaningful exploration
Exploration is one of the most important parts of Veyora.
The world should not just be a background. It should invite you to explore it. Villages, forests, mountains, ruins, lakes and dungeons should all have their own reason to exist.
This month I have been working on making the world feel more rewarding and more alive. Some areas are being adjusted so they offer better gameplay opportunities, hidden rewards or a stronger atmosphere.
I want players to feel that Veyora is not only about following quests, but also about discovering places on their own.
NPCs, villages and shops
NPCs and villages are also an important part of the current development work.
Veyora will include different villages, traders, shopkeepers and characters that help make the world feel lived in. Shops, dialogue, trading and quests are all part of the larger foundation I am building.
Some of the current work includes improving how NPCs behave, how they appear in the world and how they support the player’s journey. There are still technical challenges, especially with spawning, saving and multiplayer behaviour, but these systems are getting stronger step by step.
Multiplayer and co-op work
Veyora is planned as a game that can be played solo or in co-op with up to four players.
Multiplayer brings a lot of additional challenges, especially for a solo developer. Systems that work perfectly in singleplayer often need extra work in multiplayer. This includes animations, map markers, NPCs, loot, quests and player synchronization.
This month I have continued working on multiplayer stability and fixing problems that appear when more than one player is in the world. The goal is to make co-op feel natural, stable and fun.
Performance and technical improvements
A lot of work has also gone into performance and technical optimization.
Open-world games need a strong technical base. Veyora has many systems running at the same time: animals, NPCs, traders, enemies, items, weather, audio zones, map markers, quests and more.
I have been reviewing many of these systems and adjusting how often they update, how they spawn and how they behave in the background. This helps the game run better and creates a stronger base for future content.
Optimization is not always the most visible part of development, but it is one of the most important parts for making the game feel good.
Preparing the first public demo
A big part of the current work is focused on preparing the first public demo.
The plan is to have the first demo ready for the Steam Next Fest on October 19. This demo should give players a first real impression of Veyora: the world, the atmosphere, the systems and the direction of the game.
Before that happens, I want to make sure the foundation is solid. That is why the next Closed Beta update will not arrive as quickly as usual. Instead, it will include more meaningful changes and improvements.
The goal is not just to add more content, but to make the existing systems work better together.
A solo project from Switzerland
Veyora is developed as a solo dev project by a small Swiss studio.
That means every update takes time, but it also means that the project has a very personal direction. Veyora is not just built around one single feature. It is built around the feeling of entering a medieval world where farming, survival, adventure, crafting, trading, quests and exploration all come together.
You play as the child of a family connected to this world’s past, and your journey begins with questions, inheritance, danger and discovery. From there, Veyora opens up into a world where you can build, farm, explore, fight, trade and uncover hidden places.
What comes next
The next Closed Beta update is planned to arrive in the coming weeks.
It will focus on several important improvements at once, including:
Better world exploration
Improved loot and hidden rewards
Map system improvements
More stable multiplayer systems
NPC and shop improvements
Performance optimization
Better preparation for the upcoming demo
There is still a lot to do, but Veyora is moving forward step by step.
Thank you to everyone following the project, wishlisting the game, giving feedback, joining the Discord and supporting the development. Your feedback helps a lot, especially during this stage of development.
See you in the next update.
Christoph
JEP Gaming