In this Development Update, we want to share our current work on the combat UI for the new third-person 3D field.

This is not an announcement that the Battle System is finished. The current focus is on making exploration, party members, the Wolf Companion, and combat controls feel connected within the same field screen.

Making party status readable in the field

In the current development build, we are adjusting the field UI so the player can see not only the main character, but also the status of Party Members and the Wolf Companion.

During combat, we are testing a party information layout on the left side of the screen. It shows who is present, who has taken damage, and how the companion characters are doing while the player remains in the third-person field view.

The goal is to make the party feel like they are actually traveling and fighting together, rather than existing only as menu entries.

Reworking combat controls

Exploration and combat need different kinds of input.

We are currently testing a structure where inputs used for camera control during exploration can be reassigned to skills and items during combat. Instead of simply adding more buttons, we are trying to make the layout understandable from the perspective of a gamepad player.

We are also keeping empty action slots empty instead of filling them with placeholder skills. This should make it clearer which actions are actually available and which ones are not ready to use yet.

Improving combat feedback

We are also working on how combat messages are shown on screen, such as when a Party Member attacks or how much damage is dealt.

For GEKOKUJO, companions and the Wolf Companion are not meant to be background decorations. They are part of the same Living World, moving with the player and taking part in what happens around them. Because of that, the combat UI needs to support what is happening in the field, not just display numbers.

We are still checking scenes with multiple enemies, darker environments, and the flow after combat ends. There is more work to do before we can present this as a finished combat experience, but these changes are helping us build the foundation for GEKOKUJO as a third-person 3D RPG.

Thank you for following the development.