November 2023.
The next thing on my list: “Build a basic combat system.”
Sounds doable, right?

Except… I had no idea how complex it should be.
My personal goals were:
It should feel smooth. It should be extendable. And I want to keep some doors open for future madness.

Great plan. No clue how to start.

Discord wisdom & the GAS rabbit hole

I hang out a lot in the Michael Pattison Discord — amazing people, great vibes, solid dev tips.
One of them pointed me toward this GAS course on Udemy.

The idea: build a top-down RPG using Unreal’s Gameplay Ability System (GAS).

Course was solid. The tutor? Clear and helpful.
The project? Practical.
My reaction? Mild existential dread. 😅

Because it was in C++. And GAS. At the same time.
(For context: this was the part where “I’m just building a cozy adventure game” started to feel like a lie.)

But hey — multiple people in other Unreal Discords had already told me:
"If you’re building multiplayer, use C++. Seriously."

So I took the leap.

From theory to chaos to clarity

By December, I felt confident enough to implement the first combat bits into Eriduna.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine. And more importantly: it worked.

Over time, I actually started liking the idea of writing core logic in C++ and doing the rest in Blueprints.
By late January, I had a combat base I was happy with.
Still lots to do, but hey — good enough to move on.

Until I had… another idea.

Let’s break it all and do it properly™

Armed with new knowledge (and questionable self-confidence), I started asking myself:

• Can we apply GAS to tools like axes and watering cans?

• How scalable are our current systems, really?

• Can I spawn and manage thousands of crops without melting a GPU?

• Can we use Instanced Static Mesh Components to save performance?

• How do I make a bigger world feel alive and stay manageable?

• Can we use PCG to place things like trees, ores, bushes — and make them harvestable in multiplayer?

That’s when it clicked:
We need to rebuild almost everything.
So I did.

Farming logic, field manager, season manager, tool systems — all reworked, refactored, C++-ified, multiplayer-tested.

Video to Field Manager Test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ_VwcubH9w

Looks the same. Is not the same.

Now it’s May. And when I show friends or family the current version, they often say:
"Wait… didn’t it already do that months ago?"

Yes.
On the surface, it still looks similar.
But underneath? It's a completely different beast.

It runs smoother. It scales better. It actually wants to be expanded.
And even with placeholder assets, I’ve nearly doubled the performance in test environments.

Sure — it’s frustrating to have no shiny new features to show after months of work.
But I’ve learned a ton. And now? Now we’re building on solid ground.

What’s next?

I’m more motivated than ever. It’s finally time to move forward, not sideways.
Next up: new features, new systems, new posts!

Speaking of which — my next blog entry will be a bit more personal.
I'll talk about my short (and slightly painful) experiment with AI-generated content,
why I tried it, why I gave up on it, and why I believe nothing beats working with passionate humans.

Also: I’ll introduce our wonderful little team.
Because yes — we’re now five external artists strong. And I couldn't be more grateful.

See you soon 🌱
— Kevin

Hey everyone! The year is slowly drawing to a close and all we can say is: it was exciting, intense and brought us all a lot of new experiences. Today, we would like to give you a brief review and also venture a small preview of what's in store for next year.

What have we achieved?

• Unreal Engine GAS: We have started to implement the Game Ability System. This lays the foundation for a versatile and flexible combat system.
• First tests and prototyping: Ranged Combat: We're currently trying out a few ideas for ranged combat mechanics - and it's already really fun!
• New gameplay element: We're combining farming and adventure into one exciting feature. We think it's pretty cool – we hope you do too!
• Animations: The first work on character animations has started. A big step towards bringing our game to life.

What's next on the agenda?

• Combat system based on the GAS: We want to further develop the combat system and finally fine-tune it.
• Migration of the tool system: Our tool feature should also be integrated into the GAS so that it fits seamlessly into the flow of the game.
• Battle system tests: We will soon be starting initial tests with „normal“ opponents – and yes, even with the first boss fights!
• Advanced animations: We want to make the combat system even more dynamic with new animations.

Thanks to our great team and supporters

It has been (and still is) a damn exciting journey and we would like to thank everyone who has been with us. A special thanks goes to Michael and his Discord group, Bogdan for the animations and tireless support, Carlos for our first character and Steven Melin for the first soundtrack song and sound effects.

We are working hard to bring you a playable demo with all relevant gameplay features by 2025. The goal is in sight, and we're really looking forward to showing you more of the game soon!

Have a great end to the year everyone! See you soon!

—
Your team from Eriduna (or as our project will soon be called…)

Even as a young boy, I wanted to develop my own game. It was one of my biggest dreams. But somehow it never worked out - either there wasn't enough time or I just didn't have enough experience. I've already started two or three projects, but each time I got lost in the details without a clear concept. Oh yes, and with a good dash of youthful green madness.

In May 2024, this dream came up again. And this time I knew: if I don't do it now, I probably never will.

I've had an idea in my head for almost ten years: a cool mix of Harvest Moon and Zelda – the SNES versions, it's not innovative, but I'd really enjoy it and I'd love to play it in a 3D version. These games completely enthralled me as a little rascal. So I set myself a kind of test to find out whether the project was even remotely realistic.

I gave myself two weeks to work out a few very rudimentary functions:

• Day and night changes (with counters for seasons and years)
• Floating weather
• A grid-based placement system (for fields, plants and objects)
• A simple combat system
• A simple item system
• And a basic save system

So I sat down, watched tutorials, customized it to my needs – and did it! After just one week! You can't imagine how proud I was. Even though I realized that it would probably all end up in the garbage can again.

At the time, I didn't know that I would repeat the whole thing twice more.

I wanted to take you along on my or our adventure. Maybe our project can arouse your interest, we look forward to exchanging ideas in the Discord.

And no, the name is not final. I'll tell you why that is later. Stay tuned! 

Kevin, Snailpace Games