Harvey here! We’re back with another progress update. One big thing we’ve locked in recently is the official title of our game: Vanguard: Into Darkness. We feel it captures the story and atmosphere way better than the previous subtitle, ‘The Descent’, and honestly, I’m just relieved I don’t have to hear Megan make another “decent/descent” joke again.
Speaking of Megan, she’s been absolutely killing it on the art side. We’ve both been learning a ton about working around Godot’s quirky control node limitations, and it’s been a fun mix of frustration and breakthroughs.
And, exciting news: We will be attending Girls in Gaming at the end of November in Port Elizabeth. We will set up a table to showcase what we have done so far and discuss what it takes to make a game. We’re quite excited to chat with folks about using open-source software and how far they can take you. This probably won’t be the 100% completed demo just yet. Ultimately, we are very excited to meet fellow gamers in our city 😊.
What We’ve Been Working On
(Megan’s side) Artwise
I can honestly say I was finally able to complete everything on my to-do list for this blog. ‘Tis a good feeling.
Firstly, I completed the design for the Data Archive. Very simple. Very nice.
After that, I got cracking on the Media Player. This is a side panel that pops up when you play an Echo Log from the Data Archive and then close the archive. It keeps the audio running on your HUD, so you can keep exploring and doing your thing.
I finally got back into doing some character art. We plan to slightly animate this portrait. But this lovely lady will be quite important to our main character, Alex.
After this, I finished up on a very rough 3D asset for our character, Shadow. Is he janky? Yes. Will he be in the dark/ purple light most of the time, so you won’t really even notice how janky he is for the majority of the game? Also, yes. Am I still self-conscious about his jankiness? Ahh..
I took a moment to finish off some quick concept art for two more creatures you’ll encounter. The Hunter, and, my favourite, the Ankle-Biters
I know they may look a bit grotesque, but we’ve honestly grown very fond of the creatures we’re making and the part they play in the story we’re telling.
And, finally, I ended this 3-week sprint by doing the concept art and 3D asset for the very first melee weapon you’ll find in the game.
Voilà, c’est tout
(Harvey’s side) Dev work
On the dev side of things, I’ve been doing a bit of housekeeping, cleaning up old code and restructuring parts of the UI. Previously, I had separate HUD elements for the inventory and the data archive (basically our in-game journal), but that setup just wasn’t cutting it anymore. So, I decided to merge them into a single, more cohesive interface I’m calling the Character Menu. It combines both the inventory and data archive into one streamlined system, making it much easier to manage. I also automated a lot of the menu generation; no more manually building UI elements; the code now handles that for me.
Another major update I’ve been working on quietly is the finite state machine for the scavengers. While I’ve been giving Blender a bit of a break lately, I’ve been focused on getting their behaviour systems running smoothly. These creatures are the lifeblood of the first levels; you’ll see them everywhere, going about their routines: drinking from stagnant puddles or dripping pipes, rummaging through rubble and broken crates for food, or even sleeping. I really want them to feel alive, not just another mindless ghoul or zombie. Right now, they’re still represented by a humble yellow capsule (the classic dev placeholder life), but once my brain’s ready for more Blender rigging, I’ll get back to bringing them to life visually.
Of course, like any project, there’s been a lot of polishing and refining under the hood. One big area I’ve overhauled is the Echo Log system in the data archive. I built it around a base LoreEntry class and then extended it into different types depending on what the story needs. That means when you find an Echo Log out in the world, it’s no longer just an audio recording; it could be an image, a note, or even a combination of media. It’s the kind of abstraction that makes a dev’s life so much easier later down the line (and honestly, super satisfying to see working).
What’s Next?
Art (Megan):
- 3 x 3D assets of some of the Tezka Team you’ll find
- The loading screen
- Map of the area
- 3D assets for the Ankle Biters + The Hunter (if I squeeze in some really late nights…we shall see)
Mechanics/Development (Harvey):
I really need to sit down with Blender for a while and just grind out as much as I can. I’ve gained such a deep respect for Blender artists — the technical skill it takes is insane. I’m only doing some basic rigging, but getting an animation to move naturally (and not look completely jank) is tough for my ADHD/autistic brain to process sometimes. But hey, if Elden Ring has taught me anything, it’s that you keep getting back up and trying again.
