The Whaler - Dev Update #12 - Trade, Cabin & Grog news

We are getting close to a fully completion of the ship, we have spent some time getting the kitchen ready, optimizing UW`s and textures as well as getting the sails right.

We will also start working on the trailer next week so we can show of some game play as well, it will also come in handy now that we are shopping for a new publisher/ investor to help take this game to its full potential, so stay tuned for that!

There was also a vote going on twitter for a new or second name tag for the game. So we are looking at doing a change on that in future to portray more of the core element of the game, which is trade and progression.

Lets dive into this last months work

We got some community feedback about having the option to change beards, our current captains does not have that layered but we made the buttons for that in the future when we have more options for the full version.

The SFX test is also currently just placeholders (except the music which is from our main theme). Dan Wakefield from Antagonist will do the SFX on the game, he has previously worked on Through the Woods Antagonist.no

Captain Roland has done some sketches for figureheads for the bow, which can be used from tier 2 ships.

We have been playing with the idea that you can either buy these in full, or buy blueprints and craft it from your workstation.

Let us know what you think!

Of course, there is always work on props and details. We are never too happy and always want to improve what has been done to ensure proper quality.

Now we have the steering animation in a way it feels comfortable, it seems heavy (which it was) and believable. A Whipstaff also called Whip, was used for steering larger sailing ships in the 16th-17th century and paved the way for the wheel. There are different variations of these, and for The Dawn, as the reference it was placed right in front of the mast.

In the captains quarters we are also spending some time putting things into place, experimenting with the looks and placement. The size will vary on the type of ships, the bigger the ship the more place you have to play around in.

When you make port there will be different illustrations depending on where you are, representing the time and area you visit. The trade UI is an ongoing process but now we have something we can actually show and build upon.

Every port has different needs that will have to be met, and this is the basis of the way to make money, but sailing takes time so beware of which country or port that has specific needs wherever you travel. You will also need to buy for personal stock, so you have enough for crafting and repairs.

The port of Sherburne without the trade window.

With the trade window open. There will be more pages of city overview, port name and some other goodies. Also font testing.

We will go more in depth on the crafting at a later stage, but here you will have an overview of materials for crafting and we will have a list for what you need for certain blueprints.