First off, I apologize for being too late on the current schedule. I've wasted too much time on tutorials internally.

This work schedule was aimed at lowering the entry barrier for new players of ND. So, We used most time at how to learn games quickly and have fun. So we decided to make a tutorial first.

1. What happened to a tutorial?

Originally, the tutorial was supposed to take place in the underground facility as below.

It proceeds along the set route and learns the necessary information for each stage. But it was a form in which players learned information passively according to a straight line. But our game prioritizes Nonlinear level design. So It felt like They had to follow the set story, and I thought that the player who learned the tutorial would be embarrassed if they entered the main game after finish the tutorial.

So with tears in my eyes, I folded this tutorial and will use it as a base of 'fixed dungeon' that will be applied later. In the future, ND will add a dungeon with Specific terrains with static maps, such as a lab or cave. With this mechanism as the foundation, we plan to redecorate the tutorial with NPC when NPC is added later.

So, the game guide will look like a bit of tooltip-type help advice, and once the NPC is added to the game, We will make a tutorial again.

2. Language Patch

Tutorials might be looks excellent. But according to my development experience, less than 10% of the players complete tutorials unless they are forced to play it or paid a bonus for performing the tutorial. This trend may be different in figures, but it was a concern for other developers as well.

So I solved the more significant barrier than the tutorial, 'language.' So I made it possible to change most of the existing text. Currently, we have signed a contract with a translation company. We plan to translate into one other language (between Russian, Simplified Chinese, French or Japanese) based on Korean and English.

If anyone wants to add a language independently, you can add it by copy language_account and edit it in the JSON editor. (Existing content is in language_account.json. Someone could put in a Broken English, Halp!!!1)

3. game guide and pictorial book

As the language issue is solved, it becomes easier to put in systems such as game guides and Encyclopedia. So I inserted the game guide as a Dictionary form as a supplementary, and I also started to make the pictorial book of the content in the game. The primary key setting is F11 so that you can open it anytime. Also, there's a description of the stats and skills.

If you want to know what items are suitable for the tool level you lack in production, you can check them by clicking on the tool level you lack.

We will fill this pictorial book step by step with explanations of each creature, explanations of mutations, and production methods or acquisition methods for materials needed for production. Also, we will make a more detailed guide system by linking it with the tooltip guide mentioned earlier.

4. Aiming Mechanism

In fact, in the Previous Builds, the aiming system was incomplete. It was just a primitive form of recoil, and over time, the recoil naturally disappears, and the line of sight aligns. In the meantime, various plans have come out during the office meeting, but technical aspects have not been resolved, so we have been delaying the work. Now, the existing problem is almost solved and made into the form as below.

Unlike other RPG games, ND wanted to introduce a real-time game and also an FPS aspect. No matter how bad the shooting technique is, I thought it would be a problem to miss it when there's an enemy right in front of me. At the same time, I wanted to make the difference between a rifle equipped with a rifle telescope and equipped with a Holographic sight alone. If you have a rifle telescope, it isn't good compared to an iron sight when Hip-fire, but it's suitable for precise aiming. On the other hand, I wanted to make the Holographic sight beneficial only when Hip-fire. That's why I made the complex graph above.

In short, there are only three factors for Aiming in ND. 'Dispersion,' 'Aim speed,' and 'Aiming method.' Simple, right?

The dispersion is the dispersion of a bullet. Please look at the picture below.

As you can see, the implemented concept is dispersion, not accuracy, so even if the same shooter shoots the same gun, the accuracy varies depending on the distance from the target. If it's close to you, you can ignore the maximum recoil and get everything on the target. So it wouldn't make it fun to equip yourself with SMG and grinding the enemy? On the contrary, I thought that the long-distance the target gets, the harder it becomes to hit, the more appropriate a penalty for long-range shooting.

And the next factor is 'Aim speed.' The aiming speed varies depending on the gun, modification, and shooting skills, affecting recoil recovery.

And Last, the Aiming method. If you aim, time will slowly narrow the dispersion at some point. This Aiming method is called a precise aim.

So using these three factors, it became easier to give individuality to guns. Handguns are very fast at aiming. However, due to the poor precision aiming speed or precision dispersion, it will be a disadvantageous weapon for long-range shooting. This characteristic will be similar to SMG. So SMG will be used as the form of spraying bullets at close range.

On the contrary, it would be very disadvantageous in a general shooting in sniper rifles because the dispersion decreases very slowly. Instead, if you aim at the maximum, you can shoot very accurately, a good weapon for firing over long distances.

The problem was the assault rifle. The assault rifle can be like a sniper gun or used like an SMG, depending on the modification part. Also, in reality, recent Assault rifles can be modified as General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), combat rifles, assault rifles, designated rifles, etc. Even in ND, installing the holographic sight will significantly increase the aiming speed in regular shooting to be very useful within 10 tiles. But if you want to shoot long distances, you'd better shoot with a rifle telescope instead of a holographic sight.

The devlog seems to be getting too long, and I'll continue the rest next time.