August is coming but we continue to work on Redemption The Third Era. We hope many this blog reader are going to enjoy their vacation. Consequently we suspend our publication until August 28.
To accompany your vacation time, or your summer work, we want to share a music playlist that include some songs inspiring us when we work on Redemption The Third Era.
Enjoy! See you on August 28.
Alessio, Andrea, David, Silvia and Stefano.
Now you know all the main races belonging to Redemption The Third Era world and it is time to introduce you to the remaining six Corporations too. They refer to Tamiaras, Salks and Vampires and like the others they have characteristics that make them accessible to elements of other races, except for those regarding the Vampires that are closed and elitist, as well as all everything concerns them. Enjoy yourselves!
G R E E N S H I E L D
Emblem of Green Shield
They are the guardians of the internal borders of Tamiara cities, that is those who repel the possible incursions from the Underforest, the forest layer that remains hidden beneath the aerial walkways of the various villages. They also ensure the forest and its inhabitants health, they prefer the use of the melee weapons made of gata. They are skilled in combat both with weapons and with the powers resulting from radiation and they can blend in with all surrounding them. Their amazing agility enables them to make rapid and elusive movements that makes them dreadful and dangerous opponents, especially if taken within their habitat.
A R I I N
Emblem of Ariin
They watch on the outer boundaries of the forest and they are the most lethal sharpshooters among the Tamiaras. They build weapons with their own hands, preferring bows and crossbows, but also the use of slings, blowpipes with poison darts and sharp boomerangs is widespread. Obviously everything is made of gata. The symbiosis with the surrounding nature allows them to hit anything that moves through the trees. Their skill in the building of throwing weapons has reached a so high levels that these can beat in range and accuracy any other weapon of the same type.
A R K A L
Emblem of Arkal
They are a notorious group of Salk mercenaries. Their skills make them suited to solve a variety of situations, and they can be hired by the highest bidder. Their strength isn’t the loyalty toward the occasional ‘boss’, but rather their near certainty to complete every job … one way or another. The years within one of the Salk Academies, and after those of training, transform them into lethal enemies both in the physical and mental fighting, and the multiple skills make them chameleonthic and valid for every type of mission.
M E R C H A N T S O F T H E S U N
Emblem of Merchants of the Sun
Huggling is only one of the arts in which the Salks excel and almost always it is an innate talent, but their real strength is to be citizens of the world in all respects. The Merchants of the Sun, following this principle, include in their ranks anyone have proved himself worthy without racial boundaries. Experienced travelers, scientists of the cultures and traditions of all other races, they are able to mediate in any kind of negotiation in order to widen the profit margin for themselves and for their people. They are trained in physical and mental combat and they are able to adapt to all weather conditions in order to conclude a very good deal.
T E R S I R
Emblema Tersir
They are an elite group of vampires that is devoted to protecting the insulation. They watch on their cities and suburbs to identify and eliminate any kind of infiltration coming from other races. Lilian, the capital of the vampiric regions, and other cities are treasure chests filled with old artworks that constantly attract daredevils looking for big gains, but if you come face to face with a Tersir, harldy you could tell it. They fully represent the spirit elite of their own people and all their skills, both physical and mental, is devoted to the suppression of each non-vampire.
L I L I A N A ‘ S B L O O D L I N E
Emblem of Liliana’s Bloodline
Thanks to the training, targeted treatments that decrease the need for blood and the use of artifices as contact lenses and makeup, this group of spies is specialized in blending among other races under the guise of humans for longer periods of time than a common vampire. They studythe habits and traditions of other peoples to understand their weaknesses and to exploit them to their advantage when the opportunity arises. Trained in the techniques of seduction, they can become lethal killers and their methods to get information are nearly always infallible. Notorious, feared by non-vampires and respected by their blood brothers, they represent the most dangerous matter you can find around the vast world, which is shrouded in darkness or not.
This week we conclude the overview of the races belonging to the Redemption The Third Era, talking about the most dark, theatrical and elitist people of our world, the Vampires.
Emblem of Vampires
Vampires live in the cold and dark Earth’s climate zone, on the edge of the glaciers covering most of the southern hemisphere. In the decades after the Catastrophe, during which their race was forged, they were forced to live as predators in order to deal with a very serious anemia caused by radiations. They consuming massive amounts of raw meat that to date sees them mark by other races like bloodthirsty ‘beasts’, that’s an idea each vampire tends to encourage despite their eating habits have been gradually refined.
All of this has left indelible signs on their bodies. They have emaciated bodies, pale and heat-sensitive skin, that is subject to sunburns. The eyes, often rimmed by purple shades, look shiny black due to a constantly expanded and larger than normal pupil, that allowed them to safely and quickly move in the eternal dark. Irises, almost completely missing, are very pale both to allow greater sensitivity to the feeble flashes of light and to further improve the night vision. Lips, having a characteristic bright red, are the only hint of liveliness on their marble faces and they usually have black and shiny hair.
In spite of what is appearance, the blood, that is their ally and source of life, provides them strength, speed and a temper that would not seem to belong to them. They can alter their blood flow and metabolism to improve their performances by increasing strength, speed and endurance. They may use the Powers of Blood to also alter their facial features and to secure a stronger bit, in fact the mouth, apparently similar to that of the other humanoid races of the Third Era, is actually equipped with dental arches, each provided with twenty slightly sharp teeth with sharp edges. Under the influence of the blood they can distort their faces and make both mandible and maxilla much more pronounced in order to sink into the victims’ flesh and to achieve, with speed and accuracy, the major blood vessels.
The brotherhood uniting them is something transcendental. Their way of securing life for themselves by drinking blood from the victims, makes them foreign to all the other races and therefore this isolates them. Closed within their matriarchal society, they are introverted and suspicious, they feel anger and resentment against those who aren’t vampire, translating these feelings in a sense of superiority that elevates them above everything and everyone. They consider themselves the only race worthy to dominate and the survival, of both themselves and their own race, it is the only thing that matters.
They love theatricality and theirs their parallelism between their way of life and the one of the notorious ‘vampires’ of horror stories of the Old World, for which they deliberately name. The myth of Lilith, with all its facets and dating back to the First Era of the world, is the cornerstone of their society. They are fascinated by the mysticism that include her as the first female vampire, in charge their race there is Liliana The First, The Lady of the Vampires from which even their Capital is named: Lilian. Regardless of the flow of time, someone like Liliana has always been and will be in charge of the vampire forces.
Lilian, the capital, is a jewel of the past that came back to life and that cuddle all its inhabitants with elegant avenues and Victorian squares that glow in the dark, cloaked by the violet light of the street lamps. The Keel, a perennial mass of dark and stormy clouds, covers the skies of their region as a protective mother with their puppies, cradling vampires and filling every foreigner’s heart with awe and anxiety.
They became skilled in the manufacture of weapons with blades made using obsidian, a volcanic glass they find at the edge of their territory and that, treated with radiations, they make very hard and durable. The same material is also used for building restores in their cities. Firearms and all they need, which cannot be found within their borders, are purchased through secret trades with Salks and smuggling.
They prefer warm clothing that can protect from the wind like biker leathers, coats, furs and leather jackets. Perfectly identified with the vampires of fantasy stories, they prefer theatrically dark colors and gothic lines. In their voyages far from the darkness of their lands, they always come with sunglasses having black lenses, that provide shelter from the discomforts of excessively bright light and they hide the very black eyes so they can interact with other races under the guise of Humans.
Vampires are used to exchange a greeting that is hoping for the best only for the members of their own race, while it has a sinister and gloomy meaning if it’s aimed at anyone ‘May the Keel always overhang you’, needless to say, this make every vampire amused and proud.
Vampire Character
At this point, it is time we reveal to you the penultimate race of those compounding, at least initially, the set of playable races of Redemption – The Third Era, the eccentric and eclectic Salks.
Emblem of Salk
Usually Salks are considered some of the most beautiful creatures that populate the Third Era. Their long-limbed and slender bodies are due to the drought and privations of their homeland: the open and scorching desert. The black skin becomes colored of bluish reflections under the rays of the persistent sun and the lips, often thin, are blue. The hair, going from black to platinum blonde, frame their delicate-featured faces and their pale eyes have a lengthened form. If necessary, a thin white membrane may lower to veil iris and pupil in order to shield the eye from the blinding light, so making it brilliant.
The Salks are globally recognized also as the best merchants ever. The strong business sense and easy profit leads them to be open, jovial and willing to all other races, but what they generally are led to believe is that no one can be put at their level, though, for business, this is something they never let to be known. The reputation of being great merchants tag them as careerists, opportunists and pimps. It’s generally accepted that the magnificence of Suntears, the capital, is useful only to hide the corruption that lies in the few, but very deep shadows of the city.
Odds, lovers of beauty and excess, the Salks have built their cities to amaze and fascinate, they like the desert around them and unlikely they will be able to find around any place that, according to their way of seeing things, can compete in beauty with it.
They have an aptitude mostly for the study of mental disciplines even if who does physical training a way of life, often achieves very good results.
They are masters in handling and blowing glass they use to adorn the houses with colored windows and other glass art, to create jewelry and necklaces and also to build different types of tools. The use of glass that makes them the most famous and respected is however the one for the realization of the splendid and deadly Vitrified Blades. Through sophisticated manufacturing techniques of the sand, the blades of the weapons assume slightly wavy shapes and cutting edges that never lose sharpening and their resistance is higher than that of the most common metallic alloys. Their color ranges from light blue to blue and they maintain an opalescent transparency. They succeed in vitrifying each type of hand to hand weapon, keeping in metal several components such as pommel, handle, hilt and then combining them to vitrified blades.
Their clothes are light and colorful. Regardless of gender, they love makeup on their faces and dyed hair. Males use dyes even for beards they often leave grow in elaborate sculptures. They love jewelry and anything is flashy and shiny, often sacrificing a more refined elegance.
Yellow and blue, paints presents in the emblem of Suntears, are among the favorite colors from the entire race and they are also used to paint the numerous adornemnt and decorations that spruce up the streets and buildings of each city.
Just like the Humans, the Salks are present almost everywhere. Their movements are due to the commerce and to their continuous looking for relics related to the Old Era, that can yield several caps on the market. Furthermore, in each capital or major city of the Third Era, there is a branch of the Congregation of the Independent Travelers, sorting centers managed by psychokinetic Salks that, thanks to their powers, using big crystals of awrmis and for generous remuneration, are specialized in beaming goods and passengers all over the world within a few minutes. The only exception is Lilian, the capital of the Vampires where access is denied to any stranger, and where the Congregation of the Independent Travelers set up a branch at the edge of the suburbs.
According to the popular saying ‘Not all merchants are Salk, but all Salks are merchants’, that is true or not, nevertheless this is the sight that other races have of them.
Salk Character
This week we will talk about the Graphic User Interface (GUI), namely about the graphics that players will have mainly to deal, about its evolutions and some of its characteristics.
In wider terms, for creating the GUI we are using a system that could result pleasing (to the eye), but always considering that “beauty and functionality” must be the two spirits whose GUI has to consist of.
Because of our pop and cultural references for the game realization, and with the post-apocalyptic setting of “Redemption – The Third Era” world that has a deviant technology if compared to contemporary historical course, we decided to think in these terms for the design and realization of our GUI.
Basically, the game graphics mean to do a representation, even if partial, of our Setting. Also for this reason the various game screenshots are a representation of some parts of it, such as the racial cities. Our goal is to allow the player to breathe the Setting through the common use of the graphical interface.
The frame and the backdrop, the latter consisting both of bricks and of various racial representations, are the basic scheme in which we decided to move for creating our GUI. While keeping the style set on these specifications, however we decided to give a more complex variety to the game trying to change the furnishings depending on the functional needs and making them instantly recognizable according to the scope.
Deck Builder Sample
Market Sample
Empty Home sample
The motion is one of the main aspects we focused on, because it’s the means needed for the graphical interface to achieve credibility. However, we soon realized how the continuous movement can, in the long run, become boring for the players, especially if the same animation is repeated too many times. This led us to show the scenes comprehensive of movement only in the first time they are called for each rendering. In further uses these scenes are shown in their final version, thus avoiding excessive redundancies. On the other hand, other movements are necessary to space out the various aspects of the game, such as the overall view of a group of cards and the view of a single of these cards. Also these animations are thought to have a graphic impact resulting at once both pleasant and fast. The existing structures were instead designed to be adherent to the art of the possible: each structure is something that has been obtained by recovering waste material. The necessary parts were then subtracted or added to the main structure in order to achieve the desired effects.