Alexandraus

dx12 is not supported on your System

Hey everyone!

Just a quick heads up about a pesky bug that's been popping up in versions 9/25/2023 and beyond. Some of you might have encountered an annoying "dx12 is not supported on your System..." message, leading to an immediate crash.

After some brainstorming with Indominus9716 (thanks, buddy!), we discovered that the demo is attempting to force the use of a secondary GPU internally, and failing. This is causing trouble because most users don't have a seconda...

Behind the Scenes: A Deeper Dive into Gameplay

Hey folks,

I wanted to share some more details about a gameplay element that I've been eager to implement from the get-go. It's an idea I stumbled upon in a game called Corta's Platformer, and it caught my attention. You can check out that game here: Corta's Platformer.

So, what's this all about? Well, in a nutshell, it's about the main character embarking on a peril...

Behind the Scenes: GPU-Grilling Adventures

Hey folks,

Just dropping in with a quick update on the latest happenings in our prototype project. Lately, I've been diving into the world of Foliage and Landscape techniques, which is pretty new territory for me in UE5. It's been a learning curve, to say the least.

I've been tinkering with these features to enhance the visual experience, but I'll be straight with you – they're pretty darn resource-intensive. Your PC needs to pack a bit of muscle to handle these goodies in all t...

Quick announcement

Hey everyone!

We've got some news to share regarding the future of the game project. We'll be publishing two different builds that are closely tied to our development progress. Here's what you can expect:

Nightly Build:

For those of you who have been following us for the past half year, you're familiar with Nightly builds. These versions are specifically designed for testing new features and squashing bugs. They are simplified, non-playable, and usually comp...

Nightly build 05/26/2023

Hey all,

We've got a fresh nightly build to share with some nice updates to the dialogue system.

[MEGA] https://mega.nz/file/8olmEBYS#R-5U5g6RSdbixLAYj4-ySJzNdttzNE65Ksy7Vh551dE

• First off, you can now switch between dialogues safely using the 'C' key. Go ahead, spawn in some characters and start up some conversations then try swapping between them. This...
  2023-05-26 12:56:11 +0000 UTC View Post

Nightly build 05/03/2023

Hello everyone! :)

[MEGA] https://mega.nz/file/1t1DBYCK#WM2c4IvP4uyxuYkzuyMBGM2AntbMvO-ZIheKdKfNisI

Just wanted to share a quick update on the progress from the previous build.
Check out this video example: https://twitter.com/ProjectHerald/status/1653533394515423241 2023-05-02 22:33:24 +0000 UTC View Post

Nightly build 04/28/2023

Hello Everyone! :)

[MEGA] https://mega.nz/file/hod3Ub4b#tEP78NP-8NvBhkjNpRMASps2zuuDqFsUYriGTQb1vpA

As promised, we integrated dialogues into the game's ability system. Now Dialogues can be disabled in case if Player is sleeping, falling, using a ladders or already in other dialogue. This should make the overall experience much smoother.

We also implemented a d...

Nightly build 04/12/2023

Hey guys,

[MEGA] https://mega.nz/file/4x8SWIhZ#3DckIcrx1QrHWN8Nl7Ao-RBL1Bc4mL1R5OCto6g8O8A

We have made some substantial improvements to our dialogue system. This build includes:

• A refactored dialogue script class. The dialogue scripts are now in a much better shape and more readable.
• An implementation of our first gameplay variables. These variab...
  2023-04-12 14:23:03 +0000 UTC View Post

Story - BEYOND FRIENDSHIP

Hey everyone,

I've been working on some major improvements to my dialogue systems recently which have taken up most of my time and energy. I wanted to share a bit of the progress we making behind the scenes, even if the changes aren't visible yet.

In the meantime, we put together a short side story set in the same universe as "Herald" series. It uncovers a bit more of the friendship between the lizardman character and Jasmine. I hope you'll find glimpses of their history and bond ...

Nightly build 03/05/2023

Hello Everyone! :)

[MEGA] https://mega.nz/file/gpNAQJYI#ak1CdTVcp5eNhfariZRycj-vLKBVDY-OhdCncbjtNBg

This update completes the idea that we began in previous nightly builds. If you remember, every action - be it walking, running, jumping, swimming, or using the ladder - will consume stamina, eventually leading your character to a sleeping state. This is meant to make y...

Nightly build 02/10/2023

Hey all!

A new test build now includes Inverse Kinematics (IK) implementation for every paired animation. This might look like a small update, but let us tell you, there was a ton of work behind the scenes to get this done. We had to redesign some important parts of the prototype and it was a real challenge, but we're confident it will be worth it in the end.

[MEGA] https...

Nightly build 01/31/2023

Dear Patrons,

This is an updated version of test build, which we would like you to try. It includes the same features as the previous one, but with a significant change in how actions are controlled under hood. We finished to replace the previously programming with gameplay abilities, which allows us to separate game states and switch them easily based on the situation.

[MEGA] 2023-01-31 17:13:36 +0000 UTC View Post

Nightly build 01/16/2023

Dear Patrons,

We are releasing a new nightly build with a sleeping feature that will be a part of the gameplay for the Herald game. The idea is to force characters to sleep once their stamina is depleted. Stamina will be consumed by various actions such as moving, jumping, running, attacking, swimming, using ladders, during sexual encounters, and other skills. The player's task is to keep this in mind and plan their actions accordingly. There will be several ways to restore stamina and ...

Screenplay script - THE CALL OF THE MOON

Hi guys,

I am sharing a second screenplay script which takes place in Chapter 2 of the "Herald" game.

(!!!) Please be aware that this script includes 18+ content such as forced orgasm, and other explicit themes. If you have experienced similar situations in real life, please avoid this script as it may potentially be triggering. (!!!)

https:...

Nightly build 12/28/2022

Dear Patrons,

We have recently had a conversation with Anthony Harvey (please check comments in previous post) about the possibility of releasing a "nightly builds" of the prototype for those interested in viewing out the latest developments. These builds are intended for internal use and are not meant to be considered as playable versions of the prototype, rather a sandbox to test unfinished/upcoming features on a different systems.

I prepared two builds for download:

2022-12-28 01:13:28 +0000 UTC View Post

Screenplay script, Jasmine vs Lizardman

Dear patrons,

I am sharing a screenplay script for a Quest in Chapter 2 of the "Herald" game.

(!!!) Please be aware that this script includes 18+ content such as kidnapping, forced orgasm, and other explicit themes. If you have experienced similar situations in real life, please avoid this script as it may potentially be triggering. (!!!)

Please note that the script includes a summary, which I recommend skipping as it is very spoilery. Look for the "Show script" just below t...

[Herald] Development stage

Hello guys!

Long time no report. That's what we did during this period:

1. Motion Matching (MM) has been implemented. This took longer than expected as we had to switch to another plugin that was more reliable and flexible to use. We will use MM only with the main characters. NPCs such as mob agents will use a very simple State Machine.

2. Lizardman has received additional movement animations. Now his movements when walking look much better. 2022-10-31 17:13:03 +0000 UTC View Post

[Herald] Development stage. Sewerage is back!

Hello guys,

Preview video https://twitter.com/ProjectHerald/status/1544636261696212996

Project status:

• The Sewers Level is back on track. Looks very good with Lumen, but needs further optimization for low-end cards. 
• Lizard Man got physics on his tail, penis and scrotum. Also, in some cases, the tail gets...
  2022-07-06 11:18:20 +0000 UTC View Post

[Herald] Development stage. UI, Motion Matching, animations for Lizardman

Hello guys,

In project video https://twitter.com/ProjectHerald/status/1536375822159847426

Project status:

• Character selection UI. The graphical UI is exemplary and may change later. This was done mainly for the convenience of the player.
• Locomotion animations for Lizardman. Currently only walking. But we are p...
  2022-06-13 16:37:37 +0000 UTC View Post

[Herald] Development stage, Unreal Engine 5

Hello guys,

Project status:
The project has officially moved to UE5. Unfortunately, not without technical problems, which is generally expected. However, this transition was very important for further development, and since the project is in the prototype stage, this can be done relatively painlessly.

Adaptation to the brand new environment of the engine will take time due to the learning curve.

What to expect next
I will not...

Lizard man and girl (2560x1080, sound)

Second video with sound. Length 2:04. Voiced by @TheHornsRoar and @PleasedByViolet.

(with music) https://mega.nz/file/VpdGVboZ#xonN5Iwhh-EUu3pXqRn8zjgpHD8-WOKanfFvRhdDaIM
(no music) 2022-03-26 17:02:01 +0000 UTC View Post

Stalker, lizard man and girl (2560x1080, sound)

Hi folks,

As promised, (same) video (but now) with sound. Length 1:36. Refactored and directed by me. Voiced by @IRecshun and @_PixieWillow. Similar VO is expected in the game project.

(no dialogue) https://mega.nz/file/Yh0hTCrZ#3aA...

[Herald] Development stage

Hello guys, 

Just to keep you updated on the state of Herald's development.

What I am going to release this month:

1) A new video that I haven't shown yet. With sound and fully voiced.  2:00 mins
2) Previously shown video, but now also with sound and voice acting.  1:36 mins

There are several tasks that I am currently working on in parallel:

1) "Facial capture" workflow implementation with a new equipment
2) ...

Stalker, girl (2560x1080, preg, no preg, sound)

This video was originally created for patron, but unfortunately it was without a sound. I decided to add sound effects to enhance the immersion and make it as close to the lore as possible.
Put on your headphones on!

Two variations available:
- no pregnant
- pregnant, filled with liquid, eggs, or whatever your imagination desires :D

(no preg) ...

Stalker, lizard man and girl (2560x1080, no sound)

Hello guys,

You asked - I did. As discussed - the same position, but with a girl licked by the lizard man. :) 

Three clips were rendered. I would recommend downloading all three versions, if you don't like one, you'll probably take the other one.

(short) https://mega.nz/file/s8EmCRSJ#5LUXrFzIYfh0m59ygHzii2xhY4aM8xhCkaZAIv_HIso 

(extended) 2022-01-28 00:04:13 +0000 UTC View Post

Animation Preview (2560x1080 no sound) (1/18/2021)

Hello guys,

Tentacle rig development is slow as hell. But it's worth it, thanks to procedural animation, the whole process takes a matter of hours. It takes another working day to fine-tune the animation. On this video I spent about four days from scratch to the final render.

We now have three characters to experiment with. I will try to make more animations with different poses before the end of the month. You can also share your ideas in the comments.

[MEGA] 2022-01-17 22:35:32 +0000 UTC View Post

[Blender] Stalker model, early access

Hi guys! :)

This is a stalker - an underground beast. You will meet him very soon in the Herald Ch1.

In the meantime, sharing a Blender model in case you want to play with it a little. Some features are still missing, will add them over time.

[MEGA] https://mega.nz/file/I5MRzQxJ#pmO0EeprFmhn3Dz_4xKU9sWUZi27lLpeHHCNfJLmk1M 

PS. Ugh.. Still waiting for e...

[Herald] Underground beast

Sorry for late report guys.

While I'm waiting for the equipment, I'm working on something new at the same time so you can play with it.

These tentacles are a real nightmare to code in Python. But in the end, it's worth it. 

Face capture tools

Hello guys,

As mentioned, I am currently working on a face capture. We have a few tools in a list that will be used in the overall workflow.

As a starting point both Avatary AutoFace and Metahuman will be used for creating the blendshapes and then after a month will continue to use Faceit in Blender. It were chosen all three, because unfortunately each of these tools has its own drawbacks.

To drive blenshapes will use ARKit by Apple and Omniverse Audio2Face by nVidia.

...

[Herald] Public Build 10/31/2021

[MEGA]

https://mega.nz/file/lh1BAKwL#GKfSd91kGUzTvjpSbruRn-L5_od-HaYMFNEnTGLnyAk 

[THIS BUILD]

• Two new animations. October was mainly spent on developing a Hunter (stalker) creature: design, sculpting in Zbrush, retopology and rigging.

[NEXT BUILD and ETA]

The next bu...