Dev Report, July 2025

Hi Friends!

As usual, here’s a monthly report on the game’s progress. I can’t say July was particularly special, aside from the fact that I spent two weeks battling the flu, which slowed me down a bit. Still, overall development went quite well.

Here’s what I’ve managed to accomplish this month:

Crew Tier Location Rework

I planned some changes in the level design of the first area, and this was a great opportunity to improve its visuals.
A new set of assets was created for the updated location, and from the very first minutes of gameplay, the Sci-Fi atmosphere now feels much stronger, setting the mood more clearly.
The area is still a work in progress, but I can already share some screenshots with you.

Improved Level Design Flow

As I mentioned in the previous Dev Report, I spent a lot of time revisiting the level layouts to create a smoother gameplay flow.
These changes will affect pacing and how the story content is delivered, making the main storyline progress faster and improving navigation.
Some locations remain almost the same, while others will feel completely new.

New Map System

While updating the levels, I realized that the old map system wasn’t optimal for frequent layout changes.
Previously, I had to create map images in an external editor and then import them into the game. Now, the system is fully integrated into UE and allows me to make adjustments quickly.
The new map also tracks the MC’s position and will feature icons for important objects like terminals, showers, and the implant bed.

Shower System Rework

The old shower system worked, but it had major limitations, like needing separate cutscenes for each shower and lacking animation variety.
The new shower is now a single actor containing all animations and improved infection-cleansing logic:

• If Oni’s infection level is high, the shower scene becomes erotic (masturbation), tying into the lore.

• If infection is low, a normal shower animation plays.

• Showers now only remove external spores, leaving internal infection for MedKits or D-TOXn treatment.

I also added a free camera (observer mode) and body highlight feature to check if Oni has fully cleaned herself. Old animations were improved, and new ones were added.

Updated Flashlight (C-Scanner)

Players reported that the original flashlight wasn’t very helpful when exploring COLOS-8.
Now, Oni raises her arm while using the C-Scanner, illuminating the space in front of her.
I spent quite a lot of time creating movement animations for this (walking, running, crouching, with and without a pistol).
I’m still deciding whether to remove the pistol flashlight entirely or make it part of a future weapon upgrade.

Lighting Optimization

I’ve spent a lot of time learning and testing baked lighting, and the first results are promising.
Preliminary tests showed an FPS increase of 25–30%, though I’ll have more precise numbers once all locations are fully updated and tested on a weaker laptop.

Voice Acting

Great news: all character dialogues are now fully voiced by professional actors!
The raw recordings still require mixing, effects, and processing, but you’ll be able to enjoy the results in the next update.

New 2D Art

Several collectible illustrations for cards were completed, and all frames for collectible cards were drawn and refined.

Outside of game development itself, I also handled some organizational tasks like copyright protection and freelancer collaboration to keep the project running smoothly.

Thank you for reading this month’s Dev Report!
Feel free to share your thoughts — your feedback is always inspiring and motivating.

Best regards,
Kodman