MORTAL CRUX

Hello Tumblr! My name is Jesse Walker and I'm a solo game dev who's new from Twitter. I'll be using this account to document progress on my upcoming dark fantasy ARPG Mortal Crux. (This vid was a roundup of last year's feature updates, so many visuals shown are very outdated and have been improved/replaced by now. Everything is a WIP. Future posts will be on current updates unless otherwise noted.) About the project: Mortal Crux is an action RPG set in a sprawling medieval world. Alone or with a party up to 4 players, venture from the warmth of your cozy cottage and explore a mysterious frozen land. Take on quests, meet eccentric characters, and survive brutal combat in this homage to ARPGs of the early 2000s. Mortal Crux on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1847180/MORTAL_CRUX/ Interviews with PC Gamer: https://www.pcgamer.com/mortal-crux/ Daily updates on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MortalCrux Gameplay clips on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mortalcrux Updates on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/MortalCrux

Testing a new animated gold pile effect for when coins are dropped. (WIP)

I'd like to do something similar for the vocals of knights wearing full-plate helmets

Working on an in-game cutscene system that can show when your actions make changes somewhere in the environment.

Another bonus is that this is more efficient than the previous system with more shadows that looked worse.

Busy day of tech work that's difficult to show, so here's an old clip for new followers. 🐙

Improved physics force when breaking enemies apart.

Comparison of the 8 cosmetic color options for arcane spells. 🧙‍♀️

Gameplay screenshot with updated lighting.

Following recent optimization efforts, I'm testing some potential horde mechanics that would allow groups of weak enemies to swarm in large numbers.

Pictured: Collision blockout with navmesh overlay. I've received some questions about my approach to level design so here's a behind-the-scenes look! Mortal Crux uses no procedural generation for environments. Every area is crafted with traditional level design, even down to the navigation mesh NPCs use to traverse each individual room. This method produces superior quality for both gameplay and performance compared to automating the process.

What are your favorite fishing minigames? 🎣🤔

Super Mario World was one of the inspirations for this mechanic being added to Mortal Crux!

Thank you to everyone who's wishlisted Mortal Crux on Steam!

Updated my metal shader so plate armor is more reflective in extremely dark environments.

Performance option: Persistent particle trails ON - Trails finish simulating and smoothly dissipate after magic projectiles make impact. OFF - Trails instantly stop rendering the moment magic projectiles make impact.

Spells with the "Arcane" magic type can have their color set for purely cosmetic reasons.