Category Archives: Style and Art

Kartuga Dev Letter, no. 2

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Fellow pirates!

Here comes the second edition of our Kartuga Dev Letter! About three months after the first one, we would like to take the opportunity to once again address the fast growing Kartuga crowd to share our plans regarding current and future development.

We’ve surely come a long way since March, and many issues we promised to address in the last letter have been tackled:

  • Matchmaking has improved quite a bit, due to changes to the system, and the much needed increase of player numbers
  • A full-blown options menu and customizable controls have been implemented
  • The ongoing work on the servers’ stability has already yielded results, but we are aware that there’s still room for improvement
  • As you may have noticed, we have included test versions of the Domination maps to gather your feedback regarding which version you like better – feel free to still provide us with your feedback!

We are very happy about now being able to offer more language versions, and about being able to admit more and more players to the game. Of course we’ve also been monitoring the server performance in order to ensure smooth gameplay for the constantly increasing player numbers – we are aware that there are some problems at the moment, and we will make sure to fix them as soon as possible.

Current Development

Besides continuing to work on the issues already addressed, we are also working on some things that have been suggested by players – we’re always grateful for your suggestions, ideas, and your criticism. PvP is a cornerstone of Kartuga, and we are striving to continuously improve it in order to be able to provide a great multiplayer experience. Currently, these new features are what keeps us busy:

  • AFK (away-from-keyboard) detection: nobody likes players who join a match and then don’t play to only harvest the gold; this is why we’re working on implementing an AFK detection mechanism that will prevent matches with players who do not confirm that they’re ready eventually kick players who do not actively play, and lets a queued player join instead
  • Rankings: when playing with friends, comparing yourself to their performance is always fun – this is why we’re working on a feature to instantly show your ranking next to those of your pals!
  • A new map for Domination is in the making – check out this first draft!
Kartuga - New Domination Map

Check out this new Domination map, which is currently in development!

Minimap of the new Kartuga Domination map

Check out the minimap of the new Kartuga Domination map!

An Outlook on the Future

One thing we will definitely work on is the redesign of the towers: we want to make them look even more beautiful. Furthermore, the new look will make them more distinguishable, providing you with a better user experience because you’ll immediately see what kind of tower you’re dealing with.

Concept Art of the new tower models in Kartuga

This is a first draft of what the different towers might look like in the future

Of course we will also continue to work on the client’s stability and performance, and we’re constantly in contact with the guys over at Unity.

Finally, we’d like to improve the visual feedback regarding your level progress by showing what your new level unlocked: what items are now available, and what other nifty stuff can you now get? Of course you’d want to see what your new level unlocks!

We are working hard to improve the game, and would like to thank you for playing and for continuing to provide your feedback!

Sincerely,

The Kartuga Developers

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Feel free to discuss about this letter at the Kartuga forum!

Between realism and fantasy – the Design of Kartuga

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A computer game is a very complex thing with many different parts. Starting with a general idea of what kind of game it should be, the game designer thinks about what could be fun and what not. After many discussions, ideas and preparations, the programmers will create the first playable version of the game. They are the guys who write the code and make sure that there are no bugs which would destroy all the fun. Sound designers create the background music as well as the sound effects with the goal of an appealing atmosphere.

For me, the graphic design of a game is the most important thing, though. The game could be really good on the programming side and could have an awesome sound, but when the graphic is bad, I won´t play longer than a few minutes. That´s why I am so happy with Kartuga´s great and piraty graphic design. Our designers wanted a style between realism and fantasy. They wanted Kartuga to be a world which is absolutely plausible in itself, but the players should also be able to explore mysterious places and beautiful paradises.

The guys did indeed a great job with this, as you can see in the area trailer, for example:

With every game start, the slightly caricatured look, the bright colors and nice textures let me sink into another world. Besides that, our graphic guys were able to integrate many different graphical facets into the worlds of Kartuga. Because of the great design, I always know if I am in the oriental waters of the Empire of the Sun or shipping through mysterious Kartu. I am still fascinated by the beautiful world and sometimes I lose myself in dreams of the beautiful beaches…

Kartuga: Raiders of the Lost Treasure

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Regardless if you rather duel in heated PvP matches or like to do missions for NPCs, our pirate action game Kartuga offers both. You probably have realized by now, that some of the quests are quickly finished, and invite you to try out some of your skills, while others are longer and turn out to be part of a larger story. Those main quests; or story quests, will lead you through the five large PVE areas of Kartuga. Passing remote islands and beautiful beaches, aspiring pirates shouldn’t lose focus for their goal: The lost treasure chest of Kartuga!

According to rumor, it contains a mysterious item, which might stir the balance of power on the oceans. But be warned: searching for the treasure won’t be without danger. On several occasions, you will get caught in the crossfire between enemy factions. The Ithosian Trade League, the Empire of the Sun and Kartu Qucha are trying to get their hands on the powerful treasure. On your travels you follow the tracks of infamous pirate John Greybeard, last known owner of the chest. Further and further you’ll sail, meeting new allies and foes, experiencing wild sea battles, power struggles and vicious treason. During your wild hunt over the oceans you’ll encounter powerful elite enemies, like Robert the bloody or Gondom the Shipwrecker. In order to defeat them, the right tactic and lots of skill are vital. So, better pack lots of ammunition, equip your finest cannons, and get ready for treasure hunting!

In this Video we show you how the quest system of Kartuga works and fight against one of the elite enemies:

Do you like small and agile or heavy and powerful? The ship types of Kartuga!

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As a Hamburg based browser games developer, we have really a special relationship to water and ships. With one of the largest harbors in the world directly next to our headquarters, I pass a lot of different ship types on my way to work. Some of them are really small but able to sail even the smallest canals, others are huge and need a lot of space even to turn. This aspect was now included in our action MMOG Kartuga:

Today, we announced that in addition to the three ship classes’, protector, engineer and destroyer, there are also three variations of these types of ships included in the game: light, medium and large. Depending on the chosen categories, ship properties differ vastly from each other, so you really need to think carefully about your choice. Here you can see a video which introduces the three types:

Traditionally, I like playing big and powerful units. But thinking about that, speed and agility might be a great advantage on sea, so I have to think about my choice again…

One of the coolest things is that our team included nearly 40 completely fresh ship layouts into Kartuga – goodbye boredom! In addition to that, the ship types also differ visually from each other. Therefore, I’m able to see at first glance which type is attacking me and if escape might be necessary…

To unpathed Waters, undreamed shores – The fantastic Worlds of Kartuga

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Scenic Coastlines, magnificent temple cities or mysterious jungle worlds. Those areas and more await you in the world of Kartuga. While our development team fiercely continues to prepare the game for Closed Beta (which we’ll start as fast as we can, promise!), I’d like to present you with the various kingdoms of Kartuga in our Area-Trailer: Ithosia, the “Empire of the Sun” and Kartu.

The waters of Ithosia bear strong reference to the Mediterranean. Dreamy fishing villages alternate with sandy beaches – but don’t get fooled by the beautiful scenery: Dangerous pirates and other scum are always close by, ready to attack.

The Empire of the Sun, on the other hand, introduces you to a world reminiscent of the orient. Followed by a merciless sun you’ll sail past dreamy locations inspired by Arabian Nights: marvelous palaces and radiant cities.

The kingdom of Kartu, finally, derives its visual style from mayan culture. Lush jungles, volcanoes and monstrous temple cities dominate the area. Your enemies use small coves and muddy rivers for sudden ambushes. Remember to keep your eyes wide open if you don’t want to end on the bottom of the emerald seas.

As you can see, Kartuga is far from being a typical pirate game, and will have various unique worlds for you to discover. don’t’ forget to pre-register for Closed Beta!

Hope to see you soon!

The Style of Kartuga

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Our graphic artists have been extremely productive recently. They have created some great artwork which perfectly shows off the style of the game. There is actually a lot to discuss about this topic, because in Kartuga there are three regions, each with an individual look. They are called Ithosian, Imperial und Kartugian. Today, we proudly release the first two pieces of art which show the Ithosian and Kartugian regions.

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