Misa Online · published
Greetings, Misa Online adventurers!
We're back with the third installment of our Misa Online Dev Notes series! Thank you for your interest in the previous installments and for all the feedback you've shared with us. We continue to share new details from our development process with you.
In this week's Dev Note, we introduce the Warrior's new movement system and Dash skill, share our work on the Market System, and present Zekharun, the boss you'll face on the desert map, along with the Dragon's Breath Weapon Set.
You'll get a closer look at the Warrior's new skill and the first details of the Market System, and discover Zekharun's design and the visual style of the Dragon's Breath weapons.
Welcome to Misa Online Dev Note #03!
After the Gameplay Trailer (DEMO) we released in July, we received negative feedback about character movement. Taking your comments into account, we rebuilt the character movement system from the ground up.
Our goal was a movement system that feels fluid while also reflecting the weight of the Warrior class. A character carrying a two-handed weapon and heavy armor shouldn't move like the lighter classes.
The Warrior now has two distinct movement sets. Out of combat, with the weapon sheathed on the back, the Warrior moves in a more relaxed stance. Once the weapon is drawn, the Warrior shifts into a combat stance that carries the weight of the two-handed weapon.
We remade the idle and run animations for both stances and added dedicated animations for starting and stopping a run. As a result, the Warrior's weight comes through even when speeding up and slowing down.
We also worked on the weapon grip. Weapon placement is now adjusted individually for each animation, so the Warrior's weapon sits naturally in hand whether running or standing idle.
On top of that, we added a new foot placement system (foot IK). On sloped and uneven terrain, the feet now adjust to the height and angle of the ground they step on.
We're still fine-tuning the movement system. You can share your thoughts on the new movement with us on our Discord.
We designed Dash as a single move with two different uses: a quick tap lets you escape instantly, while holding the key launches you much farther.
Tap: Dash
Press Q once and your character instantly dashes forward. Your movement keys set the direction: while holding W, A, S, or D, you dash in whichever direction you're moving. If you're standing still, you dash in the direction you're facing.
You can dash with your weapon drawn or sheathed. With your weapon drawn, the dash ends in the two-handed combat stance. With it sheathed, your character touches down with a clean landing, without switching into the combat stance.
Hold Q and your character locks in place and starts building up power. A progress bar above your skill bar shows how full the charge is. A full charge takes about two seconds.
Release the key and your character launches forward with all the built-up power. The longer you hold, the farther and faster you go. At full charge, you travel more than twice the distance of a normal dash.
While charging, you can aim with your movement keys or your mouse; whichever you used last takes effect. Your character stays in place throughout the charge, so you can decide where to go before releasing the key.
When Does It Come in Handy?
• Use a quick dash to get out of boss AoE attacks and danger zones marked on the ground.
• Use Impact Dash to close the gap in a single move, whether you're chasing down a fleeing opponent or reaching a distant target.
• Follow up with skills like Breaker the moment your dash ends to turn it into a combo.
• Dive in from a distance with Impact Dash alongside your party and catch your enemies off guard.
• In crowded fights, reposition quickly to avoid getting surrounded.
Hovering over the Dash slot on your skill bar opens a tooltip that also shows the charge time and distance.
We're continuing to work on the Dash system. Distance and timing values may change based on feedback from testing. Feel free to share your thoughts with us.
With the Market System, you can set up your own stall in the village and sell your items to other players. Once your shop is set up, one of the vendors shown in the image takes your place behind the stall, based on your character's gender. Your shop stays open and keeps selling even while you're offline, and you can collect your earnings whenever you like.
Some of the items you list are showcased above your stall. This way, other players can see what you're selling without opening your shop, hover over the showcased items to check their details, and compare them with their own gear. A short description of your shop is also displayed above the stall.
To keep market areas from looking cramped and cluttered, we've set a few rules:
• Shops must be a certain distance apart. Stalls aren't crammed together, so you can move between them freely.
• Shops can't be set up near NPCs or on stairs, so the way to NPC merchants always stays clear.
• Shops can only be set up inside the village, not in the areas outside it.
• Shop names and descriptions are filtered for inappropriate language.
Keeping the game running smoothly in a village with hundreds of shops was a priority for us. Shops are only rendered within a certain distance. As you approach, the stall and vendor appear first; move closer and the showcase and shop details come into view. Shops don't abruptly pop in and out of view; they fade in smoothly.
In our stress tests, we walked around an area with 1,000 shops set up, and the drop in frame rate was barely noticeable.
Stall shops won't be the only kind of market in Misa Online. We'll share details about the Central Market System in the future.
Work on the Market System is ongoing. Once you get to try it in-game, we look forward to hearing your thoughts and suggestions.
A new threat is rising on our desert map: Zekharun. We're designing this boss as an ancient guardian forgotten beneath the sands, with a jackal-headed silhouette, gold-trimmed armor, old cloth wrapped around the body, and a tattered cloak. Zekharun's crescent-shaped weapon gives players a sense of how dangerous this encounter will be at first glance.
Zekharun will spawn on the desert map at specific times. In battle, spells that control the sand will keep players under pressure, while weapon attacks will deal high physical damage. To face this boss, you'll need to be ready for both sand magic and heavy blows.
Work on Zekharun's combat skills is still underway. We'll share more about this new desert threat in upcoming Dev Notes.
Here's a glimpse into the design process of the Dragon's Breath Weapon Set, which we're creating for the Warrior, Drakar, Shaman, and Ninja classes. While designing weapons with distinct shapes to suit each class's playstyle, we aimed to build a shared dragon theme that can be felt across the entire set.
We carried this theme into the weapons' shapes and finer details: forms inspired by dragon heads and horns, scale textures, curved lines, and gold ornamentation. The fan, crystal-tipped staff, bow, daggers, and heavy weapons each have a distinct silhouette. This way, every piece keeps the character of its class while remaining recognizable as part of the same set.
In our modeling and material work, we focused on balancing aged metal, burgundy cloth, and leather surfaces with gleaming gemstone details. We want the weapons to have a strong silhouette from a distance and craftsmanship that rewards a closer look.
The image shows the Dragon's Breath Weapon Set at its current design stage. As we continue to shape the weapons for all four classes, we'll share how this common theme takes on a unique identity in each piece.
In the third installment of Dev Notes, we shared the Warrior's movement system and Dash skill; the Market System; Zekharun, the boss of the desert map; and the Dragon's Breath Weapon Set designed for all four classes. Together, we took a look at our new gameplay work and how these designs are taking shape.
The systems and visuals shown are part of the development process and may change before the final release. Your feedback continues to guide us as we develop Misa Online.
You can learn more about Misa Online through our Steam page and official social media channels. Add the game to your Steam wishlist and follow us so you don't miss any updates.
We'll be back in the next Dev Note with more details from our development process.
Stay tuned. We have much more to show you.
With appreciation,
The Misa Online Development Team