Valmora BTS — Character & Animation Work

Alessio here again!

In the public devlog, we talked about the progress of the Unreal Engine 5.8 update. Here, I want to show you more of the work we are doing on Valmora’s characters and animations.

One of the main challenges is making sure characters continue to look and move correctly with different bodies, clothing, weapons, and gameplay situations.

Even a small change can cause unexpected results: equipment may move out of place, a character may become distorted, or an animation may no longer connect properly with its target.

we are currently adapting combat executions to different weapon types. The scimitar, greatsword, mace, and rapier already have their first animations, while the axe still needs more work.

We are also testing weapon blocking and shield animations.

Animations involving two characters are especially challenging. Both characters need to remain in the correct position throughout the scene, even when their bodies have different proportions.

Some animations have been adjusted, while others were removed because the final result was not good enough. We would rather keep fewer scenes and improve their quality than include animations that do not look right.

The introductory animation is also in development, and we hope to share more once it is ready.

These videos are still work in progress, but we wanted supporters to see what happens before an animation reaches its final version.

Which part would you like to see next: combat, companions, or shared character animations?

Thank you for supporting Valmora!

— Iron Leaf Team