[img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/35639313/050bf035db472dd3b7dab7d505c30310d9e0582a.jpg[/img] Hi everyone! Some astute players have already noticed that Akash has higher than usual minimum specifications for the average otome / visual novel! Well, we thought it best to do a quick breakdown to explain how and why. We set minimum specifications to include discrete graphics cards because Akash is [i]not [/i]your usual visual novel, at least in terms of computer spec—rather than utilize the usual 2D tools / gamebuilders, we opted to use Unity game engine to create 3D Vistas and composite the visuals with a custom oil-paint filter to allow the background to blend better with the digitally painted sprites. The game also uses a separate database system to drive dialogue and story (essentially running a second game-engine in the background). A quick visual breakdown of a scene later in the game might help illustrate this a bit: [b]A look at the wireframe gives a sense of the visual density, since we use a dynamic camera, ALL elements must be laid out in 3D.[/b] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/35639313/fbf43801ae4c9732e62e9ecc549943e2f6fc1e34.png[/img] [b]The texture / material pass, which includes pixel light shaders and particle systems to drive things like fire, smoke, billowing leaves and fog.[/b] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/35639313/7b409c85ddab4719072ba058d6fd249112f61803.png[/img] [b]The final pass, which includes a custom paint shader, designed to give the game a watercolor look, while allowing for better compositing of the digitally painted sprites.[/b] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/35639313/4ac9873b830a9e5ca4d2761d60e1bc2b7141ec4b.jpg[/img] Ultimately, we decided on this approach because we wanted Akash's presentation to be [i]dynamic[/i] and dramatic, with sweeping cameras, animated trees and grass, animated background characters to create spaces which come alive. Additionally, Akash uses UHD content (4K sprites), so that the game can continue to look great on higher definition displays as technology improves. Because of this implementation, Akash has higher demands upon hardware than your average visual novel / otome. We've been careful to position the game as a modern title with demanding specs, and we certainly don’t want you to take the plunge if you’re uncertain your system will be up to the task. We wanted akash to stand out, and the 3D visuals gave us one opportunity to buck the usual expectations of the genre. If you like, you can improve performance on lower end systems by decreasing the resolution and the quality settings—this won’t affect character sprites significantly, however, just the fidelity of the backdrops. As always, thank you for reading, and for your interest in our game! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/35639313/02978c45c194b3059b418a760de01b5edf273698.png[/img]