Knight's Ascend - Medieval Idle Arena - Simulation

Upgrade your buildings.
Fight other knights.
Explore the city.
Trade resources with other players.
Upgrade your character.
Train and improve.
Choose your abilities.
Choose your weapon.
Uncover secrets.
Knights Ascend - Medieval Idle Arena

Inspiration

I've spent countless hours playing World of Warcraft, Teamfight Tactics and Shakes and Fidget. I certainly have a weak spot for Medieval-Fantasy and Auto-Battlers.

With Knight's Ascend, I set out to create a game that captures that balance between something you can dive into and also casually check while commuting or just taking a break.

What it does

Knight's Ascend is a Medieval Idle Arena:

You upgrade your character by investing in your stats and gathering experience.
Every minute, a bell tolls, and all your buildings generate resources based on their level.
Resources can be spent improving your buildings, upgrading your character or traded with other players via the marketplace.
PvE Arena: you fight against opponents of increasing level and strength - but your reward becomes greater as well.
PvP Arena: Challenge other players and collect honorable victories. (Both of you have to be of comparable level)
Raid Arena: Join forces with other players. All of you try to take on as many enemies as possible. If one of you is defeated the next one takes over. Once there are none of you left undefeated, the raid ends. You all gain rewards based on the number of defeated enemies and your level.
Works on Mobile, Web, and VR.

How we built it

It started out by researching popular Meta Horizon Worlds and experimenting with the Meta Horizon Desktop Editor, while getting a hang of the API. After working my way through the example worlds, I started ideating on what kind of experience I could feasibly create. First were the idle mechanics and afterwards the combat mechanics. While constantly iterating on them, I used my findings to think of new ideas that would enhance the experience.

Challenges we ran into

One of the major challenges was creating a visually appealing 3D environment, since my background is in programming and game design.

Thankfully, I was able to make use of an asset pack I had previously purchased, created by the artist Kay Lousberg, which helped bring consistency and polish to the visuals.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I really like how much there is for the limited time that went into it. I think it's a solid foundation for further iterations, so it can feel like an evolving experience. Maybe the next time you join, the construction site will have already been replaced by a new building and feature. I also like how the environment came together, small things made a huge difference, like the rotating sail of the windmill or adding a fire to the blacksmith.

What we learned

There was a lot to learn during this project, as this was only my second project made with TypeScript and my first Meta Horizon World. Luckily I was able to transfer a lot of my previous knowledge to the Meta Horizon framework. I certainly got more confident in using TypeScript and by the end felt familiar with the Horizon API, so creating the next world should be much easier.

What's next for Knight's Ascend

I would love to add more weapons and abilities for further gameplay depth. The current version of those acts as a proof of concept, but time was the main constraint here. I could envision a later version with classes and more character customizations, where the weapons are unlocked after completing certain tasks or obtaining them as loot. Wearables should also be added for both the players and their combat representation.

I also like the idea of connecting multiple worlds to create an MMORPG-like experience.

The visuals definitely need more attention - everything from proper combat animations to a complete UI overhaul. To achieve that, it would be best to collaborate with other game developers and creators, especially those with a strong artistic background.