Cheese:
Hello, this is Cheese, currently working on <Ratocalypse>.
In this entry, I’d like to share some of the thoughts and challenges we faced while developing the game’s graphics and visual presentation, along with an overview of the process so far. Although today’s DevDiary mainly focuses on visuals, I’ll also touch on some of the technical aspects involved in bringing them to life.
The Challenge of 2.5D Graphics
Since <Ratocalypse> is a strategy game that also includes auto-battle elements, we believed it was important for players to easily grasp the flow of combat. Much like other SRPGs, we wanted battles to take place on a tile-based map that allows for structured movement. To help players observe the action more clearly, we decided to raise the camera and present the battlefield from a top-down perspective.
At the same time, we wanted to highlight the strengths of our team’s art style. After much discussion, we concluded that a 2.5D graphical approach would be the best way to achieve both clarity and style for this project.
Early concept arts of in-game scenes
However, since our previous titles, <Ratropolis> and <Ratopia>, were both fully 2D games, we had no prior experience developing in 2.5D. At first, we expected 2D and 2.5D to be fairly similar due to their shared art style—but once we actually began development, we realized the differences were far greater than we had imagined, and there was a lot we had to learn from scratch.
To make these differences easier to understand, we’ve organized them into a simple comparison table below.
Though the number is only .5 difference, a lot changes for the development
Even beyond the points listed in the table, there were additional distinctions.
For example, in 2D, rendering layers could easily be managed by simply adjusting the sorting order in the Sprite Renderer—allowing backgrounds, characters, and effects to display cleanly in the right sequence. But in 2.5D, where 2D images exist within a 3D space, we needed to account for the Z-axis and fine-tune the camera settings accordingly. Moreover, while characters still stand as 2D panels, particles must be created to fit within the 3D environment. As mentioned earlier, these were all new challenges that required us to learn and adapt step by step.
Post-processing
For <Ratocalypse>, we’re developing the game using Unity 6. Among the new and improved features in the engine, we wanted to take full advantage of post-processing to enhance the overall visual presentation. However, as we began applying it, we encountered a few unexpected issues along the way.
Post-processing is a technique applied at the final stage of the camera’s rendering pipeline. Because of that, our custom effects and lighting setups occasionally appeared with unintended colors once the post-process was applied. To resolve this, we had to carefully manage our internal setup—separating certain layers into dedicated cameras and fine-tuning how each element was rendered. It required more attention to detail within the project than we initially expected.
Trying to applying all those in a same monitor for better test
As a result, we’re now approaching post-processing with a bit more caution—applying it gradually where it truly enhances the presentation. Our goal is to use it as a tool to amplify the game’s visual expression, rather than relying on it across the board.
This work is still ongoing, but through the process, we’ve come to truly appreciate just how much thought and research must have gone into the many 2.5D games that deliver such impressive visuals.
Tiles
In our previous title, <Ratopia>, we built our tile system entirely from scratch.
For <Ratocalypse>, however, we decided to utilize Unity’s TileAsset feature to handle tile placement. That said, Unity’s built-in TileAsset alone felt a bit limited in terms of expression, so we incorporated RuleTileAsset to refine the tile edges and borders into the shapes we wanted.
During implementation, we spent a great deal of time finding the right design balance—deciding how dense the tiles should be, and how strongly to emphasize the inner and outer lines—so that characters and objects would blend naturally with the ground.
Trying to make it feel natural in any point of view
Lighting Effects and Normal Maps
In many 2.5D games, shadows beneath characters are often rendered as simple oval-shaped images. For <Ratocalypse>, however, we wanted to achieve a more realistic look—so we decided to experiment with Unity’s lighting system instead. By doing so, we were able to generate dynamic shadows that change depending on the light source’s position, resulting in a much more natural sense of depth and volume.
Unlike our previous titles, this approach also posed less concern in terms of performance cost, allowing us to allocate more of the system’s resources to lighting and other graphical effects.
An example image set up for better understanding
To enhance the visual depth even further, we also implemented normal maps for characters and objects. By separately crafting the light-reactive areas within each image, we were able to simulate a 3D-like sense of volume and shading—even within a 2.5D environment.
Process of working on Normal Map system
If used effectively, these systems could open up a lot of creative possibilities. For instance, lighting could be used to limit the player’s field of view and create a more suspenseful, horror-like atmosphere—or to give each dungeon its own unique visual tone by altering the overall color scheme. Important objects could even emit light to subtly draw the player’s attention and guide their movement.
We are currently thinking of emphasizing locational moods using certain colors
The results we achieved so far have been visually impressive and show great potential. However, the main drawback is that this process is quite time-consuming. Applying normal maps to every image in the game would be costly in both development time and resources, while limiting it to only certain assets could lead to inconsistency in the overall sense of depth.
With that in mind, we’re hoping it won’t feel unnatural as we start by applying the system only to key visual elements, and gradually expand its usage over time.
Effects & Particle System
The effects and particle systems also presented some differences compared to our previous 2D projects.
Since the particles now had to exist within a 3D space, we needed to adjust both the effects and particle rendering to properly fit that environment.
Examples of Skill effects using particles
That said, this shift also allowed us to add lighting effects we hadn’t used much before, making the overall presentation feel more vibrant and dynamic. Because the enjoyment of watching battles is an important aspect of <Ratocalypse>, we plan to continue refining our combat visuals—not only through the effects and particle systems, but also by incorporating camera shakes and other impactful presentation techniques.
Closing
That wraps up this DevDiary.
With this project, we’ve been learning and applying many graphical techniques that we hadn’t used in our previous games. And as we continue, we expect new challenges will arise on how to best expand and make use of what we’ve learned.
Thank you for taking the time to read this long entry.
We’ll be back in December with more direct updates on our development progress.
Wishing everyone a wonderful November!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CasselGames/
X: https://x.com/CasselGames
Cheese:
Hello, this is Cheese, currently working on <Ratocalypse>.
In this entry, I’d like to share some of the thoughts and challenges we faced while developing the game’s graphics and visual presentation, along with an overview of the process so far. Although today’s DevDiary mainly focuses on visuals, I’ll also touch on some of the technical aspects involved in bringing them to life.
The Challenge of 2.5D Graphics
Since <Ratocalypse> is a strategy game that also includes auto-battle elements, we believed it was important for players to easily grasp the flow of combat. Much like other SRPGs, we wanted battles to take place on a tile-based map that allows for structured movement. To help players observe the action more clearly, we decided to raise the camera and present the battlefield from a top-down perspective.
At the same time, we wanted to highlight the strengths of our team’s art style. After much discussion, we concluded that a 2.5D graphical approach would be the best way to achieve both clarity and style for this project.
Early concept arts of in-game scenes
However, since our previous titles, <Ratropolis> and <Ratopia>, were both fully 2D games, we had no prior experience developing in 2.5D. At first, we expected 2D and 2.5D to be fairly similar due to their shared art style—but once we actually began development, we realized the differences were far greater than we had imagined, and there was a lot we had to learn from scratch.
To make these differences easier to understand, we’ve organized them into a simple comparison table below.
Though the number is only .5 difference, a lot changes for the development
Even beyond the points listed in the table, there were additional distinctions.
For example, in 2D, rendering layers could easily be managed by simply adjusting the sorting order in the Sprite Renderer—allowing backgrounds, characters, and effects to display cleanly in the right sequence. But in 2.5D, where 2D images exist within a 3D space, we needed to account for the Z-axis and fine-tune the camera settings accordingly. Moreover, while characters still stand as 2D panels, particles must be created to fit within the 3D environment. As mentioned earlier, these were all new challenges that required us to learn and adapt step by step.
Post-processing
For <Ratocalypse>, we’re developing the game using Unity 6. Among the new and improved features in the engine, we wanted to take full advantage of post-processing to enhance the overall visual presentation. However, as we began applying it, we encountered a few unexpected issues along the way.
Post-processing is a technique applied at the final stage of the camera’s rendering pipeline. Because of that, our custom effects and lighting setups occasionally appeared with unintended colors once the post-process was applied. To resolve this, we had to carefully manage our internal setup—separating certain layers into dedicated cameras and fine-tuning how each element was rendered. It required more attention to detail within the project than we initially expected.
Trying to applying all those in a same monitor for better test
As a result, we’re now approaching post-processing with a bit more caution—applying it gradually where it truly enhances the presentation. Our goal is to use it as a tool to amplify the game’s visual expression, rather than relying on it across the board.
This work is still ongoing, but through the process, we’ve come to truly appreciate just how much thought and research must have gone into the many 2.5D games that deliver such impressive visuals.
Tiles
In our previous title, <Ratopia>, we built our tile system entirely from scratch.
For <Ratocalypse>, however, we decided to utilize Unity’s TileAsset feature to handle tile placement. That said, Unity’s built-in TileAsset alone felt a bit limited in terms of expression, so we incorporated RuleTileAsset to refine the tile edges and borders into the shapes we wanted.
During implementation, we spent a great deal of time finding the right design balance—deciding how dense the tiles should be, and how strongly to emphasize the inner and outer lines—so that characters and objects would blend naturally with the ground.
Trying to make it feel natural in any point of view
Lighting Effects and Normal Maps
In many 2.5D games, shadows beneath characters are often rendered as simple oval-shaped images. For <Ratocalypse>, however, we wanted to achieve a more realistic look—so we decided to experiment with Unity’s lighting system instead. By doing so, we were able to generate dynamic shadows that change depending on the light source’s position, resulting in a much more natural sense of depth and volume.
Unlike our previous titles, this approach also posed less concern in terms of performance cost, allowing us to allocate more of the system’s resources to lighting and other graphical effects.
An example image set up for better understanding
To enhance the visual depth even further, we also implemented normal maps for characters and objects. By separately crafting the light-reactive areas within each image, we were able to simulate a 3D-like sense of volume and shading—even within a 2.5D environment.
Process of working on Normal Map system
If used effectively, these systems could open up a lot of creative possibilities. For instance, lighting could be used to limit the player’s field of view and create a more suspenseful, horror-like atmosphere—or to give each dungeon its own unique visual tone by altering the overall color scheme. Important objects could even emit light to subtly draw the player’s attention and guide their movement.
We are currently thinking of emphasizing locational moods using certain colors
The results we achieved so far have been visually impressive and show great potential. However, the main drawback is that this process is quite time-consuming. Applying normal maps to every image in the game would be costly in both development time and resources, while limiting it to only certain assets could lead to inconsistency in the overall sense of depth.
With that in mind, we’re hoping it won’t feel unnatural as we start by applying the system only to key visual elements, and gradually expand its usage over time.
Effects & Particle System
The effects and particle systems also presented some differences compared to our previous 2D projects.
Since the particles now had to exist within a 3D space, we needed to adjust both the effects and particle rendering to properly fit that environment.
Examples of Skill effects using particles
That said, this shift also allowed us to add lighting effects we hadn’t used much before, making the overall presentation feel more vibrant and dynamic. Because the enjoyment of watching battles is an important aspect of <Ratocalypse>, we plan to continue refining our combat visuals—not only through the effects and particle systems, but also by incorporating camera shakes and other impactful presentation techniques.
Closing
That wraps up this DevDiary.
With this project, we’ve been learning and applying many graphical techniques that we hadn’t used in our previous games. And as we continue, we expect new challenges will arise on how to best expand and make use of what we’ve learned.
Thank you for taking the time to read this long entry.
We’ll be back in December with more direct updates on our development progress.
Wishing everyone a wonderful November!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CasselGames/
X: https://x.com/CasselGames