🔧 Devlog #1 – June 1, 2025
- ✅ Simple player movement system implemented
📌 Devlog Table of Contents
📅 Full List – Date by Date ▼
🔬 Testing & Learning (Devlogs 1-7) ▼
⚙️ Core Systems (Devlogs 8-13) ▼
🔫⚔️ Enemies & Combat (Devlogs 14-xx) ▼
⭐ Key Milestones ▼
🗺️ Development Roadmap ▼
🛠️
Devlog #16 (Coming Soon)
🦿 Devlog #2 – June 2, 2025
- ✅ More advanced movement system, prototype lighting implemented, upgraded test area
🎮✨ Devlog #3 – June 7, 2025
- ✅ Testing placeholder models and animations, advancing a more sophisticated movement system, and implementing basic sound effects. In this phase, we focus on evaluating temporary character models and animations to refine their smoothness and consistency. At the same time, we develop a more advanced movement system that enables natural and dynamic character responses. Additionally, we add simple sound effects to enhance immersion and provide better feedback during gameplay.
Next up: 🧟 First "Zombie", 🤖 AI combat behavior,🩸 Basic hit system, 🧠 Basic zombie AI
🔥🧟♂️🛠️ Devlog #4 – June 13, 2025
- ✅ Placeholder animations, upgraded movement system, first sound effects — and our first encounter with zombie AI.
After wrestling with Blender for days, I finally brought the jump animation to life (ironically, before the undead showed up). The models are temporary, but this is the first time movement in Convoy of the Dead starts to feel grounded. On top of that — the first zombie AI is now shambling across the test map. It’s basic, but it’s moving… and it’s hungry. 🧟 Watching all of it come together adds real momentum to the project — even if Blender’s trying to kill me daily.
Next up: 🪓 Melee weapon improvements, 🎯 Targeting tweaks, 🛠️ Inventory, 🧟 Spawning hordes system???
📓🧰🎮 Devlog #5 – June 20, 2025
After swapping out the placeholder void for actual weapons, I finally got proper gun models into the scene — and it changes everything. 🔫 Equipping them now works too: a basic weapon system is in place, letting the player switch gear and feel (a little) more armed and dangerous. It’s still rough, but the new equip animations already breathe life into the hands of the survivor. Seeing all that snap into place — even at this early stage — makes Convoy of the Dead feel a bit more like a real game… and a bit less like a tech demo. 🎮🧟
Next up: 🎯 Shooting system, 🧟♂️ New Low Poly Zombie Model, 💎 Collectables, 🎒 Better inventory system 🛠️
💥🎮🛠️ Devlog #6 – June 26, 2025
The very first particle system is now in — muzzle flashes, and a hint of smoke. 🔥
It’s a small step, but it gives the shooting some much-needed weight and visual punch. Convoy of the Dead just got its first taste of real gunfire.
These visuals will likely change a lot over time, but that’s part of the fun —
being able to look back and see how far things have come. 📈💥
In Progress: 🎯 Shooting system
Next up: 🧟♂️ New Low Poly Zombie Model, 💎 Collectables, 🎒 Better inventory system 🛠️
🌊💧⛲ Devlog #7 – June 28, 2025
Needed a break from complex systems, so I added water.
It’s just a material, but hey – the zombie "can swim" now 💦
In Progress: 🎯 Shooting system & 🧟♂️ New Low Poly Zombie Model
Next up: 🧟♂️ New Low Poly Zombie Model, 💎 Collectables, 🎒 Better inventory system 🛠️
🧍♂️🧵🧢 Devlog #8 – June 29, 2025
Big moment – the first character model is in!
It’s low poly, clean, and fits the vibe perfectly. This might actually be **the one** 🎯
In Progress: 🎯 Shooting system & 🧟♂️ New Low Poly Zombie Model
Next up: 💎 Collectables, 🎒 Better inventory system, 🪞 Character customization 👀
🎨✨ Devlog #9 – July 2, 2025
Added a functional Colour Picker for character customization!
You can now change your character’s skin color and see the preview update instantly. The UI works but is still unpolished — this is a testing version to get the basics right. 🎨👤
In Progress: 🧟♂️ Zombie AI improvements & 🪞 Character customization
Next up: 🎮 Player movement polish, 🚙 Vehicle system basics, 🛠️ More customization options
📦💾 Devlog #9.1 – July 2, 2025
Improved customization system with future expansion in mind — added support for saving player ID to AppData and refactored the codebase to handle more options smoothly.
In Progress: 🧟♂️ Zombie AI improvements & 🪞 Character customization
Next up: 🎮 Player movement polish, 🚙 Vehicle system basics, 🛠️ More customization options
🚂 Devlog #10 – July 10, 2025
Time for a fresh start: cleaner code and better control. The customization system was rebuilt with flexibility in mind. After a necessary reset, the codebase was cleaned up and restructured to ensure solidity and scalability. Short-term sacrifices were made to achieve long-term stability. Systems are now smoother, sharper, and more future-proof.
In Progress: Getting back on track 🛤️
Coming up: 🎮 Movement tuning, 🚙 vehicle system basics, 🛠️ more customization options
🕹️🔘 Devlog #11 – July 16, 2025
UI Buttons That Actually Feel Good: This entire interaction system was born from a sudden burst of inspiration while working on the UI - "I NEED BUTTONS!" my gamer instinct called me. If future updates seem delayed... you'll know I'm lost in button-clicking bliss. And so the obsession began...
✨ Fun Fact: The button system exists purely because I hit a point while designing UI where I suddenly needed proper, tactile buttons. No grand plan - just that visceral "these need to click" moment that wouldn't let go.
🛠️ Technical Breakdown:
- Dual-state system: Separate flags for audio and animation states
- 3D Audio: Spatialized sounds that follow button position
- Smart reset: Buttons return properly even if player walks away mid-press
In Progress: ⚙️ Better UI system
Coming up: 🕺 Smooth animations, 🔫 Weapon handling, 🖥️ UI overhaul, 🧊 New 3D models
🔫💥 Devlog #12 – August 20, 2025
Weapons… again: Yes, we’re back at it — but this time, the system is cleaner, smoother, and just plain better thanks to the post-reboot refactor. Players can now swap weapons seamlessly, and each gun has its own particle effects: muzzle flashes, smoke puffs. 💨✨ It’s still simple but finally working on this made me grin — this is what makes Convoy of the Dead feel alive. 🔥
✨ Fun Fact: During testing, I accidentally fired two weapons at once. Total chaos. It looked ridiculous… and I loved every second. 😎
🛠️ Technical Breakdown:
- Refactored weapon system: Post-reboot improvements make switching smooth and reliable.
- Particle systems: Muzzle flash, smoke, and hit effects for each weapon.
- Shoot modes: Full-auto, burst, and semi-auto all working as intended.
In Progress: 🔄 Polishing weapon switching, 💥 Tuning particle effects
Next up: 🧟♂️ Zombie... (It will be a while), 🎯 Accuracy tweaks, 🛠️ Inventory integration
🏁🛠️ Devlog #13 – August 28, 2025
Closing the testing chapter: Since July 10, I’ve been rebuilding Convoy of the Dead from scratch. Today, I finally reached the stage where I could fully complete the testing phase in the new, clean project. It felt like going through the tutorial again — but in exactly the same way as before. Paradoxically, it was both simpler and more challenging: harder to replicate mechanics that existed before on different parameters, yet easier because I had a clear reference point. From today, we’re back on the open waters — ready to implement new features and explore fresh ideas. 🚀
✨ Fun Fact: Rebuilding the same mechanics in a fresh project felt like déjà vu — like a tutorial replay, but with a twist. Some things were easier, some way trickier than expected! 😅
🛠️ Technical Breakdown:
- Mechanics reconstruction: Player movement, inventory, and weapon handling rebuilt from scratch.
- Reference alignment: Previous test project used as a blueprint to match behaviors and parameters.
- Clean architecture: Removed old dependencies, optimized scripts for new feature integration.
In Progress: Preparing for new feature implementation 🆕
Next up: 🧟 Zombie AI overhaul, 🔫 Advanced weapon systems, 🎮 Player progression mechanics
🛠️🔫🧟 Devlog #14 – August 31, 2025
Weapons meet zombies:
After closing the testing phase, it was time to face the weapon system head-on.
The current setup worked fine for simple raycast shooting, but the moment I tried to think about something else or something as simple as melee attacks… the code started fighting back.
So here I am: deciding between a quick patch or a full rework. Either way, Convoy of the Dead just took its first real step toward diverse combat.
But guns are only half the story — because zombies finally learned how to fight back. For now it’s a simple wave system: they spawn, they run, they hit, they die. Nothing fancy yet, but for the first time I could actually play a small survival loop — shoot, survive the wave, reload, repeat. Later this will evolve into a proper roaming AI, ambushes and dynamic encounters, but as a prototype it already feels like a game.
✨ Fun Fact: Coding this was surprisingly easier compared to the weapon inventory system — getting the equip mechanics to work was downright painful 💀🖐️
🛠️ Technical Breakdown:
- Quick vs. Clean: Evaluating if a small patch (enum + switch) will do, or if the game needs a full combat rework.
- Animation Events: Damage doesn't quite sync with animations haha
- Weapon Types: Beginning groundwork for hitscan, projectile, and melee under one system.
- Zombie AI v0.1: Basic wave combat loop implemented. Zombies chase the player, attack, and reset between waves.
In Progress: ⚖️ Choosing between patch or full rework
Next up: 🧟 Zombie AI overhaul (roaming, smarter pathfinding)
🎯 More weapon variety
🩸 First melee combat tests
🔊💥 Devlog #15 – September 12, 2025
Guns get louder (and smarter):
After setting up the basics of shooting and zombie waves in the last update,
this week was all about feedback. I finally added control over weapon audio — not just a sound effect,
but real options: volume and start time. That means each weapon can have more character,
whether it’s a crisp pistol shot or a chaotic burst from an automatic rifle.
I also kept working on recoil and hit feedback. Weapons now feel more distinct, with small pushes to the camera and particles that leave proper impact. Bullet holes received an upgrade too — low poly style decals that actually fit different surfaces. They’re simple, but they do their job well and blend into the environment without looking out of place.
✨ Fun Fact: At one point, setting audio startTime = 0 still played sounds halfway through.
Turns out Unity doesn’t always like when you tell it to start “at zero” 😅
🛠️ Technical Breakdown:
- Weapon Audio: Volume and custom start time control per weapon.
- Recoil: Moved closer to being fully tied into the
WeaponScriptableObject. - Hit Effects: Improved particle impacts with proper instantiation and cleanup.
- Bullet Holes: New low poly decals with transparent edges for better blending.
- Bugfix: Audio start times sometimes ignored zero — patched with manual reset.
In Progress: 🎧 More flexible sound system (layered weapon sounds)
Next up: 🧟 AI combat sync (zombie hits match animation events)
🎯 First melee prototypes
🔦 Experimenting with particles that emit light
🛠️ Devlog #16 – Coming Soon
Stay tuned for the next wave of updates and a new batch of gifs!
Contact & Socials
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| Twitter/X | @ConvoyOfTheDead | |
| Discord | https://discord.gg/wXGA3jEV | |
| business@convoyofthedead.com |