Devlog. 1

Harrow - Development Log  

21/10/2025 

Currently, my progress has boiled down to designing 4 Metahumans that will be the preset characters players can pick based on each major racial group that will be found within Harrow. These characters serve no major impact other than to separate the players’ appearances for immersion and are as follows: 

1. Slavic – Name: Yaroslav 

1. Celtic – Name: Niall 

1. Mediterranean – Name: Pierre 

1. Nordic – Name: Bjorn 

>span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW18352804 BCX0">similarly to the character selection options in games like Escape From Tarkov, serve a purely cosmetic purpose and are only present to provide a sense of variety in terms of player appearance without requiring a full character creator. This decision was made primarily for two reasons: ease of implementation as a solo developer, and to maintain gameplay balance — avoiding the body scaling issues seen in games such as Ark: Survival Evolved. 

Next Steps: Combat Animation System 

Harrow’s>span class="TextRun SCXW18352804 BCX0"> combat system, inspired by real-world fencing and HEMA techniques. To achieve this, I’ll be utilizing QuickMagic, a motion capture tool that converts short recorded videos into UE5-ready animations. This approach will allow me to create authentic fencing-inspired movements and stance transitions without requiring an expensive mocap setup. 

>span class="NormalTextRun SCXW18352804 BCX0">attacks like cuts and a lunge — then import them directly into Unreal Engine for use within an Animation Blueprint and Blend Space system. This will provide a strong mechanical and visual foundation for the game’s core movement and combat feel before expanding into the inventory and GUI systems.