It has only been two weeks since Rise of the Monarch was released. And while the story may take its time, development hasn’t slowed down for a second.

Laying the Groundwork for Combat

Up until now, the experience has been quiet—it was all about presenting the environment. But Rise of the Monarch was never meant to stay silent. Conflict is coming, and with it, the need for something more than words.

That is why most of this past week has been dedicated to the game’s first major technical shift:
The first iteration of the combat system.

Why Combat? Why Now?

Combat in Rise of the Monarch isn’t about power levels or flashy combos. It’s about pressure. Tension. Choices under fire.

Some narrative moments—especially those coming in the months ahead—simply cannot be told through dialogue alone. They demand action. They demand consequence.

So instead of creating a combat system on top of the narrative, I’ve built one into it.

It’s still early. It’s still a long chain of variables. But it’s starting to take shape.

Where We Are Now

Here’s what’s already working behind the scenes:

• A fully functional prototype (which I, very intelligently, named combat tuto)
• Extremely basic mechanics: basic attacks, evasion, random variable damage...
• Combat interface tested only within narrative context (think: training, not random encounters)

There’s no free exploration (and let’s be honest, there won’t be), and the system isn’t fully revealed in-game yet— but the spine is there. And for now… it holds.

Smaller Improvements Alongside

• Continued work on background affection tracking
• Cleaner event triggering logic
• Polished a few key scenes
• Character sprites now fade out properly upon death

What’s Next

If you thought the combat system was all there is to the next update… You’re wrong.

Something is coming.                                                                      

Someone is coming. And she might change everything.

But for now, we fight—not just to survive, but to tell the story differently.

“A clash of swords is the most honest of conversations.” — Amaranth

Stay sharp. — ZephyrA0