Posted December 14, 2025 by DoneGames
#character #Character art #3D #Firva
How we made Firva as a in-game Character (Episode 01)
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From the very beginning, we knew that creating a memorable character is one of the hardest and most challenging aspects of video-game development—something nearly all developers, especially indie teams, struggle with. With that understanding, we accepted early on that designing our protagonist would be the toughest part of developing Firva.
They say every story has a hero, and every hero is shaped by the world, themes, and ideas behind the story and This hero in our game, is named Firva. From day one, she was meant to embody our concepts, ideals, and even our wishful thinking. She stands at the very center of the narrative, carrying the emotional and thematic weight of the entire experience.
This one, was a long time coming but because we were very busy with other parts of development, we didn’t get to properly share the story with you all
Finally, in this series, we will talk about every major version of Firva that was created throughout development. You’ll see how she evolved, as our game was evolving, how our ideas changed over time, and how we worked—again and again—to shape a character who truly represents the heart of our game.
Now let’s answer this very important question ….
How Many Versions did we create?
In total, we have built 12 different versions of Firva throughout the project. To make things easier to follow, we divided these iterations into five major groups, based on their design language, art style, and Visual quality:
1 - The Cel-Shaded Group The earliest complete designs, fully covered in this dev log.
2 - The Early Realistic Group Our first steps toward a more grounded visual style.
3 - The Transition Group A series of iterations exploring hybrid looks and new ideas.
4 - The Experimental Group Designs where we tried bold new directions.
5 - The Final Direction Where we ultimately reached our full visual and narrative potential.
At the very start of development—when we were still shaping the story—we envisioned Firva as a very young girl born into a high-standing family. At that stage, the narrative demanded a set of unique characteristics for our protagonist. She wasn’t meant to be a warrior or a seasoned fighter; instead, she was a girl caught in the middle of a crisis unfolding in her hometown, doing everything she could to protect the people she loved.
Because of this, her design needed to visually communicate her personality, her background, and her role in the story. We had to consider not just narrative requirements but also the art style we had in mind for the game. Her appearance needed to reflect her family’s status, her youth, and her non-combat nature. That meant clothing that looked elegant but not battle-ready—lighter fabrics, brighter colors, and a softer, more delicate silhouette.
Her age also influenced her physical proportions. Firva had to be noticeably shorter than most other characters, which in turn affected what kind of weapons she could believably wield. We decided that a short sword made the most sense for her early concept: small enough for her size, yet symbolic enough to show that she was willing to fight when she absolutely had to.
What came from all these considerations was the first concept art of Firva—a visual representation of our earliest ideas, and the foundation upon which every later iteration would be built.
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Image showing our first concept (This version Is NOT in USE)
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But of course, creating a 2D concept doesn’t automatically mean we can implement everything exactly the same in 3D. Our older art style came with many technical limitations, and once we started translating Firva into a fully modeled character, we quickly discovered how much needed to change.
So, let’s take a look at the first overall complete 3D model of Firva.
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Image showing First completed 3D version of Firva (This version Is NOT in USE)
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This initial version was cel-shaded, built to match the stylized look we originally planned for the game. However, once we shifted from pure visuals to actual gameplay, new priorities emerged. For example, the short sword—while fitting in concept—proved extremely difficult to make feel good during gameplay. The moment you start animating, testing hitboxes, and balancing combat, everything changes.
In the video we posted in this dev log, you can also see how much of the bright color palette was lost in translation.
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Cel-shading made it harder to preserve vibrancy under different lighting conditions, and many design choices had to be toned down. Even Firva’s hair became less reddish in this version, as shown in the combat showcase.
After several tests, we managed to get the model to about 80% of what we originally envisioned. During that period—when Firva was still part of our cel-shaded direction—the final iteration for this version was completed in 2023. In that build, her hair regained more of its original vibrancy, and her overall appearance became much closer to the first concept art. If you haven’t seen the trailer from our 2023 demo, you can check it out here. That said, we no longer use this version in development; it’s now part of Firva’s long evolution.
(This version Is NOT in USE)
(This version Is NOT in USE)
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What Comes Next :
In Dev Log Episode 2, we’ll dive into the second and third groups — early realistic and transition designs—and show how Firva evolved as our game’s vision matured.
In Episode 3, we’ll explore the fourth and fifth groups, revealing the experiments that brought us closer to the Firva we know today.
The First Try at Making a Realistic Version of Firva
(This version Is NOT in USE)
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