Building Scars of Honor Together: Feedback, FirstWatch, and Our Next Steps

Looking back at what we learned, how it's changing our development process, and the improvements already taking shape.

Our first Technical Alpha was an important milestone for Scars of Honor.

For the first time, thousands of players stepped into Aragon, explored our world, tested our systems, and shared their thoughts with us. While the Technical Alpha helped us validate our infrastructure and gameplay systems, it also gave us something even more valuable: your feedback.

During our latest official Scars of Honor livestream, Creative Director Venelin and Design Director Alexander looked back at the biggest lessons from the Technical Alpha, introduced FirstWatch, shared our long-term vision for the game, and showcased several improvements already taking shape across the world of Aragon.

Quick heads-up: This article is a recap of our livestream. Everything shown and discussed represents work in progress and may continue to evolve as development progresses.

Learning from the Technical Alpha

The Technical Alpha generated more than 12,000 feedback reports, covering everything from combat and movement to animations, UI, controls, talents, and overall gameplay.

While every report helped us identify areas for improvement, one lesson stood above the rest.

As Alexander explained: "The most important part we learned is that we need to find a better way to communicate with you, to understand your feedback, your drivers, and what a modern MMO player wants to see in the game."

That realization became the foundation for our next step.

Introducing FirstWatch

FirstWatch is our new community initiative designed to involve players much earlier in development.

Rather than waiting until large public playtests, we'll invite selected community members to evaluate systems while they're still evolving. Some features may be early prototypes, while others may be approaching completion, but every session has the same goal: gathering meaningful feedback while ideas are still flexible.

As Venelin explained: "We want your feedback as soon as possible, and this is what this initiative allows us."

More Than Playtesting

FirstWatch isn't simply about getting access to unfinished content.

Participants may be invited to test prototypes, complete focused surveys, join discussions with the development team, and take part in one-on-one interviews.

Those conversations help us understand feedback that can't always be captured through numbers alone.

Alexander used combat responsiveness as one example: "We had to go deeper to understand what does the player exactly mean... because responsive combat starts from pressing the button towards the animation, the VFX, and the feedback you receive from the enemy."

To find out more about FirstWatch and to be the first to know when the Application process starts, join our Discord and read the full FAQ here: https://discord.gg/FmjkG2TNep

Our Vision for Scars of Honor

The Technical Alpha didn't just change how we gather feedback. It also encouraged us to step back and re-evaluate the overall direction of Scars of Honor.

During the livestream, Venelin shared how the design team revisited the entire player journey, from the first moments in Aragon to endgame progression, challenging existing ideas and redefining what the game should become.

"We went over the whole game as a structure... and on the next day, 'Let's put it to the trash and let's find a new way to do things.'"

That process led to a clearer vision built around four core pillars that now guide our development.

A Living World

At the heart of our vision is a world that feels alive.

Rather than creating zones that are completed once and left behind, we want Aragon to remain relevant throughout your journey. Dynamic events, world activities, and evolving content are designed to encourage exploration long after your first visit.

As Alexander explained: "The world should never stay dull. It should never stay static." Venelin reinforced that philosophy by reminding viewers that, for us, the world itself should remain the true focus of an MMORPG. "We are believers of the core MMORPG... where not the character but the world was the focus."

Meaningful Movement

Movement is more than a way to travel from one objective to another.

During the discussion, Alexander explained that players spend a significant amount of time traversing the world, which means movement itself should be engaging rather than feeling like downtime between activities.

Instead of relying on automated travel or simply running across large empty spaces, our goal is to make exploration an enjoyable part of the adventure.

As Alexander put it: "We want you to engage with the movement. We want the movement system to be almost as a set of mini-games."

Responsive Combat

Combat is another pillar receiving significant attention following the Technical Alpha.

While the previous test helped validate many underlying systems, the feedback made it clear that combat needs to feel faster, more responsive, and more impactful.

As Alexander described it: "We wanted to do something that is more direct, more exciting, more precise, more responsive."

We'll be taking a much deeper look at these improvements during a future dedicated combat livestream.

Shared Adventures

The final pillar focuses on what makes MMORPGs unique: experiencing the world together.

Whether it's tackling challenging encounters with friends, competing against rival players, or simply crossing paths while exploring Aragon, we want every activity to feel better when shared with others.

As Alexander explained: "We want everything you can do in the world to be so much better when you do it with other people or against other people."

Together, these four pillars provide the framework that guides our design decisions and helps ensure every new feature contributes to the same long-term vision for Scars of Honor.

Bringing That Vision to Life

Alongside the discussion, we also showcased several gameplay improvements currently in development. While each feature is at a different stage, they all support the direction we're taking Scars of Honor.

Character Movement

Movement was one of the most discussed topics following the Technical Alpha, and it's already receiving significant attention.

We showcased improvements to traversal speed, smoother movement, updated animations, and ongoing work aimed at making exploration feel more dynamic while improving overall responsiveness.

As Venelin noted: "We have received tremendous feedback... people wanting airborne control, people that felt that the movement is not fast enough, people that complained about the animations, and it's all valid feedback."

Camera Improvements

We also showcased several updates to the camera system, giving players more control over how they experience the world.

New zoom controls allow players to adjust their preferred camera distance, while additional improvements, including optional camera shake, are currently being explored to add more impact during gameplay while remaining fully optional.

Environmental Improvements

The livestream also highlighted ongoing work on the visual presentation of Aragon, including updated skyboxes and environmental lighting. These improvements strengthen the atmosphere of each region while supporting our vision of a world that feels more immersive and alive.

Did you see it?

Gliders

One of the highlights of the showcase was another look at our glider system.

Designed to complement exploration rather than replace traditional travel, gliders introduce a new layer of verticality to the world and make traversing Aragon feel more dynamic.

As Alexander explained: "Even jumping from a simple cliff, now with the gliding, you can go to places and it feels amazing."

Building Together

Our first Technical Alpha marked the beginning of an important new chapter for Scars of Honor.

The feedback we received is already influencing how we build the game, and FirstWatch is the next step in that journey. By involving the community earlier in development, we aim to test ideas sooner, iterate faster, and continue refining Scars of Honor together.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Technical Alpha, joined the livestream, and continues to share thoughtful feedback. Every discussion, suggestion, and bug report helps us move one step closer to creating the MMORPG we all want to play.