Development Lead, Narrative Designer, and Motion Capture Director
2024 – Present
Patriam: The Saga of Roljar – Part I is the first standalone game set in the Patriam Universe, and the largest project undertaken by Patriam Studios to date. Built in Unreal Engine 5.6, it is a cinematic 2.5D action sidescroller set amidst the rainforests and mountains of Watol, during the brutal Second Norkinian - Hiwotsukerese War. Players step into the role of Roljar of Sarin, a young Norkinian warrior shipwrecked behind enemy lines who uncovers a hidden conflict beneath the war, a secretive and mysterious Cult whose influence reaches from the shadows of the duelling empires to the depths of strange ancient ruins.
As Development Lead, I oversee every aspect of the game’s creation: from the earliest concepts to the current production build. My responsibilities span narrative design, gameplay systems, level design oversight, motion capture performance, programming, and team leadership. I act as both creative and technical director, ensuring that story, gameplay, and tone remain unified under a single vision.
Creative Direction and Leadership
At its core, The Saga of Roljar was conceived not as a product, but as a statement: that cinematic storytelling, grounded realism, and mythic worldbuilding can flourish within a disciplined 2.5D framework.
I proudly lead a small yet highly dedicated international team; meeting every Sunday via discord for our weekly production meetings to go over the past week's work and set milestones and targets for the following week(s) to come, allowing every team member to autonomously, yet always within the narrative and thematic spine I establish. Every asset, animation, and line of code must serve atmosphere, emotion, or intent.
My role as Development Lead involves guiding creative decisions daily: defining the rhythm of combat encounters, the pacing of dialogue, the cinematic framing of cutscenes, and the emotional through-line that binds Roljar’s journey together. I also lead the weekly Sunday production meetings, coordinate milestones, and oversee task management through detailed development roadmaps according to our design documentation.
Narrative and Worldbuilding
The story of The Saga of Roljar embodies the essence of Patriam’s mythic tone: weighty, human, and timeless. I wrote and structured the full narrative arc of the game, including dialogue, cutscenes, codex entries, and environmental storytelling. Every location, from the mist-drowned jungles of Watol to the storm-battered fortress ruins of the Hiwotsukerese frontier, was designed to evoke the themes and tones that are persistent throughout The World of Patriam.
Alongside this, I maintain narrative consistency with the established Patriam canon, ensuring continuity with previous projects and entires, such as The Age of Kings and Infinitus. My work ensures that every new entry deepens the world without diluting its integrity.
Gameplay and Technical Design
In gameplay, I designed Roljar’s combat system to feel grounded and deliberate, with every strike, block, and counter carrying weight. The combat is inspired by my own experience and skill as a martial artist, taking cues from both historical weapon and unarmed martial forms. I prototype and balance these systems directly within Unreal, scripting AI behaviours, player & NPC reactions, and environmental interactions to ensure fluid but punishing gameplay.
Level design follows the principle of narrative geometry, with every space telling a story. From the dense rainforests that conceal ambushes and the hollowed ruins of the ancient Drunathaen, to the sprawling deforested fields of white grass and the steep, foggy mountains that dominate the continent, each environment is built to reveal character and theme through exploration rather than exposition, with small interactable "points of interest" offering players the ability to explore and learn about the world at their own pace.
Motion Capture and Cinematic Integration
I directed actors within motion capture sessions, including for both combat sequences, key narrative scenes, and a trailer, before moving into MotionBuilder to "clean up" the Motion Capture data and make it production ready. This process allows for authentic animation grounded in physical performance rather than abstraction. My role extends into the Unreal pipeline, where I then integrate these performances, sequence cinematics, and ensure smooth transitions between gameplay and story moments.
This union of narrative and embodiment forms the cinematic spine of The Saga of Roljar, where the actions and movements of both players and NPCs are dictated by the movements of real actors.
Philosophy and Legacy
The Saga of Roljar is more than a continuation of Patriam, it is the first proper test of its philosophy. Every hardship faced in production, every setback and revision, serves to reinforce one principle: adapt, endure, persist.
This project has become a reflection not of the world outside, but of the spirit within our team: unyielding, disciplined, and driven by conviction.
We build not because it is easy, but because it must be done.
And so long as we stand, The World of Patriam will stand with us.
