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New video and new updates for Ardra (the RTS mini-game on Unity) - September 11, 2026

Hello everyone. It's me Antony, back with a new blog in 2026. We are now on September 11 - past the half of 2026.

For this Blog, I'm going to talk about the RTS mini-game that I've been working a long time ago and share you new images and video. I made some major updates for the RTS mini-game, highlighting the HUD.

I decided to record a new video showing the latest update of the RTS mini-game - highlighting the Orcs' new main structure, the HUD 2.0, some units showing their animations and more. This time, I used Blender 5.2.0 for rendering this video. Initially, the main video editor I've been using was HitFilm Express. However, the program was discontinued and completely shut down after its parent company, Artlist, phased it out. For those who still had the existing software installed, HitFilm Express could run with no problem, despite the lack of support and alternates with similarities for Video FX.

On the other hand, Blender has shown a great potential as a video editor, even in the newer versions.


For this Blog, I'lll show you the new updates for the RTS mini-game.


I decided to export the Chaos Defiled Sanctum (formerly known as the Desecrated Citadel) while I was working on the main structure for the Chaos faction. I added some Dementeds to the buildings - just to provide that dark, cruel touch that Demon Lords reserve for their worshippers and servants. Although it's not finished, I moved the Cultist and the Minion from the Lesser Demon Portal to the new structure in order to train their main workforce to the battlefield.

Initially, I planned to give the Overlord the option of training Minions, but the idea was scrapped - leaving only the supply provider and mobile storage provider.

Let's move on to the next images.







Another interesting thing are the buttons for training new units and building new structures has been moved to the Action Card Panel. The idea was to move the buttons from the top-left corner from the game screen to the HUD.

In relation to this, buildings that are capable of training new units will present the GUI Buttons in the Action Card Panel (the bottom-left card in the HUD). Also, units will present their buttons for the basic commands, such as the Move, Stop, Hold Position, Patrol, Attack and Cancel - with the Stop and Move commands working nice, despite some minor adjustments when it comes to selected units in a group. Workers (Villagers, Cultists, Carrion Beetles and Laborers) has the Build Structures button - displaying the options for building structures - all according to the respective faction (Example: Villager could only build Town Halls, Farms, Lumber Mills, Mining Camps, Barracks and Priories; Laborer could only build Clans Halls, Huts and Warrior Huts and so go on).

And now, more screenshots from Ardra.






While I was playing some Liquidation PvE matches (in case you ask, Liquidation is a new RTS game that is open for buying at Steam while it's in development), an idea came into my mind for adding the cards showing the information related to the unit's / structure's name, cost for training / building and description. For the cost values, I added some custom colors that combines with the "+15" values for every harvested resources (yellow for Gold, cyan for Crystal, gray for Stone and brown for Wood).

Another new feature in the game is the Food icon replacing the Villager icon on the Resource Card. It will serve as an indicator of supply consumption versus generated supply. In real-time strategy (RTS) games, units in general (workers, soldiers, archers, knights, siege weapons, monsters and others) require supplies—such as food, water, equipment, and items to meet their needs—as they grow in number. To meet these needs, the player requires structures that generate supplies (taking the classic examples from Warcraft and Age of Empires: Houses / Farms). In situations where a player start training more troops and there are few houses to provide food and supplies, it will prevent new units to be trained unless more houses are built.

I personally enjoyed the "+10" being shown in the Info Card (as it's shown in the upper screenshot of the cursor pointed on the Farm Icon from the Villager's Build Structures) and in white color. It indicates how much supply the Farm would provide once it's built. Main structures (Town Halls, Clans Halls, Defiled Sanctums and Necropolis) generates 15 supplies.

Before concluding this Blog, I'm going to show you the renders for my upcoming units.

Bonecrusher:




The Bonecrusher is going to be the second Elite unit for the Orcs. While the Gladiator is focused on fast attacks and mobility, Bonecrushers are slow, heavy armored and wields a powerful great mace capable of inflicting extra damage to knights and other mounted units.

Naga (Oracle, Reaver and Coral Knight):




While I'm still working on the current factions (Humans, Nekrul, Chaos and Orcs), I decided to design the initial models for the Nazz'hjr: the Naga (half-men / half-snake). I took the model for the Lacerator - with minor adjustments to the head for a more serpent-appearance. There are some minor differences between the two males: the green is more inspired on a crocodille while the blue is a mix of snake and crocodille.

The female version was a bit tricky. I used the original model for the head from humanoid characters and attached it to the rest of the body. The torso was slightly adjusted for female proportions. In comparison, female Naga are bit shorter than the male Naga. Some variants may include a four-arm version of the female and a half-man / half-snake for the male.

I'll add some stripes, spots and mark for the Naga Reaver and Coral Knight. I'm not sure add more biological features, but I'll add some golden ornaments. The idea for the Naga is to resemble a little from the original Asian Naga, like crowns, wristlets, collars and others.

The next factions I plan to bring are the dwarves. For these fellows, there's no big mystery - just picking some humans and adjust their dimensions like reducing the height to look a bit smaller and increasing the width and length.

Corrections and new additions are giving some interesting things to the mini-game. I know there's more to be done. What I need to do is:

* Adjusting the command actions (Stop, Move, Attack, Hold Position, Patrol, Cancel Order, Harvest, Deliver Resource and Repair).
* Adding the icons for the other actions, skills (active and passive).
* Animating the buildings in order to make the building sequence, destruction and training.
* Adjusting the Projectors - especially when you order your units to engage another unit / structure (follow, attack or gather resources).
* Adding the attack, defense and speed values to the HUD while the unit / building / resource node (in this case, the resources left to gather from that node + resource icon) is being selected by the player.
* Adding the combat system, HP (hit point or simply health point), MP (magic point = Mana point), attack and its types (melee, ranged, siege, magical and heroic), defense and its types (unarmored, light, medium, heavy, heroic and fortified) and magical elements (fire, water, earth, wind, light and dark).
* Adding new particle systems for fire, blood, spells and others (although some spells, buffs and debuffs can be made with UI / Sprites).
* Adding more units and buildings to the other factions and the current ones.
* Adding the Multiplayer option for other players to join the match.

Well, that's it for today. I hope you enjoy it. I'll be back with more Blogs in this year - if nothing change in order to make me occupied like job, studies and civil service exams. I plan to share more artworks and other things I did in my time. Until the time comes, you will be surprised to see it. See you next time.

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