In the early days of Stormbane’s development, we, like many independent teams, made a pragmatic decision: to adopt a pre-existing marketplace framework for Unreal Engine as the foundation for our project. It gave us what we needed at the time – a solid head start, a means to rapidly prototype ideas, and, crucially, a way to explore the shape and feel of the game without sinking months into infrastructure.
It was, without question, the right choice. We owe a debt of gratitude to the original developers whose work made our early progress possible.
However, as Stormbane matured, so too did our needs. Systems that once felt expansive began to chafe. Flexibility gave way to constraint. Beneath the surface, we found ourselves contending more with inherited decisions than building towards the game we envisaged.
Thus, a choice presented itself: to continue forcing Stormbane into a mould that no longer suited it, or to take the harder road and build something that would.
We chose the latter.
We are now in the process of developing the Storm Role-Playing Framework – a bespoke plugin for Unreal Engine, tailored specifically to the ambitions of Stormbane.
This framework will replace the marketplace solution entirely, offering us cleaner foundations, greater flexibility, and – most importantly – full control over the future.
As part of this transition, we are moving away from a custom-built action system in favour of Unreal Engine's native Gameplay Ability System (GAS).
Epic’s GAS solution offers a robust and scalable approach to abilities, attributes, effects, and replication – essential qualities for a game of Stormbane’s scope.
While integrating GAS requires more up-front investment, it promises greater stability and extensibility in the long run – values we consider worth the cost.
By building upon a solid, extensible foundation, we can focus more fully on what matters: creating a living, reactive world where choices have weight, battles demand skill, and the echoes of war reshape the land itself.
In short: Stormbane is growing up. Quietly, stubbornly, and with purpose.
We look forward to sharing more as the journey continues.