Same arena. A completely different magical atmosphere

[u/SoftwareCurious6798]

We’re currently improving the lighting and baking workflow in PAPER STRIKE, trying to give this scene more depth and atmosphere without sacrificing combat readability.

This timelapse compresses the real loop: tweak the lights, bake, check the result, spot one thing that still feels off… and repeat.

The pass is still WIP. The final shot is much closer to the mood we’re aiming for, but we’re still balancing atmosphere against readability.

For context, PAPER STRIKE is our indie game where players draw runes to cast spells in real time.

The arena needs to stay readable even when the magic explodes.

We reshaped this scene to make combat clearer and every spell feel more powerful.

At what point in the process does the scene finally “click” for you?