Hi folks,
Today we'll be talking a bit about Erannorth Chronicles and see how it's different from Erannorth Reborn. But first a disclaimer. It should be obvious, that Development Journals aren't promises or things set to stone. They are how things look today. And as in everything, tomorrow these things can be something entirely different, because when you are developing a game 1 million things can go wrong.
Also keep in mind, that any content visible in the screenshots below is from Erannorth Reborn. And as such placeholder/subject to change.
So with that out of the way let's dive in ;)
How Erannorth Chronicles is different (than Erannorth Reborn) ?
Erannorth Chronicles will be closer to a CCG with RPG elements, and not a roguelite/deckbuilding game with RPG elements like its predecessor. Unlocking things is an integral part of a roguelite experience, as is the cycle fight, die, get better - or otherwise, short runs and rewards that carry over.
But that won't be the case In Chronicles. It will be focusing on Sandbox free-form exploration and won't include Gauntlet modes to better integrate the various RPG elements and features that won't make much sense in a Gauntlet mode.
So all archetypes will be available from the start and the character creation will have way more choices and steps. Similar to what you expect from an RPG-like rather than a rogue-like.
On the other hand there may still be other fun things to unlock, that fall more into the optional side. Suggestion on that are welcome ;)
Character Creation
If you have been playing with UEP or with my Psychic class, you may have suspected what direction I was heading with it. But in case here they are:
The 8 Steps:
a) Difficulty/Mode Rules selection.
b) Your organization. If you are aligned with an organization like Blood Coven or Resurgant Tenebris or simply Unaligned etc.
c) Your species and classification. Are you a Human or a Demon? Maybe you are a Human/Dhampir or a Demon/Succubus etc. Picking a classification is optional, but will offer additional bonuses and penalties, so even more variety within the same archetype. And more fun for modders ;)
d) Your class and specialization. You are a Psychic sure, but maybe you are something more or something less, like a Telepath or a Charlatan etc.
e) Your background. Could be a religious background ie. you worship Morheliss or Hecate, or it could be your place of origin, a faction etc.
d) Your Attributes and Skills. All your choices up to this point have formed your initial attributes and have also granted you skills, which in turn give you a different card pool and decide how good are your cards.
e) Starting Gear. Which can include some bonus equipment pieces you can use and/or consumables.
f) And finally your personal details, like your name, appearance etc.
And of course you can save your character as presets for future use.
Battlefield and UI Changes
The UI and the battlefield presentation have changed a lot, to streamline things and feel more familiar. Like the iconic targeting arrow, tooltips where you expect them to be etc.
Visually enemies and allies now appear as miniatures, instead of cards. I am planning on using the beautiful stock art characters by aravlik instead of my own renders. But since every piece of art and content will be fully moddable expect to also see my lovely creations pop up eventually in Nexus or Steam Workshop early on.
Note that aside the miniature presentation, the combat gameplay itself hasn't changed and probably won't change (much). For instance row-based movement/placement and similar tactics aren't planned (at least as we speak).
Many other parts of the UI have been streamlined too, to offer easier access to information and look more modern.
Character Sheet
The character sheet has changed too, covers the full screen and will also have easier on hover access to various relevant information. For instance here we can see that having rank Telepathy 5, not only let me use Telepathy cards, but it also gives a +2 Vulnerable and -1 AP Cost to all my Telepathy actions.
Now all these are work in progress, and they'll change in one way or another. But it should give you an idea on where the development is heading.
That's all for now folks. See you next time!