Hi folks,
The development of Erannorth Renaissance is progressing smoothly. Oh, and I've updated the Early Access details and the store page. That'll be all :)
Are you still here? Did you see how long this text is !? Hmm, let's see.
In the latest development journal, I briefly mentioned my first game, Erannorth the Unfinished Tales. I want to dig a bit deeper into that story, but feel free to jump to the main dish below.
Back to the Future II
I first embarked on the journey to create Erannorth the Unfinished Tales in mid-2013, driven by a blend of passion and audacity. We indie developers are akin to gamblers, staking our time, energy, sanity, and often our financial stability on the dream of creating something unique and impactful. More often than not, we face various degrees of failure. Of course, I wasn't an indie developer back then, and I didn't know that years later, I would be calling myself one.
In the case of Unfinished Tales, "Unfortunately, I didn't have the finances to support its sole server running back then, and it never kicked off." This translates to: I dedicated about three years of intense labor to finishing that game, often working 12-hour days, fueled by the vision of what the game could become. This period was exhilarating and grueling, a true test of endurance and commitment. Despite the immense effort and the dream driving it (financially), the project flopped spectacularly.
Having worked for free for three years and paying money on top of that to do that, and then thinking, let's do it again! It is something only a special kind of idiot does.
Or someone who doesn't want to have regrets in their life. The only way for that is to be true to yourself.
But anyway take your pick.
Here's a random screenshot to break up the monotony of the text wall.
Seven
Today marks a significant milestone—seven months since I started working on Erannorth Renaissance. It's been a thrilling journey filled with challenges, doubts, and breakthroughs. So, what was done, and what is still missing for you to get this game in your hands finally?
In the early stages of development, the idea was crafting a fully narrative-driven experience centered around a main campaign within a somewhat open-world setting.
As someone accurately put it, "Hand holding? How lewd." ;)
But, let's be honest: the primary reason was that starting development from zero is a tedious process without considering all the other moving parts; for convenience, let's sum them up as content.
However, as the development progressed and the parts started to click, it became evident that a narrative-driven approach within an open-world format was fundamentally busted. The more the world opened up, the more the structured narrative felt constrained and forced.
This led to a pivotal decision. I could either reduce the game's scope, with no map or open world, in the true or tried Visual Novel style and tell my story. I would be done with working for free, there would be no Early Access headaches, you'd have a game to play, and we could all move on.
Because we all know that a) Early Access doesn't fund anything, and it shouldn't. b) Early Access paints the game in a darker shadow and limits sales. c) VNs are a less niche market than this.
Or: increase the game's scope, use the whole of our beautiful world map (it did took time to paint it), work a few more years (in practice for free) and instead tell our story.
Here's another random screenshot to build anticipation for the obvious decision.
The jury's back and the verdict is...
Of course, I picked the red pill.
I've decided to broaden rather than narrow the experience. The main story is still here but serves as a (long) introduction to Erannorth's sandbox world rather than the main dish.
After completing this story, you won't see the credits (my name in a hundred roles) rolling, nor will you save the world from a terrible threat.
Instead, you'll find yourself in the shoes of someone living in Elos.
If you could be anyone whom you'd be?
Erannorth Renaissance will let you answer this question instead of telling you.
Choosing what story arc to pursue next is entirely yours. Whether you delve deeper into the lore I've woven into every corner of the map, take on new quests, or explore and interact with the environment and its inhabitants, the world of Elos will adapt and respond to your decisions.
This shift from a primarily linear campaign to a more dynamic sandbox approach reflects my fundamental belief in creating games emphasizing player agency, what you've come to expect, and what most of you are here for. Right?
Presenting our final random screenshot of the day!
Detailed Progress Update: Recap
As we gear up for the new chapter in the development of Erannorth Renaissance, the part you come in, let's recap the significant strides made across the game's core systems in the past seven months.
These are all completed systems in the current build 0.4.77, not the final feature list.
Introductory Storyline
The initial campaign, serving as your gateway to the vast sandbox of Erannorth, is fully fleshed out and playable. This storyline offers a concise yet rich experience, lasting about 3 to 4 hours with multiple paths and companions to discover. It's crafted to be an engaging introduction without overstaying its welcome. Still, it remains optional, allowing you to choose how deep you dive into this narrative or live your life in this expansive world.
Exploration and Interaction
The overworld map is a dynamic playground where:
- Fog of war conceals unexplored tiles.
- You can engage with roving warbands in tactical combat.
- You can set up a camp to talk to your companions and harvest resources.
- Tiles can spring random events leading to mini adventures, lore fragments, or loot.
- Tiles can contain fixed stories or let you follow up on quests.
Custom Quest and Relationship systems
Initially, I tried to use the Dialogue System's two sibling systems, which could have significantly reduced the development time. Still, I ended up developing homebrew systems that better suited my needs.
Combat System
- Turn-based combat that takes place on a hex grid.
- A variety of action effects, tactical choices and diverse play styles.
- Opportunities to harvest resources post-battle / quick looting of enemies.
- Automatic shortcuts for each action.
- Panels to inspect actor status and actions.
Town Dynamics and NPC Interactions
Towns have evolved into hubs of activity where you can:
- Build relationships, whether friendly, romantic, or adversarial.
- Barter and purchase equipment.
- Receive new quests and tasks.
You can track and review all your relationships through a tab in your character sheet.
Character Progression
Your party characters can grow and evolve:
- Level up systems to enhance your skills and acquire new abilities.
- The perks system will offer new capabilities and gameplay dynamics.
Itemization and Equipment
- Core systems for itemization / large variety of equipment slots.
- Drag and Drop inventory system.
- Free trading with your companions.
- A diverse array of items and actions will provide numerous strategic options in and out combat.
- Consumables.
What's missing to open the flood gates?
While the structure is solid, there are still areas in need of development before you can dive into playing.
- I am still working on the early-level perks, equipment, and actions.
- I still need to finish the initial "Woodlands" and "Generic" event packs covering the early game environments.
Once these are done, the Early Access can start. I had to re-evaluate my original plan to keep the game in Early Access for a year. The new estimate is at least for 2 years.
If you wishlisted the game before, please check the new store page and Early Access information to make sure it's still a project you want to support.
That's all folks! If you have any thoughts or questions feel free to share them below!