"You could stay human. You could keep your fragile sanity intact. Or… you could take the gift offered by the RailGod. But to gain power, something must be given in return, that something is your Madness.
For those who serve the RailGod, Madness need not be a burden, it can be a currency. The question is, how much are you willing to spend?"
Before you can wield Madness, you must understand it.
In our previous article, Of Madness and RailGods, we explored the origins of this mechanic. We spoke of how Madness evolved from a punishment into a choice, even becoming something akin to a currency that can be traded for power, and how it manifests not just as a mechanic, but as a psychological experience. If you haven’t yet read that article, we recommend starting there to grasp the full weight of what Madness truly means.
For this article, we will be diving into Madness again, but this time it will be more of an explanation of how it works. We'll be covering how Madness becomes fuel for transformation: how it is gained, how it is spent, and how it unlocks the forbidden God-Keeper Skills. We’ll also explore the mysterious Magic Wheel, the strange mechanism by which power is granted - or denied.
How to Gain & Control Madness
Perhaps the most important thing to know about Madness as a mechanic in RailGods of Hysterra is that it is not random, it is the result of a series of choices. The goal is simple, every interaction should come with a cost.
What Increases Madness?
Madness can be gained through various actions, some intentional, some unavoidable.
- Remaining away from the RailGod for too long
- Exploring corrupted lands where reality is unstable
- Witnessing eldritch horrors that should not exist
- Reading ancient texts filled with knowledge mortals were never meant to understand
- Interacting with artefacts infused with the energy of the Great Old Ones
As you trigger any/each of these points, Madness will build and it will gradually alter the way that you perceive the world.
The Effects of Madness
Displaying the effects of Madness to the player is not as easy as it sounds. After all, as we described in the previous article we wanted to move away from simply relying on visual tricks, and instead, have the mechanic be something that has a direct impact on the player's experience by distorting what they see, and make survive a challenge.
- Eyeballs appear in the inventory. This is to give the player the impression that, as they go "mad", they lose memories of what they have. That herbal tea you once had in your inventory? Well, now you no longer know what it is. Don't worry, once you relieve yourself of the madness, you will recognise it again.
- The world is bathed in red mist. To show the player's vision is impaired, a red fog closes in on the player.
- The Mini-map becomes useless. This works hand in hand with the previous two points. It is another layer that makes players feel like they are forgetting what they once knew / they begin to question what is real and what is not.
These are the features that we have right now, however, we are constantly looking to build on this. So for the future, know that we are likely to add more ways that Madness can impact you, especially if it ultimately results in the player feeling disoriented, lost, and vulnerable.
Managing Madness
As we've mentioned a few times, we've always wanted to include some form of "choice" when it comes to Madness. Not by means of whether it affects you or not, but by means of what you can do with it.
The first step in doing this is to have a way that players can manage the Madness. This means that there has to be a way for players to purge themselves of its creeping grasp.
Ways to cleanse Madness include:
- Returning to the RailGod The act of offering Madness to the RailGod will reset the Dreamer’s mind, for a time. However, in doing so the player will walk down a path that sees their humanity slowly be eroded.
- Drinking Herbal Teas Certain concoctions help suppress Madness, though their effects are temporary. This method will dissipate the Madness, removing it from the player's body entirely. By taking this method, the player will retain their humanity, but they won't get anything in return from the RailGod.
- Avoiding eldritch corruption There are places no sane Dreamer should walk. Some step into the darkness and never return. Whether or not this is always possible is a different point entirely.
Ultimately, for those who wish to hold on to their humanity, managing Madness is a constant battle.
For those who don’t, there is another path.
God-Keeper Skills – The Gifts of Madness
"To wield power beyond mortal understanding, one must first accept the cost. The weak fear Madness. The strong wield it."
The God-Keeper Skills are gifts granted by the RailGod, but only to those willing to surrender their Madness in exchange.
Unlike traditional RPG abilities, these are not passive perks, they are transformative. The more a Dreamer embraces the RailGod’s power, the less human they become, but in doing so, they become more powerful than they could possibly imagine.
How Are God-Keeper Skills Obtained?
God-Keeper Skills are not freely given, they must be earned by offering Madness to the RailGod. It is through this mechanism that we turn Madness into something far more than just a debuff.
However, one must know that acquiring power always comes at a cost, each ability pushes the Dreamer further from what they once were.
The Most Sought-After God-Keeper Skills
The most powerful abilities allow Dreamers to transcend their limits, but none come without consequence.
- Teleportation
The most praised ability. Allows Dreamers to instantly return to their RailGod but at what cost?
- Gathering Tentacles
Enhances resource collection, but replaces the Dreamer’s arm with something… other.
- Unveiling the Map Clears the fog of war, but does the Dreamer truly see the land as it is… or how the RailGod wants them to see it?
Dreamers may find themselves wondering: Did they make the choice, or was the choice made for them?
The Magic Wheel
The Magic Wheel is the interface for the powers that the RailGod has granted you.
How It Works
- When the player gets a power from the RailGod, they need a way to access/use that power.
- This is handled by the "magic wheel", think of it as a power selector.
"The strongest warriors of Hysterra are not those who resist Madness, but those who wield it."
Madness is not an obstacle it is a tool, a currency, and a path to transformation.
Dreamers must decide:
- Do you control the Madness, or does it control you?
- Do you embrace the gifts of the RailGod, knowing you will never be the same?
- Do you spin the Magic Wheel, knowing you may never return to what you once were?
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3201910/RailGods_of_Hysterra
Heed the whispers of the RailGods — your fate awaits!
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