SETTING
The game takes place on the continent Aldineon. The nations that reside there are Aslidea, Errogana, Latuse, and Karland.
- Aslidea: Reigned by King Haigheles, Aslidea is a reasonably prosperous nation with an excellent military.
- Latuse: The only democratic country in Aldineon is based on the northeastern shore. The head of state is the chair of the parliament, which changes every five years.
- Errogana: Errogana is a union of fifteen holds, the governors of which together form the Governors’ House. The governor of Sorcon City, the capital, has a double vote.
- Karland: A relatively small, underdeveloped but peaceful country lies to the north of Aslidea.
LORE
- Swords of Aldineon: Legend tells of five swords that were gifted to the people of Aldineon when gods left. The gods had created the world, and they governed the universe. When mankind developed weapons and started killing and waging wars, the gods were displeased. They appeared to the humans and punished them, taking away their weapons and their ability to make them. After generations, mankind still devised new killing ways, betraying the gods once more. The gods decided to abandon this world, and in their leaving they ‘gifted’ the humans their weapons back. Each god also left a sacred sword imbued with awesome powers in their former temples, hoping their followers would take up the sword and bring mankind swiftly to the doom they had apparently craved so desperately.
- The Towers of Errogana: Rumours has it that Errogana hosts several prisons in which their most dangerous prisoners are locked up under the most horrifying conditions, and are never seen again. The Towers of Errogana are called, after their apparent ominous and impressive appearance. They are said to be completely impenetrable. The strange part is that no-one knows has ever seen the towers, let alone know their locations.
STORY
Only about 20 years ago, the war between Aslidea and Errogana had come to an end. The mountainous region “the Deslon Highlands” had been annexed by Aslidea. Partly to obtain a direct border with its closest ally, Latuse, and partly to recapture the strategic asset Vuori City that had been taken by one of the kingdoms that now form Errogana over a century ago. Of course, a political cover was necessary, so the Aslideans had bided their time. When one of the holds of Errogana slipped and looted several villages in the Aslidean region ‘the Aela Mainlands’ to cover for bad harvests, Aslidea was quick to retaliate. Errogana is still infuriated by this betrayal of peace, Latuse adopted a neutral position (they want to protest the violence, but they had a benefit on the line as well), and Karland lacked the resources and bargaining power to stand up, so they played the silent card as always.
The story starts in Aslidea City, the capital. A 25 years-old weapons trader named Arkon opens shop after having moved from a small town called Aela Village. His father was a traveling merchant, so he naturally rolled into the trading business. During his stay in Aslidea City, a succession of events lead him to chase a different career path. He quickly rises in the ranks of the Aslidean military which, even though the war is over remains large as ever. During this time of peace, his talents are mostly required in diplomatic missions or as part of trading convoys. Then, he is offered the position of captain of the renowned mountain fortress near Vuori City. He does a good job of restoring the Vuori fort to its prime, which draws King Haigheles’ attention. Arkon’s talent is recognized, and he becomes the leader of the special missions unit. During a mission in Errogana he is captured and wakes up in prison under suspicious circumstances. During his prison time, Arkon discovers that his life has been heavily meddled with. He vows to find out who did this to him, and bring them to justice.
GAMEPLAY MECHANICS
Much like popular open-world games nowadays, you decide the pace of the story. There will be several side-tracks to get lost on, or sand-box elements to waste time on. You will be in control of how much of the story you uncover: many plot points can only be found if you are looking for them. These mechanics will influence the game: different players could see Arkon bringing different people to justice, and some events will only happen if certain precedents have been triggered.
- The player will have the opportunity to own and operate a store. You decide when you open, what you have in stock, what you charge for it, and how much profit you return. And everything is yours to keep.
- Lockpicking. Better make sure to get good at it, because if you can’t pick the lock fast enough you will get caught.
- Pickpocketing is essential, especially in prison. The mechanic will be designed to feel more like actually taking an item out of someone’s pocket rather than clicking an item and hoping for the best. If you have got a steady hand, there should be no problem!
COMBAT MECHANICS
The game will feature a custom action battle system (inspired by, but not limited to, the legend of zelda oracle series) that will include swords, ranged weapons, and special moves. The game will not focus heavily on frequent combat, but more on developing interesting fights.
I recently got into game making again; this project has been in the back of my head for ages. I posted this project to another site (RPG maker web) and I thought, well let's just post here as well. I have been lurking for ages here, might as well contribute something. I am currently in early development stages, mainly scripting and making some graphics are my main concern currently, so that I can post some actual game content soon (screenshots!). (I have to finish some uni work first, and hopefully make some progress during holidays)
Hope you like it, tell me what you think!