Hi folks, Happy new year! Today's development journal will explore the narrative direction of "Erannorth Renaissance." Picture yourself in 1563, traversing the continent of Elos within the lively and mutable realm of Erannorth. In this mystical place, the remnants of a once-advanced civilization set the stage for a world interweaving intrigue with the supernatural. Erannorth Renaissance is a narrative-rich, choose-your-own-adventure game where your decisions carve out a unique and evolving story with alternate outcomes. [b]However, whether you pick one of the origin characters or customize your own avatar, you are not playing a blank state character.[/b] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44786997/93326b374a082984f022ab64aa7e5afa690da623.jpg[/img] Each journey will begin from a common starting point, similar to narrative-driven games like The Witcher and Cyberpunk. The initial setup and a few inherent assumptions about your character are crucial to provide a solid foundation for your story, ensuring the narrative follows a clear direction and intent. But at the end of the day, it's still a game and not a novel. Hence, the main effort is to allow you to experience it your way while immersing you in the story, the world, and its characters. [i]The continent itself is quite large, and our main campaign story won't be set in its entirety.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44786997/bdee06b32289b219701f1745689becbe4890c702.jpg[/img] Early on, you can choose and dive into an expansive sandbox filled with intricate side quests and clandestine tales or follow the main storyline to uncover the continent's most pivotal secrets. This design empowers you to tailor your journey to be as diverse or focused as you wish, with each route revealing distinct experiences and a deeper understanding of the vast world of Elos. [i]In the world, tiles can contain stories, locations you can enter, NPCs, and activities.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44786997/ee22b6efd6ce29e67da396b8e4e3ab4df119bdc3.jpg[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44786997/7d8e9c1d4b3747e381330107939f33cfa6448e92.jpg[/img] Romance is also a facet of this world, offering relationships with characters with their preferences and stories. You'll have the choice to make these interactions visible or to disable them entirely. While enabled, romance options are optional and marked to avoid pursuing unwanted storylines. You can also set your preferences on which characters to romance. If you engage, these relationships are designed to provide more than companionship, offer fresh insights, and add layers to your understanding of Elos and its denizens. [i]Don't like romance? That's the only time you'll know it exists—choosing whether to enable it or not.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44786997/9c9820d06c6deb1c336d05f080c46f0b0e38bacb.jpg[/img] When the game ships in Early Access much later this year, it will contain the main story from start to finish and several romantic interests, side activities, etc. Of course, Rome wasn't built in a day. Those familiar with my games will know I follow an iterative process of expanding them, which we'll also follow in Erannorth Renaissance. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44786997/f32866731b703f20d06afc6eb47a78e2f85d7040.jpg[/img] During Early Access, one of my primary goals will be to enhance the narrative's depth and permutations, as well as add more illustrations to further immerse you in the story and setting. I want you to feel the weight of the most critical decisions and see the ripples your choices create across Elos. So that your journey is more than a series of events but a personal saga you're crafting with every choice you make. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44786997/09967d81c6b87829ae338dc96ca76ea44896f07e.jpg[/img] I can't wait to embark on this journey with you and see the stories you'll tell within the ever-evolving world of Erannorth Renaissance. Looking forward to shaping this narrative world together.