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Book of Travels News

Items and Their Uses

[h2]Dear Travellers,[/h2]

In between dev updates we’ve trickled out some of the lore of this land, peeking in on spirits, listening to the thoughts of everyday folk and soundtracking its wilderness. But we want to share how it feels to play a part in this world, so today we cordially invite you to imagine immersion through... stuff. So this post is all about the objects and items that you’ll be able to toss into a backpack as you travel around Braided Shore and how they’ll enrich your play experience. As ever, we’d love you to drop us a comment or two with your thoughts.


Backpack slots accommodate accessories and musical instruments created in our 2019 Kickstarter.


[h2]Fill your pack with many things[/h2]

As with most RPGs the most appealing aspect of collecting items is in imagining how they may one day serve you well in trade. Among the many items you’ll come across on your travels you’ll find various edibles (pickled seaweed, simple soot bread) and equipables (alabaster armbands, a walnut flute) - together these will protect you from dangers, keep you fed, and ready you for all kinds of possibilities.

But many items don’t seem to have an immediate obvious benefit… do not dismiss them, for who knows what unknown trade potential they may hold? One person’s junk is indeed another person’s treasure in this land, and a perfect example can be seen in this gameplay video where a bag of rusty nails brings joy to an NPC building a treehouse. And who knows? A cobalt glazed tile shard may be useful to someone...

[h2]Skill cards[/h2]

Skills are also items: skill cards can be acquired, used to learn new skills, or traded. Recipes, knot skills and fighting techniques are some of the skills you’ll be able to acquire from those in their possession. Items vary in quality and rarity, but all can be used to trade – either for other items, or for skills or services – and such trade deals will be one of the many beats in your story journey. Here’s a little more about the different kinds of items you can find...



[h2]Poor & good items[/h2]

Poor items are exactly that - low quality items that usually have low use value and little trade value. Often discarded, such items may be broken, rusty or mouldy and can be found in all kinds of places for you to pick up and keep. But they are not all without value – stale bread will sustain you and a poor sword will still serve as some defence. Whether for reasons of practicality or curiosity, a Traveller with an empty backpack would be well advised to hang on to some poor items.

Unsurprisingly good items can be useful in all kinds of ways and include everything from clothing, weapons and backpacks to lights, lanterns and umbrellas. Much like real life, these objects of use will need to be obtained from a merchant or in a shop. Amongst the many generic pieces there will also be many outstanding items with individual appeal. Besides those pictured above, examples of good items include a flower-scented tunic, protective tombac footwear, a conductor’s lucky knot ring and an adventurer’s blade.



[h2]Great & exceptional items[/h2]

Great items are very rare and sometimes unique and come with a story that reveals something of its past. There are countless great items in the region but they’re not to be found in shops or markets and are unlikely to be traded – possessing them takes some effort and will require an undertaking such as a search or quest. Should you acquire a great item, listen to its lessons, carry it safely with you and let its spirit lighten your step and warm your heart.

Extremely rare and always unique, an exceptional item is tantamount to a historical artefact. Each one of these special objects has played a part in the history of Braided Shore – imparted to its owner, such story fragments will contribute to a deeper understanding of the land and perhaps give clues to one of its unsolved mysteries. Effort alone will not yield such items – time and luck will also play their part.

[h2]Pack smart... and look out for Reagents too[/h2]

Since there’s no currency in Braided Shore, when managing your inventory it’s good to aim for a selection of items of varying value, that way you’ll have items small enough to trade should you need a quick snack, and you’ll be able to avoid being forced into an unequal trade in an emergency. A Traveller who carries only a diamond and a Master Iron cog will have a hard time making a good trade for a torch or some farmers’ field bread.

Reagents, (Braided Shore’s magical ingredients) will also need seeking out, and each one will bring new possibilities to your story. We’ve lots to share about reagents too, and we’ll dedicate a post to them further down the road!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you deeply for once again spending your time with us! What are your attitudes to things and how you relate to them? Are you a hoarder or do you travel light? What games have types of items that you’ve enjoyed?

Let us know below and we can talk! And as ever, you can chat to us on Discord too…

Best Wishes,

Helen and the Dev Team xx


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1152340/Book_of_Travels/

[h2]Want more info?[/h2]

[h3]Become a Traveller[/h3]
Sign up on our mailing list for news and an in-game treat in our upcoming game at www.TMORPG.com.

[h3]What is TMORPG?[/h3]
The T in TMO signals an alternative to the more common industry standard MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game) putting 'tiny' in the place of 'massive'. That means fewer meetings, which we think means more magic... Read more here: What is a TMORPG?!

[h3]Revealing the Early Access World[/h3]
Later this year Book of Travels will be available for Early Access on Steam. In Chapter Zero parts of the Braided Shore will be open, and among the places to visit is the gem of the region – the city of Kasa. Read more here.

[h3]Join our Discord[/h3]
Join our super friendly Discord to exchange ideas on all things Book of Travels as well as art, games and books. Join here.


Introducing our New Sound Designer, Magnus Mikander



Sometimes you find things that you love and get lucky enough to find a job that makes the most of both passions! That's what happened to Magnus... Find out how he became a Sound Designer and where he gets his inspiration, and please do say hi in the comments section!

[h2]Where have you been until now?[/h2]
My life travels started in Porvoo, a small town in southern Finland. It was mostly "normal growing up in a small town stuff" with lots of video games, movies, music and books. I sorta stumbled upon music production at around the age of twenty, this rekindled my lost passion for creating thing. This then grew into my hobby, passion and career, which led me to my current path of working in video games. This was quite obvious once I connected the dots in my head and I decided to combine my interest for audio, with my love for storytelling in games. This is also when I moved to Sweden to study Sound and Music Production in Falun, my studies ended with an internship at M&D.

[h2]How did you find your way to Might and Delight?[/h2]
The internship was about three years ago, but I was not offered work after my internship. So I went on to start my small business and worked as an audio freelancer in Stockholm for around two years, until last year when I got a call from Josef asking me if I was interested in working with Book of Travels again! I was really happy to jump back on the project! I also worked on Book of Travels while doing my internship, felt great to dive back into a world that I was already so heavily invested in.

[h2]What do you most enjoy about your work at Might and Delight?[/h2]
Having a job in these rough times feels like a blessing in itself, so I'm very grateful for that. But most of all I enjoy the atmosphere around the studio and working with my teammates, there is a creative energy that I haven't felt in any other place.T his I feel can also be seen and heard in the studio's games. I think we can make something truly unique and wonderful with Book of Travels!

[h2]Where do you get your inspiration from?[/h2]
This might be a boring answer, but from all around me. Actively listening to my surroundings and walking in nature is my go-to. But some other inspirations for me lately have been music composed by Austin Wintory, the game Inside, Critical Role (D&D in general!) and I'm currently re-watching studio Ghibli movies!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1152340/Book_of_Travels/


[h2]Want more info?[/h2]
[h3]Become a Traveller[/h3]
Sign up on our mailing list for news and an in-game treat in our upcoming game at www.TMORPG.com.

[h3]What is TMORPG?[/h3]
The T in TMO signals an alternative to the more common industry standard MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game) putting 'tiny' in the place of 'massive'. That means fewer meetings, which we think means more magic... Read more here: What is a TMORPG?!

[h3]Revealing the Early Access World[/h3]
Later this year Book of Travels will be available for Early Access on Steam. In Chapter Zero parts of the Braided Shore will be open, and among the places to visit is the gem of the region – the city of Kasa. Read more here.

[h3]Join our Discord[/h3]
Join our super friendly Discord to exchange ideas on all things Book of Travels as well as art, games and books. Join here.

Ways to Travel Around Braided Shore

[h2]Dearest Travelling Travellers,[/h2]
As that title suggests, the heart of Book of Travels is about your journey and your stories, threading together as one. Through wandering and roaming your adventures will unfurl, in traversing and trundling your discoveries will enrich them. Mostly this will be done by foot, but respite can be taken on boats and trains, and from time to time magical means might see you travelling in more unexpected ways. Today we’re dipping into these gameplay possibilities, we look forward to your thoughts!



[h2]Travel the land on track[/h2]
A single train track runs around the central basin of Braided Shore in a loop, stopping at the busy city of Kasa and the town of Crossings. Other stations will be open along the way as further areas of the land open up beyond early access. Each station has a warden who you can speak with to find out when the next train leaves, and if you see a train about to leave you’ll be able to call out to the warden to get that extra few seconds to climb aboard. Trains are fairly frequent so if you need a break from walking or just want to take a journey with a fellow Traveller, a scenic ride to Kasa might be just the ticket (ahem). Of course train travel will not take you to the outer wilds and all that lies beyond the middle ways, but it should be a merry treat and might save time if your adventure involves getting to a faraway destination or the need to pick up some supplies in Kasa. And if you're looking for somewhere to stash some items, you'll be able to leave them safely at a tarin master's chest (there's one in the gif just below).





[h2]Boat across The Verve[/h2]If you want to cross between the western and eastern islands of Braided Shore, you’ll need to cross the great lake known as The Verve, which currently requires travel by boat (no air travel exists in the region as yet). Boats travel regularly from Myr and are a very relaxing way to get to the island of Bat Saha and the north west lands beyond. As with trains, boat stations have wardens who will let you know when the next boat taxi will depart. Travellers can also find abandoned boats around the shores of the region and can be unlocked for use through Endeavours, so these journeys will be for pairs or small groups and will take you to places off the beaten path.



[h2]Draisine[/h2]
Draisines are small carts that require two people to lever them across tracks. We don’t expect draisines to be any use in closing distances since they cover a small area. But if you’d like to meet with a friend and spend a little time spending some energy on a metaphorical mini journey of friendship, these might be the wheels for you. Funded by one of our Kickstarter stretch goals, we are looking forward to finding out how players engage with their draisine mini-travels when early access comes this summer.



[h2]Magical means[/h2]
We’re not going to give too much away here, but for now we can reveal that the magic unlockable in knots and tea might also lead you to magical means involving travel... Shapeshifting can also be explored as a means to taking on the travel abilities of another animal or being, and a Travellers’ Portal, also from our Kickstarter, will allow you to skip the arms in a candle!

That’s all for now, but before signing off I want to thank Nippon Ginko For suggesting this topic on Discord – great idea! If you have ideas for things you’d like to hear more about please do post them below or in Discord In the future we’ll be sharing more about travel, including how distance is measured and how you might acquire skills for navigation and finding folk.

Thanks again for taking time with us! We’d love to hear your thoughts on this and all things travel and RPG so please do drop them below!

Best Wishes

Helen & the Dev Team




[h2]Wishlist Book of Travels today:[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1152340/Book_of_Travels/

[h2]Want more info?[/h2]
[h3]Become a traveller[/h3]
Sign up on our mailing list for news and an in-game treat in our upcoming game at www.TMORPG.com.

[h3]What is TMORPG?[/h3]
The T in TMO signals an alternative to the more common industry standard MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game) putting 'tiny' in the place of 'massive'. That means fewer meetings, which we think means more magic... Read more here: What is a TMORPG?!

[h3]Inspirations for Book of Travels[/h3]
We’ve been deeply gratified to read all your comments on Kickstarter, Steam and Discord. In particular those that have lead us to books, art and other media that you feel share similarities with our TMORPG. Therefore we’ve dedicated a post to the key inspirations behind Book of Travels.
Read more in this post: Inspirations for Book of Travels!

[h3]Revealing the Early Access World[/h3]
Later this year Book of Travels will be available for Early Access on Steam. In Chapter Zero parts of the Braided Shore will be open, and among the places to visit is the gem of the region – the city of Kasa. Read more here.

[h3]Join our Discord[/h3]
Join our super friendly Discord to exchange ideas on all things Book of Travels as well as art, games and books. Join here.

OUT NOW - Shelter 3



[h2]Hello Travellers![/h2]
Today we are going a little off topic - because today is the day that Shelter 3 goes live and we wanted to reach out to you and invite you to join over one million Shelter lovers (if you haven't already!) in supporting us through launch! We espeicially want to let you know about our launch sale, which comes with an extra 10% discount for those of you who already own a Shelter product.

But, sales aside we're also here to share our launch trailer which we think gives the best flavour yet of how it will be to guide those elephants.

It will be hard.
Your path will be treacherous.
Your babies will need you.


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

For a limited 24 hour period we are also reducing two of our favourite bundles (the M&D bundle and Shelter bundle - which means that you can get a whole lot of Shelter for less than 70% - including Shelter 3! (The cost of any games you already own will be discounted from the final price.)



We’d love to hear all your thoughts on Shelter 3 – it’s definitely something a little different from its predecessors and we’re curious to know what kind of emotions we’ll be reading from you in just a few hours! Of course we’d love to hear your comments and reviews, so please do stay in touch with us right here on Steam or on Facebook or Twitter (buttons below). We’ll be responding as fast as we can throughout the launch period.

We’ll also be speaking to devs live on our Youtube channel at around 7pm CET or check out the video if you miss us.

Thank you from our hearts for being here with us on this third part of the Shelter journey. We humbly await your reception.

Best Wishes,

Helen & the Dev Team


https://store.steampowered.com/app/977630/Shelter_3/



Stories of Everyday Life

[h2]Hello Travellers![/h2]

There are many ways in which we’d like to bring you closer to the world of Braided Shore - in music, travel guide and lore readers of this post have come to know how it feels to live in its woods and wilds and to travel its age old roads. But there’s no better way to understand a land than by listening to its people, and in this week’s post we hear a little bit about life for four of the region’s denizens. Below, a Travelling Merchant, Historian, Farmer and Bandit give us their views on how life is for them. We think you’ll find that there’s much to ruminate on in the hopes and fears that their words reveal.

We hope you enjoy your acquaintance with them- please do say hello and drop your thoughts in the comments section, they are always well received!



[h2]Magdra, a travelling merchant[/h2]
"The road is long but my pack of trade goods is light - I can ill-afford ample stock. Unless I spy a possible customer I keep my eyes and my nose to the sides of the road. Now and again a little something to eat appears among the bushes and the undergrowth like a Sefra’s bounty. Now and again I meet someone who is looking to trade for something. Like my grandfather taught me, I keep little samples of the things I have to trade hanging from my pack in little colourful strings so that wayfarers might readily spot them. I am so very hungry all the time, and my legs ache along with the soles of my feet. But I know of a Nomad’s rest some way up ahead, and who knows maybe some Wind-spun luck will be lingering there. It is a long road, but it is my home. And should I settle in some bountiful place, I know I would soon get homesick."



[h2]History Professor Myrak of Rivenleaf[/h2]
"Yes, the university City of Rivenleaf is a site to behold for sure. But I prefer to muddy my sandals in the field, digging in the dirt and lost ruins for the truth. Sadly, a large part of my time lately is spent in the teahouses, trying in vain to open the eyes of the faculty professors to the implications of my findings in the Potter’s Field and the emerging revelations in the writings on the Maratesh shards! I’m most upended at how the old professors refuse to support new discoveries. That they value the comfort of their reputations as experts rather than embrace curiosity over new evidence is a disgrace to our profession. Knotting these lines, I now realise how I’ve wasted my time. I will grab my shovel and join my servants in the Potter’s Field! Thank you for helping me realise where the true value of my work lies!"



[h2]Mijha, a grain farmer from Myr[/h2]
"It’s hard work drawing bounty from the earth. We must spend most of our daylight hours tending the fields, keeping only the dark of morning and evening to tend to ourselves. But though hard, there is a feeling of security in the strict repetition of each day, and each evening's rest is a welcome reward. We enjoy good food, with vegetables and meats traded with our neighbours, taken with the hum of song and pipe of the family’s music making. I feel fortunate to live in these times, where the climate is mild, the wardens keep the beasts of the wild from our doors and the tax burden is fair for all. The old folk reminds us it has not always been so, and the wiser among us try to set something by for a future that may not be as kind as the present."



[h2]Ezra of The Broken Lantern Gang [/h2]
"I used to work one of the wool carders in the Milomak Weavery. I had seven younger siblings and parents who seemed to take me for granted. Every day I felt the monotony crush me little by little. Every day the same work, the same people, the same places - like eating gruel at every meal. One day I broke away, walked into the forest and wandered. I guess I got lucky - a group scooped me up before the woods took me - the Broken Lantern Gang. We are banded together now, like-minded and free! The carding made my arms strong and I am good with a blade. Tomorrow we might clash with some nasty bandit gang, the next day we’ll lighten the purse and knapsack of some overfed merchant. I might be taken by a warden but what does it matter? Today I'm the hammer and the world the anvil. Tomorrow the roles might change."

Travellers, thanks again for spending your time getting to know Braided Shore. The world is growing so fast now and early access is a place not too far away - just a few months! If you like our game we'd be very grateful for any sharing you could do to help it on its way to the big wide world this summer. We've made some handy buttons below to make it easy for you.

Thanks again and best of wishes from us all here in Stockholm!

Helen & the Dev Team


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1152340/Book_of_Travels/






[h2]Want more info?[/h2]
[h3]Become a Traveller[/h3]
Sign up on our mailing list for news and an in-game treat in our upcoming game at www.TMORPG.com.

[h3]What is TMORPG?[/h3]
The T in TMO signals an alternative to the more common industry standard MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game) putting 'tiny' in the place of 'massive'. That means fewer meetings, which we think means more magic... Read more here: What is a TMORPG?!

[h3]Revealing the Early Access World[/h3]
Later this year Book of Travels will be available for Early Access on Steam. In Chapter Zero parts of the Braided Shore will be open, and among the places to visit is the gem of the region – the city of Kasa. Read more here.

[h3]Join our Discord[/h3]
Join our super friendly Discord to exchange ideas on all things Book of Travels as well as art, games and books. Join here.