Lost Isle News

Missives and Musings - The Faces of the Lost Isle

Hello there! This week we’ll be covering the cast of characters that are going to join you on the Lost Isle. The kingdoms and leaders have been sending colonists and explorers for the last decade in an attempt to secure some of the land’s wealth. Most of these expeditions have failed. Usually because no one lived long enough to establish anything permanent. The NPCs you’ll find on the Lost Isle then are those smart, brutal, cunning, or lucky enough to survive the dangers. If they like you, they might even pass on their competitive advantage to you.



With the launch of the closed beta, we’ll have 10 different NPCs factions for you to run into out in the world. Their representatives will be scattered around on the roadside, in settlements, or hiding out in Monuments. By trading with, giving gifts to, or completing quests for these representatives, you can increase your reputation with the faction. Higher reputation means getting access to unique items to trade for or to be rewarded with.



The goal with these factions is to create a variety of different ways to approach a living world. Each will make some part of your survival experience easier or more convenient so that you can focus on what you find the most entertaining. Don’t like relying purely on a Monument’s loot table for your gear? Work with an alchemist guild to add or remove enchantments from rare weapons and armor. Want to focus on the culinary experience and open your own restaurant? Work with a chef to cook special dishes that will buff and benefit anyone who eats them.

We’ve even got the Watchmen for all your survival-based needs if you feel like playing a camping simulator.



As we work with you through the testing phase, we’d love your feedback on these factions and how they can be improved. We want these factions to continue to evolve so that they can best meet your needs. We also want to continue to refine their stories in the hopes that, one day, you’ll find yourself accidentally wrapped up caring about some pixels with voices.

If you’re enjoying what you’re reading, we hope you’ll join us in Discord or Reddit. Closed beta keys will be given out through Discord, so if you’re feeling like you want to play an early copy of the Lost Isle, be sure to let us know through there.

Thanks for sticking with us this long. After all these months, we figured it might be a decent idea to let you in on the story. There are reasons behind the monsters you'll hunt and the Monuments you clear. There are reasons why the Lost Isle is full of so much loot, but so few people. Shouldn't be terrible to endure a quick lore dump. You're coming in at the beginning so it shouldn't take anything like an hour and a half (only love Byf, you do such a fantastic job).

The objective of this dev log is to give you a taste of the world we're building. Just a taste. No drowning in names or dates.

[h3]Why is the Lost Isle... lost?[/h3]

Our particular fantasy story is going along with the "war to end all wars" trope. A decade before your character shows up in our story, the Lost Isle was a battlefield for two god-like beings and their armies. The war between them ends in true Oppenheimer fashion, incinerating all of the souls brought together for the titanic battle between good and evil. When the dust settles, evil is dead and the Mother of All is taking her last breaths. The island itself became "Lost" when the aftermath of the battle threw the land onto the rocks between reality and the tides of immaterial. Everyone and everything that may have survived is now being pressed, twisted, and changed by the friction of the two planes.

[h3]Why would anyone want to be there?[/h3]

Mortally wounded and barely holding on to life, the Mother of All has called out to all of her children begging them to come and receive their inheritance. Those who answered that call were generously rewarded. While the destruction that created the Lost Isle was terrible, life and power have grown in the aftermath. New metals, new creatures, new magic, and new mysteries are waiting to be given to anyone brave enough to answer the call. Power previously reserved for the gods is now obtainable by any mortal. Some people come seeking that power. Others come to the Lost Isle because that's where the money is. And a scattered few come because a new home is better than the hell they're leaving behind.

[h3]Who lives on the Lost Isle?[/h3]

The first to come to the Lost Isle were the most curious. New disciples who needed to answer the call. Grieving families who lost loved ones to the war. Daring minds willing to risk everything for a kernel of knowledge. Not many survived and even less remained on the isle after they realized the dangers.

The next to come were the mercenaries and soldiers. Kings and merchant lords sent small armies to claim what land they could. The stories told be those who survived the Lost Isle were chilling, but they also contained hints of wealth. Hints that the rich and powerful couldn't possibly ignore. The island rejected these invading forces even as the Mother of All welcomed them. Evil itself may have been vanquished, but new trouble was growing.

Now, the Lost Isle is largely left to small groups of independent prospectors and guilds that have learned how to protect themselves. The nations of the world still attempt to gain a foothold, but most efforts fall to ruin before they even have the chance to take root. Only the eccentric, wise, or incredibly lucky have been able to maintain a home in this place.

There's your taste. If you have questions and concerns, make sure to comment them below. We are trying to keep specifics, plot twists, and a very in-depth history under wraps until you can discover it in game. That being said, your feedback in the upcoming beta shouldn't be limited to finding bugs in the game. Point out the plot holes. Make us explain why the flintlock rifle is built wrong. You are formally invited to help us do everything we can to stay on the good side of the Templin Institue.

Hello all! Time for another dev log from the Wunder Entertainment team on the Lost Isle. Specifically the “Isle” part of the Lost Isle this week.

We’re getting closer to that closed beta I keep threatening you with. Over the last couple of weeks each member of our team has been working hard to create the best experience we’re capable of. And, according to a few very late night timestamps, some of us have even been working a little too hard. We’re getting there. Thanks for following us this far. Let’s get into it.

Creating an interesting, but understandable map can be a tricky balance to correctly strike. Some players want each fresh server to have the same layout so that they can spend more effort optimizing their runs. Others need that sweet, sweet dopamine hit of stepping into a completely different experience every time. We went for a “best of both worlds” approach.



At the beginning of every fresh server, the Lost Isle will be procedurally generated. Our different biomes (Jungle, Tundra, and Savannah to start) will divide up the map with different types of challenges, flora, fauna, and enemies. Each fresh start comes with a whole bundle of newness for you to explore and build a home in.



On the opposite side of that best of both worlds ideology is our Monuments and Landmarks. While the world itself will look different, you’ll still be able to hunt down the same dungeons and loot farms. The puzzles and layouts may change a little server to server, but you’ll always have a familiar point to fallback on.



This balance should create an opportunity for experienced players to min-max while still leaving enough unknowns for our newer players (read prey) to create a little hidey-hole for themselves. Just another one of those things we hope to fine-tune during the upcoming beta. We’re excited to see the changes in feedback and blueberries become pros. And, if you end up feeling more like prey than predator, know that there are specific members of our team rooting just for you. Probably. At the very least, there’s me. Good luck to all.

Like what you’re reading? Come join our Discord so that you don’t have to wait for my ramblings to hear about the upcoming beta.

Patchwork from Wunder Entertainment