SacriFire - Devlog #7 - "Quest Design in SacriFire"
Hey, everyone!
Being a Bishop is not an easy task. As you might have seen in our Playtest, the job requires a good deal of resilience, strength, and creativity. As you embark on Ezekiel’s journey, you will immerse yourself in a magical fable and engaging gameplay. Our goal is to ensure that every quest and adventure is not just an activity, or a breadcrumb, but a meaningful part of said journey. By bringing forth rich narrative experiences over mundane tasks, we seek to draw you deeper into the worlds of Antioch and Erebus for a compelling and memorable experience you’ll want to come back to.
[h3]Quest Design Approach[/h3]
If you’ll excuse a truism: role-playing games are largely about, well, role-playing. We believe that immersing yourself properly in the world and the story as presented is a vital part of the genre. Quests, as designated outlets for broader lore, become pillars of personal immersion; an ill-fitting, awkward, or particularly “gamey” quest can take the player right out of the experience. An unpleasant feeling, to say the least.
Our goal with SacriFire has been to avoid these kinds of pitfalls. We’ve aimed to design content that is not just padding, but also a genuine invitation to become further invested in the world we’ve created. Naturally, it’s only a part of the whole spectrum of issues - many players enjoy the genre for its number-crunching goodness, and with that in mind, we’ve also made sure that quests would come with appropriate rewards. In other words, in terms of incentives, it’s swords *and* words.
[h3]The Tale of Ezekiel Ridan[/h3]
Perhaps unsurprisingly so, SacriFire is, first and foremost, Ezekiel’s personal tale. It is his ongoing struggle against the growing forces of Heresy that constitutes the majority of the game’s main quest line. By advancing these ongoing story milestones, the player gains access to new areas and tools to facilitate gameplay, such as new DIVOS forms and their associated exploration skills; indeed, all core systems of the game are introduced and unlocked in such a manner.
Naturally, this does not exhaust the full extent of questing activities, nor does it mean that the world remains static. As the plot progresses and the game unfolds, new problems pop up around Antioch, opening multiple side quests for the player to pursue. Unlike the main story, these are strictly optional and serve as diversions for fun and profit. On the one hand, they help flesh out the setting and its characters, turning the spotlight on day-to-day issues and the reality of living in a fantastic city under the ground. On the other hand - one probably more pertinent to a classic RPG hero - they present opportunities to score some sweet loot. Be it in the form of XP, Lux (so, money), consumables, or various assorted items to upgrade your weapons, the reward pool for completing side quests remains wide and exotic.
[h3]The Number of Quests[/h3]
Our top priority is to find the sweet spot when it comes to the pacing of the game. To achieve that, we’re continuously working on introducing new quests to the SacriFire and making sure each of them brings a certain value to the story. We want to make sure that whatever ends up being included won’t end up tripping over each other in terms of type and content - after all, nobody likes plowing through a checklist of nearly identical tasks. As immortal as slaying rats in a cellar may be, we’d like to believe that the subterranean and spiritual world of Antioch lends itself well to quests with unusual premises and interesting stories. No spoilers, though!
As we continue to develop SacriFire, our priority remains clear: to provide an RPG experience where every quest contributes to a richer, more immersive world. Each decision, each challenge, and each reward is crafted to enhance your adventure and deepen your connection to the story. As you explore Antioch and Erebus, and face their challenges, we hope you find yourself thoroughly engrossed in both the story and the gameplay. Your journey with Ezekiel is just the beginning, and we are thrilled to have you join us on this adventure.
Until next time!
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