TRACHI – ANARCHY News

[h2]Salutations, friends! 👋[/h2]

Today is March 28th, our monthly date where we celebrate TRACHI taking another step towards greatness. The matter at hand is ANARCHY 0.2.1 (Café), a wholesale package full of new content and overall improvements to pretty much every aspect of the game.

Most of these were covered by the preview. Normally I'd also point at the changelog in the beta announcement. Unfortunately, we skipped out on that this month. I'm super sorry about that, but I'll say a couple words in regards to that and our future release schedules later down the line.

For now, let's refocus on the changes coming with Café!

[h2]Synopsis[/h2]

Highlights include the continuation of the main quest (Argonautica) through two new quest taks: Sanctuary and Familiarity. In-between these two interactions there's a chance to engage with individual party members. On top of that, Fragments have been further intertwined into the story through the introduction of Miroslav – a former military man with a special knack for history.

On the gameplay side, there's eight new abilities – five of which introduce new dimensions to battles in the field. These aim to not only sharpen our own party's potential, but also heavily increase the threat posed by monsters all around ParAdise. Last but not least, there's a whole array of bugfixes, bundled with optimisations to several core systems powering ANARCHY.

[h2]Westwards[/h2]
Café picks up right where Merci left off. We're about to embark on a trip towards hostile territory. Following TRACHIAN tradition, there's a lot of plotting and scheming, conveyed through dialogue. Next to essential, story-driving conversations, there's also optional one-on-ones with individual party members.

Whether you engage in these or not, the group is making their way to the Orchard currently occupied by Goblins in the northwestern section of Paradise. The main goal of 0.2.1 regarding Argonautica is to prepare the stage for a more condensed sequence of story-segments. We'll talk more about it in the outlook section towards the end of this post.

[h2]Past Tense[/h2]

Beyond the interactions following the core group of characters, each NPC now has a short conversation that tries to shine more light on the current situation in and around the Checkpoint. While this too is a setup for future updates, it nevertheless aims to present a first glimpse into the everyday life of an individual living in Paradise.

The most striking example is the introduction of Miro the Fragmentarian. As pointed out in the preview, his role is to offer additional context for interacting with optional fragments. As we're adding more and more of these to the game, it should become a routine to turn items gathered from these experiences in with Miro – even if it's just to get our hands on the rewards.

[h2]Evolution[/h2]

Regarding new items, equipment and abilities: For one, every monster now has a signature skill. This should not only give battles across Paradise a little extra spice, but also makes Lime's ability to consume enemies and incorporate their abilities into his own kit even more valuable.

Overall, every combatant now also has a 'Species' attribute to separate Humans, Goblins and Wildlife. One example of applying this distinction comes in the shape of equipment pieces that massively increase damage towards a certain species. Here too, we're putting a big emphasis on the road ahead, with hostilities between Humans and Goblins about to increase dramatically.

[h2]Preparation[/h2]


Although the details are not set in stone, Paradise's narrative structure is now mapped out in broad strokes. The Orchard and the Checkpoint – along with an underground area connecting the two structures – form the backdrop to the second movement of ANARCHY's first act.

As mentioned above, we're about to embark into a much more condensed experience. We had a lot of freedom in our movements around Paradise so far, but the next few steps will force players into a certain zone until specific conditions are met.

[h2]Roadmap[/h2]

It's at this precise point where our monthly release schedule has to come to a (temporary) end. I'd hate to lock players out of Paradise proper until the entire sequence is implemented. Add to that the fact that testing each and every release build in itself already takes me the better part of two days – not to speak of my day-job and the doctoral thesis I'm working on several hours each and every day.

Most importantly, I've also had to come to terms with an uncomfortable fact: As much as I love ANARCHY's formula, engagement has dropped significantly since the release of Silhoutte. Given the current trajectory, it's unrealistic to except the game to generate attention anytime soon.

For that and all the other reasons I mentioned, I'll start treating ANARCHY in the same way I treated AUTONOMY and InvAsion – as a hobby-project driven by passion next to my actual work. This ultimately means fewer updates and larger intervals in-between, but will hopefully alleviate the self-inflicted pressure of working two full-time jobs at the same time.

[h2]In Sum[/h2]
Café might be around for a while. I'll try to push a new beta at least once a month, but release builds will very likely happen irregularly. This of course also highly depends on the community's support, given that the game is already getting too big for me to playtest on my own.

On that note, I've had a lot of help from a lot of great people over the last nine months. Special mentions go to (-_-!), Sereon and Hibari for their respective work. I'm full of appreciation towards both them and you. Even though my head is going through a massive reality-check right now, I'm still excited for the future. Either way, I'll be back with more info on what's on the horizon – not necessarily next month – but definitely very soon.

Until then, big hugs from a friend! 💖

much love
nory

---


[h2]Aka Café[/h2]
[h3]Quests[/h3]

• Added 🥂 "Familiarity".
  Let's try diplomacy.
• Added 🐊 "Monstrosity"
  I brought what you asked for.
• Adjusted 🏡 "Sanctuary"
  We wanted to go somewhere, right?

[h3]Areas[/h3]

• Reworked 🥗 "Goblin Camp"
  New home, new us.

[h3]Enemies[/h3]

• Added "Wolf"
  The full pack.

[h3]Conversations[/h3]

• Added 📚 Fragmentarian You look like you've been around.
• Added Companion Dialogue Hey Lornz.

[h3]Abilities[/h3]

• Added "Consume"
  Kill TRGT
• Added "Bite"
  50% DMG | BLEED
• Added "Rage"
  +100% ATK, -50% DEF, lose control

[h3]Items[/h3]

• Added "Apple"
  Heals 5% HP

[h3]Equipment[/h3]

• Added "NIONIA"
  +50% ATK vs GBLN

[h3]Visual[/h3]

• Added Camera Borders To keep our eyes on the content.
• Adjusted Combat Animations Standardised Animation Flow.
• Adjusted 🎨 Dialogue Portraits Streamlined & unified.

Roadmap Feedback Form

[h2]Greetings, TRACHIANs! 👋[/h2]

Halfway into March – time for our routine! The topic at hand is ANARCHY 0.2.1 (Café). For this step of the road, we're putting a big focus on character interactions, quests and abilities.

To track these and all the other changes, I've set up a public roadmap where we can measure our progress towards 0.3 (Renaissance) – to be released on August 28th this year.


In February's Update (Merci), we introduced our first set of new-world indoor areas. The Checkpoint sits at the tail end of Paradise, overlooking a river separating north from south. It's supposed to be a place that – well – checks people and their IDs.

However, it's become more of a pub-like environment with a whole lot of people that don't plan on leaving anytime soon. There's a vibe of a bunker/sanctuary that protects its residents from the big bad outside world. This aspect is currently only partially represented in the game itself.

Café aims to remedy that. All of the 10 NPC conversations in the Checkpoint have effectively quintupled in size. This trend is likely to continue, as we're not only adding dialogue, but also optional quests to breathe life into these people.


Incidentally, one of the NPCs received a huge amount of love. I won't go too deep into his background, since we're exploring that through dialogue anyway. As a matter of fact, I consider him my first attempt at writing a character whose interactions heavily lean into exposition.

After an introductory back-and-forth about Georgios, the Checkpoint and Lorna's service card, the mood suddenly shifts. Turns out that old-world objects (aka Fragments) trigger all kinds of memories. From that point onward, Miro is your primary address when you'd like to talk more about the way things used to be.

At the time of this writing, we've already extended this interaction to the book of books (IONIA). If you talk to Miro while it's in your inventory, you can choose to show it to him. This not only nets you extra exposition, but also a new accessory (NIONIA).


In regards to the present and future, 0.2 confronted us with a closed door. After waiting about a month, we finally get to go inside. The conversation kicks off with a minor exchange between Lorna and Ganymede, before Daph steps in. About two and a half (slightly) innocent lines later, G & D are doing their thing again.

Luckily for us, Helios (formerly Anton) reels the conversation back in. We're not just here for chit-chat, but to plan an excursion towards an old manor overlooking the western end of Paradise. There's rumours that it's full of goodies – chief among them Fragments like Daph's long lost necklace.

After our little prep-talk, we have a chance for a one-on-one with our individual party members (new and old). Everybody has gotten additional dialogue, exposing more about the world, its people – and what Lorna makes of it.


Writing dialogue has me feeling right at home. However, we also want to have a quality-time duking it out in the field. To that end, we've added a total of five new abilities. Helios, for example, comes with Rage. This doubles his DMG, while no longer listening to your commands.

Ganymede, to no surprise, has a Charm ability that seduces enemies into attacking their own kind. Beyond that, there's minor additions like Bees' Sting paralysing the MOVement of their victim by setting it to 0. A new enemy (Wolf) bites to inflict Bleed, an effect that punishes moving by dealing 30% of the affected entity's Max HP as DMG.

Last but not least, Lime can now Consume an enemy below 10% HP in order to permanently learn one of the victim's abilities. On that note, this only works on medium- and small-sized entities. This category, alongside inherent Species traits (Human, Wildlife etc.) is also used to drive modifiers – for example a piece of equipment specifically increasing your DMG vs. Goblins.


Speaking of our miniature sized friends, the northwestern section of Paradise has undergone a major rework. What used to be a shed and a bunch of objects has now turned into a gauntlet leading to a massive villa. It's a building reminiscent of old-world countryside manors, not unlike the one where Lorna and Eury were raised.

However, this particular structure forms the headquarters of the new Goblin Camp. At the moment, it's marked as a construction site, but you can already explore the area and exterminate its inhabitants. In the updates following 0.2.1, we'll extend this section to become a major narrative turning point.

Come 0.3, we'll have parlayed with the Goblins. There will be betrayal, pheromones – and two lovers finding back to each other in a tunnel that leads all the way back to the Checkpoint's basement.

We'll cause a proper shitstorm in Paradise, revitalise its people – and finally lead them to victory through a multi-phase battle against a big bad tree. 🌲


Day job commitments in early-March left me only a couple of days to spend on development so far. For that reason, 0.1.3 (Café) follows a slightly modified schedule. The release will still be on the 28th – with the first public beta hitting Steam sometime next week.

However, we're not adding any major features this time around. Ergo we can pretty much push content up until the very end. Unfortunately, the character builder's update isn't out yet, so we'll focus our attention on things like conversations, abilities, items and equipment.

In other words: Café is our oyster! If you'd like to see anything in particular, please let me know either in the comments or this thread.

One way or another, I'll be back with the release notes and a public beta sometime next week.

Until then, big admiration from your biggest fan! 🥰

much love
nory


Roadmap Feedback Form

Today is February 29th! That's six months since TRACHI 2.0 set foot into this world. One hundred eighty-five days after the fact, ANARCHY 0.2 (Merci) is here.

Most of the new content was covered in the preview and in the release notes. In other words: we have all the space in the world to tie everything together here.

We'll take a look at what kind of game ANARCHY aims to be. A 'story-driven hub-based tactical RPG', is a lot to take in – so let's break it up into individual elements and measure our progress on these fronts from August 2023 to February 2024.


[h3]Old World[/h3]

For the lack of a better term, the 'Old World' consists of around 30 years of fictional history (1890-1924). It's the backbone of AUTONOMY and will continue to play a major role in ANARCHY. Even though the world itself is overwritten, ANARCHY follows the TRACHIAN paradigm that history defines people and their actions.

Already in September 2023, ExcommunicAtion boldly raised the issue of continuity: "What year is it?". Six months later, we're not only asking the same question again in ImmigrAtion, but also sport a whole collection of old-world content represented by 'Fragments'. Some of these are optional, others are driving factors of the main story quest.

[h3]New World[/h3]

Beyond the historical precedence (aka the past), we'll have to figure out the rules that shape the world. Thankfully, we can once again draw inspiration from reality itself: Characters are objects in a video-game. They're still struggling to survive and thrive within a fictional world – we're just way more honest about what's going on.

ExcommunicAtion proved that fact. It takes a single action by a player to kill someone. Shortly afterwards, the victim is reconstructed in front of everybody's eyes. This exact dynamic is now baked into ParAdise through monolith-cycles. Going forth, we'll explore the implications of a digital existence even more explicitly.


[h3]Civilisation[/h3]

Given TRACHI's fictional nature, there's two major groups. One is obviously us – aka humanity. The other group is a bunch of fictionals, who are more or less aware of our presence. From their perspective, we might appear as supernatural entities. However, that doesn't mean they're thinking about us all the time.

In other words: There's overarching questions of life and there's daily routine. AUTONOMY married itself to the latter, whereas ExcommunicAtion doubled-down on the extravagant. ANARCHY in turn tries to strike a balance between these two extremes. The recently introduced Checkpoint is not only an homage to AUTONOMY, but also shows that social structures and their dynamics carry on.

[h3]Field[/h3]

Most JRPGs featuring tactical combat forego exploration in favour of a linear chapter-based approach. ANARCHY instead opts to be inspired by games like Knights of the Old Republic, Divinity: Original Sin or Baldur's Gate. Bluntly put: We're not just flipping through pages in a chronicle, but live and breathe in the same world we're fighting in.

Our first foray into that arrangement is ParAdise. In 0.1, there was a patch of grass with two or three interactables next to a bunch of triggers that teleported us into a battle arena. Nowadays, we're exploring, conversing and fighting in one seamless experience without breaking a sweat.


[h3]Combat[/h3]

TRACHI might be a monument to the individual, but it's ultimately about people and societies. Tactical turn-based combat is a perfect fit, since it puts the spotlight on a group and their collaborative efforts.

This aspect is barely pronounced in ExcommunicAtion. There's Monoliths, Icarus and Ariadne, but the focus is on Ganymede and Daph. ParAdise in its initial stage starts with a party of two, and since January we're able to recruit a third. Soon enough, we'll bump that number up to five.

[h3]Battles[/h3]

ExcommunicAtion was conceived as a demonstration of a multi-stage fight. In contrast, there's a whole load of small-scale skirmishes in ParAdise. A key feature is that battles aren't static in terms of who's taking part. On the contrary – individual encounters can escalate to involve all actors on a given map.

It's a long shot from the way it used to be. Your pre-battle position now directly defines your starting spot. What's more, you can also pull enemies away from each other to pick them off one-by-one. This is especially important for battles that involve elite encounters like the recently added Treant.


[h3]Character Growth[/h3]

If you recall what's been said about TRACHI's history and how it defines the current state of things, you can see why it's a perfect fit for an RPG. AUTONOMY centred around abstract values such as knowledge and trust, whereas ANARCHY throws concrete numbers like HP, ATK and DEF into the mix.

In addition to combat-focused values, there's meta stats like EXP. After reaching a set amount, a character's LVL goes up by one. The LVL then contributes towards ATK, DEF and so on. If you combine that with the combatant's equipment in addition to passive and active effects, you arrive at a character's capability to make a change.

[h3]World-building[/h3]

Just like TRACHI is nothing without you, actions aren't worth much if they're without effect. Even in AUTONOMY, you left your mark by progressing the story. Even though the game itself won't win any awards for interactivity, it's still vastly different from a movie where you just press play.

ExcommunicAtion then introduced a failure state. Daphne's HP hitting zero leads to Ganymede being healed back to full. However, that pales in comparison to the things we can do in ParAdise. We're now able to open chests, manipulate ladders and doors, respawn enemies and friends via monoliths and last but not least: complete quests.


ANARCHY is not afraid to follow AUTONOMY's footsteps. At the same time, we're wearing much bigger shoes. A massive project like this makes it necessary to evaluate each feature's contribution to the overarching experience. All of the aspects mentioned above are core features that comprise the game's cornerstones.

In terms of content, we've added four areas, three quests, three major and thirteen minor conversations, two new ability types, two new status effects and last but not least: the final segment of ImmigrAtion in the span of a month. All of that is tied into a non-linear progression that raises ParAdise from a showcase playground to a prototype for a – well – story-driven hub-based tactical RPG.


Before we take a look ahead, one last thing regarding Merci. So far, most updates included a new achievement and a variation. I originally intended to make this a monthly thing, but there's been a slight change of plans. The character builder's update (scheduled for December) hasn't been released.

As a result, Merci neither includes a new variation nor a new achievement. To make up for that – and to celebrate the release of 0.2, we'll do a rerun of every existing variation. If you've unlocked an achievement outside a promotional window, you'll receive it when you launch the game until the end of March.


August 28th 2024 will see the release of ANARCHY 0.3. We'll keep the monthly schedule we've established at least until then. Our immediate next step aims to comprise a major rework of stats, a skit system (heavily inspired by the "Trails of" series) and a big-picture talk involving Lorna, Daphne, Anton and Ganymede.

Following that, we'll set our eyes on the goblin camp and rework that into a much more hostile area. There'll be at least one building similar in scope to the Checkpoint, just with a whole bunch of meanies inside. In there, we'll try to find Daph's long-lost necklace and also run into an old friend.

You probably recognize him – he's one of AUTONOMY's main characters after all. He'll appear in ParAdise, but will also get his own spin on ExcommunicAtion. I'm super excited for both – so I'll save the details for the corresponding previews.


Last but not least, two more things. First of: Here's the full illustration by a person I wholeheartedly admire and adore. RacoonButler has delivered an earth-shattering piece of art. Word on the street is: There's another one in the works. 👀

Secondly: A massive shoutout to all you handsome people! Above everything else, Merci is me confessing my undying love for you. Thank you very much for your attention, your patience and your continued support!

I'll see you mid-march for our first preview of ANARCHY 0.2.1 (Café). ☕

Many, many hugs from your biggest fan! 🥰

much love
nory



Discussions Feedback Form

[h2]Heyho, friendly People! 👓[/h2]

Next Wednesday, we're saying thank you everyone! Our first big milestone is a celebration of ANARCHY's biggest strengths. Among other things, Merci builds a bridge between ParAdise and the rest of the TRACHI world, adds our first new-world indoor areas and three new main story quests.

Most importantly: you can play through all of that right now! The pre-build just landed on the public beta branch. An overview of the new features can be found in the preview – in addition to the preliminary changelog below. If you run into any issues, feel free to leave a message in this thread.


[h2]Aka Merci[/h2]
[h3]Quests[/h3]

• Added 🪁 "EmigrAtion".
  Was she trying to kill me?
• Added 💳 "Identity"
  Where did I put my service card?
• Added 🏡 "Sanctuary"
  There's Anton – and that Theo guy.
• Adjusted "ImmigrAtion 3"
  What was that?
• Adjusted Service Card position
  Later, Goblin camp!

[h3]Areas[/h3]

• Added 🪑 "Checkpoint Lobby"
  There's so many people here!
• Added 🛌 "Checkpoint First Floor"
  Beds are for sleeping – Right?

[h3]NPCs[/h3]

• Added "Treant"
  A bite worse than a bark.
• Added 10 Human NPCs So we can set them free.

[h3]Abilities[/h3]

• Added "Cleave"
  40% DMG AOE hitting three targets.
• Added "Tomahawk"
  50% DMG Throw, applies -DEF.
• Added "Life"
  +50% Max HP, -50% ATK (Toggle)
• Added "Strength"
  +50% ATK, -50% Max HP (Toggle)

[h3]Items[/h3]

• Added "Ambrosian Shard"
  Maximum Ambrosia +1

[h3]Interaction[/h3]

• Added Door "Open/Close"
  For a bit of privacy.
• Added Ladder "Lower"
  Thank me later, future me!

[h3]User Interface[/h3]

• Added Variation Button Contribution within the game.
• Added Menu Status Effect HUD Shows active buffs and debuffs.
• Added Menu Info HUD For equipment, items and abilities.

[h3]Visual[/h3]

• Added EmigrAtion Tiles A balcony to watch the rain.
• Added Pixel Perfect Camera Preventing tile jittering.
• Adjusted Combat Animations Improved timings.
• Adjusted 🪓 "Liberation"
  Girl with a fire axe.
• Adjusted 🐕 "Hermes"
  A good boy is a Labrador.
• Adjusted Fragment Sprites Repping the Fragments' themes.
• Adjusted 🔳 Arena Smaller, opaque, white frame.
• Adjusted 🌂 RAIN Added white version, red is now Jost*.

[h3]Audio[/h3]

• Added BGM "Checkpoint"
  Crazy times.
• Added BGM "EmigrAtion"
  Breathe in. Breathe out.
  
• Adjusted BGM "Title"
  Doesn't mess around.
• Adjusted BGM "Battle"
  The former Title theme.
• Adjusted Slash SFX Blades can sing.

[h3]Meta[/h3]

• Reworked Steam Items Separated Legacy & Store.
• Added Franchise Page AUTONOMY & ANARCHY 🤝

Massive thanks to RacoonButler for this incredible scenery! It's part of a composition we've been teasing in this month's preview. Next Thursday, the full thing will be unveiled, as we kick off ANARCHY's second phase. In the meantime, we'll do our best to make it worth your while! 🥰

Best wishes, many hugs and – if we're feeling brave – a shy bunch of kissies on the cheek.

much love
nory

[h2]Salutations, friends! 👋[/h2]

It's February 2024 and we're about to hit the six month mark in our cooperative efforts to build a video game. On the 29th of February, we'll officially enter the second phase of development.

[h2]Abstract[/h2]
ANARCHY 0.2 (Merci) not only connects the dots between ExcommunicAtion and ParAdise by adding a whole new scene to ImmigrAtion, but also formally introduces Pandora (Lorna) as a protagonist.

Her first goal in the new world is to kill a tree. To that end, a new indoor area (Checkpoint) adds a grand total of ten new NPCs. It's our first glimpse into the social dynamics of ANARCHY. We're not just here to kill things, but to build a better future with our own human hands.

Last but not least, Merci also implements a whole new set of abilities, coupled with several features aimed at improving quality of life. From a pixel perfect camera to target-based AOEs, revamped UIs and dynamic buttons to purchase Steam Items from within the game – 0.2 is a standing ovation with us shouting for more.

[h2]Civilisation[/h2]

Imagine a place stuck in cycles. Now picture a girl with a red axe stepping in. Her mind is preoccupied by thoughts about her sister, but we know the story is much bigger than that. Here's someone who's way more blunt than the people we've seen so far. It's like throwing a firebrand into ParAdise.

Over the next couple of months, we'll work on Thermopylae's primary narrative. Witnessing a world that's not good and taking the first step towards a better one. Our main quest is to kill a tree. To do that, we'll need a whole bunch of people.

Completing individual quests is our most convincing argument to prove that times are ripe for change. Once we've achieved critical mass, we can trigger a big showdown with the tree. Either we lose and things go back to the way they were, or we smash it into bits – and successfully reshape part of the world.

[h2]Party[/h2]

In addition to everything else, the Checkpoint also showcases another new feature. Pandora herself might still be a bit timid, but the same can't be said of everyone. A big part of the escalating discourse will be driven by party members who like to stir shit up.

To get to these interactions, you'll naturally have to bring people together first. This leads us to a clear road of progression for ParAdise. You'll not only do side-quests for NPCs, but also advance long-running companion quests that unlock new interactions and in some cases even drive the main story forward.

[h2]Tree[/h2]

The monsters roaming Thermopylae act under the protection of a uber-baddy known as the Treant, or TREE for short. No matter whether you fight him with or without a reinvigorated bunch of NPCs, he'll be a multi-stage fight that requires not only careful planning, but other forms of preparation too.

Fortunately, we already have a bit of experience regarding multi-stage battles. Depending on the tree's HP, he'll display different combat behaviours that also force you to adjust your strategy. Initially, he'll try to stomp you to death. Though there's also add-phases, single-turn DPS checks and a whole range of different AOEs in the works.

[h2]Abilities[/h2]

The Stomp employed by the tree works similarly to a new ability called Cleave. You pick a target and if there's enemies to the left and right of it, you'll hit them too. This rudimentary target-based AOE is our blueprint from which we can extrapolate more advanced abilities – like dealing damage on the main target and/or weakening secondary targets.

Another new type of ability appears in the shape of toggleable status effects. Lime has learned his first two Metamorphosis skills that make him shift his status values at his own convenience. Down the road, we can not only extend this with more metamorphic abilities, but also modify them through traits gained by levelling up and/or unlocking them through the eventual talent tree.

[h2]A whole bag of things[/h2]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Before we move on to the big flagship addition coming with Merci, let's have a quick round-up of smaller changes throughout. Status effects, applied for example by Lime's Metamorphosis abilities, are now displayed in Status HUDs embedded into ingame Menus.

Next to further improvements to Pathfinding, player controls were adjusted so running against walls doesn't cause animation flickering anymore. The entire screen now also profits from Pixel Perfect camera modules, heavily reducing tile jittering. Last but not least, we've also added unique weapon skills that characters internalise as they're wielding the corresponding weapon.

[h2]Convenience[/h2]

Obviously, there'll also be a new achievement and a new variation. I'm still playing with concepts, though I can say already that Lorna will very likely get her 1919 summer dress you might know from AUTONOMY's Act 3.

Speaking of variations: They've been split into Store and Legacy versions. Both work the same on a technical level, but the Legacy (Patch Reward) items are time-exclusive and thus in limited supply. The store versions are unlimited and can now also be purchased from within the game.

[h2]Contribution[/h2]

With that, ANARCHY's store is also brought to life. I've been going back and forth between the 'when', since I'm not sure if the game is ready to be monetised. I had the same discussion with myself throughout all of AUTONOMY. However, there's a crucial difference: ANARCHY has a minimally-intrusive way for you to show your love.

Cosmetics are not only the lesser, but by far the least evil form of making a dime. If people buy enough of these, we can call it there and never need to worry about monetisation ever again. We'll talk more about concrete numbers we need to reach down the line. For now, let's get to the part we've all been waiting for! 👀

[h2]Regalia[/h2]
Silhouette famously introduced the third stage of ImmigrAtion. Lorna found her room and a bird who shouldn't have been there. What follows is an emotional scene between Lorna and Eury, where the two of them finally get a chance to say things they should've said a long time ago.

Eury's demeanour already betrayed there's more at play. Being observant as we are, we already noticed her 1923 attire. Compounded by what we've seen of Ganymede and Daphne, we can surmise the year is anything but 1913. Our theory has been out in the wake for about a month – and I think it's high time we lifted the veil.

[h2]EmigrAtion[/h2]

There's a series of cracks, as if a window shatters. We find ourselves on a balcony overlooking a pitch black sky. As the RAIN starts to pour, Lorna appears in her 1919 variation. It's a lot to take in, both for players and Lorna herself. As we're trying to make sense of the situation, Eury starts talking about dates and events some of us still remember.

It might seem agonising at first, but Eury's questions – coupled with Lorna's answers – give us a little perspective. It's not 1913, nor is it 1918. Lorna's final service card was issued in 1919, which means it's either that or later. We're left to fill in the blanks in our heads, as we're hurled back into the green shades of Thermopylae.

[h2]– Merci –[/h2]


During the next two and a half weeks, we'll make sure the features above are properly integrated into the game. We've already established it as a working routine, but there is a striking difference between previous updates and Merci. Earlier patches had to set up a lot of infrastructure – at the cost of content.

For this one here, it's almost reversed. A lot of features are built on top of things we've established months ago. As a result, there's plenty of time for overall quality assurance and general optimisation. If everything goes well, I might even get around to implement a little surprise feature or two! 😳

[h2]February 29th[/h2]

One way or the other, ANARCHY is about to grow up. We're entering our second semester both with confidence and humility. The game has massively outgrown its original form. ExcommunicAtion used to be our primary selling point, but ParAdise is about to grab that crown.

This year, we'll not only celebrate ANARCHY's first birthday on August 28th – but AUTONOMY's fifth on the exact same day as well! The artwork above is part of a beautiful piece graciously created by RacoonButler as the first in a monthly series accompanying us towards TRACHI's date of dates.

[h2]Conclusion[/h2]
For some reason, I can't stop going on about how integral you are to our little adventure here. I'm not the best at engaging nor building a community. However, I try to make up for it by improving the game instead. In other words: If you can find it in your heart, please leave a review either for ANARCHY and/or – especially – AUTONOMY.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1811440/TRACHI__AUTONOMY/

Every cent spent on TRACHI goes to people that care. There's no need for us to grow big – just raise enough to feed a bunch of individuals who love making video-games. If we can achieve that, I at the very least won't ask for anything more from this world.

We'll see each other again next week with a full changelog flanked by Merci's release on the public beta branch. Until then, it's my privilege – as your biggest fan – to wish you a great couple of days! 🤗

much love
nory