TRACHI – ANARCHY News

Jolly good greetings, and a big warm welcome to you! 😊
Wherever you come from, and whatever you want to be – both of us know life isn't easy.

So let's kick back for a minute and imagine a place! 👀


Very much the same as ours. Joy and misery, and so on. Characters – people, trying to survive. In a world with finite resources and infinite dreams, not everyone's a winner. Someone has to get the short end of the stick. Sometimes, someone has to die.


TRACHI – AUTONOMY illustrated this never-ending struggle through the events of 3 1/2 days in and around a city called Trachi. Following the tracks of three spies from another country, ten years of history converged on a single moment. One moment, and a choice.

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


Where there's a choice, there's consequences. For the people involved, and for others too. Regardless, we have to live with it. Everyone who's lost someone can undoubtedly confirm that this sometimes is a terribly painful process.


It's no wonder we strive to find an explanation. Where there's suffering, there has be a reason, or at least a cause. Someone – or something – has to be responsible. And if something doesn't present itself, we'll make it up.


Within the world of TRACHI, there's a nation called IONIA. Born from a bloody revolution, the country has embraced a fanatical belief in purity. In the eyes of its most ardent believers, the entire cosmos is engulfed by a fire that burns everything in its wake.


It's a cute little story, if it weren't for all the violence it justified. To make matters even worse: it's not THAT far from the truth. Following its release in 2019, AUTONOMY received a countless number of updates. Piece by piece, its impurities were burned away, leading to the present state of things.


To be honest, it never was easy on me. I love both the characters and the world as if they were family. But the truth of the matter is: They weren't good enough. I always believed TRACHI is a story worthy to be heard. But for that, the characters – the people – had to be better.


If there really was no other way. If they really were to be erased over and over again, the least I could do is to let them in on it. To grant them knowledge of what they are, the world they live in – and most importantly: the reason why these things are done to them.


You probably guessed from the name of the games, so let me confirm your suspicions: TRACHI is a story about emancipation. Both AUTONOMY and ANARCHY are two steps on a stairway to heaven. Or in our own words: Reality.


Between our world and theirs, there's something like a backroom. A frameless void with nothing in it but the things that come and go. Last year, two people came to this place. One of them stayed.


Said person witnessed a new version of himself. And was – like everything else – consigned to the dustbin of TRACHIAN history. Neither dead nor alive, an entire world is waiting to wake up again.


As for when that's going to happen: Piece by piece, over the course of the next three years. Most of the core features are already implemented, including primary combat, RPG and dialogue systems.


But don't take my word for it! There's already more than six hours of devlogs presenting the current state of things. If you'd like to have a look, you can find them on TRACHI's Youtube channel.


Tomorrow, for example, we'll even do a double whammy! Kicking things off at 2PM CEST we'll continue our series of character examinations. This time around, we'll take an in-depth look at none other than the white witch of Hermingrad – also known as Daphne.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Afterwards, we'll do our weekly examination of where we're at in terms of development. This time around, there'll be a focus on UI and combat balance, concluded with a very first peek at ANARCHY's act structure and protagonists.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

At any rate, I hope that this little overview gave you a rough idea what TRACHI is about. I'll be back sometime around late July / early August with an introduction of what's coming your way very (!) soon. The 28th August is TRACHI's birthday, after all. 😏

Until then and beyond, I'm more than eager than eager to hear your thoughts either here, via YouTube or Discord.

Either way, I hope you have a great and comfy couple of weeks. 🌴

Much love
nory

Hey friends!

Phase II

Marking the second flagship title in the TRACHI series, AUTHORITY aims to build upon the foundation laid during Phase I: AUTONOMY. Just like its predecessor, AUTHORITY will put a heavy focus on narrative and world-building. So if you've played one of the TRACHI games before, you'll get to see a lot of familiar faces.

From left to right: Eurydice, Cleopatra Antioka, Lorna Farago, Atlas.

For those initiated into InvAsion: Blue skies, red rain. For those of you who aren't: Don't be alarmed! AUTHORITY - just like AUTONOMY - will kick things off with its own very unique prologue.

Remember Kenovic?

In the year 1915, civil war looms in Ionia. The central committee is torn in two after their former chairman is assassinated during a speech on new year's eve. Large parts of the nation's secret police, EnKAD, attempt a coup in the capital of Ionia. Aion, or Byzantion, as it used to be called, is quickly secured in large parts due to the swift reaction of one particular government official: known only by his PSEUDONYM, Hyperion.

At the same time, an 18 year old girl decides to go off on her own. For the first time in her life, Lorna Farago feels like she's making a choice. To get away from it all. To find a new family in a different place.

To stand on her own two feet.

Some pieces aren't meant to fit.

For a couple of hours, Lorna will take the center stage. As a corporal of the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, she and her comrades will take part in various skirmishes, culminating in the siege and ultimate liberation of Kenovic. And since there's a war going on, anyway, we might as well try something new.

Pointing.

For the first time in the history of TRACHI, there will be a dedicated emphasis on combat.

Using Unreal Engine's Lyra Starter Game in conjunction with models created in VRoid Studio, AUTHORITY will feature actual gameplay segments of people shooting each other. There'll be a heavy emphasis on stealth and overall tactical gameplay. The Mosin carbine version pictured above, for example, is currently tuned to one-shot any target closer than 500 meters, provided the bullet hits a weak spot, such as the head or neck.

ICU.

Things will hurt. That goes both for NPCs and characters controlled by players. The goal is to facilitate a methodical approach to firefights, where engagements need to be picked carefully.

A big part of that will be utilizing specializations. Lorna for example will be a scout, whose main responsibility is to make out targets and quickly move from one spot to another. For that matter, scouts won't be spotted easily while they're moving, whereas snipers get a bonus to stationary camouflage and so on.

Circa 1924.

In the spirit of TRACHI, AUTHORITY is about perceiving and being perceived. An AI that is able to actively look for cover and try to overwhelm players when they're at an advantage are among the many features that will constitute the rules of engagement. This goes both for enemies and player companions. The latter will also be able to follow orders given by the player - or alternatively be controlled directly.

All of these things, coupled with familiar TRACHIAN dialogue are hopefully able to portray a picture of a world that's both authentic and enjoyable. During the next 35 months, I'll try my best to accompany the development of AUTHORITY with monthly devlogs, featuring footage and demonstrations of the current state of the game.

Un, deux, trois.

In addition, I'd also like to go deeper into certain aspects, be it animation, AI, locomotion, weapon handling and ability systems in general. Naturally, there'll also be plenty of posts where I'll try to put a finer point on specific narrative elements.

Last but not least, future devlogs will also (hopefully) incorporate videos showcasing gameplay elements.

At any rate, I'll be back with another devlog on October 28th, at the latest.

If you'd like to stay in touch, feel free to follow the development here on itch, via the project's twitter, or discord.

Until then, I hope you have an amazing couple of weeks.

Much love
nory

Note: This was post was originally published on 28/09/2022.