TRACHI – ANARCHY News

Holy moly – is it time! Four months after the fact, I'm proud (and relieved) to finally present the next stage of ANARCHY.

We're talking two new chapters, manipulation mechanics, ultimate abilities, reworked stats, conversation control, interaction menus (Talk / Trade / Examine) and streamlined (auto)-save functionalities. Furthermore, we hammered out the Act structure:


The missing pieces (formerly ExtrapolAtion B & C) complete the prologue – which now directly leads to ParAdise. You can start a (true) new game in ExcommunicAtion or jump into any chapter / phase between that and Lorna waking up next to a monolith.

Starting now, you get to enjoy the first five movements of a new major questline (Eremite), grab twelve new challenges from the hunting board and / or talk and trade with NPC patrols. If you're a dreamer with a taste for future tense, I'm sure you'll appreciate the first glimpse at a new central hub.


All of that is accompanied by new combat mechanics: from path-AOEs to manipulation abilities, from Weapons that turn into combatants, to a completely new stat (XTC) that unlocks character-specific ultimates. By the way: Did I mention there's 6 new characters, 12 new / adjusted pieces of BGM and a skip, auto and (henceforth persistent) dialogue log?

Honestly, there's so many changes to cover. I didn't even get to tell you about the achievements, variations and the like. You know what? Here's a thought: Give the Beta a spin and let me know what you think. We could hold hands while we put the belts and braces on that thing! 😊


Going forth, you can access the form through a permanent button on the top-right of your screen. Once you hit submit, your thoughts are bundled together with a screenshot and a player log – and dispatched directly to me.

As for everything else: We'll save the proper overview for the release on the live branch (sometime before christmas). For now, please enjoy the beta for an update that is nothing short of a metamorphosis. ANARCHY just took a big step towards becoming the game it wants to be.

I'll see you in a week or two! 🙏

much love
nory





[h2]ANARCHY 0.3[/h2]
[h3]Acts[/h3]

• Added 🔢"ExplanAtion".
  Happy 192X!

[h3]Chapters[/h3]

• Added 🌆 "ExtrapolAtion – arteria ".
  Three people and a city.
• Added 🌂 "ExtrapolAtion – ambrosia ".
  Four people and the RAIN

[h3]Quests[/h3]

• Added 📅 "ExplanAtion".
  ExcommunicAtion & ExtrapolAtion
• Added 📅 "Eremite".
  Heinrich Navratil

[h3]Quest Task[/h3]

• Added "ExcogitAtion"
  One thought far and wide.
• Added "ExhumAtion"
  Nothing lasts forever.
• Added "ExpatriAtion"
  Yesterday is history.
• Added "ExpatriAtion"
  Three hurrahs for AUTONOMY!
• Added "ExplanAtion"
  Something-something ANARCHY.
• Added "Private"
  Grumpy guy.
• Added Task "Sergeant"
  Does he live here by himself?
• Added Task "Lieutenant"
  What's botherimg him?

[h3]Areas[/h3]

• Added "Stuart Alley"
  Trachi by night.
• Added "Goose Shed"
  CoExA Station.
• Added "Cabin"
  Far away from everyone.
• Adjusted "Paradise North"
  Central HQ

[h3]Combatants[/h3]

• Added "Atlas"
  Top of the world
• Added "Prometheus"
  Threedom
• Added "Heinrich"
  Formerly Lieutenant
• Added "Militia"
  Brin, Bron, Bashkim, Dan & Craig
• Extended "Eurydice"
  Queen to A2
• Extended "Selene"
  Portraits & 1913 Variation

[h3]Mechanics[/h3]

• Added "Conversation Menu"
  Examine | Talk | Trade
• Added "XTC"
  Miracles are made of you.
• Added "PATH Abilities"
  A line drawn in the sand.
• Added "KOSMOS"
  It wears YOU.
• Added "Patrols"
  Brin & Bron
• Added "Hunting Board"
  They're monsters, okay?
• Added "Report Form"
  Submit bugs & feedback ingame
• Reworked "DMG Formula"
  HP / (ATK - DEF) = Hit to Kill
• Reworked "Status Development"
  Curves -> Additive Growth
• Added "Companions"
  Daphne | Lime
• Adjusted "Pathfinding"
  Euclidean -> Manhattan

[h3]Abilities[/h3]

• Added Attack "Buckshot"
  60% DMG [TRGT AOE]
• Added Skill "Hinder"
  60% DMG | SLOW [2 TURN]
• Added Skill "Ricochet"
  60% DMG [TRGT AOE]
• Added Skill "Pull"
  Draw TRGT 1 TILE | 150% DMG if blocked
• Added Buff "ENERGIZE"
  +3 MOV [4 TURN]
• Added Buff "PROTECT"
  +20% DEF [4 TURN]
• Added Kosmos "Demarcate"
  80% DMG [PATH] | IMMOBILE [1 TURN]
• Added Kosmos "Interpolate"
  140% DMG [PATH] | STUN [1 TURN]
• Added Kosmos "Recuperate"
  80% DMG [PATH] | SLOW [1 TURN]
• Added Attack "DEVASTATE"
  200% DMG [CLEAVE]
• Added XTC "AVATAR"
  +60% ALL [4 TURN]
• Added XTC "GRAVITY"
  Draw TRGT 10 TILE [GLOBAL] | STUN [2 TURNS]
• Added XTC "UN DEUX TROIS"
  70% DMG [AOE] | +10% per TRGT
• Reworked XTC "VELOCITY"
  +1 ACT | +5 MOV [1 TURN] | STUN [1 TURN] AFTER
• Reworked XTC "CONSUME"
  Kill TRGT
• Reworked XTC "ANTEDECENT"
  80% DMG [AOE] | WEAKEN [3 TURNs]
• Adjusted XTC "RAGE"
  20% Lifesteal | No CNTRL
• Adjusted XTC "CASCADE"
  101% Annihilation
• Adjusted META "Life"
  Removed Action Cost

[h3]Status Effects[/h3]

• Added "Eureka"
  +5000% EXP
• Added "Kosmonaut"
  +3 MOV
• Added "Validated"
  +10% ATK
• Added "Invigorated"
  +10% ATK | 100% XTC
• Added "Orpheus"
  +1 RANGE
• Added "Ganymede"
  +1 MOV
• Adjusted "Incorporated"
  +10% ATK
• Adjusted "Extracorporated"
  +10% ATK
• Added "Deprecated"
  -10% ATK

[h3]Equipment[/h3]

• Added "Responsibility"
  +15% ATK
• Added "KOSMOS"
  +15% ATK | +5% DEF
• Added "Dignity"
  +15% ATK
• Added "Loyalty"
  +7 ATK
• Added "Entropy"
  +9 ATK
• Added "Shirt"
  +1 DEF
• Added "Blouse"
  +1 DEF
• Added "Independence"
  ALWAYS CNTR
• Added "Manipulator"
  ABILITY [PUSH] | [PULL]
• Adjusted "Machete" Renamed | +6 ATK
• Adjusted "Last Resort"
  +15% ATK
• Adjusted "First Response"
  +15% ATK
• Adjusted "Solidarity"
  +15% ATK

[h3]UI[/h3]

• Added Dialogue "Skip"
  Words just fly by
• Added Dialogue "Auto"
  They talk by themselves.
• (Re)Added HUD "Tooltip"
  Powered by your cursor
• Added HUD "Combatant Effect"
  Display active combatant's effects
• Added HUD Overlay "LVLUP"
  Feelsgoodman
• Added Manipulation Highlight "
  Distance and direction
• Reworked Battle Menu "Abilities"
  Main -> Ability Type -> Ability
• Added Main Menu Option "Load"
  Jump back into a memory
• Added Main Menu "ExplanAtion"
  ExcommunicAtion & ExtrapolAtion
• Added "Explanation Save Points"
  Start of every chapter
• Reworked "Auto Saves"
  3 Slots -> 2 Slots | Auto & Old-Auto
• Adjusted Main Menu "Phase"
  Unlocked individually
• Adjusted Chapter Select "Paradise"
  ImmigrAtion | Glade | Awake
• Adjusted Main Menu "Input"
  Moved to Options
• Adjusted UI "Frames"
  Unboxing boxes
• Adjusted "Battle Message"
  New content and animation.
• Adjusted "Dialogue Bubble"
  Click anywhere to continue
• Adjusted "History"
  Persistence | Overview -> Info
• Adjusted "Quest Log"
  Task rewards & requirements

[h3]Variation[/h3]

• Added "Cerberus"
  Three people and a city 0.1
• Added "Protean"
  Brotherhood
• Added "Trojan Boy"
  Pick-me-up

[h3]Achievements[/h3]

We're approaching the end of September, so I'll have to make due on my promise! Our third (and hopefully final) preview of ANARCHY 0.3 ties it all together through a mix of ExcommunicAtion, ParAdise – and last but not least: ExtrapolAtion C!


We covered ExtrapolAtion B in plenty here and here. Today's good news is: Trachi 1923's segments are 100% set up. We've got the intro conversation, NPC (and companion) interactions, the dialogue and subsequent battle with Ariadne all under wraps.

The encounter itself is far more difficult than anything we've faced so far. A deathless run is absolutely possible, but requires pitch-perfect execution. One way or the other, Ariadne takes a fall.

I'll let you discover (and untangle) her message in your own time. After all, we've got a date with the room where AUTONOMY peaked. The place where Atlas and Daphne settled things with Orpheus and Eurydice.


In a not-so-shocking turn of events, a different situation unfolds: Neither Orpheus nor Eurydice are anywhere to be found. We'll get an explanation for that later in ExtrapolAtion. For now, we have to make due with Orpheus' little brother.

Like Ariadne – Ganymede has gone off-script. Daphne is justifiable pissed. Atlas easily picks up on the discrepancies. For one, Ganymede should have a cut on his left cheek. Secondly: his hands are fine. It's an irregularity with explosive implications. Daphne drops the mask and gets a hint of revenge for a wound inflicted in 1923. There's a crack, a bang, the world turns black. It's August 28th 1926.


Ten months after the first teaser, it's high-time we follow-up ExcommunicAtion. We're back in ATOPIA, right before the RAIN. Plenty of time to drop a couple of answers! Topics on the agenda include: time, the people and the space we're in.

Something big must've happened in 1924. The world endlessly regurgitates AUTONOMY. Daphne and Ganymede are evidently eager to abuse the situation. Atlas is reluctant until proof presents itself. Something inherently absurd – like random letters falling from the sky.


RAIN giveth and it taketh away. Every year on August 28th, the world is recompiled. Characters are restored to their base-forms and retain nothing but the memories they made.

Gameplay-wise, we're back to Level 1. Our opener (Phase 1) is a melee throw-back to ExcommunicAtion. There's just one key difference: It's not a freebee anymore. We're doubling down on positioning, showing how strong Knockback can be in the right hands.

Phase 2 and onward is weapons hot. Last Resort and First Response make a glorious comeback. Which leads us to the most important question of them all: What's Atlas' signature?


Big sword spells big responsibility. The blade itself is so large, it occupies its own cell and acts as a (temporary) combatant. Althought we can't control it directly, Atlas has a whole set of tools or the job.

For example: You can pull KOSMOS towards you to deal damage in a straight line. The reverse obviously also works. By far the most devastating ability is InterpolAtion. Two turns after activation, everything in the immediate vicinity of KOSMOS gets vaporised.

You'd almost feel bad for Ganymede and Daph. Then again, they wouldn't press the issue if they didn't have a plan!


Put yourself into Atlas shoes. He's been driven by hunger, dedication, love, despair and finally: revenge. Now that he's seen what the RAIN can do, there's a possibility. If objects can be constructed – does it work for people, too?

Veterans of ExcommunicAtion know that it does. So do Daphne and Ganymede. When Atlas is about to reach the same conclusion, they offer a helping hand. From a marriage of red and white emerges a dream come true.

For the sake of avoiding spoilers, we'll leave it at that. Rest assured, though: The dialogue – from its darkest valleys to its brightest sparks – is already there. Our destination is also crystal clear. No matter where the road takes us inbetween, we'll eventually land in Aion 1913.


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
We're about to have a continuous sequence from ExcommunicAtion to about 30% into ParAdise. So it's high time we spared a thought on the overall ANARCHY experience! Part of that is ExcommunicAtion's dialogue revision (covered here).

On that note: A little eureka appeared while I sorting out ExtrapolAtion's battle score. RAIN apparently goes super hard with dance / edm. If you haven done so already, feel free to check out the demo above.

Arguably the biggest change is the addition of vocal tracks. There's a connection between voice and the RAIN – although that doesn't mean we're neglecting other musical bits of ANARCHY!


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
ParAdise started out as a dreamy and ethereal place. We've recently shifted it closer and closer towards a semi-grounded frontier atmosphere. It's closer in line with Pandora's childhood memories: a somewhat spoiled younger sister behaving not-so aristocratically.

Now put these things into an arc about self-actualisation: we arrive at a sheltered protagonist stepping into a world without too many laws. Pandora has a habit of breaking things, but she's also keen to repair and rebuild.

The second preview offered a first hint of that. We (re)introduced Heinrich and his hut. What started out as a small side-quest has now evolved into one of ParAdise's bigger threads.


AUTONOMY-people might rightfully ask the question: What does this guy have to do with Pandora? It's simple, really: Heinrich was a Sergeant of the Trachian prefecture. He was ordered to investigate rumours of a false-flag attack on Fredrick Dam.

On the other side of that encounter was the Ionian Military. We know that Pandora would've been part of that attack – if not for Hyperion's intervention. In concrete terms: There's a scenario where the two of them would've pointed a gun at each other.

Obviously, neither of them are aware of that. We just happen to meet a grumpy eremite crippled by guilt. Pandora being Pandora, she can't help but dig. As we advance through the quests, we'll help Heinrich to rebuild his house and his relationship with the past at the same time.


One major element of ANARCHY's first act is shaping up to centered around a life in and after military service. Pandora's own development is firmly tied to her ambiguous relationship with an organisation she technically shouldn't fit into.

However, it's also the place where she learned to (somewhat) stand on her own feet. There's a feeling of comradery between her, Helios and Selene. This sentiment is extended towards everybody that served. The Fragmentarian (Miroslav) and Heinrich being two such examples.

ParAdise is free of geopolitics, which means there's no need for a military. The Checkpoint is full of bored veterans, drowning their varying amounts of PTSD. It's the perfect climate for Pandora to stir things up.


So far the plan. I'm still heavily invested in my PhD, so it's hard for me to give a proper ETA. However! Tomorrow I'll be off to my final conference this year.

After that, its just research and writing. If all goes well, we might get ANARCHY 0.3's beta out around mid-October. The post for that should be pretty succinct, but I'll try to cover a couple of technical changes that didn't fit into the previews.


Guys, Girls and Everybody else! I know the last nine months were a shitshow. If the Steam Awards had a category for 'Early-Access Hell', I'd have to make room on my shelf.

Despite all of that, people are downloading and playing the game. Not to speak of the people who read these posts. I'm blessed in two ways: There's a crowd that cares – and it's small enough for me to appreciate everyone.

Tl;Dr: Thank you for sticking it out with me! Talk to you in October, you absolute champs!

Huggies and kissies and all that!

much love
nory

I hope all of you arrived well into September 2024. Turns out this is our first post in ANARCHY's second year! Seeing as I just recently had to publicly apologise – it's high-time we sat down for a little one o' one.

[h2]Nostalgia[/h2]

Let's start with ExtrapolAtion. Our return to Trachi is roundabout 90% done. The maps are finished and the dialogue is coded in. I'm currently testing the battle back and forth. On the whole, this segment took super long – partially since it's a crossroads for many things.

First off: the story. TRACHI has always been about who knows what at which point. ExtrapolAtion B's situation proved to be incredibly tough in that regard. Contrary to AUTONOMY, Atlas and Daphne are greeted by Ariadne when they step inside.

You can imagine how much Daphne wants to call her out. There's a good reason not to, though! As far as everybody is concerned, Atlas may or may not know whether it's actually 1923. The only hint we get appears in the question he puts to Ariadne: Should you be here?

[h2]Indulgence[/h2]

Unsurprisingly, the conversation is full of references to AUTONOMY. From Trachi's sewers to arteria and Icarus – all roads converge on this point. After the back and forth, a battle ensues.

Ariadne by herself doesn't pose much of a threat. Although she's the core of a city fighting back, her main effort goes towards helping Atlas connect the dots. It's a blessing in disguise, given that Daphne and Ganymede have their own plans for him.

We'll talk more about it at the end of the post. For now, let's put the focus on the stage itself. ExtrapolAtion will take place in two additional locations. One of them is the place where ANARCHY began.

[h2]ATOPIA[/h2]

In 1925, Daphne came to. As ExcommunicAtion's protagonist, she took it upon herself to beat up Ganymede real good. The point of the segment is to expose players (both old and new) to the macro plot and combat elements of the game.

It's one of the reasons why we repeatedly went back to improve and rephrase parts of the dialogue. ANARCHY 0.3 proudly continues that tradition. Daphne's initial banter with Ganymede admittedly felt a bit out of place, given that she's been out of it for a year.

Come 0.3, Daphne will be far more inquisitive. It's a smoother buildup to her reaction at seeing Icarus – and also aligns her closer to the player. ANARCHY's motifs are introduced more confidently, since we can now rely on ExtrapolAtion to follow them up.

[h2]Conversation[/h2]

If words aren't your cup of tea, we got you covered, too! A toggle in the title screen's main menu used to trigger a shortcut in ExcommunicAtion's dialogue tree. Going forth, we don't need that crutch anymore.

Instead, we have a skip-button that runs through any conversation instantly. All cutscene-specific commands (e.g. pathfinding, spawning and despawning characters) are executed and we'll land exactly where we should.

On the backend, skipping works similarly to Auto-mode. This (reintroduced) feature advances the dialogue automatically at a readable – and customizable – pace. If you still happen to miss a line or two, you can read it back in the (aesthetically improved) conversation history.

[h2]Information[/h2]

ANARCHY 0.1.1 (Encore) introduced tooltips for Status Effects. I had to unfortunately roll it back due to them unpredictably crashing the game. It took me the better part of a year – but I've finally gotten around to sort it out.

Come ANARCHY 0.3, you'll be able to hover over all kinds of things. Status effects and other UI elements are just the tip of the iceberg. Entities in the world – such as interactable objects and combatants work as well. This means you'll finally be able to check the Level of enemies in ParAdise before you engage.

Speaking of that – let's take a look at what our Little Pear is up to!

[h2]Macrodise[/h2]

August 28th's story preview taught me one thing above everything else: Lorna's adventure still has a couple of question marks. Counting what we currently have (Paradise North), the Glade and the Checkpoint, we need at least one more major hub.

However, there's a major conceptual problem with our setup. If you recall ImmigrAtion's balcony scene, it's evidently facing north. Both the bridge next to the checkpoint and the road crossing the Glade are pointing – you guessed it – north.

This led me to (finally) sketch out a macro-map. If you're interested, heres a (very impressive) draft here. I'll revisit the topic in the next couple of months, but let's keep the milestones farm, windmill and castle in the back of our heads.

[h2]Eremite[/h2]

We can apply our newfound knowledge immediately. The first point of improvement is the south-western section of the map. There's these hills that feel super uncanny – not to speak of the fact that the section is more or less a dead-end.

Both problems are solved by carving a new path to the Manor northwest. We've also added a little cottage housing an old friend. Luckily us! Someone who 'can't just stand idly by' comes in handy when there's a Daphne in distress.

Our new-found ally increases the number of friendly combatants. We're ramping up the enemies to compensate, making this our first big fight. As a reward, Daphne joins the team, we clean up a bit of Paradise and – if Lorna puts on the friendly eyes – we might see what the cottage looks like inside.

[h2]Companionship[/h2]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
On the topic of making friends: Remember the big feature we added in June? Renaissance introduced companions that follow you around the map. Selene does so after Pandora lands in the Glade. ExtrapolAtion B's Daphne extends that behaviour across maps.

There's ways to go, but our goal is clear: Build a system that supports party members at preset positions on the map, persistent companions that follow you around – and last but not least – deployable battle combatants.

Let's be frank: This challenge is one of the tallest mountains we have to climb. On the other hand, we've already gotten super far. And besides – I do look my best when I'm dying on a hill.

[h2]X Marks the spot[/h2]

The last six months were a lesson in patience and restraint. We'll slowly but surely wrap up ExtrapolAtion C as the final (non-flashback) piece of pre-Paradise.

In broad strokes: the road continues in Trachi, then the world succumbs to RAIN. There's a multi-phase threesome with a couple of surprise appearances, followed by credits leading straight to ImmigrAtion.

More on that in the third and final preview – hopefully this month. Until then, here's a good-luck hug to manifest you a couple of stellar weeks! 🤗

much love
nory

Remember when I promised a major update two months ago? We followed it up by a progress report on July 28th, where we covered what should've been ANARCHY 0.3 (ExtrapolAtion).

The truth is: I've barely had time to spin the things I've worked on into a releasable build. We'll thus have to delay the update by a couple of weeks. Rest assured, though: there's a lot more months to the year!

The last couple of weeks have given me a good hold of the narrative pieces ANARCHY needs. Story remains our strongest point – so let's have a look at the arcs of the individual acts!

[h2]– ParAdise –[/h2]

The first act puts Pandora (aka Lorna) in the driving seat. Following the intro (ImmigrAtion), our protagonist wakes up in a strange new place. There's a bunch of familiar faces, but the world has radically changed. Either that – or Pandora's memory is terribly wrong.

To answer that question, we revisit snapshots of Pandora's life between 1913 and 1919. Key factors are her relationship to Atlas (Aron), Selene (Cleo) and Eurydice (Viktoria). Pandora's aristocratic background, her new identity and life in the military make up her primary arcs.

All in all, the beginning and end of Pararadise proper is mostly sorted out. The current challenge is to pave the road in between. Some of the steps are already there: There's the Checkpoint, the Orchard and the Tree. We'll use the former two to kill the latter – revealing a way to the Castle and confront Eurydice.

[h2]– Prometheus –[/h2]

Once all is well in Paradise, we spot a post-game door. We could live happily ever after, but Pandora knows that there's answers out there. There's a familiar balcony, an old friend – and for the first time in almost year – it RAINs.

That's the cue for ANARCHY's antagonist to reveal itself. A new kind of character – neither bound by history nor a script – has his own plans for the game. TRACHI's people are transformed into training subjects, forced to relive their memories over and over again.

[h2]– ParAdox –[/h2]

Daphne's (Dorothy) intro kicks off in 1915. She's kidnapped, orphaned and becomes Hyperion's (Teron) newest protegee. Her first stop is EnKAD academy – a boarding school to shape adolescents into servants of the state.

It's easier said than done if you're the daughter of a former public enemy, Daphne has a hard time making friends, her grades fall off and she's increasingly late. Hyperion intervenes and presents her with an opportunity. She becomes a Disciplinarian to bring other students in line.

ParAdox is a story about embracing and bending the rules. Daphne's evolution runs largely parallel to her historical development, which we'll follow from Kenovice through Aion until the big finale in Hermingrad 1922.

[h2]– ParAgon –[/h2]

Our earliest snapshot of Atlas goes back to 1913. His interrogation by Crius (Danil) sees him being nonchalantly shot in the leg. Our protagonist holds firm, impressing his captor and landing him a job in the nation's secret police (EnKAD).

Two years later, Atlas is dispatched to Kenovice with orders to kill the man that recruited him. It's a turbulent time, given that he also meets the love of his life. For a couple of years, Atlas is content with life – until a tragic event makes him end up on his own again.

Fast forward to 1921. Eurydice disappears during a mission to Trachi. Atlas is sent to investigate. The current plan for ParAgon is to revisit his trip to the city we know and love.

[h2]– ParAsite –[/h2]

Last but not least: Ganymede. Various characters pointed out that his past is a giant question mark. We saw a couple of flashbacks centering around a boy named Timothy – though we can't say for sure if these are 100% accurate.

Here's what we undoubtedly know: Ganymede delivered a letter for his brother Orpheus (Gregor) sometime before 1919. Two years later, he and Icarus (Nikolas) were in charge of the Forten Assassination. Ganymede met Orpheus again in 1923 and single-handedly dismantled Amryn's entire network in Dusa.

The last part will likely be the main stage of Ganymede's act. We'll get to see a younger brother who's been separated from the person he can't live without. If you've been wondering where the name 'Trojan Boy' comes from, you're in for a treat!

[h2]TRACHI, THEM, US[/h2]

Towards the end of Act 4, the experiment concludes. I can't tell you too much about the results, but here's the pieces that form the conclusion: A fictional story is a script detailing the struggle between characters and their world. In the scope of a video game, we add a player who acts unpredictably.

ANARCHY is the characters learning how to break the script. This could lead to several outcomes. Either order is restored (AUTHORITY), the characters reconstruct Paradise (AUTARKY) or the game breaks into reality (ATOPY).

We don't need to make that call anytime soon. However, it's an important question for the future direction of TRACHI. Think of it as a balance between macro-history, individuality and meta ideology. If you have any thoughts on that – I'll gladly listen to them all.

[h2]ANNIVERSARY[/h2]

TRACHI's first iteration was released exactly five years ago. 2021 saw AUTONOMY, followed by InvAsion in 2022. Last year, we pushed ExcommunicAtion (aka ANARCHY 0.1).

This year is the first one without a major release. I'm super sorry that I have so little to show. For what it's worth: I won't let go until I'm gone. Updates will likely be far and inbetween, but I firmly expect to pick up the pace towards the end of the year.

I want to thank you – and everybody else who has interacted with the games. From the many friends that embraced a nory trying to create, to all the strangers out there. Here's to you and the hope that TRACHI fills you with joy!

Talk to you again soon, friendos!

much love
nory

Evidently, I'm a bit late. So let's kick it off with an apology!

I've had a couple of extra day-job commitments at work, which meant less time for development. We'll thus have to push ANARCHY 0.2.3 into the 0.3 basket. In effect, August 28th will see both the second and third part of ExtrapolAtion released as one big package.

The preview right here is centred around ExtrapolAtion B – aka Trachi 1923. This segment brings us closer to AUTONOMY than ever before – a perfect opportunity to revisit the political and personal situation at hand. We'll also take a look at a new major battle and – last but not least – introduce a long promised Status Value rework.

[h2]Trachi 1923[/h2]

You've seen the preview – and perhaps the teasers at the end of ExtrapolAtion A. For the first time since 2021, we're going back to the city where it all began. Trachi's (outdoor) debut in Unity brings us back to AUTONOMY's finale. Moments after the (former) Mayor's speech, the Ionian Intelligence Serve (IIS) has achieved operation arteria's primary objective.

However, Atlas and Daphne aren't in Trachi just to stage a coup. The Secretary for State Security personally ordered them to clean the city while they're there. In less euphemistic terms: snatch two rogue agents (Orpheus and Eurydice) for a comprehensive 'debrief', while making sure that everybody affiliated with them is permanently taken off the board.

This backdrop is the immediate result of a convoluted political tug-of-war over an otherwise unimportant city. If your thirst for detail is already satisfied: feel free to skip the next section of this post. For everybody else, I'll try to sum it up in a couple of paragraphs.

[h2]Politics[/h2]

In 1923, there's three major factions vying for dominance over Trachi. AUTONOMY mostly follows the events from the perspective of the IIS. Players who paid special attention might point out that this institution consists of two major subfactions: Ionia's secret police (EnKAD) and the Commissariat for External Affairs (CoExA).

On the Trachian side, there's the Faber administration. This de-jure government was replaced following an insurgency by political outcasts situated in a nearby village called Nestville. The coup itself was supported by Ionia as a means to reintegrate Trachi into their sphere of influence. Unbeknownst to them, a breakaway faction of CoExA – led by Orpheus – meanwhile encouraged Trachi's new government to go for full independence instead.

To sum up, there is one major frontline defining AUTONOMY's most important confrontation: On one side, there's the city – supported by the former CoExA office in Trachi. Opposite of that are two EnkAD agents with a mission to subdue the city – including their own rogue agents.

[h2]Melee[/h2]

So much for the story. Next up, let's take a look into how that translates into gameplay. We – the player – are in control of Atlas and Daphne. As we enter CoExA's central station, we're confronted by Ariadne. Her appearance is a collective surprise for several reasons. You could say her being here hits differently for everyone.

It doesn't take long until a fight breaks out. Two on one might sound like a walk in the park, if it wasn't for the fact that Ariadne maintained her ExcommunicAtion strength. In concrete terms, she's Level 15 – we're Level 1. We strike, slash and shoot without putting a dent into her.

When it rains it pours. And when the city is under attack – the city strikes back. Wave after wave of armed militia storm the room to defend their home. Although these people are our enemies, we can appreciate their dedication. More so given the fact that their Level is much closer to our own.

[h2]Upgrade[/h2]

Maybe you can already extract the formula for this particular fight. If not, let me introduce you to the broad strokes: Killing enemies nets you EXP and Loot. Because a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link, we just need to identify the softest target of them all.

Unfortunately, Ariadne won't sit still as we're picking off Trachian citizens one by one. ExcommunicAtion enjoyers might remember her signature ability: Indulgence. It's a global AOE with a one-turn buildup that reduces the HP of every enemy to 1.

To sum up: The primary challenge of this encounter will be to farm Levels and Equipment by killing 'adds'. At the same time, we're applying constant pressure to Ariadne in order to interrupt her casts. Failing to do that could spell death for Atlas or Daph. You being the player means they're reconstructed instantly, but the HP of every enemy combatant on the field is also fully restored.

[h2]Fundamentals[/h2]

Remember when I promised to rework the three primary status values (HP, ATK and DEF) earlier this year? If you've done your rounds in ParAdise, you probably noticed the problem. There was a massive increase of max HP between Levels. For example, Lorna went from around 12 HP at Level 1 to 40-something at Level 2.

To counteract this problem, I boosted ATK-growth across the board, while keeping DEF-values comparably low. This band-aid solution is now obsolete, as we've cut HP-growth per Level by an average of 90%. A character that used to go from 10 to 3000 HP at Level 99 will henceforth have around 300 native max HP at the same level.

In addition, the relationship between ATK and DEF has also been reworked. The old formula [DMG * ATK / (100 * DEF / 100)] has been retired to make place for a much simpler one: DMG + ATK - DEF. It'll take a bit of fine-tuning to get it right, but I'm already a big fan of how straight-forward it is.

[h2]Outlook[/h2]

So, what's next? First and foremost, we'll wrap up the battle against Ariadne. Then it's up the stairs, converging into Trachi's most important room. There'll be a big reunion, an opportunity for revenge and – last but not least – RAIN.

We'll talk more about that in the second preview sometime mid-August. If all goes well, we'll also look at new content for ParAdise, more Variations and a couple of extra QoL features.

A big (preliminary) shoutout to Hibari for helping me stay on course over the last couple of weeks. Major thanks to globabee, who's enlightened me to the aesthetics of Steam Inventories.

And finally, thank YOU very much – as always for your attention! 😊


much love
nory