The Bornless News

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Fog hung thick against the night, the clean mountain air corrupted by the putrid scent of sulfur. Two men stood as still as statues, tucked between trunks and branches; they ignored the sharp, leafless twigs scratching their skin. Snow still dappled the ground where winter held tight to the changing of seasons, the packed earth cold and hard beneath their feet. Approaching footsteps from the darkness seemed to echo, heavy thudding heels that snapped the silence from its stupor and mingled with the occasional crunch of wilting frost.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ “He’s close,” the stranger whispered, his breath becoming white smoke.



‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The footsteps grew louder, as did the sickly smell of sulfur. Gudge wrinkled his nose and blinked an errant tear from his eyes. He held his arms before him, one fist tightly gripping the other. Stop shaking, you fool, he told himself firmly. This is what you wanted, isn’t it? Gudge’s teeth began chattering as the first shadowy glimpse of their visitor crested the hill.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ “Is that…” Gudge choked on the words, his misted breath sputtering to a stop.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ “Yes,” the stranger replied softly, “that is He. The Great Prince Himself.” Slowly, carefully, the man bent down and prostrated himself against the frosty ground.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ “Orobas.” Gudge mumbled to no one, his eyes wide with awe and fear in equal measure.



[h3]The History of Orobas[/h3]
Orobas plays a pivotal role in The Bornless, impacting both the game's narrative and its multiplayer dynamics. During the earliest alpha playtests, Orobas was introduced as a formidable NPC demon that instilled fear in players' hearts. At that time the game featured an "Orobas Game Mode". This mode was a unique take on battle royale, featuring 8 players in a fight to the death. Players could invoke Orobas at specific shrine locations on the map in exchange for incense, turning him into an ally who would aggressively pursue and attack nearby players. Orobas also aided in locating and combating enemies in the dark, fog-enshrouded town of Farmouth. However, allying with Orobas was a double-edged sword: aggression towards him, or a rival team offering more incense could turn him against you. This introduced a strategic element of managing incense supplies. Players often faced the dilemma of spending their precious incense on weapons with Haag, a merchant demon within The Bornless universe, or securing Orobas's support.



[h3]What Changed?[/h3]
Orobas's role meant his influence needed careful balancing to ensure fun gameplay. Feedback from players highlighted that Orobas was overpoweringly strong, making games too dependent on his support. The intention was to have Orobas offer a fun advantage, but not to the extent of overshadowing player skill as the primary factor for winning.

Thus, we rebalanced Orobas, adding anti-camping mechanics and removing his map-wide teleportation ability among many other nerfs and buffs. This led to a split in player experiences: hardcore players learned to dodge and kill Orobas entirely, while casual players still struggled against him. Amid this, the community expressed a strong desire to play as demons, drawn by the allure of embodying The Great Prince of Hell.


[h3]The Future of Orobas[/h3]
And so, player-controlled demons came to life in The Bornless. This began with Botis, a colossal snake demon, in the Titan Game Mode. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with players enjoying the new dynamic. Alongside this, feedback on weapons, character models, gunplay, and movement laid the foundation for our main game mode, The Ritual Game Mode. In the next playtest, players will experience this mode for the first time, showcasing an expanded, improved, and optimized version of the original Orobas Game Mode. However, this time Orobas will not be an easily ignored NPC.


Whether you're in control or it's another player at the helm, Orobas will become a daunting presence. If you're aiming to stay alive and make off with your hard-earned loot once The Bornless Ritual has been unleashed, there's only one thing left to do... Run as fast as you can.

Thank you for Staying Unholy!

- The Bornless Team 🖤

[h3]Want to be among the first ones who will experience the true horrors of Farmouth? Add The Bornless to your wishlist.[/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2411280/

P.S. Join our Discord Server. Our community's pretty awesome.

The night is dark, the moon is full, and the fog is thick.

You are alone, sequestered inside a creaking cabin of hardwood and soft silence.



Soft, because it is broken often by the gentle groans of the old timber frame. Soft, because it bends beneath the rushing winds that rattle the window panes. Soft like your breath, which flits between being held and pouring out in fits and starts.

Once the wind has finally settled down alongside your breathing, and once your eyes have adjusted to the darkness - turning deep shadows into mere shallow pools of black and gray - you find the strength to explore your surroundings. The place is empty, mostly. It looks like the previous occupants left in a hurry, and that they did so a long, long time ago. Dust, rust, and every other form of decay has laid its claim on this old house. The hint of light draws your attention along the hall, to where an indistinct haze of glowing blues and reds is coming from. It’s so faint you begin to question whether your fragile mind is playing tricks on you.



And then you feel the coarse crunch of broken glass beneath your feet…

Following the glittering trail of crystal breadcrumbs you find yourself at a round table in an otherwise empty room. The centerpiece of this table is a curious shattered artifact; leaking from its broken heart, a trembling light seems to grow stronger the closer you get to it. Like a feeble flame struggling to fight the wind.



Something about it draws you in closer, until your nose almost touches the jagged edges of the broken circle and your eyes are aglow with something magical. Are they images? Visions? Just a trick of the light? It reminds you of innocently peering into a kaleidoscope as a child, only brighter, fuller, and somehow darker, too.

Shapes and colors coalesce before your eyes to become…



[h2] Intrigued by More Visions from Farmouth? [/h2]

We'll unveil exclusive visions within the #the-broken-seal channel for our Discord members. Curious to uncover what else The Broken Seal conceals? Embrace your calling and join The Bornless Discord now.

Stay Unholy!

- The Bornless Team 🖤

[h3]Support our vision by adding The Bornless to your wishlist.[/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2411280/

P.S. Many more visions to come...

Greetings, Bornless Ones!

During our recent Town Hall, we shared exciting updates and revealed intriguing features. The event concluded with an interactive AMA session, during which we received valuable feedback on how to enrich the eerie and mysterious world of The Bornless.



[h3]What Was Revealed?[/h3]

• Early Revelations: We showed off our new reload + weapon animations, new 3D models, new locations + more!
  
• VOIP + Radios: Showed off a first look at the new in-game radios.
  
• Ask the Devs + Leaks Channel: Announced that we will be unleashing two new Discord channels to get progress updates out to players even faster.
  
• Gun Vote: Held a vote for which rifle would be added to The Bornless next. Enter our Discord Server to find out which gun won.

[h3]Step Back in Time![/h3]

Whether you missed the Town Hall Meeting or simply wish to catch up, fear not! We have a recording of it in our Discord server. Join, and relive the showcases and discussions. We extend our eternal gratitude to all who participated. You, our community, are the driving force behind the development of this game.


Thank you for Staying Unholy with us.

The Bornless Team

[h3]Support our vision by adding The Bornless to your wishlist.[/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2411280/

P.S. Join Our Discord Server to Watch The Town Hall Meeting.

Greetings, Bornless Ones!

As the clock ticks closer, our excitement grows. We are eager to share the latest updates with you in our upcoming Town Hall.

[h3]Reminder of What’s Coming[/h3]

• Assets: Showcasing recently created assets, meticulously designed to add intricate details to Farmouth.
  
• Animations: Sneak peek at the exciting new animations for our upcoming weapons.
  
• User Interface: A quick look at some of our interfaces on a system never before revealed.
  
• Rifle Vote: Do you have a favorite classic rifle you'd like to see in The Bornless? Vote for it now!
  
• AMA: As the Town Hall Meeting wraps up, it's time to address your questions.
  
• And a lot more...
  

[h3]It’s Almost Time[/h3]

The Town Hall Meeting is happening on our Discord Server tomorrow, 21st March, 5PM UTC.
Join us and be part of shaping The Bornless into an unforgettable FPS Horror experience.

Stay bold, stay curious, and above all, Stay Unholy.

The Bornless Team

[h3]Want to be among the first ones who will experience the true horrors of Farmouth? Add The Bornless to your wishlist.[/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2411280/

P.S. Join our Discord server so you don't miss the Town Hall!.

Greetings, Bornless Ones!

We're thrilled to share that the development of The Bornless is progressing better than ever. We can't wait for you to immerse yourself in Farmouth. But before we dive into that, let's talk about weapons!

The Bornless is set in the year 1967, and all our weapons reflect that era. Since the last playtest, we've added numerous weapons to the game, including The Winchester, Sten SMG, M1 Garand, Luger Pistol, Revolver, Flamethrower, Cleaver, Axe, and more.

However, we've noticed a gap in our arsenal: We needed more one-shot/semi-automatic rifles, which were prevalent during the 1960s. So we've decided:

Why not let our community decide on the next rifle to be added in The Bornless?



[h3]Where Do I Vote?[/h3]
At The Town Hall Meeting!

During our Town Hall Meetings, we not only update you on the game's progress but also engage with our community. We welcome questions and discuss the game together. This time, we're excited to give you the chance to vote on an in-game feature, the weapons! The Town Hall meeting will be held on The Bornless Discord Server.

[h3]When Is It?[/h3]
21st March | 5PM UTC

That's this Thursday! Be sure to mark your calendars so you don't miss out. We guarantee it'll be an exciting event!

[h3]Will There Be More Voting Opportunities In The Future?[/h3]
Absolutely!

Engaging with our community during development is not only enjoyable for us but also crucial. After all, it's you, the community, who will be playing the game. So, we have plans for more community-driven decisions in the future.

Thank you for Staying Unholy with us, and we look forward to seeing you at the Town Hall Meeting!

The Bornless Team

[h3]Want to be among the first ones who will experience the true horrors of Farmouth? Add The Bornless to your wishlist.[/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2411280/

P.S. Join our Discord server so you don't miss the Town Hall!.