Erannorth Renaissance News

Hi folks,

The past few days have felt like a race against the clock. I've been pushing myself to the limit, working tirelessly to add as many features and improvements as possible for the day one patch. I wanted it to be the perfect Early Access launch. But let's be real – it won’t be perfect. There will be bugs I couldn't catch, balance issues, and a long journey ahead to refine and improve.

It's like the tension before an exam, dreading the moment when the instructor says, "Pens down," but also anticipating the relief of completing this chapter. I finished the build, and now time seems to have slowed to a crawl.

Waiting for the sake of waiting feels a bit silly, doesn’t it?

Oh, wait... It must be the 26th somewhere in the world!

So, as I was saying, Erannorth Renaissance is out now.

If you know what you're getting into, then welcome aboard!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2657930/Erannorth_Renaissance/

Hi folks,

The moment is finally here! After months of hard work, I'm thrilled to announce that Erannorth Renaissance is entering Early Access on July 26th! A special thanks to everyone who participated in the recent closed alpha and provided invaluable feedback – your contributions have been instrumental in shaping this release. I'm beyond excited to finally share this early version of the game with all of you and continue this journey together.

A Word About Early Access

Before you rush to grab the game, let's chat about what Early Access means: Erannorth Renaissance is still a work in progress. It's playable, but it's not perfect yet. There will be bugs, missing features, and room for improvement.

If you're the kind of player who wants a polished, finished experience, I honestly recommend waiting. Wishlist, the game, and check back in a year or three to see how things have progressed. However, if you're interested in helping shape the game, trying out new ideas, and being part of the development process, then Early Access is for you!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

What to Expect in Early Access

• You'll get to play through the beginning of our story and explore the first region, Llanford, which offers 3-4 hours of engaging gameplay.
  
• The core gameplay experience is fully fleshed out. You can dive into tactical turn-based combat, customize your character as you level up, and explore the world to uncover its secrets.
  
• The replay value is baked into the core of Erannorth Renaissance. The story branches in unexpected ways, your choices have lasting consequences, and random events ensure that no two adventures will ever be the same. Each playthrough will feel like a fresh, unique experience if you make different choices.
  
• And for those who love to tinker and customize your games, Erannorth Renaissance has you covered. You can already dive into modding with the built-in tools, adding unique touches like new perks, actions, or even artwork. Plus, we've got full Steam Workshop integration and achievements to make things even more fun.
  
• This is just the beginning. Throughout Early Access, I'll add more regions to explore, quests to undertake, and characters to meet. You can also expect a bunch of new features and improvements that will make each playthrough even more unique and exciting.
  

What will the game cost?

Erannorth Renaissance will be entering Early Access on July 26th for 9.99 USD. The price will use Steam regional pricing to ensure fair pricing in your territory. Please note that the price will gradually increase with each significant content update.

How long will Erannorth Renaissance be in Early Access?

I aim for 2-3 years, but it could be longer. I want to make sure the game is done right, even if it takes a bit more time.

What are your plans for the development cycle during Early Access?

I have a roadmap planned out with at least nine major content updates. Each update will focus on fleshing out a new region, adding new build options like perks, actions, and equipment, and developing the companion characters with more interactions and events. You can see the roadmap here:



How does Erannorth Renaissance compare to previous Erannorth games?

Erannorth Renaissance is a complete overhaul of the original Erannorth engine, offering a deeper, more immersive experience. Unlike Chronicles, which forked off Reborn's code, Renaissance has been rewritten from the ground up, resulting in a faster, more responsive game. You'll immediately notice the brand new graphical style and tactical hex-based combat, replacing the card-based battles of the past. The user interface has also been modernized and streamlined for easier navigation.

While the core spirit of Erannorth remains, Renaissance is a significant evolution of the series. The RPG mechanics have been expanded and refined, offering more depth and customization. A branching narrative with meaningful choices and consequences drives the overarching story, while a new continent with diverse regions, characters, quests, and events awaits your exploration.

It's important to note that, at this early stage, Renaissance's character builds and customization options might not yet rival the depth Chronicles and Reborn achieved over their combined 6 years of development. However, once complete, Renaissance is designed to surpass both games in this regard. The new engine provides a more flexible foundation for building unique characters and playstyles, and the expanded RPG systems offer even more opportunities for customization. With your feedback and continued development, Renaissance will ultimately become the most customizable and immersive Erannorth experience yet. Whether you're a veteran of the series or a newcomer, Erannorth Renaissance offers a fresh and exciting experience for all.

Will this game be as easy to mod as your previous titles?

Yes, Erannorth Renaissance will be as easy to mod as previous titles. In fact, it will be easier to mod as there are UI-based tools for adding, editing, and exporting content. See the following video for a taste of the initial modding support:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

I heard the game has romance; should I be worried about unwanted advances from my companions?

Fear not! Romances are disabled by default in Erannorth Renaissance. You must actively choose to enable them by adjusting your preferences in your in-game journal. Additionally, the game offers options to customize the level of intimacy in romantic scenes, ranging from fade-to-black to more detailed textual descriptions. This allows you to tailor the experience to your comfort level.

Does Erannorth Renaissance use AI-generated art?

The game uses commercially licensed stock art sold by human artists. Their creative process may or may not involve using AI-powered tools or their own custom AI systems.

Your Feedback Matters

Early Access is a collaboration between us. Your feedback is invaluable to me as I shape the future of Erannorth Renaissance. Share your thoughts, report bugs, and suggest improvements – let's make this game the best it can be together!

Just remember, Early Access isn't for everyone. It's a chance to get involved in the development process, not a way to get a finished game at a discount. If you expect a fully polished experience with tons of content, waiting for the full release is probably best. Don't be that guy who jumps on the bandwagon only to complain that a game in early development doesn't have the same depth as a finished product. This is just the beginning of a long journey, and I'm excited to have you along for the ride.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Hi folks,

The closed alpha has been underway for 12 days and has been instrumental in uncovering and fixing many critical bugs. It has also addressed other issues that always surface when a game is in players' hands, no matter how much internal testing it undergoes. Numerous valuable suggestions and feedback have already been implemented or are in the pipeline. So, a very big thank you to everyone who has contributed so far.

There are still 5 spots left for alpha testers. If you're interested in getting a first look at the game and helping with its testing and feedback, let me know on our Discord server. It's first come, first served. There won't be any additional spots after the last one is reserved, and the alpha build will continue receiving regular updates until the early access release later this year.

Although there won't be any development journals during the summer, rest assured that development will continue as planned. I'll be working closely with our community members in this early phase. The current priorities are to fix any remaining bugs, tie up loose ends, and finalize the early access content.

Hi folks,

Today, we'll talk about the newest additions to the character sheet, several new combat effects, and customization options through the perks system.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Combat (Part II)[/h2]

Erannorth Renaissance combat is more streamlined and straightforward to learn than its predecessors (Chronicles and Reborn), offering greater tactical depth. You have better control of the battlefield, and you and your allies can work together to create exciting tactics and strategies for dealing with each situation.

We discussed combat and the most common effects your actions will have in this post:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2657930/view/4110169801308707754

Of course, we barely scratched the surface. Let's now have a look at some additional effects.

• Swap: Swap position with the target.
  
• Push: Pushes the target x hexes in a random direction.
  
• Pull: Pulls the target x hexes in a random direction.
  
• Cure: Cures Bleed and Poison stacks.
  
• Dispel [status]: Removes all the stack of [status] from the target.
  
• Revive: Removes the Dying status and restores HP to the target.
  
• Slow: Reduces the target's AP for the duration of the effect.
  
• Drain: Drains HP from the target.
  
• Opportunity: If the target is Stunned, Afraid, or Vulnerable, they receive damage, and the attacker restores 2 AP.
  
• Parley: If the target's HP is less or equal to a certain amount, they agree to leave combat, and you restore 2 HP.
  
• Morale: Morale boosts Luck and dispels Fear. (Luck affects several things, like your chance to dodge, land criticals, and stabilize if you are Dying.)
  
• Stealth: Makes a character immune to direct actions for the duration of the effect or until a successful Perception check reveals their location.
  
• Rage: Increases the target's physical damage and grants 2 bonus AP, but the enraged suffers 2 additional damage for the duration of the effect.
  
• Sacrifice: It is an additional cost for HP to play an action unless you are Bleeding. If you are, you can skip this cost.
  
• Bloodthirst: If your target is Bleeding, you drain HP and restore 2 AP. Then your target loses Bleeding.
  

[h2]Perks System[/h2]

Like all Erannorth games, perks are the backbone of customizing your characters. However, certain things have been streamlined to make things easier to understand and retain a better balance. In Erannorth Renaissance, you gain a Perk Point at every even level. You can then invest it to purchase a perk from those you meet the requirements. Requirements for perks can be skill ranks, being a particular species, having a specific trait, etc.





Perks can improve aspects of your character, actions, and party and give you unique actions you can't otherwise get elsewhere. They may provide you with bonuses to rolls or even offer bonuses to the rolls of your party members.





[h2] Resistances [/h2]

In Erannorth Renaissance, equipment and perks can provide resistance to various effects and elements. For instance, you may have a trait that makes it harder for others to Stun you or wear boots that make it harder for adversaries to Push you.



Etc. Conversely, you could have a perk that makes it easier to Dominate others or apply Bleeding and bypass any such resistance, making combat more dynamic and your decision of how to build your characters more meaningful.



[h2]What's next?[/h2]

I'm still working on the Woodlands and the Generic event packs. These are sets of random events that you may encounter as you explore woodland tiles and tiles without specific event packs. Since the first area you'll be in primarily has woodland terrains, it makes sense for it to be the first event pack in the game. The generic event pack will provide interesting fallback events elsewhere. There will be more event packs for all the tile terrains you will explore as the game develops.

Other than that, with the progression and combat system in place, the next step is fine-tuning things.

For that, I'll need a few people to participate in a closed-alpha testing of the game in June. If you are a native English speaker, that would be all the better, as any feedback on the story, rules, phrasing, etc., would be greatly appreciated. But anyone willing to spend some time with an early alpha and incomplete product is welcome.

• We'll start in June.
  
• The experience will be even less polished than the upcoming Early Access. There will be more bugs, placeholder content, imbalanced perks, actions, enemies, etc.
  
• There are only 10 to 15 spots available. Please apply only if you have the time and interest to play the game in its current incomplete state.
  
• The goal is to provide feedback and bug reports to help improve the game before its Early Access release later this year.
  
• You'll have to be a member of our Discord server and declare your interest there. If Steam removes my link, that is in the Erannorth Renaissance / Inn. 
  

Invite Link:
https://discord.gg/KfGPyshtTT

Renaissance Inn Channel:
https://discord.com/channels/559131885570097162/1184111622822834238

So, please let me know if you are interested in actively participating in this closed-alpha test.

The Discord part is essential for me to be able to contact you with further details when the closed alpha time comes and, of course, for you to provide the feedback/bug reports and discuss the game and its status.

That's all folks! If you have any questions, please post them in the comments section below!

Hi folks,

The development of Erannorth Renaissance is progressing smoothly. Oh, and I've updated the Early Access details and the store page. That'll be all :)

Are you still here? Did you see how long this text is !? Hmm, let's see.

In the latest development journal, I briefly mentioned my first game, Erannorth the Unfinished Tales. I want to dig a bit deeper into that story, but feel free to jump to the main dish below.

[h2]Back to the Future II[/h2]

I first embarked on the journey to create Erannorth the Unfinished Tales in mid-2013, driven by a blend of passion and audacity. We indie developers are akin to gamblers, staking our time, energy, sanity, and often our financial stability on the dream of creating something unique and impactful. More often than not, we face various degrees of failure. Of course, I wasn't an indie developer back then, and I didn't know that years later, I would be calling myself one.

In the case of Unfinished Tales, "Unfortunately, I didn't have the finances to support its sole server running back then, and it never kicked off." This translates to: I dedicated about three years of intense labor to finishing that game, often working 12-hour days, fueled by the vision of what the game could become. This period was exhilarating and grueling, a true test of endurance and commitment. Despite the immense effort and the dream driving it (financially), the project flopped spectacularly.

Having worked for free for three years and paying money on top of that to do that, and then thinking, let's do it again! It is something only a special kind of idiot does.

Or someone who doesn't want to have regrets in their life. The only way for that is to be true to yourself.

But anyway take your pick.

Here's a random screenshot to break up the monotony of the text wall.



[h2]Seven[/h2]

Today marks a significant milestone—seven months since I started working on Erannorth Renaissance. It's been a thrilling journey filled with challenges, doubts, and breakthroughs. So, what was done, and what is still missing for you to get this game in your hands finally?

In the early stages of development, the idea was crafting a fully narrative-driven experience centered around a main campaign within a somewhat open-world setting.

As someone accurately put it, "Hand holding? How lewd." ;)

But, let's be honest: the primary reason was that starting development from zero is a tedious process without considering all the other moving parts; for convenience, let's sum them up as content.

However, as the development progressed and the parts started to click, it became evident that a narrative-driven approach within an open-world format was fundamentally busted. The more the world opened up, the more the structured narrative felt constrained and forced.

This led to a pivotal decision. I could either reduce the game's scope, with no map or open world, in the true or tried Visual Novel style and tell my story. I would be done with working for free, there would be no Early Access headaches, you'd have a game to play, and we could all move on.

Because we all know that a) Early Access doesn't fund anything, and it shouldn't. b) Early Access paints the game in a darker shadow and limits sales. c) VNs are a less niche market than this.

Or: increase the game's scope, use the whole of our beautiful world map (it did took time to paint it), work a few more years (in practice for free) and instead tell our story.

Here's another random screenshot to build anticipation for the obvious decision.



[h2]The jury's back and the verdict is...[/h2]

Of course, I picked the red pill.

I've decided to broaden rather than narrow the experience. The main story is still here but serves as a (long) introduction to Erannorth's sandbox world rather than the main dish.

After completing this story, you won't see the credits (my name in a hundred roles) rolling, nor will you save the world from a terrible threat.

Instead, you'll find yourself in the shoes of someone living in Elos.

If you could be anyone whom you'd be?
Erannorth Renaissance will let you answer this question instead of telling you.

Choosing what story arc to pursue next is entirely yours. Whether you delve deeper into the lore I've woven into every corner of the map, take on new quests, or explore and interact with the environment and its inhabitants, the world of Elos will adapt and respond to your decisions.

This shift from a primarily linear campaign to a more dynamic sandbox approach reflects my fundamental belief in creating games emphasizing player agency, what you've come to expect, and what most of you are here for. Right?

Presenting our final random screenshot of the day!



[h2]Detailed Progress Update: Recap[/h2]

As we gear up for the new chapter in the development of Erannorth Renaissance, the part you come in, let's recap the significant strides made across the game's core systems in the past seven months.

These are all completed systems in the current build 0.4.77, not the final feature list.

Introductory Storyline

The initial campaign, serving as your gateway to the vast sandbox of Erannorth, is fully fleshed out and playable. This storyline offers a concise yet rich experience, lasting about 3 to 4 hours with multiple paths and companions to discover. It's crafted to be an engaging introduction without overstaying its welcome. Still, it remains optional, allowing you to choose how deep you dive into this narrative or live your life in this expansive world.

Exploration and Interaction

The overworld map is a dynamic playground where:

• Fog of war conceals unexplored tiles.
  
• You can engage with roving warbands in tactical combat.
  
• You can set up a camp to talk to your companions and harvest resources.
  
• Tiles can spring random events leading to mini adventures, lore fragments, or loot.
  
• Tiles can contain fixed stories or let you follow up on quests.
  

Custom Quest and Relationship systems

Initially, I tried to use the Dialogue System's two sibling systems, which could have significantly reduced the development time. Still, I ended up developing homebrew systems that better suited my needs.

Combat System

• Turn-based combat that takes place on a hex grid.
  
• A variety of action effects, tactical choices and diverse play styles.
  
• Opportunities to harvest resources post-battle / quick looting of enemies.
  
• Automatic shortcuts for each action.
  
• Panels to inspect actor status and actions.
  

Town Dynamics and NPC Interactions

Towns have evolved into hubs of activity where you can:

• Build relationships, whether friendly, romantic, or adversarial.
  
• Barter and purchase equipment.
  
• Receive new quests and tasks.
  

You can track and review all your relationships through a tab in your character sheet.

Character Progression

Your party characters can grow and evolve:

• Level up systems to enhance your skills and acquire new abilities.
  
• The perks system will offer new capabilities and gameplay dynamics.
  

Itemization and Equipment

• Core systems for itemization / large variety of equipment slots.
  
• Drag and Drop inventory system.
  
• Free trading with your companions.
  
• A diverse array of items and actions will provide numerous strategic options in and out combat.
  
• Consumables.
  

[h2]What's missing to open the flood gates? [/h2]

While the structure is solid, there are still areas in need of development before you can dive into playing.

• I am still working on the early-level perks, equipment, and actions.
  
• I still need to finish the initial "Woodlands" and "Generic" event packs covering the early game environments.
  

Once these are done, the Early Access can start. I had to re-evaluate my original plan to keep the game in Early Access for a year. The new estimate is at least for 2 years.

If you wishlisted the game before, please check the new store page and Early Access information to make sure it's still a project you want to support.

That's all folks! If you have any thoughts or questions feel free to share them below!