Erannorth Renaissance News

[p]Hi folks,[/p][p]The upcoming update, codenamed Hamor, is well underway. As always, you can try the latest beta build (0.7.62) by switching to our beta branch. Our 9th major update will take us beyond the wall, into the wastelands and the desert city of Hamor.[/p][p]The new region is roughly larger than Llanford, Oxgate, Taymoor, and Heygrove combined.[/p][p]Here’s a bird’s-eye view of our playable map as of the next update.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]When it comes to worldbuilding, there are two main approaches. The first is a top-down method, where you start with a broad concept or overarching lore and gradually work your way down to the details. This might include nations, cities, cultures, and eventually specific characters or quests. It helps with consistency and a clear thematic vision throughout the world.[/p][p]The second is a bottom-up approach, where you begin with specific, grounded elements such as a village, a single character, or a small region, and then expand outward. This often creates rich, lived-in environments with strong local flavor, though it can take more effort to maintain coherence as the world grows.[/p][p]My own approach is to iterate between these two, shaping the big picture while allowing smaller, grounded pieces to evolve and influence the larger structure. Pretty much what we've been doing since the start of Early Access.[/p][p]With this latest region in place, we have essentially completed our zones progression from low to epic levels, as well as the core geography of the continent, and we'll be fleshing out all these areas more leading up to version 1.0. But let's talk a bit more about Hamor and the Wastelands and what else is in this update.[/p][p][/p][p]The wall itself was built in 301 EC, which places it about 1,062 years before the present day. It was originally constructed to contain a deadly plague that wiped out a large portion of the population. Over time, it became a common destination for exile, sometimes for political reasons, sometimes simply out of necessity.[/p][p]In 1350, the region became a warzone between the knights of Doven and the undead legions of Hlorfen, who was the last known avatar of Morheliss. The war lasted ten years and ended when Sir Gregory allegedly defeated Morheliss herself. Whether or not that actually happened, the wall still stands as a dividing line between the kingdom of Doven and whatever remains in the waste. Even though all of this is ancient history, dating back two centuries before the current timeline, no one is allowed to pass through the wall.[/p][p]The gates are locked, heavily fortified, and guarded. Picture something even grander than the Sinic Wall. Aside from being exiled, the only way in and out of the wastelands is by sea, through a small port just north of the city of Hamor.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]In addition to expanding the world, this update also brings new discoveries in desert and arid terrains, which come alongside new contracts, new mounts, and new battle maps. Rewards from all contracts have been improved to make them more worthwhile.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The wastelands around Hamor are the highest-level zone in the game as we speak, and they are extremely dangerous. It’s recommended that you head there after reaching level 20. If you’re heading into the desert, a camel mount will make travel much easier by reducing the fatigue penalty across the desert terrain.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The increased variety in biomes means that it no longer makes sense to always be camping in a forest setting. That’s why this update also includes 9 new camping maps. Each one is tied to the terrain you’re currently in, so you’ll not only see more fitting backdrops while resting, but also gain access to different resource nodes depending on the location.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]To help manage your gear, I’ve also added a persistent storage container called "My Stash" that will appear in your camps. Anything you place there will remain accessible during future camp downtimes, which should help free up your inventory.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Aside from the camping maps, there are also 10 new battle maps for both new and existing environments. Whether you're fighting in the deserts or revisiting old regions, these should provide a fresher tactical experience.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Finally, I've worked on a number of optimizations for players using a Steam Deck. These include a separate configuration file tailored for Deck-specific settings, a pop-up keyboard for easier text input when using the gamepad, and improved UI legibility across the board. To help boost performance, you’ll also have the option to load a smaller world map graphic or disable the fog of war entirely.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]That’s all for now, folks. But that is not all there is to the upcoming update. Everything mentioned here is already available in the beta branch, so feel free to dive in and explore. Have fun, and let me know if you come across any issues.[/p][p][/p]

Hi folks,

Lacris, our 8th major content update, is now live for everyone. Ok, technically, you already received part of the Lacris update earlier in May with the updated portraits and improved graphics across various in-game events. But at its core, this update is all about the sea.

So the main highlight is, of course, the ability to travel across ocean tiles. Whether that sounds like a big deal or not, it is really important in the long run. This feature expands the map beyond the borders of Doven's domain, connects cities through naval routes, and sets the stage for continuing story arcs in locations that were previously unreachable. It also required expanding and rewriting several systems, from enemy spawning to movement logic and pathfinding. So if you come across anything odd, like enemies following or ambushing you in the water, they really shouldn't be doing that at the moment.



Movement on land and sea follow similar rules, but bonuses for Land Movement and Sea Movement are handled separately. Naturally, you cannot simply step onto the ocean and start sailing. To use the Sail action, you must be on a Harbor tile, which is marked with a small boat symbol on the map.



For this update, you are assumed to have access to a boat and the freedom to sail wherever you like. This will change in the future once we have tested ocean travel and its new discoveries more thoroughly. I'll either add a short quest to acquire your own boat or give you the option to purchase one. But that is a story for another update.

As for the rest of the changes, you will find several balance improvements focused on wealth gain, bookwrights added to key towns where you can buy recipe books, quality of life improvements, and of course, a number of bug fixes.

There are dozens of new discoveries specific to Ocean and Harbor tiles.



Game difficulty also affects the monetary rewards you receive from contracts.



Bookwrights sell tomes containing recipes, and occasionally they offer rarer ones as well.



You can now delegate level-ups to the game, so you no longer need to micromanage your party members or even your main character.



And there's more. You can read the full patch notes below.

But let's take a moment to reflect on where we are in development.

Since the beginning of Early Access, the world has grown from a single town to 11, and even more if you count regions without settlements. We've introduced full moddability, from simple additions like new artwork to more complex changes like creating your own stories in the world. Features like the radiant contracts system, discoveries, crafting, and more have taken shape.

The next update will open up the Wasteland, add more discoveries and events for Arid and Desert tiles, and continue some of the story arcs further.

On a broader note, with most of the core systems now in place, the focus of our Early Access is shifting primarily to balance, adding more visual effects to abilities, improving sound design, and expanding both the story and the handcrafted content. There is still more to do before we reach version 1.0, but there is no better time than now to play the game and share your thoughts, ask for features, and make suggestions. Before you know it, it will all be done, and any gripes or wishes you had might be too late to include. I can't read minds, you know.



[h3]Patch Notes - 26/05/25 # 0.7.45[/h3]

Bugfixes

• Fixed an issue with the automatic level-up method for NPC actors that allowed them to purchase the same perk twice.
  
• Fixed an issue that prevented escaping from the command shell.
  
• Fixed typos in various conversations.
  

New Content

• Added Sail move type.
  
• Added a Sail action. You can initiate a Sail action while standing on a Harbor tile. While sailing, you can move only to Ocean and Harbor tiles.
  
• Added Lacris region, landmass, and tiles.
  
• Added discoveries for Arid, Ocean and Harbor tiles.
  
• Added map icons for Harbor tiles to make it clear where you can embark or disembark.
  
• Added a new passive bonus "Sailing Range", which only affects the movement of Sail actions. Added its Codex entry.
  
• Added some merchants in Lacris' market.
  
• Added an inn in Lacris.
  
• Added support for Lacris in Shortcut and ask-for-directions conversations.
  
• Added Book merchants in Llanford's Market, Valetport's Grand Bazaar, Denham's Market & Doven's Bastion of Light
  

Misc Changes & QoL

• Changed the passive bonus "Movement Range" so it no longer affects Sailing actions. Updated its Codex entry.
  
• You can now level up party members automatically. A new checkbox has been added to each character's sheet: Level Up Skills and Perks Automatically. Each character is tracked individually. Once checked, the character will be leveled up immediately. From that point on, each time the character levels up, their SP and PP will also be assigned automatically.
  
• Changed Shortcut's cooldown to 1 from 3.
  
• Changed Explore's cooldown to 4 from 6.
  
• Increased the baseline of Contract rewards.
  
• The difficulty setting now affects Contract rewards. Easier difficulties yield more rewards, while higher difficulties yield less.
  
• Increased the Farthings awarded by enemies with random drops, and improved their chance to drop more on a successful check.
  
• Wanted criminals now have an extra chance to drop valuable items.
  
• Valuables and materials now have a small degradation in price when trading them with merchants
  
• In the Perks Editor, after typing a perk name, it will turn red if another perk with that name already exists.
  
• Recipes can now be properly granted through perks.
  
• Action details for move actions will now specify whether they are Land or Sea movement.
  
• Updated Unity Engine to 2022.3.62f1.
  

Hi folks!

Content Update 8 is well underway, and as development continues, you can try the latest build (0.7.40) through our beta branch. It includes several improvements and balance changes, but the major new feature is the ability to traverse ocean tiles.



You can travel to ocean tiles only from a harbor tile, using the contextual Sail action, which is available only on Harbor or Ocean tiles. Eventually, you will need to own a ship to use this action, but for now, you can sail freely to make testing easier. Additionally, there are many new discoveries added, with a focus on Ocean and Harbor tiles.



Traveling south of Denham, you'll also find a new island called Lacris, the same island that gave this update its name. Lacris will have its own share of contracts, as well as contracts that require you to travel there. The region's difficulty is slightly above Denham's, making it a good area to explore around level 14 and up.



Speaking of contracts, their rewards have been boosted on Normal and easier difficulties. On harder difficulties, contract rewards will range from what they were before to slightly less. The reason for this is that enemies on higher difficulties have better equipment and therefore drop better loot, while enemies on easier difficulties have less wealth and weaker equipment, which results in less valuable drops. Granted, that gear is not as needed on easier settings, but this should make things feel more fair overall. You can preview the difficulty effect on Contracts while setting it.



Wealth gain has also received a solid buff, with all enemies now having a chance to drop more farthings than before. You should be able to equip all your party members with decent to good gear, instead of just your main character.

On the quality of life side, there is now a new checkmark that lets you auto level certain companions or even your main character if you want. The moment you activate it, any unspent SP and PP will be assigned automatically, and from that point on, every time you level up. If you gain SP or PP in a different way, they will be assigned the next time you level up, not instantly. By default, this option is disabled, and its status is saved individually for each party member as part of your save file.



The Shortcut and Explore actions have also had their cooldowns reduced. Explore now lets you trigger discoveries or more rarely events at will every 4 turns, and Shortcut is available once per turn while inside town borders.

Speaking of Shortcut, it may have flown under the radar, but it allows you to fast travel between town locations like the barracks or the inn, as long as you have discovered them. You no longer need to remember where they are or search for them on the map each time you return to town.

There's of course more, but that's all for now. We'll be talking more about the upcoming update in a future news post. Have fun, and if you get to try any of the new changes in the beta branch, I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Hi folks,

A few days ago, we talked about the graphics overhaul and at that time I was still considering whether to launch it alongside Content Update 8 (the Lacris update) or earlier.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2657930/view/535475010333050401

Since I'm done tweaking things for now and need to move development forward toward Content Update 8, I don't see any reason to keep this build in beta any longer. Not to mention, it would have made it hard for me to update the demo with the new graphics in time for a certain fest. The beta will still receive more updates as we move toward the Lacris update.

So here we are, and I hope you'll enjoy the visual changes! If you do enjoy the game, consider leaving a review. It really helps, as indie games like this one tend to go unnoticed next to the latest blockbusters, and we've had more than a few of those recently.

Demo also updated to 0.7.33

For everyone still on the fence about whether to get this amazing game, I also took the opportunity to update our free demo. You’ll now find the demo button more prominently on the middle of the store page above the option to buy the game. I found by accident that there's a setting to place the button there instead of leaving it hidden in the sidebar where no one could find it. Anyway.

Additionally, I’ve removed the restriction that previously blocked access to the modding toolkit. The main difference between the live build and the demo is that the demo isn’t supported. For example, it won’t receive future features, and Achievements and Steam Workshop support are also disabled. Otherwise, you can play for as long as you like and decide if this is a project you’d like to support. I think putting a time limit or removing save functionality is pointless. Those who want to support the project will, and those who won’t, wouldn’t in any case.

Speaking of Workshop, I’ve also updated my Workshop portraits mod to better match the new graphics and added a second portrait pack for anyone looking for more variety for the ladies.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3286784687

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3477367586

That’s all for now, folks. We’ll talk again later this month about what’s coming next in the Lacris update at a later time. Have fun!

Hi folks,

In the world of choose-your-own-adventure games, graphics are often an afterthought, a nice detail but never the star of the show. Honestly, my life would have been ten times easier if Erannorth Renaissance had no graphics at all and was purely text-based. Then again, it would be a different game.

The core pillar of my design philosophy has always been modding freedom. That meant including graphics not because I believed anyone would be thrilled with the default artwork, but because I wanted to give you the tools to make it your own. If you didn’t like what was there, you could change it, as simple as copying a file.

Now, the initial portrait set, the one currently live, is of course atrocious, to put it mildly. When your budget is somewhere between nonexistent and wishful thinking, your choices are limited to bad and less bad. Never ideal. Never what you really want. But, always open for improvement.

This brings us to our new portrait set and the first graphical overhaul of the game since early access began.



Highwaymen

Some of the PC/NPC portraits

I truly think it's a big step up. It strikes a better balance between classic fantasy and gritty realism, so you can pick your poison. But of course, it's still a choice limited to "okay" and "a little better." It also aligns more naturally with the kinds of portraits you'll generate for your own mods, making the overall experience feel more cohesive and immersive. And it's the kind of portrait I can find more of, helping retain a somewhat more uniform feeling in the world.



Some of the new portraits are still firmly in my mental folder of "first to replace if something better ever comes along." Others I just couldn't have the way I wanted.







You can try out the new portraits in the latest build, now available on the beta branch.

Hopefully, you'll find something that resonates with your taste better, whatever that may be. And if not, you can still easily replace them with your own.



This build will remain in beta for a couple days while I fine-tune some things and resume development on Content Update 8. As always any new beta builds will be landing there too.

Whether you'll get the new portraits sooner or alongside the Lacris update is still uncertain. It depends on the game's status when I begin adding new features and content for the next update.

As for what will actually be in the Lacris update other than more Erannorth, well, we'll be talking about that soon!