Devblog #4 — Laying the Keel: Building the World of Crosswind

[p]Every great adventure starts long before the ship leaves port. In Crosswind, it begins in our narrative room — where we plan the world, shape the story, and build the setting piece by piece. [/p][p]World-building is part of our core process, and in this post, we want to share how we’re laying the groundwork for an adventure that involves pirates — but goes far beyond parrots and treasure hunts.[/p][p]Disclaimer: Many of the features you’ll read about here are still in Alpha and subject to significant change in future updates.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Legends Meet Ledgers[/h2][p]Let’s get this out of the way — Crosswind isn’t a pirate simulator. We’re not aiming for a historical reenactment of piracy, but rather the thrill that made the legend stick. Our world is built around adventurers, exiles, and fortune seekers who chase opportunity across shifting tides. It’s not about being a pirate in the legal sense. It’s about adventure, discovery, and writing your own story at sea.[/p][p]That said, we’re absolutely leaning into fantasy. You’ll see tall ships, shady ports, power struggles, and names that echo through maritime history. From Tortuga-like havens to hidden coves and fractured factions, all the ingredients are here — not for accuracy’s sake, but to give players the feeling that anything might be waiting just beyond the next horizon.[/p][p][/p][p]Of course, the romantic image of piracy — rum-soaked bravado and endless freedom — is only half the story. Behind the pop-culture myths were real people: sailors who were hungry, desperate, hopeful, and sometimes heroic. To ground our setting, we turned to historical records, books, and other period sources not to recreate the past exactly, but to build something that feels rooted in it.[/p][p]That’s our guiding principle: start with fact, then let fiction breathe. To do so, we chart two timelines — one grounded in historical fact, the other shaped by fiction to serve gameplay and narrative.[/p][p]This broader canvas allows us to blend real historical events — like the rise of Tortuga in the 1630s as a stronghold for exiled settlers and seafaring outlaws — with fictional threads drawn from older sea legends.[/p][p][/p][h2]From Lorebook to Loadout[/h2][p]Anyhow, we’re not here to publish a textbook. Crosswind is, at its core, a survival adventure — and the story is there to support the gameplay, not overshadow it.[/p][p]That said, we do see room to push things a little further than what’s typical for the genre. Many survival games keep narrative in the background — and while Crosswind isn’t a story-heavy game, we’ve taken care to add more texture and presence to the world. [/p][p]Through character dialogue, hidden quests, found diaries, and other discoverable locations or objects, players can uncover dozens of small clues that help build a fuller picture of the world — if they choose to explore.[/p][p]So, gameplay still comes first. To keep everything working together, we follow three main steps:[/p]

• [p]Lay down a factual timeline, built on real or highly probable events from 16ᵗʰ to 18ᵗʰ centuries.[/p]
• [p]Draft a divergence layer, adding fictional milestones that align with core gameplay systems.[/p]
• [p]Leverage gameplay pillars, such as level design and art direction, to create a sense of swashbuckling momentum on every screen.[/p]

[p]From those steps we iterate on five guiding areas:[/p]

• [p]Biomes begin in the cradle of piracy — the Caribbean — and include distinct sets of enemies, resources, and challenges. Future updates will expand into new regions.[/p]
• [p]Technologies cover the essentials of the Age of Sail — rum, gunpowder, clashing steel, flintlocks, and blunderbusses — with a hint of fantasy, such as ancient curses or unexplained phenomena.[/p]
• [p]Factions & conflicts focus on a concise group of rival powers, each playing a central role in the unfolding narrative.[/p]
• [p]Characters range from loyal companions to sworn enemies, all shaped by the tensions between these forces.[/p]
• [p]Fantasy stays grounded in the world we’ve built. We’re not using classic fantasy elements like dragons or fireballs. Instead, we focus on pirate and maritime myths, like cursed gold, ghost ships, and whispered tales of lost islands. Our goal is to keep things feeling true to the tone of the pirate-era world we’ve created.[/p]

[p]Each strand feeds the next, ensuring world, narrative, and mechanics row in the same direction. All of them converge at a single point — the start of our story:[/p][hr][/hr][p]The British East India Company comes into possession of several missing pages from Columbus’s Book of Prophecies, where he describes a treasure that could grant control over the seas. During an expedition, their team uncovers the first fragment and sends it back to London.[/p][p]The information leaks. Edward Teach — better known as Blackbeard — hears of the cargo and orders his lieutenant, Israel Hands, to intercept the ship.[/p][p]You are the courier entrusted with transporting it.[/p][hr][/hr][p]And from there, your story in Crosswind begins. What starts as a survival journey soon grows into something larger — with a loyal crew at your side, tasks to take on, and key characters whose stories unfold through dialogue and discovery.[/p][p]If we’ve done our job well, the story will feel natural and easy to follow — there when you want it, out of the way when you don’t. Either way, we hope the next horizon brings just enough mystery to keep you curious about what lies ahead.[/p][h2][/h2][p][/p][h2]Meet Blackbeard's Crew[/h2][p]To give you a quick preview of what’s coming, let’s talk about one of the in-game factions you may already know — Blackbeard’s crew, led by Edward Teach.[/p][p]Teach is ambitious, power-hungry, and doesn’t care who he has to hurt to get what he wants. His motto is simple: “Why settle for less when you can take it all?” He doesn’t follow any rules — not even the Pirate Code. Though he was once part of The Brethren of the Coast, he quickly saw them as weak and limited in their views. Teach had no intention of staying in second place. He built his own reputation and crew, and when the time was right, he betrayed the Brotherhood and stole a large sum of gold meant for Tortuga. He never believed in “freedom, equality, and brotherhood.” He believed he was born to rule. Since that betrayal, Teach has been the most wanted pirate on the seas.[/p][p]His closest ally is Israel Hands — his second-in-command and longtime companion. Hands is tall and lean, with dark hair streaked with gray and a sharp, weathered face marked by deep-set eyes. He wears a British Royal Navy lieutenant’s coat, seeing himself as Blackbeard’s lieutenant in more than just name. He also walks with a limp in his left leg — and some of you may know why.[/p][p]Hands is fiercely loyal to Teach, ever since Teach saved his life in a battle against the French. He’s probably the only person Teach actually listens to. Hands is rough, stubborn, and blunt, but also clever, precise, and skilled at navigation. Deep down, though, he dreams of one day captaining his own ship.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Teach hasn’t appeared in the game yet, but you’ll meet Hands as one of the main bosses in the Alpha. [/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Their faction is hostile to everyone — including you. In the early game, you’ll spend a lot of time fighting their crew. They’re spread across the Coastal Jungle and Highlands and will attack anyone they spot. To them, you’re just another target.[/p][p][/p][p]Blackbeard’s gang consists of several types of enemies, each with their own role and danger level. [/p]

• [p]Most of them are typical cutthroats armed with swords. They’re not highly skilled, but they attack fast and in groups, making them a serious threat if you’re not careful.[/p]

• [p]Some are musketeers who stay at a distance and fire with muskets. They take longer to reload but can deal heavy damage if you don’t stay in cover.[/p]

• [p]The most dangerous among them are the pirate sergeants. Armed with both a pistol and a sword, they’re effective at both close and medium range. Tougher and more aggressive than regular pirates, they often lead enemy groups and won’t hesitate to rush you the moment they spot you.[/p]

[p][/p][p]All in all, it’s just one page from the larger story waiting to unfold during this playtest. There’s much more ahead — more factions, new faces, unexpected twists, and moments that will define your journey. Whether you’re here to fight, explore, or uncover lost secrets, this is only the beginning.[/p][p][/p][h2]Found Between the Waves[/h2][p]And if you’re drawn to exploration, we’re here to encourage it.[/p][p]Exploration is at the heart of Crosswind, and the story is woven into the atmosphere rather than delivered through dialogue alone. Many locations and objects are placed to spark a question — What happened here? — and to reward curiosity with a piece of lore, a hidden item, or a clue pointing to something bigger.[/p][p][/p][p]Sometimes the reward is practical — coin, supplies, a useful note. Other times, it’s just a fragment that colors in a broader picture or invites you to look again. That moment when a player says, “What’s that twisted tree doing out there? I need to see for myself,” is exactly the spirit we’re chasing — where discovery feels personal, earned, and quietly meaningful.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]For Readers, Raiders, and Everyone Between[/h2][p]We know not everyone plays a survival game for journals and lore. Some of you are here for the thrill — salt-sprayed decks, sudden broadsides, and the spoils that come with living dangerously. And that’s perfectly fine — Crosswind will always raise a glass to a bold raid. [/p][p]Still, we hope the quieter threads of the story feel worth a moment’s pause. After all, many of us first fell in love with the sea through the pages of Treasure Island or Captain Blood. Most of us have shared a grin over Pirates of the Caribbean, or felt the deck lurch under cannon fire in Master & Commander. We’re chasing that same spark, too.[/p][p]Wherever you head next, may your compass stay true, your powder stay dry, and your next horizon hold a story worth chasing.[/p][p][/p][p]Until next time, Crosswind Crew[/p]