Dev-Update #02: Designing an Ancient Alien Race

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Fellow explorers,[/p][p]With only three of us working on this game, every detail you'll get to see has to earn its place in our own hearts as well. This time, we want to take you deeper into one of our worldbuilding efforts we’re especially proud of: the Tor.[/p][p][/p][p]When we began designing the Tor, we wanted to create a civilization that felt lived in. One that could have risen, thrived, and ultimately collapsed, leaving only fragments for you to uncover.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Our starting point was their homeworld: Tor-Ulsat (as humans call it). It’s true name, spoken in the tongue of the Tor, has since been lost to time. Orbiting the sixth planet of its sun in the Cygnus sector of our own galaxy, Tor-Ulsat is a desolate and ragged world. A place, scarred by an extinction event that marked the beginning of the Tor's downfall.[/p][p][/p][p]1 - Laying the Foundations[/p][p]During early sketch phases, we drew inspiration from Earth’s own vanished cultures. We looked into what made them thrive, what they believed, and what traces they left behind. The goal was to make sure that if players were going to uncover the Tor, their civilization needed to feel authentic, with enough realism woven in to make them matter.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We imagined the Tor as deeply connected to nature and our idea was to have their culture revolve around a sacred oath never to violate their world. But we knew they couldn’t just be "idealized" guardians of their home planet. Their downfall had to come from within. A single, catastrophic misstep that shattered the harmony they had struggled so hard to build.[/p][p][/p][p]2 - Design Principles[/p][p]From a design point of view, we wanted the Tor to feel advanced without falling into the usual sci-fi clichés of gleaming cities or sprawling megastructures. We wanted to create spaces that feel both alien and believable. Machines hidden in caverns, temples carved into cliffsides, structures that look less “built” and more “grown into place.” This approach also gave us a way to weave their philosophy directly into the environments players will explore.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Although their way of life might appear tribal at first glance, the Tor were anything but primitive. Their civilization was powered by a unique energy source found only on their home world, and with it, they built extraordinary devices and machines. These creations were designed to ease life’s burdens, but always in balance with their oath not to damage their own ecosystem.[/p][p][/p][p]3 - Story Considerations[/p][p]We had to make sure that the Tor aren’t simply “the ancient aliens” of Causal Loop. They shouldn't just be used as a story lever, or a MacGuffin. They work more as a way to explore ambition, reverence, and the dangers of overreaching within Causal Loops main story. We grounded them in nature and technology to make sure their presence feels authentic, but mysterious at the same time, like a people who might have truly existed somewhere in our galaxy.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Of course, their tale doesn’t end here. The terrible mistake that led to their downfall is something players will uncover for themselves, piece by piece, as they explore the ruins of the Tor. Their fate is deeply entwined with Bales’ own path and what they left behind will shape the challenges he faces and the choices he must make.[/p][p][/p][p]We hope this short sneak peek gave you an insight into how the team thinks and feels about worldbuilding in Causal Loop. There’s much more to uncover though, so stay tuned.[/p][p][/p][p]Until next time and thanks for being on this journey with us![/p][p]-Kai & the Mirebound-Team[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]