KOTCL Dev Diaries: Diving deeper into narrative design.
Knock, knock, travellers!
[p][/p][p align="justify"]As I promised, today we’ll be venturing into the tangled jungle of game development.[/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/8fbbeff9da8089628bd1f5d73f7fcf7874583d7e.png"][TAG-10][/p][p]Last time, I talked about the exotic and rarely understood profession of the narrative game designer—myself being a scriptwriter, ha-ha! [/p][p align="justify"]Yes, I’m not a narrative designer but a humble scriptwriter, although after spending half my life in the game industry, I’ve learned so much about the ways of the wise that I could just as easily work as a narrative designer. Still, my biggest priority is texts, and I don’t always have time for narrative design duties (and there’s plenty of work there).[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]If you want to understand the difference between a scriptwriter and a narrative designer, just read the previous diary entry. In this one, we’ll figure out what exactly narrative game designers do and what kinds of problems they run into.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]By the way! There are narrative designers among our readers. I personally know two —but there well may be more. I hope they’ll chime in in the comments and tell me whether I have a good grasp of what they do. And maybe they’ll even share a couple of tips for the future, hmm?[/p][p] [/p]
Let’s Go
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/9d8abf090c687e59b87f64f3c3adeead9c82d4ef.png"][/p][p]Do you respect professionalism? I do. Professionals know best how to do their job. I’d never tell an artist that they’re drawing the wrong way, and I’d never tell a sound designer that they’re doing the sound wrong. And if I told a game designer that their mechanic needs to be reworked, they’d tell me to stick my criticism where the sun doesn't shine. And just try telling a scriptwriter (I.e. me) that my script is bad—I’ll launch into a lecture in response, and it might even be interesting.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Everyone in game design wants to do their job well and knows how to do it. Everyone is a professional in their field, and the narrative designer is sometimes perceived as an obstacle: listen, buddy, you don’t understand anything about this, and I know exactly how it should be done. It sounds fair in theory, but if narrative designers didn’t interfere in other people’s work, they wouldn’t be able to do their own.[/p][p align="justify"][/p][p align="justify"]Their job boils down to making sure that every element of the game is narrative. They take care of the presentation so that everything tells the same story in sync. And for that purpose, they bother absolutely everyone in the process. How do you avoid conflicts in that situation?[/p][p] [/p]
References
[p]Here’s a great idea: provide more references, explain what you want in as much detail as possible. For many experienced people, that actually makes things easier—just tell me what you need, and I’ll make it perfect.[/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/d6560ab9962a894db927fb4453733a1ea58f2981.jpg"][/p][p][/p][p]But sometimes that’s not enough.[/p][p][/p][p]Sometimes a narrative designer has to partner up with other team members, guiding them almost manually. That won’t work with artists—they can’t bear it when someone is standing behind their shoulder. (Hey, artists, I’m right, aren’t I?). But with others it works fine, even helps them. It definitely helps the scriptwriter! When a narrative designer works in tandem with me, the result is simply—chef’s kiss. But it doesn’t always work out and you can’t avoid conflicts. Especially when it comes to game design.[/p][p] [/p]
Conflicts with Game Design
[p][/p][p]If game designers have come up with a really cool gameplay mechanic, maybe the narrative designer shouldn’t interfere. Or should they? We all came here to play great games, not to listen to great stories. We play because we want to play. If you tell us an awesome story while we’re at it, that’s fantastic! But gameplay comes first.[/p][p][p align="justify"]The problem (for the narrative designer) is that game mechanics can sometimes be counter-narrative. They interfere with storytelling. What do you do about that?[p][p align="justify"]You don’t have to look far for an example: a card-based combat system is counter-narrative. How do you explain to a player immersed in a believable game world that all the battles in it are actually a card game? You don’t. If you try, you might only make it worse. Or maybe not?[p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/de37f598462e63e9bce5715afcc7264db003a190.jpg"][TAG-90]
Game Conventions
[p]If a game mechanic can’t really be explained, it can easily be turned into a convention. Fortunately, game conventions were invented long before video games. We all understand and accept them.[p]Chess is one big game convention, a pure abstraction of warfare. Card games are the same. Although wait… There’s Magic: The Gathering, a card game—but that one does have a narrative. When I play Magic, I step into a crafted universe with different worlds and the inhabitants of those worlds. A small illustration, a bit of text—presto! A road to adventure is stretched out before you. That’s narrative game design, babe.[TAG-103][p][TAG-105]
A bundle with Roots Devour
Check out the stylish bundle with Roots Devour
[p][/p][p]If I were making a game about a divine mite, it would probably look a lot like Roots Devour: an incredibly dense atmosphere, a deliberately muted color palette (as if you’re seeing the world through non-human eyes), chthonic artwork, and meditative music. Gameplay from another reality, absolute gloom everywhere. And of course—cards.[/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/8074904707dffbc71ee666e6cbe16dbbbf0d45de.jpg"][TAG-10][/p][p]And we’ll do our best to keep delighting you with new themed bundles — we already have a couple of interesting ideas lined up.[/p]
KOTCL Dev Diaries: narrative design
Knock, knock!
[p]Today I’d like to take a little break from KOTCL and from Midian to talk about game development in general and game design in particular. But not just game design—narrative game design.[/p][p][/p]
So What Kind of Beast Is It?
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/2d31a1b1d22c3a50e56fb6668200494046372ff4.gif"][/p][p]Don’t change the channel—it’s going to get interesting here! A narrative game designer is the most exotic profession in the gaming industry. Sometimes even those who are directly involved in game-building (not to mention everyone else) have only a very general and quite incomplete understanding of what narrative game design actually is.[/p][p align="justify"]You don’t have to look far for an example: I was hired at Redboon as a scriptwriter, but it was also “assumed” that I would take on the functions of a narrative designer. The quotation marks are there because no one really understood what that meant at the time.[/p][p][/p][p] [/p]
If Only We Knew What It Was—But We Didn’t Know What It Was
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/6244003d42ca8103060b2931a78a41dccbdb7166.png"][TAG-30]Everything is understood through comparison. The best way to explain what a narrative designer is, is by comparing them to a scriptwriter.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Everyone knows what a scriptwriter does. They write scripts—for games, or plays, or films. It would seem that’s all you need. But actors can’t perform from a script alone; they need a stage director. A narrative game designer is exactly that—the stage director of game development, in a nutshell.[/p][p] [/p]
In a Bit More Detail
[p][/p][p]In an ideal game, absolutely everything should serve the narrative, not just the text. The visuals, the sound, the gameplay—everything should be telling a story. A beautiful image can’t be beautiful just for the sake of it; an interesting event can’t be interesting just because; a punchy sound can’t be punchy for no reason.[/p][p][/p]
Brief Digression
[p]Recently I went to the theater and watched a pantomime. The actors told an amazing story without a single word. Of course, they obviously had a script written in words. But the director and actors didn’t need speech to express everything the writer wanted to say. Because they had plenty of other expressive tools at their disposal.[/p][p align="justify"]But back to video games. We have far more expressive tools at our disposal.[/p][p][/p][p][/p]
Shooters
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/df60190a8d7389394862eafaceba62a0790b747c.png"][/p][p]The most important thing in a shooter is the feel of the weapon in your hands. If you can feel its weight, that’s great work by the animator. If you can feel the recoil and it noticeably affects gameplay, that’s great work by the game designer. If it booms like a real gun, that’s great work by the sound designer.[/p][p] If the weapon feels like a plastic toy, it means the narrative designer didn’t do their job well. The feel of the weapon in your hands is narrative game design—because in a shooter, it’s the guns that tell the story.[/p][p][/p][p][/p]
Fighting Games
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/64f06b569ad3c72555d59ec000c4e24bf42a8f92.png"][/p][p]In fighting games, the most important thing is the feel of the hits. In a good fighter, if you land a weak punch, you should feel that it’s weak. If you get hit properly, it should feel as if sparks seem to fly from your eyes. This task isn’t solved by simply reducing the life bar; it’s narrative game design.[/p][p][/p][p][/p]
RPGs
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/01f7162b5dc7cff2325b488b7e973e4515e4611e.gif"][TAG-106][/p][p]In RPGs, we grind and level up to become stronger. To keep leveling up further and longer, we need to feel our progress and our superiority. Can that be conveyed through numbers?[/p][p] Well, theoretically yes — if you make big numbers bold and red. But we have significantly more expressive tools than that. And that, too, is narrative game design.[/p][p] [/p]
Knock on the Coffin Lid
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/23fff9749c1eca01cd45a817f66f9a2e3d1ec15a.gif"][/p][p]Cool events with interesting choices and outcomes are worth nothing if they don’t tell a story. They have to be narrative.[/p][p align="justify"]Take any event as an example. What does it tell you?[/p][p align="justify"]I say let’s have a look at the Mite’s Bride event. It tells you that the locals sacrifice their pretty virgin girls to some unknown chthonic creature they want to become related to. Clearly not the best place to live (though to each their own).[/p][p align="justify"]Or take the Healing Potion event. The goblins are such sweethearts, they’re brewing a potion to heal everyone… brewing it from human blood. What is this place?[/p][p align="justify"]And here are more goblins, these ones brewing a growth elixir from orc fat. Well, okay, goblins are good at making potions—I got that. But what comes next?[/p][p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/7d462a2f7a13e25aeba1375355fc2260c769a618.gif"] [p]What comes next is that I really understand what kind of world this is, that is if the narrative game designer has done their job well.[p]
These Are Just Examples
[p][p]From these examples, one might prematurely conclude that a narrative game designer is a king and god who has the last say in everything related to development of a certain game.[p align="justify"]If you’re Hideo Kojima, that may indeed be the case. But if you’re not Hideo Kojima, conflicts are inevitable—with the scriptwriter, the art director, the sound designer, the game designers, the testers, the players, and even your best friend’s older sister.[p][p align="justify"]Let’s talk about all these conflicts and ways to resolve them next time.[p] See you soon, travelers.
KOTCL Dev Diaries: New Agreement, pt2. The Undercity
Knock-knock, travelers! You read the previous diary log, right?
[p] [/p][p]Last time I talked about the above-ground part of New Agreement. Today it’s the under-ground part’s turn. It’s going to be fun and dark.[/p][p] [/p]
A City Under a City
[p][/p][p]Just to remind you—New Agreement is a huge city built by the gods. There’s another city, built by the demons, under that one. Which one of them would you choose to live?[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]If you’re not a goblin, you probably wouldn’t want to live your whole life underground. But the undercity gives you a chance to live a second life. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?[/p][p align="justify"]Above the ground you can be a pious, wealthy resident of New Agreement. But going down below the ground level, you may immediately turn into a serial killer, a death servant, a demon worshipper, or even something much worse.[/p][p align="justify"]Do you like that possibility? I hope not.[/p][p] [img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/4bf1ffa3c9760a6805e404d73086fc1e91c63888.png"][/p][p]The underground New Agreement is a devious design made by demons to encourage and enable the dark side of your nature. At any moment you can step out of your usual life and down into the otherworld, where you will be most welcome.[/p][p][/p]
[p]Forbidden goods? Yes.[/p]
[p]Forbidden pleasures? Yes.[/p]
[p]Mortal danger? Why yes, sure![/p][p][/p]
[p]The underground New Agreement is a city inside out. If you run into your neighbour from above, think twice before shaking their hand. There’s a chance that they’ll carve out your heart and run away into the darkness, laughing wildly, to make an offering to an idol of a millennia-old centipede. After that they’ll go back up to continue their normal life—unlike you.[/p][p align="justify"]“Do you know where your neighbour is?”[/p][p align="justify"]“I don’t know, I haven’t seen him for a couple days.”[/p][p align="justify"]“I’ve come by for the second day, and he’s not home.”[/p][p align="justify"]“Do you need to see him? You can leave him a note, and I’ll pass it on when he returns.”[/p][p align="justify"]“Just tell him Simon is looking for him.”[/p][p align="justify"]“I’ll make sure to tell him.”[/p][p align="justify"]“Thanks!”[/p][p align="justify"]“No need to thank me.”[/p][p] [/p][p]The goldiest and wealthiest citizens don’t go down without guards. A couple of strapping bodyguard orcs will substantially increase your chances of survival… unless, of course, your bodyguards decide to decrease your chance of survival themselves. [/p][p align="justify"]Hold on! Why in Midian would you go there in the first place?[/p][p][/p]
Death Idol
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/7032e466301e12628e00227407cfed6859beb2ca.gif"][/p][p]It is there. And if you have decided to serve the Mistress, then on first day of fall, you will have to arrange a slaughter in her honor. On their way to the Death Idol, acolytes massacre everyone they encounter — including each other.[/p][p]The dungeons of the New Agreement are perfectly suited for this kind of event.[/p][p][/p][p][/p]
Bandits
[p]Gangs find it convenient to hide and move underground, although they are somewhat afraid of the other inhabitants of the undercity. Bandits are the most harmless and friendly creatures you can meet there — with one exception.[/p][p]The curious ones.[/p][p]Like you.[/p][p][/p][p][/p]
The Curious
[p][/p][p]Sometimes the inhabitants of the New Agreement descend into the underground simply out of curiosity. Then they return and tell their friends how unusual and exciting it was.[/p][p]If they return.[/p][p][/p]
Goblins
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/e304687c2840b6292269dac908d7581863a9bf2d.gif"][/p][p]If you are, indeed, a goblin, make yourself at home. There’s even a whole city of goblins under New Agreement—a city within a city beneath a city. Welcome, but if you’re not a goblin, you might get eaten.[/p][p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/70b217e10f84aeafb8bf81e36108148fd8736191.gif"][TAG-120][/p][p] [/p]
[p]There are as many of them as you like—of every kind. They’re ordinary citizens you pass by every day above the ground. Don’t go into the undercity if you don’t want to find that out for yourself.[/p][p][p]
Firebrother Monastery
[p][p]Unexpectedly — but yes, it is there. Although, why “unexpectedly”? The Fire Brothers prefer to settle close to all kinds of unclean creatures, so it’s more convenient to destroy them. You don’t even have to go far: servants of death, demon worshippers, bandits, maniacs — all right here.[p]The Brothers are a ray of light in this dark kingdom, but don’t be too quick to rejoice if you happen to meet them there. First, you’ll have to answer a few uncomfortable questions, the first of which is: What exactly are you doing here? And before you answer, think carefully.[p][p]
Entering and Exiting
[p][p]It’s impossible to guard or control all the entrances and exits to the undercity because there are simply too many. One of the entrances could be right in your cellar. You can board up the door, and no one will get out, but you won’t be able to get in either. [p]The New Agreement is an entire world you could talk about for a long time. Who do you think rules it?[p][p]
KOTCL Dev Diaries: The New Agreement
Knock-knock, travelers!
[p][/p][p]Today’s diary is a themed one, dedicated entirely to the New Agreement. I’d like to tell you more about this most epic and significant location of Midian. But first, a small poll.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Some of our users had their DLC disappear, and we fixed that bug, or so we thought, but isolated complaints keep coming in. We have to assess the scale of the problem. For that, we’ll need as many players as possible whose DLC keeps disappearing, strange as that may sound. If you’re having this issue, please write about it in the comments. If you had this issue before but no longer do, please don’t give in to laziness and leave a comment as well. Thanks in advance, and let’s go.[/p][p] [/p]
The New Agreement is a Big Deal
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/2c547652edde4e3276f5b9b0f573498213c363f5.png"][/p][p]If you’re familiar with the chronology of Midian and/or have read Vanadis’ autobiography, you already have a general idea of the New Agreement, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Now let’s dive deeper; it’s worth it.[/p][p] [/p][p][/p]
The Beginning
[p][/p][p]When the first agreement was broken, the gods and the demons nearly clashed in an apocalyptic battle, but managed to come to a compromise. Their new agreement isn’t written on paper—it’s carved in stone. Together they built a city whose walls are inscribed with the texts of the new agreement. It’s much more reliable that way![/p][p align="justify"]Naturally, all the texts are in an ancient language that a few remember poorly and no one remembers well.[/p][p] [/p]
The New Agreement Is a City
[p][/p][p]So, the New Agreement is a city of incredible size; mortals could never have created anything like it. The aboveground part was built by the gods. They raised the tallest buildings and the broadest avenues from monolithic stone, enclosing them with impregnable city walls. The underground part was built by the demons—they didn’t waste time on trifles either and made an entire city beneath the city. The walls of the underground city are also covered with the words of the new agreement. There’s a legend that the texts above ground and below differ slightly, but no one has managed to confirm or refute that.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Anyone can settle in the New Agreement, but throughout its existence, it’s never been fully populated because there’s a catch. [/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]If you want to live in the center or near the city gates, you’ll have to pay a hefty sum. Meanwhile, houses on the outskirts, by the dead-end city wall, are empty and cost nothing. That sounds tempting—until you meet the neighbors.[/p][p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/1da25fb839f67524a861d61f7abbd00fe5a31e6d.jpg"][/p]
The Neighbors
[p][/p][p]The center of the New Agreement is, without exaggeration, the quintessence of life in Midian—but you won’t be let in unless your collar is white enough.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]All the imperial nobility have set up their residences there to enjoy life to the fullest. All the best goods and services flow there and are sold at exorbitant prices—any whim if you’re ready to pay. [/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/e658c6be6e29f9f5295d61746250fc5d5b6a3c10.gif"][/p][p][/p]
The Periphery
[p][/p][p]Around the center are the finest craftsmen of every trade: tailors, blacksmiths, armorers, furniture makers, cooks—anyone you can think of. If the highest-quality goods and services are sold somewhere, and you know how to make or provide them, it makes sense to live close to your clients. That’s only logical, right?[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Sounds pretty boring, doesn’t it? Craftsmen dream of their own little piece of happiness too, so the artisan districts are full of bars and brothels. And we’re gradually moving toward the outskirts.[/p][p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/844a82971e8de89ce2cb18e432ac1dfe2e0b28e9.gif"][/p][p][p]
The Outskirts
[p][TAG-101][p]That’s where workpeople and bandits live. The closer to the center, the more workers. The farther out, the more bandits. Have you changed your mind about settling in the New Agreement, yet?[TAG-103][p align="justify"]Meanwhile, the gods and the demons only chuckle as they watch from somewhere up there. I’ve deliberately laid it on thick to mentally prepare you for the story of the underground part of the New Agreement, which was built by the demons. It’ll be more fun down there.[TAG-105][p][TAG-107][p align="justify"]I think many of you have already guessed that in creating this city I was influenced by Necromunda. But honestly, my main source of inspiration was 19th-century Paris.[TAG-109][p]
KOTCL Dev Diaries: an absolutely ordinary entry.
Knock, knock, travelers!
[p][/p][p]Today, for a change, we’ll have an absolutely ordinary journal entry. Let’s start with feedback.[/p][p][/p]
Feedback
[p][/p][p]Apparently you want to learn more about what we’re up to right now. I’ll tell you everything I can, which is not much, for reasons you’ll see below. But all in due course.[/p][p align="justify"]First, let’s see what we’ve got on Bjorn’s re-balance—things that are finished and not yet finished.[/p][p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/98b5874cf2e382eb7c23a4537d6376504ba64f0c.png"][TAG-20][/p][p]What’s finished:[/p]
[p align="justify"]New core gameplay[/p]
[p align="justify"]Class perks re-worked according to the new core gameplay[/p]
[p align="justify"]What needs to be finished:[/p]
[p align="justify"]Starting cards[/p]
[p align="justify"]Starting items[/p]
[p align="justify"]Class items[/p]
[p align="justify"]Class cards[/p]
[p align="justify"]Common items for Bjorn[/p]
[p align="justify"]Common cards for Bjorn[/p]
[p align="justify"]Common consumables for Bjorn[/p]
[p align="justify"]The Lunar Druid set[/p]
[p align="justify"]Re-working/elimination of controversial mechanics (scarring, ferocious cards, etc.)[/p]
[p]I’ve been flat-out refused any timeline, as there are higher-priority tasks. Long story short: it will be done when it’s done.[/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/6a3d39fb916b2d1faf3dfa71a961cff189fc139f.gif"][/p][p]As for the “higher-priority tasks”, I’d REALLY love to tell you at least a few things, but I’ve been told not to, and that’s probably the right call. We’ll make the right announcement at the right moment, and that moment hasn’t arrived yet.[/p][p align="justify"]As for the new game’s script, I don’t want to say anything more myself—no way! I’m trying to fill it with as many surprises and plot twists as possible.[/p][p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/28a3ad04ec030e089b3ae0abcace63fbd4ce2cf6.png"][/p][p]But I can tell you more about the firebrothers. In the last diary I already explained what usually goes on inside a monastery. Today I’m going to focus on what happens outside.[p]
Outside the Monastery
[p][TAG-103][p]Monasteries are usually built near settlements, but even if one is constructed in a remote area, laypeople start settling nearby for one simple reason—safety. The Brothers of Fire won’t let their neighbours come to any harm. You’ve got to admit that that reality is nice—although the firebrothers can’t be called perfect neighbours. They do have their shortcomings. [TAG-105][p align="justify"]Let’s imagine that you’ve moved in near a monastery. What should you expect?[TAG-107][p][TAG-109]
[p align="justify"]A tithe. Brothers of Fire aren’t used to a life of luxury, so they won’t rip you off, but if they need something, you better hand it over.
[p align="justify"]You’re being watched, very closely. You’ll have to lead a pious life, lest you end up in a bonfire yourself. However, this won’t be a problem if you already behave properly and aren’t planning to change your ways after moving in.
[p align="justify"]Preachers. Fire zealots are wandering around the area, spreading the Brotherhood’s ideals among their neighbors. Even if it’s not to your liking, you can’t kick them out for obvious reasons. So don’t be surprised when your adolescent son decides to become a novice.[p]
[p](Just so you understand: fire zealots are not considered firebrothers, but they preach the ideals of the brotherhood because they’re on the same side.)[p] [p]Sometimes a monastery is built near some object that needs to be watched over. This can be some artefact or a place, something unknown and potentially dangerous. Ideally it’s best to burn the object just in case, but if it doesn’t burn, then it must be kept under guard.[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/9f7a5ee117057577a3e38d40a5c27a8f32229d25.png"][p]Since we’re looking at an example of an average monastery, let’s say it guards a portal. No one knows how to destroy the portal, no one knows how to open it, no one knows where it leads. The fire brothers will make sure that nobody gets close to this portal or learns of its existence.[p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/7d357ea1ca158094de1f56796368b9a24fc4375d.jpg"] [p]It would seem that everything’s under control, so what could go wrong?
New Year - New Beginnings
Happy New Year, travelers! Did you miss us?
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/6a1f044698ed6f9938298adb393ac1e4f4c88599.png"][/p][p]How did you spend your holidays? As for me, I met with my friends and relatives, had guests over and was a guest myself, went to a theater, etc. I had a very busy schedule, even too busy—as per usual.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]The start of a new year is a time for new beginnings. I, for example, started writing a script for a new game set in the Midian universe.[/p][p align="justify"]This is a cause for joy, but don’t throw your hats in the air yet… and hold your ‘hooray’s for two reasons.[/p][p][/p]
[p align="justify"]Firstly, my script can easily be cut off at the root or sent back for a complete re-write. [/p]
[p align="justify"]Secondly, the script is the lowest priority for me right now. I have enough things to keep me busy, but whenever I get a free minute or hour, I happily fill that time with working on the new story.[/p][p][/p]
[p align="justify"]I wonder what I could tell you about it. I don’t want to spoil it, plus the end result can turn out very different from what I’m going to reveal now…[/p][p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/bff6d27f1909738f9247f786883956ee2c9be1fd.gif"][/p]
Alright, Let’s Go
[p][/p][p]The new story will be about the firebrothers. They’re my personal favourites, and they definitely deserve more attention. I’ve already drafted a script idea in one of the previous diary entries. If you’re just as zealous as the brothers of Fire, you’ll find it. But keep in mind that drafting ideas and writing scripts are not the same, and that’s to put it mildly.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]The game will be in a different genre, but that might change. There will be one playable character, but that might change. As you might easily guess, that character is a brother of fire, and that won’t change. Mortis and Millenis will be in the game, and that won’t change.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]The new script has connections to the plot of KOTCL and is built on the same basic principles but it has its differences, of which there are already plenty. It’s in no way a cover of an old song, but an attempt to tie a new game to the first one narratively and conceptually.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]That’s probably all I can tell you.[/p][p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/7d357ea1ca158094de1f56796368b9a24fc4375d.jpg"][TAG-60][/p]
Oh, Right!
[p align="justify"]I’ve meant to tell you about a monastery of the Brotherhood of Fire for a long time now, but for some reason or another, I’ve kept putting it off. Well, now it’s suddenly just the right time, methinks.[/p][p][/p]
Firebrother MonasterIES
[p align="justify"]Surely, you didn’t think there was a single monastery? The plot of KOTCL implies the existence of at least two, but actually there are many more of them. They’ve spread across entire Midian like mushrooms after a rain. I’m going to describe everyday life in one of the monasteries for you. Here we go![/p][p][/p]
A Typical, Average, One of Many, Firebrother Monastery
[p][/p][p align="justify"]Life in a monastery is far from exciting or eventful. I mean, have you ever seen a jolly monastery with festive games and courtesans? Although if we’re to believe Bocaccio, some medieval monasteries were a lot of fun. But what we have in the game is a mix of Christian and Buddhist frater abodes in their conventional sense, and life there is spent in continuous prayer, self-restraint and training.[/p][p align="justify"]Novices and brothers make up the bulk of a monastery’s residents. Aside from them, there are fire zealots, an abbot and his retainers. Let’s look at them one by one.[/p][p][/p]
0. Novices
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/795f924cb98b2e498f751317fa817c244e25feb2.png"][/p][p][/p][p]Anyone who has embraced the ideas of the Brotherhood of Fire and wishes to join their ranks has first to spend some time as a novice. In fact they’re simply slaves who attend to brothers, work in the fields, herd livestock and twist cows’ tails. Yard-keepers, cooks, barbers—all of them are novices. A monastery’s infrastructure is supported by them.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]The time one spends as a novice is not defined. In theory, a novice is promoted to a brother once he’s proven his commitment to the Brotherhood’s ideals. In reality, it happens when needed. The more brothers die in battle, the bigger are the chances that a novice becomes a brother. The fewer people willing to become a novice, the slimmer those chances are. Novices are sort of a strategic reserve.[/p][p][/p]
1. Brothers of fire
[p] [img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/66ad1657c7bb250072d4aadd7a7dc088f7df3ae3.gif"][TAG-104][/p][p align="justify"]The aforementioned continuous prayer, self-restraint and training is what all brothers of Fire are about. It would seem that there’s nothing else to say here, but that’s far from the truth. There are things to say because there are several types of brothers of Fire.[/p]
[p align="justify"]Warriors
[p align="justify"]I admit that there’s nothing else to say about these ones. Feel like joining the Brotherhood already? No? You simply haven’t properly experienced life in Midian.
[p align="justify"]Secret envoys
[p align="justify"]They travel around Midian looking for unholy beings. They assume the guise of merchants, outcasts, and adventurers. They train the skill of being mundane and unremarkable to get in everywhere they need to. They are the Brotherhood’s eyes and ears.
[p align="justify"]Inquisitors
[p align="justify"]They travel around Midian looking for unholy beings. They don’t assume any guises—they kick open any doors because the Brotherhood’s reputation makes it almost impossible to oppose the inquisitors.[p] [p] [img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/4911671785079684087b8c8ce3b34a4ff3a3af3c.gif"][p]
2. Fire Zealots
[p]While brothers pray mostly to fortify their moral values, fire zealots do so to specifically obtain mana for the brothers. Don’t forget that the Fire Spirits are not some hypothetical entities, in which you’re supposed to believe blindly; they’re a real, fundamental force of Midian. If you worship the spirits properly, they respond in kind—they guide, reward, and punish. All of the firebrothers’ might is built upon the Primordial Spirits and fire zealots.[p]
3. Abbot
[p]The abbot of a monastery is always chosen from inquisitors from other monasteries. This is a very important rule: a charge of a monastery can never become its abbot. This custom exists to prevent individual monasteries from becoming too insular and turning to worshipping some sort of fire demons.[p]
4. Retainers
[p]An abbot brings together a number of fire zealots to serve as his aides. There can be no retainers at all in a given monastery, or there can be many of them. More often, though, it’s one advisor alone who acts as the steward as well. The abbot has too many important duties to concern himself with daily life, as you would understand.[p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/b16bf0d8aa1cedfb7794d7194a8c8ff45c289ce7.gif"][p][p align="justify"]Who Is Our Brother, and Who Is Not?[p align="justify"]Novices and fire zealots are not brothers. The others are.[p][p align="justify"]So What is Around the Monastery?[p align="justify"]I’ll talk about this next time. That was enough for today, I think.[p] [p]
KOTCL Dev Diaries - the 2025 Wrap-Up!
Knock, Knock, It’s the 2025 Wrap-Up!
[p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/af33087072f8e807317e8d2e276e8ab98fd54b89.png"][/p][p]Have you ever done this?—I mean, wrapping up the year isn’t simply an excuse for another post—it’s a good opportunity to reflect on everything you’ve done, and commit all of it to memory. We’re all great at making plans, but really bad at taking stock. At least, I definitely am.[/p][p][/p][p][/p]
Console Release
[p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/ce1756dd1b48be4454c5ff51522c70bacdf37d6c.png"][/p][p][/p][p]Personally, I played our game on a PlayStation with a huge TV and was blown away by the quality of the artwork. Our artists are simply the best. And in general, I feel like playing with a game controller, while sprawled on the couch, is somehow nicer than hunching over a computer. Otherwise, everything felt familiar—I don’t recall any other impressions from the console version… Oh wait, I do remember one more: our game is on consoles… wow![/p][p] [/p][p]DLC[/p][p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/105caf567fab167f37b6bdec434b70ecb7b5f796.jpg"][/p][p][/p][p]The full story of Mortis & Co is KOTCL + Nightmares of Millenis, so releasing the DLC was a matter of principle for us. Everyone who’s been with us from the very beginning received the add-on for free.[/p][p align="justify"]However, Nightmares of Millenis didn’t live up to our expectations. Not because we expected to blow up the market and make all the money in the world with it, but because we gave the story a beautiful ending and wanted as many people as possible to see it.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Forgive the somewhat grand comparison, but the game and the add-on are like the first and second Terminator movies. The first presents the story and leaves a lot of questions, while the second one dots the i’s and crosses the t’s.[/p][p align="justify"][/p][p align="justify"]By the way, did you notice that the canonical ending of the add-on is subtly similar to the ending of Terminator 2? Well, that was intentional. If you’ve seen the canonical ending of KOTCL, you’ll immediately understand what I mean. And if you haven’t, then you won’t, which means it’s not a spoiler.[/p][p] [/p]
Developer Diaries
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/67670e311d95bbfdd0773811a4b532867461fd2b.png"][/p][p]I was entrusted with the honorable duty of writing these diaries, and this itself may well be the brightest moment in my outgoing year. I chose a “statements” format (I believe the intellectual term is “confessional writing”, but to me that word feels overly emotional). If you’ve read The Catcher in the Rye, you know what this format is all about. I picked it because, on the one hand, I do have something to say and want to speak my mind rather than churn out banalities and nonsense. On the other hand, this format is appealing to the audience as well, so there’s no contradiction between the two sides.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Because of the news shortage in recent months, I’ve told you a whole lot of different things about the game universe that never made it into KOTCL. After all, the game itself doesn’t try to explain everything about Midian—it simply exists within it, obeying its rules and logic. The game doesn’t try to explain it all, but why shouldn’t I try to explain it?[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Some people even suggested gathering all that information into something like a wiki, or—who knows?—even publishing a book. But today we’re not making plans for the future; we’re wrapping up the year.[/p][p][/p][p] [/p]
Neural Networks
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/fee4cab654eecc88f8807bd61ccec15846c1ca09.png"][TAG-102][/p][p]We have tried experimenting with neural networks and received a lot of hate. I understand the reasons for your criticisms, but not so much the reasons for your hate. You have to keep up with the times and try new things. If it works, that’s great. If it doesn’t—well, so be it! Why get worked up? Nerves don’t regenerate. As for neural networks, I can share my personal opinion, but keep in mind:[/p][p][/p]
The author’s opinion may not coincide with that of the editors.
[p][/p][p]We could’ve developed the game much faster if we’d first tested all our ideas using AI, and only then etched them in stone by hand.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Instead, we regretfully had to throw away a whole bunch of implemented ideas that worked perfectly in theory but in practice turned out to be useless, boring, or simply not fun enough. Of course, AI won’t replace real creators (and it will never make our little diary cozy), but it can absolutely save creators a lot of time and nerves.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]And it’s not just about testing. Two interactive entertainment environments immediately come to mind; they were popular back in the day, and I’d like to bring them to your attention in this context.[/p][p] [/p][p]First: Interactive Fiction[/p][p align="justify"]These were text-based quests without graphics, with the game being controlled by typing text on the keyboard. The genre’s heyday was in the 1980s, but Interactive Fiction never achieved worldwide popularity because of the lack of graphics and the technical difficulties of text parsing. Players often had to type the same command over and over again, wording it differently each time, just so the program would recognize it and respond appropriately. Back then this annoyed many people; today it annoys absolutely everyone. You see where I’m going with this? AI begs to be used in such cases, and could breathe new life into interactive fiction.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Second: RPG Maker[/p][p align="justify"]A series of games, or rather a game engine that allows you to create RPGs without any AI support. I’ve never heard anyone say that RPG Maker is taking food out of game developers’ mouths. On the contrary, it allows game designers and writers to test their ideas and skills.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Unfortunately, while RPG Maker’s capabilities are impressive, they are fundamentally limited, and its interface scares off beginners. Creating such a tool with AI support is an idea that’s already in the air, and someone will definitely turn it into a finished product. It’s only a matter of time.[/p][p align="justify"]Well, that’s all for neural networks; let’s move on.[/p][p] [/p]
Rebalancing
[p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/a8139e8d2992aff920ca414ed7e0984454e87692.png"][p][p]Balance has always been a sore spot for our project. Not because it was bad, but because you can’t please everyone and leaving negative comments is much more enjoyable than leaving positive ones. Still, still… there were some constructive ideas hidden in the negative feedback.[p][p align="justify"]While working on the balance, we were walking through uncharted territory, looking for new solutions and running up against new problems. But once we looked at the finished balance in its pure form, it immediately became clear how exactly it should be reworked more to our liking. We decided to name this the director’s cut of balance and rolled up our sleeves.[p][p]The testing ground for the rebalance became the public_beta branch. It’s still not too late to jump into it! For those not in the loop, I’ll repeat: only reworked story mode for Persival is there so far. The other modes and characters are still in their vanilla state; their rebalance will come later. But Persival is already very ready. Not ready, ready yet—but very ready.[p][p]
So, to Wrap-Up…
[p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/a93e59dd0904c72629f3b53dc964bafcbe3e1e22.png"][p]I don’t really have a verdict. I told you right at the beginning that I’m very bad at this. It seems like we did everything we planned this year, but new ideas keep appearing with new opportunities for implementing them. We keep moving forward; new games await ahead.[p][TAG-201][p align="justify"]Happy upcoming New Year and Merry Christmas—have a proper good time! [TAG-203]
Winter sale
Have you already figured out how you’ll be celebrating New Year and Christmas?
[p]Personally, I’m going to a rock concert. Just kidding. I traditionally celebrate New Year at home with my family, and on Christmas I go visit my cousin. By the way, he has such powerful audio equipment at home that the sound is better than at a rock concert.[/p][p][/p][p]This time we decided not to hold back on discounts and went straight for 50% — jump in while you can. And be sure to check out the new bundle.[/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/ebf0940f4de975792df96b79c6f12407763c01ea.jpg"][TAG-10][/p][p]I haven’t played Commander Quest yet, and this is a good excuse to do so. Mixing a card-based roguelike with real-time strategy — is that even legal?[/p]
KOTCL Dev Diaries - The Bjorn domestication
[p]At the last meeting Misha announced that he’d be reducing Bjorn’s eight basic mechanics to three. I got very curious and thought you might be interested too, so I decided to grill Misha a bit.[/p][p] [/p]
Misha Explains
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/b36238249ef4accd64b5b1300845f44a757527dd.png"][/p][p]Misha: Hi! So see for yourself. To describe Bjorn’s current gameplay, you need to consider the following:[/p]
[p align="justify"]In the elf form, card costs are doubled[/p]
[p align="justify"]In the elf form, playing cards uses health[/p]
[p align="justify"]There are also notches[/p]
[p align="justify"]These notches increase when dealing damage with attacks[/p]
[p align="justify"]They also increase when taking damage from attacks[/p]
[p align="justify"]When the notches fill up, Bjorn transforms into a lycan[/p]
[p align="justify"]In the lycan form, playing cards uses notches[/p]
[p align="justify"]Now those notches refill at the start of a turn[/p]
[p align="justify"]If the notches run out, Bjorn returns to the elf form[/p]
[p align="justify"]If the notches don’t run out, a Scourge of a Lycan card is added to the discard pile[/p]
[p align="justify"]If a Scourge of a Lycan comes to hand while Bjorn is in the lycan form, a Curse of a Lycan card is added to the deck[/p]
[p align="justify"]The Curse of a Lycan remains in the deck for the rest of the run, and if it comes to hand while Bjorn is in the lycan form, he gets Blight[/p]
[p align="justify"]This all looks somewhat complicated, and that’s not even touching the perks![/p][p] [img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/1a5ce756ba2eaff2b290f89df48b1aea8605e3b1.png"][/p][p]Me: Yeah, only a little bit complicated :) So how are you going to put it all in order? What’s the plan? Do you have any strategy?[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Misha: Yeah, I do, and I’m sticking to it. It’s reducing the number of involved entities and mechanics to make it easier to understand them. That’ll also make development simpler, because right now Bjorn’s healing isn’t so much an analogue of defense as it is a forced measure due to his mechanics.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Me: But from what I understood, the variety shouldn’t suffer dramatically. In theory, creating builds will become easier, but not more boring.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Misha: Overall, that’s right. Bjorn’s entry barrier will definitely go lower, and there will be fewer possible gameplay dead ends that the player can trap themselves in. [/p][p align="justify"]Me: Could you briefly and concisely outline the updated Bjorn as you see him?[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]Misha: I see him as more similar to Persivall than he is now, but more recklessly aggressive, with an ace up his sleeve. The rest would be spoilers.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]That’s how it stands for now. I liked the bit about spoilers, though. Many of us have extensively played Knock and know it inside and out, and now we’ve got some more spoilers, hmm… I don’t know about you, but I’m intrigued—no joke. Misha won’t even spoil anything for me in private.[/p][p][/p][p]Anyway, let’s get back to our lore. I’ll probably start an epic tale about the Empire, which may carry on for quite a while.[/p][p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/15d513ec06f36ac264bffc14d6815a673f371bda.png"][TAG-104][/p][p][/p]
An Empire Without an Emperor
[p][/p][p]Whew, this is a big topic. I don’t even know where to begin. The Empire is enormous and well-developed, despite the location not being present in the game. It’s well-developed because it’s often mentioned in the game and is very important to the game world as a whole.[/p][p] [/p]
Why No Emperor?
[p][/p][p]I’ll start with this question. When Emperor Septim died without leaving any direct heirs, all the lords of the Empire gathered to choose a new ruler. At that council, it was decided that they didn’t actually need an emperor for the time being, and that all contentious issues could be resolved at such gatherings. And so it was agreed. The decision was named the Edict of the First Great Council.[/p][p][/p][p align="justify"]In the face of a common threat, under the rule of a strong and wise leader, the human Empire is capable of uniting into a single fist and repelling any enemy, and this has happened more than once. But no strong ruler has been born in those lands for a long time, and the Northern Gate reliably shields humanity from external threats, so the Empire has existed without an emperor for quite some time now.[/p][p][/p][p][/p]
Great Councils
[p][p]Local issues in the Empire are usually resolved through private talks within a narrow circle of the lords involved. For another great council to take place, the problem has to be truly global, which is why there haven’t been many great councils in the Empire’s recent history.[p][p align="justify"]I can only tell you about the First Great Council (which I already did) and the most recent one. The others aren’t fleshed out—and that’s a good thing. My style of myth-making requires leaving as much room to maneuver as possible, so if our game designer decides that we urgently need to find a place for some astral reptilians armored in tempered glass with a pseudo-Buddhist ideology, I’ll be able to do that.[p][p align="justify"]But let’s get back to the great councils. The most recent one so far took place very close to the events of the game. The agenda was the following: one of the border provinces had grown excessively powerful and gained de facto independence. You know this province well—it’s called the Northern Gate.[p][p]
A Brief History of the Northern Gate
[p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/36881171/0c4a90dc2439ca582b8ea87da68683a25da2fb7d.png"][p]Originally, the Northern Gate was subsidized and it suffered greatly from orc raids. The Empire poured a significant portion of its resources into it with no demand or hope of return, all for the sake of its own security.[p] But times changed. Trading relationships with the elves and the dwarves were established, and even the orcs eventually grew tired of getting their teeth kicked in beneath the walls of the Northern Gate. The province grew strong and wealthy to the point where it began to cause envy concern.[p]
What Could Be Done About That?
[p][p]Nothing can really be done. Historians consider the edict of that Great Council to be the most empty and uninformative of them all, and they rack their brains trying to understand why that is. What they seem to miss is that an edict is a public verdict—it doesn’t reflect everything that went on behind closed doors. And behind closed doors, Lord Ingvar, in an extremely polite and diplomatic way, told all the other lords to go to a certain place, about which the edict tactfully doesn’t mention.[p]
The reasons
[p]The overreaching lord of the Northern Gate couldn’t stand against the combined forces of all the other lords. Together, they could easily destroy the Gate, but that would leave the Empire without protection from the orcs. Everyone understood this, and no one wanted that.
[p]The sphere of interest of the lord of the Northern Gate lay in the north; that is where his influence vector was directed as well. Ingvar had deliberately distanced himself from imperial intrigues and internal power struggles. Within the Empire he had no rivals, no allies, and no secret pacts. In short, he refused to take part in the eternal self-serving power plays.[p]
[p]Thus, preserving the status quo turned out to be the optimal decision at the time of the Great Council, much to the displeasure of all the lords—except one.[p][p align="justify"]I seem to have gone deep into geopolitics, but there’s no way around it. Next time, I promise not to get so political. I’ll probably talk about the borders of the Empire, which should be interesting, or maybe about the Monastery of the Fire Brothers.
