Dark times, friends. As some of you know, the Wyrmring team and myself mainly were based ... In the land of Moscow, where shadows lie. tl;dr - I have [strike]fled[/strike] undergone urgent relocation to Serbia; the team has suspended collaboration and my own development has been severely impacted. Previous plans and timings had to be discarded and new ones are only now in the making. Now, that is practically all the news, the rest of this post is my attempt to come to terms with it all. First, just for the context, I'll say that I've disconnected from the news from/about *that country* on purpose at this point. Being able to do that is one of the big pros of having fled from there. The main reason for the sudden move is just that I've had enough personally. Of lies, more than anything. Just to think about it - prior to the events of 2022, I actually almost believed that the regime was starting to change and adapt. That was an illusion. Another reason was my ability to focus on game dev evidently waning in the growing hysteria, polarization and oppressive policies inside *that country*. I thought at first that surely people won't stand for it, the big brother taking away both their immediate well-being and their hopes for a better tomorrow - and it seemed like something was stirring indeed... Well, that was an illusion as well. I have to say, to relocate so frantically was a vast setback in my preparations for the game's release. Economic damage aside, my daily life now is filled with all kinds of concerns related to adaptation and legalization. So far my plan is to invest time into getting stable income outside *that country*, that's the best way I can put it. I expect it to take between 3 and 6 months, a time that I am sure to spend on refining whatever parts of the game do not require massive parallel resource investment (i.e., active team development). Expect to see the core Game Design get leaner more crafty :) So that's the situation. However since this project has always been a long-term one, I strongly believe that it is for the best - so that the foundation that's needed to realize this game's ambitions is built on more stable ground. The episode certainly wasn't without positive lessons and experience. As some of you may know, Eidolons has over years been worked on by many freelance artists - including one great freelance composer from Serbia, coincidentally! It was a heartening experience to meet with Edwin Pickett, and learn that in a way, much of Eastern Europe shares a common burden of its past. On this note, I want to express gratitude to Serbia and its people for welcoming people in need, regardless of where they come from. That's all for now, I should get back to the interview preps I suppose. On a personal note, it is rather sad how my homeland cannot seem to escape the cycle misery, like an eldritch curse. I feel the urge to ruminate more on this, but now is not the time. One thing is for sure, the game's narrative is not going to get sunnier in light of these events. I wished I could find some good words for whoever might be reading this that has been affected even more directly by this catastrophe. But then, words aren't much good at this scale.

[ 2022-04-27 18:34:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello friends! Sorry for going dark for a while! Exactly one year has passed since the last update. There was a lot of uncertainty after original release plans were upset in 2020, let me tell you. So I decided to disconnect and focus on the games very core - its concepts and essential mechanics. At the same time, I began to re-assemble the team. Now I can finally say that I have good news on both fronts: the game's core has been rewired, the team - re-assembled [strike](and so has my gamedev brain)[/strike]!! The work has resumed on the project since September and already we have something to show.
(This here is a cinematic shot from a boss arena we're working on) So this year has been fruitful, but not quite in the way I expected. Indeed, one thing led to another and I ended up changing *a lot*! The main change is the game's format and the way you - it's now a "Roguelike Campaign"! I'll explain just below, bear with me :) Other changes include:

• Separation of combat and exploration into arenas and puzzle-zones
• A lot of DnD-inspired elements found their way in - save checks, die rolls
• Combat now involves defending a soul-prism crystal - failing to do so will lead to unpredictable and mostly dire consequences... But never fear, best defense is still the offensive!
• Fleshed out the "shapeshifting" mechanic for our hero - the Eidolon Lord! On the screenshots here, you will notice the Eidolon Chain and Soulforce pool on the top left. In short, we alternate between True Form and Eidolon Form, with Soulforce value going like a pendulum between 0 and 100.
• Non-combat gameplay is packed into tough roleplaying scenarios plus optional danger-free exploration of atmospheric locations.
• The story has been cut into layers that you will unpeel gradually as you make runs
• Advanced gameplay features and content is similarly structured - start with basics and unlock things as part of meta-progression (doesnt really give you more power, only options).
• Finale is two-fold - a power-check barrier fight and a point-of-no-return finale that lead to victory or demise (resets everything youve unlocked, back to basics!)

(A common combat scene, WIP!) Looking over it all, I realize it's far more than I can write in a single post - so I will start a series of monthly posts about these changes in 2022! For now, lets focus on the main change - it will explain many of the other changes too, I hope! It will get a bit abstract, but if you're looking for a gaming experience to look forward to, I think it's worth a read! Also I hope that you know what a Roguelike Run is - otherwise please do play Slay the Spire a bit :)

Netherflame "Roguelike Campaign" format

(Preview of a Mirror-Isle screen where most of our adventuring happens) - Whats Eidolons anyway? - Eh, its like playing DnD with six extra-character sheets at the ready, which you can swap out when you feel youre not at the best of your abilities (or when you die steammocking). Yeah, the campaign is short but it keeps getting weirder until you nail it - or not. TL;DR - each game slot (Lord) will gain soft meta-progression and 'degression' (like Chaos Level) with each Run, making them (1) more diverse and (2) less predictable or otherwise harder. Once you make a good enough run, you will get to the Real Finale, and the outcome will be either victory or Lord's demise. *There is a chance you might never get there, but you can have 4 Lords at a time. Now for some detail: My goal was to make sure that each Run has meaning and leaves you with a sense of satisfaction: even when you are defeated, you have made yet another circle up the spiral. At the same time, I wanted to make it feel *real* - so that there is a fair incentive and risk of failure. I've put a lot of thought into how to bake defeat into the game loop so it creates not pain but meaning. What I've come up with is the Chaos Progression system! Each run is made up of several Mirror-Isles, each with a Lord as boss. The isles may come up in any order, or even repeat (its never the same anyway). A run can have between 3, 4 or 5 Isles - short, standard and marathon. Then comes the Barrier - a boss fight that scales in power for every short-term gain* you had to grab (tapping into Netherflame). To put it simply - if you had to cheat during the run, you wont get thru this barrier. But if you do - its the Final Boss for you! A chance to uncover the storys meaning - or lose all of your meta-progress as your Lord succumbs to Netherflame at last... *shady deals with secret Vendors, using extra re-draft options, dying between Eidolon shifts, letting your soul-prism soak up enemy attacks rather than facing them etc

Chaos Progression System

(Boss fights are a whole separate topic, but I'll get to make a breakdown on that soon!) ...In here, Power and Chaos are inextricably linked - like Flame and its Shadow. I know, I know, what the heck is Chaos Progression? Dont we already have a lot of unique [strike]and confusing[/strike] systems?? Well, you dont have to understand whats inside car to drive it! steammocking TL:DR - > All run modifiers are baked into this system - a common roguelike practice, but with a twist: you cant really undo some of it, its flexible in each single run, but not globally. > It follows your mastery curve: at first you will gain a lot of CL and quickly expand your options and scope of random; later you will slow down and start making cleaner runs. Then at some point you will *have* to make a clean run or Chaos will turn fully against your Lord (just start fresh I guess!). > Dummys guide to Chaos:

• Unlocks randomness quirks - ?
• Unlocks power perks - Good!
• Increases Barrier-boss power - Bad!
• Flows from Combat to Run to Global scope - good in long-term, bad for THIS Run.
• Eventually becomes Corruption Level - fatal in very-long-term, i.e. you cant just win by making endless attempts, theres a window in which your Lord can achieve victory.

How does it work?

1) There are 3 scopes on which Chaos Level (CL) exists - Global/Lord, Run and Combat. 2) Each game slot starts with 0 Chaos Level. When Global CL reaches 12, its midnight hour and you start to accumulate Netherflame Affliction (your Lords corruption). The latter makes your life increasingly harder, BUT it also softens up the Barrier - so its now or never with that clean run for victory. 3) CL has a way to propagating - from Combat to Run, from Run to your Lord. You accumulate Chaos Level in fights* (mostly by blunders) and some of it transfers to your Run. Similarly, at the end of the run some of its CL transfers to your Lord. * also in non-combat areas, then it goes directly into Run CL. 4) When you gain Global CL, you have to unlock a Chaos Quirk*, but also a Lord Perk (e.g. more hero draft options at start, or reverse eidolon chain once per combat) - Q/Perk for the pair *These quirks could be "transform all chests into fire traps" or "all units get a random Impulse for up to 1 round" or something much more devious. 5) When you gain CL in your Run, you have to draft Q/Perks from your Lords pool that will be potentially active in future fights. 6) When you gain CL in combat, one Quirk and one Perk is randomly picked from your Runs pool to enact. Beware - if you reach CL of 12 in a fight, Netherflame will end it prematurely and further increase your Runs CL. *If you have no Q/Perk options, there are the defaults - random-range increase for Quirks, and Eidolon respawn speed increase for Perks. For example, if you have CL of 5 in your Run, you will have a pool of 5 Chaos Quirks and 5 Lord Perks from which a pair is picked whenever you gain CL in combat. So why this design? Its all about motivation: on the one hand, you want to have as little Chaos Level as possible if you want to get to the Finale. But then, if you see that things are going south and this isn't your Victory Run, you can embrace Chaos - and still have a lot of fun while adding to your Chaos-repertoire (which *does* make a clean run more likely to succeed - you've more tricks!) So it's really a bit like a balance between the 'training run' vs 'final run'. The adrenaline when you realize you might just make it! And the consolation of working towards the big day otherwise :) Now lets do a quick overview of other notable changes. Much of it is already reflected in the new game description, though its WIP! :)

Combat & Exploration separation

The separation of game content into combat and non-combat allowed us to make our arenas with much greater visual fidelity.
Explore areas are vast spaces where you can find a lot of hints about the lore, and a few secrets that will give you an edge later on - such as hidden merchants that offer peculiar deals. These areas are optional, so there'll be no hand holding!

The Visuals

The game is strictly 2d at its core, but were adding some 3d elements to please the eye without interfering with the grids readability and ease of navigation. I'm very excited about the new levels, but of course these new visuals is one of the reasons why its taking longer to make content steamsad

Round Units

We're smoothing *some* edges after all! It was decided that Circles will stand out more on the square grid - so all units are now kind of bargaining chips on a table :) Finally, though details are being worked out yet, Ive come to see that Facing Direction (tank controls) has to go - at least for Eidolons (enemies could still be using it, perhaps...?) See, for me, this is like euthanizing an old and beloved canine companion! But alas, I see that theres no way to make it work without full-3d, and thats not an option now. But a lot of interesting abilities (as well as Vision system) were designed around the concept of facing and using turn-actions. I also liked the realistic concept beneath it - surely only god can can have 360 degree vision?!.. Let me know if you share my feelings about it :)

The Plans

Right now we are a team of 3 people working after our day jobs. Although this means a slower development pace, it also means more sanity (much missed hitherto) and creative freedom. Yes, the Wyrmring Teamis alive and well, and we even have a secret website... (to remain secret until its polished and updated, except maybe this short story ) This new roguelike format allows us to extend the game naturally - well start off with relatively sparse content base and add to it, increasing the maximum length of a single run. We intend to release a small free demo prior to EA to give everyone a taste of what were cooking. However, the deadlines wont be prioritized over quality (I do secretly empathize with the notorious Itll be done when its done.) . Here is an approximate roadmap for the project:

• Private Tester Demo - April 2022
• Public Free Demo - June 2022
• Early Access - September 2022
• Full Release - 2023-24

If you wish to participate in the Private demo and become a tester, you are most welcome to join our Discord - just drop a line in the main chat and I'll PM you :)

Addendum: why all the nuance?

The mission of this project as I see it now is to realize the potential of a proper hybrid between a classic cRPG and a modern roguelike. To be an experience that is dynamic but not shallow, immersive but not costly or obsessive (I do believe in gamedev ethics). I have long been attracted to these two ideals - the immersive depth of RPGs and seductive flow of Roguelike. And also wary of their dark sides - as a bloated time-trap or shallow hamster-wheel! My approach was as follows - create a detailed RPG core first, then wrap it in systems that cut or make optional things that might dilute or encumber the experience as a whole. These system seem to be best generalized as roguelike ones - its the drafting, the clean-starts, the no-bs approach to loot and inventory and of course, lack of manual saves to keep you guys focused on slashing :) Itll take time to find the right balance between these two poles, such as with drafting vs. customizing, but if indie gamedev has taught me anything so far, its patience :) Like a japanese proverb says, it takes Time to really sharpen a blade. Or did I hear that in a FromSoft game? That's all friends, thank you all for reading! I will be happy to answer all of your questions right after the holidays!
And of course - Happy New Year! steamhappy Yours, - Alexander Kamen

[ 2021-12-31 05:46:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello friends! I hope this finds you all healthy and full of enthusiasm for the coming New Year. First, I must apologize for the long silence. There is a rather prosaic reason for it however - the development has been on halt through most of Fall 2020. I will not go into much detail about why things didnt go as planned this year, I am sure we all have a similar story of upset plans from 2020, and will not soon forget them. Instead, let us focus on what is ahead. The good news is - the project is now much better on its feet in financial terms. Using unorthodox gamedev technology (the notorious *Java*) turned out to have at least this perk - the skill allows me to have a sustainable income without sacrificing too much time for it. Yes, in the form of a somewhat boring corporate job - but after all, who would know best about selling one's soul than me, a man with a whole story written about it? The proceeds from that bargain however will not be idly spent. The art direction will be revisited to accomodate the updated, ever more _psychological_ vision that Eidolons pursues. In the passing months, the story has grown considerably in my mind and in my private ominous texts. And yes, I am planning to get a "real" writer on board as well, never fear! :) The story has already gone through some revisions by others, which has helped me to keep it on just about the right side of weird. I hope. Either way, I am very much convinced that it is a story worth telling, hence my unwillingness to give up on the project, despite its apparent weight. Gameplay-wise, I have come up with a number of ways to compress the games extensive ruleset and make it more interconnected, reflective of the games main theme - the (dis)unity of the Soul! To conclude let me say that my own belief in the project has never been stronger, or should I say, my own insight into it. It might be too early to set concrete goals, but once the team is re-organized, things should get clearer as the worst problem has been solved for the project (namely, its financial instability). Thank you very much for your patience and support. It am sure that 2021 will be the year to get back at its predecessor!

[ 2020-12-29 07:00:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Friends!

I can confirm now that 13 is a lucky number for the game, as it seems that I got fired and approached by a business partner on the same day - yes, things seem to be ramping up to another all-in crunch! :) Among most recent areas of progress I can list the new Level Editor - which will be made public and ready for modding soon after EA:
... And some new combat-UI: (WIP)
... vs an old one here for comparison:
Now, as I said in the last ominous update, the plan is to go into Early Access this winter. So let's make a baseline reality check: The EA version will be Act I (out of 5) of the campaign and have the following:

• 4-5 locations to make dungeon-runs into (each one will be randomized, but have a core quest)
• 20 playable Eidolon heroes (and of course custom-hero creation, but with a trick)
• A singular Boss-Dungeon
• 2 brutal Bosses - Soul Harvester and Storm Lord
• 8-15 hours of gameplay
• Beside the campaign, a Custom Dungeon mode with lots of templates and settings

The idea is, it's already an experience representative of the franchise, so I can let people buy it and not lose sleep over it steamhappy Next - can we make it in time? Let's see:

Progress estimate for Eidolons

(relative to *EA* release, not full!)

• Gameplay mechanics: 80%
• Artwork: 50%
• Graphics systems: 60%
• Hero content: 60%
• Enemy/Level content: 30%
• Dialogue: 10%
• Audio: 40%

Long ways to go, but I feel confident that we can have a solid playable version and start iterating towards the ultimate goal! I also feel were close enough to release so I can make some concrete promises now. Let's get into it:

1. Eidolons will be a No-BS RPG

Time is precious, and patience is scarce! To bring a great RPG experience in the modern way, one has to make sacrifices. Thus, E:NF will have no fetch quests, no junk loot, no forced dialogue, no grind or save/load chores and... no orkz! steamsad

2. Though hard, the game will be fair

Unlike what our testers may think, I do not take pleasure in making the player suffer. Especially if it means resorting to grind! You will not be forced to play overcautiously, on the contrary - risk-taking and dogged perseverance are rewarded. The mantra is - dying is also moving forward!

3. Dark Fantasy genre, not vibe.

Eidolons is that dark in its theme and presentation not to stand out or outdo some other dark game. The setting has evolved over nearly a decade and I have tried to never let the concept of style of fitting the trend drive the decisions I made. The death-centric focus of the story is not a glorification, but an exploration that I hope will be interesting to engage in. Expect to delve deep into realms psychological, spiritual and emotional.

4. Replayable - in the way you want to replay

The campaign is shaping up to be very modular, so each Act will be accessible as a new game's starting point once youve unlocked it. I never understood games that did not do this, and as a result, had their bad-ass end-game packed into 1% of playtime (or people just resorting to YouTube to find out how else this could have ended...). So if you want to replay a certain part of E:NF, you will be able to do so, with some options for past-choice and hero-asset customization. On top that, we will have Custom Dungeon mode where you can create your perfect run and get to play [strike]a twisted version of[/strike] it!

5. E:NF will not force its setting on you, if youre in for the gameplay

Though heavy on the story, it will not force it onto you. There will always be a slaughterhouse-shortcut that you can take if you just enjoy killing more than plunges into lore and soul-digging the game's characters and protagonist.

6. E:NF will make the most of being Indie

All in all, we're not smoothing out the hard edges. No political correctness, no sjw NPCs and no sj in general - it's medieval times, and it's not the point... Yes, this means were not likely to find a publisher (or are we?..), but you cant have it all. And yes, the game is shaping up to be M or even AO rating. No explicit content of course, but no playing dumb either.

7) It will surprise you!

Thats more of a personal ambition, I just like surprising people, but I hope that others will benefit from it as well (and maybe suffer just a little). Mostly it's about RPG-tropes turned upside down - questing, trading, crafting, hero-progression, party-adventure and more. If you think you know how those things work, think again! steammocking

That's all for now, thanks for reading! ... Actually, no - while I am working on a comprehensive in-depth post about Eidolons key features, I invite you to ask away if you want anything cleared up - its much easier to answer concrete questions! It's the difference between a one-eyed dwarf trying to hit a zombie with a bolt, or taking an ax to 'em! steamfacepalm

[ 2020-05-13 20:35:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Dear friends!

First of all, I must apologize for being unable to go ahead with the planned Early Access release in December (or apparently even getting Steam to display the new release date correctly!..). In fact, the project came very close to being shut down, but due to some luck, a bit of perseverance and people's support, it has been reborn instead!

tl;dr - here's the new (approximate) timeline:

1. A new tester demo in May/June 2020 with a brand new dungeoncrawling format 2. A freely playable boss-fight demo in Summer 2020 3. A tester version of Map Adventure in Autumn 2020 4. Early Access in Winter 2020-2021 Yes, I hate the delays too. But there were two major reasons not to release in 2019 - the technical and the financial. Let me explain them to you before I go deeper into what's planned for Early Access. Technically, I was not happy with how the game worked on low-spec PCs and non-Windows systems. This made worse the issue of our Demo - a sort of tutorial fight with story mix-up - being hard to digest to some of the backers. In a word - I made haste at the cost of proper optimization. And as a friend of mine once said... - You fight like a younger man... with nothing held back. Admirable, but mistaken. Thus, I decided I had to refine the design in a way that will enable everybody to enjoy the game, no matter their graphics card (almost :)). And this I believe I did!
The raw look of our level grid - fresh from the editor! On the financial side, the crowdfunding campaign did not give me the means to finish the essential parts of the game before I was forced to focus on finding a job*. I decided not to push things and thus risk the project's long-term future, but instead solve the financial issues that threaten it first. I came very close to landing a job as Game Designer, but it seems that having been an indie for so long Ive grown too hot-headed and lost touch with how things are done in the corporate gamedev. In the end however, things went rather well and I found a full-time job as Java Developer in Moscow. This will allow me to continue Eidolons development at least until Early Access independently. After this, it has taken another month to figure out the feasible timelines - I had to restructure the project's high-level design (campaign flow mostly) and roadmap completely to fit the new realities.
But now I feel confident that everything is set - and I am super-excited about finally making this game a reality!

So what about the Early Access plans?

I am still working on how I should present it without spoiling or promising too much, but here are some details I can reveal:

• Early Access will be a complete Act I out of a 5-Act campaign telling the dark story of Anphis val Keserim.
• Each Act will explore a certain aspect of human psyche, take place in a separate region of Ersidria where you will solve a large-scale problem using a number of Eidolon Heroes that you can use as avatars, and finally enter a massive Boss Dungeon where you either win or die.
• By the end of it, our mercurial protagonist may become an Ascended, first among Eidolon Lords, and ready to confront the final question: what is the nature of Evil? Yes, I am a great admirer of Planescape: Torment :)

I will certainly have more to tell soon, my schedule is tight but consistent. Now, let me finish with another quote from the Dark Knight... "Why do we fall?"
If you're reading this, you know the answer :) Thank you for staying tuned, every person who cares is a reason to carry on with development!

[ 2020-03-13 20:43:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

Friends! Good news - yesterday we released our backer demo to project's supporters and streamers, and already the first video is up on youtube. Watch it now! Don't worry, it does not contain all the spoilers, only the guided/tutorialpart and stops when the free fight begins. [previewyoutube=n3Xegmw9OW8;full][/previewyoutube] The second half is akin to a boss fightand plays with positioning by giving our dark sorcerer good old teleportation spells. But don't let me spoil it for you :) Back Eidolons: Netherflame on IndieGoGo now and play the full demo! - Alexander @EiDemiurge Kamen

[ 2019-09-25 11:16:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Friends! Alexander from Wyrmring here. Last week we launched our crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo, and what a week it has been! Numerous modules of the game have been packed and presented, and the best part - or the hardest - is yet to come!
Backer Demo will be available on September 26th at the latest, and you can get it at the lowest tier for $3, with full refund if you don't like it of course. People supporting the game will also be able to beta-test the much more extensive Early Access version all the way to the game's release! Also, in wake of these momentous news, the page has been completely redesigned - let us know what you think about it! Thank you and have a good week-end!

[ 2019-09-21 17:33:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello friends!

This Saturday the game had a massive update, and I thought its past time I started posting here to keep you updated about the projects progress! First things first - the Eidolons is in closed beta for at least another month, and we are still giving out keys via Discord. If you're not interested in testing, but just want to stay really well up to date, you should join our mailing list or Twitter at least :) This latest update features puzzles, story, sound design and everything for atmospheric immersion! It is in fact an introduction to Netherflame campaign, so were getting closer to the real thing. Its a new chapter in the projects development! Makes me feel a bit vindicated in trying - for years - to live up to the legends the life of Dark Souls and Planescape: Torment. All in all, the road to Early Access before us now seems clear. In fact, I have a special vision for it. Let me tell you about...

What to expect from EA version?

In short, Eidolons EA will not be a half-broken version of the full game, but a much shorter yet polished game. It will differ in its focus on our mercurial and ruthless protagonist, the first and last Eidolon Lord born of this age. Later he will play a more behind-curtains role, but in this prelude, we explore his dark story, see the world through his eyes as he walks in the shells of fallen heroes and villains. In short, it is a more personal, story-driven experience. Here are some things we are sure to have there:

• The core turn-based combat experience
• Deep hero customization for each of the Eidolon heroes (at least 4 of them, probably more)
• Diverse dungeon exploration mechanics from puzzles to good old secret-hunting
• Unique Eidolon death-mechanics that marry roguelike to true cRPG.
• And of course, full scope of the dark mystical atmosphere characteristic of the Eidolons universe!

What is not likely to appear in EA (but will in the full version):

• Proper map adventuring (want to make it real good when I do)
• Advanced dialogue (the system works, but writing takes time!)
• A lot of 3d-rendered epic bosses (those are not cheap)
• Fully randomized dungeons (EA version will lean more towards hand-made)

Finally, the question were all burning to get the answer for - when is the game coming out?? There are two major release windows that I see for the game now - November 2019 and February 2020. That is the best I can say for now - of course I am hoping to make it in time for 2019, but apart from development challenges, it largely depends on the numbers and moods that I see by that time. So spreading the word and helping with beta-testing are the best ways you can hasten Eidolons on their way up from Nether to our world! :) - Alexander EiDemiurge from Wyrmring

[ 2019-07-20 18:54:52 CET ] [ Original post ]