Designing Levels for Discovery
over 3 years ago – Sat, May 01, 2021 at 03:19:35 AM

Dear Travellers,

As you may know, the Book of Travels experience is one of immersion and discovery, so it makes sense that in this game, level design is as much the work of the art team as Narrative Designers. Here we’re sharing a little bit about our approach to designing levels and the intended play experience we hope to create.

Working to a fairly wide brief, artists will design spaces where players will discover items, lore or story fragments while taking a rest or cooking up some roots. This means they must take into account both aesthetics and gameplay, so crafting a location that is as intriguing as it is beautiful is just one part of their work.

Where set design and gameplay come together

Of course levels in the game vary greatly in size and scope; some, such as cities and towns are bigger and more interactive, while others, like the one above, may appear to function as a passage or an interlude. But this being Book of Travels, the best things can happen off the beaten track, and all levels are designed to enrich your journey, often in unexpected ways...

Creating curiosity in different spaces

Working with narrative components as well as items and NPCs, our Level Designer’s task is to ensure that there's not only a good degree of activity and discovery in all areas of the world, but that the experience of exploring them is rich and rewarding. In areas where the player’s field of vision is limited such as the one above, that means revealing small parts of hidden things - they might be spirits, bandits, buildings or beasts - to prompt further investigation. In areas where land is open and a long field of vision is available, levels must work to suggest possible pathways, challenges and rewards.

Levels that feel like a painted world

A large part of this work involves decorating the world with hand painted props made by the 2D art team. These props work to reinforce the feeling of walking around in a painting. Since we don’t have full control over where players will go, the goal is to make every place one where a beautiful view can be enjoyed.

But it’s not all about the woods and wilds - following the main road will eventually lead you to one of Braided Shore’s more populated areas where you can find buildings to rest in, goods to trade with and hear a tale or two.

Balancing design with open play

We’ve often said that Book of Travels doesn’t set your direction for you - you’ll be free to go where you wish, unbound by linear narrative or pre-planned player paths. However, levels are designed to offer suggestions to where you could go next. A fork in the road, a structure looming in the distance or dialogue with a passerby are among the many things that might alter your path.

The goal of designing to reward exploration is to have the player find something wherever they decide to go, be it an item, a lurking spirit or just a silent clearing to play an instrument or sit and take stock… But to find what secrets hide in this world you’ll need to take risks and steer away from the roads - we think that you’ll be enticed by the levels that await you!

We hope this gives you a little more sense of how it will feel to roam free in Braided Shore. Please drop your thoughts in the comments right here, and tell us what kind of exploratory games you’ve enjoyed most... Olle, our Level Designer will pop in and respond next week.

Best Wishes!

Helen & the Dev Team

Items, Object, Artefacts... and how they'll help your travels
over 3 years ago – Sat, Apr 17, 2021 at 02:59:21 AM

Dear Travellers,

In between dev updates we’ve trickled out some of the lore of this land, peeking in on spirits, listening to the thoughts of everyday folk and soundtracking its wilderness. But we want to share how it feels to play a part in this world, so today we cordially invite you to imagine immersion through... stuff. So this post is all about the objects and items that you’ll be able to toss into a backpack as you travel around Braided Shore and how they’ll enrich your play experience. As ever, we’d love you to drop us a comment or two with your thoughts. As always you can access the Steam post here LINK.

Fill your pack with many things

As with most RPGs the most appealing aspect of collecting items is in imagining how they may one day serve you well in trade. Among the many items you’ll come across on your travels you’ll find various edibles (pickled seaweed, simple soot bread) and equipables (alabaster armbands, a walnut flute) - together these will protect you from dangers, keep you fed, and ready you for all kinds of possibilities.

But many items don’t seem to have an immediate obvious benefit… do not dismiss them, for who knows what unknown trade potential they may hold? One person’s junk is indeed another person’s treasure in this land, and a perfect example can be seen in this gameplay video where a bag of rusty nails brings joy to an NPC building a treehouse. And who knows? A cobalt glazed tile shard may be useful to someone...

Skill cards

Skills are also items: skill cards can be acquired, used to learn new skills, or traded. Recipes, knot skills and fighting techniques are some of the skills you’ll be able to acquire from those in their possession. Items vary in quality and rarity, but all can be used to trade - either for other items, or for skills or services - and such trade deals will be one of the many beats in your story journey. Here’s a little more about the different kinds of items you can find...

Poor & Good Items

Poor items are exactly that - low quality items that usually have low use value and little trade value. Often discarded, such items may be broken, rusty or mouldy and can be found in all kinds of places for you to pick up and keep. But they are not all without value - stale bread will sustain you and a poor sword will still serve as some defence. Whether for reasons of practicality or curiosity, a Traveller with an empty backpack would be well advised to hang on to some poor items.

Unsurprisingly good items can be useful in all kinds of ways and include everything from clothing, weapons and backpacks to lights, lanterns and umbrellas. Much like real life, these objects of use will need to be obtained from a merchant or in a shop. Amongst the many generic pieces there will also be many outstanding items with individual appeal. Besides those pictured above, examples of good items include a flower-scented tunic, protective tombac footwear, a conductor’s lucky knot ring and an adventurer’s blade.

Great & Exceptional Items

Great items are very rare and sometimes unique and come with a story that reveals something of its past. There are countless great items in the region but they’re not to be found in shops or markets and are unlikely to be traded - possessing them takes some effort and will require an undertaking such as a search or quest. Should you acquire a great item, listen to its lessons, carry it safely with you and let its spirit lighten your step and warm your heart.

Extremely rare and always unique, an exceptional item is tantamount to a historical artefact. Each one of these special objects has played a part in the history of Braided Shore - imparted to its owner, such story fragments will contribute to a deeper understanding of the land and perhaps give clues to one of its unsolved mysteries. Effort alone will not yield such items - time and luck will also play their part.

Pack smart... and look out for Reagents too

Since there’s no currency in Braided Shore, when managing your inventory it’s good to aim for a selection of items of varying value, that way you’ll have items small enough to trade should you need a quick snack, and you’ll be able to avoid being forced into an unequal trade in an emergency. A Traveller who carries only a diamond and a Master Iron cog will have a hard time making a good trade for a torch or some farmers’ field bread.

Reagents, (Braided Shore’s magical ingredients) will also need seeking out, and each one will bring new possibilities to your story. We’ve lots to share about reagents too, and we’ll dedicate a post to them further down the road!

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Thank you deeply for once again spending your time with us! What are your attitudes to things and how you relate to them? Are you a hoarder or do you travel light? What games have types of items that you’ve enjoyed?

Let us know below and we can talk! And as ever, you can chat to us on Discord too… 

Best Wishes,

Helen and the Dev Team xx

Travel and Transport in Braided Shore
over 3 years ago – Sun, Apr 04, 2021 at 09:04:56 PM

Dearest Backers,

As that title suggests, the heart of Book of Travels is about your journey and your stories, threading together as one. Through wandering and roaming your adventures will unfurl, in traversing and trundling your discoveries will enrich them. Mostly this will be done by foot, but respite can be taken on boats and trains, and from time to time magical means might see you travelling in more unexpected ways. Today we’re dipping into these gameplay possibilities, we look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Travel the land on track

A single train track runs around the central basin of Braided Shore, stopping at the busy city of Kasa and the town of Crossings. Other stations will be open along the way as further areas of the land open up beyond early access. Each station has a warden who you can speak with to find out when the next train leaves, and if you see a train about to leave you’ll be able to call out to the warden to get that extra few seconds to climb aboard. Trains are fairly frequent so if you need a break from walking or just want to take a journey with a fellow Traveller, a scenic ride to Kasa might be just the ticket (ahem). Of course train travel will not take you to the outer wilds and all that lies beyond the middle ways, but it should be a merry treat and might save time if your adventure involves getting to a faraway destination or the need to pick up some supplies in Kasa. And if you're looking for somewhere to stash some items, you'll be able to leave them safely at a train master's chest (there's one in the gif just below).

Boat across The Verve

If you want to cross between the western and eastern islands of Braided Shore, you’ll need to cross the great lake called The Verve, which currently requires travel by boat (no air travel exists in the region as yet). Boats travel regularly from Myr and are a very relaxing way to get to the island of Bat Saha and the north west lands beyond. As with trains, boat stations have wardens who will let you know when the next boat taxi will depart. Travellers can also find abandoned boats around the shores of the region and can be unlocked for use through Endeavours, so these journeys will be for pairs or small groups and will take you to places off the beaten path.

Draisine

Draisines are small carts that require two people to lever them across tracks. We don’t expect draisines to be any use in closing distances since they cover a small area. But if you’d like to meet with a friend and spend a little time spending some energy on a  metaphorical mini journey of friendship, these might be the wheels for you. Funded by one of our Kickstarter stretch goals, we are looking forward to finding out how players engage with their draisine mini-travels when early access comes this summer.

Magical means

We’re not going to give too much away here, but for now we can reveal that the magic unlockable in knots and tea might also lead you to magical means involving travel... Shapeshifting can also be explored as a means to taking on the travel abilities of another animal or being, and a Travellers’ Portal (also a stretch goal), will allow you to skip the arms in a candle!

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Special thanks to Nippon Ginko For suggesting this topic on Discord- great idea! If you have an idea for things you’d like to hear more about please do post them below or DM me on Discord. In the future we’ll be sharing more about travel, including how distance is measured and how you might acquire skills for navigation and finding folk. 

Thanks again for taking time with us! We’d love to hear your thoughts on this and all things travel and RPG so please do drop them below!

Best Wishes

Helen & the Dev Team

Stories of Everyday Life
over 3 years ago – Sat, Mar 20, 2021 at 01:56:35 AM

Dear Travellers

There are many ways in which we’d like to bring you closer to the world of Braided Shore - in Music, a travel guide and lore readers of this post have come to know how it feels to live in its woods and wilds and to travel its age old roads. But there’s no better way to understand a land than by listening to its people, and in this week’s post we hear a little bit about life for four of the region’s denizens. Below, a Travelling Merchant, Historian, Farmer and Bandit give us their views on how life is for them. We think you’ll find that there’s much to ruminate on in the hopes and fears that their words reveal.

We hope you enjoy your acquaintance - please do say hello and drop your thoughts in the comments section, they are always well received!

Magdra, a travelling merchant

"The road is long but my pack of trade goods is light - I can ill-afford ample stock.  Unless I spy a possible customer I keep my eyes and my nose to the sides of the road. Now and again a little something to eat appears among the bushes and the undergrowth like a Sefra’s bounty. Now and again I meet someone who is looking to trade for something. Like my grandfather taught me, I keep little samples of the things I have to trade hanging from my pack in little colourful strings so that wayfarers might readily spot them. I am so very hungry all the time, and my legs ache along with the soles of my feet. But I know of a Nomad’s rest some way up ahead, and who knows maybe some Wind-spun luck will be lingering there. It is a long road, but it is my home. And should I settle in some bountiful place, I know I would soon get homesick."

History Professor Myrak of Rivenleaf

"Yes, the university City of Rivenleaf is a site to behold for sure. But I prefer to muddy my sandals in the field, digging in the dirt and lost ruins for the truth. Sadly, a large part of my time lately is spent in the teahouses, trying in vain to open the eyes of the faculty professors to the implications of my findings in the Potter’s Field and the emerging revelations in the writings on the Maratesh shards! I’m most upended at how the old professors refuse to support new discoveries. That they value the comfort of their current reputations as experts rather than embrace curiosity over new evidence is a disgrace to our profession. Knotting these lines, I now realise how I’ve wasted my time. I will grab my shovel and join my servants in the Potter’s Field! Thank you for helping me realise where the true value of my work lies!"

Mijha, a grain farmer from Myr

"It’s hard work drawing bounty from the earth. We must spend most of our daylight hours tending the fields, keeping only the dark of morning and evening to tend to ourselves. But though hard, there is a feeling of security in the strict repetition of each day, and each evening's rest is a welcome reward. We enjoy good food, with vegetables and meats traded with our neighbours, taken with the hum of song and pipe of the family’s music making. I feel fortunate to live in these times, where the climate is mild, the wardens keep the beasts of the wild from our doors and the tax burden is fair for all. The old folk reminds us it has not always been so, and the wiser among us try to set something by for a future that may not be as kind as the present."

Ezra of The Broken Lantern Gang

"I used to work one of the wool carders in the Milomak Weavery. I had seven younger siblings and parents who seemed to take me for granted. Every day I felt the monotony crush me little by little. Every day the same work, the same people, the same places - like eating gruel at every meal. One day I broke away, walked into the forest and wandered. I guess I got lucky - a group scooped me up before the woods took me - the Broken Lantern Gang. We are banded together now, like-minded and free! The carding made my arms strong and I am good with a blade. Tomorrow we might clash with some nasty bandit gang, the next day we’ll lighten the purse and knapsack of some overfed merchant. I might be taken by a warden but what does it matter? Today I'm the hammer and the world the anvil. Tomorrow the roles might change."

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Travellers, thanks again for spending your time getting to know Braided Shore. The world is growing so fast now and early access is a place not too far away - just a few months!

If you like our game we'd be very grateful for any sharing you could do to help it on its way to the big wide world this summer. We've made some handy buttons below to make it easy for you.

Thanks again and best of wishes from us all here in Stockholm!

Helen & the Dev Team

Braided Shore: A mini-guide for Travellers
over 3 years ago – Mon, Mar 08, 2021 at 09:26:57 AM

Dearest Backers,

There are many layers to the making of Book of Travels, and while we’ve shared a lot about game mechanics, our processes and our team, few posts have touched on the world that will soon be yours to explore. Here we share a little outline of the region - just enough to help a newcomer get their bearings but not too much to dampen the curious spirit. We hope your interest is piqued and we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Geography and climate

Braided Shore is the western peninsula of a large uncharted land mass to the east. This fertile region is largely divided in two by a stretch of sea called The Verve, and the entire land mass is characterised by its many waterways, islands and rugged shorelines. Flora and fauna proliferate across the region’s fertile and undulating landscape. Mineral deposits are plentiful, however none have proven of the quality to match Master Iron, the material that comprises the region’s inherited industrial infrastructure (see below). Small desert areas provide the only sand in Braided Shore, and as it is unsuited to glass making, the domestic life of its inhabitants is one without glass panes or vessels (although some imported items can be found). The regional climate is very temperate, with cold spells being incredibly rare and the notorious local winds being mainly warm. Braided Shore is separated from its eastern neighbour by cliffs, rapids and an ancient wall; the region beyond it is uncharted.

Key Historic Periods

Visitors to Braided Shore have made observations that give clues to something of its past. The rudimentary industrial infrastructure points to a legacy left by inhabitants who lived in a culture marked by a moderate degree of manufacture and travel. These mechanical relics and the mechanised society that produced them are the subject of much research, but at present, remains little understood by today’s inhabitants. Machine parts, made of a foreign material known as Master Iron, have never been replicated or reworked.

Thought to come after the Machine Age is the Varhim period, the key artefacts of which are a scattering of busts made of an unknown composite. The busts and their shadow are considered bad portents and so remain untouched. Several large structures sharing similar sculptural characteristics are also attributed to the Varhim era. Most scholars agree that it was the Varhim era that saw the destruction of much of Braided Shore’s industrial infrastructure, although contradictory theories also abound.

The current people of Braided Shore are known as Asken. The Ancestors of the Asken folk are said to have arrived as boat dwellers, bringing with them a practice of complex knot crafting. The name Braided Shore was given to the land by these people whose search for a homeland brought with it a yearning for the order and harmony symbolised in braids.

Language

The spoken language of the area is known by the locals as Elskeni, and since The Age of Halzhaan, the languages of the Malku Su and Selke have been widely spoken and can be studied in the region’s college in the north west.

Elsken syntax and orthography is formed by a symbolic language of knots thought to be the primary means of communication used by the first settlers who, both young and boat-bound, were without the means and methods to develop the writing skills of their forebears. Knot tying as a practice of both magic ritual and communication remains at the heart of culture in Braided Shore and a small iconography of common knot sentiments can be found across the land. Visitors to Braided Shore may glimpse a little of the lives of its folk in the fragments of knots that can be found dropped around the place, lost or kept for recycling. 

Sefra and spirits

Spirits and mystical beings abound in Braided Shore, all greatly varying in number and character. Sefra are the most powerful of all spirit beings and have, over time, entered into cordial relations with the Asken people, mediating their relationship through especially chosen individuals known as Voices. Sefra are large and elusive beings known for their erratic moods but who work with communities to assist in council and community decisions. 

Other ethereal beasts include the shape-shifting Omin, chilling ‘Mares’, the Kettem wind spirit and a mischievous storm child spirit called Little Lilit. Phantom fires and energy draining spirits of wanderers, ghost dogs and rail walkers also inhabit the peninsula. 

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Much of Braided Shore is yet to be known, and we are all very excited to learn the findings and theories of future Travellers! 

In the meantime, we'd love to hear your stories of travels to unusual places and your views on Braided Shore right here in the comments... 

Best Wishes,

Helen and the Dev Team xx