So, whilst being stuck at home with a contagious stomach bug, I had time, for once, to think through the overall plot and narrative of LoTL and how it was going to move forward, out of its demo stage, and into a full release.

Pacing:

Yes, LoTL does the exact opposite of Enelysion. The plot moves at such a blistering pace that many important details were left out, and I've toned down some aspects of the plot and leave it for later in the game. The first hour or so of the game should try to focus on TriAnna's growing bond with each other, since it sets the tone for several more scenes much later down the line.

Plot:

I've also changed the structure of the plot, since I understand that in its current incarnation, it is a bit difficult ( not to mention there are too many loopholes to correct ) to follow, since I threw in too many details, and when all of it is thrown together into a one-hour long demo, it can leave the player confused and scratching their heads.

So, first thing I did was reduce the age of the main cast and stripped down some of Tristy's military achievements and rather having her serve under her mentor, Bedivere. Her rank is also a Paladin now, rather than a Master Knight ( which is a promoted Paladin ).

The second thing I did was a subversion of the evil empire wants to rule the world cliche. Rather than Genoa ruling most of Eridanus for five-odd centuries or so, I rather centered the conflict on one duchy fighting for their own freedom versus another who supports the monarchy. Naturally, their conflict of interests would give way to civil unrest, and eventually, an all-out war.

And in the middle of this conflict, you have Tristian and Ianna.


Making them younger also enhances Ianna's innocence and prompts Tristian to grow more as a character.

As for Dante, I'd imagine Connaught would remain a neutral ally but they won't get ambushed by Avegin's men in the rewrite ( this is a perfect example of me becoming too engrossed with the actual dialogue of the game, rather than its over-arching plot >< ) and he is no longer a playable character. Maybe as a guest, but I don't see any reason for him to join forces with Tristian and co. without endangering his entire country. I want to give every playable unit in the game a concrete reason for joining, after all. He may have been important in the older versions of the game ( what with Disma and the Ebony Hand ) but now that that has been written out completely, I don't see any reason for muscle-mage to join Tristy. Rather we get Percival, Edmund, Bedivere, and later on, Darcy and Trabant.

As for the Dukes, Avegin is more extreme, seeing as he wants to tear down the monarchy altogether. Which means he still wants Ianna dead, regardless of circumstances and makes him one of Ianna's primary antagonists and makes Duke Edmund one of her strongest supporters.

Sir Edmund Bolingbroke of Caliburn. A Dragoon at your service. ^^

I hope this slight rewrite will make it a bit easier for you guys to understand now. In the meantime, I'm writing out the biographies for the playable characters so far.

Oh, and if you guys have any suggestions to improve the gameplay, let me hear it. =)