Legacy

Exploring is a big part of this game. The story moves from day to day and on the fifth day, the entire continent of Euthenia is accessible. Of course, you wouldn't be able to journey to every region in a single day so planning is important. I'll talk more about the time management aspect another time, but another issue is that not all of the regions will be mapped and ready by the time I get the demo out.

I can't quite decide how much of the map I want to include in the demo. Sometimes I think it would be best to try and prioritize getting something out even if there aren't as many places to explore. Other times I think I should try and make it a more substantial experience even if it is just a demo. I'm curious what you guys think. For now, I'll go through the regions, sorted into categories, so you can get an idea of what's out there. Screenshots should be considered preliminary as many of the areas are still being worked on.

Regions that will definitely be in the Demo


East Gallia
This is Bradley's home, a large suburban area that's rich enough to be insulated from most of the issues that the rest of the city deals with. It's packed with houses but also has a lot of green space for the residents to enjoy. Nevin lives just down the path from Bradley and it's only a short walk to the Gallian Academy, which is considered part of East Gallia. It's generally a safe, clean area...except for the huge abandoned mansion that the authorities don't want anything to do with.


Central Gallia
The oldest region in the city is still home to many landmarks - the Capitol building, the Great Church of Arcadius, the Salvin Gallius arena and many more. Bradley's father works here at the Hall of Records and Zoe lives here as well (she can't stand it). It has a high concentration of imperial sympathizers, who will wax nostalgic about the days when Gallia ruled Solest with fear and violence.


West Gallia
This is the part of the city that has changed the most since the end of the empire. Visitors and merchants from regions that once feared Gallia now frequently arrive at the harbor, turning it into a vibrant port but as Kurt points out, not much of that prosperity has been felt by the actual residents. Both he and Mandy live here and while they are frustrated by their standard of living, they do feel a certain loyalty to the place. The barracks that was once used as a base by Arius Sherron during Clean Slate has been converted to the Institute of Weapons, a place where Bradley and the others can seek some additional training.


South Gallia
A bustling market that has attracted many non-humans to the city. The humans who live in this region don't mind all that much but it's quite the cause for consternation in Central and East Gallia. Tanya lives here and has enjoyed the unpredictability. In addition to the shops there are a number of magic-related institutions here. It's also rumored that the Midnight Guild operates from somewhere in the area.


North Gallia
You gotta be made of tough stuff to live out here. This region on the rugged edge of the city was originally limited to military use, but the city's growing population during the height of the empire led to citizens beginning to settle in the area. Like South Gallia, it has begun to attract a non-human community who appreciate the quiet surroundings in comparison to the rest of the city. Some Gallian aristocracy, such as Blaze's family, still consider it a point of pride to live outside of many of the city's conveniences. Gallia's most treasured landmark is here - The Great Gallian Fort, which is now used as a training location for Academy students.


Grasslands
Finally done with Gallia! This is a huge wilderness area next to East Gallia with all sorts of different trees and vegetation. The enemies here are quite easy, with the exception of a few tough creatures that stay inside their caves. This is currently the largest region in the game and I've been trying to fill it with stuff to do - abandoned buildings, mysterious grass mounds and all sorts of little nooks and crannies.


Azure Bay
Near West Gallia and the harbor is a popular coastal area with bright sunshine and swimmers. You can walk around the beach without a care but there's a whole other world once you enter the nearby caves. A network of tunnels goes deep underground and is populated by some cranky crustaceans. Short of getting a boat, these tunnels are the only way to reach some of the islands out in the bay.


Halcyon Lake
The lake functions as something of a National Park for the people of Gallia. It doesn't attract swimmers (too muddy) but there's a lot of fishing and peaceful walks that happen here. However, the nearby woods has a problem with poisonous snakes that are starting to encroach on the rest of the area. Is this the reason why the man who runs the boat rental has suddenly vanished?

Regions that might be in the Demo


Surronto Village
A trip across the grasslands will lead to this peaceful farming town that has a tense relationship with the city. The place was settled by former Gallian citizens who were exasperated with the slow pace of meaningful change after the war and Surronto is meant to be a haven for Euthenia's non-humans where they don't have to worry about the population turning on them. While the two communities have a grudging trade relationship, there have been several diplomatic incidents.

Here's a bit of trivia - the name was inspired by a funny thread on the Master of the Wind forum back in the day. Shortly before Arc V's release, someone put up a poll asking what everyone was looking forward to most. There were choices like Stoic's flashbacks and Sparrow's identity reveal but there was also an option for "Surronto Village," an area ArtBane and I had never heard of. Still not sure what happened there, but now it's canon.

The Shallows
An ominous section of Euthenia's coast that's basically Solest's version of the Bermuda Triangle. While outwardly quiet and peaceful, the area has a reputation for disappearances and sightings of bizarre creatures. I would love to prioritize this area since it would allow me to explore aspects of the lore that I was planning on introducing in World Remade. The problem is I wanted to visually differentiate it from other coastal areas like West Gallia or Azure Bay. I haven't really found a tileset that gives off the vibe of "spooky beach." Suggestions would certainly be welcome.

Badlands
Keep going past North Gallia and you'll come across this region, a Wild West style area that's packed with bandits and other unsavory types. In particular, there's a clan of goblins that have menaced the guards in North Gallia for years. It's a dangerous place but Blaze really wants to explore it and he might end up convincing Bradley.

Regions that probably won't be in the Demo

Western Cliffs
A series of cliff paths that serve as something of a bridge between West Gallia and the highlands region at the north end of the continent. It wouldn't be especially hard to make but I haven't spent much time coming up with a story for the place so it probably won't show up for a while.

Swamplands
Even though it's pretty close to the city, this was always meant to be a late game region with tough enemies. There's a lot I want to do here, including an ancient First Age temple where a certain familiar figure has been hiding out. But I figure I should focus on areas more appropriate for the early game rather than areas where players will surely get their asses kicked.

Salvin Islands
A small archipelago at the southeast corner of Euthenia. I think it would be a lot of fun but it would also rely a lot on boat travel, which is pretty underdeveloped. As a side note, why the hell is the boat in VX Ace so absurdly small? I can't have them going around in that thing, they'll look ridiculous.

Highlands
This is dragon territory and has been for centuries. They're usually nice but there are lots of other hazards to worry about. Another late game region that's not a big priority right now.

Mount Magyar
The toughest region in the game and the most difficult to get to. Also not a priority at this time.

Well, that's it for now. Would love to hear what you guys think. How big do you think this demo should be?