Idrelle Games posts
Posts: 283
Files: 116
Progress Report 2024.02.02.: February Goals & Progress
Hi friends,Happy February!January was a very busy month. I spent most of it sick (I’m still sick, unfortunately), but Wayfarer development is progressing smoothly. In keeping with the Wayfarer Roadmap, I am nearing the end of Episode 3 Part 3 Route 1. Because I am a little behind, right now I need to decide whether I am going to cut some events out of the path or not. There is already a lot that can happen to the player character on this route and while these other events have been part of the outline for a very long time, it may be better to...
Episode 3 Part 3 Sneak Peek #13
A little bit of progress here... There are numerous variation checks in this section, so when you encounter it in-game it may be a little different.You tread carefully across the cavernous hall, keen to avoid the gaping holes in the stonework, your footsteps echo hollowly with every step. Aeran’s torch bobs ahead of you, lighting the way—a spark in the darkness. A wide staircase rises from the centre of the chamber, climbing to the first floor mezzanine. Light filters in from the windows above, cutting through the dark. This entrance hall i...
Progress Report 2024.01.19: A Bit About the Flashback Scene…
Hi friends,This week I drafted the second flashback/dream to the MC’s Wayfarer training. This a pretty straightforward scene that takes place a year into the MC’s training. Their mentor and Varyn take them to Trost (the nearest town to the Spire) to deal with some business and they meet another magianis. There are three versions with different configurations depending on the MC’s mentor—Cenric and Varyn (Cenric MCs), Sero and Varyn (Sero MCs), or Varyn alone (Varyn MCs). Aeran is always present.As with the scene in Episode 1, this one c...
Episode 3 Part 3 Sneak Peek #12
This sneak peek takes us to another Wayfarer flashback that can be triggered in Episode 3. For context, it uses the Child of the Fields origin and the MC was trained by Cenric. As this is a WIP written in third person, the player character is referred to with they/them pronouns (variables will be added later). They aren’t sure what brought them to Trost, but they are here now—reduced to peeking around the entrance to an alleyway, watching two people pummel each other into the cobblestones.Cenric and Varyn had been insistent on this outing, ...
Progress Report 2024.01.04.: Roadmaps, A Trilogy & Writing Continues
Hi friends,A few updates.2024 RoadmapThe 2024 Wayfarer Roadmap has been released; you can read it here. This is an estimated schedule for the coming year; as always, development is difficult to predict. Finishing both Episode 3 and Episode 4 this year is an ambitious goal, and I am going to stick to it as much as I can. I don’t expect everything to go to plan, and I am planning on doing a six-month update in July to account for things reshuffling. It’s hard to say how things are going to go until I’m in the middle of it.Game Re-Structurin...
Wayfarer 2024 Roadmap
It’s the start of a new year and I’m excited to announce my plans for Wayfarer’s development.The primary focus for 2024 is finishing Episode 3 and starting Episode 4. My goal has always been to get the alpha build to the point where it is one episode ahead of the public build, and forcing my way through this period has been very difficult. Episode 3 has turned into a more challenging endeavour than I anticipated due to its sheer size and complexity. I did not intend to take over a year to finish it, but if I’ve learned anything from the...
New Year, New Start
Hi all,Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a good end to 2023 and a restful, relaxing holiday if you were celebrating. I’ve returned from my trip and I am ready to get back to work and get things started.General Announcements & Patreon Tier ChangesToday the new Patreon tiers have gone into effect. January is going to be a bit weird because it is transitional and there are a lot of finnicky things going on in the back end, but if you have any questions or concerns about your tier and your benefits, please do not hesitate to message me.Of note:...
Welcome, Wayfarers!
Hi all,Thank you all so much for supporting Wayfarer and its development. This pinned post is a navigation page to help orient some common features and help you find your benefits.Progress ReportsProgress reports are posted twice a month on Fridays. You can find them under the progress report tag.Sneak PeeksSneak peeks are accessible to patrons of the Recruit tier and above. They are excerpts from new material I am working on and are usually around 700-1000 words in length. They are posted twice a month on the opposite Fridays from progress rep...
Episode 3 Part 3 Sneak Peek #11
You instincts are screaming at you, but your mind is set.Against your better judgement, you crouch and place $blade at your feet. Aeran’s eyes widen with fear and surprise. He stares, dumbfounded, too taken aback to interfere. Or perhaps he assumes you have some kind of mediocre plan and wants no involvement in it.You straighten and step over your blade, walking determinedly towards the hollow skull. Steeling yourself, you stare into the black.The black stares back.The white eyes blink, dimming for the briefest of moments before their glow in...
Patreon Announcement: New Tiers & Benefits for 2024
Hello all,The upcoming changes to my Patreon tiers will go into effect on January 3, 2024. Whether you are a current subscriber or are considering pledging, please read this carefully so you know what to expect.It has always been important to me to keep my membership prices accessible. However, I haven’t made any changes since I started my Patreon in 2021 and I am feeling the effects of inflation. I am hoping that the new tiers will better reflect the work I can do on Patreon while supporting my livelihood and the game’s development. New ti...
Episode 3 Part 3 Sneak Peek #10
“Wait.”He hesitates. Before he can answer, you shoulder past him and approach the maw of darkness undulating before you. The white eyes waver, following your movements. For a moment, you catch a faint stir in the air—the wind dies, the gnawing hum fades, and you are cloaked in groaning silence.“What are you?” you call and your voice evaporates into nothingness.You hear nothing at first. Then a sound so faint you are certain you are imagining it—a choir of a hundred voices and pitches, intoning together in dissonant harmony. But it g...
Progress Report 2023.12.11.: December Happenings
Hi friends,Happy December!This month I am picking away at more of Episode 3. I am finishing up the first of the three tower routes (there are multiple variations within variations here, so it’s a matter of scooping them all up, bottlenecking them, and sending them on their merry way—well… as merry as Aeran can be, that is). I’m hoping I can get that done within the next couple of weeks.If you missed it, there is an ongoing poll about the status of Episode 3. Please let me know your thoughts about whether you would prefer an alpha update...
First Strike, Part 2 (Ves Sithia & Ren Varadon Short Story)
Read Part 1 HereA scream of joy rips from Ves’ throat.It is a silent cry. No words, no sound, just the endless, gaping thrill that precedes the moment of death. The gale of freefall rushes over them, through them, swallowing them whole. It pulses in every part of their being, flesh and metal both, encasing them in its song. They are one with the wind and the air, their magic surging as they plummet to the earth. Their body hums with wisps of bronze light, brightening to a searing beacon, and they puncture the wards headfirst. Vibrations crack...
Episode 3 Status Check
Hello patrons!As I'm progressing through Episode 3, I wanted to do a quick check in about the next update. The current route I am working on has hit around 40k words (I am currently at the end of the flowchart from this progress report). I am going to push through with it; once I have the MC and Aeran inside the tower, I am going to continue with the following events and wrap that up before going back to fill in the other routes.As you may know from Episode 3's existing material, there are three routes to the top of Diradan Tower: Throu...
Progress Report 2023.11.29: Try and Fail & Fail Again
Hi friends,I hope you all had a good November!This is going to be a bit of a difficult progress report to write this time. I didn’t do as many updates as I had planned coming out of October. Though I have stuck to my challenge of writing 100 words a day, I have had many ups and downs with it over the course of the month. It’s not really the kind of thing that I can write much about, other than “writing was done today!”This year has been an immense struggle, both in terms of my physical and mental health. I am not doing well right now. T...
Episode 3 Part 3 Sneak Peek #9
Some flavour text has been removed; some markers are for high romance/approval with Aeran.Darkness engulfs you. It sinks into your skin, your hair, your eyes. You inhale it and it coats your tongue, your throat, the inside of your lungs. It is beyond you, yet inside you, eating, scraping, clawing. The pressure should be suffocating, but you persevere, your body rejecting its essence even as it consumes you whole. Aeran’s hand grips yours, the one constant on this path to obliteration—a light in the dark, a reminder of what is real and what ...
Episode 3 Part 3 Sneak Peek #8
This is the fail variation of a Strength check.You grunt, placing one leg ahead and the other extended behind you, and push. Your palms scrape against wood, your feet slip against stone. Sweat drips down your forehead, stinging your eyes. Muscles strain, your arms aching, your mind empty save for one thought: move the fucking door.The door groans, but it does not relent. The shroud billows, its dark essence careening towards you. You heart leaps into your throat, panic rising in your gut. Every instinct you have is telling you to flee, but you ...
First Strike, Part 1 (Ves Sithia & Ren Varadon Short Story)
The mark is an easy one. Or so they’ve been told.Ves grunts and looks outwards, hazel eyes narrowed against the golden burn of the setting sun. Grimacing at the cramp in their leg, they flex their shoulders and unfurl their wings, using them to keep balance as they alleviate the pressure in the offending muscle. Bronze sings against bronze, the artificial feathers a far cry from the rustle of natural wings. Though alien to many, the sound is second nature to them. More than that, perhaps. They don’t recall what it was like to fly without th...
Episode 3 Part 3 Sneak Peek #7
This is a preview with low approval flavour text.You are drawing near the citadel now.The great gates loom at the top of the hill, glinting in the strange light. They are strangely intact for all the devastation around the tower. The landscape shifts as you approach the epicentre, the air humming with energy akin to a lightning storm. Floating debris speckles the sky—the remnants of a giant glass dome, a staircase sheared from its foundations, parts of a large mosaic broken into two pieces. The force that ripped through this area shattered ev...
Episode 3 Part 3 Sneak Peek #6
The promenade stretches out before you, seemingly becoming longer with every step you take. Even with the statues behind you, the air remains hot and thick. You feel as though you are dragging yourself through mud. The buildings glisten with the variegated, oily sludge. The closer you get to the citadel, the more concentrated it becomes. Where once it was contained to walls and roofs, you now find puddles of the stuff oozing across the flagstones. A sunken garden has been invaded entirely, filling it to the brim and turning it into a hazy pool....
Progress Report 2023.09.28: Small Update
Hi all,Well, September is a month that has happened. Without going too much into it, a family member has had a very serious surgery and is in recovery and my thoughts are more with my family at this time than work.There aren’t very many changes that I can update you on. I am working on Event 3 of Path A (from the chart in the last progress report) and it’s slow but steady work tying everything together. This content is currently around 26,000 words which is not a lot for me. The writing process continues to be painful and difficult, even th...
Episode 3 Part 3 Sneak Peek #5
You exhale a breath and step away, the heat scalding your cheeks. You’re not sure how much longer you can stay in the vicinity. But the longer you look at the statues, the more they leave you with an odd impression. There’s a precision to the way their faces have been ruined. Almost as if it was done intentionally and out of malice.Aeran moves stiffly at your side, adjusting the kerchief over his mouth. His brow is red and shines with sweat. “$firstname,” he says hoarsely. “Let’s go—”“Do you see it, Aeran? There’s something ...
Episode 3 Part 3 Sneak Peak #4
$name is the variable used now for what Aeran calls the MC. This is set to either their nickname, their first name or their surname depending on approval level and paths taken at the start of Episode 3 The text here reflects a high approval friendship/romance route.“$name!”Aeran’s voice is harsh, his warning all too clear. You have wasted enough time here, trying to make sense of something that does not matter in this moment. You pause, ignoring him, and scan the library one last time. There has to be something here, something you missed...
Progress Report 2023.09.10: Progress is Progress
Hi friends,I first wanted to apologize for the lack of regular updates. After a summer of trying to get Wayfarer back on track, development is still sitting much in the same place it was before. I have been trying a number of different strategies to kickstart things, but nothing has really clicked yet. It is stressful having development go stagnant—this time last year I definitely thought I would be finishing up Episode 4 and on my way to Episode 5 by this time this year. I am still writing, still struggling to get words onto the page and get...
Episode 3 Part 3 Sneak Peak #3
Further ahead you pass an arcade leading to the remains of a ruined library. Its arched windows are intact, but the grand doors are destroyed. Chunks of bronze sloughed off in rivulets to pool in the threshold, the scenes sculpted into their reliefs damaged beyond recognition.Something sparks in the corner of your eye. You pivot, spine tingling, and search the arcade.[CHOICE] 1. Investigate.2. You don’t have time for this. Press on.You take a step towards the library.“$name,” Aeran calls softly. The warning in his voice is clear.You glanc...
Episode 3 Part 3 Sneak Peak #2
The flavour text of this passage uses the version for high romance or high friendship with Aeran.Beyond the wall, the air is unnaturally still.Gone is the lakeside breeze and the pleasant summer day. The sky turns to an acrid haze, casting a orange-yellow tint over everything. You inhale sharply, the scent of smoke and ash on your tongue, and hold your breath as you enter a garden. It is small, built to fill the space between two sprawling buildings. Where it once would have been a quiet place to read and relax, it is now all but ravaged. Flowe...
Bonus Content
Hi folks,I am planning the rest of this year's bonus content and I would like to get your opinion on the kind of bonus content you would like to see. Poll will be open for a week! 💖
Episode 3 Part 3 Sneak Peak #1
Some brand new material from Part 3 to share! This is Aeran and the MC taking the most direct path to get into Diradan Tower.Stone crunches beneath your feet as you march on in silence. Despite the breeze, the air feels oddly still as you approach the gate—almost as if it is holding its breath in anticipation. With the tension as tight as a bowstring, the only relief you have is the comfort of Aeran’s presence at your side.The back of your neck prickles. Your hand strays to your side, thumbing the hilt of your sword, and slow your pace. You...
Progress Report 2023.07.31: An Update
Hi friends,Just a quick message for the end of July.I’ve had some pretty serious family stuff happening this week. I am still struggling with Episode 3; I have most of my outlining done for the tower sequence, but I haven’t written any content for it yet.I have closed the Creator Q&A question form for now; thank you to everyone who submitted questions! Since I’m not capable of recording a podcast like I usually do for Q&As at this time, I’m postponing it until we’re further into August.As always, thank you all so much for your support...
The Red Depths [WIP Lore]
Deep below the Undercity lies a network called the Red Depths. Converted decades ago from dark, sprawling caverns to a majestic complex of brightly lit halls and walkways, it houses the most infamous and popular fighting pits in the Undercity. Its history is long and bloody, and inextricably tied to the criminal underworld.Controlled by the Lavernai (the largest criminal organization in Velantis), the Red Depths entertain the masses in the form of competitive bouts. Though the fighters come from many walks of life—mercenaries, disgraced guard...
