Dev Blog #1 - Game Features

Last time I talked about my, very rough, plan for getting Easthalen from the confines of my head and various note books, into some kind of publication.

I will consider this goal complete once I have in my hands a hardback copy of the book, only then will I consider it finished and can start work on next big thing.

One thing I don’t want is for it to try and be Everything To Everyone(caps on purpose).

Why? Surely that will generate more sale? Well then you lose focus, the game gets too complicated and don’t call me Shirley(Bonus points for anyone who gets where I got that from, without searching). Also It makes it a lot easier to design and create. There have been games in the past that have tried that and succeed, but baby steps here.

The rule here will be K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple, Stupid!

Anyway, enough rambling, onto the main crunch of this post.

What features do I want in Easthalen?

In no particular order;

Magic present in everyday life, in much the way the electricity is in ours.
Those not trained in the use of magic WILL cause problems for themselves and those around them when using arcane forces. Think what would happened if you tried to rewire your house but didn’t know what you was doing.
A brand of magic users who purpose is simply to deal with the Arcane fallout from improper use, a form of magic tech support.
Not much advanced technology – But some tech, like Steam/Coal tech is allowed, but considered quirky, due to the fact the God of Technology has gone missing, rumored killed when his technology paradise , Grandeur, was attacked.
The gods to be manifest, allowing mortals to actually view them, although direct contact is not allowed except through their agents.
There is a equal number of Light, Dark and so-called Grey deities.
Though priests are exempt from the side effects of casting, their restrictions and demands from their gods are more important and more strictly enforced.
Franner is the world capital and at it’s center is the hub from which the gods maintain their prison to make sure Halen does NOT escape or even wake up if possible
The Barrier – does not allow travel from within to without. Heat has not built up due in part to the every present and slowly rising levels of background magic. Even if you leave Easthalen and go to another plane, you cannot travel past the barrier. If you are here..you are behind the barrier, nothing else. This also applies time travel – You cannot travel to the time of the Barrier’s creation or beyond
Reality is warped the closer you get to the barrier, starting about 10 miles or so from it
Mutations are present, but will be optional
The “world” it self is as yet undetermined as to the precise size, but has at least 5000 miles radius and is circular
There is a trade city that is protected by treaty, arcane forces, constructs and the gods themselves. This is the only truly neutral place in Easthalen.
The races are descended from one core race, probably something like humans or gnomes.
The period of time from barrier creation to present day isn’t huge, but at least 1000 years, to allow races etc. to develop. The exact figure will be determined later

More items will be added to this list later, some will be taken away. A few will never be removed, but may be altered or changed to make things better

I shall leave you now, as this post was longer then I first thought it would be.

World Brief can be found here

Latest copy of Setting/rules can be found here