ANARCHY
Hey friends! 
Sorry for being tardy when it comes to updates (yet again). π³
But today, I'm finally gonna sit down and do these things! π€ Because AUTONOMY is getting a bit of a sequel, you know.
TRACHII
I always planned to continue the story of TRACHI. Though I also had my mind set on going beyond the comforts of RPGMaker and dive into Unity, Unreal et al. Most importantly, though: I wanted to tackle AUTONOMY's biggest flaw.
Interaction
Of all the (very lovely) feedback I received since the game's first release in May 2019, the lack of proper gameplay segments was by far the biggest point of criticism. Which is, in my opinion, completely understandable.
So I went ahead and made it my first priority to come up with a system that not only incorporates the overall idea of TRACHI as a world, but also fits neatly into the story we're trying to tell.
Labyrinth
Granted, it took a bit. I went from the concept of a turn-based tactical RPG to an RTS to a Real-time tactics game to a squad-based third person shooter. Any genre was fine, as long as I would be able to squeeze TRACHI into it.
Though I also knew that I'd have to make camp, eventually.
Two steps forward.
For all intents and purposes, I was in a pretty bad place during the first months of this year. I had a lot of the initial infrastructure already set up, featuring the full range from visual to audio to technical aspects, including among others: AI, ability and online systems.
But all of that's not much worth if you don't know how to make a game out of it.
One step back.
As appreciative as I was of the things I've learned, there was also a huge feeling of dread in my mind. I knew I could make something good, if I threw all my weight behind it. But considering the fact that I'm also pursuing a PhD, it might've taken me 5 years β if not 6 β to produce something meaningful.
In the meantime, I'd have to go out and tell people about the things I'm making.
Coming out
Considering the amount of hours I'm throwing at this project, it was high-time for me to come out and tell the world just how much I'm in love with it. On Twitch, we went through the entire story and dived deeper into specific events, organisations and individuals.
All of that culminated into a monthly symposium on Youtube, where I try to apply models describing elements of human interaction to the world of TRACHI.
Fish in the water
During these presentations, I realized two things. One, that there's much more to AUTONOMY's story than even I realized while I was writing it. Second, I remembered how much I enjoy making content. At some point, I started writing entire scenes just to present and to talk about them.
Reconstruct
I love the characters, and I want to show you so much more of them. On the other hand, I do want to elevate the technical framework and make an actual game. Taking a step back from active development showed me exactly what I needed to see in order to satisfy both of these things at once.
InvAsion
During the development of InvAsion, I invested close to 9 months familiarizing myself with Unity. I implemented a large chunk of AUTONOMY's characters and incorporated them into a dialogue-driven kinetic novel, released as a DLC on 26th August, 2022.
Not so coincidentally, I also prototyped a full RPG framework. Eventually, I dropped it from the project, because InvAsion back then didn't really need it.
ExcommunicAtion
Three weeks ago, I reopened the Unity project and reintegrated the RPG systems. Since then, I've been prototyping different combat systems, level editors and animation controllers.
It's been a wild ride so far. But with the things I've already set up for InvAsion, coupled with the added experience gathered over six months in Unreal, I think I'm finally ready to settle down.
ParAdise
In other words: Coming your way is a game powered by the same engine and dialogue system as InvAsion had. Add to that the field exploration, depth and scope of AUTONOMY. Most importantly, though: For the first time in TRACHI's history, the characters will not only talk the talk, but walk the walk as well.
As a huge fan of Tactical RPGs, I'm incredibly excited to try and follow the footsteps of many classics released in this particular genre.
And while I can't pretend to have a chance at filling these shoes, I will try my best to create an experience that is not only engaging by itself, but also further underlines the ideology of TRACHI as a whole.
Sympathy
Can you feel it, too? π
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2169000/TRACHI__ANARCHY/