Silhouette
Heyho, honeypies! π
Today is January 28th β our first big milestone of the year! If you're reading this, Silhouette is live.
Since we already looked at the major features in the preview and also carefully studied the release notes β we've got the perfect setup to wrap it all together right here! π
Settling in
Let's start with ImmigrAtion. At the moment, it's still disguised as just another Fragment placed in ParAdise. However, we know it wants to be much more than that. We recognize the place from AUTONOMY, barring a couple of new elements on the peripheral. There's someone we haven't met β and then there's Eurydice.
We hear a bark, and Eury steps outside. Lorna's there, getting on great with a dog she just met. It's our first glimpse of how things used to be. Eurydice steps up, gently reminding Lorna about the fact that there's a new home waiting for the two of them. After a short back and forth, we're free to move around.
Making friends
A notice on the wall says it's 1913. A new entry is added to the Lore section, and we'll make sure to keep a close eye on that. It feels like we're inside a city β much bigger than the one we saw in 1923. After a bit of a chit-chat with a friendly neighbour, we witness Lorna's first impression of an apartment she'll live in for the next 5 1/2 years.
You can imagine her enthusiasm, while you yourself might get hit by a wave of nostalgia. There's a chance you might know more than her. If that's the case, you've likely already spotted a big difference. The apartment is not just a single room anymore, but an entire flat with several rooms.
Unwrap
For the first time in TRACHI's history, we get to see the entire place. We chance upon another hallway and find two rooms and a walk-in cupboard attached. One of these rooms is comparatively small, yet very functional. The other one is large, open and inviting. It's almost too good to be true.
Someone put flowers on the cupboard, we can also spot a bird from here. Lorna can't believe her eyes. She had a budgie that looked just like that. Six years ago, she had left both the cage and the window open. A perfect opportunity for an animal that's born to fly.
All that matters
Lime had not been seen since then. Curious that he'd suddenly reappear after all these years. Lorna wanted to see him again since the day he flew away. Maybe that's what went through Eury's mind as Lorna hugs her in appreciation.
There's a pause, and we only get a glimpse of Eury through Lorna's reaction. Eury flinched and is now seemingly thunderstruck. Thirty-four years she's kept it together. For a fraction of a second, she's about to cry. Why? We're owed an explanation. Or rather: We already have a theory. All we need is confirmation.
PredAtion
At the moment, we're heading straight back into ParAdise. There's a lot of question marks, but at least we get a little souvenir. Lorna's gotten stronger in a way. She's learned a new ability, which is β all things considered β a pretty broken one. On the other hand, we need to be broken in order to survive.
ParAdise has gotten a lot more wild. Enemies have learned to walk and they actively prey on players. As long as they get to keep their eyes on someone, they don't mind chasing them across the entire map.
Art of War
As established with Rendezvous, battles trigger if you get close to an enemy. What's new in Silhouette is that every combatant involved in a battle acts as a beacon that pulls nearby combatants into combat too. In other words: ParAdise went from a battlefield to a warzone.
Most importantly, you're in control. It's up to you whether you'd like to pull a single enemy away from their friends β or chain entire entire packs together. Field and Combat segments have become even more interlinked β and it's only fair that the story sequences get to be a part of it too.
Victory
Just a couple of clicks to the west from where you're starting out, you spot an NPC. A girl is surrounded by enemies. Lorna calls out to her and we see a new quest called "Victory". From that point onward, it's up to you to save the day.
If the NPC survives the fight, you get to have a little chat. We learn that the person in question is called Dorothy. What's more, she and Lorna know each other. Dorothy represents a familiar face in a foreign place, so you can imagine how relieved Lorna is! There's a little back and forth between the two of them and we get to learn a bit more about the world. Most importantly, Dorothy joins our little group.
Entourage
As Lorna's private army grows, we're ready to tackle bigger game. We go from Level 1 to level 2 then 3 β all the while grabbing any gear and unlocking every ability we can find. There's chests, drops and Fragment/Quest rewards, all of them an instrument for you to compose your very own symphony.
In other words: we're reaching points where ANARCHY is growing into an RPG. Whereas ExcommunicAtion is a 20-minute in and out experience, ParAdise is a place that makes you want to stay. And if you ever feel like taking a break, you can always pick things up again.
Return
The new Profile Selection screen is my way of showing confidence in ParAdise. The old system encouraged you to start fresh, since we were still changing things left and right. However, we're approaching a point where it's not just about the first ten minutes of the game anymore.
Soon enough, we'll set our eyes to the horizon. Barring a couple of systems like conversation skits and persistent objects you can use to modify the map β we'll be able to focus hard on additional areas, advanced combat mechanics and getting the overall RPG side of things right.
Stepping Stone
Next time we talk, our eyes will be fixed on ANARCHY 0.2 (Merci). It's going to be our first major update β and we'll do our best to make it sing. At that particular juncture, ImmigrAtion will comprise three major segments, up from the two we already have. We won't get the full story there, but enough pointers to make at least a little sense of it all.
Also coming with 0.2 is the long awaited stat overhaul teased in *Silhouette's* preview. Beyond that, we'll have to see whether we'd rather focus on breakable fences or conversation skits β if not both. Either way, I'll be all about these things in the preview coming your way in mid-February.
Leap ahead
There's one more thing I'd like to share. I know we've gotten used to our monthly dates on the 28th. However, this year's February is special. The calendar says we're being blessed with an extra day β the same way I'm blessed to live on the same planet as raccoonbutler and his amazing art.
We'll get to see much more of it on February 29th. In effect, we'll push Merci back by a day. After that, we'll go back to the way it was β until February 2028. Coincidentally, that's also the year of ANARCHY 1.0's release.
One step at a time
2024 will carry us into ANARCHY 0.3 and also mark AUTONOMY's fifth birthday on August 28th. It's a big occasion demanding adequate celebration. In other words: a great opportunity to feature a bunch of illustrations. The piece above is penned by adowa, who perfectly captured a graceful shell protecting a heavy heart.
As for ANARCHY itself, we'll spend the next seven months solidifying and building on top of the things we've already done. ParAdise is in line to get new maps, quests and interactions. In addition, we'll introduce advanced combat mechanics through an excommunicAtionesque multi-stage battle, which also adds another link to the narrative chain connecting ExommunicAtion and ImmigrAtion.
Almost there
I think it's clear we've got big plans. Even more importantly, I hope that these last five months are proof that we're realising them one step at a time. Going forward, ANARCHY continues to grow β which means I need your help more than ever before.
For one, I'm insanely grateful for the incredibly productive feedback in the Discussions. Please join me in offering my heartfelt thanks to (-_-!) for their amazing help. They've been running the court pointing out issues so nobody else has to run into them.
And then there's you
I know you've heard this tale a lot. Every company and creator out there tells you how amazing you are. Not to say any of these statements aren't genuine. However, I do want to point out that game development isn't always fun. I have a habit of comparing myself to the stars, which isn't always a healthy thing to do.
Whenever I'm feeling humbled to the point of desperation, I remember this place right here. I'm blessed to have found something productive that makes me happy at the same time. It wouldn't be worth anything without you. Every impression, every read, like and comment are like kerosine to my appreciation of your willingness to share this space with me.
Through and through
Your trust and continued support is what makes me reach out to other people. You've seen the outline of the image above in the release notes. Now you've got the full picture too! It's a wonderful illustration made by a person I wholeheartedly adore. If you ever get the chance, please let Zuddi know how awesome they are! π₯°
ANARCHY
Next month, we'll get to see more. In addition, we'll also officially launch ANARCHY's item store for all your variation needs. Money earned from these purchases not only keeps the game free for everyone, but also allows me to support artists all across the world β so they too can realise their dreams.
Once again, my most heartfelt thanks to everyone involved. The people on Steam, Twitter, Discord and everywhere else. The world might get crazier by the minute, but we'll always have our little space right here.
I'll see you cuties again in February. In the meantime, please enjoy Silhouette to your heart's content.
Until then, I remain β as always β your biggest fan! π
much love
nory
Huge shoutout to 
Now that we've got a map full of roaming entities, we'll regularly see combatants hot-join the fight on either side. If they get close enough to a combatant that is already part of the battle, they'll become part of the battle and then further also pull in enemies close to them.
Considering that battles have become much more volatile and fierce β it's good to have friends around. Friends that got your back. Friends you can trust and rely on when you're in a pinch. And what better devil than the one you know?
In 1919, Daphne recently graduated from the college of Kenovice with a major in behavioural psychology. She's all about a person's mind β which comes in quite handy, if you're an eighteen-year old girl working for the nation's secret police.
Sometimes segues write themselves. That's the case for the one we just did. However, we're obviously not confining our fantasies to the scope of announcements, as cute as our interactions here might be. Above all, we want to make a banger video-game β and that requires a proper stage.
No matter how much time you spend exploring Lorna's new home, all roads lead to this place. Lorna's room saw her turn from a sheltered younger sister to the woman we all know and love. Given we're watching moments that (seemingly) occurred in 1913, you can imagine there's a lot of excitement going around.
If you've played AUTONOMY, ImmigrAtion feels a bit off. We know what happened both to Lorna and Ekaterina (then Eurydice) down the line, so the entire segment is giving off huge prequel-vibes. It's frankly a bit eerie and uncanny seeing these two behave like that.
In a similar way, I also finally got around to implement something I've been wanting to do since AUTONOMY. As you know, TRACHI puts a big focus both on knowledge and perspective. World-building is mainly achieved through dialogue, without a narrator to guide your hand.
If you open the Info section on the ingame menu in 0.1.5, you'll not only find quests, challenges and a catalogue of enemies you fought. A new option named Lore introduces a variety of pseudo-quests you can use to track your knowledge of certain things β starting with where Lorna is and when.
Considering the many things mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, it's clear ParAdise is slowly but surely coming alive. While that's great and all, it also pushed me to think more about your own individual journey through ANARCHY.
Going forward, three things happen when you jump ParAdise. First off, the game checks if there's an existing save. If that's not the case, you'll head straight in. If one of the slots already has a save, you'll be greeted with the menu above. 
There's obviously also a ton of smaller changes. From UI Icons you might've spotted while I was presenting the Lore menu to ogres receiving a full visual makeover β complemented by further improvements to pathfinding and conversation controls.
Leveling up in ParAdise feels a bit weird, if we're perfectly honest. HP values increase massively with each level and ATK had to be bumped up in turn. DEF on other hand gives far too much value per individual point.
In Rendezvous' release announcement, I mentioned a desire to reach out to a couple of artists I've been admiring for a while. One of them is known on Twitter as