Nuradan

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Nuradan RPG example of play dumbest version

8 min read

  1. one downloads the game off itch or play store or smth
  2. launching the game starts the white text on black bg sequence, narrating an adult POV finding the old handheld and checking if it still works
  3. then the real game boots up, the screen lights up and we can see a fullscreen gba-like console with buttons and the lcd screen where the game is actually taking place
  4. the nuradan rpg logo or intro sequence flashes or plays out
  5. then it’s the new game screen, that also has some options (like changing text speed, or frame border). there’s also a new overlay on the upper part of the console frame, that opens some out-of-game settings like changing console skin, contrast, button mappings, stuff like that, accessibility
  6. upon hitting new game, the intro sequence is played: you wake up in the rain, just outside a village. those brigand mugged me and beat me. i must have scrambled my way up here. autowalking in the village. people avoiding you and going inside. some makeshift barricades around.
  7. then lumberjack comes up to you, asking for your NAME, what have you been up to. you pick REMUS. they tell you you are in the remote village of SUND
  8. Sirius Ivyl the lumberjack tells you brigands are also scaring the village, townsfolk have barricaded into a farm. also a bridge to Cendalar has collapsed due to heavy rain, the Charred Ones can’t send backup. the Disciples would probably help if we turned to them, but we won’t do that. he offers something to eat. they tell you to go talk to the others in the house (won’t progress until you’ve talked with everyone, like “the others still have some questions for you)
  9. you proceed with interacting with the people in the house, they all introduce themselves and have a bit of the world lore to share to give you context. but some NPCs also prompt character creation. the character creation prompts are given in order, regardless of who you speak to. they are happy that a STRAY is with them, a skilled vagabond like you can surely help them out with the brigands. regardless of what path you chose, you are trained in the art of survival and guerrilla warfare.
  10. you proceed with character creation. STR DEX INT. a player always starts from STR (1), DEX (1), INT (1), and LUCK (0). they get 3 extra points to spend on customization. max 2 per stat. stats also have a description. STR and DEX are also together and sum into CON, that also has a description. you assign 2 points in STR and 1 in DEX, resulting in REMUS: CON (5) (STR+DEX), STR (3), DEX (2), INT (1), LUCK (0)
  11. you agree to help them set up defenses for the brigands approach. the setup is clear, the brigands will try to take over the village soon to occupy, they tired of living in the woods. govt can’t reach here, they on their own. the plan is clear: push them back, then push them back some more, and take out their leadership so they won’t harm SUND no more
  12. then they ask your 1approach to this world: options include: explorer +1dex, brute +1str, literate +1 int. these are also unique bonuses that open up the world in different ways. like picking a starter pokemon. explorers can cut through hidden paths. literates can read books and pick additional dialogue options or quests. brutes have additional atk bonus in battle making it easier, but they miss out on quests and exploration. FUCK YEAH
  13. they offer you a bedroll. you have to get some shuteye every once in a while or 2suffer -1 INT.. THIS IS A LOT OF STUFF. better break it down in a few sequences. bedroll is important, but rations, spells, etc can wait the next day. bedroll, clean clothes first
  14. in the morning, it’s time to actually start building the defences. first hints of journal and questing system, gather wood, scout the clearings around. you can’t venture too far out, just Sund, Sund Fields, Clairvoyant Rise. NPCs push you back and remind you of what’s to do. you can find some extra items exploring around, also NPCs give you stuff to do, a couple extra quests like cleaning up the fields, build up some barricades, help find lost item (locked if not explorer?)
  15. then they ask if you need anything: a character gives you some RATIONS of food (you have to consume one per day or suffer a loss CON); another offers you a spellbook. another gives you a dagger. and some new armor piece. at 0 cos you become unconscious, lose all items, respawn in nearest “caring” npc in their bed. if it would ever become negative, you die. 3forced to reroll character?
  16. then, you have to explain how to fight to a couple dudes from the village. this has a tutorial sequence, where you actually learn combat
  17. in the evening, some brigands are spotted, you fight them and capture them, you have to interrogate them and learn about plans and boss encampment
  18. they came out of the abandoned house, you investigate and find a tunnel there
  19. exploration and dungeoneering, explore around, find brigands, die and respawn. report back, formulate plan
  20. could be a 3 sections dungeon. 2nd part a bit harder with the rustling, 3rd is the boss battle. they could also give out the items here, instead of cluttering the tutorial bit above. hungry? rations, here. trouble with section? spellbook.

this is where the map should open up.

missing: deep Sund lore, underground ruins to spot, abandoned hause, Rustling brigands could hide in the underground ruins, and rustlings could come and thank you. unlocking a plot. or one could have been taken prisoner by them.

after the brigands are pushed back, some disciples will come up to check on you. they want to take advantage of the missing support. skirmish ensues. they flee. this is bad. we need to restore the bridge before they can come back. here we go. plot!

TO DO NEXT: rework flow points to include rustlings and ruins

  • brigands are attacking out of nowhere, they bypassed watches and stuff
  • you discover them out of the abandoned house
  • you learn about the ruins below, brigands have found a system of tunnels that span until below Castle Hill, that’s how they infiltrated the village
  • you have some dungeoneering to do, save a rustlings, opening up the rustlings plot as well

ideas for death:

  • corpse runs, ghost going to corpse, wounds, loss of items (random, could be bad)
  • create new character? with some points set back, random selection of items. npcs ALWAYS mention that you are not the first to try. but this will make you lose connection with your character
  • sent to the spirit realm, and resolve SOMETHING to get back, everytime you die more difficult. a labyrinth, maybe. so difficulty INCREASES over time.

for corpse runs could get back and fight some demons that have started getting to the corpse? like, you have to get back, but also fight them? that could mean.. no getting it back?

style guide: two liners, short phrases, straight to the point. pokemon like. short dialogues. easy to understand.

Example:

If you don’t sleep regularly, your INT drops. If it goes to 0, you won’t understand what you hear or read until you sleep again. You might also fumble attacks and hurt yourself.

Footnotes

  1. I have a problem with professions and fears. it will be difficult as hell to roleplay them into the game. like, it’s not the full ttrpg. I can’t have generic fears, but I could have an “approach” tag, a trait that gives bonuses to other traits. note for future self: you were thinking about stuff like blacksmithing, and having “rolls” in the world that involve blacksmithing. that will happen, like, once in the story, there won’t be many options for blacksmithing. and it wouldn’t be fun to spend points here. something that would work more universally in this game is like, having picked the general stats, you can choose additional traits that add bonuses on them in specific situations. like, “likes bows”, +1 dex in combat with weapons tagged “bow”, “shortbow”, crossbow, etc. approaches could be something like “literate”, +1 INT but no combat bonuses. aggressive. i can work on this, could be helpful for the ttrpg as well ↩

  2. at 0 INT all text becomes scrambled, inventory and journal and moves. can still play but it’s HARD ↩

  3. i want the game to have risk. but it would be boring to re-do whole sequences. so you could end up restarting from major checkpoints, with different character? the townsfolk could have different lines remembering ONE old adventurer, or more than one if you die multiple times. this seems like exponential work. i should find another risk option? just losing all items seems enough. maybe some healing debuffs that last for days, and force you to be slow ↩