Update The Quiet

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# Vale
## Game Design Document
![Vale Concept](https://git.ratface.club/ratface-games/vale-public/raw/branch/main/Assets/Concepts/file_00000000f5686230bb8eaf09d5e151fd.png)
### Core Concept
A roguelike adventure game where players embark from Vale, their mountain sanctuary hometown, on 30-40 day expeditions to deliver salvation from an encroaching force known as The Quiet.
Players must balance preparation and resource management with dangerous caravan travel through a procedurally generated world.
### Genre & Inspirations
## Core Concept
A roguelike adventure game where players embark from Vale, their mountain sanctuary hometown, on 30-40 day expeditions to deliver salvation from an encroaching force known as The Quiet. Players must balance preparation and resource management with dangerous caravan travel through a procedurally generated world.
## Genre & Inspirations
- **Primary Genre:** Roguelike/Action-Adventure
- **Inspirations:** Stardew Valley (village life), Monster Hunter (preparation), Oregon Trail (caravan travel), Dark Souls (combat), Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (expedition structure)
---
## Core Game Loop
### Phase 1: Preparation
**Location:** Vale (hometown)
**Duration:** Player-controlled
**Activities:**
- Explore Vale and gather resources
- Craft and upgrade equipment
- Manage caravan supplies and crew
- Accept requisitions from Vale's guild
- Fill the Wild Jar for expedition protection
- Prepare for expedition
### Phase 2: Expedition to The Quiet
**Duration:** 30-40 game days
**Objective:** Reach the center of The Quiet
**Journey Elements:**
- **Settlements:** Encounter towns and cities with guilds offering requisitions
- **Biome-Specific Threats:** Face dangers unique to different environments
- **Arbitrary Obstacles:** Overcome broken bridges, highwaymen, monsters, and other hazards
- **Caravan Management:** Maintain supplies, crew morale, and vehicle condition
- **Scouting:** Gather intelligence on routes, POIs, and threats for future expeditions
**Requisition Types (Available at Settlement Guilds):**
- **Delivery:** Transport lumber, goods, or messages between settlements
- **Hunting:** Eliminate monsters, bandits, or dangerous wildlife
- **Escort:** Protect travelers or merchants on dangerous routes
- **Supply:** Gather materials or establish resource caches
### Phase 3: Rewards
**Upon reaching the source of The Quiet:**
- Slay The Steward of the Pale Hymn
- Choose to return home immediately or continue exploring
- Process expedition rewards and intelligence
- Prepare for next omen
---
## The Quiet
![The Quiet Concept Art](https://git.ratface.club/ratface-games/vale-public/raw/branch/main/Assets/Concepts/file_000000000f3c61f7b59167fb155876c9.png)
### Overview
The Quiet is a manifestation of perfect, absolute stillness that spreads across the land like crystalline death. It eliminates entropy itself, rendering everything it touches into eternal stasis.
### Characteristics
- **Crystalline Zones:** Perfect, glass-like stillness preserving everything in eternal stasis
- **Expanding Boundaries:** The Quiet grows over time, claiming new territory
- **Impassable Barriers:** Players cannot enter fully affected areas
- **Slowing Effects:** Approaching too closely results in gradual movement reduction
### Gameplay Impact
- **Environmental Hazard:** Cannot be fought directly, only countered with Wild Jars
- **Route Planning:** Players must navigate around affected areas
- **World Changes:** Failed expeditions result in permanent loss of territories
- **Temporal Pressure:** The Quiet expands over time, making areas inaccessible
---
## Vale: The Mountain Sanctuary
### Hometown Hub
Vale serves as the player's permanent base of operations, a mountain sanctuary that resists The Quiet's influence. Between expeditions, players:
- Process expedition results and rewards
- Prepare equipment and supplies for next journey
- Develop relationships with Vale's residents
- Upgrade infrastructure and capabilities
- Receive assignments when new omens appear
### Wild Jar Technology
- **Jar Preparation:** Gather and prepare Cracked Wild Jars from Vale's sources
- **Expedition Organization:** Village mobilizes resources when omens appear
- **Research:** Develop new approaches to countering The Quiet
- **Community Effort:** Entire settlement contributes to expedition preparation
- **The Wild Jar:** A single, precious vessel that provides protection from The Quiet when filled
- **Jar Preparation:** Gather materials and carefully fill the Wild Jar with protective essence
- **Limited Capacity:** The jar can only hold a finite amount of protection, requiring strategic use
- **Expedition Planning:** Village mobilizes resources and knowledge to optimize jar filling
- **Research:** Develop new materials and techniques to improve jar efficiency
- **Community Effort:** Entire settlement contributes to jar preparation and expedition support
---
## Expedition Mechanics
### Caravan Management
- **Vehicle Maintenance:** Keep caravan operational over 30-40 day journey
- **Supply Management:** Food, medicine, fuel, and repair materials
- **Crew Coordination:** Manage specialists with unique abilities
- **Cargo Protection:** Safeguard fragile Wild Jars during transport
- **Wild Jar Conservation:** Strategically use the limited Wild Jar protection to enable safe passage through The Quiet
### World Navigation
- **Procedural Routes:** Each expedition features different paths and obstacles
- **Settlement Interaction:** Trade, resupply, and accept requisitions at towns
- **Threat Response:** Combat monsters, bandits, and environmental hazards
- **Obstacle Solutions:** Overcome broken bridges, blocked paths, and natural barriers
- **Route Strategy:** Balance safer, longer paths against dangerous shortcuts through The Quiet
### Scouting Activities
During expeditions, players can scout to gather intelligence:
- **Route Information:** Critical details like "avoid the left fork - bridge is collapsed"
- **Ambush Detection:** Identify bandit camps and dangerous chokepoints
- **POI Discovery:** Locate unique locations, ruins, and hidden resources
- **Threat Assessment:** Map monster territories and environmental hazards
- **Quiet Zones:** Identify areas requiring Wild Jar protection versus safe passages
---
## Progression Systems
### Character Development
- **Expedition Skills:** Abilities for caravan management and wilderness survival
- **Combat Mastery:** Techniques for dealing with threats and obstacles
- **Wild Jar Expertise:** Knowledge of deployment and countering The Quiet
- **Wild Jar Expertise:** Knowledge of efficient jar usage and alternative protection methods
- **Community Standing:** Relationships within Vale and encountered settlements
### Vale Advancement
- **Infrastructure:** Improve caravan facilities and Wild Jar preparation
- **Infrastructure:** Improve caravan facilities and Wild Jar preparation capabilities
- **Population:** Attract specialists and refugees to expand capabilities
- **Technology:** Research better equipment and techniques
- **Resources:** Develop sustainable supply chains for expeditions
- **Technology:** Research better equipment, techniques, and jar enhancement methods
- **Resources:** Develop sustainable supply chains for expeditions and jar materials
### World Knowledge
- **Route Mapping:** Accumulated intelligence from scouting activities
- **Quiet Patterns:** Understanding of how The Quiet spreads
- **Route Mapping:** Accumulated intelligence from scouting activities, including safe vs. jar-required passages
- **Quiet Patterns:** Understanding of how The Quiet spreads and where protection is essential
- **Settlement Networks:** Relationships with guilds across the world
- **Threat Databases:** Knowledge of monsters, bandits, and environmental hazards
---
## Success Metrics
### Expedition Success
- **Clear Objectives:** Reach The Quiet source and deploy Wild Jars
- **Clear Objectives:** Reach The Quiet source and slay The Steward of the Pale Hymn
- **Meaningful Obstacles:** Overcome diverse challenges during 30-40 day journey
- **Strategic Depth:** Balance primary mission with profitable requisitions
- **Resource Management:** Maintain caravan through extended expedition
- **Strategic Depth:** Balance primary mission with profitable requisitions while managing Wild Jar usage
- **Resource Management:** Maintain caravan and conserve jar protection through extended expedition
### Long-term Engagement
- **Procedural Variety:** Different routes, obstacles, and omens each run
- **Progressive Mastery:** Learn optimal strategies through repeated expeditions
- **Progressive Mastery:** Learn optimal strategies for jar usage and route planning through repeated expeditions
- **World Building:** Each successful expedition preserves civilization
- **Community Development:** Build Vale into a thriving sanctuary over time