Hello!
I want to share with you some of my ideas about interactive fiction and I ask for your feedback.
I noticed that interactive fiction community is actually very small. Our world contains tons of AAA-shooters,
2d platformers with pixelart, minecraft clones and even visual novels, but it’s so hard to find a good classic
interactive fiction game. Interactive fiction developer or writer is such a rare case in modern gamedev and it’s sad.
So, below is our concept of Dark Forest: Reborn game with several pre-alpha footages. I’ll add more soon.
You can find more information here in our blog where you can also subscribe and be the first to play Dark Forest: Reborn demo
If you are familiar with games like Colossal Cave Adventure or Make It Good, basic mechanics will not be new for you.
What do you think?
[size=200]Dark Forest: Reborn[/size]
- Escape from the last underground citadel of devastated Earth and find your new world where you will save, romance, trick, betray or even kill people…using magic of words in this immersive text-based roleplaying game!
[size=200]Key features[/size]
[size=150]1. NPCs that support natural language interactions and relationship modeling using a modern chatbot’s AI core. Multiple romance options.[/size]
This simply means you will interact with cool characters using phrases like ‘Hello!’, ‘How are you?’ ‘I am your friend, trust me!’, ‘Do you prefer human meat or maybe I should bring some fruits?’.
You will test your perception, charisma and conversational skills. Based on your words and actions, our characters will decide if you are nice person or not. If not, watchout!
[size=150]2. Choices and real consequences. The game won’t tell you how to play.[/size]
[size=150]3. Nonlinear and replayable game world that adapts to your personality.[/size]
Do or say an evil thing and the world around you will look (or even become) evil.
[size=150]4. Real-time combat system with a bit of gore and awesome finishing moves.[/size]
[size=150]5. Game setting inspired by Arcanum and old fallouts in the style of Andre Norton and Stephen King’s fantasy novels.[/size]
[size=200]Plot[/size]
Distant future. Humanity is doomed. Earth is dying. You are imprisoned in a sealed citadel deep underground. Old machines give you everything you need to live. You spend your time trudging through the citadel and researching its chambers. You have almost accepted your lonely fate, when a tragic accident changes everything.
It appears that a group of brilliant Earth scientists were living in this citadel before you, until the day they all mysteriously disappeared. They left behind, however, a monstrous ancient device that gives you a second chance, a way of once again reaching the world outside.
The world of Dark Forest: Reborn is full of ancient swamps, poisonous hills and abandoned strongholds of fallen civilizations. During your journey you will face strangers, and change their fates forever. Some of them will curse you. Some of them will be ready to give their lives for you. After your adventure you will be judged, and the fate of every character and the world of Dark Forest: Reborn itself will be revealed.
[size=200]Characters[/size]
Dark Forest: Reborn mixes classic text adventure game mechanics with mechanics of interactions with NPCs via natural language dialog.
For example, in location ‘House of Cannibals’ you may find daughter of the Cannibals, Qara, 21 y/o slender black-haired girl with tired face who lives with her family in the depths of the forest. Your main task will be to escape the House of Cannibals. Qara’s motives are not clear so it’s up to you to choose your way of completing the quest: you can try to capture her and force her to help you, you can try to gain her trust or just ignore her and escape the House of Cannibals on your own. Everything depends on your personality, kindness, cruelness or even madness.
Maybe Qara doesn’t like her family and wants to escape the House of Cannibals too? Or maybe she just wants to eat your entire body alone? She definetly prefers red wine so maybe your fate is just to become a part of her dinner…or maybe this girl will be your best friend.
Test your perception, charisma and conversational skills and find out the truth!
This type of ‘flirting’ with NPCs like Qara is not okay. You will learn it after the meeting with her family:
This style is more suitable:
[size=200]Combat system[/size]
The world of Dark Forest: Reborn is cruel. You will face local conflicts with highwaymen, clashes of criminal groups and even war. Every event in the game tests your abilities.
Your forces are carving towards the centre of enemy army through the infinite waves of mad savages. They surge forward and it seems their strength is infinite. Your rusty sword is the only weapon you have.
What will you do?
- You can try to run away
- You can join friendly forces in their attack
- You can try to hide
- You can cry and ask for help or just wait for a miracle
…
Your main task is to survive, but it is a really difficult task in the world where your allies are dead and the battle is lost.
Your opponent will not wait for your actions and words, he will keep fighting and hitting you until your death.
[size=200]Concept arts[/size]
[size=200]System requirements[/size]
Your imagination
[size=200]Questions to you[/size]
Would you like to play Dark Forest: Reborn? Maybe participate in beta test?
Should we change the concept a bit and add pictures of our characters like in a usual visual novel?
Feel free to leave a comment or follow us to get the most important updates!
Cheers!