Behind every game is a story. Not just the story the game tells players, but also the story of what we experience while building the game… and WAVEN's story is not a tranquil, flowing river.
We move ahead, we explore, we try things. Sometimes, we think we've got a great idea so we pursue it, it fits in with the rest… and then, too late, we realize that it causes a lot of problems. So we feel around, hesitate, test, wonder "Do we just own it and try to make it work?" but ultimately… no. We throw it all out. We try to understand what went wrong to avoid making the same mistake again. We get some perspective, we re-think our decisions, we start over. And all this for one and only one reason – to make WAVEN a game worthy of a third era in the Krosmoz, a fantastic adventure.
Of course, this requires constant questioning, facing persistent doubts. Because even though we've made many strides since the beginning, we've also taken many steps backwards. A project like WAVEN is a living thing that evolves, challenges your certainties and shakes up your very foundations. And when you start working on the foundations, everything else trembles. It shakes up the beliefs we though were solid, it challenges the decisions we've made with the very best of intentions… and it's frustrating. Frustrating because sometimes it feels like we're marching in place, losing time, spinning our wheels. The release of version 1.0? In 2023, we truly believed in it. Then reality caught up to us and we ran straight into a wall.
So, where are we today?
We've made some important, sometimes radical, decisions, all with a single goal: ensure that the game meets your expectations and ours. Our biggest focus right now? Progression – in the broad sense – and all the connections between it and the rest of the game. However, as is often the case with game design, changing one mechanic can have an impact on everything else. We need to share these repercussions with you along with our thinking, progress and vision.
The WAVEN adventure is becoming clearer (finally!). We had promised a livestream at the start of the year. We're ready to talk. It's time to make up for lost time and set things straight. And, to be blunt, it's a lot.
See you on Twitch* at 3 p.m. (CEST)/10 a.m. (EST) on April 4th, for a frank discussion with ToT about WAVEN's future.
twitch.tv/ankamalive
* The livestream will take place in French, but subtitles in English, Spanish and Portuguese will be available directly in the platform.