Thank you as always for playing "The End of History".
Here is our report on August, along with our development plans for September.
Looking Back on August
Centered on the adjustments to "World Collapse" described in our last letter, we delivered an update on August 27.
Below we explain the intent behind its main points.
Making World Collapse Readable
In the last letter, we said we wanted to present "why it is rising, and how it can be lowered" more clearly. As a first step, we have had the witch Ashbury speak about World Collapse.
When you found a country, an event now occurs in which Ashbury explains World Collapse. After that, you can call her at any time from the crystal icon on the World Collapse panel to hear hints on lowering it.
We believe the feedback that it "feels like a time limit" comes largely from not being able to see what World Collapse is responding to, so we prioritized making the situation readable first.
We have also revamped the conversation with Ashbury when the world collapses and you reach an ending. Drawing on the state of the world at that moment and the record of how you arrived there, she describes what kind of person you were and offers advice on holding the collapse back.
Adjusting the Link Between War and Commerce
We also addressed the behavior where World Collapse spikes sharply simply because a territory changed hands in war.
When a territory with high Commerce becomes the battlefield of a siege, the drop in Commerce after the battle is now larger. Previously, Commerce rarely fell once it had risen, which locked commercial disparities between countries in place and made World Collapse move sharply the moment a territory changed hands. By introducing the behavior that land struck by war suffers commercially as well, Commerce itself now shifts far more dynamically.
17 New Events That Occur in Territories
We have added 17 new events that occur when entering a territory.
None of them is a long event on its own. Rather than scattering random vignettes, however, each is designed to serve one of this game's core concepts.
Bringing NPCs in unusual circumstances to the foreground. For example, an NPC whose family has all died, leaving only a child, used to do nothing but say a passing line in the tavern. Now, entering that territory triggers the event directly. You are also offered the choice to lend this family your support, so that you keep an eye on what becomes of them. The game states clearly that there is no penalty if you accept and are then unable to do anything, so it is not a burden.
Following a life through to its death. We made events not only for an NPC's appearance, but also for the aftermath once that person has died. This shows, as an actual scene, that this is a game about observing rise, fall, and final days over a long span of time, and savoring it as a story.
Giving relationships a sense of texture. An NPC who is your spouse, sworn sibling, lord, or vassal may ask you to remain in the same country with them. There is no penalty if you agree and later cannot keep to it. A relationship that until now was visible only as a number becomes a scene you remember.
Touching on how the world came to be. Some events speak about the world itself, such as one tied to a particular character. Others are triggered by the "Obelisk Casket" added in this update, which appears in a random territory when you submit an "Obelisk Key" to the research facility.
Standing up as a one-time story. Apart from a few character-specific events, these are designed so that whichever person meets the conditions plays the role. A different person takes the lead in each campaign, and an NPC who was merely generated at random becomes one you remember strongly in that playthrough alone.
Visual Improvements
The weapon and shield you have equipped are now reflected in your appearance during battle.
In addition, we have added hair style and hair color variations to character 3D models that change according to the character's face graphic. This is a test implementation.
Quality-of-Life Improvements
Continuing from last month, we worked on tutorials. We revamped the tutorial for invading a territory and added a tutorial for pincer attacks in battle.
Markets can also now be built in castles. Until now a castle only cost upkeep, leaving little meaning in holding it as a territory. It is now somewhere you can grow Commerce and earn tax revenue.
We have made several other adjustments that put the information you need for a decision on screen, such as letting you check the conditions for a successful faction invitation by hovering the mouse.
Development Plans for September
Steam Workshop Support
We are beginning work on Steam Workshop support, something a number of players have requested for some time.
"The End of History" is a game in which NPCs weave history autonomously in a fictional medieval feudal world. If all of you can reach into that world, we believe the breadth of play will grow well beyond anything we could prepare ourselves.
That said, the work ahead includes designing how far that support will extend, so whether it can be released within September is undecided at this point. We will report on our progress in future letters.
Bug Fixes and Reflecting Your Feedback
We will continue as before to fix the issues you report and to make adjustments based on the opinions you send us.
In Closing
In August, in response to how hard World Collapse was to read, we delivered improvements that first make the situation legible. We hope that being able to see what is happening behind the numbers leads to the pleasure of thinking through your next move.
The new territory events face the same direction. What is happening in the world, who lived how, and how they ended. Making that easier to look at is, we believe, the path to making this game more interesting.
In September we will be working on Steam Workshop support. Thank you as always for playing "The End of History".
Developer: Tatamibeya
Publisher: WorldMap
This developer letter is delivered once a month. The next one is planned for late September.