Posted January 30, 2025 by SRT
#dev updates
Following the previous dev update (available for subscribers), we continue talking about the upcoming 0.4 release. Today’s post is a bit special because we’re diving into the open world. A lot has been developed over the past few months, and I felt like it deserved a dedicated post. 😀
Open world is a large chunk of the Deluded’s development, despite it being mostly on the backend. As of right now, we’ve managed to get 2 people to solely work on the open word, while the rest of the team is working on the prologue content.
As you may recall from our roadmap, the full-fledged open world is planned for 0.9, as we want to ensure it’s well-polished. Currently, it’s in the very early prototype stage, so don’t mind the screenshots not looking pretty. 😁
We’ll talk more in-depth about the open-world gameplay, its role and function in the game in the future roadmap posts (follow to not miss!). Right now, we gonna focus on what’s already being developed.
So, the team is working on the Lindcliff location Park-slums and here’s what has been done so far.
Since Deluded is not just survival, but mainly a social survival game, we’ve prototyped a lot of NPC-related activities, like:
But, of course, not every NPC will be be eager to help out of the goodness of their heart.
As I’ve already mentioned somewhere, NPCs will be divided into fractions. And one of them will be the so-called ‘security’ guys. These enforcers police the Park-Slums from their base in the old brick building ruins. On the 1st floor, you can find a chef and trade cooking or crafting materials to get food. On the 2nd floor, you exchange your stolen goods for money and get loyalty from the security faction. On the 3rd floor, you can rent a room to sleep in.
Prototyped 3 jobs so far:
Surviving in the open world might require resorting to crime, especially early on. But don’t expect to go unnoticed!
Stealing from unique NPCs can get you keys to their homes or workplaces. Non-unique NPCs typically carry food or rags.
Doing unlawful activities increases your crime level to a maximum of 10. When the crime level reaches 10 points, security will pursue you and attempt to throw you in jail. You have several options to avoid jail like: paying off, begging for mercy or… well, I think you already know.
The starting open world location Park-Slums includes several key areas:
The Greenhouse
The long-abandoned greenhouse covered in thick vegetation, which you can clear and thus unlock shortcuts. You can also find some berries for food or crafting. However, not clearing the bushes on your way may result in mood reduction or clothes damage.
The Silver Mine
A grim place where prisoners are forced to work. Not an ideal environment, with slippery surfaces and stale air making it even more dangerous. The deeper you go, the dirtier Alisa’s body will get due to poor ventilation.
But sometimes, with bad things, comes the good. Because in the silver mine, there lives a woman who can brew a special mixture for enlarging certain body parts.
The Farm
The farm also provides job opportunities. If you work there, you can repair an old shed and use it as a living space. However, it’s only available to farm workers.
The Sawmill
No activities there, only the building model thus far.
Your House
If paying for rent or fixing up an old shack does not fit you, you can build your own shelter from scratch — a treehouse with all the amenities!
For those who enjoy gambling and risk, we’ve prototyped several minigames:
Thimble
A classic test of perception and reflexes. To start the game — buy a set of caps and approach the dealer. Features several difficulty levels.
Arm-wrestling
You’ve built up some STR points and are ready to test it out? Then arm-wrestling is the right choice! But it’s not all about raw power — you can cheat using L**dness or Submission attributes.
Blackjack 21
A card game where you compete against the dealer to achieve a hand value as close to 21 as possible without exceeding it.
We plan to add a lot of puzzles and hidden secrets into the game, so we’ve prototyped the fountain puzzle. Find 4 pieces to insert into fountain slots for a reward.
We’ve started refining the FOOL-INT dialogue checks, which we’ll also integrate into the prologue content over time. Unlike other attribute indicators ([STR], [DOM], etc.), FOOL and INT choices will now appear as "???", adding an element of mystery.
The Privacy system aka the Exhibitionism system’s rough prototype was made, with the full version coming in 0.7. It determines Alisa’s Shame level and how NPCs’ react to her based on:
All of this affects the Shame level which affects Stress and Mood in the end.
The radial actions menu functionality is set to arrive in the 0.6 patch, but we’ve already made a prototype in the form of a dialogue selection. The radial actions menu will consist of these activities/options:
Some more random stuff prototypes:
All of these prototypes will be available for testing in the upcoming update! Let us know what you think in the comments! 😊
Best regards,
kufe7