Posted April 27, 2025 by CompromiseDev
The Archive Book — one of the bigger (and more unexpected) side projects — is now fully implemented!
Originally meant as a small convenience tool, it quickly grew into a central hub for tracking all the messy, interconnected happenings inside the world of Windermere.
While it became a massive distraction from adding new content (oops), it was absolutely worth it.
Here's what it now offers:
Every Case you adjudicate is now carefully archived inside the book.
It automatically tracks the outcome of your rulings: whether you favored one side, ruled against a claimant, or chose a neutral compromise.
You'll be able to look back at past decisions — a key tool for understanding the shifting tensions between Day and Night.
Every character involved in a case gets their own personalized page.
It shows their:
Mugshot
Race
Designation
Danger Level and Type
Status updates (e.g., Contained, Dead, Happy, Angry).
And, if a character has been contained, you can interact with them:
Ask their opinions about other characters currently present.
Responses are dynamically pulled from hidden CSVs, varying wildly depending on relationships, rivalries, fear, or just complete ignorance.
Every piece of evidence you encounter during cases is automatically stored.
Browse through all photos, documents, and items, even after a case has ended.
Designed with a 4-items-per-page structure, scaling smoothly as the archive grows.
The Book also serves as a living encyclopedia.
As you encounter more dialogue and terms, new entries are unlocked.
Entries start short and expand as you see the same term more, slowly revealing a deeper understanding of the world.
Building the book took much longer than intended.
But I think it was worth it. Even though the book is mainly useless, I think it helps the consequences feel more real.
Plus.. it was just fun to write what the characters thought about each other behind their backs.
The Book is ready — and the story of Windermere marches on.