Updates from the Forge 41: Spring 2021

[Leafly]

Issue 41: Spring 2021

EDITORIAL

Spring has sprung!

Welcome to our latest newsletter, we would like to remind everyone, that there are new beginnings and new opportunities. We hope you embrace everything Spring has to offer.

What new ideas have you found recently? Though a second lockdown has been an unusual time and has introduced a lot of uncertainty. One thing's for sure, along with the uncertainty, are the new buds of Spring, people have discovered new creative ways to express themselves and make the most of the situation we're all in.

Exilian's wonderful commuity is continuing to expand, with every vistor bringing their own unique input that adds even more colour to the already brilliant work that everyone does. Hoepfully, we'll back to our usual activities, but for now, enjoy the sun, wildlife and we've got some lockdown ideas to keep you busy until then.

We've got lots to talk about in this issue, let's get straight to reading more about it 

Always, make sure you: 'Enjoy your stay!' and tell others about it too!

CONTENTS:

• Editorial
  
• Game Development
  
  
  
  • Devlog:⚔️ RAIDBORN [Action-RPG] Skyrim meets Dungeon Crawler
  • Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art][DEMO]
  • [Dev Log] Tourney: The medieval tournament sim
• Arts & Writing
  
  
  
  • Dubsartur's crafts
  • BagaturKhan's Revenge of Tyrants
  • Jubal draws stuff!
• Miscellany
  
  
  
  • Exilian's Birthday
  • Playlist
  • What to do in lockdown?
  • Funny Picture Thread

GAME DEV

Devlog:⚔️ RAIDBORN [Action-RPG] Skyrim meets Dungeon Crawler

Markus, is the developer of Raidborn and is the person behind Phodex Games. Games like The Elder Scrolls and Gothic inspired Markus, with their atmospheric fantastasy worlds, which helped Markus through some dark times.

Using this inspiration, a new game with personal interpretation of an atmospheric fantasty world has been made, adding well liked elements from other games like Dark Messiah Of Might And Magic, dungeon crawling and Ultima Underworld.

Markus finds game design a "true passion", maybe you'll find that this jouney interests you too?

⚔️ RAIDBORN - Skyrim meets Dungeon Crawler (Exilian Thread)

Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]

Roadwarden is an interactive fiction, in which you explore and change a hostile, grim realm.

Would you risk a lonely journey into the wilderness? Roadwardens embrace this a struggle worth taking, delivering messages, assisting merchants, getting ris of beasts, highwayment and even more gruesome taks.

Dangerous work, respectable and it pays well. Why not check out what Roadwarden has to offer today?

Roadwarden (Exilian Thread)

[Dev Log] Tourney: The medieval tournament sim

Tourney is a tycoon style simlator, simulation PC game. You'll take control of a medieval noble house and then build a a tournament or "tourney" ground, where you'll watch champions viying for victory or diving in to get involved in combat!

Gamplay Tourney features:
* Build your tourney ground. Event areas for jousting, melee and archery; and buildings such as apothecaries, blacksmiths, stands, ale wagons, hog roasts and more
* Choose your champion. Build their skills. Buy them the best armour and weapons.
* Fight your way to the top and win the tournament
* 13 playable houses with unique heraldry, traits and heroes
* Keep the peasants and nobility happy to keep the gold rolling in
* Hire staff members such as jesters and troubadours
* Lots of parody and hidden references!

The game has great graphics as well, would be good to hear what you all think pre-release. Let us know in the comments below?

Estimated release date is Quarter 3 of 2021, we'll see you there!

Tourney: The medieval tournament sim (Exilian Thread)

ARTS AND WRITING

Dubsartur's crafts

Exilian member Dubsartur has recently finished making a medieval garment - a round embroidered mantle.  Mantles, an overgarment in a similar category to shawls or cloaks, were fashionable in western Europe from the 14th century into the 17th. They varied according to style and length, with slightly longer ones for men and later examples moving to more open fronts and fake-sleeve additions. Dubsartur's gorgeous example, as well as the intricate embroidered neck decoration shown close above, was done in deep blue with a white star pattern around it.

The next project on Dubsartur's list is a doublet, and the thread is replete with pictures of the craftwork and historical reference images, so if you fancy learning about some bits of historical costume and tailoring it's a good time to head over and take a look - perhaps even post your own attempts if you feel like getting involved!

Crafts in the Plague Year (Exilian Thread)

BagaturKhan's Revenge of Tyrants

The year is 20,000 BC, and the galaxy faces a crisis. The vast Empire of Hyperborea stretches over thousands of star systems, but on the planet Zabergan Prime, events are unfolding that will be of huge significance to the stability of the whole Empire. The Lord Governor, Zholt Krazhinsky, has been trapped and overthrown by his Nicomedian military forces and former allies. Will the Empire manage to rescue him and stop the rebels before the galaxy is pitched into all-out bloodshed?

This epic science fiction tale by BagaturKhan has just started being posted and promises many more thrilling installments as Krazhinsky's perils and tale unfold for the reader. BagaturKhan has graciously reduced his fee for reading this story from 2 billion euros and a chocolate pie to it being absolutely free, as he says in the thread, so do take a look and let him know what you think!

Read more here on Exilian

Jubal draws stuff!

Jubal's been foraying outside his usual grounds of writing and music to try producing some character art for his World of Kavis RPG setting, an early medieval fantasy world of mysterious fey spirits, unpredictable magic, wandering holy men and clashing shield walls. In this thread, he goes into notes about his methods and asks for feedback. If you want to see the miscellany of characters and cultures portrayed from around Kavis (and there may be monsters coming later too if there's interest), or if you're an artist yourself and can make suggestions to improve, why not head over and check the thread out?

Jubal's Fantasy/Character Drawings (Exilian Thread)

MISCELLANY

Recent Events and Exilian's Birthday!

Exilian has just had its 13th birthday! We're hoping this won't be an unlucky year though despite the numbering! We had a good time celebrating at our "virtual pub" meetup recently - for those who don't know about that, we've been doing regular meetups on a monthly basis via jitsi which have led to some really great conversations and will hopefully lead to some nice collaborations and neat new projects in the future. If you've not heard of those and would like to come, please let us know (in the comments below or via email at exilian@exilian.co.uk) and we'll get you added to the mailing list.

We also had our workshop, Coding Medieval Worlds, which brought together nearly thirty historians and game developers from across four different continents to discuss problems of how to use medieval ideas, concepts and images when creating the fantastical and historical worlds that are used in computer game settings. We were delighted to organise the event in collaboration with the University of Vienna's Digital Humanities unit, and with kind support especially from Vienna's Daniel Knox and from our fantastic speakers, and we hope to bring more of those workshops out in the coming years. Also, keep your eyes peeled in the next few weeks as we soon hope to be able to process the videos of our keynote talks and get those to you as well.

Playlist

It was difficult to pick which songs to add here, but we went with the last two on the thread, to make it random!

Jubal's recommendation's are:
"I've been enjoying Hades, and one thing I have to say among a number in its favour is that it has some absolutely cracking songs:"

"After having been bombarded with sub 60 second clips of this for months, having a full length version is somehow really really nice to give the song a sense of a closure!"

Playlist (Exilian Thread)

What to do in lockdown?

Pentagathusosaurus rex asks "What have you folks been doing to stay sane?"

Jubal's been TTRPG-ing more, looking at creative projects. tinkering with RPG notes, various online things, and game design. "You should come to the next Exilian virtual pubmoot" - Tusky has seconded this invite.

Tusky's similarly been getting involved in creative projects, and Tourney. It's been a great time to spend time using other things that Tusky would not usually have the time for day to day, like using the grpahics tab to draw things and playing more of the guitar. "Also finding a nice long game to enjoy is a good time sink."

dubsartur's has a blacklog of books to read, looking at articles to write, and is also getting involved in sewing projects. Another good thing dubsartur has been doing is talking to the Exilian community about how it is that they feel, you may find it in helpful to read through these posts and comment on as well? We'll be back to our usual activities soon, we're nearly there. Until then, we will keep ideas here for you all!

Books are good, books are always good. - Pentagathusosaurus rex

What to do in lockdown? (Exilian Thread)

Funny Picture Thread

Here are some funny pictures to round up our newsletter, hopefully you'll smile and laugh!

Jubal: Meanwhile I am back at work this week and feeling very much like this cat. (Not that I have lied on any applications obviously, I just *feel* like an impostor)

Funny Picture Thread (Exilian Thread)

That's all for this issue, folks - we'll be back in summer and look forward to seeing everything being a bit brighter with you then! See you next time...