Anamnesis, of Renascents and Monsters (Now at 10/27/17)

[getter77]

Hotfix #3 is out to fix up a few bits---best to redownload.

[getter77]

10-31-13

Previous savegames are compatible.

This release fixes a few non-critical bugs that were late to the party. It also adds some token content in the form of a couple of units, both having Ferrying capacity to make ferrying units a little more likely to come upon.

The main change you'll notice, however, is that you'll start as "Unknown" instead of philanthropist, hedonist or ruthless. This means you'll actually have to prove your character through your actions now, but you'll be much more likely to be perceived as having the character of your choice, so it'll take an active effort to keep a façade.

Presently, this is a little bothersome, as it means you won't be able to date characters right away. The way you are perceived by others, however, will have a significant impact starting from the next release. So stay tuned to see how will this benefit you in the future!

(hint: think politics)

Change Log:

  -Changed reputation. Your character will start as "Unknown", but will also be more likely to be perceived as what he or she really is.
  -You can now cancel the use of an ability and choose other actions when in a territory.
  -2 new units were added.
  - Fixed more bugs and crashes, made a few things a little clearer.

[getter77]

2-10-14

Previous savegames are not compatible.

You know, somehow this release feels disappointing to me, but I guess not all releases can have a new game mode in them.

There hasn't been any real focus in this release, I started with the enemy activity and seeing that it should be relatively straightforward I started to work on as many long lasting player concerns as I could remember.

One important note when playing as a governor; remember that for now own owning a Fortress or Dungeon will lower local tension faster and that if you control all territories, you'll get +0.5 Merit each week.

That's pretty much all there is to say about this release, the change log is long enough as it is.

Enjoy!

It's not as fun as previous ones when you get to do new stuff from the very start of the game, but at least there is difficulty escalation and there aren't duplicated territories anymore.

Let me know if you find any other broken stuff.

Change Log:

* Enemy Activity: Enemy units and lobbies will now create emplacements in enemy territories to further their goals. The emplacements are shown under the "Interests" screen and can be searched by your units by selecting a territory with suspicious activity in it.
* Rescuing Renascents: When renascents are defeated, they don't just disappear anymore. There will now be a very high chance of them turning up trapped in some manner in one of the colony's territories. They can be rescued by visiting that territory. Two or Three renascents will start each game lost inside the colony in this way.
* Useful Lovers: There is a 25% chance that, after each encounter with a lover, you'll get an additional outcome from the relationship. The chances of getting positive or negative outcomes vary each time you start dating a character and you'll be able to dump them after each negative event. Wooing characters will also slightly reduce your weariness. To make up for the advantages of having lovers, players "interested in none" will get small, steady reductions of weariness and local tension.
* Enemy Economy: The enemy has a finite amount of resources now that they'll employ in a variety of ways. Most often in creating new emplacements.
* Reusable Relics: Relics now have more flavour once they are completed and up to three of them can be sealed and stored to be used in the following journeys by the same player, at a very high reactivation cost in Arkhe.
* Corridor Diplomacy: Sometimes you'll be able to approach lobbies before a voting to try to earn their favours if you are perceived as having the same character than the lobby.
* Gifts/Bribes: You'll now be able to give your furniture as a present to any lobby in exchange for favours. You can also store up to 4 pieces of furniture instead of 2.
* Difficulty Escalation: Collecting the relic pieces will get progressively harder and failure to do it will increase local tension. Lobbies will now also detect negative immigration rates and react more aggressively against them. Enemy units will also eventually stop attacking you upfront if you prove to be much stronger and stronger enemy units will tend to be deployed in territories with higher Arkhe reserves.
* Focus on Conquest: When you have a Fortress or Dungeon, local tension will decrease much faster. Additionally, owning all of the colony's territories will give you 0.5 Merit each week.
* Belligerence Value: There is now be a local belligerence value influenced by the different types of lobbies in the colony. A positive value will allow you to get away with more violent actions, while a negative one will allow you to play more peacefully.
* Mini Tutorials: Very bare bones guidelines for players will appear at the start of each game for players other than outcasts.
* Lore Screen: The lore posts have been put into a new in-game screen for quick reference.
* Charging Tolls: When you confront and defeat an enemy inside your territory, you'll get a third option enabling you to charge a toll, that is, rob them. This money will vary depending on the unit's size and the total enemy wealth, from which the money will come.
* Expanded Appearance: Characters will now have 3 visible traits instead of 2. Players will also be able to re-roll their avatar's appearance as many times as they want at the start of the game.
* Unique Territories: You shouldn't be getting any more duplicated territories in the same game.
* 4 new lobbies, 1 new relic, 2 new units and 1 new territory were added.
* Several minor tweaks and bug fixes.

[Avagart]

Another good news. I played a lot in Anamnesis (...the other day) and I remember that it was great. The new version can encourage me to return to Anamnesis.

[getter77]

2/21

Previous savegames are not compatible.

I was just going to make some interfaces a little clearer, but we ended up with 2 new interesting features that give some more strategic depth to the game and make all those decreases in local tension a little more useful when you're already at 0.

Game overs won't automatically finish the game now either, but their consequences might work against you in future cycles, so you should still try to avoid them.

Not much more to say, enjoy.

Change Log:

    Extended Endgames: A game over won't end the game, instead it'll allow your enemies to seize the relic and use it against you in future cycles if they gather enough wealth to bring it back. Likewise, any kind of victory will give you the relic for future cycles.
    Justified Attacks: Local Tension can go into negative values now, allowing you the chance in some instances to attack without fear of retaliation for a limited time.
    A few elements of the interface have been made clearer.
    2 new units and 1 new territory were added.
    A few minor tweaks and bug fixes.

[getter77]

3/4

Previous savegames are not compatible.

There, that's 47 hours, just on time!

Though I admit I stalled playing a few testing games.

This is a weird release halfway between a minor and a mayor one. It incorporates a couple of new important features, but they are not fully realized yet, so I don't know what to make of it or whether I'll bother to announce it outside of the blog.

I might just wait until there are more things to do with aristocrats before sharing it.

Meanwhile, enjoy the release and let me know if something's too broken.

Change Log:

    Basic Banking: You can provide loans and ask for them at different interest rates or in exchange of favours.
    Bare Bones Independent Aristocrats: You can meet independent aristocrats before a voting and keep in touch with them through correspondence, but they're underdeveloped yet.
    Maritime trade will now require an initial investment to buy the wares, dependant on the area's wealth. Merchant venturers now start with a little more Arkhe.
    When being an outcast, you'll get a re-roll after failing to hide from an enemy, but you'll have to leave the territory if you chose to do it.
    If an enemy territory is destroyed, the occupying unit will now go on the offensive.
    Local belligerence will have a small influence on investments, trade and loans. The lesser belligerence, the better for business.
    You can now buy land through envoys even from monster units.
    Your character will get 2 extra appearance slots and one slot more for gear and clothes.
    Lots of small fixes and tweaks, especially in the late game.

[CaptainKraft]

I'm looking around for games that implement some sort of reputation system and it looks like you have a bit of that in Anamnesis. What is your system like and do you think it adds a lot to the game?

[Vaccean]

I'm looking around for games that implement some sort of reputation system and it looks like you have a bit of that in Anamnesis. What is your system like and do you think it adds a lot to the game?

I can't guarantee this is the kind of reputation system you're looking for, but I'd say reputation is rather important for most in-game endeavours, although there are a few courses of action you can follow to largely avoid depending on it.

There are actually a few reputation systems rather than one. Merits are very important, as they are one of the two main currencies of the game and they allow the player to exert greater political power. There is then the more fickle perception of your character, which can change depending on your actions and affects in a rather smaller measure your interactions with different organizations and individuals. Finally there are the nicknames given to your character, again depending on your actions, but having no bearing with the rest of the game.

[getter77]

3/21/14

Previous savegames are compatible.

Another medium/short range release to further stabilize the game and incorporate some of the suggested features to make the game more user friendly.

I apologize for the troubles these bugs might have caused, but it was quite a while since I got so much feedback, so there were 3 releases' worth of bugs by now.

Change Log:

    Aristocrats now provide flavour messages while visiting you, the effects of those visits have also been increased.
    Training of units is now automatized. They'll train whenever their Weariness is 0.
    Outcasts will now reduce Weariness slightly if they are in a territory that matches their origin.
    Independent aristocrats will now defend whichever population, influenced or stalwart, is being more actively persecuted.
    Players with no Merit are now still able to visit territories, causing instead a small increase in Local Tension.
    Reworked the "Interests" screen to show more information.
    Outcasts won't have to stay in a territory anymore for dozens of turns due to the RNG.
    You can resize the game's window now.
    1 new relic was added.
    Several small fixes and tweaks.

[getter77]

8/3/14

Previous savegames are not compatible.

I'd say that was about enough delays, so here, have a new version.

Honestly, I'm not quite satisfied with this release, but I guess not all releases can have a brand new game mode. It also took a lot longer than expected to finish, in part because of unrelated stuff and in part because of a lingering lack of motivation. I'll try to fix this lack of motivation by adding something nice in the next big release that will make development interesting once more.

There are so many fun things to pick from in the development goals...


Change Log:

     Detailed Afflictions: Weariness over 100 will now give you afflictions instead of simply lowering your stats. The effects of these afflictions are varied and detailed, with a different one for each territory and 1 generic affliction for each of the 2 factions.
    Basic City-Building: You can claim land in the Projects menu after occupying a territory or buy it from local aristocrats. You'll be able to either sell this land or build housing and assets in them. Housing will create a core of loyal colonists, while assets may yield different bonuses or penalties. Assets can be acquired through your learned abilities or by inviting local aristocrats once you have enough land. Assets require a Fortress/Dungeon and they are affected by the tendencies' values. If your base accumulates over 100 Weariness, assets and housing will start to suffer as well.
    Piracy: There is now a pseudo-territory named The High Seas where naval combat takes place. Attacking units with ferrying capacity will threaten any maritime commerce you are carrying at the time. Wandering enemy units will also yield a loot relative to their ferrying capacity if  confronted and defeated.
    Local aristocrats must be invited before you can carry any other action with them. Good furniture and lavish expending can give you better chances while negotiating with them. Their fortunes also fluctuate depending on voting results.
    You now need at least 10 Merit to be summoned to a voting. This is part of an ongoing effort to introduce players to the different mechanics of the game more gradually.
    Enemies are now aware of strategic advantages and disadvantages and act accordingly.
    1 new territory was added.
    4 new units were added.
    Several small fixes and tweaks.

[getter77]

11/28/15   

Previous savegames are not compatible.
 

Not even 16 months later, a new version of Anamnesis has arrived!

As those of you following the blog know, there have been a series of circumstances leading to me focusing on other matters. Presently I kind of have some free time to invest on the game, which might or might not change in the near future.

During the following days it'd be all about bugfixing and, if time allows it, adding some token new content. After that, I think it's about time to put up a new poll to ask you what you believe should be the new focus of development.

A lot of new systems have been added at once so you'll surely find bugs, just hopefully not the outcast limbo one, which has been fixed for the third or forth time now.

Enjoy the release!

Change Log:

    Espionage and Counterespionage: You can now Investigate/Stalk local aristocrats for a variety of outcomes, including personal gain, murder and blackmail. These events vary from one unit and aristocrat to each other. Likewise, some aristocrats will actually be double agents, amplifying any negative effect you suffer and making espionage harder for you, you'll have to investigate them to smoke the traitors out.
    Enhanced Local Aristocrats: They'll die or leave over time, have their own Merits and have lobby affiliations. You will also be able to control them through espionage or by buying their debts. Under your control, you'll be able to use their voting power if they are independent or otherwise help or hinder the lobby they belong to.
    Converting Enemy Units: Befriended Renascents will be available for all tasks at no cost, including combat. Other units can now also be converted by negotiating with them and spending some Merits, but their random events will remain the same, often negative ones for you.
    Lobby Affiliation: You can now be offered to join a lobby depending on the way your character is perceived by others. They will cast your votes in your name, but you'll receive a small amount of favours in exchange. Joining a lobby also generates positive and negative events into which you'll be pressured to partake least you lose favours in the lobby. Being in charge of said lobby will allow you to choose what to do in these events and often pocket plenty of money and Merits for yourself.
    Lobby Units and Proxy Forces: Lobbies now have independent units that aid or hinder you choosing to conquer or attack territories on their own if Local Tension is high enough. You can also employ these forces for military purposes or to carry projects out by spending favours owed to you by their lobby. Enemy lobbies might also form enemy armies if Local Tension is over 100.
    Raising Children and Cycle Continuity: Sometimes you will be given the chance to raise a child when wooing lovers. They might cost you Weariness and/or Arkhe on a weekly basis, but either they or their descendants have a chance to become friendly local aristocrats likely to help you in the next game cycle. Depending on how many successful aristocratic descendants you have, you'll start off in a better or worse position in the next cycle. If you have no descendants, you'll instead recover part of your previous cycle's wealth, allowing you to start better or worse off as well.
    You are now only shown 2 pieces at the start of each game, the rest will appear over time.
    You get to chose which stats will increase and decrease more readily at the beginning of the game. You can also choose them at random or chose to be bad at everything for extra fun.
    Pressing the "V" key in-game will activate the self-voicing feature, in this mode you can press up and down to read out the text on each object.
    Old bugs fixed and new bugs to be discovered!

[Avagart]

Yay! ^^

[akeley]

"Nobody`s longing for you here"

It`s one of these games that I only played a few times, yet is strictly a top shelf affair. Glad the dev is back on it, 16 months was quite a (worrying) chunk of time.

[getter77]

12/9/16 Update   

Previous savegames are not compatible.
 
There, narrowly avoided spending a whole year without a new version.

Turns out the new territory events add exactly 360 events for a new total of 1461, counting abilities and the events related to renascents. Of course there is a lot of overlapping, so it's a useless number, but you have plenty of time to count things up when you are proofreading and the mind tends to drift like that.

The game's world should be more dynamic now, reacting to the player's actions as well as those of other previous and new actors in a broader way, bearing more consequences for the player.

If you've been following the progress through the "Working on..." list, you probably noticed that the bulk of the work has been done in these past few months, so future versions shouldn't take as long unless stuff happens again.

As usual, I'll now first wait a few days for critical bug reports. Then I'll add a little more token content while waiting for delayed reports and then move on to these new features I've been looking forward to add for over a month now.

Enjoy!

Bugfix1 Released: Fixed the problems that prevented the proper display of events in The Gold Trail and those that made opium addicts at The Sleepy Valley give you money for free.

Change Log:

    Overseas territories are now ruled by a local lobby that enacts policies following an agenda.
    Added global belligerence value, capable to cause or end worldwide armed conflicts among The Court and The Influence, causing an increase in tensions, attacks and sometimes the culling of populations.
    Added expensive overseas campaigns under "Projects" that will allow the players with something larger than an Outstation/Hideout to weaken, strengthen or overthrow overseas lobbies. These projects might result in attacks by the ruling lobbies in the mainland.
    Added trade monopolies and rival traders: Your revenue trading with certain kinds of goods will be affected by how many other traders have a license, which will be shown in the trade licenses menu. Being the sole trader will grant you a monopoly that will double your profits. You'll be able to maintain said monopoly by blocking the access of new traders at the cost of Merits.
    If the entire colony's population is Influenced or Stalwart, the game won't end. Instead, players can have the perceived character of "Acclaimed" if the entire colony's population is sympathetic to their faction, causing Merits, Weariness and Local Tension bonuses as well as allowing the players to impress and woo everybody. If the entire population belongs to the other faction, the player's perceived character will change to "Shunned", bearing the opposite effects.
    Overseas governments might ask for large loans for a number of reasons. All active loans will now also be shown in one screen in the "Correspondence" menu.
    Added societal development value: Shown in the Colony screen and dependent on the colony's population. A high value will make murder and violence more frowned upon and lower your Weariness and that of all terrains over time. A value of 0 at under 5000 inhabitants will cause the collapse of politics and a gradual detriment of all infrastructure, but more impudence for violence.
    Characters can change their behaviour (Philanthropist, Hedonist or Ruthless) during the game using an innate ability at the cost of 1 Merit, making different actions available or unavailable while in territories and making it easier to be perceived as the desired character kind.
    Added 6 more events per territory, many of them exclusive to one kind of character behaviour, or to the current Merits of your character. Each territory now has 1 event for desperate characters with under 0 Merits.
    Some territory events will now be more or less likely to appear if the territory has an anomaly. Some events will also be modified by these anomalies.
    The destruction of territories now causes a loss of population relative to how many other territories remain for those affected to relocate.
    Unattended anomalies now have a 50% chance of being solved by lobbies. Anomalies are also not so harsh and more common.
    Local tendencies (science, mysticism, etc) now modify the chance of related events being available when visiting a territory.
    Events that would change a stat you already maxed out or your perceived character to something you already have will instead grant you Weariness or Local Tension bonuses.
    Your units will now enter combat with a supply penalty if your total Arkhe is 0 or less. Enemy units are subject to the same penalty if the enemy has 0 total wealth.
    Enemy units left occupying a territory or working for an enemy lobby at the end of a cycle will get a boost of Experience for the following cycles.
     Lobbies will now change their units according to their power or if the player captures their current one during an attack. In this last case, they'll also lose power relative to the unit's value.
    Joining or leaving lobbies now might have varying immediate consequences.
    The cost of maintaining trade licenses and units are now shown next to their respective menus.
    4 new lobbies.
    Fixed several old issues, but probably added new bugs.

[getter77]

4/29/17

Previous savegames are not compatible.
 
There aren't many new features in this release but they do change the game quite a bit.

Feyfolk grant players a new layer of exploration and the chance to meddle with things beyond their understanding, which is always fun and can never go wrong. The collapse of society will allow you to see familiar territories through a new perspective and opens up some new possibilities as well. Finally, the job offers, sales and invitations will give adventurers some sense of direction while allowing them to earn some more money and better develop themselves.

As previously mentioned however, I'm going to be pretty busy until July, so we probably won't see any new complex feature added to the game until then. After the usual wait period for bug reports I'll probably just add content or maybe even simple features depending on how some recent ideas end shaping up.

Change Log:

     Procedural feyfolk meddling with the affairs of the colony. They can be studied through related territory events and the player can bind them to gain power or vanish them using relics. Their information is displayed in a new data screen.
    Society will collapse when the population decreases to below 100, changing the events available in territories and halting politics, but increasing feyfolk activity.
    Job offers, invitations and sales will appear at random depending on the societal development of the colony and the amount of aristocrats with which you keep in contact.  They will allow players to earn more from those jobs or buy items at lower prices for a number of weeks. They are displayed in a new placeholder information screen.
    You can now sometimes get items (such as weapons, furniture, defences, etc) of slightly increased quality from the same action.
    You now get a free unit when you buy them on details.
    2 new units.
    Several bug fixes, including those related to trading Cultism related goods and finishing a cycle with unfinished projects.