5 Pillars of Design

The five pillars of design are the major principles leading the development of Chronicles of Elyria.

1. **Dynamic**: If something in the world *can* change - it probably should.
2. **Heroic**: For characters to be heros, they must perform heroicly
3. **Skill-based**: Any action that requires character skill should also require player skill
4. **Event-driven**: There is a constantly evolving story-line that is impacted both directly and indirectly by player choices
5. **Realistic**: Game mechanics should feel natural and realistic - more like a simulation than a game

## Dynamic

The world is always changing.

"If something in the world **can** change, whether through player interaction or naturally over time - it **should**. This doesn't always result in design elements that are immediately obvious. Sometimes the dynamic nature just serves to make the world richer and more immersive. Other times, the dynamic nature of the engine has far-reaching impact on the design of the game."

## Heroic

A hero must be truly heroic.

"In Chronicles of Elyria, the player must take risks, be heroic, and repeatedly put their character's wealth, prestige, and even life on the line to achieve heroic status. In Chronicles of Elyria, it is possible to be the most renowned Blacksmith. It is possible to have travelled places where few others dare to travel. And yes, it's even possible to be the most powerful Sorcerer in the world. But such rewards always come with substantial effort, and frequently with great risk."

## Skill-based

All character skills require some degree of player skill.

"This is about blurring the lines between the character and the player. Every action the character takes that requires a skill, requires some degree of player skill. The era of auto-attacking is over. If my character effectively swings a sword, it's because I chose the precise moment for him or her to do so. Likewise, if my character cuts a Master Emerald, worthy of stting on the crown of the King, it's because my own nimble fingers made it so."

## Event-Driven

Somewhere between theme park and sandbox game types is the best of both worlds with continually new content. This content will be both player-driven and created by the Soulborn Engine.

"The story-line is constantly advancing. Local, regional, and national conflicts unfold continuously giving birth to repeated opportunities to change the course of history. Each time the player logs in there is something happening for him or her to participate in. The player should never be able to go offline for a week, a month, three months, etc. and come back to find the world the same as before."

## Realistic

Simulation will be a major part of the game from anything such as swords not magically giving the user +5 stamina  to all animals being birthed and dying instead of just spawning.

"This doesn't mean the graphics engine is realistic, or even that the physics is realistic. What it means is that the major game mechanics should feel more like a simulation than a game. Little things that we often take for granted in our reality should bleed into the game world. Things ranging everywhere from the way the economy behaves, to the way NPCs respond to events around them, to the way resources are distributed, to the way weather impacts the environment."

## References

1. ↑ Caspian, Dev Journal #3: Out of The Frying Pan..., 7 March 2015
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Caspian, Dev Journal #2: Introducing the Proteus Engine, 27 December 2014
3. ↑ *HOLD!* Caspian, *"Quoted from IRC"*, *dd month yyyy*
4. ↑ Caspian, Chronicles of Elyria: Q&A with Jeromy Walsh (January 25), 25 January 2016