Magic in the World

Magic in the World

My son and I walk a lot through the neighborhood. One day, we strolled past an old building with a blend of vines cascading down. The ivy twists its way up, conferring a regalness to an otherwise nondescript building. A thick stalk of blackberry descends from some unseen source, spikes jutting out to guard something unseen. The structure emanates an aura of wisdom – the secrets discovered inside over the years are reflected in nature’s approving embrace. This whimsy is not something I feel lifting my heart often as I wade through Seattle, a relatively new city with an ever-increasing ratio of tech money to culture. The magic of the land, of the past, and of the unknown is drifting away.

FA:CE Production Tasks and FAQ

FA:CE Production Tasks and FAQ

In light of the unnecessary and bizarre global trade pressures, we made the decision to refine Far Away: Corporate Espionage while we wait for the chaos to subside. We decided this before the partial policy reversal, but we already started making extra content and we want to finish that. The game could always use more playtesting too, so we’ll take advantage of the extra weeks to ensure the best product possible.

This all leaves the open question of when we’ll ship. To help answer that, it’s helpful to understand the scope of remaining work. Here is the breakdown of what’s still pending.

New FA:CE CARDs

New FA:CE CARDs

An obvious addition any expansion pack brings is more. Fundamentally, people who buy a game expansion are fans of that game. They want an excuse to return to a game they like and rekindle the fond memories of their first few playthroughs. While it’s nice to talk about ways to reinvent a game through an expansion, it’s essential to add that contingent of extra stuff to the core mechanics. However, doing so risks unbalancing the game. As a follow-up to our description of the Hollows terrain, I want to share some of the smaller additions that are coming in Far Away: Corporate Espionage and how we are ensuring they are net-positive additions.