The Wayward Realms

Last updated
The Wayward Realms
Developer(s) OnceLost Games
Director(s) Ted Peterson, Julian Lefay
Composer(s) Eric Heberling
Engine Unreal Engine 5 [1]
Platform(s)
Genre(s) Action role-playing

The Wayward Realms is an upcoming open world action role-playing video game developed by OnceLost Games. The game's development is being led by Ted Peterson and Julian Lefay, both former Bethesda Softworks developers best known for their role in creating The Elder Scrolls series. [2] The game is intended to serve as a spiritual successor to The Elder Scrolls: Arena and The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall . [3] [4]

Contents

Gameplay

The Wayward Realms is an action role-playing game played from a first-person perspective, in which the player can explore an open world, fight hostile enemies, talk to non-player characters, and complete quests. The game features several gameplay mechanics similar to Daggerfall, including a life-sized procedurally generated open world, the ability to craft spells, climb walls, buy a boat, ride a horse, as well as a complex faction reputation system and class creation system. [5]

Story

The Wayward Realms is set on a group of over one hundred islands, known collectively as the Archipelago, where different factions and kingdoms vie for influence and power. [6] The game foregoes a traditional main quest and instead allows the player to guide the story through their actions and have the game react dynamically, similar to a game master in a traditional tabletop roleplaying game. [7]

Development

In 2017, while researching for a video on the history of The Elder Scrolls , YouTuber Ian Phoenix became curious about the fate of Julian Lefay, who despite being credited with co-creating The Elder Scrolls series and leading the development of Arena, Daggerfall and Battlespire, had disappeared from the public eye after leaving Bethesda Softworks in 1998. He was able to track him down and arrange a remote interview, marking Lefay's first public interview in over two decades. [8] Though initially hesitant, the discussion went on for over 3 hours, with both Phoenix and Lefay lamenting the lack of a true successor to Daggerfall. [9] He soon followed it up with a Reddit AMA a month later. [10] In 2018, Ted Peterson, another Elder Scrolls co-founder, commented on the video and Phoenix arranged an interview with him as well. [11] After releasing both interviews and his Elder Scrolls retrospective video to his YouTube channel, Phoenix was approached by video game agent Stefan Metaxa with the idea of getting Julian Lefay and Ted Peterson to work together on a new open world roleplaying game in the spirit of the early Elder Scrolls games. [8]

In 2019, Phoenix, Lefay, and Peterson, along with Arena lead director Vijay Lakshman, officially founded the independent game studio OnceLost Games, and they began development on The Wayward Realms. [12] They also announced that Arena and Daggerfall composer Eric Heberling would be returning to compose the game's soundtrack. In addition, Douglas Goodall, a writer and quest designer for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind , joined the team in late 2019. [13] The news garnered a fair amount of media attention, and the team was soon approached by a major video game publisher with an offer of $8 million, however Vijay Lakshman reportedly rejected this offer believing that they needed at least $12 million in order to compete with The Elder Scrolls VI and Cyberpunk 2077 . [8] Unable to find a traditional publisher to fully fund their project based on pitch alone, the team shifted their focus toward creating a playable build of the game with a team of over 40 volunteer writers, artists, and programmers, which they could then shop around to publishers. [14]

On September 1, 2020, after 18 months of development, Ian Phoenix released a public statement saying that he would be leaving the project, citing his frustrations with the lack of progress, lack of communication from the founders, and the amount he was spending out of pocket on the project, although he emphasized that he held no grudge against the team and still wished them success. He also implied that at least two other Bethesda veterans had left around the same time. [8] Ted Peterson responded with a statement saying that he did not deny the validity of Ian's claims and apologized to him for his lack of communication, but added that development issues of this kind were common in the industry and that the team was still dedicated to bringing a spiritual successor to Daggerfall to life. [15]

Despite the departure of Phoenix, the team continued to work on the project over the next four years, periodically posting concept art, Q&A Interviews, screenshots, and eventually pre-alpha gameplay footage to their social media accounts. On May 30, 2024, the team launched a Kickstarter campaign with the goal of raising $500,000 to fund one full year of development on an early access build, with the hope of then finding a publisher. The campaign reached their goal within 12 days, raising $701,900 in total over its 30-day run. [16]

Related Research Articles

Bethesda Softworks LLC is an American video game publisher based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded by Christopher Weaver in 1986 as a division of Media Technology Limited. In 1999, it became a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media. In its first 15 years, it was a video game developer and self-published its titles. In 2001, Bethesda spun off its in-house development team into Bethesda Game Studios, leaving Bethesda Softworks to focus on publishing operations.

The Elder Scrolls is a series of action role-playing video games primarily developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The series focuses on free-form gameplay in an open world. Most games in the series have been critically and commercially successful, with The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002), The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006) and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) all winning Game of the Year awards from multiple outlets. The series has sold more than 59 million copies worldwide.

<i>The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal</i> 2002 video game

The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal is an expansion for the role-playing video game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind by Bethesda Softworks, released in November 2002. The first of two expansions released for Morrowind, Tribunal is set in Mournhold, the capital of the province of Morrowind, and a self-contained city disconnected from the original game. The central quests task the player to resolve the tensions between the King of Morrowind, Hlaalu Helseth, and the Living God Almalexia. The expansion includes quality of life additions, including alterations to the game's quest journal and map.

<i>The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon</i> 2003 video game

The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon is the second expansion pack for the 2002 video game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, developed by Bethesda Game Studios and released for Windows in 2003. The expansion was later released as part of the Morrowind: Game of the Year Edition for the Xbox in 2004. The expansion adds a landmass to the game, Solstheim, a setting modelled on Norse mythology. The primary questline of Bloodmoon involves the investigation of the Bloodmoon Prophecy that foretells the return of the demigod Hircine. A secondary features a new faction, the East Empire Company, which tasks the player to establish a mining colony. Bloodmoon also provides the player with the ability to become a werewolf, a feature closely embedded in the main storyline and quests. The expansion features more detailed environments, including weather shaders such as snowfall and blizzards.

<i>An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire</i> 1997 video game

An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Bethesda Softworks, set in the world of The Elder Scrolls.

<i>The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind</i> 2002 video game

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is a 2002 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the third installment in The Elder Scrolls series, following 1996's The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, and was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox. The main story takes place on Vvardenfell, an island in the Dunmer province of Morrowind, part of the continent of Tamriel. The central quests concern the demigod Dagoth Ur, housed within the volcanic Red Mountain, who seeks to gain power and break Morrowind free from Imperial reign.

<i>The Elder Scrolls: Arena</i> 1994 video game

The Elder Scrolls: Arena is an open-world action role-playing video game developed and published by Bethesda Softworks. The first game in the Elder Scrolls series, it was released for MS-DOS on March 25, 1994. The game follows the player trying to uncover a conspiracy against Emperor Uriel Septim VII.

<i>The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall</i> 1996 video game

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall is an open-world, action role-playing game published by Bethesda Softworks. The second video game in the Elder Scrolls series, it was released on September 20, 1996 for MS-DOS, following the success of 1994's The Elder Scrolls: Arena. The story follows the player, sent by the Emperor, to free the ghost of King Lysandus from his earthly shackles and discover what happened to a letter sent from the Emperor to the former queen of Daggerfall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julian Lefay</span> Video game programmer, game designer, and musician

Julian Lefay is a programmer, video game designer, and musician, best known for his work on The Elder Scrolls: Arena, The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, and An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire.

<i>The Terminator: Rampage</i> 1993 video game

The Terminator: Rampage is a first-person shooter video game released for personal computers with the operating system DOS by Bethesda Softworks in 1993. It is the third game based on the Terminator film series that was made by Bethesda, following The Terminator and The Terminator 2029.

Development of <i>The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion</i> Development of 2006 video game

The development of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion began in 2002, immediately after its predecessor, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, was published. Rumors of a sequel to Morrowind started circulating in June 2004; the sequel's title was identified on September 10, 2004, the date of its official announcement. Oblivion was developed by Bethesda Game Studios, and the initial Xbox 360 and personal computer (PC) releases were co-published by Bethesda Softworks and Take-Two Interactive's subsidiary, 2K Games. According to interviews with Bethesda staff, the publisher-developer relationship—one of the few independent relations in the industry—worked well, and Bethesda was not subject to excessive corporate guidance. Initially scheduled for a November 22, 2005, release, in tandem with the Xbox 360's launch, Oblivion was delayed to a March 21, 2006, release for Windows PCs and the Xbox 360.

Emil Pagliarulo is an American video game designer who works at Bethesda Game Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creation Engine</span> Video game engine

Creation Engine is a 3D video game engine created by Bethesda Game Studios based on the Gamebryo engine. The Creation Engine has been used to create role-playing video games such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76. A new iteration of the engine, Creation Engine 2, was used to create Starfield. The Creation Engine has been tailor-made for large-scale open-world RPGs.

<i>The Elder Scrolls Online</i> 2014 video game

The Elder Scrolls Online, abbreviated ESO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is a part of the Elder Scrolls series. It was released for Windows and macOS in April 2014, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in June 2015, and for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in June 2021.

<i>The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dragonborn</i> Video game add-on

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dragonborn is the third and final add-on for the action role-playing open world video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It was developed by Bethesda Game Studios and released by Bethesda Softworks on the Xbox Live Marketplace on December 4, 2012. The Microsoft Windows version was released on February 5, 2013, and the PlayStation 3 version was released on February 12, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nexus Mods</span> Website for sharing computer game modifications

Nexus Mods is a website that hosts computer game mods and other user-created content related to video game modding. It is one of the largest gaming mod sites on the web, with 30 million registered members and 3146 supported games as of October 2024, with a single forum and a wiki for site- and mod-related topics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Nesmith</span> American game designer

Bruce Nesmith is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games. He was Creative Director at TSR, working on a variety of games including Dungeons & Dragons, and is a senior game designer at Bethesda Game Studios, where he has worked on AAA titles such as Fallout 3, Fallout 4 and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and was lead designer on Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

<i>Dread Delusion</i> 2022 video game

Dread Delusion is a 2024 video game developed by independent studio Lovely Hellplace and published by DreadXP. Described as an "open world" role-playing game brimming with strange places and dark perils," Dread Delusion encourages player exploration and discovery over the use of combat and grinding. Upon release, Dread Delusion received average reviews, with praise directed by critics to the game's setting, narrative and worldbuilding, and mixed views over the execution and depth of the game's combat mechanics.

<i>Tamriel Rebuilt</i> Fan-led video game modification

Tamriel Rebuilt is a third-party modification for the Bethesda Softworks 2002 role-playing video game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Founded in 2001, the Tamriel Rebuilt project is a long-term, collaborative effort by volunteer modders to expand the content of Morrowind to include wider settings consistent with the setting of the Elder Scrolls' universe of Tamriel. Since foundation, the project has published eight releases for Morrowind, described as 'expansions', that allow the player to travel to and explore the mainland of the province of Morrowind, featuring new factions and quests. In 2006, Tamriel Rebuilt briefly launched a secondary project to recreate the province of Hammerfell in the succeeding Elder Scrolls game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, although the project was cancelled in 2009. Publications have praised Tamriel Rebuilt for the scope and detail of the project, the faithfulness of its additions to the source material of the original game, and noted their content has since eclipsed the size and features of the original game. The current release, Andaram, was published on 31 October 2023.

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Ed (23 April 2024). "Two Ex Elder Scrolls developers are making a huge spiritual successor to Daggerfall". PCGamesN.
  2. ↑ Kane, Alex (27 September 2019). "'Daggerfall' Designer Ted Peterson On His New RPG Studio, OnceLost Games". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  3. ↑ Jones, Ali (25 September 2019). "Forget The Elder Scrolls 6 - series veterans are making a successor to Daggerfall". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  4. ↑ Gerblick, Jordan (1 May 2024). "Almost 3 years later, veteran Elder Scrolls leads reintroduce their "Grand RPG" as a straight-up Daggerfall spiritual successor and tease Early Access launch". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  5. ↑ "The Wayward Realms - Life of An Adventurer - A Gameplay Trailer". YouTube. 30 May 2024. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  6. ↑ "The Wayward Realms". OnceLost Games. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  7. ↑ Nelson, Will (4 March 2024). "Former Elder Scrolls devs drop update on their huge new RPG game". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Phoenix, Ian (6 October 2023). "How I ALMOST Made the Game of My Dreams". Medium. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  9. ↑ Indigo Gaming (2017-10-31), A Conversation with the Father of the Elder Scrolls | Julian Jensen (aka Julian LaFey) Interview , retrieved 2024-06-05
  10. ↑ "Ask Me Anything: I'm Julian Jensen, programmer, designer and "Father of the Elder Scrolls" • r/Daggerfall". reddit. 6 November 2017. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  11. ↑ Indigo Gaming (2018-10-02), Ted Peterson Interview | Designer and Writer on Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, & Oblivion Interview , retrieved 2024-06-06
  12. ↑ Livingston, Christopher (21 August 2021). "Former Elder Scrolls devs announce 'Grand RPG' The Wayward Realms". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  13. ↑ Goodall, Douglas (30 May 2024). "Wayward Realms Kickstarter". Substack. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  14. ↑ Palumbo, Alessio (31 May 2024). "The Wayward Realms Kickstarter Q&A – 'There Are Plenty of Ways to Advance Procedural Generation'". Wccftech. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  15. ↑ "Ted responds to Ian's article and departure from OnceLost Games". Reddit. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  16. ↑ "The Wayward Realms is live on Kickstarter.com". The Wayward Realms. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.