I started writing The Lords of Benaeron knowing that I wanted to do something different than my previous gamebooks: an open world game that combines a standard gamebook design with the openness of the Fabled Lands books. I also wanted to implement a new system for building your army's power by completing quests and side jobs in the gameworld. This post examines the structure of The Lords of Benaeron and how it was put together to form a cohesive whole.
The Introduction:
The book begins directly after one of the endings of Westward Dystopia (there is a recap page for those of you who are picking up here). The sections leading up to the hub are normal gamebook style: a series of choices and battles leading to a conclusion (or one of many possible deaths). Once you complete the introductory sequence things begin to get more interesting.
The Hub:
Your base of operations is where you go between missions. The player belongs to to a group of rebels fighting against the oppressive lords and ladies that rule the city. From your secret base you can get new quests, debrief, sleep to progress in-game time, visit a medic, and buy equipment. You can begin missions immediately by heading to the sewers that run beneath the streets of the city, or head out into the open world itself.
The hub introduces the main missions of the game. Through these missions you recruit allies, secure weapons, and fight in important battles to build up your Army Strength. Army Strength is a new stat in The Lords of Benaeron that is a rough estimate of how powerful your forces are. Throughout the game you will build up this stat in preparation for your final assault on the palace of the lords.
Main missions are separated by in-game days. After completing your main missions for the day, you debrief back at the hub and then you can sleep to pass to the next day. Each day there will be new main missions to play. In between any of these steps you can explore the open-world city.
The Open World City of Benaeron:
Benaeron is designed to be a free-roaming journey filled with optional quests and encounters. The most advanced and populous city in the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Prometheus is built up in three concentric circles. At the center is the Lords' palace where the ruling council of the city live and plot their latest schemes. The ring outside of the palace is the Old City, home to the gentry and some of the wealthiest merchants and land barons.
The outer ring is where the majority of the open-world gameplay takes place. This area is home to several free-roaming areas including a grand bazaar, a tradesmen's square, the Guild of Mercenaries, the mysterious Church of Prometheus, an entertainment district, and Lords' Boulevard--a wide street that leads from the outer city gates directly to the palace. Here you can explore the mysterious Zechner Mansion and solve the mystery behind the strange white medical tents where citizens go in and never come back out! Explore a graveyard, plan a heist, take down a gang's 'protection' racket, solve the puzzle of the apothecary's dry well, explore the sewer system beneath the entertainment district and find secret passages that lead to untold oddities and creatures!
In the open city you can find several optional quests that will help you build power for your faction by finding caches of weapons and recruiting allies. Helping the city's residents can open up medical bonuses that will aid your army when you finally march on the palace.
You can move to the open city from the hub at any time, as long as you're not currently engaged in a main mission.
The Final Battle:
It all leads up to this: the final battle against the lords and ladies of Benaeron. The army that you've amassed during the game takes to the streets and marches on the palace. Will you survive and overthrow the oppressive regime?
The Lords of Benaeron is coming out this September!
The book can be played by itself, but it is recommended that you play both
Westward Dystopia and
Spire Ablaze first in order to get the most out of the story.
