Seven: The Days Long Gone is a 3D isometric RPG in which players can freely explore the sandbox world of the Vetrall Empire.
Seven: The Days Long Gone Information
Set in a 'beyond post-apocalyptic' environment, the title will redefine how the isometric RPG genre is played. The climbing system implemented allows you to free-traverse obstacles of any height, both horizontally and vertically.
On the prison island of Peh, you will experience rich stories of conspiracy, discovery and betrayal, set within an unforgiving world filled with mysterious technology and dark age superstition. As a master thief possessed by an ancient daemon, you are deported to Peh on a mission that could decide the fate of all humanity.
Monsters
The world of Seven is inhabited by a rich variety of creatures. Apart from animals and people, monsters are the third important part of its ecosystem.
For any player, hunting is a useful ability and can be profitable, but for civilians it's essential knowledge if they want to turn an honest coin. In Peh, you'll learn that efficient stalking and hunting of monsters yields many benefits. By studying how they live, you can gain a tactical advantage in combat, or simply learn the best time to nip in and steal their eggs while they're out roaming.
It's crucial to understand that different monsters have different vulnerabilities, and that they all have different rhythms and routines. Understanding your prey will enable you to kill it more efficiently, or even exploit its nature to your own benefit. For example, by luring it to an enemy camp to wreak chaos for a while you can make your own job easier. Who knows, you might even get them to wipe each other out altogether. In this example, your knowledge and experience is crucial. Imagine setting up a ‘meeting' between a peaceful, leaf-eating monster and a bunch of bandits – congratulations, you've just provided the enemy with dinner.
So, taking the time to study and defeat the monsters of Peh has multiple purposes: giving yourself the upper hand in a fight, obtaining precious and sometimes rare ingredients for tricky, high-level crafting recipes, and also for reaching and clearing areas that you want to explore and investigate.
Of course, hunting is also a matter of pride. The more successful you are as a hunter, the more you can earn putting down troublesome beasts. But be careful, because there are other hunters in Peh, some of whom are highly skilled and not keen on sharing the big rewards with you...
Magic
Magic exists in the world of Seven, and while there's no room for logical explanations of some of its phenomena, it's definitely something you'll have to deal with. But although it's a common feature of everyday life, the way people access it and react to it can vary. Of course, simple farmers and labourers understand it differently than academics and scholars, but it must be said that the mage's path is not for everyone.
The most common -- and most devastating -- form of magic is that wielded by the Technomagi. Descendants of the Ancients, Technomagi are something like demi-gods in the eyes of many, able to shape reality with their magic and accomplish almost anything. But in the long centuries since then, today's Technomagi are mere shadows of their incredible ancestors, even though their magical skills are still the most powerful of all. But Technomagi must train for years before they are able to manifest their power in even the smallest way. Also, their skill is somewhat selective -- there are many schools of magic, but no one Technomage will ever master them all.
Magic in Seven can be used for different means, although it is often simply put to practical use. Most commonly, of course, it's used for combat. There are no better spell-slingers than the Pioneers, part of the military wing of the Technomagi, who are trained to channel their power through their firearms, making them some of the deadliest adversaries to come up against. In addition, the Technomagi's ranks include the Engineers, who serve as scouts and advanced recon units, as well as magical Sappers and numerous squads of mechanics and inventors of all kinds. These latter work extensively with artefacts recovered from ruins, like those found in Peh.
There are other kinds of magic, and other kinds of magic users in Seven, too. Let's look at the common magic, Wild Magic. This is magic in its purest, most primal form, unpredictable and dangerous. Its practitioners, Wild Mages, seem often to wind up at the head of rebellions and uprisings, or in other positions of power within Peh's various communities. Ordinary people mostly fear them, yet sometimes see them as potential leaders who might protect them from the greater cruelties of the world and the ruthless Emperor Drugun. Wild Mages are also descendants of the powerful Ancients, but lack the formal magical training that helps them properly harness their power. As such, to the disciplined Technomagi they are considered heretics, and their magic illegal. This makes them prime targets, constantly hunted down and killed for the glory of Vetrall. Of course, while some of the Wild Mages are dangerous, crazy or simply self-serving, there are also a large number of harmless herbalists, apothecaries and paramedics innocently plying their trades in these harsh lands, who also draw upon a little of the wild stuff. And despite working for the common good and helping where they can, they are also branded heretics.
The third most significant magic-wielding force in Seven is the Biomancers -- spiritual scientists in the employ of the Empire of Vetrall. Their duty is to care for the souls of the Empire's citizens by caring for and improving their flesh. The Biomancers believe that science and worship, biology and technology, are not mutually exclusive. Like the Technomagi, their power is based on reason and understanding -- the Biomancers are doctors, researchers and surgical pioneers, able to heal even those wounds that are invisible to the eye. But their services are not entirely free. In exchange for the healing of wounds or reconstruction of missing limbs, sacrifices of equal value must be made...
Finally, as players of the game, you will be able to cast your own spells too. Your available spell set will vary based on augmentations, which you can find and equip. These augmentations can put you on an even footing with other magic users, and cast reality-altering spells that deal damage, deceive and confuse. Getting your hands on them is one thing, but equipping them is a totally different matter, and a story for another time.
Community
The world of Seven is inhabited by a diverse society that won't always remain indifferent to your presence, so getting on peoples' good side is not a bad idea. Life is tough in Peh, and a few well-chosen friends and allies can mean the difference between pay-dirt and a dirt nap.
Winning the confidence of the people you meet brings all sorts of advantages – an extra hand in a fight, an extra brain with a difficult problem, and at the end of a hard day's artefact hunting and dodging the Emperor's anti-Heresy squads, a safe place to rest and stash some extra stuff. There's no place like home, right?
By the same token, not everybody you meet needs or wants a new friend, and there are plenty of people out there who'll be more than happy to ignore you or use you as far as they can, and maybe even put one in your back when they're done. To survive in Peh, you've got to be smart. Don't jump to conclusions. Listen. Look before you leap (especially if you're being chased across rooftops at night). Listen to peoples' problems, help those who need it and keep a close eye on those who don't. You can use what you know to your advantage, turning enemies against each other, or just for doing a little good wherever you go. The choice is yours.
Of course, sometimes it's not possible to turn the other cheek, to walk away from some ugly mutt who's just questioned your mother's heritage, or to ignore a squad of Vetrall soldiers dishing out a beating to some poor urchin in an alley. That's when you'll find out who's really paying attention. Did you just rid a small town of its local drunken bully, earning the gratitude of all around? Or perhaps you just plugged a slightly obnoxious but nonetheless useful man, and have earned the ire of his friends and neighbours. Fight the fights if you have to, but pick them wisely – a victory today may be a loss tomorrow, or another win on a different day. You never know.
Sometimes though, it's not just the people you have to watch out for, but the world itself. Rain, storms and bad weather make it hard to see, and muffle a lot of sounds too. Anyone who happened to be, say, looking for you, might have a hard time finding you under such conditions. Of course, that may not be a problem, depending on who's doing the looking.
Just remember to keep an eye on the sky when you make your plans. Getting away with anything in broad daylight is always going to be more tricky when everyone around you can hear and see as well as you can. Even with clear skies, some things are best left to the dark of night anyway… The long and the short of it is, you've got a world out there to explore, and a chance to either make it big or end up talking with the worms. Your place in the world is as much about what you do and who you do it with, as to whom you do it. Peh runs by certain rules, and once you figure them out, you'll have all the tools you need to live the life you want to. Whether you live it long enough to enjoy any success, well, that's another question.
