Project roadmap
Roadmap
Eldren is currently in the early planning stage. This roadmap describes the general order in which the project may develop. Features and priorities may change as systems are tested and the overall design becomes more specific.
01
Planning and Design
02
Foundational Prototype
03
Playable Core Systems
04
Economy and Interaction
05
Content and Balance
06
Testing and Expansion
Phase One
Current focus
Planning and Design
Current work is focused on defining the game's identity and major systems.
Planned work includes
Establishing the core gameplay loop
Documenting character progression
Organizing combat, magic, gathering, and crafting skills
Planning the city and dungeon structure
Defining the economy and item-quality systems
Establishing the visual direction
Building this website as a living design document
Phase Two
Planned
Foundational Prototype
The first prototype will focus on basic technical systems rather than a large amount of content.
Possible features include
Player accounts and character profiles
Database structure
Basic navigation and interface design
Stamina, Mana, Health, and other resources
Timed actions and cooldowns
Inventory and item storage
Early skill progression
Phase Three
Planned
Playable Core Systems
Once the basic framework works, development can move toward a small playable version of Eldren.
Possible features include
City locations and districts
Skill training
Basic gathering and crafting
Trading and item listings
Simple combat
Early dungeon floors
Monsters, loot, and injuries
Phase Four
Planned
Economy and Player Interaction
The next stage will focus on the systems that allow players to affect one another and the larger world.
Possible features include
Expanded player marketplace
Item quality and material variation
Salvaging
Social features
Player-versus-player combat
Crime, risk, and location-based consequences
Additional crafting professions
Phase Five
Planned
Content and Balance
After the major systems are functional, the game will need enough content and balance to support continued play.
This may include
More dungeon floors
Additional monsters and encounters
Expanded skill trees
More materials, recipes, and equipment
Economic balancing
Combat balancing
Better artwork and interface feedback
Phase Six
Planned
Testing and Expansion
Later development will focus on testing the game with real players and improving it based on how its systems interact.
Possible goals include
Closed player testing
Bug fixing and performance improvements
Balance adjustments
Expanded maps and locations
More visual artwork
Simple combat or environmental animation
Preparation for a wider public release
No firm release dates have been established. The immediate goal is to create a coherent design and build a small working foundation before expanding the project.
Follow along
Watch the Project Take Shape
Progress notes, design discussions, and artwork are published in the development log. Recent entries include Planning the Core Experience of Eldren, Skills, Magic, and Combat in Eldren, and Beneath the City: Designing Eldren's Dungeon.