It has been a while since I wrote something. I was quite busy adding a bunch of things to the game following the launch of the Veilbreaker campaign (which is still ongoing). Apart from weapons I added a bunch of memories and I decided it is time to revisit memory forging here and shine a bit more light on the design philosophy around them.
I talked about progression in general here ROA(M)D 5, but we didn't go too deep into memory forging, so let's start from the beginning. As you play with your claimed one you collect experience in various categories, combat, hunting, construction, etc. When these level up you get skill points, with higher levels giving more skill points. These skill points have two purposes, create lingering memories and forging them into forged memories. Basically, if you don't use the skill points and your claimed one dies or you retire him, they get converted to lingering memories. With a future claimed one you can then forge a memory using the lingering memories and the skill points you earned. I made a whole tutorial about it, because it is such a central aspect of progression. These forged memories are unlocks (of professions or abilities), passive skills for your account or active skills you can infuse into a claimed one.
But let's talk about the philosophy behind memory forging. Generally, there are much more options than you can forge. Primarily, you will be limited by the number of lingering memories but it might also be a challenge to accumulate the required number of skill points for the forging for higher, more complex memories. Further, some memories will have preconditions to be forged. For example, you will not be able to forge sword mastery without having basic sword proficiency. What this does is, it encourages specialization. Do you put your memories into combat? If so, a specific style of combat? For example do you focus on using heavy two-handed hammers and heavy armor? Maybe you are focused on shields or specialized in speed and not getting hit as often. There are a lot of possibilities and while you can put all your eggs in one basket, you might want to branch out and have different options, explore and experiment.
Alternatively, you are not interested that much in combat and you want to be a master crafter. Do you focus on blacksmithing or leatherworking? Armor or weapons? Or a bit of both? Maybe you want to self-sufficient and craft everything yourself and become a jack of all trades. Or maybe you specialize to be one of the few who can handle "incredibly rare high-level ore" and create some of the best items in the game.
The point is, there should be plenty of options and nobody should be able to do everything perfectly. This forces decisions and the loyal reader knows by now, that making decisions is a CoRE aspect, be it in combat and choose fight or flight or planning out which memories you want to forge. How many lingering memories do you need in the short run? Or maybe you need FAVOR and it would be worth selling some, assuming that they will always be in demand. After all, it can be an investment to reach new heights with your professions or the ultimate prestige to beat an unique enemy through a new combat skill.
No matter which patch you choose, lingering memories, the potential to forge memories and the option to unlock more parts of the game, it will always reward those who are actively playing in one way or another and this is what I am going for.
So come and check out a presumably unique progression model and let yourself be convinced that this CoRE element is worth your time.
BR,
thatclaimgamedev