Chris Gardiner
Administrator
Posts: 539
4/10/2015
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Below began life as a Failbetter game, but it's been my personal project for a while now. Many late nights and early mornings have been sacrificed to its hungry tunnels! I hope you enjoy it! You can learn more at its G+ community or its website.
Traveller,
What drives you to descend,
To these deep places.
Below is a story-driven, dungeon-delving game of folkloric fantasy. Brave the horrifying dungeons under Gallowmoor on desperate quests. Play Below cards to explore the dungeon. Play Above cards to renew your spirit and marshal resources. But beware: the Sea-Kings raid your homeland in their serpent-prowed ships. The more you rely on the Above Deck, the more your people suffer, and the more your quest complicates.
Play Below here!
Its inspirations include Beowulf, Moria, the Tombs of Atuan, and a whole pile of folklore. You can learn the Giant-Tongue, sway the judgements of the Althing, battle a Sea-King deep beneath the earth, forge a Lion-Helm, outwit a Troll-Wife, and leave legacies for those who follow you (like a Streak of White Hair, Words of Caution, or Family Secrets).
Below Features:
- All-new, custom art by Yasmeen Khan, illustrating the gloomy horrors of the dungeon and your shining memories of the world above!
- Explore the Bellringer's Tomb, where a saint's rest has been despoiled by dark powers. Face a Wolf-Lord, navigate the Scarrows' pantry, and retrieve the saint's bell and its one last miracle.
- Play a stalwart Barefoot Friar or a resourceful Smith's Daughter, each with their own distinct playstyle, advancement tracks, and Above cards.
- Your deeds will unlock reputations that grant valuable abilities for your character. Have you gathered so much treasure you are called a Gold-Shepherd? Are you Moon-Wise? Fire-Hearted?
- Form bonds with your Father, Sister, and Tutor to unlock new items and stories. Watch them become drawn into your quest. Is anyone safe?
- Explore the Above Deck to learn your character's history. Discover Gallowmoor's secrets. Unlock potent new Prestige cards to improve your chances.
- Unlock the Treasure deck to acquire powerful new items and lost lore.
- Bargain with the White-Handed Lady who is sometimes called death. Perhaps she will release you. Be careful what you promise.
- Build a legacy: your characters will fall, but when they do they will leave something for those who come after: experience, and powerful Legacy Items. Nothing's forgotten.
- Establish and improve waypoints as you travel. Unlock their hidden potential.
- Fallen Heroes: if your character dies, send their remains into another player's game. If they find you, perhaps they will find treasure. Perhaps they will just learn a valuable lesson.
- The Outlaw: hunt wily outlaws in a randomised quest that can be played in any dungeon. Choose a difficulty, and the game will match a quarry with a complication to provide an unforgettable challenge.
- Purchase a second dungeon, the Sea-King's Grave, for 30 Nex. The grave includes three extensive new quests and randomised dungeon challenges to add variety to your visits. It also unlocks new treasures and new Above cards! Return a barrow-blade to the smith that made it, face down the smiling Crimson, and rouse the Restless King for one last bloodshed.
- Purchase a Bond with your Cousin for 10 Nex: meet your firebrand cousin! Acquire and improve his Whittled Charm and Bitter Knife. Follow him into the woods to discover ancient secrets on a new, lore-rich Above card.
- And much more!
edited by Chris Gardiner on 4/11/2015
edited by Chris Gardiner on 4/11/2015
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Chris Gardiner
Administrator
Posts: 539
4/12/2015
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Below is a challenging, slightly baroque game, because... well, because I like hard, baroque games, It's built to stop you from getting comfortable - so it should feel like tough going! Here's some tips, though:
- Depth is effectively a difficulty slider, which you can adjust moment to moment. Use it to your advantage and don't go deeper than you need to until you're ready. Early quests don't require to you go past Depth 3. Depth 7 is a bad, bad place for early characters!
- Stats are almost entirely determined by equipment. Only the most basic equipment subtracts as much as it grants, though. Improve your equipment in camp using Memories of Home. When you can build up some Treasure, purchase more powerful items from the Treasure Deck. The Smiths Daughter has an easier time improving her stats because she can craft her own items.
- Make camp and juggle your equipment to best suit the demands and dangers of the current region and quest.
- When you've got some Experience, return to town to spend it on skills and Reputations. Reputations don't increase your stats, but they give new abilities: better Depth control, more efficient resource gathering, healing, etc. Note that failing at tasks grants more Experience than success does, so if you've been having a rough time you'll be able to improve your character more quickly.
- Get to know the Above Deck. Use it to gather second chance items, Memories of Home and Inspiration to improve your chances at a region or quest.
Hope this helps!
edited by Chris Gardiner on 4/12/2015
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Chris Gardiner
Administrator
Posts: 539
4/15/2015
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RonDune wrote:
I've made a post on reddit at r/games about BELOW. I hope that is fine. I can delete it, if Failbetter wishes to make a more formal post ...
Hiya - thanks for the Reddit post. Would you mind editing it to make clear this is a personal project, not a Failbetter release, though, please? Much appreciated! I've posted a clarification, but the title will confuse people. Cheers!
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Chris Gardiner
Administrator
Posts: 539
4/15/2015
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No. This is what you get, you high achiever! Stop messing about in that dungeon and go home. Have you even called your mother lately? She must be worried sick. And who's helping bring your uncle's sheep in while you're frolicking with Scarrow, hm?
(Sometimes other options appear on that card, but they're the consequence of specific stories.)
edited by Chris Gardiner on 4/15/2015
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fortluna
Posts: 306
4/28/2015
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Oh gosh, I'm dying more than I did in sunless sea, and that's saying something. I really enjoyed the glimpses that we get in the above deck of gallowsmoor, and I finally realized that you could go to the surface even if your quest isn't finished today! (I'm going to stay in the first level this time and never go past depth 7 again.)
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Chris Gardiner
Administrator
Posts: 539
4/29/2015
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Depth 7+ is not a happy place.
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friendshipranger
Posts: 274
4/30/2015
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Chris Gardiner wrote:
Depth 7+ is not a happy place.
No. No it is not.
Also, shout to the Ulfric Blade for being a) AWESOME and b) having really cool lore. I really don't want to die and lose it.
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/J.L.%20Moriarty
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Chris Gardiner
Administrator
Posts: 539
4/30/2015
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friendshipranger wrote:
Also, shout to the Ulfric Blade for being a) AWESOME and b) having really cool lore. I really don't want to die and lose it.
Thank you! It's inspired by the Ulfberht blades of the early middle ages.
It may come in very handy during the last quest in the Bellringer's Tomb...
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Reshemin
Posts: 226
5/3/2015
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On a totally unrelated note, Below plays truly great together with the sound/track of Divinity:OS running minimalized in the background. You should contact them for licensing 
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Chris Gardiner
Administrator
Posts: 539
4/15/2015
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There are several ways to begin learning the giant-tongue. The most reliable lie deep in the Bellringer's Tomb. It may help (but isn't necessary) to be on the right quest...
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HinterDemGlas
Posts: 57
4/10/2015
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This was already a wicked and beautiful thing when I last checked it out, and it seems to have grown a lot since!
I'm going down.
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A mildmannered gentleman, back with a vengeance.
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Chris Gardiner
Administrator
Posts: 539
4/10/2015
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I should mention I've relaxed the actions limits as much as StoryNexus allows, so you should be able to play to your heart's content. I think it works best in lunchbreak-sized chunks, though.
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Ewan C.
Posts: 675
4/10/2015
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Fun  . What's the best way to send bug reports (for instance, the card that promises Oracular incense actually gives a Hallowed Handbell)?
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Marcus of the Mangrove College
Posts: 157
4/10/2015
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It's really swell so far! I love it!
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Torterrable
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Alex Kay
Posts: 9
4/10/2015
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I just finished the first adventure, and I really enjoyed it. The writing is superb, all the core mechanics seem really solid, and sense of atmosphere is lovely. I'm very much looking forward to exploring further!
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Chris Gardiner
Administrator
Posts: 539
4/11/2015
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Thank you! Really glad to hear you're enjoying it!
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Ewan C.
Posts: 675
4/12/2015
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Initial feedback, figured better made public in case it attracts any comment.
Writing is really great: atmosphere is solid, objectives are clear, sense of progress to harder objectives is really, really good.
Biggest flaw, in my opinion: it's hard-to-impossible to increase abilities, which means that I get increasingly frustrated on anything but the very easiest quests (and even there, often). It seems that only items can increase above base stats; but (i) they're only equitable in camp, no outfit swapping, and (ii) almost all have a net zero effect, increasing one stat but lowering another.
I'm on my third character. The first made it down to level 7 but never had a chance of survival; she did manage to take care of two Sea King quests, though. But never any decent gear, and the one helm she eventually got was not inheritable.
The second and third, both male, have struggled even with the easiest bandit quest, to the point of death and/or bankruptcy
Am I missing something obvious?
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