Update – Multiple Origins & Systems Tuning

Multiple Origins & Systems Tuning

This update is all about giving you more ways to start a life in Rathyal, and tightening up some of the systems for longer campaigns and wilder runs.

A lot of this is based directly on player feedback and the way people have been stress-testing the world (thank you for that).

🎭 New: Multiple Origin Starts

Previously, every run started the same way:

fired from SteelWorks, homeless on a bench, with two Guild guards standing over you.

That origin is still there, but now when you start a New Game, you’ll:

1. Create your character (name, age, gender, one-line backstory), then

2. Choose from multiple starting lives at the bottom of Rathyal:

3. Low-Rank Guild Union Officer

   • Junior patrol officer working slum duty.

   • Starts with basic Guild gear and mild Guild-friendly / gang-unfriendly reputation.

4. Homeless Bench Drifter (SteelWorks Fired)

   • The original intro scene.

   • Waking up in the vendor district with two Guild guards looming over you.

5. Market Stall Scrap Vendor

   • Running a small stall in the slum markets.

   • Starts with more scrap, tools, and street connections.

6. Prison Escape Start

   • Waking in a Guild Union cell with a cellmate who has an escape plan.

   • High tension, immediate stakes, lots of ways this can go wrong.

7. Breaker Courier (Pillar 16 Underway)

   • Low-level runner for the Breakers.

   • Dropped into the Underways after a job went sideways.

8. Dockline Cargo Handler (Gate Seven)

   • Night-shift worker at Dockline, close to the ships but very far from leaving.

   • Great for players who want to be near the “space side” of the setting early.

Each origin sets up different starting gear, credits, location, and faction reputation, while keeping traits/stats low overall. It’s still a climb from the bottom, just from different corners of the city.

💾 Save / Load Reminder

In case you missed the previous update:
You can save and resume runs now.

• Type save game

  • The GM will output a SAVE BLOCK between
    BEGIN LOST_OUT_HERE_SAVE and END LOST_OUT_HERE_SAVE.

  • Copy that into a text file on your computer.

• To resume later:

  1. Paste (or upload) your SAVE BLOCK to the GPT

  2. Type load game

The GM will rebuild your stats, traits, credits, inventory, relationships, faction reputation, location, and day count, then drop you back where you left off.

You can use this as:

• A safety net if a decision goes badly

• Or a way to branch runs and explore alternate lives in Rathyal

📊 Systems Tuning: Stats, Credits & Long Runs

Based on player feedback from very long and very “off-the-rails” campaigns:

• The AI GM has been reminded to keep using stats and checks, even when the story escalates into weird or high-power territory.

• It should not quietly abandon mechanics just because things get cosmic, wild, or very far from the original ground-level start.

Also:

• Credits & inventory are now emphasized more strongly in the instructions:

  • When you earn money, it should clearly add to your total.

  • When you spend or lose money, it should subtract and show the new total.

  • Buying/selling/consuming items should update both the list and quantities in the turn summary.

If you notice credits or items slip out of sync, you can still correct the GM and it should treat your correction as the new truth.

🌐 Web Page & Flavor Text Updated

The standalone HTML page (used for the itch web build) has been updated to match:

• It now mentions multiple origin starts

• It calls out the save / load system

• It highlights that the GM stays disciplined with stats and checks even in long or wild runs

If you hit “Run game” on itch, you’ll see all of that reflected there.

As always, big thanks to everyone who has played, rated, commented, or shared their runs so far. The stories you’re telling in Rathyal (from desperate drifters to machine-demi-god arcs) are exactly why this thing exists.

If you do a particularly memorable run – solo or with someone else – I’d genuinely love to hear about it.