Moving forward with Across a Thousand Dead Worlds

Hello, everyone! Today I wanted to let you know what my future plans for Across a Thousand Dead Worlds are. Despite the continued obstacles, ATDW is a relative success. I will not manage to break even as I had hoped since the US copies are all but gone (as some of you know) and I didn't see a dime from those. that was my last chance to actually earn anything from this project, at least for this initially release. I'm hoping I'll manage to make a second print run for US customers some time in the future (since I still have a few books available here in Spain), and that would finally push me to the point were I would break even, but there's no ETA for that, so for the time being, I'm just moving forward.

What does this mean? Well, for starters, it means I'm now working exclusively on what I've been referring for years now as Chapter 2: Across a Thousand Hollow Vaults.

This expansion is going to be a big departure from what already exists in the first book. Yes, it's the same rules, the same setting, you can even play with the same character(s). But things take a turn towards a less grounded sort of science fiction, one filled with clones, synthoids, godlike AIs, and a giant artificial planet: the Corescape. A few of the systems that truly define ATDW are gone: there is no stress mechanic, there is no interpersonal drama, there's no emotion tracking. Hell, there isn't even a Time Track anymore. I'm streamlining a lot of the existing systems as well, namely combat. No, I'm not making the game simpler (anathema!), I'm just making sure everything works as smooth as possible. The few years I've had of feedback have really allowed me to narrow down what the game needs, and what I can do to make it feel better. Fortunately, these are all extremely simple changes, so if you know how to play ATDW, you already know how to play ATHV.

The changes I've made to the core system, as well as the complete new procedures I'm adding to the game (something that was planned from the very beginning, 3 years ago) have made me decide to make this Chapter 2 a standalone one. Considering the only thing that must be repeated from ATDW is the rules chapter, and not even the entirety of it, I thought it was worth it. The character creation, playing the game, gear, and enemies chapters are all new. I initially planned on just releasing the expansion with these new sections, but I think it's a missed opportunity. By simply adding one extra chapter (a couple dozen pages), I can make this standalone and allow people who don't want to play the first chapter jump straight into this.

All this has been decided based on the game's story and procedures. It's a direct consequence of were the story takes you. You are no longer bound to Karum Station, and as such, everything revolving Karum Station is irrelevant. A whole new set of systems are needed for you to explore and interact with. The tone of the game has therefore shifted from horror/survival to adventure/exploration, with a touch of base building.

The beauty of this, and how I envisioned it from the very beginning, is that it compartmentalizes each chapter. Players who prefer to stick to the ATDW experience can do just that, while those who want to move towards the second chapter, can do so. A player can start their journey in Chapter 1 and move on to Chapter 2 (and Chapter 3, once that one's ready). Or they can just jump straight into Chapter 2. Or Stick to Chapter 1, as I mentioned before. As a matter of fact, my idea is to treat each chapter as its own thing, and I am working on releasing an intro scenario for ATDW that will see your character(s) arrive in Karum for the first time, interact with what's there, and go on their first mission. If this is well received, I'll continue releasing more material for Chapter 1, while working on parallel on Chapter 2 (and Chapter 3).

My goal is to have the Kickstarter for Across a Thousand Hollow Vaults ready by December/January. I'm currently still working on the new character creation rules (which are quite more extensive than they were, lots of new options). I repeat: the rules all remain the same, you will just need to learn the new procedures, like how to obtain the new Role Cores for your characters, or explore the Corescape while trying to expand Mother's influence (you'll soon understand what all this means).

That's it for now, I hope you guys are as excited as I am about this new chapter, it's going to be a lot of fun, I promise!