The Inns of Ellen. A sandbox RPG that I love playing. Kind of niche, but it has an active solo dev and community. A true sandbox, as in create a character and do whatever you want with it. Want to start a blacksmith shop and sell weapons you crafted? Do it. Want to be a farmer? Go ahead. Want to be an adventurer and hunt for loot? Sure, it is possible. Powerful mage? Thief? Hunter? City builder? The game allows it all.
Anything you want is possible; you just have to take the time to do it. Grinding your way out of a challenge is an option; there is no build or character archetype that does not work as long as you put the effort into it. And the number of skills allows a lot of freedom.
The other aspect of the game is that there are barely any scripted events. Only a few stories you are expected to follow to unlock some stuff, but mostly, the game AI and systems allow for stories to build themselves up.
It is fun, my kind of fun. The one where you don’t know what to expect next, that lets you do what you want, and your options are limited only by your imagination.
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I am walking home from a friend’s house, reaching the subway station.
I am focused on my phone as I watch the news about the upcoming weather event that is about to reach the city.
[...is about to be hit by the dust cloud that is coming from the north. People living in the city are advised to stay indoors for the duration of the event]
"God dammit, again?" I ask. Is the second one to hit the city this week, and is a headache when they hit.
The whole place gets dirty, covered in dust. Anyone found outside gets sick.
They started to appear a year ago and have been causing problems all around the world.
"I have to deal with university and then this."
They got stronger as time passed. In the beginning, they were just a nuisance, but now they are capable os shutting down entire cities for one or two days at a time. I heard a report that one lasted three days.
It was getting annoying. I live in an apartment, so I don’t have a garden or some front to take care of, but I am going to be stuck inside for as long as the dust storm lasts.
Even if I enjoy being alone at home, it feels different when you are stuck without anything I can do to be outside. It feels more claustrophobic than relaxing.
And then there is a chance that the electricity or internet gets cut off, which makes it worse, as at that point, I am stuck with nothing to do.
The last one made me lose progress on Inn’s of Ellen. I was leveling Magic and Spell Weaving, and the light went off. Oddly enough, I noticed that the world state did save, just not my character progression. Probably it had to do with how the game saves.
"*sigh* I need to get home to prepare the windows now and that everything is charged..."
I am walking up the stairs, not paying attention to where I am going or what I am doing.
It is frustrating knowing I have to do work too for college, and I have to do research.
"I wanted to level up a bit more today... I still need to see what the princess wants from my character..."
Once I am up the stairs, I turn towards the platform and pass my transport card by the reader.
Then my eyes get glued on what I see on the other platform.
A cosplayer.
And a hot one at that.
Redhead, one of my favourite colors for hair. But probably she dyed it for cosplay.
She is wearing a kimono and a Japanese sword at her waist. On her head, she is wearing fox ears and a fox tail behind her. Lush and big with a white tip.
I always had something for demi-human girls. Be it foxgirls, kitsunes, dragons, catgirls... and so on. I don’t care. Monster girls were cute and hot.
And the one in front of me is beautiful. And the cosplay is good-looking!
I cannot stop looking at her!
Although she looks kind of lost. She keeps looking to every side, like she is not sure where to go... or where she is at all.
In my mind, I run through several ways to talk with her and how it could end.
But I know it will be like always. That cute girl one finds from time to time on the public transportation. She is traveling in a different direction from me; after all, maybe we will never find each other ever again, and she doesn’t know about my existence.
She isn’t even looking in my direction.
...?
She turns towards me. She is now looking directly at me.
She seems more confused now.
HOOOOOOOOOOOONK!
I hear to my left, loud and strong.
"Hey! Watch out!" Someone screams.
Before I react, I take another step... and I miss the floor.
My body leans forward as I step into the air.
I quickly understand what is happening. I walked without paying attention and reached the border of the platform.
I can see the cosplayer. She is looking at me in confusion. She doesn’t seem to notice the situation I am in.
Everything is going slow. To my left, I see the train moving towards me.
I have enough time to think about what is happening.
How do I get out of this one?
What can I do?
Am I dead?
Can I do-?
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK
Then I only feel pain. Intense pain. On my whole body.
Everything goes black. I can feel my consciousness fading... everything is leaving my being.
Even the pain... it is leaving me.
And everything goes dark and is gone.
Then I open my eyes and gasp for air.