Geography of the Game
Important note:
First of all I want bring apologize about frequency of our future updates. From the viewpoint of promotion of game was be a better, publish updates often as possible. But we work with a hard limitation in questions of crew and time for develope. Only two developers on board. Coder (tech advisor). And painter (multi-functional guy). And it's all.
So... better for a game - focus our resources on the work, but not an on game promotion. If you are interested - this update about geography of game world. What's the place, where we start and etc. I can named this like historical almanac. Because in our current update we're talking about geography Boise-city, and even about the geological processes that lead us in the world of Idaho state, as we know it now ("now" - alternative history where Carribean crisis of 1962th happen, and our current time stopped on mark 2000~2020-th years of our century). Player is descendant of refugees. Which leave Boise after drop bombs.
Additonal Note:
Little remark. In Project Serenity, in real 2009th when we start write design-document for the game - Boise was one of the potential point of start. We planned to make three different point of start in different regions of Idaho state. But this was a difficult task. When time is go on, we return to our favorite idea to make post-apocalyptic game, and get from our pants giant knifes. To cut all difficult task and find a part of game-mechanics which can be rise up in the new page of development of Project Serenity. After some week of paper work I find it, cut from docs, and transform into the Project Serenity: Finder (PSF).
PSF is game about searching and surviving. For me personally, is very important to make real and informed design of the world. Reliable game locations, places & etc. I'm sure I'll find the target auditory, which love attention to these details, love to explore world and love dig in the history events. In shadows of pedantism often lies realism, which many prefer a more than beautiful but very empty world of present games. In my opinion realism is not quantity of bolts on the plumbing pipe or precise replica of real house on the real street or precise replica of historical object. Nope. Realism is when you feel that all that happen now around you in the game – can be happen. When you look at this house and this item in your hands and understand – it’s can be.
In our case realism it's a need to eat, drink, rest, sleep (include impact of this actions on the condition of hero) and search food, water, supplies, place to hide, places to sleep. In the entourage of dead state of Idaho. Realism in my opinion, when you can’t kill all around, like a Rambo or Terminator. Ask yourself - what you doing in this world? Answer is - trying to survive. Terminator is not need to eat. He needs in nuclear battery. Rambo needs machinegun and lot of bullets. Both of these items is very rare thing. Even if you find nuclear battery (i doubt that you understand that this object is battery, even if you find them) - you must know how you can use it.
You are savage which was born on the ruins of former United States of America. What you can know about batteries and about machineguns? What you can know about world around you if you live so many years in isolation? If your primary needs in long-long years was attempt to survive, care about village and citizens?
Come back with me to main theme. History. One of potential point of start (Boise) transform into main location of game. In the main story of PS one of the three characters can come down from the mountains, where he with family hiding long time ago. In PSF we take this idea and made little village in mountains near Lucky Peak place. You - exactly from this village. Many years this village lived as hideout from big and danger world. Of course you don’t know many things happening in open world, behind the «wall» of mountains. What you need to know? What you will hear from those who live in the foothills?
Before start work with game location or game objects i'm jump in to the cold water of history, where under surface of information i'm search the photo and info-references to better understanding of places of future world and objects of future world.
Any archaeologist can work like crazy under his subject, forgeting about world around. Such luxury I can not afford. Although at times, if be honest, I can day and night collecting information about the future area. In last time instead of working - I tree days readin about dam near Boise and about soldiers who built a dam in time of WW2. Boise, as place for game start, the long time "clouding" in my head. I love this place. Mountains, rivers and canyons. Photos, maps, satellite photos and historical materials - all of this helped to start with a dam not far from Happy Peak (Lucky Peak). Today we talking about Boise, Lucky Peak dam and about future of this place.
Lucky Peak Dam
This is one of the places, the way which refugees use to leave Boise-City. When all started, - many people trying to escape in different sides from the densely populated settlements. Radiation and diseases that inevitably begins some time after the first bombing, crashed systems of communications, broken and sewerage - all of this, born the wave of panic. Some people tried to leave the mountains in the other settlements in the direction of Garden Walley, some people retreated from 84 highway to Mountain Home. It is not known exactly how many bombs fell in the state of Idaho, but it is known that some of them fell into the territory of Nampa, Caldwell and Meridian.
BOS
After a few months later, through what was left of Boise-City walked a few column of refuges. People who hide in the mountains which concluded that all was happen with Boise - also happen anywhere . All column which moving forward of 84th highway to Mountain Home is never come back.
In 1960 be popularly create hand made vaults under houses to protect families from «Red Alert». One of the memorable aspects of Cold War was a civilian vaults in each street of each cityes, underground shelters with a food, ammunition and supplies and social program also known as «Project Serenity». This program lead the one goal - decrease level of panic between civilians.
If believe a rumors - in the center of Boise-City was large underground system. She used by emigrants for a contraband when the city was just starting to build. Much later government enlarge and converted this tonnels into the underground railway system. So... some people heard about government vaults and way to escape from the city in case of disasters or war actions.
This is a rumors. The truth was more unpleasant. Civilian shelters and vaults can't save many people. Most of this shelters - failed to fulfill their task. Until now, nothing is known about government shelters. «Project Serenity» was working well - people overly relaxed, and when all happening, was sitting in awaiting of help from government. This program dulled people's minds and made illusion that - all be fine.
Most people which stay in the city and awaiting for help from the government is died. They failed to deal with outbreaks of various diseases later transform into pandemic. For many years, the city became a dead zone, large graveyard, which frighten humans and animals.
In the past, Boise called the City of Trees. Today Boise - city of forests. Contrary to fears of ecologists the nature pretty quickly start to lick their wounds. Dead city, large grave so dangerous to people became tidbit for nature. Manmade erosion due to human activities, deforestation and mining operations is stopping in results of their disappearance.
NAMPA Lake
Earthquakes in districts of Meridian and Nampa what happen in next few years do not brought serious damage, but it was a harbingers of another geological process. Geological relief of Idaho state began to change. Large region of state beginning to descend. Less than 4 centimeters per year. But it was enough to forty years lake Lowell combined with Snake river basins and other smaller river channels into one giant lake. It was a long process.
Forty years after the bombs fell, in case of need to get 95 highway, or rather what was left of it, Boise citizens have only one way to reach point - swim to this point on the boat at least 60 kilometers from the old Capitol. A new body of giant Nampa lake full of little islands. This is high building structures and the elements of landscape which was not lowered after the series of earthquake which was start giant geological deformations.
Remotely similar geological processes have already taken place in world history. Snake River has come out of its banks and cover surrounding plains. Earthquakes creating natural dams which led to the emergence of large lakes. The presence of a dam in the town of Lucky Peak has also contributed to the formation of the new lake. Within ten years, the rains and the water itself gradually exuding dam, which sprang a leak.
Over time, the water washed part of the dam and turned into a turbulent river, which covered former channel of Boise-river. The road to the dead city downstream. Citizens of the dam had to reconstruct damaged fragment of the dam, because by this time in its place grew a small settlement . The presence of uncontrolled turbulent river was born two problems. Partial destruction of villages (downstream) and flooding farmlands in the river delta near Riverland East.
Dry continental climate does not allow of new lake turn into a swamp, and on the sun day you can see underwater fragments of roofs of houses and fragments of streets. The resulting of born of new lake microclimate of former Boise increased average temperature around the lake. It making possible the emergence of plants and trees are not typical for this region of Idaho state. South of the new lake was swamped as earlier (in 1962th) was swamped southern end of original Lowell lake.
Citizens of Bos
I think that people of Boise-City, in case if they stay alive, can be appreciate the irony of situation. After the process which went into the history of new world as great Escape, Idaho state territory again began to settle the native of, who at the time of Carribean crisis lives in reservations. The traditional owners of mountains, steppes, lakes and rivers. Indians.
Being from birth "closer to the ground" indians quickly adapted to the new world . Much faster than the whites-faces. In our time, these peoples were on the verge of extinction. Constant pressure from the pale-faced, discrimination and self tradition to preserve the purity of blood. All this led to the isolation of lifestyle and lack of sharp demographic shocks. Tribal population on the 1960th year ranged in size from five hundred to one and a half to two thousand people. After the disaster situation has not changed. To save the thinning population Indians went to the notrh and the east in areas of mountain ranges of west of Boise-City .
Native citizen of Boise-City in the territory of Idaho is almost gone. Dark years take away millions of lives , and the Lasts ( one of the names of people who remembered the last war ) hard to find so easy. Knowledge that could be transferred by inheritance is almost lost. Save konwledge electronics, engineering and other applied disciplines did not seemed like something important on the background of the battle for survival of the species, a constant battle for clean water, food and supplies. The knowledge of ancient technologies is a powerful weapon. And many wise and cunning people who can and want to become the rulers of the new world doing all to "protect" the future peasants from the temptation to simplify their life.
In any city man who knew how to read, knew the mechanics, for example - became respectable member of society. As in the Middle Ages the cities with blacksmiths, carpenters and other artisans people survived better and had better perspectives for future development . However, in many cases, knowledge at all was better to hide. Old saying "the less you know - better sleep" has not lost its relevance in the new world.
Now in the central Idaho live the descendants of Indians who have retained ancestral knowledge and preserving the clan structure, the descendants of the farmers and surviving citizens. And also "aliens". Outsiders called wanderers or aliens who like tumbleweed moved from one state to second state driven by hunger, disease, and bandits in search of a better place.
