It's an interesting contrast to the usual mostly linear visual novel or an RPG like Skyrim, which doesn't give you much agency in the main story arc other than when you choose to interact with it. The Dragonborn can make a few large-scale decisions about Skyrim's future, but doesn't have much influence beyond those macro-level choices. Something like Darkest Dungeon, by contrast, allows players a lot of control over characters and their individual stories (assuming horrible phobias and subsequent brothel visits constitute character development), but the overarching plot is largely a backdrop.

The Ballad Singer's narrative system, which its creators call the Domino System, will allow players to make hundreds of choices with those four main characters. Feeling a bit skeptical about the feasibility of this idea, I went to The Ballad Singer's creator, Riccardo Bandera, for the details. Bandera talked me through some of the details of The Ballad Singer’s story system with help from Curtel Games’ marketing manager, Lorenzo Colnaghi. Our conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.

Build your own ballad
How, I wanted to know, will The Ballad Singer differ from a classic visual novel? Typical visual novels are pretty linear, providing choices that drive the plot down one of a handful of branches on a narrative tree. The Ballad Singer's novelty, Bandera says, is largely thanks to its four protagonists.

It's a difficult game where death is part of the story. Death will cause players to use another character in a world influenced by the previous one.

Riccardo Bandera
"The most interesting aspect that distinguishes the Domino System is undoubtedly the interaction between the different playable characters," he says. "The choices made using one of the characters will influence the ramifications of the other playable characters very strongly POE currency trade . To have defeated a monster, forged an alliance, or simply to have talked with an individual could lead to unexpected implications, not only in the current decision-making process but also in that of all the other protagonists."

Characters can die or be seriously wounded during their adventures and although death means the end of their story, the larger ballad continues. "Death will be a recurring presence in The Ballad Singer. It's a difficult game where death is part of the story. Death will cause players to use another character in a world influenced by the previous one."

Another character can pick up the adventure when the first falls. According to Bandera, a death can create a new wave of possibilities for the remaining adventurers, which he illustrates with the example of Leon the wizard confronting a dragon.

"Leon could subdue the dragon and use it in the most difficult clashes, or die in the attempt and awaken it. In this case, Leon would put other adventurers in that region in trouble. So death and other choices influence the decision-making path of the other characters. From this point of view, we have revised the concept of Game Over. The story created by the player is only one, but with different points of view POE orbs for sale ."