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First look at Ergi: Hræsvelgr and Dev thoughts
🕑 Added 2023-01-08 14:31:42 +0000 UTCHræsvelgr
In Ch1-3, you hear a lot about Fólkvangr where warriors who die in glory receive their reward. It is the afterlife that Jorgen, Jostein, and Anders aspire to.
Helheim (another afterlife), is where those who die from old age and sickness go to. Most of the Alders (the retirees in Alpine) are believed to end up in Helheim. And Hræsvelgr is the corpse-swallower and bringer of winds. She is a passive observer in Helheim, watching those who choose to fade away in oblivion than end with a blaze of glory. A metaphor for Ch4's theme.
Alfheimr will be very different when you return. Divided or outright civil war, each faction will feel like it is a world on their own.
What do you think the theme of Ergi is about? And find out what the fuss Sector 68 is about in Ch4!
Development Thoughts
When we started developing Ergi, we wanted to make an immersive RPG for LGBT gamers. There are many immersive RPGs for straight players, with some token representation or alternative LI options by AAA developers. There are also lots of quality explicit visual novels for gay casual gamers. And it is not structured like VN, where the goal is to unlock all CGs.
As an indie developer, taking on such a scope is very daunting as we aren't sure if there are enough gaymers who want it. And we have to experiment along the way as there is no precedent for us to follow. But we decided that there is no point replicating what so many others have already done well.
My team (mostly straight ladies) wanted to create a pro-LGBT game with a sex-positive message and artistic freedom they can't find in conventional games. It is a fine line to straddle between that with porn, and their creative motivations are also quite different from players' demands. However, it is also what (we think) makes Ergi different.
We designed Ergi to build deep connections with one character at a time. The nine paths are meant to offer a unique perspective on life and love. So each scene (nude or otherwise) should serve a purpose in the story. We believe (and hope) that Ergi is best enjoyed when you role-play authentically and experience the story fully :)
Comments
Frans Den Iseger
I got interested into Ergi after seeing sexy pictures of the Love interests in this game. But as a massive RPG'er I was suprised by the depth of the game and the quality compared to the games were the goal is to get into their pants as quick as possible. Here I'm actually deeply interested in the stories (also :)) and glad to know there are still 6 more chapters to come.
Argentus
I am enjoying Ergi thus far. It is truly a fun, emotionally resonant and lore immersive experience. And I'm not going to lie, I'm a little surprised to hear that the creative team is composed of mostly straight women. With no offense to these particular creators, who are doing a great job thus far, that doesn't often work out well for telling a story about queer men, but usually becomes a metaphor for straight women's struggles and stories. I hope Ergi doesn't fall into that trap, but I have a great deal of hope based on what we've seen thus far that it won't.
