Submissions by LawlerW tagged open-world

"In this profession one has to endure heat, hunger and hard work, to sleep little and often to keep watch. And to be exhausted and to sleep uncomfortably on the ground only to be abruptly awakened. And you will be powerless to change the situation. You will often be afraid when you see your enemies coming towards you with lowered lances to run you through and with drawn swords to cut you down. Bolts and arrows come at you and you do not know how best to protect yourself. You see people killing each other, fleeing, dying and being taken prisoner and you see the bodies of your dead friends lying before you. But your horse is not dead, and by its vigorous speed you can escape in dishonour. But if you stay, you will win eternal honour. Is he not a great martyr, who puts himself to such work?" -Geoffroi de Charny, French knight of the 14th Century

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A game where you play as a knight who has been in his line of work for a long now and has lost the excitement he once had for his craft. Instead, he suffers the onslaught of post-traumatic stress disorder from the years of screaming blood rushing through his head. The land he lives in stands on the brink of yet another civil war, and with that threat looming over the hills, political figureheads of his country seek him out by name and call for him to come back into service. But he is exhausted; disillusioned with the horrors he's cornered himself into with every skirmish, and only wants out.

It works a lot like many 3D action RPGs, with the exception that your quest is to do all you can to avoid adventure. This will not be easy. Quests will be foisted upon you by many of the locals you may need to talk to, guards may recognise you and cause a scene, nobles will attempt to coerce or blackmail you into their service. With your quiet life being constantly trampled on by the clamour around you, find a way to earn enough of a living to pay for meals and boarding while keeping your stress and exhaustion levels to a minimum. Will you live as a hermit and forgo all luxuries, or attempt balance yourself in the storm of unwanted attention and political string-pulling?

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Image: "The Tired Knight" by Simon Cox http://storybookmurals.co.uk/new-shop-now-online/