🎮 Greener Pastures – Game Concept

A permadeath historical escape sim set in 16th-century France.
The world is constant. You are not.

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🔥 Premise

You are a lowborn in war-torn, factionalized France during the Wars of Religion. Bound by class, faith, and feudal law, you must carefully earn trust, gather knowledge, and prepare for your escape — all without revealing your intent. If you die, your story is erased. But the world remembers.

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🎯 Core Design Pillars

Pillar	Description
No Savepoints	Death = total loss. No reloading.
No Character Progression	No XP, no perks, no legacy. Each run is fresh.
World is Constant	Geography, key NPCs, power structures never change.
Player Progression Only	The only thing that improves is you.
Social Stealth > Combat	Navigating people and systems is more important than weapons.
Navigation is Diegetic	No minimap. Use a compass, landmarks, and parchment maps.
Factions and Bias Matter	Religion, accent, appearance, and class shape every interaction.

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🧠 The Living Constant System

Feature	Persistent	Player Impact
World geography	✅	Learnable across runs
NPC personalities	✅	Consistent, must be discovered
Political structure	✅	Factions behave in stable, systemic ways
Player character	❌	Always a new life
Game knowledge	❌ (in-world) / ✅ (player mind)	Use your real memory to adapt
Tools/maps/items	❌	Must be re-earned every time

🧩 "The game doesn’t get easier — you get wiser."

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🧭 Example Mechanic: The Merchant in Orléans

• Always anti-Huguenot
• May report you if you:
  • Mention Protestant ties
  • Come from Béarn
• But may help you if:
  • You pose as Catholic
  • Aid his finances indirectly
  • Reference his son's death tactfully

He never changes. But you do.

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📒 Codex System (Out-of-Game)

You maintain a player codex across runs:

• Not an in-game feature — a real-world notebook or menu tab
• Allows you to track:
  • NPC biases
  • Safe routes
  • Forgery methods
  • Political dynamics

Example:

Orléans merchant: Anti-Huguenot. Mentioned a wine shipment in Perigueux once — may fund smugglers if drunk.
Northern pass: Iced over until late spring.
Stableboy in Limoges: Carries permit forms in saddlebag — potential courier disguise path.

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🧨 Failure States

Outcome	Consequence
Caught trespassing	Lose reputation / access
Jailed	Lose items, delay escape
Betrayed	Exiled or permanently marked
Death	Game over. Restart from scratch.

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🧰 Gameplay Loop

1. Begin life in random town/class/religion
2. Build relationships and gather tools/knowledge
3. Scout routes, learn factions, forge identity
4. Plan your moment — and vanish

Every choice echoes. Every interaction matters.
There are no retries.
Only greener pastures, if you can reach them.