1. Core Vision & Philosophy

1.1. The Elevator Pitch

Dark Age is an unforgiving, hyper-realistic medieval survival RPG where you are not a prophesied hero but a common soul fighting for a foothold in a collapsing world. It blends the deep crafting, base-building, and brutal survival of games like Valheim and The Long Dark with the complex, player-driven systemic depth and emergent narratives of Kenshi and Project Zomboid.

1.2. The Core Pillars

• Unforgiving Realism: Every system is designed to be plausible and challenging. Starvation is a real threat, a broken leg is a crisis, and winter can be a death sentence. There are no magical shortcuts.
• Dynamic, Living World: The world of Aerthos breathes. NPCs have schedules, needs, and goals. Factions wage war, economies react to supply and demand, and ecosystems respond to player actions. The world does not revolve around the player, but it will remember them.
• Deep Systemic Emergence: We don’t write stories; we build systems that create them. A bandit attack on a merchant caravan isn’t a scripted event; it’s the result of a bandit camp’s desperation, a caravan’s predictable route, and the AI Director recognizing an opportunity.
• Meaningful Progression: Power is not measured in levels alone. True advancement is building a fortified home, mastering the art of steel-making, establishing a lucrative trade route, or earning the trust of a powerful faction. It’s about conquering the environment, not just its inhabitants.

1.3. Target Audience & Market Positioning

• Primary Demographic: Ages 25-45, fans of hardcore survival, deep CRPGs, and emergent gameplay sandboxes. They crave challenge, complexity, and the freedom to forge their own path.
• Psychographic Profile: “The Homesteader,” “The Tactician,” “The Explorer.”
• Market Position: A premium, B2P title on PC (Steam, GOG).

1.4. The Player Fantasy

The core fantasy is one of true grit and earned achievement. It is the fantasy of rising from nothing by one’s own wits and will.

• You are not “The Chosen One.” You are a nobody.
• You are not handed a destiny. You must forge one.
• You are not all-powerful. You are vulnerable, and your greatest weapon is your mind.
• Your victories are not pre-ordained. They are hard-won and deeply satisfying.

2. The World of Aerthos: A Land in Twilight

2.1. The Grand History

Aerthos was once the jewel of the Valorian Empire, an empire built on reason, stone, and steel. The Valorians were master engineers and administrators, not sorcerers. They built grand aqueducts, paved roads that connected every corner of the continent, and established a rule of law that brought an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity.

Then came the Crimson Fading, a plague that defied all reason. It didn’t just kill; it dissolved the very bonds of society. Within a generation, the Empire was a corpse. The great cities fell silent, the roads became the domain of bandits, and the intricate web of trade and governance unraveled.

It has now been 127 years since the fall. The world is a patchwork of isolated settlements, each struggling to hold back the encroaching wilderness and the darkness of human nature.

2.2. The State of the World

• Technology & Knowledge: Much has been lost. The formula for Valorian concrete is a mystery. Advanced metallurgy is a forgotten art. Literacy is rare outside of monasteries and the halls of the Merchant Guild.
• Law & Order: Imperial Law is a memory. Justice is local, swift, and often brutal. “Might makes right” is the prevailing ethos in many regions.
• The Supernatural: There is no overt magic. However, the world is filled with superstition. Strange plants with unusual properties, ancient ruins that hum with a forgotten energy, and folk tales of monstrous beasts that lurk in the deep woods.

2.3. Thematic Tone & Atmosphere

• Visuals: Muted, desaturated color palettes. A “dirty medieval” aesthetic. Light is a precious resource, making torches and lanterns essential.
• Audio: Ambient, minimalist soundscapes. The howl of wind, the distant cry of a wolf, the creak of leather. Music is sparse, used to punctuate moments of tension, discovery, or rare tranquility.
• Core Mood: A constant, low-level tension. A sense of melancholy for a world that was lost, and a fragile hope for one that might be rebuilt.

2.4. Detailed World Regions

The Heartlands (Temperate Forest)

• Description: The former breadbasket of the Empire. Now, crumbling highways cut through overgrown forests and fields have been reclaimed by nature. Dotted with small, walled farming villages and the ruins of great villas.
• Resources: Abundant wood, stone, fertile soil, common game animals (deer, boar).
• Hazards: Bandit patrols, wolf packs, rival settlements.

The Iron Peaks (Alpine/Taiga)

• Description: Jagged mountains that scrape the sky. Bitterly cold. Home to hardy, insular mining clans and the skeletons of failed Imperial mining operations.
• Resources: All tiers of ore (copper, tin, iron, coal), rare mountain herbs, goats.
• Hazards: Extreme cold, blizzards, avalanches, dangerous predators (bears, sabrecats).

The Mirefen (Swamp/Marsh)

• Description: A sprawling, humid wetland where the great rivers of the continent meet the sea. Ancient, moss-draped trees, murky waters, and the buzzing of insects are ever-present.
• Resources: Unique plants for alchemy, rare fish and amphibians, bog iron.
• Hazards: Pervasive disease, quicksand, venomous creatures (giant snakes, spiders), disorientation.

The Sunken Coast (Coastal/Maritime)

• Description: A rugged coastline of towering cliffs, windswept beaches, and salt-scarred fishing villages. The sea is both a source of life and a constant threat.
• Resources: Salt, fish, seabird eggs, salvageable wreckage.
• Hazards: Sudden storms, pirate raids, treacherous tides.

2.5. Flora & Fauna

Each biome has a unique set of plants and animals that form a simulated ecosystem.

• Flora (Example: Rivercress): Found near rivers. A key ingredient in healing salves. Over-harvesting will make it scarce in that area for a season.
• Fauna (Example: Deer): Grazes in meadows. Hunted for meat, hide, and sinew. If their predator (wolves) is eliminated from a region, the deer population will boom, potentially damaging forests and attracting more predators.

3. The Factions of Aerthos

3.1. Major Factions

The Merchant Guild

• Ideology: “Progress through Prosperity.” Amoral, pragmatic, and ruthlessly efficient capitalists.
• Hierarchy: Led by the unseen ‘Coinmasters.’ Regional chapters run by ‘Factors’.

The Remnant Legion

• Ideology: “Order Above All.” Authoritarian, disciplined, and deeply suspicious of outsiders.
• Hierarchy: Rigid military structure led by a ‘Legate’ and his ‘Centurions.’

The Circle of Hands

• Ideology: “Knowledge is the Only True Power.” Secretive order preserving lost Valorian knowledge.
• Hierarchy: Decentralized cells led by ‘Masters’ of specific crafts.

3.2. Minor Factions & Groups

• The Freeholders: Organized into local militias. Their leaders are typically village elders or respected farmers.
• The Iron Clans: Each mountain has its own clan with its own traditions and allegiances.
• The Mire-touched: A collection of isolated, highly territorial communities.
• Bandit-Kings: Each has a unique “brand” of banditry. The ‘Red Wolves’ are savage berserkers, while the ‘Gilded Crows’ are more like a medieval mafia.

4. The Player Character

4.1. Character Creation: The Blank Slate

The player begins as a nobody, a refugee with nothing but the clothes on their back. Creation focuses on appearance and a single ‘Background’ choice which provides minor starting skill bonuses (e.g., Farmer, Poacher, Scribe).

4.2. Core Attributes & Derived Stats

5. The Skill & Progression Systems

5.1. Philosophy: Learning Through Doing

Improvement comes from action. Using a sword increases the “Blades” skill. This creates organic progression tied directly to player activity.

5.2. Skill Categories & Trees (Example: Smithing)

6. The Core Gameplay Loop: Survive, Thrive, Influence

6.1. The First Hour: “Awakening”

The player awakens on the edge of the Mirefen. The first hour is a tutorial about basic survival: crafting a tool, finding water and food, and making a fire before nightfall.

6.2. The First 10 Hours: “Shelter”

The goal is a secure base. Players will gather resources to build a small hut, craft basic armor and a weapon, and likely have their first real combat encounter before finding a settlement.

6.3. The First Season (Mid-Game): “Prosperity”

The player’s base is now a small, fortified compound with crafting stations. They are engaging with factions, exploring dangerous ruins, and undertaking expeditions for rare resources.

6.4. The First Year (End-Game): “Power”

The player becomes a significant local power, a high-ranking member of a faction, and capable of influencing the world on a larger scale through trade, warfare, or technological rediscovery.

7. The Survival Simulation: A Hostile World

7.1. The Needs System

Hunger, Thirst, Sleep, and Temperature are all tracked and have significant gameplay effects ranging from stamina penalties to direct health loss.

7.2. The Health & Injury System

Health does not regenerate automatically. Serious injuries like broken limbs must be treated with splints and require extended rest to heal, imposing debuffs until they are mended.

8. The Combat System: Brutal & Deliberate

8.1. Combat Philosophy

Combat is stamina-based, weighty, and deadly. Button-mashing is a death sentence. It is a puzzle of positioning, timing, and resource management.

8.2. Damage Calculation Formula

FinalDamage = (BaseDmg * (1 + (Attr * 0.05))) * BodyPartMod * (1 - (ArmorDR * (1 - ArmorPen)))

8.3. Stealth System

Based on light, sound, and movement speed. A UI indicator shows the player’s current visibility/noise level. Successful stealth attacks from behind with daggers deal massive bonus damage.

9. The Crafting & Construction Systems

Features tiered resources, upgradeable crafting stations, and a “Breakthrough” system where players must experiment at a Research Bench to discover advanced recipes. The construction system is modular and requires structural support to prevent collapse.

10. The Economic Simulation

Each major town has its own simulated market where prices fluctuate based on local supply and demand. NPC caravans physically travel between towns and can be raided, disrupting supply lines and affecting prices.

11. The AI & NPC Simulation

An “AI Director” monitors the world state and generates dynamic events and quests. NPCs follow a “Day in the Life” system with schedules, jobs, needs, and relationships.

12. The Quest & Narrative System

Quests are system-driven and generated organically based on the state of the world (e.g., “Too many wolves near the village”). The dialogue system is keyword-based, allowing players to ask NPCs about rumors they have heard.

13. UI/UX Design

The UI is designed to be immersive and diegetic, with a minimal HUD. Features include a grid-based inventory, a hand-drawn map that fills in as the player explores, and a journal that automatically logs conversations and objectives.

14. Game Balance & Data

The game is balanced around a challenging but fair progression. By hour 10, a player should have a secure base and Tier 1 gear. The end-game loop shifts from personal survival to large-scale influence.

15. Art & Audio Direction

15.1. Visual Style

The aesthetic is “Dirty Medieval Realism” with muted, desaturated colors. Light is a key visual and gameplay element, making torches and lanterns essential tools.

15.2. Sound Design Philosophy

The focus is on immersion and information. The player should be able to identify threats by sound. Music is sparse and often diegetic (e.g., a bard in a tavern).