Technically, I am still on vacation, but obsessed individuals like me really can't stand the notion of idleness. Pretty strange for a gamedev, I know... But what would I do, anyway, watch TV? Nay, Valhalla is too close for that, so I pick up my ax once more! 

Still, I know that grit is a resource to be spent wisely, so I decided to experiment and see where it leads me. 

And ended up making the Map Adventure playable! 

Indeed, it seems that a gameplay with a lot of freedom is within reach, not big on the story/dialogue/etc, but with a lot of interesting systems to make you feel truly roguelike on a global scale... And it will be ideal for refining the core game mechanics and content balance :) I call it the Free Adventure mode, 'cause there won't be too many limits, within the scope of the game. 

Of course, this means that I will be pushing the campaign's release further off, despite my desire to finally share the story behind it, one I've been hatching for quite a while... Still, in the Free Adventure there will also be story elements, as it is set amidst the events of the Fugue - the most chaotic and violent period of Conjunction cycle, until the very moment of Climax! It is a sort of triggering event for the doom that is to come, the beginning of the end...

About Free Adventure: 

In a nutshell, it is an open-world environment filled with lore and dynamism, but maybe not as big as people have come to expect, after titles like Skyrim and Witcher and whatnot... But at least it's not a frozen fairyland (not pointing finger there) where you can grind yourself into blissful oblivion... in Eidolons, the joy only comes from the sense of mastery - and relief of survival! 

There is no 'correct' outcome for it - there are just too many shards and factions disputing them - so it fits perfectly with the Free Adventure and its non-linear, open-world nature. The main aspect of the game is the depth of tactical combat and accompanying exploration/roleplaying/hero progression, so major branching will of course be done only for what is really essential. For example, there will be a number of personal mission options that determine your purpose on Ersidris, kind of like choosing your own Main Quest Line. Not spoiling anything, but here is a little preview of what it will be like: 

The game asks you a simple question - why have you come to Ersidris, of all places, the least civilized and more direly afflicted part of Edalar's Western Realms, the festering wound on the body of Allkingdom, the Dominion of Man? 

There will be a total of 8 possible answers, each giving you a different Main Quest.

The mid-game will be highly non-linear, the end-game will at least come in a few different forms and outcomes. 

I'm excited about this, and so should you - because of course there will be a free demo as soon as I can make it! :)