XsyonMaster
The Xsyon World
The Xsyon landscape is based on the Lake Tahoe basin and its surroundings. Lake Tahoe is an alpine lake nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountain range along the California and Nevada border. This location provides a wilderness setting with few traces of modern civilization as a clean slate for the first settlers of Xsyon to construct their world.
Base terrain is generated from accurate US Geological Survey data.Land shaped and features added to create interesting locations for town development.The world is divided into territories based on real life geopolitical boundaries.Current Prelude area consists of 120 square kilometers.First expansion area consists of over 150 additional square kilometers.Full landscape will expand to over 1200 total square kilometers of playable terrain.The Xsyon playable world is surrounded by an impenetrable green mist. The green mist expands to open up new areas.
Environment
The Xsyon world is set in a realistic and dynamic environment. The environment is meant to be not only visual and immersive, but affects and is affected by the Xsyon pioneers.
IDV Inc. Speed Tree 5.1IDV Inc. Speed Grass 4.0HDR (High Dynamic Range) lighting for increase contrast and detail rendering.Detailed soft shadows.Depth of field blur effect.Bloom sun lighting effect.Rivers and lakes use reflection, refraction, wave and ripple effects.Waterfalls with particle system effects.Full seasons: Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall.Location based sun paths with dawn to dusk variable lighting.Sun rays visual effect.Realistic moon cycles and moonlight.Dynamic night sky star map with accurate constellations, changes throughout the year.Fluctuating temperature based on time and season.Weather systems based on real life weather data for the Tahoe region.Dynamic layered cloud system affects atmosphere and lighting.Rain, snow and wind patterns based on season.Weather affects crop growth.Accumulating snow.Trees grow and sprout new trees.Ground surfaces change as resource areas are generated or depleted.
User Interface
The Xsyon interface is designed to be simple, user friendly and customizable.
Interface panels can be moved to accommodate your play style.Mini map helps orient the character and displays in game time, date, season and a temperature gauge.Chat panel with adjustable transparency and configurable channel tabs.Emote panel for easy selection of emote actions.Emote actions can be typed at the game console.User interface can be turned off for taking screenshots.Flexible cameras allow you to view your character in 1st person or various 3rd person modes with zoom control.
Social Interaction
Xsyon is a social game and interaction with other players is important for survival. Xsyon provides various chat channels and methods for players to exchange good and communicate.
Local channel for local ranged chat.Global channel for world chat.Tribe channel to chat with only your tribe members.Whispers as private messages between players.Combat channel for text combat descriptions.System channel for system messages.Help channel to contact in game Guides for assistance.Ignore feature to ignore undesired messages.Friend and Foe lists to keep track of other players.Players can barter goods directly through a trade interface.Players can exchange good through the Quest system.Players can keep shared communal goods safe on tribal lands.
Character
Everyone is a hero in Xsyon. Your character begins with decent base statistics but is unskilled and untrained. In time your character will gain knowledge and develop the crafts and skills to flourish in this new world.
Eight basics stats: Strength, Fortitude, Agility, Intelligence, Spirit, Perception and Charm.Characters use a pool of starting points to set starting stats.Stats increase with actions and skill use.Least used stats decrease over time as your most active stats increase.Stats can be locked and controlled to allow the player to choose what stats increase or decrease.The character's current state is monitored with six functional gauges: Life, Energy, Swing Power, Hunger, Thirst and Encumbrance.Players gain additional experience points from performing skill based actions.Experience points are used to 'level up' the player and in turn add additional skill points to compensate for skills not actively used.
Appearance
Upon character creation, you can customize your character's appearance.
Select from various heads, hair style, hair colors and facial hair to customize your appearance.Select starting height and weight to create characters of different sizes and body types.Character's visible muscle mass based on the character's current strength.Choose from hundreds of different armor parts to create your favorite look.
Actions
Characters in Xsyon can perform a basic set of physical actions, from gathering resources to interacting with other players.
Basic movements include walking, running, sprinting, jumping, swimming and strafing side to side.The player can perform close to 50 emote expressions, friendly, fun, functional or rude.Player can perform various swim strokes.Movement speed and jump height and distance are influenced by many factors.Movement is affected by terrain surfaces and slopes.Movement is affected by character skills and statistics.Movement is affected by character's current encumbrance and state.Characters can become exhausted and temporarily unable to perform actions if they over exert themselves.Character crafted hand carts can be used to transport large amounts of goods.Encumbrance weight and capacity limits force players to choose what to carry and what to leave behind.Action results are based on a combination of skills, stats and current character states.Actions affect hidden stats including Luck.
Skills
Characters in Xsyon rely primarily on their skills to perform actions, gather resources, craft objects and fight.
Players begin with basic access to all skills.Players can select a few starting skills at higher level.Skill power increases with use.Skills can be maintained or increased by applied skill points gained through experience.Skill performance is influenced by a primary and secondary stat and many additional factors.Skill based actions include logging, scavenging, foraging, fishing, forestry, hunting and gathering resources.Skills are grouped into six categories: Combat, Physical Actions, Resources, Trade Skills, Craft and Construction.Skill level affects the quality of gathered, found and hunted resources.Skill level affects the quality and durability of crafted items.All skills are affected slightly by Luck.
Resources
The pioneer relies on the living world for resources to thrive in the world of Xsyon. Resources provide the basic materials for crafting, building construction and survival.
Basic resources include grass, rocks, sand, lumber and found remnants of the lost modern civilization.Scrap piles provide bundles of basic found resources that can be sorted for type, material and color.Resources can be gathered from hunted creatures.Many resources can be found in a variety of materials with different properties which affect the final qualities of crafted objects.Found cloth resources can be found in a variety of colors.Rare natural resources can be found in specific areas or stumbled upon based on chance.Rare materials are distributed based on physical regions.Players chop down trees for lumber.Players can gather seeds and plant trees.Trees can be planted on dirt, grass and forest terrain anywhere in the playable world.Resources are constantly changing and can be depleted and renewed over time.Resource availability is dependent on season and current weather conditions.
Terraforming
Terraforming is one of Xsyon's unique and exciting features. Players can shape the land in useful and creative ways. They can lay foundations for their towns or sculpt the landscape as terraforming artists. Many things are possible!
Players can raise, lower and level terrain.Players can clear ground surfaces to dirt.Players can build roads that improve travel speed between tribes.Players can dig trenches to channel water from rivers and lakes.Players can remove small boulders from the landscape.Terraforming can be performed on most surfaces except for hard mountain surfaces such as granite.Players can terraform only within tribe boundaries.Terraforming lays the foundations for building towns and homesteads and can be used as temporary structures to aid in assembling buildings.Roads can extend off tribal lands and connect tribes.
Crafts
Crafting is a major focus in the world of Xsyon. Players can craft armor, weapons, tools, components and a variety of useful equipment.
Players advance through eight basic crafting levels from Novice to Grand Master.Many items are crafted in steps. Components crafted from basic resources are used for more complex items.Items for each craft are grouped by type or design set.Players gain new craft schemes of similar know sets while gaining skills.Players gain schemes from new sets through luck based inspiration.Players can learn crafting schemes from found patterns.Players are limited to the number of schemes they can learn for each craft, based on their current skill and influential stats. These limits encourage players of the same skill level to maintain different sets of schemes in their arsenals.Tools sets are based around basic resource groups and apply basic differences to final crafted items.Artisan and Master tools provide additional enhancements to crafted items.Quality and durability of crafted items is dependent on player skill, stats and other factors.Crafted items acquire properties based on materials used.Crafted items wear and decay through use.Players can label crafted containers and buildings.
Trade Skills
Players can learn several trade skills to assist them in their adventures or provide goods for other players.
Players forage or trade for crop seeds to commence farming.Extensive agriculture system allows players to plant, water, weed, tend and harvest various useful crops.Crop quality and abundance is affected by skill, weather, proper care and timely harvesting.Innovative cooking system allows players to combine the ingredients and seasonings of their choice to create their own recipes.Players must properly match ingredient types and flavors to produce dishes that provide benificial buffs and bonuses.Players can save their recipes in a cookbook.Players can create frequently used special signature dishes.
Construction
Xsyon features an extensive system for constructing buildings. Players use a wide selection of building elements to design and develop unique structures, mazes, monuments, homes and towns.
Stand alone structures such as small cabins and tents form the core of the architectural system.Building elements include walls, roofs, floors, platforms and ramps.Basic construction follows an grid with both axial and corner elements.Gates are used to close off buildings and towns from intruding players and creatures.Construction can be used in combination with terraforming to develop amazing structures.Commissary structures provide protection for food and ingredients.Storage structures allow player to safely hoard bins full of items.Buildings provide shelter from the elements and are slated for future uses.
Gear
Xsyon is not a gear based game. The player can choose gear based on appearances and play style with individual gear varying in quality and properties based on the crafter and materials used.
All gear in Xsyon is crafted by players, gained from killing revenants or given as rewards for special events.Differences in gear based primarily on the crafting process.Part based, layered armor system for many styles and combinations.Armor affects player movement and combat.Gear provides stat bonuses for skill based actions and combat.Gear wears and decays through use.Female characters can don attractive female only armor sets.
Combat
Xsyon features a flexible, manually controlled combat system. Targeting is based on player angles and swing directions. Final damage is calculated based on many factors.
The world is open to free combat with the exception of tribe zones.(War Server Only)Players can fully loot others players but can't take containers in use or special pre-order weapons. (War Server Only)Players control swing direction based on mouse movement.Players control swing power based on holding their attacks.Players can defend using directional parries.Players can switch been held attacks and parries for quick shifting between attack and defense.Increased damage for rear attacks.Normal combat modes allows for left and right attacks and parries based on left and right mouse buttons used in combination with keys.Mouse mode combat allows players to both attack and defend using only mouse buttons.Combat continues to evolve based on player feedback.
Creatures
Wild creatures populate the world of Xsyon. Creatures can be hunted or become hunters and are a major source of resources.
Undead Revenants haunt abandonded tribes lands and desolate areas.Revenants gain or lose power based on victory or defeat in combat.Revenants loot dead characters and equip looted armor and weapons.Creatures based on animals that currently exist in the Tahoe Basin and its surroundings.Creatures breed to spawn children.Children grow into adults.Creatures grow in size and power as they age.Creatures gain additional power through victorious combat, potentially evolving into legendary creatures.Creatures can overrun areas or be driven away.Creatures gravitate to their home locations based on mood and weather.Creatures form herds and packs and follow their leaders.Creatures migrate to less populated areas.Creatures possess realistic loot. They can be skinned, gutted and deboned to provide useful materials for crafting.Creatures pushed to the toxic green mist at the edge of the world are marked to mutate.Expansion lands will contain toxic zones where creatures will mutate.Mutants are powerful and dangerous versions of their base parent.
Tribes
Life in Xsyon revolves around player created Tribes. Players can develop small homesteads and play solo or band together to form larger tribes. Players will find the need to interact with others to survive and thrive in this newly formed world.
Tribal towns serve as centers for construction, crafting, interaction and trade.Tribe leaders place a town totem that serves as the focal point and information center of the tribe.Players can form tribes of different sizes: Homesteads for solo players, Bands for groups of less than 10, Clans for groups of less than 20 and Tribes for 20 players or more.Tribes claim protected land where they can claim resources and construct their towns.Claimed land increases with number of members.Players use towns as community storage.Detailed Rank system used to created hierarchical political structures.Custom named Ranks have rank levels and permissions for many activities within the town limits.Tribes can set messages to be displayed at their totems.Tribes can chose tribal emblems and colors to be used in future banners and flags.Tribes can set a town currency to be used in future trade totems.Full size Tribes can be set as starting locations for new players.Stat bonuses for tribe leaders.Stat bonuses for players in their tribe zone.Stat bonuses for players wearing tribal colors.Scavengers have increased frequency to find materials in their tribe's colors.Deserted tribes allow increased public access to goods and resources left behind.Abandoned tribes are removed over time and neglected goods and buildings become treasures for scavenging players.Abandoned ruins are haunted by undead revenants.
Quests
Xsyon features a unique player driven quest system. Xsyon does not have traditional quest giving NPCs.
Quests are controlled through special Quest Totems.Quests can be accepted and completed with the quest giver offline.Players can assign quests for gathering, hunting and crafting.Quest givers set rewards for questers.Players can use the quest system as a primary means of trade.
Events
The Xsyon Guide Team runs regular events and contests to bring the player community together and provide memorable experiences. Minor spontaneous events are running during the week with planned announced events on weekends.
Basket scavenger hunts.Creature hunts.Combat tournamentsMazes and racesContests provide a venue to show off your design skills.Rare and valuable items are given as rewards to both victors and participants.Unique rewards are given during holiday events.Join these events and get to know the Xsyon community!
January Update
Hello Xsyon Citizens!
XsyonMaster 01-18-2024 05:52 PM
As many of you know, there were big problems at the data center that hosts Xsyon's game servers over the past few weeks. I've been moving things around and also upgrading the database code.
For now, there is a new Xsyon Launcher for players that play directly and off of Steam. You can find this launcher linked to in the old Launcher window or through your account page on the Xsyon website.
I am testing out locations for a future and more final move but at the moment everything is up and running and I hope it stays that way!
I am returning my focus to the game. I think it will still be a few months before I can release the DirectX graphics update. This mess at the data center was a big distraction but I continue to move forward with the code.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
XsyonMaster 12-26-2023 09:48 PM
Xsyon is on sale at a big discount of 75% off through January 4th! We also have a few events coming up thanks to our Guide Team. Come join in the fun!
Important Note:
Unfortunately I am posting this announcement late as the Xsyon servers are currently unavailable. There is a major problem at the server host data center that is being dealt with and may take another 24 to 36 hours from the time of this post to resolve. Once the servers are back up I will work quickly to set up any players that attempted to create new accounts during this down time.
I apologize for any inconvenience and thank players for your patience!
June Update!
Hello Xsyon Citizens!
Xsyon 06-27-2024 07:10 PMIt’s been quite a while since my last progress report. Things are coming along but there is still a little ways to go with the graphics update.
The basic DirectX 11 update is done with a few minor effects that need to be converted or improved. Setting up the code for the many different combinations of effects and settings has unfortunately been very time consuming. I’ve also converted most of the code for switching to DirectX 12 (and then 13). Most likely I will release the DirectX 11 patch first followed shortly by the DirectX 12 option.
I have set up conversion tools that allow me to modify the game world surfaces using World Machine which is a much better tool that Xsyon’s proprietary world builder. The process of exporting is still cumbersome so I need to finish creating a tool to speed up this process as I believe I will be able to create a much better surface distribution which will make the terrain look better especially at a...