Vigilans Nexum is a tactical, turn-based RPG inspired by Fire Emblem, with a deep narrative focus on trust, bonds, and the invisible connections between people on the battlefield.
This wiki serves as the complete Game Design Document (GDD) for the project.
- Overview – Vision, team, target audience
- Design Pillars – Core design philosophy & principles
- Game Mechanics – Combat, movement, progression systems
- Game Setting – World, story, characters, mythology
- Game Catalog – Weapons, spells, classes, abilities
- Story – All 32 chapters across 4 parts
- Characters – Playable units, NPCs, antagonists
- Levels – Level designs & objectives
- Locations – World geography & key places
- Mythology – Religion, lore, world history
- Balancing Guide – Numerical design principles
- Progression System – Level curve & class advancement
- Writing Style Guide – Narrative consistency guidelines
- Templates – Standardized templates for new content
Writing a story chapter? → Story | Chapter Template
Designing a level? → Levels | Level Template
Creating a character? → Characters | Character Template
Balancing weapons? → Weapons | Balancing Guide
Adding locations? → Locations | Location Template
| Template | Purpose | When to use? |
|---|---|---|
| CHARACTER-TEMPLATE.md | New playable characters | When adding a new unit |
| LEVEL-TEMPLATE.md | Level design documents | For each new chapter/level |
| CHAPTER-TEMPLATE.md | Story chapters (German) | When continuing the story |
| LOCATION-TEMPLATE.md | Places in Tridera | New cities, countries, dungeons |
| WEAPON-TEMPLATE.md | Weapons in catalog | Balancing new weapons |
- Copy template – Open the desired template file and copy all content
- Create new file – Create a new
.mdfile in the appropriate folder:- Characters:
wiki/characters/playable/[Name].mdorwiki/characters/story/[Name].md - Levels:
wiki/levels/Level-[XX]-[Name].md - Chapters:
wiki/chapters/Part-0X-[Part-Name]/Chapter-[XX]-[Name].md - Locations:
wiki/locations/[Type]/[Name].md(e.g.cities/,countries/)
- Characters:
- Fill in – Replace all placeholders
[...]with real values - Add cross-references – Link related content in the "Related Content" section
Consistency:
- File names: Use Kebab-Case (
Character-Name.md, notcharacter name.md) - Numbering: Chapters/Levels:
01,02, ...32(with leading zeros) - Language: Story chapters in German, GDD files in English
Required fields:
- Characters: Name, MBTI, Base Stats, Growth Rates
- Levels: Objectives, Enemy Composition, Victory/Defeat Conditions
- Chapters: Minimum 2 scenes + Level box + END OF CHAPTER
Balancing: Always consult the Balancing Guide:
- Weapons: Follow tier progressions (Iron → Steel → Silver)
- Characters: Growth Rates should total 300-420%
- Levels: Enemy Level = Player Level +2 (Normal Mode)
- Template completely filled (no
[placeholders]remaining) - Cross-references to other documents added
- Stats/values according to Balancing Guide
- Spelling/grammar checked
- File name follows naming convention
- File saved in correct folder
Structure: 4 Parts × 8 Chapters = 32 Total Chapters
Genre: Tactical RPG, Turn-based, Tile-based Combat
Core Mechanic: The Nexus – swap positions with allies using Dardan's "Exchange" ability
Inspiration: Fire Emblem franchise (FE3H, FE Engage, FE Echoes)
Combat Systems:
- Close Combat Triangle: Sword > Axe/Knife, Lance > Sword/Chain, etc.
- Weapon Triangle: Close Combat > Bow > Artillery > Close Combat
- Magic Triangle: Natura > Lux > Umbra > Natura
See CHANGELOG.md for detailed version history.
Vigilans Nexum
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