My Time at Evershine: A New, More Mature Chapter for the Series

Having spent countless hours immersed in My Time at Portia and My Time at Sandrock, I'm excited to share that Pathea Games is taking the beloved series in an intriguing new direction with the upcoming My Time at Evershine. Last week, I had the opportunity to preview the game and discuss its developments with Aaron Deng, Pathea's Vice President of Publishing and Business, and Zhi Xu, the Game Director for Evershine.

A Shift to Realism

One of the first things you’ll notice about Evershine is its departure from the cartoonish style associated with previous installments. Instead, the game features more realistic character designs and proportions. Pathea Games has chosen this "more mature direction" for Evershine in response to feedback indicating that most of its players are over the age of 25.

Deng reassures fans that the team isn’t worried about losing their existing audience with this new art style. They conducted a survey to gauge player interest before making the change and also noted that many players had been creating fan art of My Time characters with more realistic features. This feedback further inspired the shift in art direction.

Enhanced Animations and Visuals

In Evershine, players can expect enhanced animations thanks to the incorporation of motion capture and advanced animation blending techniques. Pathea Games promises that this will be the most detailed My Time game yet. The goal is to blend the new realistic visuals with the cozy charm of the series, aiming to attract a broader audience and expand the community.

Returning Characters and New Features

Fans of the series will be pleased to know that familiar characters from Portia and Sandrock will make a return in Evershine. Deng confirmed that some NPCs from the previous games will join the new title, with the possibility of involving the community in selecting which characters will appear through future events, such as a Kickstarter campaign. These beloved characters will be reimagined to fit the new art style, raising the question of how well they will be received in their updated forms.

A New Blend of Gameplay Elements

Despite the fresh look, Evershine retains the familiar blend of RPG and life/farming simulation that fans know and love. However, it introduces an additional layer with city-building elements. While it won’t turn into a full-fledged city simulator like City Skylines, players will have the opportunity to manage and develop a city, adding a new dimension to the gameplay.

In Evershine, you’ll start as the Governor of a new settlement on the edges of the Free Cities. The game is set three years after Sandrock, during a time when the Duvos Empire has claimed the Orzu Ruins, sparking new conflicts. The Alliance of the Free Cities initiates the North Development Plan, moving settlers to the Northern Eufaula region, where your journey begins.

Building and Managing Your Settlement

Players will start with a basic campfire and will need to recruit and manage customizable NPCs to develop their settlement. The game will offer both DIY and template buildings, allowing for extensive customization and expansion. As you grow your settlement, you’ll have the chance to explore and tame new territories, including a floating island, unlocking new resources and story missions.

Deng mentioned that while Sandrock contained 1.5 million words of content, Evershine will be shorter, aiming for a length similar to Portia. The team found that only 20% of players completed Sandrock, so they’re focusing on a more concise and engaging narrative for this installment. Additionally, Evershine will introduce clear antagonists from the start, aiming to give players a more immediate sense of narrative progression.

Expanding Romance and Relationships

Romance and relationships will continue to be a central feature of the My Time series, with new and expanded options in Evershine. Players can recruit NPCs from various sources, including territories and missions. These NPCs can improve the efficiency of your settlement, become followers, or even be romanced. Each NPC will have specific needs, and keeping them well-fed and rested will be crucial to their productivity.

The game will feature 8 to 10 romanceable characters, 20 to 30 unique NPCs, and additional randomized characters. Pathea Games aims to integrate romanceable characters more deeply into the storyline, allowing for more natural development of relationships.

Followers and Future Content

Evershine introduces a new feature called Followers, similar to party members, where you can have up to three NPCs accompany you. These followers can assist with exploration, combat, or be assigned tasks in Northern Eufala. Deng highlights that followers will have diverse roles, such as DPS or tanks, and you can even bring a romanceable character along.

Pathea Games has designed Evershine with an expandable structure, planning for DLC in the year following its launch. The base game will offer over 40 hours of gameplay and support mods. Multiplayer will also be available for up to four players in player-hosted worlds, where the difficulty will adjust dynamically, and the storyline can be experienced cooperatively, though only the host can progress through the main story.

For those eager to dive into this new adventure, My Time at Evershine is launching on Kickstarter today. While Pathea Games values community feedback from early access, they have yet to decide if Evershine will offer early access, as Kickstarter backers will play a significant role in shaping the game.

I was excited about a new entry in the My Time series, but the bold new art direction and city-building elements in Evershine have only heightened my anticipation. Now, I can only hope that some of my favorite characters from Portia and Sandrock will make a stylish, realistic return in Evershine.