S4D update here. Things are going terribly but I'm submitting something even if it only has 20 minutes of gameplay. At least that means that the majority of you will actually finish this time, as my assumed finish rate on TTR was less than 50%.

But anyway, this game plays off of one of my novels. It was actually intended to help me build motivation to get it through the editing phase so I could finally submit to a publisher. So here's how the game's going to work. I say this early on because you'll forget and things will be like new again and it will be great.

The Ascended are a group of people chosen at random to receive supernatural abilities. Every one of these abilities differ. These are called innates. The one thing they have in common is the ability to produce an ethereal blade, which they use to fight other Ascended. They have to kill each other to absorb the other's abilities and strengthen their own, until only one is left standing.

This concept will be the primary focus of F4D, where the goal is to either kill or befriend others like you in order to survive. But take care, because some people would sooner stab you in the back rather than help you.

Too preoccupied with her school life, Sapphira is oblivious to her surroundings until she meets Katarina, an enigmatic girl who demonstrates her abilities without holding back, and takes Sapphira under her wing (literally) as she tries to prepare her for the inevitable bloody outcome.

The events of S4D are based on a spinoff plot, where the Ascended are tasked with overcoming spirits that only they can see and interact with. Should they survive, they grow more powerful. Sapphira gets caught up in all this, and Katarina is nowhere to be found.

Sapphira's innate ability is conjuration, and she can conjure items as long as she knows how it was made. You start off with the ability to conjure bandages and a knife. Bandages heal you over time. The knife deals damage over time. Why use the knife? Because it gives you a small spurt of adrenaline, which increases your movement speed and your damage.

So gameplay-wise, the main mechanic is the fight-or-flight system. It's a natural, instinctual reaction most animals have in signs of danger, and it puts your body through immense stress as it shuts down unnecessary senses and strengthens only the ones needed to survive.

Information overload was my intention. The first thing you'll notice is your health meter and heart rate on top of it. As you see startling things or take damage, your heart rate will rise. A critical heart rate can cause a lot of damage if left unattended. The next thing you'll probably see is your adrenaline meter, which is triggered by your fight-or-flight response. This invisible fight-or-flight meter manifests itself in a variety of ways:

Low Levels

- Heart rate rises

- You switch from walking to running

- Your damage increases

Mid Levels

- Your vision and hearing blur

- Conjuration will fail but currently conjured items will remain

- Your running speed increases further

- Your damage increases further

High Levels

- Conjuration will fail and currently conjured items will shatter

- A high heart rate will cause steady damage

- You might exhaust yourself, switching from running to walking

When your levels are very high, you should focus on escaping and letting your levels drop. As long as there's nothing startling nearby, your fight-or-flight meter will fall. Since conjured items are only good at moderate levels and below, it's advised to keep yourself there and avoid startling or dangerous tasks while you can, or risk joining the spirits that surround you.

Proceed with caution, and find Katarina!