GAMEGRIN:
How many companions are there currently, how many have you planned for the full release, and how important is the choice of companions throughout the game?

GEORGE:
In our Early Access build, we have four companions. Aligern and Callistege are the two nanos (i.e., techno-wizards) who witness your fall to earth and join you while exploring the Reef of Fallen Worlds. Unfortunately, they can’t stand each other, and you ultimately have to pick one or the other. You can always swap them out, but they’ll never again travel in the party at the same time. Tybir is a charismatic – and somewhat shady - jack (i.e., jack-of-all-trades) who you’ll meet in Circus Minor. If you’re willing to help his friend escape a rather unusual (and disgusting) execution, he’ll join your party. Matkina, the “cold, calculating jack,” is a castoff like you, and you’ll be sent to find her as part of the main story path in Sagus Cliffs.

As for the remaining companions… we want them to remain a surprise, so I’m not allowed to talk about them yet.

Choosing one companion over another will flavor your experience of the world, and it will sometimes affect how a quest plays out, what information you are given by NPCs, or what options are available to resolve a situation. For example, Tybir will sometimes jump in to help you deceive someone, and he also has some friends and acquaintances around Sagus Cliffs who will react differently to your party if he is present. Also, some events and encounters will *only* happen if a particular companion is in the party. Another example – If you solved Tybir’s quest in a particular way, and he’s still in your party when you’re leaving the city, you’ll have an encounter that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Finally, companions will offer quests as you progress through the game – solving them will advance their personal storylines and change their relationship with you, for better or worse. It will also affect how their stories are resolved in the endgame.​