soM v0.0.4 – Dev News #2
Planned release: 08/29/2025
While the fight engine received plenty of behind-the-scenes updates this week, the visible addition is the full map of the inner walled district of Condor City. Since so many unique game interactions will take place here, I thought it was about time you could explore it. And what better season than summer to take a trip and spend your well-deserved vacation wandering through new, fascinating districts? So grab your walking shoes—let me be your tour guide through the oldest and most prestigious part of Condor City.
Our walk begins as we enter from the west, crossing the already well-known Goldtown district. Turning north, we arrive at Carlos Albán Square—though “square” is a bit of a misnomer these days. New residential buildings have grown up beside the centuries-old university, changing the shape of the space entirely. Inside the walls, you’ll find plenty of student-friendly establishments: bookstores, clubs, and shops. From the university, the so-called Embassy Walkway leads directly to the fortified inner castle.
The castle remains the safest part of the district—just as in the past, it still stands ready to defend the city from the enemy… or, depending on the politics of the day, to defend the government from the city. Rumors persist of a multi-level luxury bunker beneath it, stocked with enough provisions and weapons to hold out for decades. The Great Theatre and The Stadium offer high-quality entertainment—if you can afford the rather steep ticket prices. North of the Embassy Walkway stands the Supreme Court, its front yard doubling as an open-air exhibition of old punishment devices.
Heading south, we reach Mount Michael—not an actual mountain, but the site of the colossal Cathedral of Archangel Michael. So many stones went into its construction that one could almost build a mountain from them. Beside it stands a cross-shaped building, the former Royal Courthouse, now a nunnery. After the coup that ended the monarchy, a compromise was struck: the royals agreed to step down peacefully and avoid civil war in exchange for keeping all their wealth and properties—except for the castle. The palace beside the cathedral remains home to the ex-royals, who also own the Great Library and the National Museum buildings, both leased to the government for extravagant sums. The Cathedral, the former Royal Courthouse, and the monastery next to it are still royal possessions as well, but the Catholic Church uses all three free of charge—proof that the old bond between crown and church remains as strong as ever.
From here we step into Bolívar Square, watched over by the liberator’s statue. In the kingdom’s time, this area was a forested public park with only a royal bathhouse on the edge of the forest, much like Amazonas Park on the other side of the wall. When the republic took over, they decided to turn it into an administrative district—funded largely by SILLC (or “Silk,” as locals call it), the controversial corporation behind that walled skyscraper dominating the skyline. The city is still paying off the loans for that project, fueling a conspiracy theory that Silk orchestrated the monarchy’s downfall from behind the scenes. Once banned by royal decree from operating in the city, Silk now runs both its local headquarters and the stock market from that tower. On the skyscraper’s eastern side lies the parliament building, while to the west you’ll find various ministries, government offices, and the National Bank.
That concludes our little sightseeing trip. If you’re curious about any of the buildings—or the rumors and stories surrounding them—feel free to ask. Condor City always has another tale to tell.
