Somnium is more than a modlist -- in fact, it's the culmination of thousands of hours of development work, bringing the game mechanics, art, and atmosphere of Enderal up to par with the beautiful world and story SureAI has created. In Somnium, we have combined massive amounts of brand-new, made-in-house content with the very best that the modding community has to offer, all towards a seamless action-adventure-horror experience that leaves all the tired limitations of Skyrim behind.
The entire game has been re-implemented and re-imagined in Somnium -- here are a few highlights:
Firearms. Firearms are totally new, and we've spent dozens of hours tuning 3rd person shooter mechanics to make them as seamless as possible. The goal was to make it not feel like Skyrim. In particular, we've reorganized the combat skills into Pistol, Marksmanship, and Fencing, with all-new talent trees to match.
Vancian magic. Spells require preparation, which costs a certain amount of Arcane Fever. Also, there are entirely unique ways for each of the schools to deal with AF -- for instance, elementarists can unlock the ability to attune to a random element, allowing the casting of that element without preparation; however, if you mess up the element, it costs even more AF.
Horror. We won't go into a lot of detail about this (to avoid spoiling gameplay), but the game is all about Arcane Fever. The more it rises, the more unhinged the game starts to become. Be really careful with Arcane Fever. Also note that ambrosia now has unique addiction mechanics.
Age-of-Sail setting. We've hand-replaced every outfit and weapon in the game, as well as the majority of the other assets, to best achieve a more modern view of the Enderal worldspace. I feel this is the most natural way for Enderal to be presented, and it's really fun!
Story and atmosphere re-imagining. Also not going to go into a lot of detail on this, but for instance, the Black Guardian fight is replaced with a more morally grey decision you have to make, and the whole scene is streamlined without cutting out the quality of the dialogue and exposition. Also, a lot of factions and people are re-interpreted here, as you'll notice as soon as you step into Ark.
Hand-made art and music. Starting with the animated main menu and newly composed theme, you'll notice the work of SRG's artists and designers spread all around Enderal. Custom retextures and assets, tons of unique sound effects, and other artistic touches dot the landscape and bring the Somnium vision to life.
New Entropy mechanics (new in 1.1!). Summons are no longer brought forth with specific spells, but by knowing where and when to find them – and they offer Sinistropes new bonuses depending on what summons you find. Entropy now offers a range of spells for interacting with your summons: granting them extra lives, teleporting them around the battlefield, absorbing damage they take, and many more. Bound weapons use entirely different mechanics from summoning now, with a unique Kingsglaive-style system of dynamic casting and a range of special animations for each.
Tons more. For instance, bound weapons use a Kingsglaive-style system of dynamic casting. Werewolves are outfitted with a number of new syringes you can inject into yourself and others (for many different effects!). Melee weapons have been recategorized into piercing, curved, and straight swords, all with unique animations, combos, and perks to go with. Animations and combat mechanics across the board have been designed to work seamlessly together and create a sort of pseudo-Souls combat experience, including tuned flinching, dodging, grip switching, and more.
Somnium brings a lot of elements together to create an entirely new game and a one-of-a-kind experience, but all in the name of recrafting the Enderal world in the way SRG imagines it could be. We recommend it both for Enderal veterans and first-time players, and we hope you enjoy what we've brought to the game.
