Pivot

Introduction

Pivot is a turn based RPG that follows mechanics similar to those of games like Final Fantasy or Pokemon. The game features Caralia Tersov as the main character, alongside her associates Preston Porland and Zen. The three of them have been arrested for committing crimes against Sargaia City’s capitalistic elite and have been sentenced to death. However, a power outage allows them to escape from their cells and attempt to break out of the Sargaia City Penitentiary.

Pivot is still very early in development, though it will feature a dialogue system similar in function to the one showcased here, as well as having a similar art style. All assets seen on this page have been created by Jakob Gottschalk.

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Dialogue Showcase

The following piece of dialogue comes from one of the early scenes in Pivot. The main purpose of the selected dialogue is simply to display the first time all three main characters speak to each other in game, in order to establish each character’s distinct voice.

Scene Setting/Background: Caralia, Preston, and Zen have just escaped their cells and taken care of the guards in the immediate area. The power in the prison has mysteriously gone out, and the three of them (as well as the other prisoners in the block) took advantage of the outage in order to break free from their cells. They have grouped up near the cell block’s exit in order to discuss what they’re going to be doing from this point. The other prisoners have already left the cell block.

Caralia: “Boy, I sure am glad that’s over!”
Preston: “Mmm hmm… still, we’ve got bigger problems than being trapped in a cage at the moment…”
Zen: “Indeed we do. It appears that there are still hostiles alive within the prison’s borders. I recommend engaging in routine clean up procedures and ‘cleaning house’.”
Caralia: “I don’t want to kill anybody. But… will it really make things easier?”
Zen: “Oh, of course. A dead hand is a calm hand.”
Preston: “Careful down that line of thinking, girl. It’s a slippery slope from others… to yourself.”
Caralia: “I have a name, you know.”
Preston: “So you do.”
Zen: “Must you ruin all of the fun I have, old man?”
Preston: “Don’t come crying to me when your murders come back to bite you in the ass…”
Zen: “Improbable, I am incapable of shedding tears.”

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Character Profiles

The following information deals with the three main characters of Pivot. The information offered is a quick summary of character traits, given with the intent of establishing a quick introduction to a character and summarizing what makes them unique.

Name: Caralia Tersov
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Appearance: A woman on the shorter end, with a bulky build. She had dark brown skin, curly black hair, and golden eyes. She wears a heavy jacket over a t-shirt, and has on ratty jeans and leather gloves. Her hands underneath her gloves are actually high tech prosthetics that she designed herself.
Personality: Caralia is excitable and energetic, with a bit of a hotheaded streak. She is quick to feel emotions of any sort, and always tries to freely express herself.
Skills: Large experience with programming and mechanical and electrical engineering.

Backstory: Caralia was a part of the Sargaia City orphanage system for as long as she could remember. Her lonely days led her to play around with some broken electronics, and it wasn’t long before Caralia discovered that she was a natural with them. Her knowledge eventually allowed her to escape the orphanage system, and led her to live on the streets, doing odd jobs as a freelancer. A lot of illegal work later led to her arrest, and also led an individual known as ‘the Director’ to her. Caralia joined the Director’s ranks, and served as a head technician in their electronics division.

Name: Preston Porland
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Appearance: A man easily describable as ‘average’, standing at a normal height. He has silver hair, a five o’clock shadow, fair skin, and brown eyes. He usually wears a white suit vest over a black button up and a tie. He also wears dress pants and shoes, and is usually smoking a cigarette. His clothing tends to be rumpled and unkempt, giving him a ragged appearance.
Personality: Preston is apathetic and pessimistic, often prone to inaction even when in danger. Despite that, there is a hidden wisdom to him, and he’s smarter than his ragged appearance does justice.
Skills: Large knowledge of business and management practices, as well as minor self defense techniques.

Backstory: Preston used to be a successful business owner, who was rich, well known, and well respected. Then, his company and reputation were trashed due to a combination of a sudden smear campaign, internal sabotage, and a heavy hit to his company’s stock prices. As Preston was discarded by those he considered associates, costing him everything he owned, he fell into a deep depression and turned to drinking to soothe his soul. However, he was found by a mysterious person known only as ‘the Director’, who recruited him into a group to stop the corruption in Sargaia City. Preston joined the Director’s ranks, serving as the head of logistics for the group.

Name: Zen
Technical Age: 6
Gender: Male
Appearance: A humanoid robot standing at an even 6 feet. His limbs are bulkier than a regular human, and his joints are riveted. His head appears like that of a knight’s frog mouth helm, with two blue glowing eyes inside. Zen is made of a dark, steely gray metal.
Personality: Zen is cold and blunt, with a concerning fondness for his work. He fully embraces his place as a ruthless assassin, and takes an almost sadistic pleasure in ‘taking care’ of his targets.
Skills: Proficiency with all forms of conventional ranged weaponry, and has stealth and assassination training.

Backstory: Zen was custom designed and commissioned by the person known only as ‘the Director’ in order to assist with their more… urgent and direct needs. Zen was used over the course of five years to eliminate key targets with a focus on the destabilization and crippling of important organizations. Over the years, Zen developed his sadistic enjoyment of his duties, and has remained wholly loyal to the Director throughout the entirety of his life.

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Setting Design

The following information deals with two notable locations within the setting of Pivot. They are shown through splash images of the location in question accompanied by a short paragraph detailing its significance.

Administration Level

Robotics Sublevel