— asked often —

Questions

Asked often. Answered quietly.

When will Vellum release?

There is no release date. The work is the answer. The devlog is the only promise.

What is the business model?

Monthly subscription. Five euros a month for Pledged, fifteen for Binding. The subscription includes access to the game from pre-alpha through launch and beyond. No microtransactions, no cash shop, no battle pass, no ads. Both tiers offer the same experience inside the game.

Do I need to install anything to play?

No. Vellum runs in a modern browser. Open the site, sign in, and you are in the world. No launcher, no client download, no gigabytes on your hard drive. This works on any machine you can open a browser on — your own PC, a borrowed laptop, a public terminal, a demo unit in an electronics store.

Can I play from any computer?

Yes. Your character lives on Vellum's servers. Sign in from any browser on any machine and you pick up exactly where you left off. Subscribe from your phone at lunch; play from a desktop that evening. Nothing follows you except what you have written.

What is a Pledge Token?

Every month of access is represented by a consumable object in your in-game inventory called a Pledge Token. When you subscribe with euros, Vellum puts one in your account and redeems it for you. But tokens can also be bought from other scribes on the in-game marketplace, in exchange for gold you earned by playing. A player with enough gold can pay their subscription without spending any more euros.

Can I trade in-game gold for real money?

No. The loop is closed. Gold can buy a Pledge Token; a Pledge Token pays for a month of access. There is no path the other way. Nobody cashes out of the system into euros — ever. This keeps Vellum out of financial-services regulation and keeps the economy honest.

Is this pay-to-win?

No. Pledged and Binding subscribers play the exact same game. Binding extras are all out-of-game — a printed annual devlog volume, priority on email replies. Nothing that touches combat, crafting, or the world.

What's the difference between Pledged and Binding?

Both get game access, the long-form devlog, the Discord room, and a monthly open hour with the engineer. Binding adds a yearly printed copy of the devlog as a bound notebook and priority on direct email replies. That is the full difference.

Can I cancel any time?

Yes. No penalty. Your character, inventory, and progress wait for you if you come back later. If you were subscribed before launch, the first scribes credit in the game titles stays with you forever, even after cancellation.

What platforms?

Any modern browser — Windows, macOS, Linux, and large-screen tablets. The target is desktop-class input (keyboard and mouse), but controller and touch support is on the roadmap for later.

Will there be a free trial?

No free trial is planned. The devlog is the free sample. Read a year of it and decide.

Who is building Vellum?

One software engineer, on evenings and weekends, over two years and counting. There is no team.

Is the AI combat really AI, or is it marketing?

It is real. A language model trains NPCs to adapt to your attacks. The implementation is described in the devlog.

Will Vellum have NFTs, crypto, or Web3 anything?

No. Pledge Tokens live only in Vellum's database — they are not blockchain items, not transferable outside the game, and not extractable as digital assets. They are simply consumable subscription items.

Can I invest?

Not at this time. If that changes, the devlog will say so.

Can I write about Vellum?

Please do. Use any text from the devlog or this site. Credit is appreciated but not required. If you write something, the engineer would like to read it.

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