[Cary, NC] — February 4, 2011 — Arcen Games, developer of the cult classic and ever-evolving space strategy game AI War: Fleet Command (whose latest installment we will be reviewing shortly), has announced its third full title A Valley Without Wind, a procedurally-generated action-adventure game coming this year to PC and Mac.

AVWW is a complete departure from what Arcen has previously developed in terms of genre. Set in a post-ice-age world in the distant future, the game focuses on survival and exploration. As a random survivor of this harsh world, you decide what impact to make on it. In fact, nearly anything you do will shape your world in some way. Span regions, even continents if you desire. Form settlements and build shelters for safer travel. Map your world, and face its many dangers. Being procedurally-generated, the world is unique for each individual player and it literally goes on forever. No two worlds are the same, and your world permanently forms only as you discover it. Explore, scavenge, craft, cast (yup, there’s magic), and fend off foes in a variety of ways. Better your world by aiding other survivors and gaining their help. Or don’t, kill everyone in sight and deal with the consequences. It’s all up to you.

While death for your characters is permanent, weapons, loot, levels and anything else you’ve earned while playing will always exist. If one character dies, the player simply assumes a new survivor and the world continues on from there. Not as if nothing happened, though. Those who came in contact with the now-deceased will eventually catch word of their passing, and may share feelings on the departed, for better or worse. Current characters can even pay their respects by visiting the player’s own personal graveyard which will contain each and every deceased character played.

A public alpha of the game is planned for March. Those who pre-purchase A Valley Without Wind at that time not only get a discount off the beta version and full release prices, but will also gain immediate access to the alpha when it becomes available. Tools for creating custom content will come packed alongside as well, so pre-order customers will play an integral part in the development process from alpha to launch and can, if they like, create and submit content that may be added to the official game release. Development plans at present are to continue on well after post-release, so that there will always be new places to explore and new adventures to be had.