[GAME] Ealdorlight - RPG with turn-based combat, realistic damage, generated history/society

Community Showcase Game Development
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Hello all,

EDIT: There’s now a combat demo:

Thought that it was about time I popped in to talk about my new RPG built in UE4.

It’s out on Kickstarter NOW.

Happy to chat about the game!

Some detail: single player RPG set in a medieval kingdom where magic is rare and mysterious. The game has turn-based combat with a realistic damage system that models bones, muscles and organs. It also procedurally generates a new kingdom history, society and people every game. Each time you play you’ll meet different characters with different backstories.

You discover at the beginning of the game that you were found lost as a small child, and the identity of your real family is unknown. Soon after, you meet the Ealdorlight, a legendary supernatural being not seen for centuries, who tells of darkness in the kingdom and invites you to take the King’s place. You must leave your adopted home and travel the land, gaining connections, title and influence in order to discover your real family, and to win the throne: through honour, intrigue, or force, or a combination!

Trailer:

Feel free to ask questions - happy to chat about the game!

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Gameplay summary

Some more detail about the gameplay…

You start by travelling between villages and towns on the edge of a randomised kingdom map.

You might craft simple items and farm crops, selling them at the market, all the time asking for information about your family from tinkers and travellers passing through.

You can take on quests from the townsfolk, and be rewarded with reputation, gold, and ancient items. Alternatively, you can steal money or items from them.

Work for someone with the right contacts, and you might also gain introductions to more powerful characters.

Impress the right people, and be granted lands and titles as you get ever closer to the King.

You can recruit characters with different skills, abilities and contacts to aid you in your struggle.

Along the way you may discover who you are and where you came from, and why you cannot remember your past.

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In the end-game, you’ll earn access to the court of the current King, and work out how to take his place.

You might win over the ruling nobles through tales of your great deeds and your strength of character.

You might cause a scandal which causes the court to lose faith in the the King - he might have one or two skeletons in the closet which you could discover and expose.

If he refuses to step down, you can hatch a plot to arrange the King’s untimely death, with you lined up to take his place.

If all else fails, you can storm the castle and take the throne through force in a bloody military coup.

You might use a combination of these methods to take the throne: but how do you stay true to your character in the process?

http://assets-revelationgames-co.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/ealdorlight/shared-online/gameplay-diagram.png

Some of the proposed core gameplay loops

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Awesome concept and right up my alley. The game looks very ambitious, but it seems like you have the experience to back up your claims. I’m backing this for sure. Best of luck!

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Thanks for the support Monokkel!

You’d be happy to know that I originally used ATBTT in Ealdorlight, but have since pulled it out as the model diverged too much. Gave me a great start though!

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That’s fun to know! Always happy for any small contribution my toolkit might make :slight_smile:

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The game looks brilliant , I’m sold on it for sure! I did some digging and it looks like you’ve got music sorted, though I didn’t see any mention of a sound designer on board for the project. I figured i’d drop mine on the pile should you happen to be at the stage of looking at portfolios.

Regardless, I look forward to seeing further game updates. Cheers!

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Update: there’s now a combat demo!

Read the full update

http://assets-revelationgames-co.s3.amazonaws.com/ealdorlight/shared-online/guinevere.png

The combat is based on Roguelike movement, where you go and then everyone else goes. This removes your reactions completely from the equation, and allows characters to move different speeds whilst still giving you time to think. It works by giving each character ‘turns’ in quick succession, which each replenish 10 energy. Once energy reaches 100, the character gets a chance to act. Moving one square or attacking will cost between 80 and 120 energy, depending on how heavy your weapon is. Several characters may move before you get a chance to move again. This also means that some characters with lighter weapons will get a free turn every few turns, which can make all the difference.

When choosing an attack, you can move the mouse over your opponent to see when the last attack was. Try and choose an attack that gives you an advantage. Choose a Counter if they made a Attack, choose a Feint for a Counter, or choose a straight Attack for a Feint. If they don’t get to react before you make your attack, or if they choose the wrong attack at the same time as you, then you will gain an advantage, which will give you +1 to your next move. These advantages stack, so you can end up having a +3, +5 or even a +10 attack if you continue to play the correct moves. Beware though, one wrong move and you’ve lost your whole advantage. If your opponent doesn’t play any attack against you then the attack is counted as ‘unopposed’ which gives you a hefty bonus.

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Other modifiers include the strength of your weapon, your own strength, and whether you have to turn to make the attack. Counters and Feints are also less powerful, but they’re still better to play them correctly than just attack all the time.

Once your modifiers has been added together, the game rolls two six-sided dice for you and adds the total modifier. You need to roll 15 for the most powerful critical hits (which will usually end the fight), 13 for a major hit, and 9 for a minor hit (Nick or a Graze). Everything else will miss. Obviously without any modifier you can’t do more than make minor hits, but as you gain advantage you’ll be able to drop your opponent quickly. Depending on where you end up attacking (High, Medium or Low) these attacks will do different types of damage. Some attacks will cause characters to lose a limb or eye, or suffer a fatal wound, which might take a few turns to take effect. If a character loses vision or hearing they might also turn and run from the fight.

http://assets-revelationgames-co.s3.amazonaws.com/ealdorlight/shared-online/miss-attack.png

I suggest you choose a smaller weapon the first time you play. Larger weapons are much more powerful but slow you down and you might get outmanoeuvred. It’s important not to get surrounded and suffer unopposed attacks - it’s easy to bring someone down who isn’t defending themselves properly. If you’re quick on your feet, you’ll be able to Counter an Attack that’s already been played against you. Keep an eye on what others are doing around you - a quick strike behind might take down an enemy quickly. Use your allies as human shields, and use the obstacles in the world to your advantage to stop yourself getting surrounded!

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The combat demo now has a night mode! More details and a download link on this Kickstarter update:

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