Ballad of Thuriana (Tactical RPG)
May 9, 2019 14:49:38 GMT
Senator Phillips, OrochiGeese, and 6 more like this
Post by dhalsimrocks on May 9, 2019 14:49:38 GMT
The lights go down as the current match is interrupted and everyone wonders what's going on. The combatants look toward the entrance, expecting a run-in from the opposing faction.
The audience hears the sound of wind blowing. Then the boom of a single bass guitar note fills the arena and it echoes. Then another one. Then a driving, bass rhythm kicks in as each note echoes in time with another. The opening of "One of These Days" by Pink Floyd.
On the Titantron appears the face of a single man. Long hair, wearing aviator sunglasses. He's familiar, like someone we all ought to know. A spotlight shines on the entrance, as none other than DHALSIMROCKS enters the arena!!
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Hey folks, it's been a while! While I haven't exactly been much of an active member of the community in recent years and I don't even play all that many games these days, I still haven't forgotten about everyone.
I've got some really cool stuff going on that I'm very excited about and thought some of you might be interested to hear about it. I'm still teaching at a college, but I've also become a game developer on the side. It started off as just experimenting and playing around with Shining Force sprites and PyGame/Python. But in the last two years things got real. I've switched to using Love2D and Lua, I've got actual pixel art assets and even a composer who is creating an amazing OST. I'm actually planning on a Steam release late next year, and I'm even investigating the possibility of a Switch release.
The game is called "Ballad of Thuriana", and it's a 2D, turn-based Tactical RPG like Shining Force or Fire Emblem (though definitely more like SF). It will have the Exploration element that's lacking in most FE games. I'm trying to add a bit to the Shining Force formula by having some special skills or attacks and a bit more interesting magic. Also looking to add some battle map interaction, like freezing water with magic, or flipping switches to close bridges and such.
The storyline is based on ancient and medieval history, and a good bit of medieval literature, especially the King Arthur legend but the Arthurian elements are often disguised. So there isn't going to be a guy named Lancelot who has an affair with Guinevere, or knights that sit at a round table, and a boy king pulling a sword from a stone, etc. Some of those elements may be alluded to, reversed or reworked. But it's largely lesser-known elements.
I'm very near completing the Exploration part of the game, and I'll spend the summer building the Battle/Combat system. I already have the majority of it designed, it will just be a matter of implementing and testing it. By October I hope to have a playable demo to take to a few conferences, then I'll spend a year tweaking and debugging the engine, and adding all the content (which I'm also designing/writing).
If you're interested in following the progress, the best place to go now is either the Instagram or Facebook. I'm launching a website but not for a few weeks.
And here's a showcase of music from the OST posted by the composer on her youtube channel: