Voidspire Tactics

[V_K]

Spoiler

I don't think I made the game account for skipping the Sealed House. You have to be very deliberate about skipping it (by never entering it), so almost no first-time players should be able to.

Spoiler

I nearly did just that. I must have had a senior moment and couldn't figure out how to enter it at first. So I used a ton of seeds to go over the roof and proceeded west, and only when I was backtracking I realised how dumb it was.

 

[Zetor]

This game sounds pretty cool -- just catapulted to the top of my steam wishlist. It's kinda sad that it seems to fly under the radar of most people (on the 'dex or elsewhere), though. Is it due to 'lol, indie pixelated RPG Maker game' prejudice based on screenshots, or what?

 

[cruelio]

I don't know if I specced my guys poorly but there came a point where they just stopped doing significant damage. I think I was trying too hard to unlock classes when I would have been much better off just focusing on one or two. Also a lot of the classes that require exp sunk into a combination of classes simply did not seem any good, especially compared to the xp required to unlock them.

 

[Kalasanty11]

I also didn't focus on maxing out single class until late in game. I pretty early unlocked all of them except two. I feel that my team wasn't that good in damage dealing too, which made battles slighlty longer than they could've been. That was somehow balanced by the fact that I had a very good healer (sage/balancer) - from the very beginning I focused on getting good healing, regeneration and shield spells and abilities. That way my team survived longer. Also, with my damage dealing mage, I focused only on a single kind of magic. Besides, make sure you will always have many molotov coctails, they make many fights easier and more... satisfying.

 

[V_K]

I don't know if I specced my guys poorly but there came a point where they just stopped doing significant damage. I think I was trying too hard to unlock classes when I would have been much better off just focusing on one or two.

Training abilities doesn't increase damage per se, training stats does - and stat increases are carried between classes. So if you have any unspent * in your previous classes, you may want to switch back to them, grind a bit on respawning enemies (worms and birds seem to do that) and increase a couple of stats. It doesn't have to be a long grind, 1- or 2-point increases are usually quite a big deal here. Also, do you have best availible quality weapons for your warriors?

 

[Eldiran]

Spoiler

I nearly did just that. I must have had a senior moment and couldn't figure out how to enter it at first. So I used a ton of seeds to go over the roof and proceeded west, and only when I was backtracking I realised how dumb it was.

Spoiler

Haha, woops. Everyone has their one or two puzzles that don't click. ...maybe I should have made it even harder to skip...

cruelio : the others have it right; the main power increases come from spending Stars on skills (Sword Skill, Spear Skill, etc) and from equipping better stuff. As long as you reach at least rank 2 in your favored weapon type/element, and find better than Steel equipment, you should be pretty much set for the whole game.

 

[cruelio]

That was probably the problem, I wasn't staying long enough in any class to get enough stars for skills because I was always switching around to unlock more classes.

 

[Jinn]

This game looks really cool. I'll definitely be checking it out after I'm done playing Dragon's Dogma. It looks like quite the hidden gem.

What kind of setting do you plan on using for your next game?

 

[Eldiran]

Thanks!

I'm actually setting it in the same game universe, but in the realm of Limroft instead of Eral (...it's complicated). But you can expect to see most of the same races and classes, plus a bunch of new ones.

 

[V_K]

Will it have a huge overworld with cities and towns this time?
*crosses fingers*

 

[Eldiran]

Haha, I so wish! The game with a big overworld full of towns is my magnum opus-dream-TRPG that I keep putting off because I don't have the money to make it. : P

Unfortunately I have to get this next game out decently quickly, (I'm shooting for 6-10 months) so I'm gonna have to pack it in a bit. I'm hoping to make a longer game than Voidspire Tactics, but can't promise anything.

 

[Kalasanty11]

Unfortunately I have to get this next game out decently quickly, (I'm shooting for 6-10 months) so I'm gonna have to pack it in a bit. I'm hoping to make a longer game than Voidspire Tactics, but can't promise anything.

So, you are just going to use the same engine and most of the graphic assets, right? I really hope so, because I like what I've seen in Voidspire and it would let you focus on developing more content. Also, it would be nice if you added more encounters with spellcasters and make enemies use more abilities. For example, one of the passives gives you immunity for interruption, but I don't think I had encountered even a single enemy that would try to inerrupt my spellcasting.

 

[Eldiran]

So, you are just going to use the same engine and most of the graphic assets, right? I really hope so, because I like what I've seen in Voidspire and it would let you focus on developing more content.

Yep, definitely. Same engine with a few tweaks. And thanks to Voidspire's palette system, I can keep the visuals somewhat fresh by just modifying the palette. (Not that there won't be new graphic assets. I have a lot of new tilesets, creatures, and classes to make.)

Also, it would be nice if you added more encounters with spellcasters and make enemies use more abilities. For example, one of the passives gives you immunity for interruption, but I don't think I had encountered even a single enemy that would try to inerrupt my spellcasting.

Yeah, there are a number of abilities I didn't have time to teach the AI to use. I think Dispel was one of those, which is the main source of casting interruption. (The AI did understand Distraction, but that ended up being rarely encountered.) There were also very few enemies using the most advanced classes - I think there's not even one enemy Shiftcloak in the game...? Next game I should be able to justify having advanced and caster classes pop up more often as encounters.

 

[V_K]

I have to get this next game out decently quickly, (I'm shooting for 6-10 months)

Wait, I just processed this - are you saying we'll have another Voidspire game this year?!

 

[Eldiran]

I sure hope so! My budget is depending on it : P

 

[Fug]

I'm interested. I'll definitely be picking this up at some point.

 

[Namutree]

This game seems neat. I'll pick it up in March. It would also be neat if this game kept getting sequels set in the same universe.

 

[CryptRat]

Eldiran Does your next game have a name, a codename or something? I want to vote for it in the list of incline - 2016 edition.

 

[Eldiran]

Fug, Namutree: hope you guys enjoy it! I do have a few games in mind set in the same universe that I'll be attempting to make.

CryptRat: Not yet! The .exe name for it right now is 'MoreTactics'. : P I'm still at the phase where I might change the entire plot on a whim, if I think of something I really like.

However, I will spill the beans on this - I'd like to try incorporating some roguelike (pardon the term) elements. You'll put together squads, make runs through the 'dungeon' (or more creative dungeon analogue), risk FFT-style permadeath, etc. Perhaps like a fantasy XCOM, but not mission-based.

Of course all mechanics are subject to change if I don't find them fun enough.

 

[Jack Dandy]

That sounds kind of amazing

 

[V_K]

I'd like to try incorporating some roguelike (pardon the term) elements. You'll put together squads, make runs through the 'dungeon' (or more creative dungeon analogue), risk FFT-style permadeath, etc. Perhaps like a fantasy XCOM, but not mission-based.

So no open world this time around?

 

[Fug]

Fug, Namutree: hope you guys enjoy it! I do have a few games in mind set in the same universe that I'll be attempting to make.

CryptRat: Not yet! The .exe name for it right now is 'MoreTactics'. : P I'm still at the phase where I might change the entire plot on a whim, if I think of something I really like.

However, I will spill the beans on this - I'd like to try incorporating some roguelike (pardon the term) elements. You'll put together squads, make runs through the 'dungeon' (or more creative dungeon analogue), risk FFT-style permadeath, etc. Perhaps like a fantasy XCOM, but not mission-based.

Of course all mechanics are subject to change if I don't find them fun enough.

Fantasy XCOM sounds cool.
V_K , what if it was a randomly generated open world? That would probably be pretty nasty to code though, and it would lack meaningful features and points of interest

 

[Siveon]

randomly generated open world

roguelike (pardon the term) elements

Nooo. I'll buy your game but please, anything but that.

 

[V_K]

Half, if not more, of Voidspire's charm for me lies in level and encounter design. Randomly generated content tends to get repetitive pretty fast.
Let's just hope that by 'roguelike' Eldiran just means permadeath.

 

[Eldiran]

So no open world this time around?

Afraid not : (

There will be procedural areas with crafted set pieces. However, I also plan to make completely handmade side dungeons. It's important to me not to abandon the exploration aspect. (Even in the procedural sections I want to add lots of secrets.)