Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates - Announced

The developer Coin Operated Games announced their new RPG today:

Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates is a top-down isometric RPG that takes place in a Neo-Victorian New York circa 1911.

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Featuring a top-down isometric presentation, Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates will rekindle old-school PC RPG fans with feelings of some of the classic story driven RPGs of the 90s. While the combat should feel familiar to veteran players, there’s a new twist in that the game uses a hybrid Real Time/Turn-based System. Players can enter a “Planning Mode” where they choose actions for each character in their party while combat is paused, and when entering into the “Action Mode” all characters will perform simultaneously, giving players complete control over their party while presenting a streamlined combat system that eliminates waiting for each character to act in sequence.

Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates is the story of an alternate New York in which the entire city is flooded by rising oceans and the citizens must learn to live in a new reality where there is water everywhere, but none of it possible to drink. The player must make their way in search of a fresh water supply source, picking up companions along the journey. But the trip won’t be easy, as there are many threats both human and inhuman that players will encounter.

“One of the things we strove for when designing Empyre is authenticity during an ‘Age of Technical Wonder’ in the United States, the Gilded Age,” said John Randall, Creative Director of Empyre. “For example, the New York City we all know is the city in this game, and history buffs will recognize many iconic locations that existed in the city during the 1910s, but with a unique, waterlogged twist. People and society exist and act as they did in the early 20th Century. We feel this level of detail will give players a one-of-a-kind experience that they haven’t seen anywhere before.”

Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates pays homage to historic accounts by adding authentic items such as patent medicines including poisons or tonics made from dangerous ingredients. Many of the games’ objectives and side quests will tie directly into the experiences that someone in the 19th century would have. The game’s authenticity reflects scenes from New York during the 1900s, while tying the storyline to current day themes such as global warming and the rising of the oceans.

Thank you for info, TechRaptor!

More information.

Haha, that funky score. Reminds me of Impossible Creatures.

Isometric is always good! Although, "hybrid Real Time/Turn-based System" makes me worry. Make it turn-based or not. I have never seen a good "hybrid" system so far. Simultanous turn-based often is more guesswork than tactics.

It looks a bit clunky, but I will keep an eye on it.

I'm definitely interested. An original setting, isometric and party based are all good checkboxes to me. Can't say the combat looks particularly fun though (realism as in lack of lasers or lightning bolts are not one of my good checkboxes). Will wait for reviews.

I dig the setting. It's unique. I can't say the same thing about the combat. It looks very raw. Hopefully they are still working on it. I will keep an eye out for this one.

I love the setting!
Combat looks a bit gimpy but it looks survivable.

Steampunk w/ Umbrella combat. lol

Defiantly keeping an eye on this one, great setting and graphics, loving the interface, but combat?

Players can enter a “Planning Mode” where they choose actions for each character in their party while combat is paused, and when entering into the “Action Mode” all characters will perform simultaneously, giving players complete control over their party while presenting a streamlined combat system that eliminates waiting for each character to act in sequence.

To me, that simply sounds like a description of RTwP.

Anyway, it could be worth keeping track of.

Too dark for me, I can't see shit on presented screens, does the game happen during nights only?

At first, I was like Oh no, another shitty RTWP combat system!, until I read this:

the game uses a hybrid Real Time/Turn-based System. Players can enter a “Planning Mode” where they choose actions for each character in their party while combat is paused, and when entering into the “Action Mode” all characters will perform simultaneously

That changes everything!

Music reminded me of gangster sims of the 90s, like Dime City or so.

Setting is fresh and I like the idea.

Animations looked quite crappy though, lots of stuttering.
And the combat…well, planning phase and real time execution sounds interesting. But the realtime part looked horrible in the video. So let's see how the game will evolve till release.

That's cool Screeg, kind of like Wizardry 8 and Grimoire.

Originally Posted by screeg
At first, I was like Oh no, another shitty RTWP combat system!, until I read this:

That changes everything!

…you're being sarcastic right? Just have to ask because I figured I might be stupid thinking that's how RTwP always works… (although some games do it alot better than others in regards to showing what orders you've actually given. )

Originally Posted by tomasp3n
…you're being sarcastic right? Just have to ask because I figured I might be stupid thinking that's how RTwP always works… (although some games do it alot better than others in regards to showing what orders you've actually given. )

I hope not. And I actually understood it differently than "usual" RTwP, where you are hammering pause.

To me it sounds like there is either a "planning phase" before the real time combat, or each turn, which is longer and executed in realtime, is first planned when the game is paused. Effectively the game decides when it pauses and not the player.
But that's just how I understood it.

Originally Posted by Kordanor
I hope not. And I actually understood it differently than "usual" RTwP, where you are hammering pause.

To me it sounds like there is either a "planning phase" before the real time combat, or each turn, which is longer and executed in realtime, is first planned when the game is paused. Effectively the game decides when it pauses and not the player.
But that's just how I understood it.

To me it still basically sounds like RTwP. I might be reading too much into things but note their use of the word *can*; players "can" enter the planning phase. As in it's optional and will presumably just be real-time if you don't.

Of course this is a bit different than Infinity engine games or NWN which in which the actions still play out in turns, w/ initiative checks and whatnot so it's impossible for two combatants to kill each other (unless there's some damage over time effect). This would be RTwP with simultaneous turns. Sounds like it could potentially be an even bigger clusterfuck than previous RTwP games. Or basically just a real-time action RPG where you can choose between pausing to command party members or just let the AI control them.

The settings sounds quite interesting so I'll be interested in reviews when this releases but the combat looks discouraging.

I meant it's exactly like RTWP (which I personally loathe), and it's funny how they try to gussy it up with a fancy description. As a favor to my friends here, just this once, I'm not going to go into a rant… Must… resist…

Wizardry 8 was brilliant, but I highly, *highly* doubt we're going to see another one like from these guys.