Exiled Kingdoms - Isometric RPG for Android - Testers wanted

Fluent said:

Hey everyone! I can vouch that this game is worth your time and you should check it out and help test it/give suggestions! It's definitely in the vein of a classic, old-school PC RPG!

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Well, thanks for the support

Please testers using a tablet, check the new rescalable controls and report any problems. The controls size can be adjusted via settings menu, but should be autodetected. I'd like to know if controls still look too big/too small for certain screen sizes and resolutions.

Full changelog here

Thanks!

Drat. When I read "isometric RPG" I was hopeful, but I was hoping combat would be turn-based. Then I see it is a real-time action RPG. Aside from the fact that I strongly prefer turn-based tactical combat, I'm really not sure why action RPGs are so prevalent on mobile platforms... Trying to play real-time combat on touch screens is IMO a terrible experience. I have a 10" tablet and real-time combat is really uncomfortable and even more tedious than button mashing on a controller or mouse is tapping the screen over and over again to attack... Can only imagine how clunky it gets on a smaller screen.

Turn-based combat on the other hand works very well on touch screens, but for some reason it seems like the Trese brothers are the only mobile developer interested in making tactical turn-based games. All the other good ones I'm aware of are just ports of PC games (e.g., Shadowrun Returns & Dragonfall, Avernum & Avadon, Battle Worlds: Kronos etc.).

Not that I expect you to change your combat system at this point in development, but I'd hope you will consider this if you make another Android game (hell or a PC game). And to be abundantly clear, I'm talking about turn-based tactical (where you move your characters on the battlefield), not JRPG style turn-based.

daveyd said:

Not that I expect you to change your combat system at this point in development, but I'd hope you will consider this if you make another Android game (hell or a PC game). And to be abundantly clear, I'm talking about turn-based tactical (where you move your characters on the battlefield), not JRPG style turn-based.

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As for why I did it, I will explain a little because it is the single most asked question I get over this game. It is in all aspects an "old school" RPG, except in that. So why didn't I go turn-based?

I am myself a turn-based fan, with my favorite games of all time being Darklands, Gold Box's Pool of Radiance, Wizardry, etc. For me Baldur's Gate II is a "modern game" so I fully understand where you come from and what you are looking for in a game, believe me.

I decided for my first project to try to target mobile, because I saw much less competition there. And I think action-RPGs suit more the kind of playing habits, during shorter periods of time. Also, I wanted to leave open the possibility of cooperative multiplayer, which I don't think is fun in turn-based games. So I opted for a Diablo-Like action.

However, this is still more on the RPG side than on the action-game side. Stats play a heavier role than skill, as you'll auto-target enemies, weapons have a fixed attack time, etc. I think controls work well and are responsive. You will succeed in this game if you make the right conversation choices, if you don't run into all enemies at once, and if you pick the right equipment and skills for each encounter. Your reflexes or skill will play a very minor role.

EDIT: and no tap-mashing, you can keep tapped the attack button, for instance, and your character will attack at full weapon speed.

I invite you to Alpha test it, if you want. I really need more testers, and I am sure you'll enjoy at least some things about it if you're an RPG fan. I need the feedback too!

Also, my objective with my first game was to build a fully functional isometric game engine, I already have that, so my next project will likely be turn based and focused on PC. Still a long time until that, though. I will release a public beta of EK in mid December, and then keep adding content to it at least until March.

I will expand a bit more the RPG mechanics and how they affect the gameplay.

The basic capabilities of each character are represented by six numerical traits. A starting value of zero represents a deficient trait, below the average, while a 1 represents an average, and up from there, you begin getting good, exceptional, etc. You assign a few points at character creation, but don't count on having all traits at decent values unless you really target such a build.



As you progress in level you will be able to raise your traits, although there are other ways to raise them (very rare items and training, obtained as very specific rewards).

Each trait has an in-game info window that explains in detail what it does exactly.


Traits influence gameplay in many ways. The physical traits can increase your damage output, hitpoints or armor rating, and the mental ones can increase your mana or resistances, but things go beyond that. For instance, dialogs play an important part in this game, and you will see different options available depending on your trait values. New quests may be availabel or not, giving an entirely different experience depending on what traits you choose to raise. For instance, below you can see a third option that only opens up if you raised your Personality. Being more capable to see behind other people intentions can be useful to anyone, not just a Warrior.



A view on your character sheet, and opening the detailed stats window.

Hey David. I appreciate the RPG elements as well and I enjoyed what I've played of the game, although I haven't spent enough time with it yet due to some time restraints, but it's a nice little RPG, and especially so for mobile. All I wanted to say is that if you develop a deep, tactical turn-based RPG for PC, don't forget about mobile. I think mobile needs more games with deeper and more complex systems than what we have right now and you could really stand out in that department.

I will play the game more when I can. Good luck with it!

Here we go. Game engine is 99% Beta-ready now, so for the next weeks, focusing on content. Finally!

v.0.5.830 - 28/11/15

-Difficulty Levels added: Normal, Hard, and "Ironman". Ironman games don't allow save, and death is permanent. There's now a separate Ironman Leaderboard to list the XP records from each player.
-New Faction system. Your actions can cause you to become an enemy of a certain town or kingdom, be wary.
-Character creation now makes you choose your trait and skill increases before game starts.
-Balance changes: trait points at level 1 increased from 2 to 4, but only 1 Skill Point granted at level 1.
-Expanded conversations with companions. Still in progress.
-Bugfixes UI adjustments.

Full changelog here

Android Beta Released! please see download link and latest information on the first post.

Exiled Kingdoms made into the top-50 Play Store RPGs, after just three months. 50K downloads, and great ratings and reviews, and all of that while still in Beta!



Thanks to everyone here that helped me testing it!

Store link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.fdgames.ek.android

iOS release is delayed, mostly because I learned Apple doesn't allow publishing "unfinished" products. I am making sure all the playable quests can be finished ASAP, because the game already runs smoothly on iOS devices, and I hate having the game not released because a formal requirement like that.

Congrats, David! Well-earned, I'd say.

Thanks! I count on you trying again once it's finished

Updated first post with announcement of iOS release in the App Store, and other info.

DavidBVal said:

Updated first post with announcement of iOS release in the App Store, and other info.

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Awesome! Congrats on the release - downloading now!

Congratulations! For when is the PC version scheduled?

YanBG said:

Congratulations! For when is the PC version scheduled?

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Not properly scheduled yet, as I want to finish every little aspect of content and features before even thinking about it. I want to increase the available content, from current 60 hours to at least over 100. Right now I am working on adding dynamic procedural events, on top of the handcrafted content. After that comes crafting, and the wizard class.

My estimates tend to suck, too, but as they're free to make, I'll say December-January.

Hmm, I tried this out for a moment, but after half an hour all the respawning has worn me down to the point where I can't be bothered to continue.
Guess this game isn't for me, I hated Diablo 2 for the very same reason.

It's kind of sad because it looked good otherwise.

wiretripped said:

Hmm, I tried this out for a moment, but after half an hour all the respawning has worn me down to the point where I can't be bothered to continue.
Guess this game isn't for me, I hated Diablo 2 for the very same reason.

It's kind of sad because it looked good otherwise.

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Well, the respawn has a reason to be there, but of course I understand some people might not like it. The environment is meant to be permanently hostile at certain places, and the balance is put on the quests; what I mean is, you're not supposed to be able to "clear" dungeons until you are powerful enough, but you can complete the quests you find if you optimize your options. As a level 3 adventurer you are not supposed to be able to easily kill 30 goblins, but you can sneak in, survive fights and save the missing scout, then run out.

Also, it is a "game of resources" because of respawn. Merely spending time and running back and forth will never ensure you reach the depths of a dungeon where the best rewards lie; that will require the player to minimize the damage taken on each fight, pulling enemies carefully, etc. If enemies don't respawn, as long as you can take one at a time, you're granted that eventually you'll defeat them all, thinning out the challenge. This way, *every* small fight makes a difference. If you fought efficiently the first easy few enemies, maybe that's why you'll be able to reach that final chest.

As a side note, when you perform certain quests, you might prevent enemies from respawning, or make them respawn in a limited way. the goblin mine is an example, if you take out their boss, they'll be cornered to the deepest parts of the mine only. Same thing with the orc fort and other places.

I know it is a design choice that can be disliked, but the permanent challenge, and making each fight meaningful it also seems to be enjoyed by many others. there is no "right" way, and of course being myself a fan of turn-based games, I understand where you come from. Thanks for trying it anyways! Maybe my next game will be more to your liking

My apologies, I did not mean to seem overly critical: I only played your game for the better part of an hour, so I might not be in the best position for criticism.

Thanks for explaining your design choices. I do understand where you're coming from, and that the respawn is a vital part of the gameplay and balance. I don't even mind the fact it's real-time, but yeah, the respawn… I'm what you could call a "completionist": having respawning loot and respawning enemies means you can never really "complete" areas, and that drives me bonkers.

(I'm aware this might be more of a personality issue than an actual issue with certain design choices)

I'm just thrilled that an RPG on Android exists with 60+ hours of gameplay. We need more of that.

wiretripped said:

My apologies, I did not mean to seem overly critical: I only played your game for the better part of an hour, so I might not be in the best position for criticism.

Thanks for explaining your design choices. I do understand where you're coming from, and that the respawn is a vital part of the gameplay and balance. I don't even mind the fact it's real-time, but yeah, the respawn… I'm what you could call a "completionist": having respawning loot and respawning enemies means you can never really "complete" areas, and that drives me bonkers.

(I'm aware this might be more of a personality issue than an actual issue with certain design choices)

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Of course no need to apologize, nor you sounded overly critical; criticism is great, actually. Some criticisms I can do something about; others like this, I can only explain why I did things that way. And completionist, heh, I see what you mean. I myself can't stop playing an RPG until I've seen and done everything in it. That "mystic clue" from Pools of Darkness haunted me for a decade