Heroes get homesick, too. They just rarely talk about it. Monthly Changelog #3
almost 2 years ago – Wed, Feb 22, 2023 at 03:21:00 AM

Hello, Commander!

Another month, another changelog. Are you curious on what we’ve been working lately? You wouldn’t believe how much Zoria has changed! Get yourself a mug, sit back and enjoy 😊

Nulbarak

Does it ring a bell? 😉

Some of you have heard this name before. Nulbarak is a location known to those who had a chance to play Kickstarter Demo 😉 We decided to implement an improved version of this place not only to reward all of our Backers, but also to give players a choice within the gameplay. You see, we’ve made some changes to Zoria’s story and visiting Nulbarak will be a result of your in-game decisions, so you may or may not arrive to that destination 😉

Day-night cycle

Open areas now have a fully working day-night cycle; The world will act accordingly to the time of the day! Some events will occur only at certain times. This should help make the game more alive and realistic 😊

UI Adjustments

We’re implemetning a new, more aestheticaly pleasing interface. The previous one was good, but this one will be even better and we think it’ll reflect Zoria’s current level of design more. Fun fact: it’s an eleventh iteration, made completely in-house, tailored to Zoria’s needs 😉

If you want to connect with the community, you can join Zoria's Discord here:

Until next time,
Feanen

Dev Diary #9 Why are we making an RPG? Because we love it.
almost 2 years ago – Wed, Feb 08, 2023 at 06:49:55 AM

Making an RPG game is a huge challenge, regardless of the studio's size. It involves creating an immersive world, meaningful stories, and interesting, multi-dimensional characters.

We spent years playing, or rather consuming games before we decided to start making our own. We're talking about thousands of hours spent gaming ever since childhood or the young teenage era. Can you guess which games influenced us the most? 😜

Fane's absolute favorite, with more than 3,000 hours spent in-game, World of Warcraft has a stylized, cartoonish look but obviously made for a mature audience. In WoW crafting, animations, effects, and events, everything has its place and works beautifully. Garrisons' system from Warlords of Draenor expansion is a bit of a crowd-dividing topic (some love it, some absolutely hate it), but it sprouted an idea of outpost management that could've been done better.

Another game that approached outpost management in a different but interesting way was XCOM. In this tactical, turn-based RPG, you come back from a mission and can manage sections of your base and order tasks for your party members. You can tend to their wounds if they get wounded or exhausted, or let them stay and rest while you choose another character to go with you to the next mission.

When it comes to the gameplay, we were absolutely enchanted by Heroes 3, which we played almost religiously on LAN parties back in the day 😜 One of the first concepts for Zoria: Age of Shattering actually had a lot of similarities to the Might and Magic title! However, as our team improved, the concept evolved to more temporary solutions.

What we liked the most about Heroes 3 was the tempo of the game and the fact that it wasn't hard to jump into, especially in comparison to games such as Divinity: Original Sin, which has a very high entry threshold, endless tutorials, and extremely lengthy encounters. Don't get us wrong, it's a wonderful game, but we want to avoid daunting complexity. That said, we aim somewhere between these two – not too simple, but not over-complicated.

Neles fell in love with Morrowind's world-building and world diversity reflected through the quests and dialogues – a charm he can't find in Bethesda's later installments to the Elder Scrolls franchise. The sense of wandering around a vast and divergent open world was astounding. It gave the feeling of being a part of something big and something alive; Being a hero to the story that matters.

Witcher 3 also showed how important it makes us feel when our choices matter. And we don't mean million possible endings, but rather small things that we do in one mission that come around much later in the game as a result of our actions.

Lastly, we all agree that when it comes to art direction, we wanted something stylized, in places even cartoonish, but not crossing the line of childish. The art style of games such as WoW, Divinity: Original Sin, or Diablo 2 (but not 3! 😛) has this perfect balance that we love looking at. It's just a style that appeals to us the most 😃

Which games influenced you the most? Let us know in the comments below or over our Discord.

 Until next time,
Tiny Trinket Games

Luring Dragons, Spawning Elementals, Counting Skulls. Monthly Changelog #2
almost 2 years ago – Mon, Jan 16, 2023 at 06:12:43 AM

Hello, Commander!

Working on Zoria: Age of Shattering is an exciting but also challenging experience. The ideas are endless, and expectations - yours and ours - are high. This month we introduced many valuable changes to the game. Are you ready? Welcome to Monthly Changelog #2! :D

Remodeled and expanded locations

Rithvale had a complete makeover. We needed to rebuild it to match it with our current level of quality. Rithvale will become your homebase and your safe haven you'll long for after a long journey.

Players will now have quests available (both sidequests and main quests), making it a more lively area worth revisiting at different stages of the game.

Do you remember Shrieking Pass? Some of you might have seen it in the demo from 2 years ago. We felt this location could be more interesting, so we decided to revisit it, with some new places and adventures :D Now it is not only an area where the story takes place but also a part of the story on its own.

Attacks of Opportunity

RPG players are most likely familiar with this system. Certain characters will be able to strike an enemy unit in combat as it moves next to them. It can be a very satisfying move that'll prevent your opponents from running away from you and has a significant chance to finish them off without the need to chase them around the map (and possibly get into a trap).

Character Creator

Character Creator was a Strech Goal on Kickstarter that we unfortunatelly didn't reached BUT we decided to add it after all :D We believe that creating your own character in an RPG adds a lot of value to a roleplaying aspect of the game. Whether you like to adjust a gender or look to your own for a better immersion, play a hero of your dreams or make it an honor to play as a female character whenever possible - we've got you.

Once again, huge thanks to everyone who supported us in the Kickstarter campaign! :D

Best Upcoming - IndieDB Indie of the Year 2022

Do you remember how last time we asked you to vote in a IndieDB's Indie of the Year poll...?

We got the 5th place!!! :D

We knew there were a lot of you out there, yet getting this high in the rank exceeded our expectations! Thank you so much for voting! It wouldn't be possible without your help :D

You can watch Best Upcoming - IndieDB Indie of the Year 2022 here:

That's it for now! :P

If you want to connect with the community, you can join Zoria's Discord here:

Until next time,
 Feanen

Dev Diary #8 - Characters, classes and team composition
almost 2 years ago – Thu, Dec 22, 2022 at 12:13:36 AM

Welcome, travelers of the Uram continent!

I have gathered you here today to tell you about your upcoming duties and the companions with whom you will undertake them.  The times are hard, and the quest is challenging, so you must be extremely cautious when selecting who you will befriend. 

In Zoria, ten different specializations of warriors may join our team. You, as a commander, will be out of this category, serving more as a support but in a unique way. Two characters will represent each class with their own story, motivations, and wits. 

Your followers are critical to the success of your mission. Whether recruited through the Inn or from various quests, your companions represent your most significant investment and resource since your adventure is squad-based, and only good use of the squad system can ensure success.

For most of the exploration, you will control the main character in real time, with the squad following every step you take. However, during the combat, every character will be ready to carry out your order.

Let's have a closer look at some of the classes in Zoria. 

In addition to the above, the game will also include the following:

• Ranger
• Thief
• Wizard
• Priest
• Bard
• Nightwarden

Team composition

As you've probably already guessed, only a good combination of your companions' classes can bring success on the battlefield. A team of rangers alone would be spectacular and look great on defensive walls, while their effectiveness would be very low in a close encounter. 

There is another reason why you should be especially careful in choosing teammates. In the world of Zoria, there are objects that only a character with the right abilities can interact with. Hence, Battle Clerics can interact with Shrines of Nerdalye to replenish the party's health, and Wizard can create magical bridges over which the whole team can safely cross to the other side.  

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Concluding my story, I hope it has made you look forward to Zoria even more. The year 2023 is very close and in a few months, you will see the result of our dream to create a full-blooded RPG. In the meantime, we wish you a peaceful holiday and a happy new year! 

What's new in the world of Zoria? Monthly changelog + new screenshots!
almost 2 years ago – Tue, Dec 06, 2022 at 11:54:00 AM

Hello commanders! 

It's been almost a month and a half since our Kickstarter, and during this time, we're working up a sweat to deliver the game that will give you a ton of fun. We want to introduce you to what we are currently developing and show you some new screenshots. We hope you enjoy them and whet your appetite for more! 

But before we get to the main course, we'd like to ask you to vote for Zoria in IndieDB's Indie of the Year poll. There are many of you out there, and we believe that together we will rank high in this competition for indie game lovers. 

You can cast a vote on our IndieDB page >>here<<

Now, let's move on with the changelog.

Nightwarden Class

As some of you may recall, one of the secret goals of the Kickstarter campaign was reaching 50%, and it unlocked a new class - fearless and violent Nightwarden. First, we had some rough ideas on how this class should act on the battlefield, and during the last month, we managed to finish the profile of this class.

Nightwardens will use fire on the battlefield because this is the most effective deterring of monsters. Having Nightwarden in your team will significantly increase the group morale, as Nightwardens fear no death and can teach their teammates how to act the same. On top of that, Nightwardens know that the night is short; therefore, they must act quickly.

Day-night cycle

Well, what would be the point of the existence of Nightwardens if there were no night, wasn't it? That's why we've been spending the last few weeks polishing the day and night cycle in the world of Zoria, which will not only limit the amount of sunlight but also affect certain events and behaviors at specific times of the day.

And remember, the world of Zoria is not a safe enough place during the day. I dread to think how it will be at night. 

Lake Mannor

A castle in the middle of rocky mountains, a fisherman's hut, fog hovering over the lake, and rumors of a secret lurking beneath the surface of this reservoir. Don't forget to chat with a hunter who stays in the area, as he will have something to say about the place. 

New enemy - Troll

What is it - it has two legs, pointy ears, smells horrible, and you wouldn't entrust your pet to its care? No, it's not a green-clad boy rescuing a princess. It's a nasty troll lurking for fresh meat, inattentively straying near his lair. Just look at this monstrosity. It's probably time to show him that treating poor animals like this doesn't seem right. 

That's all for today, and we're back to making the game. Let us know what you think of the above features, and don't forget to join our Discord - it's a smug place for RPG & coffee lovers (but if you are more of a tea person, you are more than welcome too.) 

Stay tuned,

Zoria Team