Shoutout: Paper Animal RPG!
about 2 years ago – Tue, Oct 04, 2022 at 08:16:33 PM

Hey everyone!

Today we want to introduce you to one of the cutest games we have ever seen!

Created by Nick from Germany, Paper Animal RPG is a roguelite game where you can explore a colorful world, fight scary enemies, and relax with your friends at the campfire!

The game is inspired by and pays homage to the Paper Mario, Mario & Luigi, as well as the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series - and we can see that <3 

Just look at the doggo, ducky, turtle, and frog in the above gif; they are simply adorable!

Be prepared for RPG mechanics in this colorful world like exploration, combat, cooking, and dino hatching! 

Paper Animal RPG is currently running its own Kickstarter campaign, and they are three days away from the finish line; there is still time, so check out their page and support this unique project!

Cheers,

Team Zoria

Dev Diary #5 – Combat in Zoria
about 2 years ago – Mon, Oct 03, 2022 at 05:35:28 AM

Hello commanders!

In today's Dev Diary, we'll cover what many tactical RPG fans like best: combat. We designed it to be dynamic, fluid, and inviting to engage. But how did we achieve that? Enjoy the read below!

Classes

In your team, you will have characters of different classes, each of which will have a tree of 16 skills, from which you will choose 9, giving you the chance to try other builds and tactics. For example, the Wizard class can pick all the water-based spells, fire-based spells, or a mix of them. The same Wizard class can follow the route of AoE or single target damage or favor a more protection-oriented build.

Abilities vary from single target to effect over time and area of effect. Some include summoning, spawning area-of-effect items on the battlefield, or using line-of-sight and blocking enemies' paths.

Your protagonist, the Commander, Andar Witherell, is a special class on its own and can either go the route of damage dealer, shield buffer, or healer, with a lot of flexibility in its skills.

When completing a team, the critical thing to pay attention to is class synergy. Classes can protect, heal, or empower other characters, and creative use of special abilities (taunts and control) can provide exciting encounters. 

Resources

There are several combat-specific resources: Action Points, Focus, and Mana/Energy.

Action Points: Each character or enemy character has two Action Points. You can use these points for moving (both APs), moving and abilities use (1AP + 1AP), or if in a favorable position, abilities only (2APs). Remember that some high-impact abilities cost more than others and have a 2AP cost.

Focus: Each class generates Focus by using other abilities or by the use of a potion. Focus is always 0 at the beginning of combat and can reach a maximum of 100.

Mana/Energy: This set of resources is directly connected to the Intellect and Agility stats and can be replenished by resting or using potions.

Battlefield

Zoria is not using a traditional grid-based system, thus making the combat a bit more fluid. You will still have battlefield obstacles that can hinder you or your enemy.

When observing the environment during the battle, you need to pay attention to using line-of-sight - your character cannot fire while another party member or enemy is in front of him. The same is true for the enemies - they will move into position to attack a character if they are out of sight. Also, initiating combat near an environment trap can lead to the creative use of such traps to aid in battle.

But, even if the scales of victory start tipping to you, you can't be sure of your success. The combat is turn-based, but the world around continues to work on the real-time system. Enemies patrolling nearby can join the action if they get within range, so it can turn simple situations into really complicated fights, depending on the area.

After this description, we hope you fancy a little skirmish. That's why we invite you to test our free demo and share any feedback you have.

Until the next one!

Secret goal has been achieved! - What does it mean?
about 2 years ago – Sun, Oct 02, 2022 at 07:37:30 PM

Hey everyone! 

Congratulations! The secret goal of 50% has been achieved; let us present you with the reward!

Brand new class - Nightwardens

Nightwarden will be available to join your team - they will bring new skills and possibilities in combat!

Let's sink into the lore:

The world of Zoria is, while full of magic and wonder, also full of dark nightmares and horrible, unnatural things. It is, therefore, quite understandable that some of those who have experienced the horrors of Zoria’s darkness and have stood face to face with monsters, demons, and the undead, now seek a way to make sense of this dreadful world they find themselves in and somehow cast some light into the darkness. And that is how the Torchbearers of Miedden, a semi-religious order, came to be.

While not outright worshiping any deity, the Torchbearers hold to a creed that mixes the teachings of Athy and Amaldir and considers themselves heralds of balance and the natural order. Anything outside what they believe to be “natural” must be exterminated. That isn’t to say that the Torchbearers are a military order either. Most of their activity revolves around bringing solace to those that have suffered at the hands of monsters and the people who make use of them. However, the Torchbearers are most famous due to the very small and well-trained group of warriors serving them: the legendary Nightwardens.

Masters of weapons and alchemy, the Nightwardens travel the roads of Uram, usually under cover of darkness, and seek out humane and otherwise monsters. Armed with serrated blades and lethal one-handed crossbows, Nightwardens hunt and execute their prey without mercy and care little about honorable combat, employing, when needed, even deadly alchemical bombs that choke, maim and burn. But fearsome, Nightwardens are often seen as good omens passing through villages and small towns. It is customary in remote settlements around Elion, especially those bordering forests, that mothers say to their children, Nightwardens watch over you when they put them to bed.

Nightwardens perform their hunts for free, as they believe it is their duty above all else, relying on the fat coffers of the Torchbearers for their day-to-day costs. Some of them, however, offer their skills up for hire and act as mercenaries when their interests align with their employers.

We're already super excited about the new class; seeing it in action is just a pleasure. 

Almost $20 000 has been raised, and we're not stopping; more updates are coming soon! Once again, thank you for your investment in the project; we can't express how grateful we are for your support!

Cheers,

Team Zoria

Great news for RPG lovers! Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Enhanced Edition is OUT NOW!
about 2 years ago – Fri, Sep 30, 2022 at 02:27:36 AM

There are a lot of RPG fans in our community, and this is a big event in the RPG genre! 

Our friends from Owlcat Games released an Enhanced Edition for Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous!

We have a huge soft spot for Pathfinder, as it's one of the best games in the genre, so we believe it's our duty to spread the word. 

Wonderful news for those who have been waiting to play Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous on the consoles—the game has become available in PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and on Nintendo Switch Cloud. All the free DLC we have previously released on the PC are also included (Faces of War, Love Beyond Death, Paint of War, and A Visitor from Distant Lands).

The console players will get the Enhanced Edition right from the start.

As for the PC players, the Enhanced Edition will be available as a free update (v. 2.0.0) for everyone who already owns the game. And if you are a newcomer, a 60% discount awaits you on Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store. Don't miss your chance!

New features for the PC version:

• Finally, you will be able to play with the controller. Lead the crusade from the comfort of your own pillow fort!
   
•  Customize your character’s appearance by dyeing and reforging your armor!
   
• Save time on looking for that specific scroll by using the inventory search function;
   
• Can’t figure out how you managed to deal so much damage? Check the enhanced battle log!
   
• You will no longer need to scroll right to see how your animal companion is doing with a new addition to our UI for pet owners;
   
• Unlock additional quest outcomes with new reinforcement options for various mythic paths in chapter 5;
   
• Attend a special party your soldiers prepared for you if you declined the mythic powers on the path of Legend;
   
• Learn more about what your companions and friends were doing after the crusade in the enhanced epilogues;
   
• And finally, take beautiful pictures of your favorite moments with the new Photo mode feature! Pause the game, free the camera from the bounds of an isometric view, apply filters and frames, and make yourself a wallpaper of your favorite underground mushroom forest, or that Wintersun waterfall, or the chaotic streets of Alushinyrra.
   

We're hopping into the game right now!

Cheers,

Team Zoria

Dev Diary #4 - Let's talk a bit more about The Outpost
about 2 years ago – Wed, Sep 28, 2022 at 04:27:57 AM

Hello adventurers!

Let's discuss one crucial mechanics in Zoria: Age of Shattering; The Outpost.

As we already know, The Outpost is a place where you rest, craft, recruit or remove de-buffs, to name a few. But let's get into the details!

Relevant to this article are two aspects of exploration and combat:

Fatigue: is a stat that increases with time spent out in the wilds and is also affected by how many encounters a follower has fought through. The more fatigue a character accumulates, the less effective that character gets, with stats decreasing a little at first and significantly as fatigue gets too high levels.

Supplies: The resting mechanic is the best way to recover followers' health and clear certain effects.

Supplies: Resting out in the field takes time and requires supplies, as followers can’t go around hungry. Supplies can be found during exploration but can also be obtained through cooking. It is advised to take enough supplies from the Outpost when leaving for an adventure.

One aspect of the game we haven’t talked a lot about is the base and base management: The Outpost and all the outpost systems. Because exploration, questing, and combat are just a part of the game, what truly differentiates Zoria: Age of Shattering from other CRPG titles is how base and character management is integrated into the game.

Characters:

The player is not limited to a set of companions that will follow throughout the game, as it is usually the case, but is free to recruit many, either from the world, through quests, or from different locations within the game. The only limit to the player is the party size, but the Barracks inside the outpost act as a home to all the followers that are not in the current party.

Every time the player leaves the Outpost, he is free to choose whatever party composition he wants, limited only to what followers are available at that point. This means players can have a party suited to their playstyle or to the places they want to visit – dark dungeons full of traps where Thieves can come in handy or long-forgotten ruins where Mages or Lancers can make exploration easier.

The only constant in the party is the Captain; all the other characters can be switched in or out of the party every time the player returns to the Outpost.

The Barracks:

The heart of the Follower Management system is the place where you can equip your troops with the newest weapons you crafted, the most powerful potions, and special items found in the dungeons they conquered. You can also see on this screen your Follower’s level, stats, status, and the abilities they have unlocked.

The Burrow:

All that adventuring and fighting will increase troops' fatigue, and with fatigue increasing, everything else goes down, including Follower stats and combat efficiency. The best way to recover your troops is to send them to the “Moon Flower” BURROW for some rest… actually it’s the only way. This means not all your followers will be available all the time; some will need a longer stay than others, depending on their Fatigue level and wounds received during their time adventuring.

Besides its strictly functional role, the Moon Flower Burrow’s manager, Madame Sybilla is an… exotic character with some interesting stories and quests.

The Inn:

The Lucky Dog Inn serves many purposes in the Outpost, being as much a utility building as it is a quest hub and a place to meet interesting characters.

The utility aspect of the Inn refers to cooking, as the Inn is the place where all the cooking takes place in the Outpost. Sure, cooking can also be done on the road, but sometimes it’s preferable to do that in the Outpost where all the materials gathered are stored.

Another very important factor related to the Inn is recruiting. Since recruiting is done in more than one way, and some quests, depending on the outcome, can offer the option to recruit a character, the Inn is not the only way to expand a player’s roster of followers, but it can still be quite an effective one.

The Black Cauldron:

As is the case with cooking, alchemy can also be performed on the road for a quick healing potion to get out of trouble but having access to all the materials gathered is, most of the time, the better option.

The Blacksmith:

Crafting can only be performed in the Outpost, and the Blacksmith is the place to do that. Being part of the Outpost facilities, crafting is accessible through the Blacksmith and uses the Outpost inventory, where all the materials accumulated during the player’s adventures are located.

As with most of the buildings in the Outpost, the Blacksmith can be upgraded, providing access to more recipes or other bonuses.

Storage:

The game has two inventories: the party’s inventory and the Outpost’s inventory.

As is usually the case, the party’s inventory is limited.

On the other hand, the Outpost's inventory is not limited, allowing for the accumulation of large quantities of materials necessary to craft, equip and supply a large roster of followers. Because of this, most crafting will take place at the Outpost, with alchemy and cooking being accessible in the field but relying only on the materials gathered in that sortie.

Building Upgrades:

Many of the buildings in the Outpost can be upgraded, bringing all sorts of bonuses to the player, from faster healing to better weapons and armor available for crafting. Each building has its specific upgrade levels and requirements that can be related to either resources or specific quests.

Missions:

With a large roster of characters comes the unavoidable problem of favorite characters. When unavailable or unsuitable for a certain dungeon, they have to rely on lower-level or badly geared followers. Also, with many followers crafting and the availability of materials are vital. To answer both of these issues is the task of the Missions system.

The player can send followers that are idle in the Outpost on certain Missions, missions that, if successful, award the player with materials, recipes, items, gold, and experience for the followers. Some followers can also return wounded or fatigued from the missions, requiring recovery time in the Burrow, so it’s wise to choose wisely the missions and the characters.

This is just a brief description of the systems that make up the base and follower management aspect of the game.

We will be back with more dev diaries soon!

Cheers,

Team Zoria