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[Completed] Snow & Fire: A Tactical RPG


kdports
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This is the 1.0 release of Snow & Fire, a tactical RPG made using the Lex Talionis engine.

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This game is, at its core, an experiment on long-form map design. It is completed with four massive chapters, for a total of 8-10 hours playtime. Includes battle saves, mandatory full deployment, daggers, a skill points system to add reliability to activation skills, fifteen characters, numerous fully-written talk conversations replacing supports, and a unique set of choices that influence later chapters.

Hard mode is recommended for veterans. A story and normal mode are included for less experienced players who still want to try the game.

Link to the google drive is here: https://bit.ly/33lt7oL 

The drive contains a folder and a manual. Download the entire folder and open the .exe file inside to play. The manual is best used as a ctrl-f search guide, as it’s probably too long to read in its entirety.

This took approximately nine months of work to make (probably slightly longer? I sorta lost track). A full list of credits can be found in credits.txt or through the credits screen accessible from the main menu.

The hack is completed, but feedback is appreciated. I can’t see myself adding new areas or chapters, but new conversations, rebalancing, or even new characters are absolutely fair game.

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I’ve avoided mentioning FE4, because that game’s gameplay is certainly contentious. To be clear, I tried to evolve the game’s design beyond many of FE4’s weaknesses. For example, arena grinding is gone, as the few arenas that do exist are strictly limited in uses. I’ve tried to limit the number of dead turns that exist (where you’re doing nothing but moving units). I haven’t been able to entirely eliminate them, but I have a healthy amount of talk conversations to fill the space. Chapter sections are also no longer just “seize the castle,” and each chapter has a number of varied sub-objectives.

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Most importantly, the option to save is given upon each completion of a sub-objective, rather than the start of each turn. Loss carries consequences, but is never overly punishing.

Finally, I tried to redesign how tactical RPGs treat bosses. While the first few you meet will continue the tradition of standing still on a defensive tile, more complex bosses with their own unique AIs and strategies will be slowly introduced. My goal was to make boss battles worthy of their title.

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As mentioned before, there are fifteen playable characters spread throughout the game. Each has numerous talk conversations spread throughout the chapters that develop their goals, fears, and convictions. The game’s status as fully written includes these conversations.

The game itself is not a branching narrative, but areas and encounters change based on choices (both implicit and explicit) made in prior chapters.

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The story follows Clint, a mercenary from a small village, and Alison, a trader looking to sell her wares at a nearby city. The frozen island they live on has fallen prey to instability and rebellion, and they are quickly forced to choose a side in the conflict.

This was not the focus of this hack. It is, primarily, a gameplay experiment. I’m generally happy with the writing, but please understand that it isn’t the focus.

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Downloaded and started it. Completed 2/3 sub objectives so far. It's an interesting concept for sure. Are the portraits and battle sprites final?

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There's a small bug on the Warp title: when you warp in a position which can attack an enemy, the "attack" menu doesn't appear - but if you warp back (in that same turn), the attack menu appear and it will freeze the game if you click (because, of course there is nothing to attack).

Otherwise great game. There's a few tedious moments where I thought some area is passable, and send people there but in fact they are impassable (in chapter 2, when the fisherman goes north I thought some foot soldier might just head west through the mountain - that was a big mistake). That makes for quite a painful backtracking.

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I just finished my first playthrough (I admit using "story" mode - didn't aware that it trivialize all tactics). Must say impressive work has been put on.

The mechanics are new & interesting. Just one comment: sometimes I get lost about what to do:

1. When you are suppose to use the tunnels to get back to the castle - I didn't get it. Instead I route all enemies and get stuck there - THEN realize I have to back track all the way to the tunnel. Oh my. Same in the first chapter where one needs to visit the middle village house to lower the bridge - I visit all house but somehow get stuck (I tried visiting the "space" before the house, which look like the village gate. But nope, you need to step ON the main house)

2. Look like the enemy can't use tunnel, isn't it? In the last chapter, there are a lot of reinforcement paladin who chases us. I thought of leaving one strong character behind to stop them - but then realize they can't use the tunnel at all.

But if they can't use the tunnel, could we stop them from appear altogether? I have like dozens of "idle" paladins on the map (who can't get to you), and in enemy phase they took quite a good deal of time.

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Hi kdports,

I did another check... This seems like an easter egg / a bug?: 

Spoiler

In the last chapter, there is one house which gives unlimited experience.

That is the house directly below the tunnel exit (just over the mountain range is the castle). It is NOT the house inside the mountain range though.

Anyone can visit the house repeatedly in ONE turn and get 30 xp each visit (provided that they get carried there by air - as it is inaccessible on foot). I made my Clint level 15 max Vanguard there

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 5/16/2021 at 9:04 PM, Black Pawn said:

Hi kdports,

I did another check... This seems like an easter egg / a bug?: 

  Hide contents

In the last chapter, there is one house which gives unlimited experience.

That is the house directly below the tunnel exit (just over the mountain range is the castle). It is NOT the house inside the mountain range though.

Anyone can visit the house repeatedly in ONE turn and get 30 xp each visit (provided that they get carried there by air - as it is inaccessible on foot). I made my Clint level 15 max Vanguard there

 

Ah, never caught that. Thanks for reporting. Sorry for the late response, but I don't really use SF that much so yeah...

 

In regards to your other comments: I definitely hear you on the point on objectives sometimes being confusing. You aren't the first one who's gotten stuck in that second village because they tried to visit the wrong tile. Going forward I'm going to try to be more clear with highlighting the exact square to step on.

Edited by kdports
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/5/2021 at 11:38 AM, kdports said:

Since it's a .exe file there is no way to play on Mac, unfortunately.

After seeing this, I decided to give it a shot using WINE. That didn't work, so I tried using PlayOnMac instead, and it keeps encountering a fatal error. Do you know if this is 32-bit or 64-bit? Also, has anybody else tried using PlayOnMac to run this?

EDIT: Also tried booting it with PortingKit with no success.

Edited by Marlowe
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