We are working very hard on the game demo which will show the big first island of the game and most gameplay aspects of the final game. The only things defnitely not in the demo will be the day-night cycle and the NPC schedules.
Currently we are working on:
- finalizing story aspects of the starting island
- quest implementation
- finalizing world building on the starting island
- skill system
- combat system
- interaction menu
The interaction menu pops up when you click on an item that has more than one use. This is where the “Adventure game” part of our project comes in. Our quests will not only be about combat and dialogue but also about combining objects, using objects etc… think Monkey Island (or for younger players: Walking Dead) if you will.
My goal is to combine what I most liked about Ultima and Adventure games. My favorite Ultimas and RPGs in general always had a deep engaging storyline, so did my favorite Adventures. Delivering an engaging storyline that makes you want to know what happens next all the time is the core goal of this project. I want you to experience the story in a way that you won’t have to suffer through long “story-downtimes”, which for me is the worst part of RPG storylines: You love the story but to get the next little glimpse of it you first have to kill 500 monsters and do 3 huge dungeons. That is not part of the design philosophy for Corven. Don’t worry Adventure fans, frustrating illogical puzzles will also not be part of the game, you will always know what to do next and what you need to do will always be logical.
Corven will have 2 game modes. The regular RPG mode and a story mode (or Adventure mode). In story mode you will have far less combat. Only story relevant fights remain and those will be solved in a way that you will not have to deal with the skill system (numbers) at all. Hardcore RPG gamers can call this easy mode, but it is definitely a way for players to enjoy the story without having to deal with numbers (skill system) or combat skills.
I also want to let you know that we will change our company name very soon. More info soon.
Thank you for being interested in our project!
Florian
and of course you’ll get another screenshot:
Interesting! ^_^
The approach that you describe reminds me a little of Quest for Glory, being a mixture of RPG and adventure elements. I’m a big fan of that series, so I do feel that it’s a mix that can work!
A thought: If stats are entirely optional, why not remove them entirely–perhaps replacing them with a character-progression mechanic that’s more adventure-oriented? A system of perks of “traits”, perhaps, that open up new interactions, instead of statistical changes that affect the character’s effectiveness at extant interactions?
For example, a character might gain the perk/trait “great strength”, which allows them to move certain objects tagged as “heavy”, and gives an in-combat ability that tosses a foe some distance away.
You’re changing your company name, you say? What does this mean for this website, and for your “TitansOfEther” Twitter account? Will they disappear, to be replaced by new ones?
I can totally see how you would make the connection to Quest for Glory but it’s not really like that. The Adventuer mode will not make you have to deal with stats and combat. You can enjoy the story and quests/puzzles like in an Adventure game and the RPG mode is way more than Quest for Glory.
Leaving out the whole skill system was smething I thought about too, but then again we promised a RPG and also the skill system is as good as done.
I was actually a guest on the “backseat designers” podcast just now. I try to explain it there too. Maybe you listen to it when it’s out: http://www.backseatdesigners.com/
The twitter account will be renamed. So if you follow it now you will follow it after renaming too. This homepage will have a redirect to the new one for about 8 months.
“The Adventuer mode will not make you have to deal with stats and combat. …”
That much I understand, I believe–I think that I was referring to the “RPG mode” when I thought of Quest for Glory, being another RPG-adventure hybrid.
(And I did say “a little” like Quest for Glory. :P)
“… and the RPG mode is way more than Quest for Glory.”
How so, if I may ask?
“Leaving out the whole skill system was smething I thought about too, but then again we promised a RPG and also the skill system is as good as done.”
The replacement system that I suggested would still be an RPG, I think–I argue that RPGs don’t require stats, just a means of creating a “character build”. Stats are one way of doing that, but by no means the only one, I believe.
However, if the stat system is already all but done, then fair enough!
“I was actually a guest on the “backseat designers” podcast just now. I try to explain it there too. Maybe you listen to it when it’s out: http://www.backseatdesigners.com/”
Ah, interesting! Let us know when it does come out, please! ^_^
“The twitter account will be renamed. So if you follow it now you will follow it after renaming too. This homepage will have a redirect to the new one for about 8 months.”
Ah, fair enough. So the account will remain “@TitansofEther”, but the display-name will be changed, yes? As to the homepage, fair enough! Once the new website is up, I’ll hopefully remember to bookmark it. ^_^
Maybe that came across wrong. Yes Quest for Glory is definitely also a mix of Adventure and RPG and therefore yes it is a little like that 🙂
RPG mode of Corven is different by it not being an Adventure with RPG elements but an RPG with Adventure elements.(you know, open world, party etc…). Then again, in some ways Quest for Glory is more RPG than Corven, for example: we have one set main character because of the storyline. But all that could almost turn into a philosophical discussion 🙂 Maybe to sum it up: Your QfG comparison is not completely off.
I absolutely agree with you that you do not need stats for RPGs, but in this game we go that route.
Both the twitter name and handle will be different (yes twitter allows you to change both) and yet you will still follow the account after renaming even if you started to follow it when it was still called titansofether.
I also hope you (and everyone else) will bookmark the new page once it’s up 🙂
Ah, I think that I understand your meaning better now–thank you for clarifying, and my mistake! ^_^
“… more RPG than Corven, for example: we have one set main character because of the storyline.”
One might argue that this just makes Corven a JRPG. ;P
As to stats, fair enough! Make the game that you want to play, after all. ^_^
As to Twitter, I didn’t know that one could change an account’s “@”-handle, let alone do so keeping any followers associated with the previous handle. Interesting!
As to the new website, if I don’t bookmark it, I daresay that it’s more likely a lack of my remembering than a lack of interest! ^^;