Archaelund (now updated with screenshots and video!)

[DavidBVal]

Steam page: Archaelund on Steam

As you'll probably know, development of Exiled Kingdoms is officially complete with version 1.2 and even if development continues in the years to come, right now my focus is on my next game: Archaelund.

About Archaelund

First of all, Archaelund is not a sequel to Exiled Kingdoms, but a completely standalone game set in the EK world. It's a far bigger, more complex and ambitious game. I won't be holding anything back here, since the success of Exiled Kingdoms gives me the freedom to develop this game without making any compromises. Or that's the plan, at least

Archaelund will be a game targeted at the PC platform, which will try to bring back the old flavor of the Golden Era of RPGs, pretty much like I tried to do with EK on mobile. A mobile release is possible, and it might be released on some popular consoles as well. However my priority is to make it a perfect PC game, and I won't limit functionality, design or scope because of other platforms; at this point the only thing I can confirm 100% is the PC release, although I am aware of the EK mobile fanbase and will do my best to have a mobile release as well.

You'll control a full party of adventurers, and explore the broken lands of the vast continent of Andoria, home of the fallen Empire. The Exiled Kingdoms are claiming the shores of their mythical Homeland, but they'll find the region is not as deserted as they expected... prepare yourself to be inmersed in dozens of small plots and quests over a large world map once again, and to face a main plot of epic proportions (no, really!).

The game will feature a very unique combination of real-time exploration and careful turn-based strategy during encounters; you'll explore the world in first-person perspective in a 3D world, much like in the Elder Scrolls games or in the classic Wizardry or Might&Magic games. But battles will happen in isometric perspective! When combat begins the camera floats up to offer a top-down view of the scene, so you can individually move your party members. The idea is to have the best of both worlds: an immersive exploration and tactical combat at the same time, allowing huge epic battles. As far as I know, no modern RPG has done this before; classical games like Pool of Radiance or Betrayal at Krondor did, but in a very limited way and using much simpler graphics.

I'm developing a full-fledged rule system called Geryon for this game, with dozens of classes, skills and a huge list of spells and abilities. Still I'm carefully designing the progression to make it intuitive and quick to understand. The combinations of races, classes and builds will be immense, so it's impossible to have everything on your party in a single playthrough.

Content will be, as you probably imagine, an important part of the game. Expect the same open-world design, and the same weird combination of seriousness and silly humor and themes you "enjoyed" in EK; yeah, I am afraid the terrible jokes stay, and might get even worse. I already have a large list of ideas for side-quests, and a very interesting plot in mind for the main quest as well; when all is said and done I'll try to have a game that spans over 100h for the "completionist" player.

 

[p4ran0id]

Re: Information about my next game (preliminary!)

That sounds awesome! Can't wait to play that, maybe I have to freeze myself till it's out

https://youtu.be/raTts-iGixU

 

[Xen]

Re: Information about my next game (preliminary!)

I'm still hoping for character customization and item aesthetic. Just like you mentioned Elder Scrolls, i'm imagining the combat system to be somewhat Skyrim-like, Dragon Age II or something like JRPGs such as Chaos Rings or Final Fantasy.

 

[DavidBVal]

Re: Information about my next game (preliminary!)

I'm still hoping for character customization and item aesthetic.

Indeed characters will be visually customizable and gear will be far more varied than in EK, and that'll be one of the advantages of moving to 3D. Same thing with animations, particles, etc. Exiled Kingdoms is not as varied in that regard because it's a 2D game, which makes it very hard and resource-eating because all sprites need to be pre-rendered and kept in a texture, then every texture is used to compose the image of a character, like in children's paperdolls.

Have a look even at all-time-great 2D isometric games like Baldur's Gate or Arcanum; their character sprites are just a little more varied than EK's. A few years later on the first 3D titles in the mid 2000s, the variety of visuals is multiplied because in a 3D game adding new models and animations is much simpler.

I'll miss the charm from 2D though!

 

[VDX_360]

Re: About my next game (preliminary info!)

... the community gathered here is pretty much like a family,

Family therapy sessions happen on the 3rd Monday of the month.

 

[VDX_360]

Re: About my next game (preliminary info!)

...When combat begins the camera floats up to offer a top-down view of the scene...

Will combat be triggered by unseen random encounters (like a lot of RPGs) or by getting within a certain distance of monsters you can see (and avoid?) in the 3D view?

 

[DavidBVal]

Re: About my next game (preliminary info!)

Will combat be triggered by unseen random encounters (like a lot of RPGs) or by getting within a certain distance of monsters you can see (and avoid?) in the 3D view?

Sometimes you'll be able to see (or hear) them and avoid them, or even surprise then. They won't spawn out of nowhere. But in indoors areas visibility will make it harder.

 

[past caring]

Re: About my next game (preliminary info!)

David - it's an old game now (1998 I think). But you might want to look at Jagged Alliance 2. No wizardry or magic - it's a near future RPG where you're liberating a country fallen into the clutches of an evil dictator - but has a great deal of what you're after I think. It's so good I am still replaying it 20 years later. You'd love it I think - as would many here - even if it doesn't give you ideas...

 

[DavidBVal]

Re: About my next game (preliminary info!)

David - it's an old game now (1998 I think). But you might want to look at Jagged Alliance 2. No wizardry or magic - it's a near future RPG where you're liberating a country fallen into the clutches of an evil dictator - but has a great deal of what you're after I think. It's so good I am still replaying it 20 years later. You'd love it I think - as would many here - even if it doesn't give you ideas...

You, sir, have an excellent taste for games

I am a huge fan of JA2. Just replayed it this summer, and yes, in part as a source of inspiration. Such incredible games never get old...

IMHO It has the best turn-based combat system ever (together with Temple of Elemental Evil, which I also replayed recently).

 

[p4ran0id]

Re: About my next game (preliminary info!)

It would be awesome if you could do something like xenoblate chronicles, it combined Realtime and turn-based battles really awesome. The battle itself is Realtime but you can use special moves etc during that (turn-based) that's a really nice combo IMHO