Information Telepath Tactics Alpha Demo Available

[Crooked Bee]

Tags: Kickstarter; Sinister Design; Telepath Tactics

Sinister Design's Craig Stern writes in to inform us that Telepath Tactics, a tactical RPG currently running its Kickstarter campaign, now has an alpha demo available:

Telepath Tactics now has a free alpha demo showing off the unique character-pushing, object-building, enemy-drowning features that make this turn-based tactical RPG so special. After a short tutorial battle, you'll head right into a larger mission where you must head across a river and capture a heavily guarded weapons depot from the forces of Garrett the Impaler.

Here's the demo:

WINDOWS DEMO - http://www.sinisterdesign.net/_Public_KS_Demo/a094rfnsdv9/Telepath Tactics (Public Demo).exe

MAC / LINUX DEMO - http://www.sinisterdesign.net/_Public_KS_Demo/a094rfnsdv9/Telepath Tactics (Public Demo).air

(Users will need AIR to install the Mac / Linux demo; Linux users can nab AIR here: http://airdownload.adobe.com/air/lin/download/2.6/AdobeAIRInstaller.bin)

People keep finding new, cool things about Telepath Tactics that I never intended or expected. For instance: last night, a player wrote to me telling me that he'd accidentally discovered that assassins can leap through open windows! How awesome is that? You'll never see that in any other turn-based tactics game. That's the power of developing a game with elegant systems and emergent complexity.​

 

[J1M]

As soon as I saw it asking if I wanted to install Adobe Air, I had a bad feeling.

This demo was a nice idea, but the interface is really not at a point where potential backers/customers should be touching it.

 

[Zed]

the adobe air thing gave me aids.

the graphics are great. I love the sprites. they need to create better grass though. it doesn't tile well at all. the water could do with less ripples.

I liked how the A.I fucked me with a backstab in the tutorial. I was like "the shit? I can do that?" and then I did it. that's good classic intuitive-based design, even if it was completely unintentional.
you should be able to just right-click to attack an enemy in attack range though. too much clickety click. enemies shouldn't just move back and forth if they have nothing to do on their turn either.

being able to build a bridge was cool. I didn't play too much but hopefully you'll be able to alter the battlefield by doing more stuff like that.

this would make for a solid combat system in an RPG with instanced fighting like in a JRPG (except it wouldn't be a JRPG) with smaller battles. Like 16x16 grid, 4v(up to)4 or 6v(up to)6 or something.

I really like the idea of a demo like this. it shows transparency to your (potential) backers.

 

[ColCol]

Craig Stern, I feel, is a very hardworking designer who's products get better with each release. It's a shame he hasn't gained much attention.

 

[Craig Stern]

Thanks ColCol! And Zed, thank you for trying it out; I apologize about the AIDS.

J1M: I'm always taking suggestions for improving the interface, so if you have any particular things you think need changing, please share 'em!

 

[Zed]

it's okay it's not the first time I've contracted aids from games.

the right-click menu looks a little out of place with its windows'y look. that was pretty much the only interface element..? :D buttons and stuff looks fine.
a feel like movement grids always can use an "outline", e.g. : http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/should-i-go-for-pixel-art.77704/page-3#post-2394802
it looks good and helps visually impaired people.

 

[Ion Prothon II]

So, suddenly there can't be even a single game without the kickstarter?

 

[Overboard]

There's always Chaos Chronicles.

 

[Zed]

There's always Chaos Chronicles.

... they ran a kickstarter.

EDIT: oh shit. maybe they didn't.
oh well, "inb4" then.

 

[Craig Stern]

So, suddenly there can't be even a single game without the kickstarter?

Telepath Tactics is getting made with or without Kickstarter: the question is, "Will it get made with an actual budget, or am I going to have to MacGyver this thing together out of the leftover scraps from my paycheck?" (You get two guesses as to which will end up producing a better game.)

 

[MicoSelva]

So, suddenly there can't be even a single game without the kickstarter?

Nah, Call of Duty, Battlefield, Elder Scrolls, and even a few others, seem to do fine without it.

Telepath Tactics is getting made with or without Kickstarter: the question is, "Will it get made with an actual budget, or am I going to have to MacGyver this thing together out of the leftover scraps from my paycheck?" (You get two guesses as to which will end up producing a better game.)

Limitations bring more ingenuity, so it's not that obvious which one of these approaches would produce a better game. I still wish You success in the KS campaign, though.

 

[Zed]

Limitations bring more ingenuity, so it's not that obvious which one of these approaches would produce a better game.

This is a good point. But if it's a matter of say buying sounds and music, and you aren't John Carpenter, you might need to outsource it. Professional outsourcing is only possible with money. Money is more of a production-side aspect rather than creative.

 

[ColCol]

There's always Chaos Chronicles.

... they ran a kickstarter.

EDIT: oh shit. maybe they didn't.
oh well, "inb4" then.

The kickstarter influx has driven Zed mad, and now he's seeing things.

 

[felipepepe]

Just played the demo, gotta say it didn't impress me much... while the sprites are really great (except that the crossbow man and the swordsman look too similar), the map are just too big & plain... it feels dull. I mean, the fort map is 32x32, but is that really necessary & adds something? Just look at this 12x12 Tactics Ogre map:

Spoiler

You're also attacking a fortress, the defenders are clearly in a massive advantage, the water clearly present a risky optional path, and the archers & mage have such a great attack range that they became priority targets that will mow down my troops until slain. Is a 12x12 fort, but is so much more meaningfull and interesting.

Meanwhile, in your game I'm attacking a bandit's fort that had the brigde destroyed, yet it seems I'm in no disavantage whatsoever... In fact, they don't even notice me before I get past the water, and take turns to reach me once I do. Mostly because of how the ranged attacks work and the square grid, a swordsman spearheading into the enemy fortress in a narrow passage is safer than in the open field. In fact, those archers trapped upstairs seem to be the worst positioned enemies; do they even get a bonus attack range?

Also, the fields are open enought that everyone is always backstabing everyone... Tactics Ogre had terrain height to avoid this, and Wesnoth had that "zone of control", but here fights resort in dancing around, switching backs (the turtorial clearly shows that). That makes the assassin reach and one-shot almost everything easily. The ranged attacks are too short too, while the characters can walk far too much in far too big maps... the archer is the longest range character in the game and can walk farther than can shoot... even if an archer shots a swordsman at maximun range, he will be able to reach him next turn (and is one square short of backstabing him!).

Anyway, I know this is still in alpha stage, so this is not a "yur game sucks", but mostly a report of issues I found, and a question on what are your thought on those, Craig Stern.

 

[Ion Prothon II]

So, suddenly there can't be even a single game without the kickstarter?

Nah, Call of Duty, Battlefield, Elder Scrolls, and even a few others, seem to do fine without it.

And what kind of retarded argument is this? We're talking not about an independent game with AAA quality, but something looking like taken from the times of SNES. 25K is quite a sum as a budget for such thing.
I don't get this boom for crowdfunding and I expect things will change drastically after some first major failure.

 

[MicoSelva]

I expect exactly the same thing, but while crowdfunding is there, I don't see why developers, who can use would not take advantage of it. The gaming community will benefit, as the 25K game will be made on a full time schedule in a few months, instead of suffering three years in after-hour development hell and then getting cancelled.

The argument is not as retarded as You imply, if You look a bit deeper and think a little more about it. Large game companies with large audiences (like CoD one) have cash supplies from which they can fund future projects. Small developers usually exist on a contract-to-contract basis, only able to cover current expenses and they do what publishers are willing to pay them to do. Crowd funding allows them to build enough funds to work independently.

 

[Craig Stern]

Anyway, I know this is still in alpha stage, so this is not a "yur game sucks", but mostly a report of issues I found, and a question on what are your thought on those, Craig Stern.

I'll be happy to address some of these points!

(1) Yes, those bowmen do in fact get a bonus to both range and damage. Trapping them up there is a temporary thing until I make the AI favor higher elevations with ranged units.

(2) If you're just swapping backstabs all the time, you're doing it wrong. You should be using formations and choke points to keep from getting flanked; and if there aren't any choke points, you should probably create some (remember, the Engineer can build barricades).

(3) Bowmen can move, attack, and then move again, meaning that they actually have a larger effective range than most units' maximum movement; and in point of fact, a bowman can easily shoot a swordsman at maximum range, then spend its remaining movement points to retreat to safety. Experiment with Kevin a little; I think you'll find that what I say is true. (The enemy doesn't do this, which might be why you didn't notice, but don't worry: that's already a thing on my AI to-do list!)

(4) The assassin's ability to reach and backstab things is her entire raison d'aitre; she'd be a pretty lousy unit if she couldn't! Still, she is probably a bit OP on this map, as it's an early battle featuring enemies that are noticeably weaker than your own characters. (She actually isn't even normally in your roster at this point in the game--I just stuck her in the demo to show off some more mechanics.)

Under normal circumstances, the assassin is designed to be able to one-shot one unit and one unit only: the Psy Healer. (And even then, only then with a Stab attack and only when backstabbing.) In most battles, you have to be judicious with using assassins, as sending them behind enemy lines at an inopportune time will generally get them killed.

 

[felipepepe]

(2) If you're just swapping backstabs all the time, you're doing it wrong. You should be using formations and choke points to keep from getting flanked; and if there aren't any choke points, you should probably create some (remember, the Engineer can build barricades).

May be wrong, but it's working very well...

(3) Bowmen can move, attack, and then move again, meaning that they actually have a larger effective range than most units' maximum movement; and in point of fact, a bowman can easily shoot a swordsman at maximum range, then spend its remaining movement points to retreat to safety. Experiment with Kevin a little; I think you'll find that what I say is true. (The enemy doesn't do this, which might be why you didn't notice, but don't worry: that's already a thing on my AI to-do list!)

Yeah, I didn't realized that.

Still, don't you think most characters have very short ranges for such huge maps, especially since you wanna to have fights in formations? The mapsize/characters range ration really puts me off, it generates a lot of "walking turns", and makes the combat work in clusters, where group of enemies have no impact/can't support other groups; you can easily march on each group with your full party, since there is no reason to split it and take our priority targets... Iimportant tactical decisions like "I'll send quick units to remove the archers and my own archers to take their vantage point while the swordsman and the healer mow down the outside troops"... the massive maps means I can easily walk with the full party, keep everyone at healer range and overwhelm all enemy groups, there is no in-game reason for not doing so.

 

[Craig Stern]

The FF Tactics / Tactics Ogre style of map design has its advantages, but there's very little flexibility in maps like that for choosing the time and place of your engagement with the enemy. I think there's room for both types of maps, personally. There is something I can do that might help speed things up, though: someone suggested that I put a "Rally" feature into the game, where the game quickly auto-moves everyone on your team to the rally point. I think that's a pretty good idea, and I will likely be implementing that to speed up turns spent on positioning.

I do quite like the idea of having to deal with long-range threats on the battlefield, though I don't think bowmen are the right unit for that. Siege weapons would fit the bill better, I think. You've given me something to consider there.

 

[J1M]

We've had some good mechanics discussions on this site in the past. One choice you've made that stands out from the generally accepted wisdom here is the choice to have a turn consist of moving every unit in a faction instead of characters having initiative. Why did you decide to do it that way?

Also, from my limited experience with the game it appeared most (all?) classes shared the same mana mechanic. Is this intentional or something that will be changing? I was expecting the engineer to need to chop down trees for more resources.

Regarding my interface comments:
a) The popups are really annoying, you should move them to a common location in the corner of the screen.
b) The interface looks designed to support tablets as the primary platform. I know this is probably a result of thinking ahead to your android port, but I'm not a fan.
c) Your camera should be using a Cubic/SmoothStep easing curve instead of a Linear one.

You are right to push the deterministic nature of your combat system as a unique feature/selling point. I haven't had the urge to finish reading your blog post about those mechanics, so I can't comment in-depth on them yet.

 

[Apexeon]

By the time I show up for some crowd funding pie it will be all gone .

 

[ColCol]

By the time I show up for some crowd funding pie it will be all gone .

Don't worry bro, have hope.

My Gold is ready for your project!

 

[Craig Stern]

We've had some good mechanics discussions on this site in the past. One choice you've made that stands out from the generally accepted wisdom here is the choice to have a turn consist of moving every unit in a faction instead of characters having initiative. Why did you decide to do it that way?

I absolutely understand the point of an initiative-based system, but it complicates planning something fierce and takes control away from the player in a way that I find somewhat unsatisfying. I prefer whole-team movement to initiative-based, mechanical issues notwithstanding.

I recognize the potential problems with one-team-at-a-time, though (particularly in multiplayer), and am strongly considering adding in an option for chess-style staggered turns where each player can act with only one unit at a time.

Also, from my limited experience with the game it appeared most (all?) classes shared the same mana mechanic. Is this intentional or something that will be changing? I was expecting the engineer to need to chop down trees for more resources.

Energy is a universal system among the character classes. The energy management mechanic is actually one of the ways I mitigate potential problems of whole-team movement: you're forced to weigh carefully who you want to move or act with, and who you want to rest to maximize energy gain. A character who uses a turn-ending skill gains no energy at the start of the next turn; a character who moves but doesn't use a turn-ending skill regains 1 energy; and a character who stays still and does nothing regains 5. It works surprisingly well at producing little dilemmas over the course of a battle.

I imagine that forcing the player to engage in manually harvesting static resources during a battle in order to use basic skills would prolong everything and--ultimately--be a little dull. The only resources you can get off the battlefield are items, which serve two very specific purposes:

• In single player, they serve as optional objectives. (I like sticking them at the far end of a map so that a player who sits back and turtles won't get to them before finishing off all the enemies.)
• In multiplayer, they drop at random, in random locations, and therefore reward map control. (The player with the largest geographical area under his or her control will be the one most likely to grab helpful items, just as a matter of probability.)

Generally: I like the camera smoothing idea. I might just implement that.

 

[Apexeon]

By the time I show up for some crowd funding pie it will be all gone .

Don't worry bro, have hope.

My Gold is ready for your project!

Hope its not World of Warcraft gold.
I am only a level 3 farm hand and can't use level 67 gold until I grind up by pumping pigs, I mean farming .

 

[J1M]

mana

In the demo it is advantageous to skip your first 3 turns, with no drawback for doing so. (Enemies already in position will have full resources by the time you reach them anyway.) Do you plan to address this? Why not just start with full mana to save the hassle?