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Heralds of the Third Apocalypse - combat-focused Lovecraftian bronze age tactical RPG from Iron Tower Studio

Infinitron

I post news
Patron
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
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Enjoy the Revolution! Another revolution around the sun that is. Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
https://steamcommunity.com/games/648410/announcements/detail/499439875179675801

Future Plans
As you probably know, our next project will not be a full-scale RPG (like Age of Decadence and Colony Ship). If it's the first time you're reading about it, here's why:

Colony Ship sold well (for an obscure indie RPG), but not enough to pay for a more ambitious and complex sequel. The plan was not to do another story on the same ship, but to continue the story after planetfall. Such a game - such a new world with everything that entails - would have required a bigger team and a much bigger budget. We simply don't have the resources to undertake that now, but hopefully we can come back to it later.

So we're in a situation where we can 'go the distance' and handle a 4-5 year long project, provided we keep the costs low and focus on combat, i.e. a complex tactical RPG. We know that some people will be disappointed, but it's either that or shutting down for good. So let's roll the dice one last time and see what happens.

b713dce8184b6c66a36bdc13363fdd0e3ef4cdcb.png


Keep in mind that we're starting to work on it just now, so many things can and will change over the next few years (and many things will go wrong). The purpose of this post isn't to drum up some excitement but to let you know what we're working on now and what the goals are:

  • Lovecraftian bronze age populated by humans, non-men races, and eldritch horrors
  • Semi-sandbox, roam anywhere but be aware that some dark corners of this land will be more dangerous than others
  • Three mutually exclusive main questlines with plenty of choices (including switching sides)
  • Procedurally-generated quests to keep you entertained
  • Colony Ship style feats (and skill points) on level up plus feats earned in various events.
  • 10-12 character levels plus mastery levels that don't grant any feats.
  • AoD style combat (action points, different attacks, focus on melee) but with a hex grid.
  • Spellcasting (think fighters dabbling in magic rather than DnD wizards unleashing pyrotechnic hell)
  • Crafting and alchemy, AoD style; magic weapons and armor
  • Party size 6, recruit as many as you need if your comrades (or should I say battle brothers?) fall in battle
  • Colony Ship's death timer with feats detailing the worsening effects of your near-death experiences
  • Runes carved into the flesh of your comrades (think Colony Ship's implants)

So, that's the plan. Will we get there? I'd say 50/50, if we're being honest. Unlike the sequel to Colony Ship, this project is actually doable but doable and easy are two different things. Colony Ship will remain the budget generator for this project, so hopefully it will continue selling and see us through.

Now you're up-to-date!
 

Strange Fellow

Peculiar
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4,310
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
I love Iron Tower's approach to marketing.

"This sucks. Do you want good news? Well too bad. We don't have any money, nobody wants to buy our games, we're small and insignificant. We'll be making a game. It's not a great game, it's not what we, or you, or anyone really wants, but it's something to while away our finite time on Earth as we await the cold embrace of death. Take some Prozac and don't get your hopes up."
 

mediocrepoet

Philosoraptor in Residence
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Combatfag: Gold box / Pathfinder
Codex 2012 Codex+ Now Streaming! Enjoy the Revolution! Another revolution around the sun that is. MCA Project: Eternity Divinity: Original Sin 2
I love Iron Tower's approach to marketing.

"This sucks. Do you want good news? Well too bad. We don't have any money, nobody wants to buy our games, we're small and insignificant. We'll be making a game. It's not a great game, it's not what we, or you, or anyone really wants, but it's something to while away our finite time on Earth as we await the cold embrace of death. Take some Prozac and don't get your hopes up."
To be fair, the games are written like that too.
 

Tyranicon

A Memory of Eternity
Developer
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
8,465
(or should I say battle brothers?)

If you make a lovecraftian battle brothers clone, not only will my dick get hard, but I think it has the right recipe for success.

Best of luck.
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,066
Battle Brothers is our inspiration. I think that's the game I enjoyed the most in the last 10 years (and clocked the most hours). Loved those 30+ orc fights.
 

Jinn

Arcane
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
5,606
Battle Brothers is our inspiration. I think that's the game I enjoyed the most in the last 10 years (and clocked the most hours). Loved those 30+ orc fights.
I love this idea. You could have a major hit on your hands if you do this right.
 

Infinitron

I post news
Patron
Staff Member
Joined
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Messages
100,727
Enjoy the Revolution! Another revolution around the sun that is. Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
4,263
RPG Wokedex Strap Yourselves In
Sounds somewhat interesting. There's a ton of Lovecraftian media these days (especially in the board gaming sphere) but not many games set in bronze-age inspired setting.
 

Abu Antar

Turn-based Poster
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Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
14,586
Enjoy the Revolution! Another revolution around the sun that is. Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Interesting. I was almost fearing a text adventure game from previous Vault Dweller posts.

Btw, will it use 2D or 3D graphics?
 

Nikanuur

Arbiter
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Joined
Mar 1, 2021
Messages
1,897
Location
Ngranek
Tower Studios: "We don't have even enough for oats and milk after our last game."
Also Tower Studios: "Stale bread and fried moths caught in the web of our dreams it is, then. Once more into the breach!"
I am sold, man.
 

Turn_BASED

Educated
Joined
Jul 2, 2022
Messages
307
Tower Studios: "We don't have even enough for oats and milk after our last game."
Also Tower Studios: "Stale bread and fried moths caught in the web of our dreams it is, then. Once more into the breach!"
I am sold, man.
In my head all of the Iron Tower devs look like this

MV5BYWNmMjVmZjEtOGYzYS00OWYwLWI0YjMtYTE4ZDE4ZGQyNDdmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_.jpg
 

Anthedon

Arcane
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Joined
Jan 1, 2015
Messages
4,886
Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
Going to check it out for the setting alone.
 

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