KickStarter Prometheus Wept - turn-based RPG from Vigilantes developer - Demo Available

[gurugeorge]

Timeslip you should check out TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children when you get the chance -- if you can get past the anime aesthetics. The premise is similar to Vigilantes with a higher budget, but it has a lot of interesting mechanics.

I've been meaning to try it. I don't mind the visuals of anime, but I find the tone of a number of games which lean into the anime thing fairly unbearable. Is is as bad as Valkyria Chronicles 4?

Nah it's not really that kind of anime. The in-game combat graphics are "realistic" like nuXCOM, the anime is only in the static image cutscenes that tell the story - and it's fairly mild as anime goes (and actually rather nicely drawn).

Gameplay-wise it's excellent, blending the boardgame-like gameplay of nuXCOM with a dynamic action queue inspired by FF Tactics. It also has a deep, fascinating build system that uses what one might call feat-bundles ("masteries") that you get by "learning" them off mobs you defeat.

It's also ridiculous value for money, as it's a long game with lots of systems to play with.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Premise sounds a bit similar to Quantum Thief, even if QT is more sci-fi setting than post-apoc.

Worth a read? I really enjoyed Neuromancer snow and Snow Crash, which have similar concepts.

I liked it, but I haven't read Neuromancer or Snow Crash.
Next sci-fi I'll buy will be some Heinlein and then I probably check some Russian sci-fi.

 

[Timeslip]

It's a good game. And it's Korean so it's not as animu as can be.

Nah it's not really that kind of anime. The in-game combat graphics are "realistic" like nuXCOM, the anime is only in the static image cutscenes that tell the story - and it's fairly mild as anime goes (and actually rather nicely drawn).

Gameplay-wise it's excellent, blending the boardgame-like gameplay of nuXCOM with a dynamic action queue inspired by FF Tactics. It also has a deep, fascinating build system that uses what one might call feat-bundles ("masteries") that you get by "learning" them off mobs you defeat.

It's also ridiculous value for money, as it's a long game with lots of systems to play with.

I'll give it a go. I really liked the gameplay of Valkyria Chronicles 4, but the characters and dialogue were intolerable - thought Troubleshooter might be along a similar line.

 

[Timeslip]

I liked it, but I haven't read Neuromancer or Snow Crash.
Next sci-fi I'll buy will be some Heinlein and then I probably check some Russian sci-fi.

Roadside Picnic is interesting.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

https://steamcommunity.com/app/1208110/discussions/0/3057366506614992041/

Hey Fluff Bunny! Thanks for the vote of confidence - I think PW will be deeper, more refined, with a greater emphasis on story, so it should be better It's possible that some may prefer the theme of Vigilantes, but PW will offer a different take on the typical nuclear war / pandemic / ecological disaster scenario which serves as the basis for most post apoc games.

In terms of visual customisation, the plan is to have a couple of character models (M/F) which allow you to adjust skin tone. Also, armour will change on the 3D models, based on what's equipped. Mechanically, while there will be some changes, the character system will be similar. One improvement will be that instead of each ally having 1 unique perk, they will have between 4-8 each.

 

[Timeslip]

Demo isn't far off at this stage - it's weeks away rather than months.

 

[Timeslip]

Hey all. The demo is effectively complete at this stage. It has the first combat area of the game, plus a system infiltration example, which allows you to send one character into a computer system to manipulate the real world systems it control, while the rest of your team defends them. Expect it soon.

I've also been working on the Kickstarter campaign. It's not ready to go, but there's a pre-launch page, which you can sign up to if you'd like a notification when it goes live.

 

[Timeslip]

If you're interested in the music for Prometheus Wept, here's links to some of the tracks. Last time, the music was mainly carefully selected stock music with a couple of licensed tracks. This time, it will primarily be music licensed directly from indie musicians. I listen to a lot of music on Soundcloud when working, and once in a while, one catches my ear. Here are two that did, and I still really like after listening to them obsessively on and off for 1 year+. What you think?

Mother / Ocean of Lies

 

[udm]

Not big on Mother (too 'dark' for me), but Ocean of Lies is cool. Probably going to sound like a noob when I say I don't listen to a lot of synthwave, but I do like Kavinsky a lot, and Ocean of Lies has that vibe.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Mother sounds something that fits into post-apoc setting.

 

[Timeslip]

Not big on Mother (too 'dark' for me), but Ocean of Lies is cool. Probably going to sound like a noob when I say I don't listen to a lot of synthwave, but I do like Kavinsky a lot, and Ocean of Lies has that vibe.

Hey udm - like what I've heard of Kavinsky. I'd lean more towards the darker stuff, but some of it goes too far and tips over from aggressive to obnoxious to listen to.

Mother sounds something that fits into post-apoc setting.

Hi Taka-Haradin puolipeikko - At the minute, it's being used for the main menu and for system infiltration - there's a lot of nice electronic effects which made it seem like a good fit for the latter. I had planned on launching the demo with more music, but for one reason or another, have had to postpone licensing tracks.

 

[Timeslip]

Demo will probably be out tomorrow.

 

[Timeslip]

Here's the demo. Unzip the file and go into the folder. Run PrometheusWept.exe - let me know what you think!

Prometheus Wept is a party and action point turn based RPG set in a near-future, post technology Earth. The game offers hardcore squad-level combat, meaningful choices, deep character progression and an advanced crafting system. You can find out more about the game on the Steam page or sign up to the Kickstarter pre-launch here. The demo is 64bit windows. Mac and Linux testing will occur soon.

The demo includes the first combat area and a demo of the system infiltration mechanic, which allows a character to enter a computer system and hijack the real world systems (such as doors, defenses) it controls, while allies protect them from enemies in the physical world.

 

[Timeslip]

It seems that the demo is not linked on Indie DB yet. Will update when it's available!

 

[Abu Antar]

Will you release it on Steam?

 

[Timeslip]

Will you release it on Steam?

Yes - there's a bit more work involved for Steam, so it will probably be a couple of days. Demo is live on Indie DB now. Just checked - you don't seem to need an account to download from there.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Encountered a bug.

Spoiler

Characters can move into same tile.

 

[Abu Antar]

Nah, they're just hugging it out, like real bros.

 

[Timeslip]

Encountered a bug.

Any idea how you got that to happen?

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

Changing audio volume does nothing.

 

[Timeslip]

Just recreated it - it's an attack move.

 

[Timeslip]

Changing audio volume does nothing.

Hey! Music or Sound or both It's working okay within Unity, may be a build issue.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

Changing audio volume does nothing.

Hey! Music or Sound or both It's working okay within Unity, may be a build issue.

It does not work in main menu but it does work in game.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

I will list all problems I found in this demo, hope this will help you:

- Walking seems pretty awkward. There is like a second delay between issuing movement command and character moving, which is mega irritating. It's caused by character rotating towards destination. Using combat grid cursor as an out of combat movement cursor makes this feel even more awkward, the cursor is bigger than characters.
- No hp bar out of combat makes checking if you need to heal yourself a pain. You also should be able to use healing items from inventory when you are out of combat.
- You need to add to options an option to disable dialogue typing effect. It's mega irritating.
- Mouse camera scrolling is disabled by default? WTF?
- Walking range orange line is difficult to see in the cyberspace
- After capturing turret in cyberspace it is not eliminated from combat queue wasting time on camera movement during enemy turn
- Icons "reload, switch attack, overwatch" should have a reversed order. You will use reload a lot, so it being more on the right means you will be able to access it quicker. The fact that end turn button is on the opposite side of screen is also a problem, it forces me to do w hole screen of an unnecessary mouse movement.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

I liked that you have Dragonfall style cyberspace/meatspace simultaneous battle and that a cover is destructible.