KickStarter Sacred Fire - a psychological RPG about romance, loyalty and revenge - now available on Early Access

[cyborgboy95]

 

[poetic]

So yes, as mentioned above ,

Sacred Fire is entering Early Access on October 19th 2021.

Here is the new 'To Be Truly Free' 4K version:


The initial Early Access release will contain the first act of the game, with the other two being added in major releases later down the line.

As always, we aim to involve you, the community, directly in the further development of Sacred Fire, so you can join our discord or visit the Steam forums to leave feedback and share your experience with the game.

Note: Early Access will be in English only, and localization will begin once the story is finished.

Important Demo Update
If you'd like please take the time to check out the new demo update! It should feel like a new experience, one where you worry less and enjoy and immerse yourself into the scenes more.

Based on your feedback, we overhauled the way story steps carry bonuses and penalties, putting you, the player, in control:

Introducing Formative Moments tooltips

You know what’s coming:

Major changes, affecting important attributes, happen on rare clearly marked story steps and come with a warning in the UI:

• You know what penalties choices in these formative moments trigger
• Most penalties can be resisted
• Discovering choices defining your backstory can get you rare bonuses to physical attributes

Item upgrading new screen layout

You know how to fix everything:

Minor penalties can be fixed by using motivation to zero out emotions, or simply by collecting positive relationship experience, wealth and renown. All of these behave in an easily predictable manner.

Major penalties can be fixed by collecting and using upgrade points to upgrade Items, Ideas, Titles, and Insights.

• Ideas can flip to positive statements
• Insights can now be used to spread rumors and gain renown
• Upgrade items easily with a new UI layout

Additionally, UI and tooltips have improved readability and layout in all screens, all focused towards the same goal, of putting you in control, by understanding what's going on and how to influence it.


If you get to play the new demo update, please let me know what you think! Every piece of feedback is appreciated.

 

[HoboForEternity]

will backers get keys during EA?

 

[rusty_shackleford]

no offense intended, but is the woman meant to look uhh.. autistic? idk, she just looks kinda off

 

[poetic]

will backers get keys during EA?

Hello there, yes, backers whose reward tier includes Early Access (Firestarter tier and up) will get Steam keys.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Hmmm.... GOG in the future?

 

[poetic]

Hmmm.... GOG in the future?

Hey there - yes, that's the plan.

 

[Humbaba]

no offense intended, but is the woman meant to look uhh.. autistic? idk, she just looks kinda off

Looks like the average whitoid model to me. Granted, models tend to be a bit autistic.

 

[cyborgboy95]

 

[jackofshadows]

Spoiler

The fuck is this, lmao. Inspired by ancient Caledonia, you say

 

[Infinitron]

https://af.gog.com/game/sacred_fire_a_role_playing_game?as=1649904300

 

[rusty_shackleford]

why did they make half the characters in the screenshots black lol
I mean quite literally, they took the same screenshot and replaced it with a black character

before:

after:

before:

after:

before:

after:

before:

after:

 

[Latro]

Romulus and Remus were black, deal with it whyte boi

 

[poetic]

Spoiler

The fuck is this, lmao. Inspired by ancient Caledonia, you say

That is a customized player character - you are free to create one that appeals to you - you can play the free demo to see how this is implemented.

 

[Latro]

Spoiler

The fuck is this, lmao. Inspired by ancient Caledonia, you say

That is a customized player character - you are free to create one that appeals to you - you can play the free demo to see how this is implemented.

Did you implement Mexicans (Iberians I guess) ,senor?

 

[poetic]

why did they make half the characters in the screenshots black lol
I mean quite literally, they took the same screenshot and replaced it with a black character

Yes, I think those screenshots are good at telling what the game is, and the last update added a different ethnicity to the player character customization, so this was the best way to communicate that. A side note, when you say "they", I just want to clarify this is a solo developer project.

 

[poetic]

Latro I don't know, senor. I tried to pick different faces for the 10 male characters, with currently pale skin, and I plan to add control over skin tone. If you run the demo, can you imagine one of them coming close to what you are looking for if you could control the skin tone, and eyes, and hair color?

 

[udm]

As a person of colour (ugh I hate using this buzz phrase, but I guess it matters here), I don't really care about whether my race/ethnicity is represented so long as the game is good. Neither is it a total deal breaker that players are allowed to create a character who has no place being in a game that mirrors history (at least in this context where it's just the player character), since I'm sure there are insane people out there who will envision themselves as a "black saviour" in a Roman-Caledonian setting or, hypothetically, an "adopted white cracker hero" in an African-inspired land. However, I'd be lying if I didn't say there isn't a slightly sour taste in my mouth, as this feels like a shift away from the authenticity of the setting, and I really am hoping this isn't a sign of more pandering to come...

 

[Nortar]

why did they make half the characters in the screenshots black lol
I mean quite literally, they took the same screenshot and replaced it with a black character

Yes, I think those screenshots are good at telling what the game is, and the last update added a different ethnicity to the player character customization, so this was the best way to communicate that. A side note, when you say "they", I just want to clarify this is a solo developer project.

Speaking about "they". Are there going to be an options to select pronouns on release? I'm pretty sure "they" won't praise it otherwise.

 

[Atrachasis]

Played through the demo twice, so for what it's worth, a couple of random thoughts:

• I really like the fact that the game is trying something new in terms of mechanics. Even the outcome of combat appears to be heavily influenced by a complex interplay of mental stats.
• Made two very different characters, acknowledged that there actually was some branching in the narrative (one of the characters skipped the Roman encounter). That said, the branching seemed limited; the branches appear to converge back onto the main narrative after the encounter. In other words, although there are forks in the road, the game made me walk past the same ones on both playthroughs. Can't tell from the demo if there is going to be any more persistent branching in future chapters. I guess skipping that encounter will have consequences down the road, at the very least because the encounter would have modified some of the stats concerning the relationship between the characters. Any consequences beyond that (i.e., beyond what emerges from the altered stats)? Don't know.
• However, I'm not sure if the gameplay loop would sustain my interest for a longer period. In the end, it seems to consist of a series of scripted encounters with JRPG-like static scenes and CYOA-style multiple-choice interactions. There are plenty of stat and skill checks behind the choices, and you can apply modifiers depending on your current mental stats (such as your reservoir of 'motivation points'). In the end, I fear it boils down to picking the choice that represents a compromise between your personal choice and success probability, and deciding whether to boost it further to achieve the desired outcome. It's hard to see fear, anger, and motivation as strategic resources because they are not under your direct control. So the actual player agency seems limited - there's obviously a very complex machinery ticking underneath, but relatively few knobs to twiddle.
• The somewhat monotonous interaction loop, coupled with the complete absence of exploration and the limited scope of the branching (judging from the demo) might limit the replay value. It might be interesting to see how two very different characters evolve though the story, but the demo doesn't really entice me sufficiently to play through these first encounters multiple times just to see if the main plot diverges at some point in later chapters.
  
• Oh, and I really feel you're pandering too much to modern audiences by having the characters converse in modern English. That's an immersion breaker if I ever saw one! Can't have that. When the game releases, I hope that all dialogue willl have been redone in some sort of early Gaelic dialect.
• P.S.: Come to think about it, with the scripted scenes and limited player interaction, it feels like a bit like a JRPG on steroids, the steroids being the dice rolls underlying the interactions. JRPGs aren't really my cup of tea, but mileage may vary for someone with a strong affinity for JRPGs

 

[Salvo]

As a person of colour (ugh I hate using this buzz phrase, but I guess it matters here), I don't really care about whether my race/ethnicity is represented so long as the game is good. Neither is it a total deal breaker that players are allowed to create a character who has no place being in a game that mirrors history (at least in this context where it's just the player character), since I'm sure there are insane people out there who will envision themselves as a "black saviour" in a Roman-Caledonian setting or, hypothetically, an "adopted white cracker hero" in an African-inspired land. However, I'd be lying if I didn't say there isn't a slightly sour taste in my mouth, as this feels like a shift away from the authenticity of the setting, and I really am hoping this isn't a sign of more pandering to come...

Author had to cave in
Imagine the shitshow were there not the possibility to have a dark skintone in this day and age

 

[poetic]

Played through the demo twice, so for what it's worth, a couple of random thoughts:

• I really like the fact that the game is trying something new in terms of mechanics. Even the outcome of combat appears to be heavily influenced by a complex interplay of mental stats.
• Made two very different characters, acknowledged that there actually was some branching in the narrative (one of the characters skipped the Roman encounter). That said, the branching seemed limited; the branches appear to converge back onto the main narrative after the encounter. In other words, although there are forks in the road, the game made me walk past the same ones on both playthroughs. Can't tell from the demo if there is going to be any more persistent branching in future chapters. I guess skipping that encounter will have consequences down the road, at the very least because the encounter would have modified some of the stats concerning the relationship between the characters. Any consequences beyond that (i.e., beyond what emerges from the altered stats)? Don't know.
• However, I'm not sure if the gameplay loop would sustain my interest for a longer period. In the end, it seems to consist of a series of scripted encounters with JRPG-like static scenes and CYOA-style multiple-choice interactions. There are plenty of stat and skill checks behind the choices, and you can apply modifiers depending on your current mental stats (such as your reservoir of 'motivation points'). In the end, I fear it boils down to picking the choice that represents a compromise between your personal choice and success probability, and deciding whether to boost it further to achieve the desired outcome. It's hard to see fear, anger, and motivation as strategic resources because they are not under your direct control. So the actual player agency seems limited - there's obviously a very complex machinery ticking underneath, but relatively few knobs to twiddle.
• The somewhat monotonous interaction loop, coupled with the complete absence of exploration and the limited scope of the branching (judging from the demo) might limit the replay value. It might be interesting to see how two very different characters evolve though the story, but the demo doesn't really entice me sufficiently to play through these first encounters multiple times just to see if the main plot diverges at some point in later chapters.
  
• Oh, and I really feel you're pandering too much to modern audiences by having the characters converse in modern English. That's an immersion breaker if I ever saw one! Can't have that. When the game releases, I hope that all dialogue willl have been redone in some sort of early Gaelic dialect.
• P.S.: Come to think about it, with the scripted scenes and limited player interaction, it feels like a bit like a JRPG on steroids, the steroids being the dice rolls underlying the interactions. JRPGs aren't really my cup of tea, but mileage may vary for someone with a strong affinity for JRPGs

Thank you for sharing your experience with the demo, I appreciate it. To address some points you touch on:

Yes, there is real story branching in the Early Access build, after the intro scenes, so you play trough different scenes for 50% of the time

Yes, you are correct the game is an evolved CYOA (or JRPG without repetitive combat), and that's the very purpose of the demo, to let people try it for themselves:

- and some people will say: that's not enough for me, where is the exploration and the position-based turn-based combat - and not buy the game. And that's perfectly fine.
- and others will say, ok, I get to explore more story in less time - and buy the game.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...ogical-rpg-about-revenge-and-lo/posts/3333505

Early Access is Live! Character Art Ethnicity Update

Dear backers

Sacred Fire is now available in Early Access. It's been a couple of crazy days, with a last-minute change to release 1 day earlier.

I'll be sending out a reward-fulfillment questionnaire first thing tomorrow, on the 19th as mentioned in the last update, where everyone can specify if they want the game on Steam or GoG.

It's been a long wait, so I appreciate your patience.

• the Early access play-through is approximately 2 hours long, depending on the path you take. This represents the 1st of 3 acts of the story.
• there are 2 distinct branches and many variants how to solve each scene
• further differences in play-throughs come from playing a male or a female protagonist, as it changes the relationship dynamic with key characters
• there is complete voice-over, and a basic music and sound effects implementation
• there is some character customization, but it will be expanded, and you can expect overall improvements in character and location art and polish

CHARACTER ART ETHNICITY UPDATE

The journey is of course far from over. For the Early Access, we managed to prepare the first character customization update, with many more to come - this one allows you to select African ethnicity for your player character.

As the story defines your mother was a stranger who found refuge north of the Wall, you are an outsider to some people no matter the way you look, so creating a character based on your preference will not penalize you in the game.

Please let us know what you think.

Kind regards,

Andrej

 

[jackofshadows]

Please let us know what you think.

This is terrible (and shameful). To twist the narrative (I must admit though, coming up with any at all explanation to why certain ethnicity has been added as an available one to customizable for MC is above many other similar intances) like this means revoking the only thing I found earlier appealing about this game: the pseudo-historical setting revolving around Celts vs Romans. "Good" job.

 

[Ibn Sina]

How many endings are possible? Can you get captured by Romans in the first act? It definitely should be possible. If you get caught by slavers. Also high beauty should not just be a positive thing, it should have negative consequences also, like making you a desired target for slavers.