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

[jdinatale]

Where on God's Earth did you get the idea that a "narrative rpg" would be a good idea?

The characters look like they have an advanced form of autism:

 

[poetic]

Hey everyone, it's been too long, but the good news is Sacred Fire is alive and well!

This is our new teaser showing gameplay, visuals and storytelling, voiced by Doug Cockle, the voice of the Witcher:



Steam Greenlight Concepts: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=800757379
If you like what you see, up-vote us! Every vote counts! We are already #1 Most Popular This Week, your up-vote can help us to get the coveted 5-star rating. Thank you!

Check out our new website: http://www.SacredFireGame.com
Subscribe and be the first in line to get Early Bird discounts when we launch a Kickstarter campaign in March 2017!

Thank you!

 

[Infinitron]

“Can’t wait to check it out.”
—Chris Avellone, Torment

“Intriguing and well polished.”
—Vince Weller, Age of Decadence

Of course you do.

DarkUnderlord Crooked Bee, give this gentleman a badge (Poetic Studio)

 

[Felix]

Just watched the trailer, the narrative sounds like something geralt would actually say.

 

[poetic]

Thank you for your kind words, it means a lot!

There is a whole blog post about how we ended up with Doug Cockle, the voice of the Witcher in our game teaser: https://www.sacredfiregame.com/2016/12/ ... lt-teaser/

 

[poetic]

Please help me decide: should I create an entirely new post from scratch for Sacred Fire as it is now in 2016, or should I maintain this thread that started in 2014 and contains the original screenshots and information? Does the original content add value, to see how the game progressed, or is this thread in the current state confusing to fresh eyes? Thank you for your feedback.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Please help me decide: should I create an entirely new post from scratch for Sacred Fire as it is now in 2016, or should I maintain this thread that started in 2014 and contains the original screenshots and information? Does the original content add value, to see how the game progressed, or is this thread in the current state confusing to fresh eyes? Thank you for your feedback.

Use the thread, might as well.

 

[poetic]

ERYFKRAD Ok, thanks!

Here is a first look at how the Romans look in-game, from a duel scene with a Centurion:

In Sacred Fire you can engage in combat or avoid it and seek non-lethal ways how to reach your goals and solve conflicts.

 

[anus_pounder]

Day 1 purchase for sure. This will be great, I have a feeling in my bones.

 

[Lexxx20]

Posting here to track all the future updates. Game looks very promising!

 

[poetic]

Thank you for the support, it's greatly appreciated! Some eye candy for the weekend:

 

[poetic]

Hello everyone!

I feel like it would be good to explain better what we mean by 'a psychological RPG' and most of all what the point of using a psychological personality model is and how it changes the gaming experience.

The point of using a numeric personality model is to connect story choices and combat actions to make them support each other:

Choice Making

We use the personality model to make the player's interaction with the story tactical. Choices, and their consequences, are the core elements of Sacred Fire:

• You have to earn the right to make a tough call

If a story choice you want to make is out-of-character or simply tough for the personality you’ve developed, you need to pass a probability check. To boost your chances you can use willpower points.

As a reward, making a tough choice develops your personality and helps you level up.

• Ideas shape your character as much as actions

Inner monologue give the player’s character the ability to interpret and comment on what’s happening in the story. What are your thoughts on failure, injustice, or brutality in a scene? What is the motive behind your choice to help someone?

It’s your interpretation and motives that affect your character’s empathy, create guilt or strengthen your ideals.

• You always know the consequences of a choice

We never mislead the player into a wrong choice. Our goal is to create an experience where the player always has a smart option out of a tough spot. Notice a trap, sense an ambush, spot a hidden blade, make a leap of faith. You just need to have the will to make the extra effort to actually use it.

• You have to earn the right to change the story

You do not start out as a leader; you have to compete for influence within the group of potential rivals or allies. NPCs don’t just get angry if they don’t agree with your choices. They have their own agendas and will try to undermine your choices.

Combat

The combat in Sacred Fire blends powerful storytelling moments, personality tests, and turn-based tactical moves into one flow.

Each turn the player chooses one of four goals of your attack or defense: survive, provoke, intimidate and gain renown. However, a wide variety of different actions result from these four goals based on by how much you overshoot the probability check.

• If the goal is to survive, you will defend and attack in the most efficient manner, affecting hit points only.
• To provoke, you can taunt the opponent, parry like you were sparring with a child, or play nasty and hit a sensitive place.
• To intimidate, you can split objects in half, shoot an warning arrow, or take a hit without nudging.
• To gain renown, you will intentionally dodge in the last possible moment, block arrows without dodging, or pull off a devastating attack.

• You have to control your emotions to perform optimally in combat

Fear weakens your attacks. Anger makes you ignore your defense. Save your willpower points; you will need them to help you keep your cool. This way you can intimidate, provoke, and wear out your opponent.

• Equipment doesn’t win a fight. It only sets the stage

Collecting and crafting beautiful items is important, but not only for the protection they provide. Items such as armor also affect how comfortable and confident you feel, and how memorable, attractive, and menacing you appear to NPCs.

But what wins a fight is using your willpower to overcome fear. Use these willpower points to boost your chances of keeping your cool, to ignore pain, and to regain self-control when you go beyond your physical ability.

• Letting the opponent attack you from behind is a valid tactic

We’ve all seen the scene. The hero stands still, the opponents circle him, and the hero dodges in the last moment. It’s good storytelling, but horrible tactics.

What makes this a valid tactic in Sacred Fire is that IF you pull it off, a display of confidence and skill like that intimidates your opponents and affects their performance. Furthermore, showing control and courage like that will earn you the respect of NPCs.

• You can win the game without killing

All fights have context within the story, and a winning condition other than defeating the opponent. In some, if you can gain enough respect through displays of skill, your opponent will give up, or you can intimidate them into fleeing. In others all you have to do is survive until help arrives. Combat in Sacred Fire is all about the tactical choices that you make.

The game AI recognizes if you choose not to land a decisive hit, or if you do not use lethal-force in combat at all. All NPCs you fight have complex agendas and their own survival is high on their list. They will rarely fight till their last breath.
The writing also gives options how to avoid, prevent or end a fight before it gets out of control.

If you like what we are doing, up-vote us on Steam Greenlight Concepts: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=800757379

 

[prodigydancer]

Posting here to track all the future updates. Game looks very promising!

+1

 

[anvi]

Someone make me Banner Saga without any dialogue and I will buy the shit out of it.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Is going berserk a possible tactic?

 

[vonAchdorf]

Choice Making

We use the personality model to make the player's interaction with the story tactical. Choices, and their consequences, are the core elements of Sacred Fire:

• You have to earn the right to make a tough call

If a story choice you want to make is out-of-character or simply tough for the personality you’ve developed, you need to pass a probability check. To boost your chances you can use willpower points.

• You always know the consequences of a choice

We never mislead the player into a wrong choice. Our goal is to create an experience where the player always has a smart option out of a tough spot. Notice a trap, sense an ambush, spot a hidden blade, make a leap of faith. You just need to have the will to make the extra effort to actually use it.

• You have to earn the right to change the story

You do not start out as a leader; you have to compete for influence within the group of potential rivals or allies. NPCs don’t just get angry if they don’t agree with your choices. They have their own agendas and will try to undermine your choices.

Combat

The combat in Sacred Fire blends powerful storytelling moments, personality tests, and turn-based tactical moves into one flow.

Each turn the player chooses one of four goals of your attack or defense: survive, provoke, intimidate and gain renown. However, a wide variety of different actions result from these four goals based on by how much you overshoot the probability check.

• If the goal is to survive, you will defend and attack in the most efficient manner, affecting hit points only.
• To provoke, you can taunt the opponent, parry like you were sparring with a child, or play nasty and hit a sensitive place.
• To intimidate, you can split objects in half, shoot an warning arrow, or take a hit without nudging.
• To gain renown, you will intentionally dodge in the last possible moment, block arrows without dodging, or pull off a devastating attack.

• You have to control your emotions to perform optimally in combat

Fear weakens your attacks. Anger makes you ignore your defense. Save your willpower points; you will need them to help you keep your cool. This way you can intimidate, provoke, and wear out your opponent.

• Equipment doesn’t win a fight. It only sets the stage

Collecting and crafting beautiful items is important, but not only for the protection they provide. Items such as armor also affect how comfortable and confident you feel, and how memorable, attractive, and menacing you appear to NPCs.

But what wins a fight is using your willpower to overcome fear. Use these willpower points to boost your chances of keeping your cool, to ignore pain, and to regain self-control when you go beyond your physical ability.

• Letting the opponent attack you from behind is a valid tactic

We’ve all seen the scene. The hero stands still, the opponents circle him, and the hero dodges in the last moment. It’s good storytelling, but horrible tactics.

What makes this a valid tactic in Sacred Fire is that IF you pull it off, a display of confidence and skill like that intimidates your opponents and affects their performance. Furthermore, showing control and courage like that will earn you the respect of NPCs.

• You can win the game without killing

All fights have context within the story, and a winning condition other than defeating the opponent. In some, if you can gain enough respect through displays of skill, your opponent will give up, or you can intimidate them into fleeing. In others all you have to do is survive until help arrives. Combat in Sacred Fire is all about the tactical choices that you make.

The game AI recognizes if you choose not to land a decisive hit, or if you do not use lethal-force in combat at all. All NPCs you fight have complex agendas and their own survival is high on their list. They will rarely fight till their last breath.
The writing also gives options how to avoid, prevent or end a fight before it gets out of control.

If you like what we are doing, up-vote us on Steam Greenlight Concepts: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=800757379

Lots of interesting stuff in here. For some, I wonder how they'll feel when actually playing the game.

 

[poetic]

Is going berserk a possible tactic?

Yes, going berserk is a valid tactic and one solution how to avoid fear taking over, as there can be only one dominant emotion. You forfeit defense, but it's still better than freezing in fear and getting slaughtered anyway. As all efforts, intentionally letting rage take over costs you willpower. Characters with a lot of anger bottled inside will have an easier time 'unleashing the beast', but will have a hard time putting the reigns back on! So you could keep raging after there is no opponent left to fight and harm your allies. Or hack the long dead opponent to pieces, which can evoke disgust in some allies, other may fear you or consider unreliable, and yet others will enjoy the carnage. And when the next bog group decision comes, your influence within the group will be different than before.

Thank you! We have spent years prototyping and iterating the UI, the rule set and the flow, so we have ironed out how to make a design enabling this kind of blending tactical combat choices and relationships/story consequences. We have also planned a long beta-testing period to fine-tune and polish the feel of the game once the story is complete.

 

[anus_pounder]

This looks good. Any release date or at least a pre-purchase date?

 

[poetic]

This looks good. Any release date or at least a pre-purchase date?

Thank you! We're going to Kickstarter in March 2017. There's going to be a playable version shortly after the Kickstarter campaign.

 

[agris]

This looks good. Any release date or at least a pre-purchase date?

Thank you! We're going to Kickstarter in March 2017. There's going to be a playable version shortly after the Kickstarter campaign.

For your own success, consider having a playable version at launch. For unknown developers, having a playable demo is a huge boon to campaigns.

 

[anvi]

at launch. For unknown developers, having a playable demo

Just having a playable game at launch would make it pretty unique these days.

 

[poetic]

For your own success, consider having a playable version at launch. For unknown developers, having a playable demo is a huge boon to campaigns.

Just having a playable game at launch would make it pretty unique these days.

Yes, that's a great point. It's an important decision to make and we've been contemplating it for some time. Given our capacities, we've decided for the Kickstarter first and the playable version later (we're targeting summer 2017). We don't want to rush the preview and we want to make it representative of the final gameplay experience. For Kickstarter, we will have a longer gameplay trailer showing combat, politics, ambushes, group battles, boss fights and relationship dynamics. We also want to incorporate Kickstarter community feedback to make the preview version as good as it can be.

 

[agris]

For your own success, consider having a playable version at launch. For unknown developers, having a playable demo is a huge boon to campaigns.

Just having a playable game at launch would make it pretty unique these days.

Yes, that's a great point. It's an important decision to make and we've been contemplating it for some time. Given our capacities, we've decided for the Kickstarter first and the playable version later (we're targeting summer 2017). We don't want to rush the preview and we want to make it representative of the final gameplay experience. For Kickstarter, we will have a longer gameplay trailer showing combat, politics, ambushes, group battles, boss fights and relationship dynamics. We also want to incorporate Kickstarter community feedback to make the preview version as good as it can be.

Understandable, you know your business better than me.

I can only speak as a consumer. I've never heard of you, and if I hadn't stumbled on this thread (aka I'm the 99.7% that aren't codexers) I would be less likely to give you cash. Having something standalone I can play, even if it's just a single encounter using a predesigned character, would help convince me you aren't the next That Which Sleeps or whatever. Granted, I understand you want to avoid the opposite - putting people off based on design elements that aren't anywhere near settled. It's a double-edged sword.

Good luck, I'll be backing you when you launch.

 

[poetic]

Understandable, you know your business better than me.

I can only speak as a consumer. I've never heard of you, and if I hadn't stumbled on this thread (aka I'm the 99.7% that aren't codexers) I would be less likely to give you cash. Having something standalone I can play, even if it's just a single encounter using a predesigned character, would help convince me you aren't the next That Which Sleeps or whatever. Granted, I understand you want to avoid the opposite - putting people off based on design elements that aren't anywhere near settled. It's a double-edged sword.

Good luck, I'll be backing you when you launch.

Thank you, Agris, for your feedback. It's an invaluable insight into how gamers and backers think about new projects. But you also understand the dilemma. We want to be open and communicate proactively to build trust. We've worked with Doug Cockle (the voice of The Witcher) on our trailer and Chris Avellone gave us a very encouraging quote after he had learned about Sacred Fire. We're serious about the game and we will deliver.

Thank you for your support! It really means a lot to us.

 

[poetic]

It's Screenshot Saturday, so here you go, a new screenshot from Sacred Fire. If you feel like smashing an axe to get some order into politics these days!