KickStarter SKALD: Against the Black Priory - retro RPG inspired by Ultima

[Tacgnol]

I also have no idea what happened in that ending, not going to spoil anything of course.

It is kinda confusing. This is my understanding of it:

My take on the ending

Father was the old emperor who was mentioned to be a mage of unimaginable/god-like power. He was lying dormant on his... space ship?. Embla was able to see the future, and all possibly alternate realities, and knew that the only way of stopping the Dragon was to sacrifice herself (her energy/her essence) to awaken the old emperor.

(I might be misunderstanding this part...) The reavers were trying to find the right people to sacrifice to awaken him.

In the process of banishing the Dragon, the outer isles are all but destroyed. Protag probably didn't survive the Emperor's awakening, or if they did were probably driven mad in the process. All your other party members are either dead, mad or mutated shells.

 

[mushroomrain]

I also have no idea what happened in that ending, not going to spoil anything of course.

It is kinda confusing. This is my understanding of it:

My take on the ending

Father was the old emperor who was mentioned to be a mage of unimaginable/god-like power. He was lying dormant on his... space ship?. Embla was able to see the future, and all possibly alternate realities, and knew that the only way of stopping the Dragon was to sacrifice herself (her energy/her essence) to awaken the old emperor.

(I might be misunderstanding this part...) The reavers were trying to find the right people to sacrifice to awaken him.

In the process of banishing the Dragon, the outer isles are all but destroyed. Protag probably didn't survive the Emperor's awakening, or if they did were probably driven mad in the process. All your other party members are either dead, mad or mutated shells.

ending

Thanks for the write-up. The most confusing thing for me is the time loop, that Embla mentions multiple times. She said something about this being the only way and the MC always making the right decision. And she mentioned that this exact scenario happened thousands of times before. Time being distorted played a part in some quests too, like the one with Yulia and Julia. But then in the ending slides nothing really suggests that these events are going to happen again.

 

[Tacgnol]

I also have no idea what happened in that ending, not going to spoil anything of course.

It is kinda confusing. This is my understanding of it:

My take on the ending

Father was the old emperor who was mentioned to be a mage of unimaginable/god-like power. He was lying dormant on his... space ship?. Embla was able to see the future, and all possibly alternate realities, and knew that the only way of stopping the Dragon was to sacrifice herself (her energy/her essence) to awaken the old emperor.

(I might be misunderstanding this part...) The reavers were trying to find the right people to sacrifice to awaken him.

In the process of banishing the Dragon, the outer isles are all but destroyed. Protag probably didn't survive the Emperor's awakening, or if they did were probably driven mad in the process. All your other party members are either dead, mad or mutated shells.

ending

Thanks for the write-up. The most confusing thing for me is the time loop, that Embla mentions multiple times. She said something about this being the only way and the MC always making the right decision. And she mentioned that this exact scenario happened thousands of times before. Time being distorted played a part in some quests too, like the one with Yulia and Julia. But then in the ending slides nothing really suggests that these events are going to happen again.

Embla

I took it as less of a literal time loop and more that reality was breaking apart in that area (hence the time distortions and other oddness). Embla was already implied to have some clairvoyant abilities even before she came to the island, so, with all the time and reality fuckery, may have been able to see all the possibilities and realised that the party's path was the only way of stopping the Dragon.

Thinking about it, Embla probably purposefully set the events of the game in motion, knowing that her disappearance would cause the protag to be sent to find her. She then guides you firmly towards Father and the events of the endgame.

 

[baba is you]

I also have no idea what happened in that ending, not going to spoil anything of course.

It is kinda confusing. This is my understanding of it:

My take on the ending

Father was the old emperor who was mentioned to be a mage of unimaginable/god-like power. He was lying dormant on his... space ship?. Embla was able to see the future, and all possibly alternate realities, and knew that the only way of stopping the Dragon was to sacrifice herself (her energy/her essence) to awaken the old emperor.

(I might be misunderstanding this part...) The reavers were trying to find the right people to sacrifice to awaken him.

In the process of banishing the Dragon, the outer isles are all but destroyed. Protag probably didn't survive the Emperor's awakening, or if they did were probably driven mad in the process. All your other party members are either dead, mad or mutated shells.

ending

Thanks for the write-up. The most confusing thing for me is the time loop, that Embla mentions multiple times. She said something about this being the only way and the MC always making the right decision. And she mentioned that this exact scenario happened thousands of times before. Time being distorted played a part in some quests too, like the one with Yulia and Julia. But then in the ending slides nothing really suggests that these events are going to happen again.

Embla

I took it as less of a literal time loop and more that reality was breaking apart in that area (hence the time distortions and other oddness). Embla was already implied to have some clairvoyant abilities even before she came to the island, so, with all the time and reality fuckery, may have been able to see all the possibilities and realised that the party's path was the only way of stopping the Dragon.

Thinking about it, Embla probably purposefully set the events of the game in motion, knowing that her disappearance would cause the protag to be sent to find her. She then guides you firmly towards Father and the events of the endgame.

But

I checked by looking back at the screenshots I took, and the Player is also aware of the loop. This is what confuses me.

 

[Jermu]

good game but combat / class / mechanical balances are quite fucked, itemization is awful

final boss

was easier than random encounter the fuck

positively surprised one of the better newer games I have played recently

 

[Tyranicon]

Do you guys feel like the final part of the campaign is a slog? I'm getting tired of fighting samey meatshield enemies. My battlemagos is finally paying off, by spamming inferno on fire vulnerable things.

Also is there a way to get Iago, the ship captain to rejoin your party? Kind of a dick move to remove one of the most useful characters, even if it's for a good story reason.

 

[Jermu]

mr decline's review

 

[just]

i only support devs who are hard enough to stay on this forum

 

[Terenty]

Did Robert Smith write the ost? Very reminiscent of the early Cure

 

[Lyre Mors]

Did Robert Smith write the ost? Very reminiscent of the early Cure

Our very own zwanzig_zwoelf wrote the music.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Did Robert Smith write the ost? Very reminiscent of the early Cure

Our very own zwanzig_zwoelf wrote the music.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Finished this. I tried my best trying to play by 'normal' terms, but when I both saw the deck being stacked against me, and that various skill checks were inconsistent in nature, I just shrugged, said "Fuck it" and went Journalism Narrative Mode.

The good:

• The graphics. This is lo-fi art. Some of the images are simply awesome because of this, especially towards the end.
• The setting. I would have liked to see a little more of the outside world first, a better introduction to the Gallian empire, so as to be better aware of where I'm coming from. Because what I did see was impressive.
• The writing of the story. Well above average in places, the plot alone kept me going right 'till the end. That said, needing Embla to be a walking exposition dump felt like a cheap solution.

The in-the-middle:

• Character creation system and skill trees. These appear very open-ended in developing a character according to player's tastes and/or min-maxing design, but I get the feeling the variety just isn't there. I played a Thief, so I aimed to get as many backstabs in as possible. That meant I needed to have the means to maneuver about the battlefield, plus the space to do so. Imagine the look on my face when virtually every encounter, where area setting + monster placement specifically denied me both of these 90% of the time. And when I did have the advantage, I'm up against backstab-immune enemies. The combat system doesn't help either.
• The combat system. It seems robust, it seems capable, but it's needlessly restrictive.
• Firgol. It certainly stands out, but the problem was I that called it after about 7 seconds, it was too obvious. Kinda ruins everything. Still a worthwhile bit, especially His Words.
• The soundtrack. There are some good tunes in there, but the biggest gripe for me was the lone combat tune. The melody in it is good, but there are also these horrific background-esque noises in it which got on my nerves in the end, forcing me to mute the music.

The bad:

• Inconsistent skill checks. Seeing intelligence-based skills like Lore and Awareness made me suspect that there would be shenanigans. Sadly I was right, but not in the way I expected. There are two kinds of skill checks; one just compares a value to your skill level for a simple Pass/Fail-scenario, and then a DC-roll with your skill acting as a modifier against a pre-determined value. The idea is that you can use any character for any roll... except that is not the case. Some skillchecks can only be done by the Main Character (for no reason) and when it comes to the intelligence-based skills this becomes a nightmare. As some of these checks come very early in the game, you'd have to make an arbitrary character-build just to be able to pass these few skill checks.
• Thief content. It's laughably bad. It's piss-easy to steal from merchants even early on in the game, and there's no downside from just taking everything that isn't nailed down. Don't make your Main Character a Thief, Kat is one and players can probably taff around enough with her to see a positive cash flow.
• The typos. WTF is this shit? I don't care if the author is Norwegian using English, I don't care if it's a one-man project, I don't care if professional proofreaders are a toss-up of being Good or just Horrible*, nothing should allow this many typos to go unchecked.
• Limited and/or restrictive quests. While many quests have alternate solutions (and some of them are deviously hidden) there were others which were ham-fisted in their resolution, offering only one hard-to-gain option (rescue Natita) or simply no options at all (basically every quest once you read Girdla). This gives the game a rushed feeling, and drags it down considerably.

Overall I feel that this game isn't ready to be released in its current state - it needs more time in the oven. Whether the dev had that time is another thing in an of itself, but it stands. Hopefully we'll see a good update down the road.
Also, one-man projects in this day and age have no upsides - he really should have brought on other people to look over his shoulder, at the very least.

If you are hesitant about this game but it appeals to you, I suggest wishlisting it and waiting for an update. If you want to support the dev then buy it now (it is fairly priced) and wait for the update.

* I work with English, so I know numerous stories about this, some first-hand. The problem is that the biggest ones sound like boasting on my behalf, so I just hope people will accept my words at face value on this one. Darth Roxor probably has his fair share of similar stories as well.

EDIT:

My take on the ending

I think Embla's words (and the Main Character's thoughts) about having done all this before, and will be doing it all again, is a meta-take on the fact that it's a story being told in a video game. In a way she's reading the source code without knowing it, so she sees all the possible ways the story can go.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

It annoys me that I'm level 16 chapter 4 and Roland is still using his starter weapon. Item shops and loot are too random.

 

[Tyranicon]

Finished the game in 14 hours, but I really rushed through the last two chapters. Overall a really neat game, worth the 15 USD, but with a lot of caveats.

I don't really have much to add to what most people already said about the game. Like most RPGs, the first half of the game was much more enjoyable than the second half.

I'm not a big fan of the ending. It goes the traditional grimdark lovecraftian route where rocks fall, everyone dies. Which is lame. Is there a secret/alternate ending?

Also combat wildly outstayed its welcome. Too much monotonous slugging. Basically no C&C. Resting and eating, which started as an interesting mechanic, became super tedious once you had a full party. Itemization was bad. Not enough merchants or things to buy. You have to grind rests for arrows if you have two or more bow users. Class balance is FUBAR. Persistent bugs and bad documentation so I don't even know if they're bugs. Lots of typos. Borderline unreadable font. If I end up listing pros and cons I would probably have way more cons. But I had fun with it.

Game is saved by writing, charm and music.

For a solodev effort, and given it's price point, I'd say its a for me. Very impressive stuff for a first game.

I would recommend checking it out unless you're prone to eyestrain.

 

[Trash Player]

Also, one-man projects in this day and age have no upsides - he really should have brought on other people to look over his shoulder, at the very least.

Maybe not for the benefits of the projects. But working alone minimizes risks and stakes. Contractors are often more reliable than an in-house team, especially for smaller projects like this.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Maybe not for the benefits of the projects. But working alone minimizes risks and stakes. Contractors are often more reliable than an in-house team, especially for smaller projects like this.

It's a very tricky road to travel. To 'minimize risk and stakes', the guy* undergoing the project needs to know himself, and his limits. Very few can do that.

*Ever seen a lone female do a sizeable project worth a damn? Me neither.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

I've seen a lot of "sizeable females" strolling around walmart in those electric carts.

THAT'S A BIG BITCH!!!


Finished already? Replay value? Any? Some?

 

[Grampy_Bone]

At the end and the enemies really do become damage sponges. I think this is more a result of crappy items and lack of high damage weapons. Suddenly the only character worth a damn is invisible Kat and her 100 damage dagger backstabs. Also I hit the level cap before the final dungeon so it really feels pointless. I hate when combat just has no rewards.

How long are the mines/last area? Wondering if I'll even bother.

 

[AdolfSatan]

Aight, you guys convinced me to shelf this and come back in 6 months to a year when everything's patched. Hoped for a cleaner release after the long dev time, but I guess all that time went to making sure the combat field looked like a German rave party.

How come all the Ultima clones insist on keeping the barebones/shit combat? That's the area you'd expect to see some improvements on after all these decades.

 

[Lyre Mors]

How come all the Ultima clones insist on keeping the barebones/shit combat? That's the area you'd expect to see some improvements on after all these decades.

Because they're Ultima clones, and combat was never the focus. To be fair, Nox Archaist, Realms of Antiquity, and this all improve upon combat significantly. It's just ultimately not what these games are about. Meaningful progression and a sense of power are the most important aspects when it comes to combat.

 

[Grunker]

How come all the Ultima clones insist on keeping the barebones/shit combat? That's the area you'd expect to see some improvements on after all these decades.

Because they're Ultima clones, and combat was never the focus.

If you do alot of fighting, said fighting should be good

 

[Lyre Mors]

If you do slot of fighting, said fighting should be good

Yeah, I ultimately agree. However, it's not what is to be expected from these types of games. Take it or leave it, I guess.

What I would have liked from this game more so is better itemization and more attention to how increased party member size effects said combat. Combat itself doesn't need to be amazing, as long as the progression surrounding it is satisfying.

 

[Alienman]

The idea is that you can use any character for any roll... except that is not the case. Some skillchecks can only be done by the Main Character (for no reason) and when it comes to the intelligence-based skills this becomes a nightmare. As some of these checks come very early in the game, you'd have to make an arbitrary character-build just to be able to pass these few skill checks.

I don't remember this at all, being forced to use your main, I mean. Do you mean in the prologue, or very early game without a party?

 

[Unkillable Cat]

The idea is that you can use any character for any roll... except that is not the case. Some skillchecks can only be done by the Main Character (for no reason) and when it comes to the intelligence-based skills this becomes a nightmare. As some of these checks come very early in the game, you'd have to make an arbitrary character-build just to be able to pass these few skill checks.

I don't remember this at all, being forced to use your main, I mean. Do you mean in the prologue, or very early game without a party?

Examining the corpses laying on the slab beyond the underwater cave beneath the lighthouse. (By then you should have Kat and Roland at least.)

Trying to reason with the Reavers once you enter Horryn in Chapter 2. (By then you should have a five-man party.)

Probably a few more I'm not recalling right now.

Somewhat unrelated to the above, some of the early-game stat checks can be held off until later. That way I was able to learn that if you pass the difficult Willpower-check when using the telescope found the start of the game you gain some XP and +1 to your Lore-stat.

 

[Grunker]

The idea is that you can use any character for any roll... except that is not the case. Some skillchecks can only be done by the Main Character (for no reason) and when it comes to the intelligence-based skills this becomes a nightmare. As some of these checks come very early in the game, you'd have to make an arbitrary character-build just to be able to pass these few skill checks.

I don't remember this at all, being forced to use your main, I mean. Do you mean in the prologue, or very early game without a party?

A couple of reviews agree with UC here