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KickStarter Zoria: Age of Shattering - a party-based RPG with base management

cyborgboy95

News Cyborg
Joined
Aug 24, 2019
Messages
3,142
How to train a dragon? Asking for a friend.

Hello, Commander! ⚔️

We understand that you are eagerly anticipating the Full Release date.
Before we discuss the updates, we want to address this topic. We promise to announce the release date soon, but we're taking our time to ensure that we deliver a polished product that takes into account all factors that could impact the launch.
We appreciate your patience during this process
, and we are working hard to make sure that the final product is worth the wait.

Here are the latest updates to excite you for Zoria's upcoming release. Check out what we've got for you in this
Monthly Changelog #9
!

52515afea417ae9395f583be19c0603aeebd80ba.png


QA Testing
We are in the final stretch of development before the release of Zoria: Age of Shattering. At this point, we are heavily focused on
quality assurance testing
throughout the entire game. This process is essential to optimize the game and eliminate bugs or glitches. In addition, we have spent the past month testing and refining some
exciting new features that we have yet to reveal
, such as follower management and outpost upgrades. We can't wait for you to try them out!

9e75e344162b1c1dc629dbb1a1de1ffa1582b9c4.png

A metaphor of us fighting bugs.


Content Lock
We have finally achieved a significant milestone in game development -
the content lock
. This is an important step where we decide that we won't add any more content to the game. This decision allows us to focus solely on refining and polishing the existing content. As you may know, it was not an easy decision because when you are creating something, there is always an inner critic that keeps telling you that you could do it better or differently. Many of you can probably relate to that feeling.

70c85c1fb09fd4a745fa053c7119b3d85b54eedb.png

My inner critic would never say "perfect"


Intro Scene
Recently, we have been working on creating a story-based introduction scene for the game. The goal is to introduce you to the game effortlessly despite the complicated circumstances you may find yourself in.
We're really pleased with the progress so far, and we hope you will enjoy it too!
As a sneak peek, here's a preview of what's in store:

5bf4f02aadd43f7a78357bdd07cb5b36cd818d10.gif


Dragon
We added a couple of events during which you will be able to interact with a
dragon
. Beware! Despite its rather adorable demeanor, dragons found in the wild can and will hurt you
bb47b192f6279bc67f85e438db6a226b3c4a4c52.jpg


Fun Videos
Our publishing team had a lot of fun while creating short and funny videos that were inspired by Zoria. You can easily find them on Anshar Publishing's TikTok and YouTube channels. We believe that you may find them amusing and maybe even inspiring enough to create your own Zoria cosplay!

77488757a1afce59f6e29229f112b9a5494c6d39.jpg


As always, we appreciate your continuous support ❤️ Your enthusiasm for Zoria has been our driving force, and we aim to deliver a game that exceeds your expectations. Together, we'll embark on an unforgettable journey, and can't wait to share it with you
 

Infinitron

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Messages
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Codex Year of the Donut 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://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1159090/view/3869216984182383158

Release Date and Price Announcement

Commanders!

First off, a huge thank you for your patience and ongoing support. We're super excited to let you know that our much-anticipated game, Zoria: Age of Shattering, is set to officially launch on March 7th, 2024.

Okay, so here's the situation. We're a team of three developers. We showed the demo to different gaming events, organized closed on-site playtests, listened to an external QA team and after gathering all this feedback we came to the conclusion that what we have isn't what we can hand over to you in the next month.

Zoria: Age of Shattering is an ambitious project, considering the scale of our team. We would say it's very ambitious, as we are reaching nearly 300k words in the game. An extensive story is great, but we also have a ready to-do list of things that require our work. We can certainly confirm that the game is playable and we have achieved content-lock. However, the content itself is only half the success. UX, your comfort of playing, and a great focus on eliminating as many bugs and blockers as possible is our priority at the moment. In short, we want to give you a game that we're proud of.

We believe that you understand the situation and that the additional weeks of waiting will be worth it. We have prepared 30+ hours of content for you, and the best is still waiting for the reveal!

Also, you have time to finish Baldur's Gate 3, there are no excuses in March!

Since we gathered you here, we'll put all the cards out on the table and reveal the price as well. Zoria: Age of Shattering will be available for purchase at $24.99.

Follow us on Twitter and join our Discord if you haven't already. Let's stay in touch! ⚔️

Until next time,
Tiny Trinket Games
 

Contagium

Savant
Patron
Joined
Aug 2, 2018
Messages
517
Location
New Hampshire, USA


https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1159090/view/3869216984182383158

Release Date and Price Announcement

Commanders!

First off, a huge thank you for your patience and ongoing support. We're super excited to let you know that our much-anticipated game, Zoria: Age of Shattering, is set to officially launch on March 7th, 2024.

Okay, so here's the situation. We're a team of three developers. We showed the demo to different gaming events, organized closed on-site playtests, listened to an external QA team and after gathering all this feedback we came to the conclusion that what we have isn't what we can hand over to you in the next month.

Zoria: Age of Shattering is an ambitious project, considering the scale of our team. We would say it's very ambitious, as we are reaching nearly 300k words in the game. An extensive story is great, but we also have a ready to-do list of things that require our work. We can certainly confirm that the game is playable and we have achieved content-lock. However, the content itself is only half the success. UX, your comfort of playing, and a great focus on eliminating as many bugs and blockers as possible is our priority at the moment. In short, we want to give you a game that we're proud of.

We believe that you understand the situation and that the additional weeks of waiting will be worth it. We have prepared 30+ hours of content for you, and the best is still waiting for the reveal!

Also, you have time to finish Baldur's Gate 3, there are no excuses in March!

Since we gathered you here, we'll put all the cards out on the table and reveal the price as well. Zoria: Age of Shattering will be available for purchase at $24.99.

Follow us on Twitter and join our Discord if you haven't already. Let's stay in touch! ⚔️

Until next time,
Tiny Trinket Games

Looks good for what they're asking for. $24.99 is a deal these days.
 

Infinitron

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Codex Year of the Donut 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://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1159090/view/5827161548728775359

We answered your most difficult questions

Commanders!

Back in December 2023, we invited you to ask us anything about our game, Zoria: Age of Shattering. We promised to respond in a video and now, it's
showtime
!

You brought forward a great deal of interesting questions, and we selected the
top 10
for this video. Your inquiries were a pleasure, and we are excited to share our responses. A big '
Thank You
' to everyone who participated!

For those who are not yet a part of it, we encourage you to join our
Discord
community. It's a great way to stay updated with all things Zoria and connect directly with us, the developers.


Now, it's time for the main event. Grab a snack, get comfortable, and enjoy the video. We hope it answers your questions and brings you a step closer to the world of Zoria: Age of Shattering ⚔️

Got more questions? We're all ears! If there's anything else you're curious about, let us know. We're excited to back for a part 2 if there's a demand for it

Until next time,
Tiny Trinket Games
 

Infinitron

I post news
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Messages
100,038
Codex Year of the Donut 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://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1159090/view/3943531542794116451

A brand-new footage and an exciting collaboration!

Commanders!

We are thrilled to share some exciting news! We're finally ready to reveal a
brand-new Gameplay Trailer
for our upcoming game,
Zoria: Age of Shattering
. The trailer is based on the newest footage from the game and showcases features and improvements made since the release of the Release Date Trailer. We hope it will ignite your imagination and make the wait for the game's release a little easier. Yes, the launch date is STILL set for
March 7, 2024

But that's not all! We are also excited to show you the fruits of our
collaboration with DeepCool
. This partnership has resulted in the creation of a special hardware piece for PC - a higher-end dual-tower air cooler named
AK620 ZERO DARK ZORIA
. After some teasing, we finally revealed this unique piece of hardware on January 16th. It's a perfect addition for any Zoria fan who wants to take their gaming experience to the next level


acaa6026d2b5f3ce3e943fefaa43764d2d767ffa.jpg


Here's the official site for AK620 ZERO DARK ZORIA ️

Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm. Your passion fuels our creativity and motivates us to deliver the best game possible. Check out the new trailer and spread the word about Zoria: Age of Shattering ⚔️

Stay tuned for more updates and get ready for an epic adventure this March! Follow us on
Twitter
and join our
Discord
if you haven't already


Until next time,
Tiny Trinket Games

Might & Magic/Wizardry-style sci-fi hybrid setting confirmed?
 
Last edited:

Infinitron

I post news
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Joined
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Messages
100,038
Codex Year of the Donut 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://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1159090/view/3943531542798376440
Sneak Peek into Zoria: Age of Shattering - Unveiling the Magic!
The Dark Magic

Commanders!

We have
a brand-new video
that offers another glimpse into the mesmerizing world of Zoria. This time, we won't show you the gameplay because you've seen
the Trailer from the last week
and
played the Demo
, right? Instead, we will show you the Intro of Zoria: Age of Shattering, setting the stage for the epic journey that awaits you! ⚔️

Do you remember this draft?
5bf4f02aadd43f7a78357bdd07cb5b36cd818d10.gif


Now please enjoy the video it was made for ✨
youtube_16x9_placeholder.gif




Hopefully, you're now aware of the circumstances and the stakes.
The situation is serious, and we need your help, Commander! ⚔️


But with all seriousness, we're really happy with how the Intro turned out, and we think that the art style is amazing and really suits our game. Thank you for watching, and we can't wait for you to experience the full game!

Remember,
Zoria: Age of Shattering launches on March 7, 2024 ⚔️
We assume you should be done with Baldur's Gate 3 by then

Stay tuned for more updates and get ready for an epic adventure this March! Follow us on
Twitter
and join our
Discord
if you haven't already


Until next time,
Tiny Trinket Games
 

cyborgboy95

News Cyborg
Joined
Aug 24, 2019
Messages
3,142
The Journey Towards Launch ⚔️
Commanders!

With every day, Izirians are getting stronger and taking over more land with the use of formidable magic. Are you ready to face them? The true war begins on March 7, 2024, at the launch day of Zoria: Age of Shattering ⚔️

Over the past month, we have been hard at work, focusing primarily on polishing and bug fixing. This phase of development is crucial as we want to deliver a seamless and immersive experience to you since day 1.

4d6adf7420f4eb7693b683496dbaf6f53e841194.png

Sometimes bug fixing feels like this.

Having said that, there have been additional matters that we are currently attending to. Do we have any achievement collectors in the audience? We've got great news for you We've been adding and testing achievements! Hopefully, earning a new achievement will make you feel excited, regardless of whether or not you manage to "catch them all"
What's more, last year we teamed up with DeepCool, a well-known company that makes computer cooling solutions, and recently, you could see the fruits of this collaboration! On January 16th, a new PC cooling system was launched, and we're incredibly happy with how it turned out
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1159090/view/3943531542794116451

Lastly, we've been polishing the final, epic battle in the game. We aim to deliver a showdown that will leave you on the edge of your seats, making for a memorable conclusion to the adventures you had in Zoria: Age of Shattering.

f9ff436dfbb618e90976fec8c02d418868254366.png

That's not an actual footage from the final boss fight. That would be a spoiler.

We're incredibly excited about the progress we've made and even more thrilled about what's to come. As we continue to fine-tune Zoria: Age of Shattering, we want to thank you for your unwavering support ❤️

Stay tuned for more updates and get ready for an epic adventure this March! Follow us on Twitter and join our Discord[discord.com] if you haven't already

Until next time,
Tiny Trinket Games

In order to prepare you for the epic journey that awaits you in Zoria, we have released the Story Intro on YouTube. Feel free to check it out if you missed it by any chance!
 

Infinitron

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Messages
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Codex Year of the Donut 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://www.rockpapershotgun.com/wi...hattering-wants-to-marry-xcom-to-baldurs-gate

With 50 playable heroes, indie RPG Zoria: Age Of Shattering wants to "marry XCOM to Baldur's Gate"​

Tiny Trinket Games tell us why they're trading deeper characters for more involving exploration

The success of Baldur's Gate 3 is a double-edged sword for other CRPGs launching in its wake. On the one hand, there's arguably a hungry new audience for such games; on the other, you're going up against one of the best RPGs ever made. Expectations are high, but Tiny Trinket Games' co-founder Stefan Nitescu remains unfazed as his three-strong team prepare to release Zoria: Age Of Shattering on March 7th. Zoria is carving an altogether different path through the RPG landscape, fusing isometric exploration with XCOM-like combat and 50 playable characters who are more like unit classes than personalities. The latter is a decision that comes with its own "repercussions", says Nitescu, but he's confident that it will help Zoria stand apart, with character abilities being unusually central to exploration.

"This 'exploration + characters' structure is how you marry XCOM to Baldur's Gate," he tells me. "You have the base, you have a lot of characters, but you don't go on those tiny missions. You have the system and you apply it to a world." The game treats your RPG party more like a squad of XCOM soldiers than a web of conflicting personalities, but party member abilities aren't just about combat - they all have their own tools for unlocking parts of Zoria's map to let you explore it further. It's an intriguing proposition, and an ambitious goal for a studio of just three people.

This class-based exploration immediately makes itself apparent as I play through the Steam Next Fest demo. As I lead my own custom-made wizard into battle to defend our home's keep from invasion, I get the choice to pick a battle cleric or a lancer to come with me. Each are equally capable in battle, I'm told, but since it's the battle cleric (who's also my commanding officer) posing the question in the first place, I go with her mostly out of politeness. It was a good choice, not least because she's able to heal as well as dole out damage, but later on in the demo I come across a large wall of debris that can only be cleared by the superior strength of a lancer.

A party of fantasy heroes enter a stone castle hallway in Zoria: Age Of ShatteringImage credit: Anshar Publishing, Surefire.Games

Obstacles like this are Zoria's bread and butter, Nitescu tells me, and reforming your party often to complete quests and push further into Zoria's world is all part of how Tiny Trinket Games are putting their own spin on RPG exploration. The wizard, for example, can conjure bridges, while priests can purify cursed areas and ward off evil magic. My choice of battle cleric also let me interact with various shrines to restore my party's health and stamina as I made my way around the castle courtyard. All 50 characters will be able to have some kind of impact on the environment as you get further in the game, Nitescu continues, and later on you'll be able to return to areas that may have been previously inaccessible the first time you encountered them due to your party composition.


"Usually these kinds of games, and, sure, we can think of Baldur's Gate - it's only been all over the news for the last six months! What usually happens is you have a fixed or somewhat fixed party, and they get you through the whole game," he says. But for Tiny Trinket, their priority was giving players the freedom to explore Zoria in whatever way they wanted, whether that's with a traditional and varied party of melee, magic and ranged characters, or a squad composed entirely of healers.

"If you want to go all healers, it's going to work," he laughs. "It's probably not going to work how you think, and it will probably take you longer, but you can. And the idea behind it is exactly that: you can do that. That's why we went with so many characters."

A party of fantasy heroes fight rats in a dungeon in Zoria: Age Of ShatteringA group of wizards fight a large armoured robot in Zoria: Age Of ShatteringA party of fantasy heroes fight guards around flaming stakes at night in Zoria: Age Of ShatteringA party of fantasy heroes fight skeletons and guards in a forest in Zoria: Age Of ShatteringImage credit: Anshar Publishing, Surefire.Games

Battles are intended to be quick and breezy affairs, Nitescu says, and there is a definite zippiness to them in the Next Fest demo. Each character has two action points at their disposal, and you can either move freely around the environment in a similar fashion to Baldur's Gate 3, or deploy one of your abilities - assuming you have a clear line of sight to your target, that is. Side and back attacks also deal more damage, so strategic placement of your party is key. Admittedly, I often fell into a tempting pattern of simply pelting the rank and file fodder enemies with spells where I stood rather than spend a point moving to a more strategic position, but tougher enemies weren't so accommodating. These will need more nouse and tactical planning if you're going to walk away from them unscatched, and these encounters will no doubt be where Zoria's many hero options really come into their own.

Having such a large cast in an RPG does, of course, come with some trade-offs when your development team is as small as Tiny Trinket, and Nitescu is upfront about Zoria's shortcomings during our chat. "A lot of the characters aren't going to have very much depth to them," he admits. "They'll have a bit of a backstory and they'll make sense where they come from and why they're there, but they're not going to have their own personal saga." Everything multiplies when you're dealing with 50 characters, and "you can do that if you're Bethesda, but we're a teeny weeny bit smaller," he says.

Nitescu also says he would have liked to have done "more branching" in the game's story, but given the limits of what they're able to work with, he says his main goal has been to create a world that "feels like it's lived in". Indeed, this is still a game whose NPC schedules are governed by a day/night cycle, for example, and one that only lets you craft new weapons and items when you happen upon a blacksmith. "You usually don't go round with a bucket of coal and a hammer and do that on the road," Nitescu chuckles, "so we're trying to reference the real world a bit and act accordingly".

A party of heroes rest around an open campfire in Zoria: Age Of ShatteringImage credit: Anshar Publishing, Surefire.Games

You will, of course, be able to rest and cook food around your campfire, and perform a bit of alchemy to craft potions and objects with the items you've got in your stash. But resting also consumes resources and supplies - "kind of like camping does!" Nitescu says - so you'll need to manage your party's survival with how you explore the world and the pace at which you engage with its turn-based battles. Resting wasn't really a problem in the Steam Next Fest demo, admittedly, which gave me ample supplies to heal up as often as you like, but cooking and resting also give you extra class and food-based bonuses to play with. I hope the final game is similarly generous with camping supplies so you can take advantage of these buffs, without having to stretch yourself too thin on your adventure.

Ultimately, Nitescu wants players to feel "like you're there" and that you've left some kind of dent on the world you've spent so much time in. That's one of his main bugbears with RPGs: the question of, 'Well, now what?' when everything's said and done. "You save the world, but there's no mark that you've really been on the spot where you exist," he says. "You don't really have a house, and practically nothing you do leaves any kind of tangible mark, so this is why we went with having a base, and let's make it upgradeable, like you feel you have been there." Again, it comes back to how "real life usually works," he muses. "You're probably not going to save the world, but you're going to leave a mark where you are."

A wizard walks through a room of alchemical instruments in Zoria: Age Of ShatteringImage credit: Anshar Publishing, Surefire.GamesA party of fantasy heroes gather in a library in Zoria: Age Of ShatteringA party of fantasy heroes gather round a table in a castle keep in Zoria: Age Of ShatteringImage credit: Anshar Publishing, Surefire.Games

That base will morph and change over time as a result, too - not just as you house more heroes, but also as you build more facilities and upgrade the capabilities of your outpost. "Almost all the upgrades are visual," Nitescu notes, and he hopes players will be able to "feel [their] evolution in the world as you're playing." You'll have plenty of chances to admire your handiwork as well, as you'll need to return to your base reasonably often to rid yourself of the fatigue you accumulate from travelling on the road, with Nitescu saying that after two or three camps, you're going to start missing your proper bed back at home.

Add to this a loot and crafting system that gives you Diablo levels of loot to pick and choose from across your 50-strong cast, and Zoria really does feel like it's punching about its weight. There are still a number of rough edges you can see in the Next Fest demo - its small text boxes and large font sizes make its dialogue tricky to parse at times, and its battle animations and environmental effects aren't quite as flashy and characterful as you might see in other games, perhaps. But it's an impressive feat nonetheless for a team of just three, though whether the public and their Baldur's Gate-tinted glasses will agree is another matter. Zoria had a successful Kickstarter campaign at the end of 2022, but after the studio ditched their original plans to first launch into early access, it's under more pressure to get things right at launch on March 7th. In the meantime, you can try its demo for yourself on both Steam and GOG.
 

cyborgboy95

News Cyborg
Joined
Aug 24, 2019
Messages
3,142
A glimpse into the Enemies in Zoria ⚔
Commanders!

Creating the world can be hard and complicated, but fortunately, to us it was also fun Today we wanted to offer you a glimpse into the creatures you'll surely encounter while playing Zoria: Age of Shattering. While there is plenty to choose from, with fantasy classics such as skeletons, dragons or ghosts, we picked a bunch that we personally like the most, so it's kind of random

3a67eb1a74e69e6cdb246246b3068e4df5bdb1cb.png

Let's start with the terrifying Cave Claw Crawlers. As their name suggests, these grotesque creatures dwell in caves and other dark places. Their exoskeleton is a fortress of resilience, blending seamlessly into the darkness, making them masters of stealth and surprise. Armed with large, sharp blades, they are a force to be reckoned with, combining brute force with speed and agility.
e2931ca688ef15d9f7830eceaef47986f798e8cc.png

Next, we have the Water Elementals. These entities, despite their aquatic namesake, are often found roaming the land. Their origin is a mystery, but it's believed they are born from concentrated magic energy, animating the prevailing element in their vicinity. They are solitary creatures, aggressively engaging in combat when approached. The older they are, the more powerful they become, making every encounter a thrilling challenge.
fff2ee108cbecba5a65bcdbc9d019a654970c0e1.png

Then there are the Gargoyles, magical constructs crafted by the wizards of old. At first glance, they may seem like ordinary statues, but get too close, and their true nature is revealed. These ancient guardians are carved from enchanted stone, and their cold, crystalline eyes gleam with an unnatural glow. They are fiercely loyal to their creators, and in battle, they channel their magical essence into devastating attacks.
820049187fb01344f03adc28add125821860bd12.png

Last but not least, we have the Ancestor Guardians. These ancient creatures belong to the civilization of the Ancestors. Equipped with powerful weapons and armor, they are highly resilient and capable of dealing extensive damage with their magic attacks. They are sentient beings, capable of communicating in the common tongue, and are best avoided if possible.

Whether you're battling a Water Elemental or sneaking past a Cave Claw Crawler, make sure to stay alert and apply tactics! Now, gear up and prepare - Zoria: Age of Shattering launches on March 7, 2024!

Stay tuned for more updates and get ready for an epic adventure this March! Follow us on Twitter and join our Discord[discord.com] if you haven't already
 

cyborgboy95

News Cyborg
Joined
Aug 24, 2019
Messages
3,142
Release times and System Requirements
Commanders! ⚔

The wait is almost over! Our game, Zoria: Age of Shattering, launches on March 7, 2024 - that's less than two weeks! For us, the launch time is officially 8 PM Bucharest time (UTC+2). However, we want to ensure that everyone around the globe can join us at the right moment, so we've provided a handy map for you to check the corresponding release time in your zone below

edeb4415fff9e5c519e50e295ffbe8e866755403.jpg


The game will be available on Steam and other platforms, for both Windows and Linux users.

Now, let's talk about what you need to dive into the world of Zoria. We've worked hard to optimize Zoria for a range of systems. Here are the minimum and recommended system requirements to ensure a smooth and immersive gameplay experience

902e398f2c382c9efa6ac65d7f883c4200a604e1.png


Minimum Requirements
OS: 64-bit Windows 10
CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 or Intel i5
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD RADEON RX 560 or NVIDIA GTX 1050 4 GB
DirectX: 11
Disk Space: 30 GB

Recommended Requirements
OS: 64-bit Windows 10
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel i7 8700K
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD RX 5700 XT or NVIDIA GTX 2060 6 GB
DirectX: 11
Disk Space: 30 GB

Stay tuned for more updates and get ready for an epic adventure this March! Follow us on Twitter and join our Discord[discord.com] if you haven't already

Until next time,
Tiny Trinket Games
 

Litmanen

Educated
Joined
Feb 27, 2024
Messages
639
Hello all,

I have just noticed this thread and read until here.

It seems interesting, not breathtaking.

The turn-based combat is something I'm looking with interest but I've read nothing (just one quote, maybe) about C&C, dialogues' importance, how maybe our abilities, attributes and action would mold the world around us (I have just seen that some companions' abilities can be used to access areas otherwise impossible to reach).

So, what about that?
 

Whisper

Arcane
Vatnik
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
4,357
Exploration + turn-based combat, fresh setting. Something i was looking for before BG3/Rogue trader release definitive editions.
 

Infinitron

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Codex Year of the Donut 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://www.rockpapershotgun.com/zoria-age-of-shattering-review

Zoria: Age Of Shattering review: a systems-heavy RPG that punches above its weight​

In peril? My fantasy kingdom?

Zoria: Age Of Shattering speedruns its fantasy RPG origin story in a quick cutscene montage at the start, so we might as well get that out of the way first, too. Low fantasy world, two warring kingdoms, one uses necromancy (this is cast as bad and cheating rather than practical, for some reason) to comprehensively gain the upper hand, and everything is named like a bunch of Scrabble letters were thrown randomly on the table. You play Elion war hero Captain Witherel - gender and class TBD by the player - in a small group making a final stand at the fortress Daeg Marastir, which is being overrun by the nefarious Izirian army. We start in media bellum, as it were.

This first stage, where you escape the fortress, gives you a whistle-stop tour of the main systems in the game. You control a squad of four, the combat is turn-based, you can pitch camp at any time to rest and heal up, and there are crafting systems for potions, food and gear. Zoria isn't really remaking the wheel as much as it is taking spokes from a bunch of other fantasy RPGs you like, and the result is the terrier of RPGs. Small, clearly has a lot of different DNA knocking around in there, and punches above its weight, but it's a bit scrappy and sometimes it's knees dislocate and it falls over. This terrier was made by three people, so that is sort of to be expected.

But boy, does it have spirit. You're assigned to a sort of secret fortress near a mountain pass to prepare a retaliation. This fortress can be upgraded to confer bonuses or different potential squadmates, and any squaddies you aren't using - more of them turn up, with alarming regularity, to add to your crew - can be sent on missions to get resources and that. There's a good spread of class options, including magic users like Necromancers and Priests, a Thief for your rogue type, Hunters for a bow-wielding ranger, and more martial characters like a Lancer or Kingsman. I was a Sentinel, which is a tankier character with big area buffs that help the whole party.

There are loads of little knock on effects with your squad. If you have a Battle Cleric in your party you can use the healing shrines out in the world, meaning you can heal without having to rest, and classes confer bonuses during resting time that are useful too, like stopping bleeding or healing curses. This is cool. It extends to some side quest dungeons, which need a particular character type to get through an obstacle - a Kingsman to repair a big geared door, for example. But the dungeons don't tell you this before hand, and to change your squad makeup you have to haul ass all the way back to your fortress - and then the dungeons aren't marked with "need a Kingsman!" afterwards, so in most cases I just forgot and couldn't be arsed finishing those quests off.

Similarly crafting, though billed as an important part of Zoria necessary for getting decent gear, is fiddly, complicated, and confers few tangible rewards. Some of the key ingredients you use are hard to come by and not really explained, so I likewise didn't really bother crafting much at all, instead relying on gear I picked up from slaughtering goblins and ogres and suchlike. The Alchemy and Cooking systems, though, are easier to figure out - you make potions, and meals give you Breath Of The Wild-esque limited time buffs - and can be done whenever you rest at camp.

Resting is something you can do anytime, anywhere, and its main purpose is regaining health, but here, too, are interesting interactions. As well as the class bonuses available, and the food, you need to have enough supplies to actually rest (2 per squaddie per hour), so you have to keep an eye on how many you have before you go off adventuring. Resting also reduces your Focus, which is the all-purpose ability juice used by all characters to cast spells or use skills in battle. Sometimes it's better to go into a fight with your Necromancer on full Focus so he can cast a huge AOE curse. It strikes a good tactical balance, and one that becomes more acute as you get into the difficult areas of the game.

This is really all in service to Zoria's combat, which is both good and bad. Like many turn-based combat systems, you've got your Action Points to use on moving, attacking, or using an ability. It's satisfying to get a cascade of good turns: using your Priest to stun an enemy archer, while your Necromancer casts a damage-over-time pestilence on the tank, but your Lancer buffed everyone's shield first so you can afford to keep both your spellcasters in a slightly more dangerous position. But Zoria also gestures towards systems that feel like they should be there, but aren't. You can find alternate routes into fights that might put you in a better position, but you can't actually do a surprise attack. Putting your archer or spellcasters in good positions is essential, but there aren't any different elevations or, like, half cover, or the ability to move one character indvidually to do a pincer attack, so you basically just play every fight in a 2-2 formation like a football team of fantasy LARPers.

This is not aided by some jank, which means sometimes enemies can target you through huge lumps of set dressing rock, fights in buildings with cutaway walls feature walls that do not, in fact, cut away, and sometimes quest markers will just disappear entirely, mere shadows on the wall of a cave. You will spam quicksave, but for the most part combat is enjoyable enough, especially if you've beefed up some DPS characters.

You may wonder why I have completely abandoned talking about the plot or setting, and that is because it really takes a background to the systems. This is a clicky, systems-heavy RPG. You will not be shagging any elves, and it's all isometric anyway so I'm not sure what benefit you'd get out of it. None of your potential squadmates have stories or personalities, and most have a duplicate back at base anyway, so there aren't really any emotional stakes in play on a micro level fight to fight, or really on a macro level with the saving the world business.

You won't find a best mate in Zoria's sidequests either. They're of the eliminate some bandits, help out the local village variety, but really whatever the framing of the mission is (missing daughter; lot of skeletons) the outcome will be going to a dungeon and fighting a few waves of lower level enemies (small spiders; nefarious Izirians) before taking on an elite boss (big talking spider queen; huge Izarian necromancer). The setting in which you do this is very nicely outfitted, with medium-ish maps full of plants and ruined buildings and weird crystals for set dressing, and a day/night cycle. The most compelling storytelling is, rather than line-to-line dialogue, in the larger plot point as you discover the Izirians are using unknown, part-magic technologies to teleport past your defences. It's intriguing, lore-lite stuff that swiftly becomes lore-heavy when dialogue and explainers are piled on top.

Zoria is doing a lot of stuff. It'll remind you of Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age, Lord Of The Rings, even Terry Brooks' weird fantasy books, and a bunch of it is done well, and in interesting ways. But in other cases the ambition has stretched beyond breaking point. But you kind of love your terrier even though it pisses on your cushions sometimes, right?
 

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Codex Year of the Donut 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://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1159090/view/7548665681189206067

Zoria: Age of Shattering is out now!

Commanders! ⚔

We are thrilled to announce that the day we've all been eagerly anticipating has finally arrived! We're proud to present
Zoria: Age of Shattering
After countless hours of meticulous design, development, and fine-tuning, we are ready to share our creation with the world

We've made every effort to ensure that playing Zoria is enjoyable from day one. However, if you happen to come across any bugs, please let us know about it by using this form [
link
]. By filling out the form, we will learn firsthand about any potential issues and it will be much easier for us to track and solve them. Thank you!


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Until next time,
Tiny Trinket Games
 

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https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/zoria-age-of-shattering-review

Zoria: Age Of Shattering review: a systems-heavy RPG that punches above its weight​

In peril? My fantasy kingdom?

Zoria: Age Of Shattering speedruns its fantasy RPG origin story in a quick cutscene montage at the start, so we might as well get that out of the way first, too. Low fantasy world, two warring kingdoms, one uses necromancy (this is cast as bad and cheating rather than practical, for some reason) to comprehensively gain the upper hand, and everything is named like a bunch of Scrabble letters were thrown randomly on the table. You play Elion war hero Captain Witherel - gender and class TBD by the player - in a small group making a final stand at the fortress Daeg Marastir, which is being overrun by the nefarious Izirian army. We start in media bellum, as it were.

This first stage, where you escape the fortress, gives you a whistle-stop tour of the main systems in the game. You control a squad of four, the combat is turn-based, you can pitch camp at any time to rest and heal up, and there are crafting systems for potions, food and gear. Zoria isn't really remaking the wheel as much as it is taking spokes from a bunch of other fantasy RPGs you like, and the result is the terrier of RPGs. Small, clearly has a lot of different DNA knocking around in there, and punches above its weight, but it's a bit scrappy and sometimes it's knees dislocate and it falls over. This terrier was made by three people, so that is sort of to be expected.

But boy, does it have spirit. You're assigned to a sort of secret fortress near a mountain pass to prepare a retaliation. This fortress can be upgraded to confer bonuses or different potential squadmates, and any squaddies you aren't using - more of them turn up, with alarming regularity, to add to your crew - can be sent on missions to get resources and that. There's a good spread of class options, including magic users like Necromancers and Priests, a Thief for your rogue type, Hunters for a bow-wielding ranger, and more martial characters like a Lancer or Kingsman. I was a Sentinel, which is a tankier character with big area buffs that help the whole party.

There are loads of little knock on effects with your squad. If you have a Battle Cleric in your party you can use the healing shrines out in the world, meaning you can heal without having to rest, and classes confer bonuses during resting time that are useful too, like stopping bleeding or healing curses. This is cool. It extends to some side quest dungeons, which need a particular character type to get through an obstacle - a Kingsman to repair a big geared door, for example. But the dungeons don't tell you this before hand, and to change your squad makeup you have to haul ass all the way back to your fortress - and then the dungeons aren't marked with "need a Kingsman!" afterwards, so in most cases I just forgot and couldn't be arsed finishing those quests off.

Similarly crafting, though billed as an important part of Zoria necessary for getting decent gear, is fiddly, complicated, and confers few tangible rewards. Some of the key ingredients you use are hard to come by and not really explained, so I likewise didn't really bother crafting much at all, instead relying on gear I picked up from slaughtering goblins and ogres and suchlike. The Alchemy and Cooking systems, though, are easier to figure out - you make potions, and meals give you Breath Of The Wild-esque limited time buffs - and can be done whenever you rest at camp.

Resting is something you can do anytime, anywhere, and its main purpose is regaining health, but here, too, are interesting interactions. As well as the class bonuses available, and the food, you need to have enough supplies to actually rest (2 per squaddie per hour), so you have to keep an eye on how many you have before you go off adventuring. Resting also reduces your Focus, which is the all-purpose ability juice used by all characters to cast spells or use skills in battle. Sometimes it's better to go into a fight with your Necromancer on full Focus so he can cast a huge AOE curse. It strikes a good tactical balance, and one that becomes more acute as you get into the difficult areas of the game.

This is really all in service to Zoria's combat, which is both good and bad. Like many turn-based combat systems, you've got your Action Points to use on moving, attacking, or using an ability. It's satisfying to get a cascade of good turns: using your Priest to stun an enemy archer, while your Necromancer casts a damage-over-time pestilence on the tank, but your Lancer buffed everyone's shield first so you can afford to keep both your spellcasters in a slightly more dangerous position. But Zoria also gestures towards systems that feel like they should be there, but aren't. You can find alternate routes into fights that might put you in a better position, but you can't actually do a surprise attack. Putting your archer or spellcasters in good positions is essential, but there aren't any different elevations or, like, half cover, or the ability to move one character indvidually to do a pincer attack, so you basically just play every fight in a 2-2 formation like a football team of fantasy LARPers.

This is not aided by some jank, which means sometimes enemies can target you through huge lumps of set dressing rock, fights in buildings with cutaway walls feature walls that do not, in fact, cut away, and sometimes quest markers will just disappear entirely, mere shadows on the wall of a cave. You will spam quicksave, but for the most part combat is enjoyable enough, especially if you've beefed up some DPS characters.

You may wonder why I have completely abandoned talking about the plot or setting, and that is because it really takes a background to the systems. This is a clicky, systems-heavy RPG. You will not be shagging any elves, and it's all isometric anyway so I'm not sure what benefit you'd get out of it. None of your potential squadmates have stories or personalities, and most have a duplicate back at base anyway, so there aren't really any emotional stakes in play on a micro level fight to fight, or really on a macro level with the saving the world business.

You won't find a best mate in Zoria's sidequests either. They're of the eliminate some bandits, help out the local village variety, but really whatever the framing of the mission is (missing daughter; lot of skeletons) the outcome will be going to a dungeon and fighting a few waves of lower level enemies (small spiders; nefarious Izirians) before taking on an elite boss (big talking spider queen; huge Izarian necromancer). The setting in which you do this is very nicely outfitted, with medium-ish maps full of plants and ruined buildings and weird crystals for set dressing, and a day/night cycle. The most compelling storytelling is, rather than line-to-line dialogue, in the larger plot point as you discover the Izirians are using unknown, part-magic technologies to teleport past your defences. It's intriguing, lore-lite stuff that swiftly becomes lore-heavy when dialogue and explainers are piled on top.

Zoria is doing a lot of stuff. It'll remind you of Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age, Lord Of The Rings, even Terry Brooks' weird fantasy books, and a bunch of it is done well, and in interesting ways. But in other cases the ambition has stretched beyond breaking point. But you kind of love your terrier even though it pisses on your cushions sometimes, right?
So, it has almost nothing that would qualify it as a classic RPG to me.

No mention of dialogue trees, no skills/perks or other involved in solving quests (beside the presence of some companions). No choices and consequences but simply dungeon after dungeon, fight after fight, until you reach the final boss in an absolutely unavoidable unique situation not modified neither a little because of your choices or other.

I think I will drop the idea of trying it.
 

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