NOTE: sorry if this is in the wrong section, move it or lock it if needed
Hey guys, we are developing a game some of you may have heard of, It is titled "A Shapians Tale". We have been planning for over a year, coming up with new ideas, fleshing them out, and gaining experience on the way. We are now getting out getting out feet out of the mud, and into the production process!
This topic will be here to explain what we have come up with. Here you check out the latest concept art, sprites, ect. It will also be a showcase of new features we are considering implementing. Stick around to see what the game is all about, for both new, and old members. We have changed a lot since the game has started, and it's only better than before. Now, that is enough of the babbling. Here is a blast of the new AST:
The game: The World of Shapia
A Shapian's Tale is an online, platformer, in which players can work together to make the storyline come to life. Aside from the story, is a community of players who can attend festivities, go fishing, hunting, and even participate in the Olympics. The Online aspect of A Shapian's Tale is a mix of MMO and session play. In the game, there are many cities, towns, villages, outposts (you get the idea). To get from one of these establishments to another you have to take a rout through the wilderness. Cities are where players come to meet with one another, buy items before a long journeys, share art, but newspapers, start a business, or even run for mayor, these are played in the MMO style we are very familiar with. Beyond every city, is a wilderness. A place where players get lost in Shapia's vastness, while collecting items, materials and things. From discovering caves and lost dungeons, to battling giant monsters and swarms of enemies, or simply setting up a peaceful place to go fishing. These are played in sessions, which can hold up to 8 players at a time.
Aside from the new system of gameplay in A Shapian's Tale, there are some more additions we have made:
Races: Since the beginning of AST, you have gotten to know the 3 choices for your player. The Circle, Triangle, and Square. For the older fans, you have grown with them, understanding that the circle is the fastest, the triangle is the best with a bow, and that the square can dual-wield. However, things have changed a bit. Instead of battling against the forces of Circa La Fe, you can join them from the start. But that's not all, we have went a little further back into the history is Shapia. And we came across a very interesting race of shapian. They are the elder race, the Leunamme. These 3 races will be available once the game is released. So now, instead of being just a circle, triangle or square, you will also choose the Heltican, Darkian, or Leunamme race for your shapian.
Leunamme: The Elder race. They emerged from the surface after the years of darkness that overflowed Shapia. They oversee the forest, with tranquility and peace. The masters of range, the divine. The Leunamme are much like the Elves.
Helticans: The economic race. They broke off from their brethren, the Leunamme, after the Kwar were expelled from the Leunamme territories.They rule the plains, with their giant structures, and expansive trade routes. Masters of military and defense. The Helticans represent the Humans.
Darkians: Led by the evil queen and daughter of King Squarthur, Circa la fe. The Darkians are the mixture of the Helts and the Childran of Wol High. They dictate the shadows, with black magic and darkness. The masters of magic and fear. The Darkians resemble Demons.
Mercantile: Many MMOs consist of battling monsters, leveling up your character, and collecting items to trade them. However, AST is taking a different approach to the world of MMOs. Players will not have to battle monsters over and over again, just to collect the gold it drops. You will have the choice to go about the game a different way. That way, is mercantile. If you always wanted to make items and gain money with your crafting skills, or have a shop to sell potions and scrolls to fellow players, AST is one place where that is possible. And you may ask, how does it all work? well we have already answered that question here(also will be updated)
Campaigns: Another way AST is bringing something new to the table, is with campaigns. You might saying "but games have done that! D:", but i ensure you, this is not what you are thinking of. In many games, there is a "campaign mode" in which the player(s) engages in a predefined storyline, and subsequently reach the end. But what if i told you, that you made the storyline? What if i told you, that you and your fellow players could be recorded in shapian history, for doing something such as killing a giant 3 headed squagon? Then i would be correct. Campaigns mix the storyline of a single player game, and the real time environment of a MMO to give you something marvelous. Campaigns are basically huge, collaborative quests, which can take up to weeks(in shapian time of course) to complete. They can lead up to the release of expansions, and other big updates as well. There are many types of campaigns for players to take part in, those can be viewed here
Shapia's vastness is not only in it's size. The world consists of many intricate details allowing you to customize your game play down to the seasonings you add to your spaghetti, or the way you prefer your sword to be sharpened. The world not only consists of things to do, but ways to add your style to it. It's a game about getting your style known, getting your name heard, and getting your tale written down in the history of Shapia as the players live out the story.
To get a good look at A Shapian's Tale a little further, you can check out the overview, this will be updated occasionally with edits to information(if needed), and the addition of new features. If you are wondering how the game works in general, please take a look(may take a bit to load):
A Shapians tale: Overview
Progress: Stage 0 Indiefund
Stage 0: We are currently working on getting some prototypes ready so we can make a video. Then we will apply to Indiefund. We will of course make AST regardless of whether they can help us, but there is no hurt in shooting for it.
To Do List For Stage 0:
TOOLS
- room editor (in progress)
- item data editor (in progress)
- attack editor
IN GAME FEAURES
- get player creator refined (in progress)
- get online sessions mode done
- get physics fine tuned (in progress)
- create the battle system
- melee
- ranged
- magic
- contribution spells
- enemies
- create the inventory system
- crafting foundation
Our Community, Our Fan Base... YOU!
The world of Shapia goes beyond the game. We have community forums which will be the official forums up until completion and probably even for once the final game is released.
A Shapians Tale -community forums-
We encourage you to check that out. Those forums as well as our blog, will be our most up to date source of information on everything. In contrast this topic only gives you progress on some general development of the game itself. The development of official stories, currently being written courtesy of GmMkr(writer of the yyg forums secret). AST short story and scene contests(winners will receive royal specs). Also details on the development of each individual piece of the above to do list. There will be other things going on that list as well; when we feel the need to add them, we will update this post.
We will be taking questions about anything pertaining to AST here in this topic. Whether it be about some of the features seen in the overview, or about the game in general, you can ask below!
With that, i will let the questions, concerns, and whatever else fly!
Edited by -BanditGames-, 22 November 2010 - 12:24 AM.
