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

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ansharpublishing/zoria-age-of-shattering/posts/3641230

Rewards delivery timeline | Character creator | Shout out: Nebula​

Still amazed by the success of our Kickstarter campaign, we feel moved by your trust in the project and the amount of constructive input we have received in recent weeks. Now it's time for us to deliver you a game that will provide a journey to remember.


And while we're at it, here's some information and a timeline on the rewards:

Backer's exclusive Demo​

Right now, we're in the process of collecting pledges via Kickstarter. When it's over, around November 3, we'll be ready to send you access to the Demo as a Steam or GOG key and instructions on launching it. If you have problems, of course, we will be there to help! The Demo will include the locations available in the free Demo on Steam, plus an additional two sites containing one main quest and several side quests. Depending on the play style, it should give you about 2-3 hours of extra fun. One thing is sure - there is a horde of nasty creatures waiting for you to be slaughtered. It will be challenging.

Surveys​

You have received surveys from Kickstarters regarding your country of residence, Discord nicknames, and names to include in credits. Please fill them out because a beautiful yellow label next to your name is waiting for you on our Discord channel. Soon you will also get a survey from Backerkit, asking you about your preferred distribution platform for the game, Steam or GOG.

Backerkit store​

For those who didn't or couldn't catch on to our Kickstarter campaign, or for backers who want to add add-ons to their rewards, we will launch a store on Backerkit around November 3, that will include a Pay Pal payment option. So nothing is lost!

The rest of the rewards​

We'll deliver you all the rest of the rewards around the game's full release, Q3 2023. When the game goes into early access in Q1 2023, each Backer will receive a copy of the game (and those who chose the "Bard" tier will even receive two!).

Character creator​

One Stretch Goal we did not achieve was the character creator. We hear your feedback and know that one of the prerequisites for immersion in RPGs is the ability to customize the protagonist. Therefore, we decided to add a character creator to the game to complete the experience of playing Zoria. Pretty good, right?

If you have any questions, want to share your impressions of the game, or want to spend some time in the friendly community of RPG lovers, join our Discord. Developers are available almost all the time, serving kind words, advice, funny picture, or coffee emoji.



If you are shy, you can also text me via DM on Discord - PaweJ#4363


Follow us on Twitter for gifs, screenshots, and dry humor jokes.

 

[Infinitron]

Seems to be a shorter version of the Kickstarter trailer:

 

[Abu Antar]

Dev Diary #8 - Characters, classes and team composition
A few words about the professions of our team members and the importance of a good selection of followers.
Welcome, travelers of the Uram continent!
I have gathered you here today to tell you about your upcoming duties and the companions with whom you will
undertake them.
The times are hard, and the quest is challenging, so you must be extremely cautious when selecting
who you will befriend.

In Zoria,
ten different specializations
of warriors may join our team. You, as a commander, will be out of this category, serving more as a
support but in a unique way
. Two characters will represent each class with their
own story, motivations, and wits.

Your followers are critical to the success of your mission. Whether recruited through the Inn or from various quests, your companions represent your
most significant investment and resource
since your adventure is squad-based, and only good use of the squad system can ensure success.

For most of the exploration, you will
control the main character in real time
, with the squad following every step you take. However, during the combat, every character will be
ready to carry out your order.

Let's have a closer look at some of the classes in Zoria.

In addition to the above, the game will also include the following:

• • Ranger
  • Thief
  • Wizard
  • Priest
  • Bard
  • Nightwarden

Team composition
As you've probably already guessed,
only a good combination
of your companions' classes can bring success on the battlefield. A team of rangers alone would be spectacular and look great on defensive walls, while their effectiveness would be
very low in a close encounter.

There is another reason why you should be especially careful in choosing teammates. In the world of Zoria, there are objects that only a
character with the right abilities can interact with
. Hence,
Battle Clerics can interact with Shrines of Nerdalye
to replenish the party's health, and Wizard can
create magical bridges
over which the whole team can safely cross to the other side.

------------------

Concluding my story, I hope it has made you look forward to Zoria even more.
The year 2023 is very close
, and in a few months, you will see the result of our dream to create a full-blooded RPG. In the meantime, we wish you a
peaceful holiday and a happy new year!

 

[cyborgboy95]

Luring Dragons, Spawning Elementals, Counting Skulls. Monthly Changelog #2
A short report on the progress made this month
Hello, Commander!
Working on Zoria: Age of Shattering is an
exciting
but also
challenging
experience. The ideas are endless, and expectations - yours and ours - are high. This month we introduced many valuable changes to the game. Are you ready? Welcome to
Monthly Changelog #2
!

A party ready to explore each corner. Do I smell... chest?!

Remodeled and expanded locations
Rithvale had a complete makeover. We needed to rebuild it to match it with our current level of quality. Rithvale will become your homebase and your safe haven you'll long for after a long journey.

Players will now have quests available (both sidequests and main quests), making it a more
lively area worth revisiting at different stages of the game.

Do you remember Shrieking Pass? Some of you might have seen it in the demo from 2 years ago. We felt this location could be more interesting, so we decided to revisit it, with some new places and adventures

Now it is not only an area where the story takes place but also a part of the story on its own.

This is totally how we rebuilt our locations. We evacuate everyone, and then we lure a dragon and four Trolls to raze the city to the ground. Easy-peasy.

Attacks of Opportunity
RPG players are most likely familiar with this system. Certain characters will be able to strike an enemy unit in combat as it moves next to them. It can be a very
satisfying
move that'll prevent your opponents from running away from you and has a significant chance to finish them off without the need to chase them around the map (and possibly get into a trap).

These water elementals have yet to realize that they should be running away.

Character Creator
Character Creator was a Strech Goal on Kickstarter that we unfortunatelly didn't reached
BUT
we decided to add it after all.

We believe that creating your own character in an RPG adds a lot of value to a roleplaying aspect of the game. Whether you like to adjust a gender or look to your own for a better immersion, play a hero of your dreams or make it an honor to play as a female character whenever possible -
we've got you.

Once again, huge thanks to everyone who supported us in the Kickstarter campaign!

There was a crowd waiting to witness your glory, but you took too long to pick up that perfect shade of hair (even though you can't see it through the helmet).

Best Upcoming - IndieDB Indie of the Year 2022
Do you remember how last time we asked you to vote in a IndieDB's Indie of the Year poll...?

We got the 5th place!!!

We knew there were a lot of you out there, yet getting this high in the rank exceeded our expectations! Thank you so much for voting!
It wouldn't be possible without your help

You can watch Best Upcoming - IndieDB Indie of the Year 2022 here:

That's it for now

You see a path that leads you forward. The path has been lit by a dozen of torches and adorned with skulls impaled on stakes. Someone passed this way not long ago.

 

[ArchAngel]

Is it known how much options are there going to be in these base management parts and how it is going to influence the game?

 

[luj1]

how much options are there going to be in this base management parts

 

[ArchAngel]

how much options are there going to be in this base management parts

Sorry but I am sucker for RPGs not just being all about exploring and talking. Just being a murderhobo in games is not fun to me.

 

[cyborgboy95]

The devs think Divinity Original Sin is too complex but love Morrowind's world-building

Dev Diary #9 Why are we making an RPG? Because we love it.
Making an RPG game is a huge challenge, regardless of the studio's size. To us it involves creating an immersive world, meaningful stories, and interesting, multi-dimensional characters.

We spent years playing, or rather consuming games before we decided to start making our own. We're talking about thousands of hours spent gaming ever since childhood or the young teenage era. Can you guess which games influenced us the most?

Fane's absolute favorite, with more than 3,000 hours spent in-game, World of Warcraft has a stylized, cartoonish look but obviously made for a mature audience. In WoW crafting, animations, effects, and events, everything has its place and works beautifully. Garrisons' system from Warlords of Draenor expansion is a bit of a crowd-dividing topic (some love it, some absolutely hate it), but it sprouted an idea of outpost management that could've been done better.

Another game that approached outpost management in a different but interesting way was XCOM. In this tactical, turn-based RPG, you come back from a mission and can manage sections of your base and order tasks for your party members. You can tend to their wounds if they get wounded or exhausted, or let them stay and rest while you choose another character to go with you to the next mission.

When it comes to the gameplay, we were absolutely enchanted by Heroes 3, which we played almost religiously on LAN parties back in the day One of the first concepts for Zoria: Age of Shattering actually had a lot of similarities to the Might and Magic title! However, as our team improved, the concept evolved to more temporary solutions.

What we liked the most about Heroes 3 was the tempo of the game and the fact that it wasn't hard to jump into, especially in comparison to games such as Divinity: Original Sin, which has a very high entry threshold, endless tutorials, and extremely lengthy encounters. Don't get us wrong, it's a wonderful game, but we want to avoid daunting complexity. That said, we aim somewhere between these two – not too simple, but not over-complicated.

Neles fell in love with Morrowind's world-building and world's diversity reflected through the quests and dialogues – a charm he can't find in Bethesda's later installments to the Elder Scrolls franchise. The sense of wandering around a vast and divergent open world was astounding. It gave the feeling of being a part of something big and something alive; Being a hero to the story that matters.

Witcher 3 also showed how important it makes us feel when our choices matter. And we don't mean million possible endings, but rather small things that we do in one mission that come around much later in the game as a result of our actions.

Lastly, we all agree that when it comes to art direction, we wanted something stylized, in places even cartoonish, but not crossing the line of childish. The art style of games such as WoW, Divinity: Original Sin, or Diablo 2 (but not 3! ) has this perfect balance that we love looking at. It's just a style that appeals to us the most

Which games influenced you the most? Let us know in the comments below or over our Discord
{LINK REMOVED}

Until next time,
Tiny Trinket Games

 

[cyborgboy95]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1159090/view/3672159223618815166

Heroes get homesick, too. They just rarely talk about it. Monthly Changelog #3
A short report on the progress made this month
Hello, Commander!
Another month, another changelog
. Are you curious about what we’ve been working on lately? You wouldn’t believe how much Zoria has changed! Get yourself a mug, sit back, and
enjoy

Nulbarak
Does it ring a bell?
Some of you have heard this name before. Nulbarak is a location known to those who had a chance to play the Kickstarter Demo We decided to implement an improved version of this place not only to reward all of our Backers but also to give players a choice within the gameplay. You see, we’ve made some changes to Zoria’s story, and visiting Nulbarak will be a result of your in-game decisions, so you may or may not arrive at that destination

"Quick, look at this painting! It looks just like home." *vases shattering* "I guess you really miss your home, don't you?"

Day-night cycle
Open areas now have a fully working day-night cycle; The world will act accordingly to the time of the day!
Some events will occur only at certain times. This should help make the game more
alive and realistic

5 am morning stroll through the woods. If mother knew...

UI Adjustments
We’re implementing a new, more aesthetically pleasing interface. The previous one was good, but this one will be even better, and we think it’ll
reflect Zoria’s current level of design more. Fun fact: it’s an eleventh iteration, made entirely in-house, tailored to Zoria’s needs

Goodbye old, welcome new.

 

[Infinitron]

Early Access on April 27th:



https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ansharpublishing/zoria-age-of-shattering/posts/3765095

We're happy to announce Early Access Launch!​

Commander! ​

The time has come! We are thrilled to announce that Zoria: Age of Shattering will launch into Early Access on Steam and GOG on April 27th, 2023!

Early Access Announcement Trailer​

Huge thanks to all of our backers on Kickstarter, who believed in our Tiny studio and supported us ever since September 2022, as well as our lovely, wholesome community that formed along the way around our Discord server, Twitter, and Facebook fan pages. Anyway, you are amazing, and you inspired us to keep up the hard work

We are incredibly excited to show you the results of months spent on adding content and improving the game. We upgraded Zoria: Age of Shattering immensely, and we can't wait for you to experience it

But don't worry! Zoria is still a squad-based tactical RPG with fluid turn-based combat, outpost, and follower management, set in a vast world that you'll be able to explore to your heart's content in just five weeks!

A Challenge for You​

We're not stopping here! Zoria is launching into Early Access, which means its due to change even more before it fully releases, and you can help us shape its future

Today we're launching a Wishlist Challenge. How does it work?
The more people add Zoria to their wishlist on Steam, the more additional features will unlock!

Sharing is caring, and letting your friends and family know about Zoria or tagging us on social media makes a difference! Do you remember when and where did you discover Zoria? Let us know in the comments below!

Join our Discord if you haven't already, and we'll see you in the next update!



Tiny Trinket Games

 

[fantadomat]

Everything is EA now,it is.....ahhh.

 

[Infinitron]

Syke! https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1159090/view/3714947857661552064

Changing plans
Adventurers!
After careful consideration, we came to the conclusion that Zoria doesn't need Early Access, because we're ready to
make a Full Release this September.

Let's fill you in on which arguments helped us make this decision.


Content Evaluation
We've been working on Zoria tirelessly for some time now. There are surely creators among you that know the feeling (or rather a need) of polishing your project until you think it's perfect. The truth is, the inner critic might never tell you you got there

We evaluated our latest milestone and realized that
Zoria is so close to being completed that putting it on Early Access would only water down our progress
. Launching Zoria in EA would mean launching an incomplete game for a few months when in reality,
we only need a few months to finish the game.

Can be treated as a metaphor for us being close to finishing the game. Also, a nice screenshot.

Zoria is not that type of game
Early Access has its benefits, don't get us wrong - that's why we considered it in the first place. Zoria has been in development for some time now, and we were eager to finally show it to you. But games that benefit from EA are hugely the ones that provide
service
. From the very beginning,
we designed Zoria to be a complete, single-player adventure.
We want you to be able to fully immerse yourself in the fantasy world of Zoria without the need to turn a blind eye to unpolished elements.

And finally, the argument that appealed to us the most.


Delivering Full Release sooner
By launching Zoria in Early Access, we'd need to change our focus from finishing the game to hotfixing and bugfixing. Instead, we can stay on track and instead
release the game sooner
. In fact, we made an honest calculation and decided that
Zoria: Age of Shattering will launch on September 19th, 2023.

We got excited to get your reactions and feedback to Zoria ASAP, as it'd be an
invaluable source of information and a boost of encouragement.
But you can still do that by following us on Twitter and Facebook or joining our Discord server At the end of the day, we're working with playtesters as well as with members of our wonderful community (thank you!) to make
the most magical experience possible.



Thank you all for your continuous support. See you soon in the next update!

Tiny Trinket Games

 

[0sacred]

tried the demo and got mobile game vibes from mechanics and visuals, will avoid

shame, the base building sounded interesting

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

0sacred Thanks for the warning. I've occasionally looked at this with minor interest. I want to believe it's a rough gem, but my instincts tell me it's a trap.

 

[Abu Antar]

0sacred Thanks for the warning. I've occasionally looked at this with minor interest. I want to believe it's a rough gem, but my instincts tell me it's a trap.

A few of us who tried the demo were unimpressed. (Read the previous page.)

 

[udm]

Yeah I really wanted this to be good but the game (in combat and outside of it) feels poorly designed.

 

[Kruno]

This game will be competing with Baldur's Gate 3. I hope it is much better, otherwise I will be spending all my time on BG3.

 

[Tweed]

How many black people will I be forced to take in my party?

 

[norolim]

Tried the demo too. It spinned my GTX 970 like crazy with average graphics. It also scaled very badly on my display. Couldn't read most of the UI fonts. Uninstalled immediately.

 

[Infinitron]

This was delayed to October 5th last month: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ansharpublishing/zoria-age-of-shattering/posts/3846356

Full release on October 5th. Monthly Changelog #7​

Hello, Commanders!​

Before we get to the changelog, let's share with you the latest decision we made.

Important Announcement

Due to the congested September release schedule, we chose to delay the release date of Zoria. Titles such as Baldur's Gate 3, Starfield, and Lies of P, to name just a few, release around the same period. While some of you have pointed it out as we announced our release date, we couldn't put Zoria, an indie game, and other AAA production titles, in the same league (but thanks to those of you who did, we took it as a huge compliment!). Long story short, we feel that shifting our release date would give Zoria the attention and exposure it deserves.

That said, we settled that October 5th will be the best day to release Zoria: Age of Shattering. It's just a few days later than our initial release date, but we believe this time will provide a space between releases needed for Zoria to shine through.

Now, let's see what's changed within the past month!

Monthly Changelog

Character Creator

One of the significant improvements we've made in this category is optimizing asset resource management, which results in a lower memory footprint at runtime, ensuring smoother gameplay.

We also enhanced the customization options. Firstly, we improved support for colors, shader material modifications, and emissive materials. We even added a color picker! Secondly, we added a dynamic size and scale control of the human body. Thanks to that feature, you'll be able to adjust body proportions and create different shapes of faces, making each character one-of-a-kind.

Furthermore, we implemented a wide array of styling features, such as various hairstyles, faces, makeup options, eyebrows, facial hair, etc., to ensure characters will come in a wide variety. Lastly, we incorporated numerous new item models that can be used for character design, providing even more customization options.

We started creating new NPCs using the updated character creator system, bringing more life and diversity to the game.

Icon Generator

We developed a useful tool for creating icons for in-game items. We're using it to create icons for all weapons and armor pieces in the inventory. We plan on using it to create portraits for heroes made with Character Creator as well, but we're still working on that

Besides that, we're reworking and adjusting the outposts to improve clarity and make them more intuitive. Some new areas and dungeons have also emerged from the shadows, but we cannot talk too much about them to avoid spoiling anything. We're also waiting for the last two background music pieces, and Zoria's soundtrack will be complete!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more updates!

Follow us on Twitter and join our Discord

As always, we appreciate your continuous support


Until next time,

Tiny Trinket Games

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1159090/view/3677803305958438238

Ready, Set, Upgrade! Monthly Changelog #8
with new screenshots!
Commanders!
We're back with some updates to get you even more excited for Zoria's upcoming release. Check out what we've got for you in this Monthly Changelog #8!

A bit of a Story Redesign
After consultations with an experienced and inspiring creative game director, we decided to
redesign parts of the game
to make it more captivating for newcomers while retaining a fair amount of references to veterans who played the Prologue and the Demo. In other words – don't worry if you haven't played any of these; we made sure that the game will be a great stand-alone experience and that you'll embark on a wonderful adventure that will gradually unfold in front of you.

Outposts System
We've completed the Outposts! With Outpost System fully implemented, you'll be able to
rest and recover your followers
in the cozy "Moon Flower" Burrow,
unleash your inner alchemist
with the Black Cauldron, and
visit Blacksmith's workshop
for the finest of items. The "Lucky Dog" Inn will be your go-to place for
thrilling quests and finding loyal companions
to join your adventures. And yes, there will be an upgrade system that will allow you to enhance your outpost, but we're still figuring out the economy so that the rewards would be sufficient and satisfying – not broken.

Character Creator
We consider the highly anticipated Character Creator system as a "feature complete," giving you a lot of elements to play with to
customize your in-game persona
. You'll be able to choose your gender, experiment with various hairstyles (including facial hair, such as beards and mustaches), and mix and match cloth and armor pieces to create your unique look. Tailor your character's body shape and proportions, and enhance their appearance with a wide range of tattoos, scars, makeup, and more.

Polish
We're just 70 days away from the big launch of our game
! Our team is hard at work, polishing every aspect of the game to make sure everything runs smoothly. Your enthusiasm for Zoria have been our driving force, and we're aiming to deliver a game that exceeds your expectations. Together, we'll embark on an unforgettable journey, and we can't wait to share it with you!

Follow us on Twitter and join our Discord to stay up to date with the latest news!



As always, we appreciate your continuous support

Until next time,

Tiny Trinket Games

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1159090/view/3676679309282059197

A New Demo Awaits!
Commanders!

We're excited to announce that as you're reading this, a new demo of Zoria: Age of Shattering is now available This demo will give you a glimpse of the complexity that we committed to despite the size of our development team ('Dream big,' they said. 'It'll be fun,' they said! ).

The new demo will take you to the very beginning of a brand new adventure, where you'll get to make your character using a
character creator
before accepting your first quest. If you played the previous demo, you'll surely notice
changes in the UI and character models
- we changed and improved them.

We strongly encourage you to try the new demo and share your feedback.
A questionnaire will be available after you finish the demo, and we'd love to hear your thoughts!

In the upcoming weeks, our representatives will attend various events and conferences:
Gamescom
(starting today!),
PAX West
and
WASD
in September. We'll demonstrate the demo and gather last-minute feedback before we wrap up production.

You can always find us on Discord or Twitter/X. Please keep an eye out for further news!
Thank you for your continuous support

 

[cyborgboy95]

Delayed

About our Release Date
Commanders!
We have some important news about the release of Zoria: Age of Shattering. Over the past few weeks, we've been rigorously QA testing the game to ensure it's ready for release. However, our latest tests indicate that the game will not meet our satisfaction level by October 5th. Therefore, we must delay the launch by a few weeks.

We understand that this may be disappointing news, but we believe that taking this extra time to test and refine the game will ultimately result in a better experience for all of us. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Your anticipation and excitement for the game have been a constant source of motivation for us, and we're incredibly grateful for your support.

Fighting with bugs
For the past few weeks, we've been collaborating with an external QA team, who have reported over 280 issues to us. While most of these are minor, our small team of three people, including one programmer handling most of the issues (poor Gabi), finds this number too significant to be sure that by October 5th, we will be able to deliver a game that we can confidently deem as a finished product.

Therefore, our primary focus for the upcoming days will be intensive QA testing to determine precisely how many more weeks of additional bug fixing we require.

Working on balance
In addition to bug fixing, we're also working on enhancing the game's balance to provide you with a smooth experience. It involves careful adjustment of character and item stats and giving a second look at all the effects, etc.

Ultimately, thorough testing is the key to delivering a game that meets your expectations and our high standards. We still need a bit more time to finalize the game and accurately determine a new release date. Stay tuned! We are doing our best to make it worth the wait.

The new demo
We recently launched a new demo, and we strongly encourage you to play it and share your feedback. A questionnaire will be available after you finish the demo, and we'd love to hear your thoughts.

In the upcoming weeks, our representatives will attend PAX West in Seattle and WASD in London. We'll demonstrate the demo and gather last-minute feedback before we wrap up production.

We are dedicated to regularly updating you on our progress. You can always find us on Discord[discord.com] or Twitter/X. Please keep an eye out for further news. Thank you for your continuous support and understanding. We're confident that the wait will be worth it.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

https://gamerant.com/zoria-age-shattering-tactical-rpg-interview/

Zoria: Age of Shattering Interview - Dev Talks Influences, Solving Common RPG Problems​

BYJOEY BROWN
PUBLISHED 6 DAYS AGO

Game Rant sits down with Zoria: Age of Shattering producer Stefan Nitescu to talk about the game's influences and how it stands out as a tactical RPG.

 

[Infinitron]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1159090/view/3705955877845920669