This has been a really good week for progress on our Onslaught Demo. Gedden made a pass on the combat system and that is really feeling great! Cortices is working on Shrines, Outposts and defensive structures - building the foundation so each can be built and upgraded. Maciej just posted an update on rendering and lighting that made a world of difference. Slugbait has just joined us and is starting to make some champion abilities. Tony is working on some VFX for the completed abilities.
What is going to be in the Demo/Prototype?
For now, we are concentrating on Ironfist Mountains and the Forsaken Wastes to showcase the game. That does not mean we are not thinking about the other factions. In fact, at a minimum the launch will include IF, FW, K'Thir Forest and the Underdepths. The purpose of the prototype is to have a good visual representation of what the game will be so we can easily discuss with potential investors. While working on the Demo, we are also working on building out a working prototype of the complete game.
Depending on the level of funding we acquire, we may launch with just the first 4 biomes (IF, FW, KF, UD) and then introduce Forglar Swamp/Shattered Peaks and Savage Tundra/Sundered Lands as 2 expansion packs post-release. The hope is we are able to get enough funding to have all 8 original factions in the initial game release of course.
In fact, each original Pox faction is being split into at least 3 factions, giving us 24 factions total within the 8 distinct biomes of the world. So far we have made the majority of assets for the first 2 territories and are starting to create the next 2.
Onslaught is set 500 years after the last PoxNora expansion, and things are not looking good for our heroes. The forces of Wraith are in an overwhelmingly dominant position, and are led by the unrelenting undead forces of Serkan and the Forsaken Wastes. The protectorate Strongholds have long-ago fallen and the dwarves are on the run searching for a home. You will get a preview of the prologue story for the game in the upcoming graphic novel: PoxNora Stronghold which I am currently working on with long-time Pox collaborator, Jakub Kasper.
What kind of game is PoxNora Onslaught?
Onslaught is a collaborative real-time strategy game where you and up to 4 friends discover and reclaim your factions capital city, then attempt to unify the entire world. The world map will consist of over 100 territories you and your clan will need to control while competing against 23 other AI-driven factions looking to do the same. Battles for a territory should last between 20-30 minutes as you and your team build and upgrade defenses like walls, towers and traps. You must secure and protect over 12 different dwarven outposts, each granting you bonus troops and benefits to your growing Stronghold.
Players control a single Hero, each with their own abilities, play styles as well as a unique deck of 10 champions, spells and powerful weapon runes they will be able to cast to the battlefield. Each champion will be 100% controlled by AI so that the players can concentrate on the fast-paced battle taking place around them and their chosen Hero. Which champions do you deploy? When will you deploy them? Where? Which defensive upgrades will you prioritize? Which Outposts will you construct? The deep tactical strategy gameplay of the original PoxNora, although very different in this iteration, will be the major determining factor in if you win or lose a battle. Although Hero combat is action-based and will require a bit of skill, it exists on a layer on top of the tactical strategy decisions players will need to make about their stronghold and the champions they have deployed to the battle.
What about PVP?
We have plans to add PVP as well. In a perfect world, again depending on funding, we would have the ability for the world map to be populated with up to a dozen player factions all competing for dominance. To start we are focusing on a collaborative approach because mainly, we all like playing games together, not AGAINST each other.
What about Mobile?
Once we release the game for PC and consoles we will look into the feasibility of releasing a version of the game to iOS/Android.