We thank you for answering the call to arms in our time of need. Though the monstrous horde is powerful beyond compare, we've already seen some successes on the battlefield.
This guide focuses on the basics and was put together by input from our community over on Discord, if after reading this, you are still stuck, do join the server as our community would be happy to help you out more!
Redistributing your upgrades and stats is Free
This is a feature that we've noticed many people overlook as it is not a common feature in games. All of your upgrades, whether on your character or your armies can be reset for free. Doing so will return all of the gold you've spent, allowing you to redistribute the upgrades as needed.
For example, it could be that specific locations would favor the cavalry, and so develop it to a high level.
However, down the line, you may encounter a location where the cavalry is not as useful. In this situation, simply reset your upgrade and spend the gold elsewhere.
Remember, re-specing your character is a part of the game!
Character Development
You can (and should) experiment with your character's build. We've yet to see a build that rules them all, so develop your character as you wish, then reset and re-develop it as needed.
With that said, we've seen people with a balanced build have the best success.
Look at the Encyclopedia
Every enemy that you encounter (except for the bosses) will be logged in the Encyclopedia. Here you can find important information about them, which will help you to build a strategy on how to face them down.
We wrote a more in-depth explanation of this feature here.
DPS and Items
A unique feature of Legendary Hoplite is that your abilities are tied to your items. This means that when you change your item, say your spear, to what may seem stronger, you need to consider two things.
First, what are the raw stats that the spear gives you are. Second, what the skill is.
It is possible to find items with stats that are slightly weaker, but abilities that hugely make up for the difference.
Defense Development
Levels have a fixed amount of waves, and the later waves are stronger than the earlier waves.
Keep that in mind as you develop your defense, as it may be beneficial to take some damage earlier on if it means that later on in your match, you'll have a solid defense line!
Finally, don’t feel as if you have to develop your defense one row at a time, consider column by column!
Change your Difficulty
Some may call this blasphemous, and those who won’t may not even know that this exists. However, Legendary Hoplite has a difficulty option located in the game’s settings.
The default mode is normal (nothing changes) however we also have:
Peaceful Mode (your gate is invulnerable) Casual Mode (your gate has 200% more HP) Easy Mode (your gate has 100% more HP) Normal Mode (default / no changes) Hard Mode (your gate has 50% less HP)
People of Ithaca, the monstrous horde of mythological creatures have arrived, now pick up your arms, ready your mind and body for a fight, and perform heroic deeds, all in the defense of our fair city. Return to us with your shield, or upon it!
That's right everyone, Legendary Hoplite has become available for everyone!
The time for playtests and prologues is over, now is the time for you to dive into the full world of Legendary Hoplite, pitting you against an undead horde, mythological creatures, and terrifyingly powerful bosses.
We started with just 3 people, initially aiming to create a mobile game, but we soon decided that our game would be best suited for PC. Your reviews are crucial to us - don't forget to leave it because based on your review (really hoping you'll enjoy the game!), we'll be working on its improvements! Thank you in advance!
The Game
💥 Rally the defenses of Ithaca
8 powerful army units available to you. From the powerful phalanx, to master archers, mysterious witches, and more.
🎶 Enchanting New Music
A legendary game needs legendary music, and we've got exactly that. Composed by the one and only Sakis Tolis, every boss fight has a special soundtrack, so make sure to complete the game to hear them all!
⚔️ Tower Defense meets Action RPG!
Fight your way through 3 chapters, 39 battlefields, upgrade your character, your armies, and equip gear forged by the gods!
Legendary Hoplite - Should I Play it?
Our approach to Legendary Hoplite gives the tower defense genre a unique twist. By mixing in features typically found in action RPG's and leaning heavily on the rich Greek mythology, even the most experienced tower defense master will find something new to enjoy.
But, don't just take our word for it:
While it revisits the well-trodden path of Greek heroism, the marriage of A-RPG and tower defense mechanics freshens up the genre in exciting ways - rpggamers.com
Legendary Hoplite, its unique art and mix of gameplay elements are a fresh take on the Tower Defense genre. The art of the enemies is so well done I loved every enemy encounter - Bgeek.eu
As part of this DLC, you’ll also receive the game’s music/soundtrack, so you can listen to your favorite tracks on the game. Important: The tracks by Sakis Tolis are not included.
SUPPORT ITHACA BUNDLE
We have teamed up with Ithaca Birmingham to support their cause to educate the public on Greek culture, language, history, and art! A portion of all sales from the soundtrack will go to Ithaca Birmingham! Want to learn more about them? Read what we wrote in our initial announcement here!
GAME BUNDLES
Mythical Heroes Bundle
What if Commander Dio met Achilles, and they fought together on the same side? What if that happened? No one knows; it's both possible and not!
Bing in Wonderland (part of the Wanba Warriors franchise) is an amazing Roguelite that focuses on the oh-so-satisfying monster killing galore, doing away with any exploration. Exotic enemies, unique weapons, and as the developers themselves write "an abundance of pointless features and useless details'' await you! A very tongue in cheek description!
One of the major improvements that we’ve made since our recent playtest was the overhaul of the game’s boss fight music!
It’s been a pleasure and an honor to work with Sakis Tolis, who has composed some great music for us!
Want to hear more? Play Arachne’s Trial and you’ll hear more of his music as you take on Ajax and later Arachne. And of course, the full game (launching Feb 02) will have more of his music with each and every boss!
Defend Ithaca in Game, Support Greek Culture in Real Life!
Defenders of Ithaca,
We have an extra special announcement to make, Legendary Hoplite has teamed up with Ithaca Birmingham, a charity organization dedicated to advance the education of the public on Greek culture, language history and art!
Since our game focuses on the defense of Ithaca, it made poetic sense for us to team up with them, thus giving you the chance to defend Ithaca in-game and support Ithaca in the real world!
Check out Ithaca Birmingham on their Social Media:
◾️ https://www.instagram.com/ithacabirmingham
◾️ https://www.facebook.com/ithacabirmingha
How does it work?
From February 2 (the launch date of Legendary Hoplite), you'll be able to purchase a DLC pack via our Steam page.
If you do so, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Ithaca Birmingham. Every purchase directly contributes to the ongoing support and initiatives of Ithaca Birmingham.
Buying this bundle will give you access to the game’s soundtrack as can be seen in the image below. Important: This does not include the music by Sakis Tolis.
Legendary Hoplite launches on Friday, 2 February. make sure to wishlist the game, and while you're at it follow us on our social media channels:
Unlock the Secrets of the Legendary Hoplite with the Encyclopedia
Greetings, Legendary Defenders of Ithaca!
Fighting against the seemingly never-ending hoards can seem like an impossible task, after all, you'll encounter giants, beasts, the undead, hybrids, and more.
In such a situation, information is power, so what if we told you that a powerful tool is at your disposal? Introducing the Encyclopedia!
As you take on wave after wave of fearsome monsters, you gradually learn more about the enemies that you fight. All of this information is stored within the Encyclopedia.
How to Use the Encyclopedia: A Guide to Mastery
Step 1: Where is the Encyclopedia? Select your character, load the world map, then look to the bottom left of the screen, there you'll see a scroll. Click on it, this is where you will find your encyclopedia.
Step 2: Encountering Monsters. If you're new, you'll notice that the Encyclopedia will be (mostly) empty. To begin recording data, simply take up arms and defend Ithaca!
As you encounter and vanish an opponent, you'll learn more about it. This information will be stored as a new entry in your Encyclopedia.
What you've learned! Each monster is unique, from the weak Skeleton Swordsman type 1 to the deadly Death Cavalry.
The data on each monster can be split into three sections. The first is the general stats
The second is the special stats
All monsters have these two sections. However, some monsters have a third, the special abilities.
Strategic Insights How can this information help you? While at first, taking on the basic Skeletons should be no problem, as you progress, you'll encounter more powerful enemies, and if you're lucky, you may find items that have bonuses against specific types of enemies.
So, if you're stuck on a level (and trust us, you will be at least once). It would be well worth your time to look at the information of the enemies in that level and plan your gear accordingly!
As our earlier playtesters found, an item is often what separates victory from defeat.
Become a Master Tactician: Unlock the Power of Knowledge! Harness the full potential of the Encyclopedia in Legendary Hoplite to emerge victorious against the mythical onslaught. As Sun Tzu said, "In war, numbers alone confer no advantage. Do not advance relying on sheer military power."
Legendary Hoplite Legendary Hoplite launches on Friday, 2 February. make sure to wishlist the game, and while you're at it follow us on our social media channels:
With the defeat of Ajax peace returned to the lands, but alas, it was but a temporary peace. The undead were but a vanguard of the hordes, and now the nightmare begins again.
Spiders, vast hordes of them, led by the legendary Arachne have been sighted and are quickly approaching the city. We must once again unite and defend our homes, least we become food for these monstrous beasts.
Arachne's Trial has started!
Brace yourself for an extended taste of the action from the Legendary Hoplite, as this new prologue covers the first 10 levels of our first chapter, letting you first revisit your legendary fight against Ajax, and then progress further until you meet the mother of all spiders, Arachne herself.
Key Features:
Saved Progress: You asked and we delivered. This time, progress in Arachne's Trial will be saved to the full game, so if you play in our prologue, and then decide that you want to take on the full game, you'll be able to seamlessly continue from where you left off. In short, your heroic feats won't go unnoticed. Now there’s no excuse not to join, grab your spear and shield, and come home with this shield or upon it!
Enchanting New Music: As the great Greek poet put it, "Noble and manly music invigorates the spirit, strengthens the wavering man, and incites him to great and worthy deeds." So, fight your way to the two bosses, Ajax and Arachne, and you'll be treated to a very special soundtrack that we're sure you'll all enjoy!
10 Levels of Tower Defense Mayhem: As said by Euripides, "The god of war hates those who hesitate!" Ten levels await you, take on the undead hoards, then fight the monstrous Arachne and her spider swarms.
Versatile Combat Units: At your side are the Phalanx, Barrel Thrower, Walls, Archer Tower, Catapult, and the Cavalry. Each provides a unique edge that will be vital to the defense of Ithaca, and you'll need to lead them to victory! Remember, the true contempt of an invader is shown by deeds of valor in the field - Hermocrates of Syracuse.
Upgrade your Armies: The all-new progression system makes its debut. Enhance your defensive forces by upgrading them to the bronze star level, then unlock the powerful War Techniques. It will be a long and hard journey, but the payoff is well worth it.
Prepare for Arachne's Trial - Where Legends Rise! Face the challenge, vanquish Arachne, and secure your place among the legendary commanders!
The recent playtest of Legendary Hoplite has been an enlightening journey, providing invaluable insights into the game's strengths and areas for improvement. As we sift through player feedback, several key points have emerged that we are happy will shape the future of our game!
Musical Ambiance: A Symphony of Feedback
While the original music of our game was undeniably cool, the playtest unveiled a consensus that the soundtrack needed a thematic adjustment. The biggest point was that players wanted music that fit with the game's ancient Greek theme, bringing musical life to the legendary world of hoplites and epic battles against mythological beasts.
We have taken this feedback to our hearts and even now are working on the finishing touches to a truly epic, (and Greek) improvement to the music!
Balancing Act: The Challenge of Fighting a Boss!
Boss battles and balancing were one of the biggest points of discussion during the playtest. The reason? Some bosses were no challenge at all, while others proved to be a challenge that Hercules himself would struggle to overcome. Arachne in particular was pointed out to be far too powerful.
What did this mean? At the heart of the issue, it meant that the game's balancing needed fine-tuning to ensure a more consistent and satisfying level of difficulty across all encounters. The aim is to strike a balance between challenge and accessibility.
However, the story does not end there as a joker/wild card was thrown into the mix. Several players commented that the same boss (Arachne) was too easy, so the question we had was, what was the cause of these two hugely different experiences? This brings us nicely to the next point.
Items: The Unsung Heroes of Victory
When one thinks of a Tower Defense game, items, in a more MMO style (equipping a character with swords, armor, shields, etc) tend not to be the first thing that comes to mind. However, in Legendary Hoplite, items are core to the game as the levels are balanced so that items (thanks to their rarity, stats, and abilities) are required to win. The good news is that the playtest underscored the critical role of items, however, due to the rarity system that we have, and how the abilities that a player has access to are tied to the actual items, victory relied on items just a little bit too much.
Players quickly discovered that a well-chosen item could transform a seemingly impossible challenge into a walk in the park. We saw the importance of items surpassed initial expectations.
As items are so close to the game, we’ll end this one by simply saying that we’ve approached this in a few different ways, some direct, others indirect, and the game is now much more balanced.
In-Game Information: Lighting the Path Ahead
This was a relatively easy one. If you've read everything up to this point, you probably would have realized that Legendary Hoplite has many more layers to it than what is typically expected in a Tower Defense game. As such, even the most experienced Tower Defense player would encounter something new.
To provide everyone with game information in an unobtrusive manner, the game has several hints/tips, and also a built-in wiki/encyclopedia that stores the tips. Often, information that is vital to winning can be found here, however, we noticed that this feature was either often overlooked, or, in some cases, was missing the most important points.
Solving this was an easy one, the in-game wiki/encyclopedia, has been reformatted to be easier to read, and, thanks to guides that the players shared in their chats, we've been able to expand on it. Finally, to be prepared for the full launch, a series of game guides are being prepared!
Theory-Crafting Triumphs: A Community of Strategists
We want to end on a high note. Legendary Hoplite emerged as a haven for theory-crafters and strategic masterminds! While we somewhat expected this, the result was still beautiful to see. The community engaged in in-depth discussions about tactics, character development, and army composition, identifying the best ways forward, interesting gaming tactics, and a lot more! It was great to see the depth of strategic possibilities thrust front and center of the game, fostering a passionate player base eager to unravel the complexness of our game's mechanics!
About Legendary Hoplite
A combination of Action RPG and Tower Defense: slay monsters, find weapons, upgrade your armies, defend your base… Prevent humanity from extinction at the hands of monsters from Greek mythology and ancient tribes. Don't let them cross the gate, commander!
A special feedback form is available in-game, but you are welcome to ask your questions here, or on any of our Social Media platforms.
Make sure to follow us on all our channels! ⚔ Twitter - https://twitter.com/HopliteGame
Playtest Update 3 | Ultrawide Support, Game Enhancements, and more!
Legendary Hoplite is back with another update, bringing you a plethora of new features, enhanced visuals, bug fixes, balancing, and more!
So, let's dive into what we have just released without further ado!
Extended Support
Ultrawide resolution is now natively supported
Controller support has been added
Achievements are now linked to the Steam systems.
Game UI
Information on each area rewards can be viewed.
New Item, New Hero Passive, and New War Technique are now easier to identify as they have an additional yellow + sign added to them.
The font and size of text have been improved in various areas to be more user-friendly.
The army scene has been repositioned to be more convenient.
And many more minor changes designed to enhance your gaming experience.
New Features
Right mouse click can be used to subtract 1 point (when using points).
Previous army upgrades can be reselected using a new arrow icon located next to the reset icon.
Alt + Army Hotkey can be used to see the HP bar of only 1 type of unit.
Visual Enhancements
Cerberus and Minotaur models have been upgraded with a new (better) skin.
The Roar and Run mini-game from chapter 2 has had a graphical update.
The graphics for the general environment of chapters 2 and 3 have been updated.
Boss Balancing
Cerberus is now stronger
Minotaur is now stronger
Talos has been made slightly weaker
Triton is now stronger
Charybdis and Scylla are now stronger.
Regular Units
The normal enemy units found in chapter 3, episodes 5,6,7, and 8 have been made slightly weaker.
That's all for this update, we hope that you will continue to enjoy our playtest. We hope that this update showcases our dedication to making Legendary Hoplite as good as possible, utilizing the feedback that you (our players and community) provide us.
Feedback can be provided to us directly in-game via the various prompts, or via this link.
About Legendary Hoplite
A combination of Action RPG and Tower Defense: slay monsters, find weapons, upgrade your armies, defend your base… Prevent humanity from extinction at the hands of monsters from Greek mythology and ancient tribes. Don't let them cross the gate, commander!
A special feedback form is available in-game, but you are welcome to ask your questions here, or on any of our Social Media platforms.
Playtest Update 2 | Share Your Feedback and Win A Key to Heretics Fork!
Hot on the heels of the first update to our playtest, the second one is now live! With this update, we've focused on optimizing your gameplay, fixing issues, and enhancing the overall performance of the game.
Your Feedback Matters!
We're dedicated to making Legendary Hoplite the best it can be, and this is where you come in! If you have insights or suggestions, particularly related to chapters 2 and 3, we'd love to hear from you. Your feedback will help us continue improving your gaming experience.
How to Provide Feedback?
So, how does one provide feedback? Well, we’ve taken steps to make this as easy as possible, so you’ve got three ways to do so!
In-game The easiest way possible is directly from the game. In the main menu (as seen below) you will see a Feedback button. Clicking on this button (take a look at the screenshot below) will open a Google form in your default web browser.
What’s more, you’ll see further prompts when you go to exit the game, as you can see in this screenshot.
Directly via the Google Form You don’t need to open the game to access the Google form. You can access it directly via this link.
In our Discord Server A third option exists in our Discord Server, there, you can chat with other fans of Legendary Hoplite, and even ask questions directly to the team!
Important: To be added to the game credits (more information in the "Appreciating your Contribution section) and be entered into the raffle, we do require you to provide feedback in the Google form linked above.
As a special token of our appreciation, we'll add the names of contributors to the game credits! That’s not all, we’ve got 10 keys to the amazing game Heretics Fork that we’re going to raffle for everyone who provides us with feedback for chapters 2 and 3.
Have you already given us feedback using our form? Don’t worry, you can add another one without any issues.
Join us in making the Legendary Hoplite legendary in every way – not only through your gameplay but also as a valued member of our game development community.
Update Changelog
Faster Loading Times
Loading times have been significantly optimized, ensuring that everything in the game loads much faster. Say goodbye to those long waits and dive straight into the action.
Speedy Map Loading
The initial loading of a map is now lightning-fast, making your first-time experience smoother and more enjoyable. No more waiting around before embarking on your heroic adventures.
Memory Optimizations in Chapter 3
Chapter 3 now runs more efficiently thanks to a host of memory optimizations. Your journey through this exciting chapter will be smoother than ever.
Character Fixes
We've addressed issues with Stheno, ensuring that your gameplay remains uninterrupted.
Bug Fixes
A pesky crash bug in area 8 of chapter 3 has been fixed.
We've taken care of numerous minor bugs, making your time defending Ithaca more enjoyable and bug-free.
Character Enhancements
The idle bug for Charybdis has been fixed, and both Ajax and Erin now have perfectly outlined characters.
We've increased the image quality for Tlos and Hydra, making them even more visually stunning.
Improved Feedback and Prompts.
We've enhanced the visibility of the Feedback notes and prompts so that you can provide us with your feedback directly from the game!
This update is all about making Legendary Hoplite a smoother, more engaging, and visually appealing gaming experience. We appreciate your feedback and support, which has been invaluable in shaping this update, and we hope for the entire game as we progress towards the launch.
Join the Playtest NOW!
Are you just discovering Legendary Hoplite and would like to join the playtest? Great, simply contact us via any of the Social Media links at the end of this article, or just hit the “Request Access” button on our store page!
A combination of Action RPG and Tower Defense: slay monsters, find weapons, upgrade your armies, defend your base… Prevent humanity from extinction at the hands of monsters from Greek mythology and ancient tribes. Don't let them cross the gate, commander!
A special feedback form is available in-game, but you are welcome to ask your questions here, or on any of our Social Media platforms.
A week has passed since the playtest started and we’ve already received a plethora of feedback, ranging from high praise to some extremely constructive criticism, and with such an amazing reaction, it’s only natural that we respond.
So, without further ado, let us dive into what we’ve learned so far, and how we’re addressing the points in our first update.
Balancing
One point that almost every tester has brought up in their feedback was that certain bosses in the first area were simply too hard. This prompted us to have a look at the game and we indeed noticed that the vast majority of testers did not reach chapter 2, and far fewer reached chapter 3.
The culprit of this? The Arachne from chapter 1, episode 10, and to a lesser extent, Ajax the Great from chapter 1, episode 6.
Simply put, these bosses were the epitome of the distinguished title “cheating haxx0r n00b”, or simply put OP. What’s more, when we looked into this, we found that it was almost impossible to defeat them unless you had a set of very specific weapons, all of which had a very low drop rate.
As such, giving these bosses a slight nerf was our number 1 priority, for those that enjoyed the challenge, fret ye not as they will still be worthy advisories, it’s just that they will no longer be impossible to defeat unless you have specific weapons.
A Call to Arms - Chapters 2 and 3
With the aforementioned bosses made easier to manage, we’ve got a special request to make, let us know what you think of chapters 2 and 3
The feedback that we’ve received for Chapter 1 has been amazing and has resulted in a lot of bugfixes, balancing, and general improvements made to the game, however, many of these were specific to Chapter 1.
Therefore, we’re going to be giving some special attention to chapters 2 and 3, and we hope that you who enjoy the game will join in as well!
Bug Fixes
As well as addressing the major issues that we mentioned above, we’re sure that you’ll all be pleased to know that we’ve also worked on correcting a host of bugs. A sample of what we’ve fixed is:
Stheno no longer gets stuck at random.
You can now parry Sthenos laser.
Stheno and Arachne now have a proper death animation
The Assassin Satyr should no longer crash the game.
An issue preventing players from playing the second half of chapter 3 (due to the map size) has been fixed.
Various images were missing in our game’s encyclopedia.
And of course, many many more minor bug fixes.
Join the Playtest NOW!
Are you just discovering the Legendary Hoplite and would like to join the playtest? Great, simply contact us via any of the Social Media links at the end of this article, or just hit the “Request Access” button on our store page!
A combination of Action RPG and Tower Defense: slay monsters, find weapons, upgrade your armies, defend your base… Prevent humanity from extinction at the hands of monsters from Greek mythology and ancient tribes. Don't let them cross the gate, commander!
A special feedback form will be made available in-game, but you are welcome to ask your questions here, or on any of our Social Media platforms.
