Lotia
The Goblin Gazette: Lotia Game Review
Lotia Review
When I was asked to review Lotia for The Goblin Gazette, I was very excited! I’ve not had the opportunity to reviewed a lengthy RPG yet. After logging about a dozen hours of gameplay of Crayon Ponyfish’s Lotia, I can say that this was an enjoyable RPG to review. Designed with the help of RPG Maker, Lotia is a JRPG styled, turn based RPG set in the oceans of Lotia.
Premise
In Lotia, players follow the story of Reef O’Meara, a smuggler determined to free their society from the Dominion’s enslavement. Reef is a “dreamer,” an individual convinced Lotia is not their home. But rather some sort of mirage that is no less real to its inhabitants. Simple smuggling leads to a pursuit in hopes of overthrowing the oppressive “Dominion”. Along the way, Reef meets characters who join his crew in hopes of defeating the Dominion alongside of him.
Gameplay
Lotia is a game which, apart from the story, felt like a combination of Pokémon and Paper Mario. This is a good thing though as those are two great franchises. The turn-based combat clearly draws influence from Pokémon or, perhaps, other RPGs which implement this same combat method. The player selects an action (attack, use arts, use items, block, etc.) for each character, and each action, along with the actions of the opposing characters, plays out in a turn based fashion.
The part that sets it apart from Pokémon and feels more like Paper Mario is that the player does not capture animals to fight for them but rather assembles a team of characters met throughout the story, each with unique abilities and strengths. Each time the player defeats enemies in combat, each character who contributed to the victory will gain XP points. These XP points ultimately lead to the leveling up of each player and the improvement of their respective statistics.
The player can supplement their combat through the use of a number of items. Each character’s equipment can be changed to improve stats. And consumable items like Tonins and Nullifiers act to increase health, resurrect dead characters, or remove negative character states, like confusion. The world of Lotia is very beautiful and is designed similarly to many RPG Maker games. Lotia’s map is laid out like a grid and Reef occupies one of the grid’s squares at any moment. This is not something unique to Lotia and is actually seen in a large number of these pixelated RPGs.
What I Liked
I really enjoyed the hybrid of turn-based combat and character-based team development and felt that it provided a combat experience unique to most RPGs. The plot of the game was also very captivating and the character dialogue was often witty, dramatic, fun, and ultimately very engaging. The game’s artwork was consistent with many RPG Maker games with some good additional artwork added in during combat, dialogue, etc.
However, one of the most enjoyable facets of this game was the very well produced soundtrack. Each area seemed to have its own unique music; songs were rarely recycled. On top of this, each song sounded very professionally done and fit the mood of whatever scene the player was experiencing at the moment. The soundtrack includes 23 tracks produced by Ryan McQuinn. I think many players will find that the music plays a big part in creating Lotia’s overall feel. All in all, I felt that there was a lot to like about Lotia.
What Can Be Improved
As far as what can be improved in the game, largest opportunity is the map. Specifically the setup and how Reef moves about it. Earlier, I mentioned the grid that the player walks about with Reef occupying one square at a time. At times, it felt like the grid did not match up with the way the map itself was laid out. I found that there were parts of the map that looked like they should have been able to be reached by Reef, but were restricted because their square was not a part of this playable grid. This is something that I noticed come up in a couple of Steam reviews and, while at times a nuisance, I don’t feel that this is something that significantly diminishes the enjoyment of this game.
One other thing that was originally off-putting was how frequently enemies randomly spawn when traversing the wilderness. These encounters are frequent and more or less automatic; the player can essentially tell each of his characters to attack until the fairly weak enemy is defeated (combat requires more care and attention when encountering more considerable opponents). This is not something that is inconsistent with similar RPGs. I think we all remember how annoying encountering low-level opponents in the grasses of Pokémon games was. However, like Pokémon, there are items in the game which lower the frequency of these encounters. But these encounters are ultimately important to leveling up at a timely pace to defeat the stronger and more significant enemies. This was ultimately a non-issue with me, but I do think it’s something that some players will initially find off-putting.
Final Thoughts
Lotia is a beautiful example of RPG Maker’s potential. The great story line coupled with good combat topped off with a great soundtrack made for a very enjoyable experience. The issues I had with the game were few and far between. And they did not have a material impact on how much I enjoyed the game. With an average of about 15+ hours of gameplay and currently selling pretty cheap, Lotia is a game that any RPG fan would enjoy. Crayon Ponyfish did a great job with this one, and I’m excited to see what improvements are made to Lotia and what other games may be offered to us in the future.
HALLOWEEN SALE!
Latest Updates and Bug Fixes from Version 1.9.9:
- Players can now leave the Dominion Fortress after opening the portal to the Courtyard of Awakening.
- Certain skills of the Corsair, Sea Caller, and Dream Walker haver been corrected so that they can only be used in combat.
- The Mariner skill "Challenge" will now show the correct icon.
- The Elementalist will no longer appear as part of the party before entering the Gold Coin in Nimbus.
- Blend will no longer give a gain of 5TP when using it, keeping the cost of the intended 20TP.
- The "Minor Elemen" that could be obtained in the Planning Room of the Surprise will no longer be available after its first interaction.
- The "Minor Tonin" that could be obtained in Mei's Loft in Tellin will no longer be available after its first interaction.
- The Physical Combat Instructor will now display the correct profile image regardless of the conversation.
- The Chakram Crate will no longer block a player's path after being collected.
- The notification for collecting the H-001 About Dreams journal has been corrected.
- The notification for collecting the T-013 Dreamshard Travel journal has been corrected.
- The notification for collecting the T-001 Miscellany & Disclaimer journal has been corrected.
- Dead Dream Walker sprites have been updated so that they will no longer change when being interacted with.
- Candelabra sprites have been updated so they will no longer change when being interacted with.
- Collision has been corrected in the Cerith Constabulary Dominion Outpost II so that players can now walk behind the west cabinets.
- Save locations have been updated to match the correct map name.
- The treasure chest sprite, located within the Runaway Slide Cavern, has been updated to display the correct sprite after being interacted with.
- The cabinet sprite has been updated in the Nordfonna Fireside Inn and Snowglobes and Fascinations by Dianna-Rey.
- The chest located in the Dominion Fortress Dungeon can no longer be opened through the cell bars.
Update 1.9.9
Updates:
- Players can now leave the Dominion Fortress after opening the portal to the Courtyard of Awakening.
- Certain skills of the Corsair, Sea Caller, and Dream Walker haver been corrected so that they can only be used in combat.
- The Mariner skill "Challenge" will now show the correct icon.
- The Elementalist will no longer appear as part of the party before entering the Gold Coin in Nimbus.
- Blend will no longer give a gain of 5TP when using it, keeping the cost of the intended 20TP.
- The "Minor Elemen" that could be obtained in the Planning Room of the Surprise will no longer be available after its first interaction.
- The "Minor Tonin" that could be obtained in Mei's Loft in Tellin will no longer be available after its first interaction.
- The Physical Combat Instructor will now display the correct profile image regardless of the conversation.
- The Chakram Crate will no longer block a player's path after being collected.
- The notification for collecting the H-001 About Dreams journal has been corrected.
- The notification for collecting the T-013 Dreamshard Travel journal has been corrected.
- The notification for collecting the T-001 Miscellany & Disclaimer journal has been corrected.
- Dead Dream Walker sprites have been updated so that they will no longer change when being interacted with.
- Candelabra sprites have been updated so they will no longer change when being interacted with.
- Collision has been corrected in the Cerith Constabulary Dominion Outpost II so that players can now walk behind the west cabinets.
- Save locations have been updated to match the correct map name.
- The treasure chest sprite, located within the Runaway Slide Cavern, has been updated to display the correct sprite after being interacted with.
- The cabinet sprite has been updated in the Nordfonna Fireside Inn and Snowglobes and Fascinations by Dianna-Rey.
- The chest located in the Dominion Fortress Dungeon can no longer be opened through the cell bars.
Update 1.8.7
- Nassa
- Junonia
- Cerith
- Tellin
- Nordfonna
- Dream Walker Temple
We hope that these additional lore points continue to keep you intrigued and dreaming with us in Lotia! We have been going over all feedback we have received and will strive to make the necessary updates to enhance your dreaming experience. Thank you to everyone who has worked with us and given your support.
The release of the iOS Lore Companion App is underway. We will update you as soon as we have word that the App is good to go!
Finally, we want to share our excitement as we count down the days to August 11th, where the Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra presents "Sanctuary: The Music of Lotia", in Sanford, FL, at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center.
Tickets can be purchased here: WDPAC.com
Please feel free to email us at Support@crayonponyfish.com with any questions you may have concerning Lotia or the performance.
Updates:
- Added additional lore interaction points to the Dream Walker Temple.
Update 1.7.6
Updates:
- Corrected an issue that caused the clouds of Tellin to follow you outside of the intended areas.
- Corrected an issue that prevented you from being able to return to Pearl after leaving.
- Updated the Tome P-015's location.
What is Lotia?
If you like to read fiction and like immersive RPG’s, then this game may appeal to you. While the story progression itself is fairly linear, it will be the player’s job to learn the skills and arts singular to this world in order to equip the party for success so that the story may advance.
The local story is told through the play and interactions of the party, while the bigger picture is subtly revealed in significant bits within tomes of knowledge which were scattered around the world in an attempt to get locals to start paying attention to an ongoing catastrophic war that they do not even realize that they are losing.
Perhaps the most frequent and important player choices rest in the selection of which four of the six party members are going to face the next inevitable encounter. Don’t be afraid to switch them up, and their order can be easily manipulated in the player UI.
All of the enemies have unique strengths and weaknesses, and steamrolling them often does not work, particularly with the bosses. You must, for example, learn that “clarity” in their world is comparable in ours to fire, and then determine which enemies are vulnerable or immune to it. The enemies are completely fantastic and retain only vague likenesses in their qualities to anything you might know. For example again, a serration seems to be a kind of shark, and sharks are well-known for their ferocious attacks with their teeth. It is reasonable to assume that you will find them at sea and not on land.
There are bosses that just cannot be physically beaten down, and a player who applies the context of the nature of the boss in the world of Lotia to their battle with it will be rewarded with success. If you meet lust in life, what are you going to use to battle it, a club? If you give into it, you might hurt your own friends.
Encounters are often and varied, and there are well over a 100 different beasts to meet along the way. Leveling up as in a standard dungeon crawl affords the party greater strength with a creative array of new arts with which to do battle. There are awesome arts for discovery, yet no “rail guns” appear later to save your day, and sometimes the neglected lowly first-art unexpectedly works best for a reason.
Learn well, save frequently.
The combat system is very carefully worked out. The actions of the foursome in combat party receive passive support from the two others. For example, if the tank is not involved, he still gives everyone extra hit points, provided the healer buffs them all up to his bonus allotment.
There are items thoughtfully provided the player that increase the encounter rate, diminish it, or, for those who want to explore and read in depth, negate it completely.
Almost every detail a player could want about their characters can be readily obtained at any moment. There is a wealth of data and statistics about how each one is doing. It is well worth examining what their strengths and vulnerabilities are, how certain equipment affects them, and it is vital that a player read the Combat arts section to determine just how their repertoire of arts actually perform against what foes.
The items for equipping the party are foreign, interesting, entertaining and well-described. Don’t worry, there is a handy button in the panel which will auto-equip each character with the best items that they have acquired.
The lore is very deep in the game, attempting to impart to the player the concept that Lotia is only a small part of something hugely bigger already set in motion. It is hoped that the advancing player will begin to recognize that something terrible has happened in Lotia, and that it is progressing toward an inescapable fate if no action is taken. You are just the one to do that. Take your time exploring. There are very few timing tests and agility requirements.
There are several “easter eggs,” hidden doors, and puzzles of various kinds. While the general atmosphere in the game is not lightweight at all and has an oceanic theme, there are signs, books and peculiarities to be read or found that provide levity while adventuring.
Lucid dreams, and sail to the moon.
--The Loremaster
OS X Launch 1.6.6
Updates:
- Increased interaction points in Tellin.
- Increased interaction points in Nordfonna.
Update 1.5.6
Updates:
- Updated the Seventh Overpass, Tellin with a new exit.
- Increased interaction points in Junonia.
- Corrected an issue that allowed party members to grow over level 50. Doing so could cause potential balancing issues with enemy and boss encounters.
- Updated the location of Tome H-034.
Update 1.4.6
To the delight of many explorers, we corrected a bug that caused random encounters to happen ever 3 steps in one area of Nordfonna. This should now be working as intended. Thank you for dreaming with us!
Updates:
- Corrected the entry point to Michellina's Cottage, Tombolo.
- Corrected the Bestiary entry for the Warden of Cerith.
- Increased interaction points in Cerith.
- Corrected a text error with a book on the Surprise.
- Corrected a text error in the initial conversation with the Wordsmith.
- Updated tear text in the Weeping Woods.
- Corrected a text error in the initial conversation with Master Cannoneer Grogrust.
- Corrected an issue that prevented a chest from opening in the Vagary Lodge.
- Removed Mini-map Name's from appearing in the Rude Bastion and the Dream Walker Temple.
- Updated a sign within the Crux Chamber, Rude Bastion.
- Corrected an issue that was causing random encounters to occur every three steps in the Snowslide Ridges, Nordfonna.
Update 1.3.6
Updates:
- Corrected the entry point to Michellina's Cottage, Tombolo.
- Improved the method of determining the random encounter rate so that the Flare Gun and Crux Shard would work more effectively.
- Updated event and text triggers in the Weeping Woods.
- Corrected an issue that caused duplicate sprites to appear after re-visiting the Crux Room, Vagary Lodge.
- Corrected the battle background for Eastern Parapet, Vagary Lodge.
- Updated the Powder Monkey to have the correct battle data.
- Removed random encounters for The Patio, Vagary Lodge.
- Removed a duplicate journal entry, "C-007 When Coyotes Fall Silent".
- Corrected an issue with the phantasm Vengeance.
- Corrected an issue with the Wordsmith ability Autopsy that was causing the state of collapse to be applied to the target but not actually collapse them.
- Updated the animation for Bubble Burst to appear at the feet of the target.
- Updated the animation for Slice and Dice so that it is centered on the target.
- Updated the animation for Boulder and Discipline to appear at the feet of the target.
- Updated eight journal entries with new information just discovered by Lotian scholars!
- Updated the response message for Cleanse, all nullifiers, and Soothing Rain.
- Corrected an issue with the save prompt in the Sub-level Access Block, Temple of the Dream Walkers.
- Corrected an issue with Hatred's cutscene in the Caudal Rift to Dream Void, Temple of the Dream Walkers.
- Corrected an issue with an event not saving correctly in The Great Library of Lotia, Nassa.
- Updated the animation for Fear so that it would end at the correct time.
- Added the entire party, regardless of being in the battle party or not, to display equipment status in shop windows.
- Corrected an issue with a treasure chest animation in the Dormant Fissure, Junonia.
- Major lore content updates in Nassa.