Zodiac Legion
AI turn fix mk2
After I fixed some issues of AI turn freeze, I still left one where the AI would freeze if it had no more character to play.
It should be fixed now, and I added a few other UI fixes.
The AI is also more "balanced" now, and most groups will focus on defending their room, while only the ones on patrol duty will actively try to find and engage your party.
The cathedral map has also been revamped, and killing the target in the assination mission won't result in you failing the mission anymore.
The color of the HP bar for the character to free has also been changed to your team color, and his death will now trigger the defeat message box, even if he was killed before joining your party.
We will keep adding some introduction mission, fixing some UI issues, improving the AI behaviour, but our work will now mostly focus on bringing the campaign layer to life.
May the stars shine in your favor.
Alexandre
AI turn freeze fix
Unfortunately, a bug made it into the AI code shortly before the latest demo update, and I got sidetracked by family matters, so I could not fix it in time.
I have altered AI calculations, but in doing so, I had to modify the way it approached door opening.
For the moment, I had to prevent most AI groups from opening doors, otherwise they will all converge to the starting location (or latest known position) of your team.
So the AI should be much less agressive for now.
In the next patch (if I didn't break something else), I will make them go back to opening doors (or not) depending on their mission and the alarm level.
The AI group missions will be either to search for your party, to reinforce a friendly party, to patrol the level, to guard a location, or to take an objective.
Thank you for your patience and your support.
Zodiac Legion at Dreamhack beyond
I will stream the updated demo build as part of the Dreamhack Beyond Festival from May 31st to June 6th.
Here is the current list of streams for Zodiac Legion:
- May 31st 4 PM EST
- June 1st 10 AM EST
- June 2nd 5 PM EST,
- June 3rd 4 PM EST,
- June 4th 3 PM EST,
- June 5th 4 PM EST,
- June 6th 6 PM EST
I will try to cover a few different topics, like making levels and mods for the game, our plans for the future and a Q&A. I will update the thread with the details when I know more.
You can also download and try our demo that was updated lately.
May the stars shine down on you,
Alexandre
Zodiac Legion at Digital Dragons and Demo update
Zodiac Legion was selected for showcase at Digital Dragons in Krakow on May 16th or 17th. It is mostly a professional event, but the Steam event is taking place now.
You can vote for Zodiac Legion here in the Digital Dragons poll
Here is the partial changelog for the demo:
- There is an advisor to make the beginning a bit less confusing
- You can use F1 to open the help in some situations (still a WiP)
- The calculations will now be done in the background, so the UI shouldn't freeze as much
- UI preview now shows support and flanking in combat
- AI can now open doors (and will learn how to destroy obstacles soon!)
- Multiple fixes (damages to props, shooting through walls, HP bar being updated before animation...).
- Several gameplay changes (like the addition of cover).
- Added several setting parameters
It is still a very rough work in progress, and there is a lot we intend to improve! Thank you for your patience!
We also made a presentation video to explain our vision for the game:
Interview with Turn Based Lovers
We were approached by Turnbasedlovers to do an interview about Zodiac Legion. The ten questions posed touched on various aspects related to the game, from inspirations, through mechanics, to the storytelling - and more! We're happy to share it with you, and we hope that our answers are detailed enough to your liking.
10 Turns interview: Zodiac Legion
Splattercat video presentation of Zodiac Legion
[previewyoutube="14XkumkTkno;full"]
Link to Splattercat social medias:
Youtube Channel.
Twitch
Patreon
Zodiac Legion Demo update
We tested it as comprehensively as we could, but it is likely some new issues have escaped our watch.
Requested features
Mouseover for active props
Bow icon/cursor
WASD scrolling
Mouseover on stats(but not on the character selection screen yet)
Right Click to aim abilities (mouse mode 2 in settings)
Larger or more visible next character button
Tab or N to select next character
scroll on map edges
Blinking end of Turn button
outline active props on hotkey
backstab/support display
disengagement difficulty indicator
Show both shooter and target on animation
Show enemy movement and threat range
Use default cursor on icons
Automatic end of turn option
UI rearrangement
.Bugfixes
Map greyed out after panel selected
Wall disappearing on AI turn
Multiple Return press required to end turn
Light overlay issues
Ranged attacks around corners
Scrolling out of the map
Turn button blinking at the wrong time
Turn processing: frozen
Missing close button on party screen
Content and other:
New outdoor map
Reworked AI to make the opponent parties more aggressive
The AI can now use "fixed weapons" (ie, magic artillery) and open doors
Added Gemini knight with teleport ability
The melee characters of the player are a bit more durable.
We will then work on semi randomized dungeons, character and stronghold progression, and combat content (with abilities like auras, spells, and attacks that target stamina) and rebalance
Merry Christmas and upcoming demo changes
The changes focus on improving the UI to make tactical planning easier.
They will be rolled into the demo when we are "reasonably sure" I didn't break more things that I fixed, so early January if things go according to the plan. In the meantime, I wish you all a merry Christmas and happy holidays.
Here are the implemented changes we are currently testing:
Requested features
- mouseover for active props
- Bow icon/cursor
- WASD scrolling
- mouseover on stats
- Right Click to aim abilities
- Larger or more visible next character button???
- Tab or N to select next character
- scroll on map edges
- Blinking end of Turn button
- outline active props on hotkey
- backstab/support display
- disengagement difficulty indicator
- Show both shooter and target on animation
- Show enemy movement and threat range
- Use default cursor on icons
- Don't display damage preview on combat box
- Automatic end of turn option
- UI rearrangement
Bugfixes
- Map greyed out after panel selected
- wall disappearing on AI turn
- Multiple Return press required to end turn
- light overlay issues
- ranged attacks around corners
- scrolling out of the map
- turn button blinking at the wrong time
- turn processing: frozen
- missing close button on party screen
Content and other:
New outdoor map
Reworked AI to make the opponent parties more aggressive
The AI can now use "fixed weapons" (ie, magic artillery) and open doors.
Added Gemini knight with teleport ability.
I will keep working on the UI for a few more weeks, then move to fleshing the tactical abilities out (by adding stamina damage, and a few conditions like being prone or stunned), and rebalancing combat.