Empires of Eradia: The Cataclysm of Chaos
| Empires of Eradia: The Cataclysm of Chaos | |
|---|---|
| Beta Project | |
| Developer | Jason Roberts |
| Theme | Fantasy |
| Influences | Too many to count |
| Released | Sept 12, 2018 (Alpha V13) |
| Updated | Oct 22, 2020 (Alpha V44H5) |
| Licensing | Currently, Freeware |
| P. Language | Python 2.7 and Libtcod |
| Platforms | Windows |
| Interface | ASCII, Keyboard, Partial Mouse |
| Game Length | countless hours, designed for multiple playthroughs |
| [n/a Official site of Empires of Eradia: The Cataclysm of Chaos] | |
Important Links
EOE:COC Discord = https://discord.gg/Qthezuh
EOE:COC Subreddit = https://www.reddit.com/r/EmpiresOfEradiaCOC/
3 Month Update = https://www.reddit.com/r/roguelikes/comments/ip0lde/empires_of_eradia_the_cataclysm_of_chaos_3_month/
Changes to Development Cycle = https://www.reddit.com/r/EmpiresOfEradiaCOC/comments/ip96rt/development_cycle_changes_going_forward_with_v44/
Anonymous Feedback Questionnaire (new one) = https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf1Lb6axmJA5asSog3ycqF5zF0Qu8sTGl1cy7Aur8EiBhE2sA/viewform?usp=sf_link
Major Changes in Most Recent Update (V44)
- Implemented brand new crafting system.
- Implemented Barriers.
- Implemented brand new character information and levelling system.
- And a whole lot more things.
Description
A great rift has appeared in the Solarii monarchy, spewing forth vile creatures. You enter the rift, where the laws of the material plane do not necessarily apply. You must close the rift, and escape, but is there really a way out? You'll just have to find out!
Primary Development Focus
As it has been heavily requested, I am working towards implementing a new Interactive Tutorial System into the game. There is a pair of Interactive Tutorials in the game and a bunch of external help text files, but the game seriously needs a better tutorial, so that is why it is my current Focus.
It requires 5 key components before I can begin to assemble it:
- Data Unload/Reload [Done]
- Map Rulesets [Done]
- Map Storage Changes [Done]
- Map Specific Task Lists
- Event Handling System
The game has a pair of existing Interactive Tutorials, but they don't cover enough of the mechanics to be super useful.
Once the Interactive Tutorial System has been built fully, then I'll choose a new Development Focus.
Top Ten Features
- You have a ton of character build freedom and can play as you like, even being a complete pacifist, and can win the game. Specializing however is still the most optimal way to survive and excel.
- The gameplay is a sandbox experience; pursue your own goals, work towards a victory condition you like, and explore as much or as little as you want.
- Unique permadeath, resulting from achieving too much stress. This allows players to learn from their mistakes, correct them, and eventually succeed. As you get more stressed, it activates stress mechanics.
- Profile system, that allows you to achieve progression between playthroughs. This ensures that even if you go insane in a playthrough, you'll still have acquired some progression that will help the next run.
- Utilizes a more unique map generation, opting more for large battlefields, rather than tight corridors of most dungeon crawlers. Walls block vision, but not movement, allowing for tactical opportunities.
- You must serve as entertainment for the Chaos God; if you don't they will make things harder for you. This effectively works like a food clock, but without the annoyances of instant death if it runs out.
- Chaos is accrued by various actions. It cannot be reduced, and only gets worse as you progress farther, building tension, and unlocking challenging mechanics. It will clear on death however.
- The game offers many valuable and useful interactable objects. The most valuable are Secret Areas, which can be found by getting close enough to the Secret or by following directions in the Collectibles Report.
- The game has Map Hazards, which are usually optional. These make the specific map you are more challenging, and some work in synergy with other mechanics or other hazards, making them even more challenging.
- The game has Self-Imposed Restrictions, which are optional. Completing one grants great rewards, but breaking your Restriction, punishes you severely.
All Other Features
- You can perform four forms of crafting; Alchemy (includes Light equipment), Smithing (Medium and Heavy Equipment), Enchanting (of Equipment and Profile), and Fabrication (of Epics and Artifacts).
- I've gone for a "more is less" approach to techniques (my "spells"). So there is 4 melee, 4 ranged, and 4 spell techniques, that are each powerful and situationally useful.
- You encounter four types of foes; Horde, Primal Chaos, Treasure Fiends and Bosses. Each with their strengths and weaknesses and role in overall gameplay.
- You can change the Element of your Techniques and each Element applies a different debuff to enemies.
- Root Menu; used to access most of the other menus, from one handy location. Hit Enter key to access it.
- Game has auto-pickup; you immediately grab anything within range.
- Game has salvaging; you can convert any item you do not need anymore into useful crafting resources.
- Can craft a single item for extra bonuses, or batch craft multiple of the same item, in a single turn.
- Has periods of heavy intensity and other periods of extreme calm.
- Large battles against potentially hundreds of foes.
Features That Need Reworking
These are functional, but haven't been touched in at least a year, and could use a serious overhaul.
- Journal menu; that contains all of the game's current lore and story.
- Antiquated Tutorials that teach basic mechanics, but not much else.
- Objectives menu; gives you optional tasks to do for XP, Runics, and Greater Completionists.
- Trial Victories; gives you 6 ways to complete the game.
- Traps; only concentrated damage ones at the moment.
- XP Overhaul; currently the game gives too much character XP.
- Itemization; items are fairly lackluster, but will improve them at some point.
- Improved Stress Systems; as stress is the determinant in many effects and eventual permadeath, this system needs to be better.
- More Map Hazards and More Self Imposed Restrictions.
Features That I Intend to Add
- Monster Abilities
- Elite Modifiers
- Vulnerable Bosses
- Greater Combat Depth
- Elemental Allies
- Barriers
- The Warped; Mini-Bosses
- Challenge Portals
- More Legendary Runes
- More Standard Portal Types
- More Rare Portal Types
- Milestones (rewards for Trial Victories)
- Much More Story and Lore
- Deeper Pacifist Experience
Current Known Issues
Most of these will get addressed once I reach Beta status (well my impression of Beta, not roguebasin's; I consider the game to be Late Alpha). Once I reach Beta, I'll be more focusing on balancing, story implementation, and implementing feedback from players, so I'll have more time/energy to focus on other game issues, such as these issues below:
BUGGED SCREEN = If you launch the game and the window doesn't look right, try using fullscreen mode (ALT+ENTER) and then exiting fullscreen mode with the same keybind, should fix the issue. The issue has been reported by some users, while others haven't encountered it. I am looking into providing resolution scaling, which should in theory solve this issue, but haven't currently had the time to research how to implement resolution scaling, except that I know that libtcodpy does offer resolution scaling.
CROSS COMPILING = I am looking into determining how to cross-compile binary builds for Linux / MacOS, and am hoping to have it ready before I reach Beta status. If I figure it out in a day or two, then I'll upload the builds immediately. Thus far I've not figured out how to do so yet.
I have a more comprehensive listing of all Known Issues, viewable ingame, from the Main Menu. I also keep comprehensive lists of Changelogs and Credits, viewable from the Main Menu.