Sins of a Dark Age [MOBA][RPG]

[kostacurtas]

Sins of a Dark Age: A MOBA/RTS Hybrid

 

"'Sins of a' is our 'Craft'," explains Blair Fraser, co-founder of Ironclad. He's speaking specifically about the naming convention for Sins of a Dark Age, his studio's new intellectual property. Just as Blizzard Entertainment inserts 'Craft' into most of their games names, Ironclad is apparently following suit.

Even if the name Sins of a Dark Age isn't as easily digestable as, say, Warcraft, the idea behind the game sounds enticing. Set in a high-fantasy world, it seeks to combine both the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) and real-time strategy (RTS) genres. In essence, one player controls a "commander," playing the game like a typical RTS, while up to four other players take direct control over heroes, with gameplay akin to titles like League of Legends or the upcoming Dota 2.

The MOBA genre is getting increasingly crowded, but Ironclad believes they've got a great hook because of the inclusion of the player commander. What this means is that there are no AI-controlled creeps just spamming the enemy base. Any and all units that go out into the battlefield are controlled by the commander, making them far from predictable or easy to manipulate.

Gone also are the traditional towers and lanes that most people associate with a MOBA. Sure, you can still build towers of your own, but where they get placed is up to you, and enemy units are controlled by a commander so they don't have to just march up to them and fight. Commander controlled units don't even have to think about lanes, either, since the maps aren't made in the traditional "three paths to the enemy base" formula. Instead the maps will be made to take RTS strategies into account, allowing players to adapt their strategies -- including turret placement, hero focus and unit deployment -- on the fly.

On top of worrying about traditional RTS-style base building and resource harvesting, Commanders can also issue orders to allied heroes. Whether or not the heroes follow those orders is up to them, but each Commander has Realm Powers they can use to help heroes. Like Summoner Spells in League of Legends, these are spells that the Commander can cast on a hero, granting them things like the ability to temporarily run through units, or give them other buffs. A good Commander will play an active role in a hero vs. hero battle, casting Realm Powers and assisting their team with the right units for the job.

When it eventually releases later this year, you'll have little reason to not give it a try, as it's free-to-play. Of course Ironclad is monetizing it, but this will be done primarily through selling Heroes, Commanders and skins. The current plan is to cycle what heroes are free, like League of Legends, as well as giving players the option to buy them permanently. Commanders will also be sold, and while they won't necessarily have an avatar on the field, they will have distinct Realm Powers that allow you to tailor an army to their playstyle.

If looks are what you really care about, Ironclad plans to cover you. Like every other game they plan on selling hero skins. In addition, though, they also want to sell skins for unit types, allowing you to customize the look of your entire army.

As you've probably guessed, Sins of a Dark Age is entirely online. Online team games have the annoying habit of players either rage-quitting or having their internet connection cut out, and Ironclad is working on solutions. For instance the current plan is for players to have the option to jump into games missing players, with additional in game points rewarded for doing so (and even more if you manage to turn the game around into a win).

We'll get a chance to see it in action at this year's Game Developers Conference in March, so check back for gameplay impressions. For now you can look forward to the Beta, which begins this Summer.

[Tobajara]

Πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα ιδέα, μου θυμίζει το Tribes. Το level design μόνο θετικά μπορεί να αλλάξει (όχι άλλες λωρίδες!!!) αλλά ανυσηχώ, όπως πάντα, για το metagame που σε παιχίδια σαν το LoL έχει αποδειχτεί πολύ ευέλικτο, τόσο σε επίπεδο στρατηγικών όσο και σε επίπεδο champions.

[outlaw star]

έχει και τον Goro από το Mortal Combat!!

[kostacurtas]

Why Sins of a Solar Empire dev Ironclad went free-to-play

 

Sins of a Solar Empire was built in the basement of a house by a small group of dedicated game makers, collectively calling themselves Ironclad Games. By the time the strategy game launched in 2008, the Vancouver-based team had grown from its three founding members to just 10 developers.

That small team size wasn't reflective of the game's scope or its sales. With more than 2 million units sold, Sins of a Solar Empire is an example of the success a small team can achieve with a little bit of innovative game design and a whole lot of talent.

Not content to keep doing the same thing, Ironclad (now with 12 people) last week announced Infinite Games-published Sins of a Dark Age, a fantasy-themed free-to-play PC game that, like Sins of a Solar Empire, is a hybrid of two strategy genres.

Whereas Solar Empire was an expert mix of Civilization's 4X gameplay and StarCraft's real-time strategy, the online-focused Dark Age mixes the action RTS (a genre established by Defense of the Ancients) with the traditional real-time strategy genre.

Without seeing the game yet in playable form (it's eyes-on only at next week's Game Developers Conference), the most striking element about it might be the use of the free-to-play business model. Ironclad saw admirable success with 2008's retail- and digitally-distributed Solar Empire, but the market has changed drastically in the past four years. Now, microtransaction-based revenue streams are a proven option for online games like Dark Age, more so now than in 2008...

[mchls]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5SdGZBqexY

[kostacurtas]

Sins of a Dark Age screenshots show gameplay

 

Ironclad has released a set of in-game screenshots for its free-to-play RTS Sins of a Dark Age. In it, player “and a small group of heroes” will work together to accomplish a specific scenario goals, and go head-to-head against an enemy team in short, fast-paced multiplayer matches. Players can also work cooperatively against the AI. Check out the shots below courtesy of Evil Avatar. No date just yet.

[Millennium]

Καλουλι φαινεται.

[Millennium]

[Millennium]

 

Sins of a Dark Age, the upcoming MOBA from Sins of a Solar Empire developer Ironclad (who maybe want to get to a confessional or something, since they seem to like sins so much) is now available on Steam Early Access. Soada - as Ironclad refers to it in shorthand - will be free to play when it launches, but Early Access will cost you $4.99.

For that price, you'll gain entrance to the game, as well as a Welcome Chest containing one of three bundles. Each bundle contains a rare skin, an uncommon piece of Hero Gear, a rare skin recipe, and both common and uncommon quality materials for crafting. The game's final pricing structure isn't set in stone, but Ironclad states in its Early Access FAQ that the content of each Welcome Chest includes "far more" than $4.99 worth of content.

 

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/16/sins-of-a-dark-age-brings-blend-of-moba-rts-genres-to-early-acc/

[SteelLord]

Το Sins of the dark age ειναι ενα Moba rpg.. ειναι ενα σκοτεινο Moba, με rpg στοιχεια δλδ τα Quests ειναι τα πρωτα πραγματα που θα δειτε και θα σας κανουν εντυπωση στο game και οταν μια απο το team κερδιζει το quest ειτε παιρνει Buffs και σε κανουν πιο δυνατο ή βγαινει καποιο τερας ή τερατάκια και σε βοηθανε στο σπρωξημο ενος Lane.

 

Επισης το αλλο που εχει και το κανει διαφορετικο ειναι το Craft system που Craftareis Skins ή Gears (τα gears ειναι σαν τα rune pages στο LOL), και για να craftareis Skins ή Gears χρειαζεσαι Recipes. Που αυτα πεφτουν τυχαια ανα 3 matches ή Loots μπορει να σου δωσει ή recipes και αμα εισαι τυχερος μπορει και skin και gear.

 

Και επισης ανα Lvl που εισαι ανεβαζεις τα στατικα του καθε hero σου, σαν το καθε RPG game που οταν ανεβαινεις lvl ανεβασεις attack power, magic resistance κλπ..  

 

Απο Gameplay ειναι σαν το Lol σχεδον.. Αλλα αυτα τα παραπανω πραγματα που ειπα το κανουν διαφορετικο και δεν δινεται καν σημασια σαυτο, αλλα ειχαν καποια Survey που ρωταγαν τους players αμα θελουν να αλλαξουν και το gameplay!

 

Κι για οσους ενδιαφερονται για Streaming.. εχει το εξης support για το twitch.. Ανα 10 προβολες σου δινει ενα chest που εχεις την δυνατοτητα να το κανεις giveaway σαυτους που κοιτουν το stream σου..  

 

Επισης και οι Developers ειναι Ενεργοι στο game, θα μπορεσετε να μιλησετε και να παιξεται μαζι τους.. και το Community ειναι πολυ φιλικο στους καινουργιους παιχτες! (Διοτι ειναι μικρο προς το παρον).. τοσο μικρο που τον Σεπτεβρη θα κλεισει γιαυτο τον λογο, αλλα ομως λενε το οτι αμα αποκτησει κοσμο το game,μπορει να το κρατησουν..

 

Και γιαυτο δημοσιευσα εδω το game να το κοινοποιησω σε οποιους δεν το ξερουν για να του δωσουν μια ευκαιρια.. ειναι f2p στο steam.. και τα Loots, Gears κι recipes μπορειτε να τα πουλησετε στο steam market ...  

 

http://store.steampowered.com/app/251970