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[csg]

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Abstract
Zirkonia is a classic turn-based tactical RPG (like Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics), which is influenced largely by visual novels.
It’s settled in a dystrophic world, a few centuries before its final doom.
More and more of the borderlands of the known continent, which are constantly attacked by an ancient power since the beginning of history, were forced to give in.
Whole countries are breaking away gradually and disappear in the dark gap - an area that borders the whole land and devours it bit by bit.

Some artworks for worldbuilding!

Gameplay
You control a small party of heroes on a grid and try to defeat the enemies strategically before you pip out. It's extremely important to keep an overview of the field. That's why the positioning of your characters is decisive to sidestep traps or prepare your own ambushes.

Every character disposes of two resources: Action Points and Concentration Points.  Those points are used to either perform actions like attacking and moving, or to use special skills. The tactic the character is currently using determines the ratio between these points and can be changed every turn.

Zirkonia is characterized by an extremely high interaction of gameplay elements and story. The game changes dynamically from its Explorer Mode (in which you move around and interact with the environment like in classic role-playing games) to the Battle Mode. Everything takes place in the same environment, there won’t be separate battle maps.

Because battles in complex tactical role-playing games tend to take quite long, the story of the game is shifted to what happens during that battles and won't be told in stand-alone cutscenes before and after the fights.

The game attaches importance to the complex system of interactions between the characters. Your characters will be able to team up in battle, which doesn't only activates special skills but also influences the relationships between your characters,

Zirkonia gives its players many way to customize their game experience. In addition to the fixed class every character is assigned to, the player can freely select a sub class for each of his characters. Sub classes can be learned from other characters of your party, cementing the relationship of teacher and between the characters you chose to team up.

Zirkonia utilises a unique skill mechanic, which grows at your characters pace. By sharing their knowledge, characters can teach each other traits and skills, creating unique relationships and skilltrees!

Novice skilltree: nothing learned, yet!

Skilltree later on, some branches are developed!

I’m also working on a presentation video for this game. As I'm kind of experienced with creating anime, I wanted to give it a try here too. I’m not sure yet if the game itself will have animated sequences, as creating them is complicated and very time-consuming.

Zirkonia will feature a variety of books about lore, character develpoment and questlines!

Books will be illustrated by Sabaku

Zirkonia got a mid-sized cast, there will be about 7-10 playable characters. Here are some of them!

Kyara, the young mercenary Read background!

Zephe, the adventurous cook Read background!

Cheris, the nearly human alchemist Read background!

Reks, the stubborn tinkerer and Byore, remembrance of eternity

And, for conclusion, some more atworks and other game-related stuff!

[csg]

The world map is done!



A lot of thoughts when constructing the map, got into the places – where the players have to go (and what they may pass to get there) – while still keeping a nice visual look. Important about a worldmap is the urge to discover it:
Many places are still not labeled, and there is a vast amount  of space for secrets places and secret places

[InfiniteStateMachine]

jebus that is some beautiful art. Can't comment on the gameplay yet for obvious reasons but the ingame screenshots look promising. Looking forward to seeing how this evolves.

Great work!

[HernanZh]

wow looks AAA

[mono]

It looks great! Judging by that world map this project is really ambitious. You don't think it would be better to scale it down a bit?

[csg]

It would truly be a bit excessive if everything on the map could be visited, but the game will focus just a small ammount of places and not all of them will be in detailed 3d. Its just nice to have a full planned world to present a consistent story overall.

[Calum Bowen]

this is super beautiful. Looks stylish.

Looking forward to more updates!

[csg]

First gameplay!  Still in its early tech-demo, though. Mist Art is not finished and there are some bugs left. Next one will include actually battle-stuff ( I suppose ;p )!

[Windybeard]

this looks amazing, cant wait to see more!

[csg]

Finally, the story is outlined! Hope you like it, next updades will include some playable characters und at least the ingame-fight-video

__

The once powerful continent Zirkonia is today, many deprived thousands after the crushing defeat by the children of the moon, nothing but a shadow of its former self. Abandoned by their gods and the power of magic, the once proud folk has no choice but to accept and watch the slow and inexorable decay of their world, because since that dreadful defeat, the mainland suffers from a gnawing ulcer, which consumes all the land, only leaving a black void on his way. Baptized as the abyss, the ring of decay draws his circles closer and closer around the remaining bastions and swallows not only the basements of life, but also all the remaining hope. In this grim time, the inevitable death has been accepted as a natural law, as the expiration of mankind in a voiceless disintegration into oblivion.

Announced by heavy quakes, the Kingdoms of South, Icerestris and Luriestor, now also gaze into their fate, as it happened 20 years before to the last big Kingdom Galarah. Desperately trying to convince the Union of Central Zirkonia of granting their peolpe asylum in this last resort, Incerestris threatens the war. But as it did 20 years ago, Zarakis, the Union of central empires refuses to accept refugees. To avoid a further colflict, Zarakis delegates a young priestress to Weroa, the frozen capital of Incerestris. As a supposedly descendent of the dreaded children of the Moon the young women alone should be able to appease the destructive forces of the void and save the region from its almost certain doom. Luriestor however, which has been plagued by deadly earthquakes a lot longer and whose cries for help have been ignored, forms his own troop under the leadership of the from Zarakis exiled Lord Elryms. With the goal of saving one's own country, the small squad tries to kidnap the priestress on her way to Weroa.

In the course of her entrance examination in an arcane fraternity, the young scholar Kyara is assigned by her master to support the squad in its secret endeavor. But quickly it becomes clear that behind the veil of a kind priestress there is much more to read than assumed at the beginning and she finds herself in an adventure that seems to contain more than the Abduction of a young woman ...

[csg]

Finally more material from our techdemo! Th battlesystem is going well.

As mentioned, Zirkonia utilizes a turn based System. Each character can use a given ammount of actionpoints (and focuspoints, as well) and deploy them to move, attack or use special skills.
also the field-of-view is fairly important.  If you can land a hit with a character, prior unknown and unseen to an enemy, they will strike with a surprise attack, increasing the damage.

The music is done by Jeremiah Pena, who will most likely be in charge for the original soundtrack.

[csg]

Much stuff is going on, now!



Implementing the skill system, right now. It will be split in 3 separate types: Skills (for use in close combat), Abilities (More or less passive effects) and Magic.

On top of that, the characters now got some idle-animations.

[csg]

   
We worked a little bit on our characters! here is the first one.
    

Zephe, the adventurous cook

   
Grown up within the masses in a central-zirkonia metropolis, Zephe's future was not to be something bright or cheerfull at all, until fate blessed him with a rare encounter. His firm narrow-mindedness and belief to be able to cook everything and make it delicious draw the interesst of a young noblewoman.

His will to prove himself laid the foundation of their unique and strange friendship. Then, four years later, all of a sudden, she dissapeared without a trace. He set off for a journey, following his passion to cook what he might discover, but strangely his inner desire to find his childhood friend faded over the years. It wasn't until years later, that fate let them cross their ways again.
    
Strangely enough, her appeareance was just like in the old days. She was accompanied to Weroa, the capital of Icerestris, as a holy priestess, to preserve the land from its inevitable doom by the dark abyss. Curious about her whereabouts, he sets off to follow her ...
    
    
    
During fights, Zephe is an allrounder. Due to his love for solid weapons with much penetration, he can be placed in the front rows. His instict for danger and traps, at the same time, makes him crucial to various situations like unknown areas or dealing with unfamiliar creatures.
    
When not in combat, he can cook for his team, resulting in items which regenerates health or give special abilities in fights. Other than known cooking-systems, there are no fixed recipes in this game. Ingredients are divided into different types and can be combined, to add up their respective effects. Bonus effects by combining the right items can be found, but the basic effect can be precalculatet, resulting in an free system to cook, without worrying to much about recipes. Later on, spices and fixings will open up the system to create and find more special dishes.


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Beside that, I'm working right now on teams! You can team up your characters, so they can help each other out, strengthen their relationship and use come nice combo attacks!

[Razzek]

Wow, this looks really great, I'm loving the art! Following

[poe]

Ummm, yeah I'm gonna need this game ASAP

[Conker534]

Wow this looks cool too.

[csg]

After a long hiatus, we are back with another map! Working on outside maps right now.

[csg]

Did some more artwork!

It shows the epicenter of Zirkonia, where all the water from the ceiling is gathered and shared to the other countries.

[csg]

Working on a generic enemy for testing purposes:




Arms, hands and shoes are still unfinished!

[FK in the Coffee]

wow wow wow

the level of polish here is ridiculous

i'll be keeping an eye on this; looks extremely promising, and the graphical work is stunning.