WARLORDS:
Battle for Crowns
ABOUT GAME
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A New Hybrid Experience: Warlords is a 3D Role-Playing Strategy game, currently in open-alpha phase available on the Google Play Store. This unique hybrid blends the immersive world of RPGs with the strategic depth of real-time strategy, offering a new twist on both genres. Warlords transcends traditional gaming categories by merging the character-driven narrative of RPGs with the tactical gameplay of real-time strategy. This unique combination allows for an unprecedented level of engagement, where you can lead your character into battle and command an army simultaneously.
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Game Status Update: As of now, Warlords is equipped with its core mechanics, laying the foundation for what's to come. Future updates will introduce a wealth of features, expanding the gameplay and universe.
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Gameplay Dynamics: Warlords is designed as an offline single-player experience with aspirations to evolve into an online real-time multiplayer adventure. In this arena, you are one of four warlords battling for supremacy, with the rest controlled by AI.
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The Quest for Crowns: At the heart of the game are four mystical crowns, each guarded by formidable bosses. Capture three of these crowns to achieve ultimate victory. Each crown not only bestows a level upon the player but also enhances the might of their army, including both soldiers and towers.
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Controls: Navigate your warlord with 'tap to move' mechanic, complemented by an auto-rotating camera for a seamless experience. For those who prefer a more hands-on approach, joystick movement and fixed camera options are also available, putting you in full control of your adventure.
YEAR
2024
GENRE
Role Playing - Strategy
PLATFORM
Android (Open Alpha)
SCREENSHOTS
VIDEOS
DEVELOPMENT & DESIGN
ROLE :
DESIGNER AND DEVELOPER
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Prototyping and Publishing:
Solely orchestrated the design, development, and open beta publication of the game prototype, bringing the initial vision to life.
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Asset Customization:
Modified purchased assets using Blender and Adobe Photoshop, adapting them to align seamlessly with the game's aesthetic and functional requirements.
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Level Design:
Developed a system for procedurally generated levels, ensuring a unique and engaging experience in each gameplay session.
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Artificial Intelligence:
Crafted an AI system for the three non-player warlords, enabling them to independently grow their armies, assault fortresses, defeat bosses, secure crowns and also assault other warlords.
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Navigation and Awareness:
Implemented a user-friendly minimap, allowing players to easily track battlefield dynamics and the movements of rival warlords.
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Player Controls:
Developed a customizable player control system, offering options between 'tap to move' and joystick controls, complemented by either an auto-rotating or fixed camera perspective.
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NPC Navigation:
Utilized Unity's AI Navigation system to facilitate realistic and efficient movement paths for Non-Player Characters (NPCs), enhancing the overall gameplay dynamics and interactivity within the game environment.
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Gameplay Mechanics:
Introduced a card and energy system that permits players to intuitively place towers within the game environment by dragging and dropping them from the UI.
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Level of Detail (LOD) :
Utilized the LOD system to reduce the number of triangles rendered for distant meshes..
LEVELS
All levels in the game are generated procedurally.
Initially, the terrain is shaped based on the current stage, with the map expanding as stages progress.
Next, the borders of the map are populated with rocks and trees to mark the periphery.
At the heart of the map, a square citadel is erected, flanked by two triangular garrisons positioned on either side of the map.
Defensive structures are then strategically placed within these fortresses to strengthen their defenses.
Subsequently, bosses are positioned within the fortresses, ready to challenge intruders.
Finally, warlords are positioned at the map's corners, ready to commence their quest for dominance.
CARD SYSTEM
The card system empowers players to construct towers and command their armies effectively. Using tower cards, players can strategically place towers anywhere they choose by simply dragging and dropping them onto the desired location.
While positioning a tower, its color serves as an indicator of whether placement is possible: green signifies a valid location, while red indicates a prohibited area. Towers cannot be erected on top of existing structures, soldiers, warlords—except for the player's own character—or within unbreached fortresses. Only after a fortress's gate has been destroyed can towers be constructed within its confines.
Additionally, the effective range of ranged towers is visually represented by a circle surrounding the tower, allowing for precise strategic planning before placement. There's also a proximity requirement for building placement; towers must be constructed within a certain distance from the player's character. If a chosen location is too far, the player's character will automatically move closer until the tower can be placed within the allowable range.
The target card is a strategic tool that lets players place a banner, marking a specific target or area for their army. Soldiers emerging from barracks will then advance towards this banner. Meanwhile, the hero card enables players to summon immediate assistance, causing any active soldiers to rally to the player's defense.
MINIMAP
The game features an expandable minimap, a crucial tool for players to visualize key elements of the battlefield. This includes the locations of crowns and rival warlords, as well as the positions of fortresses, walls, and towers. The minimap provides an overview of the ongoing battle, aiding in strategic decision-making.
The minimap is composed of two types of elements: dynamic and static. Static elements are fixed in position from the start, whereas dynamic elements are updated at an adjustable frequency to reflect their current positions on the battlefield.
Furthermore, objects within the minimap boast customizable properties. These include the ability to rotate, reflect real-size dimensions, scale adjustments, color changes, priority display with a "show on top" feature, and unique icons for easy identification.
DIPLOMACY
Players have the ability to adjust their diplomatic stance towards other armies, designating them as either allies or enemies. This choice directly influences the player's forces: depending on the set diplomatic relations, the player's soldiers and towers will either engage with or disregard the specified army.
Diplomacy can be changed easily by clicking the flag of the corresponding army, allowing for quick and strategic modifications to your alliances and rivalries on the fly.
CROWNS
In the game, acquiring crowns is key to asserting dominance. Crowns are obtained not directly from bosses, but by destroying the crystals that are dropped upon a boss's defeat, or by overcoming other warlords who have already secured a crown.
Upon a crown's release, it initiates a brief countdown period, granting exclusive rights to collect it to the warlord whose army inflicted the greatest damage on the former crown holder. This privilege lasts for a limited duration, during which only the designated warlord can claim the crown. Once this period elapses, the crown becomes available for collection by any warlord.
LEVEL-UP SYSTEM
Each collected crown grants the warlord one level which dramatically increases not only warlords' but also whole army power - soliders and towers.
Upon leveling up, soldiers and towers, appearance and size changes, showing that they are stronger and make other warlords differenciate a leveled up army.
CAMERA SYSTEM
The game features two camera modes: the Follow Camera and the Top Camera. Players can switch between these cameras using the camera button, selecting the most suitable view based on the situation or circumstances within the game. The Top Camera provides a broad overview, allowing players to see a wider area, which is ideal for strategic planning. Meanwhile, the Follow Camera offers a more detailed view and is especially effective for close combat scenarios, focusing closely on the player's character.
By default, the Follow Camera automatically rotates to align with the direction the player’s character is facing. However, an option in the settings allows players to disable this auto-rotation feature for more manual control.
