Devlog 1

Concept Statement

Moonlight Palace is a turn-based exploration-focused role-playing game about a group of people searching an ancient, abandoned palace.  The game is about the mysteries found within the palace, what powers they hold and what your band of explorers do with them.

Genre or Category of Game

The genre of the game is a Turn-Based RPG, I feel that it is the best genre for both the setting and core gameplay. The rewards obtained in exploration can be used to assist the player in turn-based battles with each item found potentially assisting with the player’s character build of their party member or can counter a tough enemy or boss’s strategy.

Concept Creation Process

I have always taken a liking to games that offer player customisability and reward the player for forward thinking or taking the building blocks that the game offers you to create something that will help you with a tough section of the game. It usually leaves me with a sense of triumph as I have realised, I beat the next major story section with little to no resistance because I was able to either beat it with my already existing strategy or adapt my character’s build to suit the new challenge. One of the main series that does this is the Shin Megami Tensei series and its spin-off series, Persona.  These games hand you a collection of summonable monsters (called demons) based on mythology and asks with its fusion mechanics of fusing one demon with another, to create something better. Whether it is a demon with access to all forms of elemental damage or another that is a defensive unit with passive skills that boost their health and resistances. The game incentives smart teambuilding to trivialise often difficult moments. For example, bringing a team resistant to fire damage against a boss who spams powerful fire skills.

Exploration is the other main gameplay component of Moonlight Palace. In the past two to three months I played through a couple of games that inspired me with the idea that exploring the overworld would grant rewards that would assist in other forms of gameplay, the first was Fear & Hunger: Termina, a survival-horror game that incentivises risk-and-reward with its random loot, crushing difficulty and limited saves, the game forces you to risk exploring dangerous areas where one mistake in battle could leave you severely crippled or dead. If you do find a good item the game then asks if you are willing to use a limited save to save that good item or are you confident enough that you can explore more, find even better item or nothing at all. This system adds a level of incentive and tension that I wish to replicate. Exploration itself is mostly inspired by top down JRPGs such as Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Romancing SaGa and Wild ARMs. Although another game that recently grabbed my attention is Pseudoregalia, a game that combines platforming and exploration in a way that I wish to combine turn-based battles and exploration.

Audience and Competitive Analysis

My audience is anyone who also enjoys player customisability and exploration. With most of the enjoyment of the battle system coming from how player-define strategies and character builds can interact with the enemies found within the game.

The main selling point of my game is the freedom for player to do what they want with the tools given to them, if they wish to try something stupid on the off chance that it works, they can do so. If they want to take their mage character and turn them into a physical powerhouse, they are more than welcome to. The best way to sum up the player customization is to solve enemies and formations of said enemies as they are puzzles with multiple solutions.

Game Treatment and Concept Art

Setting

You are the leader of a group of explorers trying to find treasure within a mysterious castle. Abandoned by the old Magenhelm Empire, Moonlight Palace stands abandoned and desolate with little but the empire’s treasures and ghosts remaining.

You and your allies set out to this mystical relic of the past to uncover either the treasure within or whatever else is meant to be forgotten.

Do not forget however you are not alone in your search. Various mercenaries, bandits, rouge and other treasure hunters will try and claim the treasure for themselves. Not to mention the other dwellers found within the palace, whether it be the local flora and fauna or ancient undead soldiers, serving their Emperor long after death. To defend yourself, you’ll need to bring a balanced team of allies, each with their own skills, attributes and strategies. Find the best way to take advantage of battle with your allies, learning their strengths and weaknesses to adapt to whoever stands against you.

Throughout your travels within the mysterious castle, you will find a variety of rooms and winding corridors, either containing valuable treasure or vicious enemies or traps. Whether it be a mystical tome of magic, an enchanted sword, a potion that gives an ally a bit more pep, or some other artifact you barely understand. The treasure you find will help you in your travels. It may just be what you need to escape alive.

Or better yet, use your findings to turn the enemy’s strategies against them. It would be a shame if that Arcanist’s magic was reflected or blocked with a ward, right?

Classes

Here are just some of the allies you can recruit!

Fighter

Best Stats: HP, Strength, Dexterity

Bio:  A master of weapons and martial arts. They can use their weapons to deal massive physical damage.

Skills

Spin Slash – Deals physical damage to all enemies.

Cyclone – Deals three hits of physical damage to one enemy.

Rampage – Deals physical damage to five random enemies.

Sharpen – Boost an ally’s Strength.

Duellist

Best Stats: Strength, Agility, Dexterity

Bio: A true master of the blade that can take various stances to boost their counter, critical or evasion rate.

Skills

Evasive Stance – User evades the next attack.

Critical Stance – Boost user’s critical rate.

Riposte – Counter physical attacks with an attack of your own.

Quicken – Boost an ally’s Agility.

Ranger

Best Stats: Agility, Dexterity, Luck

Bio: A trickster that uses their various arrows to trick, distract and harm their enemies.

Skills

Blinding Shot – Deals ranged damage to an enemy. Inflicts Blind.

Toxic Shot – Deals ranged damage to an enemy. Inflicts Poison.

Multishot – Deals three hits of ranged damage to an enemy.

Instruct – Boost an ally’s Dexterity.

Knight

Best Stats: HP, Strength, Endurance

Bio: A frontliner that can taunt the enemy and draw attention to them. Equally as good at dealing and taking physical damage.

Skills

Shield Bash – Deals physical damage to one enemy. Inflicts Stuns.

Retaliate – Deals physical damage to one enemy, boosts damage when low on HP.

Taunt – Boost user’s chance of being targeted.

Cover – Lowers an ally’s chance of being targeted.

Mage

Best Stats: MP, Intelligence, Luck

Bio: A student of the magical arts, can use various elemental spells to pierce through resistances.

Skills

Flame Wave – Deals fire damage to all enemies.

Snowflake – Deals ice damage to one enemy.

Thunderstorm – Deals electric damage to three random enemies.

Tempest – Deals three hits of air damage to one enemy.

Cleric

Best Stats: MP, Intelligence, Endurance

Bio: A support unit, can use magic to buff and heal their allies.

Skills

Heal – Heals one ally.

Cleanse – Removes harmful statuses.

Barrier – Boosts an ally’s Endurance.

Enlighten – Boosts an ally’s Intelligence.

Shaman

Best Stats: Intelligence, Agility, Luck

Bio: A cruel dark wizard that uses the dark arts to decimate their enemies, incredibly frail.

Skills

Jinx – Deals dark damage to one enemy.

Dark Storm – Deals dark damage to all enemies.

Erosion – Reduce an enemy’s Endurance.

Syphon – Drain MP from an enemy.

These allies and more are who can join you on your journey though Moonlight Palace.