MZ - The Cycle of War (Strategy RPG)

● ARCHIVED · READ-ONLY
Started by cyclesgame282 6 posts View original ↗
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    SYNOPSIS

    In a world where the relentless march of time is measured in cycles of war, you find yourself thrust into a perilous role. "The Cycle of War" unfolds against the backdrop of a sprawling empire, where the Emperor's ambitions are as boundless as his thirst for power. The Emperor has appointed you to tame the cursed Northern Marchlands, a desolate and treacherous region steeped in darkness and mystery. However, little do you know that you've been set up to fail from the start. Even if you succeed in your mission, the Emperor is as jealous of your success as he is impatient with your failures. The question looms large: Can the cycle of war be broken?

    Prepare to embark on an adventure where the combat of a classic JRPG meets grand strategy. You'll lead a diverse party of heroes, harnessing the power of four distinct classes and races to shape the destiny of a chaotic frontier. With each cycle, you must make pivotal decisions, recruiting military units, formulating strategies, and participating in tactical battles to conquer rival factions and expand your influence. Venture beyond the battlefield to explore the realm, forge alliances, manage resources, and craft equipment. Unleash your tactical prowess as you tactically position your party members, adding an exciting twist to turn-based combat. Will you rise as the ultimate conqueror, or will your rivals claim supremacy? The cycle begins now.

    FEATURES
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    • Create a custom party of four heroes, choosing one of four classes and one of four races.
    • Further customize your party members over the course of the game by investing skill points in new strategic and tactical skills or use them to increase your attributes.
    • Raise an army from amongst four types of military units.
    • Each cycle, select from three strategic options: launch an offensive against your enemies, bolster your army, or increase your revenue.
    • Engage in intense rivalry with five other factions, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses.
    • Compete for territory by attacking and potentially capturing enemy regions.
    • Form strategic alliances or engage in trade with other factions.
    • Stay vigilant as rival factions can strike back during their turns.
    • Gain unique boons by defeating factional leaders (optional).
    • Between strategic decisions, roam freely across the world map.
    • Experience random events by visiting villages.
    • Raid enemy villages to disrupt their operations and acquire valuable resources.
    • Capture and upgrade fortresses to secure your holdings and gain economic advantages.
    • Buy and sell resources to strengthen your position.
    • Utilize collected resources for crafting powerful equipment and enhancing your heroes.
    • Engage in tactical battles using a turn-based combat system where you can change the position of your party members during combat to gain resistances against melee or ranged attacks.
    • Three different endings!
    • Earn in-game achievements!

    IMAGES/SCREENSHOTS
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    DOWNLOAD LINK
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  2. Looks really cool!!
  3. This game look actually really good!
  4. I am bumping this in case anyone wants to provide feedback.
  5. I did give this game a look for the Feedback Festival, but I only put about 40 minutes into it. Just isn't my cup of tea. I'll put my thoughts into a spoiler below.

    Spoiler
    - I like that you have an option to skip the opening scene and get into the meat of the gameplay. Always nice to have that.

    - Things move far too slow for my liking, and I say that as a fan of strategy RPGs.

    - There was no obvious tutorial for the actual combat. I have no understanding of the rows or how they work, and that's crucial info. A mock battle that takes the player through the essentials would be a wonderful addition. Optional, of course. Having all that stuff be readable is good for refreshing oneself after a time away from the game, but the first run should really have a guided tutorial available.

    - I wouldn't have minded the option to have male or female units. You could even have slight stat tweaks between them for each race.
  6. I appreciate the feedback, Sword_of_Dusk!

    I agree a combat tutorial is probably necessary. I was hoping the combination of documentation (Manual under the main menu or the combat options), tool tips and visual state effects would be enough to get the point across, but I am probably still putting too much of a burden on the player to grok what is going in.