Highborn - Social strategy from Jet Set Games (Submitted!)

Discussion in 'Upcoming iOS Games' started by driph, Mar 30, 2010.

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  1. driph

    driph Well-Known Member

    Aug 27, 2009
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    #1 driph, Mar 30, 2010
    Last edited: May 18, 2010
    Alright, let's start this one out with the details from the press release and announcement page, and then I'll add to the thread as more information and gameplay vids are released

    So, game announcement, hurray!

    [​IMG]

    Highborn is a social strategy game featuring casual, round-based multiplayer via Facebook Connect. It’s perfect for mobile gaming, or for anyone looking for a casual, yet full-featured strategy game they can enjoy and share with friends.

    The game is being developed by a team of industry veterans, many of who created the original Command & Conquer products, including Westwood Studios Co-Founder Brett W. Sperry, Rade Stojsavljevic, Adam Isgreen and Joseph Hewitt.

    Highborn will be available in Apple’s iTunes App Store for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch this spring.

    Features:

    • A Light Touch – Highborn is a casual mobile strategy game that offers a satisfying experience for players, no matter if they spend minutes or hours in the game.
    • Time for a New Strategy – Highborn features a unique blend of strategic movement and 3D combat that caters to a variety of gameplay styles and offers a great deal of replayability.
    • Multiplay at Your Pace – Round-based gaming enables players to think then act when playing one-on-one against their friends, and allows them to have multiple games going at once.
    • Face Your Facebook Friends – Players can challenge their friends to a match, or brag about their achievements in their news feed.
    • Many Styles of Play – Players unlock hero characters as they progress through the game, giving them access to different abilities and play styles, along with different strategies to use against their opponents.

    Screenshots:

    [​IMG]

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    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I'll try to keep this thread up to date, but keep an eye on @JetSetGames for more immediate bits. :]
     
  2. driph

    driph Well-Known Member

    Aug 27, 2009
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    Dev Diary #1
    What is Highborn?

    Rade Stojsavljevic, President of Jet Set Games

    So what exactly is Highborn? First and foremost Highborn is a strategy game that we’ve designed from the ground up for the iPhone, and iPod Touch. We’ve made use of the online capabilities of these devices by allowing you to play against your Facebook friends, share your progress as status updates, or compete via stats.

    We’ve also taken care to make the game easy to play on the go. There are a lot of strategy games that try to port over game mechanics that work great on a PC but are overwhelming on a portable device. That’s why we designed a round based system for Highborn--it allows you to play at your own pace.

    You can charge right into combat immediately, or you can take your time to plot out your strategy and maximize your advantages against your enemy. This style of gameplay also means you don’t have to worry about your game getting messed up if you get a phone call, or get caught playing in a meeting and have to put your phone away. Whether you’ve got five minutes or an hour, you’ll still have a fun and rewarding experience.

    Highborn is played in two different modes: map and combat. The bulk of the game is map mode where you maneuver your units and plot your strategy before engaging in combat. Terrain is important, as it will provide gameplay bonuses, such as cloaking your army in forests, or stationing them behind rough terrain that is difficult for your enemy to navigate. Key structures are located throughout the maps that, when captured, give you new spell powers, combat support, and even additional units to build out your attack force.

    Combat mode is greatly simplified from traditional strategy games. Once you’ve maneuvered your attacking unit into place, you can engage your enemy. Then you can select the spell you want to use in combat, be it an offensive bonus, defensive bonus, or direct damage effect, and your units will automatically attack. Just make sure that your enemy doesn’t have any support structures in place or you might be in for a nasty surprise. We’ll be revealing more about combat mode next week, including details on some of the spells you can acquire.

    We’re putting the finishing touches on the project right now and look forward to getting out there for everyone to enjoy. We’ve got lots more to share with you on the game, so keep checking our Facebook page, Twitter feed, and Flickr pool for new information, art and screenshots.
     
  3. BazookaTime

    BazookaTime Well-Known Member

    I like the look of the game.
     
  4. Bdragonst

    Bdragonst Well-Known Member

    Jun 8, 2009
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    Student
    Japan -> S.Korea -> USA
    i love strategy games! this looks pretty nice ;)
     
  5. GordonFreeman

    GordonFreeman Well-Known Member

    Jan 28, 2010
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    It caught my attention.
     
  6. driph

    driph Well-Known Member

    Aug 27, 2009
    88
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    6
    game designer
    Las Vegas, Nv
    Dev Diary #2
    Carrying the Bigger Stick: Highborn Combat

    Adam Isgreen, Vice President of Design for Jet Set Games

    I took a calculated risk. I left one of my very valuable monks completely exposed with an easy hole in my line of defense. Several catapults are parked next to him, also easy pickings for a strong melee unit. I knew my opponent had a hero near the forest last turn, and since I can’t see them now, I’m figuring they’ve got them in there ready to ambush me. He must know the two wizard towers nearby aren’t captured, so I’ve got no support covering those units either.

    Sure enough, after I end my turn, my opponent’s hero steps out into the space I’ve left for them. He takes out my monk immediately. The monk can’t even fight back, so there goes my healing. The catapults are next to go for sure.

    Sucker.

    I’d waited patiently for this to happen. I’d moved forces into specific positions on the map. I’d whittled down the forces guarding both towers, but hadn’t captured them on purpose. I’d hidden some infantry in the forests near them and well within a turn’s movement. With two quick moves, they’re mine now. I gain wizards to use as troops, and even better, support attacks for any combat within their range. Did I mention the only space I’d left my opponent on the map was under the range of both towers?

    First up, I sic my archers on him. If you attack with a ranged unit and the opponent isn’t a ranged fighter, they can’t hit back; it’s free damage. Since my archers are also under the influence of my now-captured towers, two support volleys of fireballs smash down on my opponent with each arrow volley I launch. The enemy hero is tough, but between two volleys of arrows and four support attacks, he’s under half health already.

    Now to finish them off. Do I overkill, with a big powerful unit, or do I get the weakest thing I can think of out there? Let’s rub it in. I send in one of my militia units, a freebee unit you get for capturing keeps. They’ve got a decent physical attack, but terrible physical defense. The enemy’s hero does physical melee damage and will outright destroy them in the counter-attack... but I don’t plan on letting him get one.

    And that’s where the weaken defense spell I’d picked up earlier comes in. Sending my militia up against him, I choose to cast weaken defense as my combat spell (you get to choose one spell from your library to invoke per combat). Of course, still being under the influence of the towers, the enemy hero eats two more volleys of fireballs before my militia attack. After the fire, he’s down to 2 health. Then the weaken spell goes off, dropping his defense. And then… he’s done.

    I end the turn satisfied that my plan worked and send it back to my opponent. Boy, Joseph is going to be pissed when he sees the replay. I hear his phone chime, indicating that he’s just received the turn. I’ll never hear the end of it at lunch.

    This is just one example of what combat in Highborn can be like. Using unit properties, spells, terrain, and information is key to putting yourself in a situation where you have the upper hand, and in turn victory. We’ve constantly discovered new uses for terrain setups, support attacks, movement, and baiting in order to put the odds in our favor.

    We’ve tried hard to make Highborn a very easy to understand game with a surprising amount of depth behind it. We hope you’ll enjoy playing it as much as we’ve enjoyed building it.

    I hear Joseph shouting down the hall. I’m guessing his tirade won’t wait until lunch.
     
  7. driph

    driph Well-Known Member

    Aug 27, 2009
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    Las Vegas, Nv
    Combat screens!

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  8. driph

    driph Well-Known Member

    Aug 27, 2009
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    game designer
    Las Vegas, Nv
    A slew of new character and gameplay posts have been put up on our facebook page... go check 'em out.

    Here's a handful of screenshots from recent updates:

    Trillian!
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Enzo!
    [​IMG]

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    [​IMG]
     
  9. hiptanaka

    hiptanaka Well-Known Member

    Nov 7, 2009
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    Driph, Highborn looks really intriguing. Any rough timetable for its release?
     
  10. driph

    driph Well-Known Member

    Aug 27, 2009
    88
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    6
    game designer
    Las Vegas, Nv
    We're really close. Preview builds have gone out, and we're knocking out the last of the bugs.
     
  11. driph

    driph Well-Known Member

    Aug 27, 2009
    88
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    game designer
    Las Vegas, Nv
  12. Mattosai

    Mattosai Well-Known Member

    Jan 11, 2010
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    Caught my attention too :D
     
  13. Rivozzz

    Rivozzz Well-Known Member

    Oct 6, 2009
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    When?When?When?
    And for how much...well i dont care
    again
    When?When?When?

    At least what month of release?
     
  14. ultimo

    ultimo Well-Known Member

    May 5, 2009
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    Hi driph, Welcome to TA & Congoz on the frontpage review :) (good tht U sent 'em the Build :p )

    iLove TBS, how many maps on Single player & the cost?
     
  15. driph

    driph Well-Known Member

    Aug 27, 2009
    88
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    Las Vegas, Nv
    Thanks, all!

    Okay, questions answered:


    When? When? When?

    Assuming nothing explodes, we're submitting this week. After that, it's in Apple's hands.

    How much?

    Introductory pricing will be a sweet, sweet $2.99.

    How many maps?

    The game will ship with fifteen maps, and eight of those are single player missions.
     
  16. BazookaTime

    BazookaTime Well-Known Member

    This looks fantastic.


    Once this is sent in, let's Apple gets back to a more speedy approval process. It has been super slow lately with many games being in review for over a week.
     
  17. Rivozzz

    Rivozzz Well-Known Member

    Oct 6, 2009
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    i will be counting the days and seconds..lol..it loooks awesome...gaming on iphone is really turning a step forward....
     
  18. ultimo

    ultimo Well-Known Member

    May 5, 2009
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    8 single player maps (only 8:() for $2.99 cents... hmmmm :confused:
    How large are the 8 levels? :eek:
     
  19. driph

    driph Well-Known Member

    Aug 27, 2009
    88
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    6
    game designer
    Las Vegas, Nv
    This big. *extends hands*

    There's plenty of gameplay time in there, trust me. :]
     
  20. ultimo

    ultimo Well-Known Member

    May 5, 2009
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    How about pushing a Lite out with just ONE of the single player map?
    Planning to add levels latr on for DLC & free updates?

    I do not think i'll find any of my friends (they Love brainless hack & slash, I don even how we became friends :p ) will wanna play the multiplayer, how about U? :eek:

    I have played Rogue Planet, have U? can compare any level sizes?
     

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