Tactics Maiden (by Mangobile)

Discussion in 'Upcoming iOS Games' started by niebau, Jun 11, 2014.

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  1. niebau

    niebau Well-Known Member

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    Mangobile. Designer & Developer
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    #1 niebau, Jun 11, 2014
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2014
    New release date: September 18, 2014.

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    Tactics Maiden - Official Trailer



    After more than one year of work, the successor of our Kingturn series is almost finished now.

    Tactics Maiden is a fast-paced, turn-based strategy RPG where the player has to conquer enemy outposts scattered throughout the battlefield.

    What sets Tactics Maiden apart is an exceptionally strong enemy AI, and flexible character builds with skill points that can be redistributed at will.

    Each battle presents its very own challenges, so the player is constantly forced to refine his strategies and his army of heroes and mercenaries.
    All player units are carried over from scenario to scenario, and the units can be customized to a high degree (complex skill system, more than 1000 equipable items, renaming units).

    Tactics Maiden comprises a medieval fantasy story connecting all 84 scenarios, as well as 36 unique character classes, and over 60 special skills like 'Heal', 'Shield', 'Stealth', 'Weaken', 'Magic Missile' or 'Change Position'.

    Thanks to its 5 difficulty settings that can be adjusted mid-game, Tactics Maiden is suited for both novice players and hardcore strategy gamers.


    Tactics Maiden Features:

    - Cloud support for game saves backup and synchronization (Dropbox and iCloud).

    - Complex skill point system where skill points can be distributed and stacked up to 3 times among the unit’s attributes and special skills.

    - 25 class abilities like 'Ranged Counter', 'Critical Hit Immunity', 'Undead Hunter', or 'Evade Counter'. Most of the class abilities can be acquired by other classes via rare or legendary items.

    - Status effects like Poisoned, Silenced, Bewitched or Enraged.

    - Plenty of post battle statistics for scenarios as well as individual units (tap on a character's portrait).

    - Combat rating system with a humorous approach to analyze the player's performance and play style (Note: The initially planned 1 to 4 stars system was discarded during beta test by unanimous decision).

    - Fast pace combat: Player units can be moved before the currently active unit has finished its action.

    - Players can choose to micro manage every single unit manually, or automatically optimize skill points and equipment with a single press of a button.


    Universal App

    The first 8 scenarios can be played for free.
    The full version can be unlocked with a one-time-payment of USD 4.99.

    Edit: Tactics Maiden will be released on September 18, 2014.


    Tactics Maiden - Game Footage

     
  2. niebau

    niebau Well-Known Member

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    Notes for Kingturn players

    Tactics Maiden has an in-game tutorial, and especially Kingturn players might want to have a quick glimpse at it.

    There are a few subtle but important differences compared to Kingturn, and there are also new user interface options that can be easily overlooked.

    Here is a summary of the most important changes compared to Kingturn:

    - As a default, there is no friendly fire in Tactics Maiden. This allows a faster-paced battle and supports some of the new / refined special skills much better. That said, friendly fire can be switched on via Game Options. The enemy AI will adapt its play style accordingly.

    - Retreating from a scenario will still grant you all XP, silver, and items gathered in this scenario.
    You won't be allowed to keep any collected treasures, though, and you have to pay a 'fine' whenever you retreat.

    - Losing a scenario will now result in a loss of everything you have achieved during this scenario.
    Thus, retreating at the right moment becomes an important strategic decision as well.

    - Whenever one of your units is defeated, it will take one additional turn until this particualr unit is patched up and can rejoin the battle. This incremental counter is reset at the beginning of a scenario.

    - Conquering an outpost (= barracks in Kingturn) will NOT change the maximum size of allowed battlefield units any longer. This way conquering outposts becomes more a question of improving your strategic position instead of entirely turning the tides of a battle.

    - The spawn probability system has been replaced with a much more intuitive 'Injuries' based concept. You can have a look at this blog post for further details.

    - Mercenaries are 'true individuals' in Tactics Maiden. They can have any level, and they can be released and rehired later on (keeping their experience and names).

    - Some special skills in Tactics Maiden have similar names like in Kingturn but can have a (slightly) different functionality. Check the in-game descriptions of special skills carefully.

    - Some of the special skills offer additional features once you have invested a few skill points.
    The 'Heal' spell, for example, will cure any negative status effect if maxed out.

    - Tap on a unit's name to rename it.

    - Long tap on a special skill on the right menu bar to set it as the default skill whenever this particular unit is selected.

    - Long tap on a unit to display the character inventory and attribute screens.

    - Long tap on a battlefield position to enforce walking there. This is especially useful if you have selected an AoE skill that is covering the spot your unit is supposed to walk to.
     
  3. cretpetpet

    cretpetpet Well-Known Member

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    As expect of the next in line of KingTurn series, i really like the revamp in graphic and the new UI. Hope to get it soon.
     
  4. Nullzone

    Nullzone 👮 Spam Police 🚓

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    Hooray, the wait is almost over :)
    Really looking forward to Tactics Maiden, cleaning out my calendar for the betatest now...
     
  5. niebau

    niebau Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, there was some delay with the play-testing, partially because I've been busy adding iCloud support. Just in case you have overlooked this little detail in the description :).
    But at the end of June everything should be ready for the beta test.
     
  6. bigred447uk

    bigred447uk Well-Known Member

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    Count me in for the beta if I'm still invited? I'm very keen to see the evolution of the marvelous Kingturn series. The three Kingturn games take pride of place in my 'classics' folder never to be deleted.
     
  7. niebau

    niebau Well-Known Member

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    Of course, you are. I didn't even consider the possibility that you might not be interested in the beta test :).

    It's great to have the '3 RPG amigos' already on board then:
    bigred447uk, nullzone, undeadcow

    The invitation still stands for the other long-time Kingturn players and contributors, of course:
    actionrpg8000, DaviddesJ, iPadisGreat, Isilel, Marcus70, mekanikal fiend, Mephala, nestor, TinyKitty, Yerti1.

    I'll send them a PM in case they don't stumble upon the Tactics Maiden thread within the next two weeks.
     
  8. Nullzone

    Nullzone 👮 Spam Police 🚓

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    #8 Nullzone, Jun 11, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2014
    Si si, senhor. Los tres amigos sera detonar cosas felizemente :) (will happily blow up stuff, hope I got the Spanish right) .
    Immediately thought of those guys, thus el Español: http://youtu.be/nIlErhpFxuk
     
  9. bigred447uk

    bigred447uk Well-Known Member

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    #9 bigred447uk, Jun 11, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2014
    ^^ awesome. Can't wait. I have lots of old devices laying around too so I can test on everything from a 4 up to a 5S and iPad mini R as well.

    I played the Kingturn series for many many hours and still say they are the best SRPG on IOS. I'm in my forties so I'm not the right demographic to make this game go viral in the schoolyards of the UK but I will be gifting this to my nephew on release because he's Mangobiles biggest fan and a far better player than me. Hopefully he can win over the more discerning gamers of his generation!

    This is one of those releases where you want to pull a sickie from work the next day to play for me! (Unfortunately I can't /won't which is why I can mention it on the internet! Lol)
     
  10. niebau

    niebau Well-Known Member

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    I'm in my forties as well, and while it isn't necessarily reflected by the choice of art style, the 'intellectual nerd in his midlife crisis' was the initial target group of Mangobile's games.

    But since this is too much of a limitation for the mobile mass market, I guess, feel free to drag along every schoolboy or pensioner you can get your hands on :).
     
  11. Nullzone

    Nullzone 👮 Spam Police 🚓

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    #11 Nullzone, Jun 11, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2014
    I'll be forty later this year. So, how about instead targeting schoolyards, we go spread the word in our geriatric wards? ;)
    Would make a good tagline: "So, Mr.Niebau, what is your target audience?" - "Well, you see, our company motto is 'wards, not yards'... "

    Anyways, just watched the trailer, and I like that everything - especially the UI - appears bigger now.
    I saw the same +/- buttons from Kingturn: do they serve the same purpose still, or did you "upgrade" and offer pinch/drag to zoom in/out in TM?
    Oh, and what's that thing on the right in the last screenshot? Looks like a giant birdhead to me. The fearsome Duckriders of Doom have their debut? ;)
     
  12. mekanikal fiend

    mekanikal fiend Well-Known Member

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    i'd love to! didn't even know this was in the works. made my day!!
     
  13. undeadcow

    undeadcow Well-Known Member

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    #13 undeadcow, Jun 11, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2014
    I’m really excited to see Tactics Maiden come so close to release… and a whooping 84 scenarios at that! Although I will miss the barracks system and portrait mode I feeling giddy. Rare legendary items that grant special abilities sounds like an epic twist and more post battle statistics should be very nice (although I’m afraid to have my play style analyzed). Yeah, friendly fire can toggle on and AI responds… that’s customization! Spider web attack!
     
  14. niebau

    niebau Well-Known Member

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    Lol.

    Yes, Tactics Maiden supports pinch to zoom, so in theory the + and - buttons are not absolutely necessary.
    They allow fine tuning of the desired camera distance almost pixel-precise, though. And they might also come in handy for other platforms in the future.

    Nah, the wolf's head just got hammered by a giant club. Giants are (of course) once more part of the lovely fauna players will encounter.
     
  15. undeadcow

    undeadcow Well-Known Member

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    #15 undeadcow, Jun 11, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2014
    Will Tactics Maiden be based in the Kingturn universe/canon? I'm hoping for a cameo with a certain crazy shaman.
     
  16. niebau

    niebau Well-Known Member

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    I would almost make a bet that you will like the new outpost concept, once you have played a few scenarios, undeadcow.
    In the end Tactics Maiden doesn't play that much different compared to Kingturn, and the subtle concept changes mainly come as a breathe of fresh air to the game play, imho.

    And should I have erred and these changes are headed in the wrong direction, well, then the beta test is the perfect opportunity to rectify that.
     
  17. niebau

    niebau Well-Known Member

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    Utakah for president! :).
    No it isn't. The story plays in a different country with plenty of new characters to amuse and annoy the player.

    I was lucky enough to interest Amy, a professional writer and editor into overhauling and polishing the game dialogues.
    So this another aspect of the game where you can expect a higher quality compared to Kingturn.

    Which reminds me ...
    I have promised once to use Nullzone's (former) toucharcade alias Sheinfell in one of my future games.
    So you will meet a guy named Sheinfell in Tactics Maiden.
    I wonder whether Nullzone will like the role I have assigned to him :).
     
  18. niebau

    niebau Well-Known Member

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    Mangobile. Designer & Developer
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    No worries about that. The one and only purpose of the play style analysis is to humor the player.
    Think of (Kingturn's crazy shaman) Utakah commenting on your play style.

    Here is a simple example:

    - You start a scenario
    - You defeat 1 or 2 enemies right where your units start out
    - None of your units gets any damage
    - You immediately retreat after the first turn

    This would grant you something like this:
    "Motionless, careful XP farmer"
     
  19. Nullzone

    Nullzone 👮 Spam Police 🚓

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    Utakah president? Pah, small minds! Utakah be next king of all!
    Nice, hope you can keep her onboard.
    Thanks a lot for that, I am deeply honored. Hope the TM Sheinfell is one of Utakah's relatives ;) "Utakah ever tell you about crazy third cousin of his? No no, not Utakah crazy, really crazy. Like, going off to different country to meet interesting and stimulating people of an ancient culture and kill them crazy."
     
  20. undeadcow

    undeadcow Well-Known Member

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    #20 undeadcow, Jun 12, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2014
    Maybe Tactics Maiden will "out Utakah" Utakah!
     

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