About “Drums of War” (Full Version)

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Vladimir1979 -> About “Drums of War” (7/27/2013 3:43:36 PM)

“Drums of War” - is a turn-based tactical strategy game boasting well developed combat system and interactive environment, providing wide opportunities for tactics.

The Game

You play the role of a hero-leader. As the campaigns unfold the size of your armies can increase by up to 16 varied units. By participating in battles, all of the units become more experienced while naturally getting stronger. Players have the ability to hire new recruits, buy potions and distribute artifacts obtained in battles between fights. Each unit can be outfitted with one artifact and two potions. In addition to common units the player's army can include up to three unique heroes.

The turn-based fights take place in field divided into traditional hexes. Just as in role-playing games, each unit is an independent fighter with their own skills and outfit.
Besides unit features the battle system takes many different properties into consideration:
- status effects (buffs) of units.
- sight type and lighting intensity of a certain part of the battle field.
- units placed on specific land types (walls, swamps, fords).
- unit sides (front, flank, rear) which is being attacked.
- passive skills of units.
- artifacts.
- enemies or allies being within easy reach.
- etc..

Almost every environment object is interactive – one can chop down a tree, set it on fire, or even turn it into an ally using magic. Even rivers can be frozen and one can move across the ice.
It’s important to know that the abilities of each unit depend on the sight type and lighting intensity – if one fights at night against night creatures (against skeletons or vampires for instance) they should stay close to fire.
Each unit has its own action points which can be spent for any action – movements, attacks, spells or active skills. The player can randomly move units during his turn.

With each unit the player has to make important tactical and strategic decisions. There is no need to remember a great number of each units properties or make complicated calculations – the player should rely on their personal assessment of the current situation. Should I draw the mages out from under the hostile attack of archers or have a cast a fireball spell? Should I freeze the river and cut into the enemy's rear with my cavalry or try to push the enemy into water? Should I feed reinforcements to the opposite wing to hold the combat formation or just draw back? The player will always have a choice.
For most of the actions only one mouse click is enough – directing your army is easy and comfortable.

Main Features

- 2 campaigns spanning 30 missions each.
- 4 available races, 50 unique characters.
- An interactive environment.
- Attack castles with siege ladders and catapults.
- Hotseat.

[image]https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/944265_596879626999592_524343749_n.jpg[/image]

[image]https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/21989_596879630332925_2003495561_n.jpg[/image]



wodin -> RE: About “Drums of War” (7/27/2013 4:52:48 PM)

I think this has great potential..seems like my type of game.



Josh -> RE: About “Drums of War” (7/27/2013 5:17:26 PM)

I agree, simple looks can have an addictive gameplay.
Say like the original Stonghold many years ago, graphics were basic even back then but boy was that fun to play.



wodin -> RE: About “Drums of War” (7/27/2013 5:46:32 PM)

Some questions..

1.I understand the game has simple graphics which means you can concentrate on gameplay..however will they at least be animated i.e animated walking and firing units..even a little bit? When people buy games that look similar and have no animations (normally roguelikes) the price is usually around $9.99. So I do hope we see some extra polish. I'd rather pay more and get some decent animations going to be honest.

2.Do they dead bodies stay on the field or disappear (I'd rather they stay)?

3.Can tunneling under walls be done? I imagine thats out of the time scale...still will there be things like spiked pits and boiling oil?

4.Could you say set a forest on fire or a castle building?

5.Can your main characters be injured\have wounds?

5b.Do these wounds affect their stats? What would be cool is as a unit gets damaged and takes hits these show up on the top left unit box..things like dented armour or bleeding forehead (Even if that just happens for your hero characters, I'd like also it if your hero was badly damaged in the previous battle to then have a scar or something, say if a hero takes more than 75% health then he gains a scar plus has a chance for an affliction maybe the odd affliction is a positive one i.e he thinks he is unkillable so gains a stat point).

6.Can horses be killed from under the rider?

7.Or does one icon represent several units, if so would be great if the game actually knew how many men are in the unit and take casualties from that figure?

8.Can castle walls be damaged\smashed through?

9.Can other buildings be destroyed?

Thanks very much.

P.S mentioned you on my Tactical Wargames FB page...



wodin -> RE: About “Drums of War” (7/27/2013 8:08:05 PM)

Just watched the vid and I see animations..cool...I think the sound effects could do with some work though esp the voice sampling. Cool if they swung their swords etc rather than just jerking forward. The area effect fireball..would be cool if that set fire to any tree in it's vicinity..you could model in weather..gale force winds give negative accuracy to bows etc..it could also make fires spread from tree to tree...snow could make movement tricky, rain puts out fire etc etc.

Like the animated trees..good touch. Maybe add abit of wild life? How about birds if in a tree will fly out if anyone gets to close..this could be a sign to show that the enemy is around there..or give the enemy an idea where you are. Obviously not every tree has birds so you may try your luck. I presume the game does have FOW.



Vladimir1979 -> RE: About “Drums of War” (7/29/2013 3:09:31 PM)

Game is concentrated on gameplay, but it has unit animation.

Corpse stays on the battlefield when unit die. Corpses can be eaten or transformed into zombies.

Units can not dig under the walls. I do not know how to realize it.

Trees can be put on fire, stone walls and buildings can.

Units do not take wounds. I thought about that, but declined it.

You can not kill horse under the unit.

Every unit on a battlefield is a unique soldier, not a squad. When his hp falls to 0, he will die. You can give a name to unit.

You can not destroy castle walls.

"Other building" is houses. They can not be destroyed.


"Drums of War" is not a siege simulator, the most of battles happen on open ground or in forests. Please don’t wait that it would be a new "Stronghold" or "Siege". Maybe I will do it in sequel…

Fire spreads - it can spread on trees or just on the ground. Trees which are on fire will eventually fall. When its raining fire goes out faster and spreads worse. Fireball can put on fire the ground, trees, barrels, barricades…

In "Drums of War" there are no FOW and invisible units.

Thank you for interesting ideas.



wodin -> RE: About “Drums of War” (7/31/2013 6:30:21 PM)

Really think wounds and afflictions should be in...

For the next game..yes I'd think about adding destructible buildings and castle walls..

Shame there is no FOW...how far along are you? I really think FOW needs to be in add FoW and the wounds\afflictions aspect would really enhance the game again. FOW will add to the wargame aspect and wounds to the rpg aspect.

I like the idea each unit is one man..that way you could do the wound bit and add damage to the unit icon on the top left..like dents in armour or scars..

What I see here is something that could be really expanded into a very deep game wargame\rpg...I honestly think you should consider some of the ideas (I understand destructible buildings would be a huge undertaking esp with graphics so yes that would be for another game, I do think wounds and afflictions should be in though).

If you want some input in private then PM me or email me j__rimmer[at]hotmail.com. I see great potential here.



jamespcrowley -> RE: About “Drums of War” (7/31/2013 9:55:04 PM)

Have to agree with Wodin, particularly in regard to FoW.

I think this should be a given in any computer war game for all the obvious reasons. Without it you have, basically, a board wargame with all the usual limitations.

Wounds would be good and would add a lot of depth but FoW, IMO, is essential.



Vladimir1979 -> RE: About “Drums of War” (8/3/2013 1:39:51 PM)

In "Drums of War" battles happen on limited territory. I understand why FOW is used in most of wargames, but, IMHO, here it wont make gameplay better. "Drums of War" is a tactical turn-based game with full information, like chess.

The game has lots of tactical alternatives and I hope you will check it yourself.

Thank you, wodin. I will gladly read your ideas after the beta-test.

I will think about wounds (wrote it in my note book).



wodin -> RE: About “Drums of War” (8/3/2013 1:59:48 PM)

Cool..wounds with some sort of semi permanent or permanent affliction would be cool..also think about damage to the unit icons upper left..Maybe hero characters should be a head and shoulders close up..that way they can slowly get scars or lose an eye or something if they get wounded..infact if a wound was losing an eye then you see him with no eye and blood then the next battle he has an eye patch would be great fun and immersion..also his accuracy would drop due to it.

Wound afflictions work well in Dominions 3 and Fallen Enchantress Legendary Heroes..

To me this game could be very big indeed and has alot of potential..and I honestly feel to do it justice you should go all out and really make it as indepth as possible..It's the type of game that could get repetitive or quickly become boring IF it doesn't have lots of detail and decision making followed by immersion. Personally if I was the developer I'd be aiming for something special and has some killer features and use the basic core gameplay and engine to it's best.

Aim for a full price type game rather than a cheaper game with light gameplay. This could be a superb tactical turn based game and we see very few of these set in a fantasy setting..do your game and idea justice and go for it. Make it the best it can be. Add FOW and then make the battlefields bigger and give the game a great LOS mechanic. If you make the battles bigger you could add formations..where say ten footmen all move together..but can change formation, that way you cut back on having to move loads of individual units...whilst in formation they get bonus combat\defense..however if the formation breaks during combat or through moral those bonus goes..this means the formation could break apart during the turn and your footman move off in a different direction, maybe if moral has broke you loose control of these units for awhile..at some point though you could get hem back into formation..but if their moral is too low you have to sue them individually.



Vladimir1979 -> RE: About “Drums of War” (8/6/2013 4:07:49 PM)

Thank you. I plan to upgrade game’s tactical varieties but for this I need players feedback.

For now I made all I have wanted and I got a dynamic and thoughtful tactical gameplay.

I will hear all players with pleasure and I will try to consider all incoming offers to make the game better.

In fact units formation are used in the game. They are used in another form but it is always better to keep formation.

I do not plan to make group control. For this I would need to change the most of game mechanics.



heyhellowhatsnew -> RE: About “Drums of War” (10/9/2013 10:13:49 AM)

Really happy to see devs and Matrix take on Fantasy!



sniperking -> RE: About “Drums of War” (1/29/2014 8:15:59 AM)

I think this is a great game...The Game is quite awesome. It provided me the best knowledge. Awesome Graphics were basic even back then but boy was that fun to play.



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