- Joined
- Dec 30, 2007
- Messages
- 60
Or "A Night In Fiorre"
This city, is your city!
This city, is your city!
WHAT'S THE LORE BEHIND THE OLD KING?
Would you stop already?
WHAT'S THE LORE BEHIND CONSPIRACY
Conspiracy takes place in Fiorre, a city rife with envy and intrigue. The city rests between the fingertips of the old Civos family. Fiorre is run by money; here, there is nothing that can't be done or undone with enough, and the family Civos has plenty. With coin alone, they observe and control all that occurs within the city's walls.
Fiorre has numerous troubles, including the threat of an invasion of orcs from the distant mountains, as well as the underground activity of cultists within the city's walls who worship some ancient god. Not least among these troubles, though, is the fact that the city is on the cusp of revolution. The Civos family's actions have led to an uprising among the poor and destitute. Crime and roguishness are in resurgence; monsters and assassins lurk in the shadows.
Fiorre's fate will be decided in the span of one night. Your top priority is to make sure you survive that long, but while you're here, why not get your piece too? Maybe there's someone you don't care for that you'd like to get rid of; maybe one of the higher-ups has a price on her head, or maybe there's something pretty in a display case that you could crack open amidst the chaos...
WHAT IS IT
In Conspiracy, a player-driven RPG, you take the role of one of eight characters, and try to discover the secrets that Fiorre has to offer. Exploring and completing minor tasks will score you rewards and advance your skills, while solving the Troubles of Fiorre will determine the fate of the city and piece together the mysteries surrounding the world. Each character has numerous secret skills and abilities to harness, but you'll have to earn them...
There are three gamemodes: Cooperative, Conspiracy, and Neurosis.
Cooperative gameplay is like that of a standard RPG. All players are Citizens of Fiorre, who must do their best to ensure the city remains intact. Players won't be able to harm one another, and will instead work as a group to master their abilities and eliminate threats to Fiorre. All players, then, will achieve victory or defeat as a group. As a personal aside, I'm a huge fan of RPG gameplay and boss fights; while this isn't the main mode of gameplay, I'm striving to make PvE fun and rewarding.
In Conspiracy Mode, a random, small number of players are given Hidden Agendas. Players with Hidden Agendas are given a unique set of goals; they can outright ignore the Troubles of Fiorre if they please, and go about their objectives through any necessary means. The goals of a player with a Hidden Agenda are random and diverse; one might have to steal a particular item, kill a certain player or important NPC, or start a revolution by eliminating the heads of the Civos family, as an example. This is the recommended game mode of the game.
Finally, in Neurosis, the game plays as Conspiracy Mode, except almost every player is given a Hidden Agenda. The objectives in Neurosis are more ridiculous and often downright asinine, such as eliminating all other players, protecting certain characters while ensuring others are put in jail, and storing specific lists of several items in random locations. Neurosis is not recommended for play, and is sort of just there for game veterans who are looking to play a silly, deconstructive round.
Characters don't gain experience traditionally, but learn new skills via the "teachings" of Fiorre, useful information that pertains to oneself or the world around them. Each character's teachings are contained within a spellbook that can be leveled up via discovering clues, purchasing, or finding Manuals of Secrets. Once a character's teachings are mastered, earning further teachings will afford a "master level", upgrading all of the character's stats.
One more thing...
Finally, for one to take the role of a character in a game with hidden information is important. Players' names are replaced with character names; a custom chat system means that only characters who are nearby one another can communicate with one another. However, within Fiorre, there exist many means to communicate over long distances...
SO WHO ARE THESE LOSERS
If taking the role of characters is important, then the characters are important. Conspiracy isn't a traditional roleplaying game, but a bit of roleplaying is encouraged; play your character, and you'll play your character well. Let's learn a bit about them...
The spellcasters, from left to right: Outcast Ral, Colwyn the Righteous, and Circe Drakeseeker
Magic isn't accessible by the common folk in Fiorre. It's practiced in the Sanctum under Sorceress Diarca, while the bishops in the Cathedral under Archbishom Windsor call upon magic to perform clerical miracles. Spells are powerful, but a spellcaster's mana doesn't regenerate naturally. You'll have to rest at an inn or use recovery items to replenish this resource.
Colwyn is a Cleric who channels the miracles of the All-Knowing One. He is a prominent healer within the city walls, but recently, his faith has begun to waver. His heirloom items are a relic of the Cathedral, which can be used periodically to heal its holder, and the Lens of Truth, which casts away illusions and reveals invisible units.
Within his Teachings are abilities such as:
*Willing Sacrifice: Switch places with the target unit.
*Power Word Shield: Enchants a target with a shield that absorbs a fixed amount of incoming damage before fading.
While his Secret Abilities include:
*Resurrection: Resurrects target dead Hero with full hit points and half of their maximum mana.
*Angelic Destiny: Assume an angelic form briefly, gaining movement speed, mana regeneration, and several unique skills.
Colwyn is a supportive character who is best teamed up with a trustworthy ally. He doesn't have many damaging abilities, but is great at disarming his foes, using Miracles to prevent them from attacking and casting spells, healing incoming damage, and dispelling their beneficial effects.
Colwyn is easy to play.
Outcast Ral is the type who never really fit in anywhere. He's a loner who practices dark rituals in Fiorre, constantly seeking disciples who possess the potential for Dark within them. His heirloom items are his own crystallized Soul--which he removed from himself in a strange experiment--that can revive him after death, and a mysterious grimoire with an unknown use.
Within his Teachings are such abilities as:
*Fear: Afflicts a target unit with Fear, causing it to run helplessly for a short period of time.
*Immortal Servitude: Resurrects target dead Hero under your control. Players resurrected this way will maintain vision of their Hero, and will be able to speak normally.
While his Secret Abilities include:
*Lifetap: Trade a fixed amount of Life for Mana.
*Resonant Flesh: While not in combat, you regenerate Life slowly.
While Colwyn is meant to team up with an ally, Ral likes to work alone. He's a ritualist who can premeditate a long-suffering vendetta when not in combat, and earning his secret abilities allows him to use his own life as a nearly-limitless resource. In addition, it might be possible to make a pact with a demon...
Ral is relatively easy to play.
Circe Drakeseeker is a Highblood, a descendant of a powerful being known as a Magus. The Magi could draw natural energy from their surroundings, offering them nearly limitless mana; while the Highblooded don't reap benefits this powerful, they regenerate some mana over time, rendering them naturally superior spellcasters. Circe is the daughter of the Grand Magus Liana Drakeseeker, a legendary spellcaster who gave her life in protection of Fiorre. Her heirloom item is the very blood within her veins; it affords her natural mana regeneration, and can be sacrificed at any time to fully restore her mana.
Within her Teachings are such abilities as:
*Arcane Blast "Solis zangan sen": Fires an arc of energy that deals damage to all units it comes into contact with. After traveling a certain distance, the arc explodes, silencing and dealing additional damage to all units in the area of effect.
*Teleport "Scyar nila Fiorre": Teleports the caster to the outside of Castle Fiorre.
While her Secret Abilities include:
*Summon Water Elemental "Soledevi hydroxis": Summons a Water Elemental with Life, Damage, and Movement Speed based on Circe's own stats. The Water Elemental is not bound to Circe by distance and can operate independently.
*Apotheosis "Solis avavoces karabor": Resets the cooldowns of all other items and abilities.
Circe's selection of spells is diverse, and each one is impactful; her Teachings must reach a higher level than those of any other character before she can earn Master levels. She works very well as a supportive caster, but can become comically powerful in an environment where she doesn't have to share rewards, casting repeated salvos of high-damage area of effect spells and crowd control abilities. For a Circe with a Hidden Agenda, keep in mind that stealth is nearly impossible; she yells the names of all of her spells when casting them, including Invisibility.
Circe is relatively difficult to play.
Elanna Nightshade
Elanna Nightshade is an outsider from a faraway land, who comes to Fiorre in search of opportunity. Few of her kind are present in the city, and they are distrusted and looked down upon. As such, Elanna racks up Infamy more quickly than any other character, meaning guards will pursue her more readily when she commits a crime. In addition, bailing her out of jail costs a bit more than it does for other characters. She bridges the gap between Spellcaster and Martial characters. Her Teachings are a variety of Geomancy spells, which are all quite unusual, while her Secret Abilities allow her access to a number of exotic weapons. Elanna brings no heirloom, instead filling her bag with gold, healing herbs, mana potions, and trapping tools from her homeland.
Within her Teachings are such abilities as:
*Tangle among Earth: Immobilizes a target unit, dealing damage to it over the duration.
*Pull from Below: Creates a pit of quaking quicksand in the target area, dealing damage, slowing, and pulling all affected enemies toward the center over the duration.
While her Secret Abilities include:
*The Butterfly: Throws a large glaive in an arc toward the target location. Each unit hit will suffer damage; upon arriving, it will fly back toward Elanna, and restore mana for each unit hit if she catches it.
*Stinger: Allows Elanna to switch to the Stinger; her regular attacks will throw poisoned knives at enemies, at the cost of some movement speed.
Elanna can do just about anything and isn't terribly dependent on her Teachings to get along. She misses her homeland, and is mostly just along for the ride. While she's good in all aspects she doesn't really excel at any, failing to reap the benefits of a true caster's long-term planning but lacking the staying power of a martial character.
Elanna isn't that hard to play.
Mercenaries' hostel, wish you were here! Left to right: Captain Cain Marsh, Lissandra Sharpeye, Dagen the Quick
These guys don't cast spells, so they don't need mana. Don't hassle 'em about it, though. Everyone's limited by resources; that's the way it is in this city. They're hanging out in the Mercenaries' hostel; you can hire a few mercenaries to aid your cause if you've got enough money, but they can be pretty disposable unless you arm them well.
Captain Cain Marsh is an ex-soldier. He fought in the last war against the Orcs, and has failed to fully re-integrate into society since returning to a city that no longer has a place for him. He seems normal, but he's got a berserker thing going on beneath the surface. Cain requires Energy to cast spells, and it actually degenerates over time; he regains it by attacking and receiving damage. His Heirloom is an enchanted shield that can free its holder of negative effects.
Within his Teachings are such abilities as:
*Tomebreaker: A purging strike that removes all negative effects from the target, dealing damage for each effect removed this way.
*Charge: Rushes to the target, ignoring all obstacles and stunning it on impact.
While his Secret Abilities include:
*Diehard: Whenever Cain casts a spell, he regains 2% of his maximum health.
*Warrior Spirit: Cain briefly gains bonus health, damage, and becomes spell immune.
Cain can adapt to any sort of playstyle as long as fighting is involved. Once his Teachings are advanced enough, he can thrive in combat; the longer a fight goes on, the more difficult he becomes to put down.
Cain is easy to play.
Lissandra Sharpeye is a huntress from the famed Sharpeye family. While the rest of her family is esteemed for their beast-slaying prowess, she's chosen the path of a mercenary who prides herself in hunting dangerous game for a price. Lissandra's abilities are contingent on her Supplies; she has a maximum of 10, and can only regain them by purchasing or finding resupply packages. In addition to some useful items, she brings a Sharpeye Resupply Package, which can be used to fully restore her Supplies twice. Though she doesn't have a strong range of abilities, she can also take a Pet, which effectively doubles her presence and can afford unique abilities depending on what sort of beast she can find to tame.
Within her Teachings are such abilities as:
*Remote Mine: Plants a Mine at the target location that can be detonated at Lissandra's command, dealing damage to all units in the area of effect.
*Quivered Arrows: Briefly increases Lissandra's attack rate by 100%.
While her Secret Abilities include:
*Paralyzing Shots: A special poison-tipped arrow that slows the target's movement speed greatly.
*Kill Command: Lissandra's pet becomes incensed with rage, increasing its damage and survivability.
Lissandra is a huntress and tracker, and she's great at what she does, able to find any target and pursue it to the furthest reaches of Fiorre. She attacks from the longest range of any of the characters, and is great at playing keep-away; she can take a pet early for additional power, but it might ruin her chances to earn a more exotic beast hidden elsewhere in the game...
Lissandra is relatively easy to play.
Dagen is a thief of unknown origin; whenever asked, he'll gladly fabricate a completely new background story, from the day of his birth to the events of last week. It's unknown if he's even from Fiorre, but when he sets his eyes upon a prize, he'll make it his under any circumstances. Dagen requires Energy to cast spells; each one draws from his pool, but it regenerates relatively quickly. When striking from the back, he deals additional damage and recovers some Energy as well. He carries an emblem of the Thieves' guild, which allows him to dodge some attacks; in addition, he brings an ancient treasure which can surely be exchanged for something great...
Within his Teachings are such abilities as:
*Stealth: Become invisible and move at a reduced speed for a period of time. If you strike from the back to break invisibility, the target will be stunned for several seconds.
*Opportunity: Dagen automatically evades the next source of damage that would affect him.
While his Secret Abilities include:
*Cheap Shot: Stuns the target for several seconds. If the target is already stunned, inflicts damage based on a percentage of the target's maximum health.
*Adrenal Surge: Doubles the rate at which Dagen regains Energy.
Dagen is not terribly survivable for his role, and is a strong hit-and-run fighter with a number of disables at his disposal. Once he begins earning Master levels, his ability to dispense raw damage is unparalleled, but to do so requires perfect timing and ability use.
Dagen is difficult to play.
Finally...
Spendin' a ton of Daddy's money, I'm a rich girl!
Elesa Civos, the Socialite, is pictured above, in the castle garden with statues of her Mom and Pop, Highblood Milliana Civos and Archmage Silas Civos, the Lady and Lord of Fiorre. She's as innocent as she looks; she can't attack, begins with no offensive abilities, has the lowest health of any character, and has no Teachings whatsoever. She's the last character, a Spellcaster type, and her Heirloom is money. As the beloved Civos heir, she starts with more money than all of the other characters combined, and more than enough to buy two of anything you could possibly ask for; if that's not enough, she can probably just go ask Mom and Dad for her allowance. In addition...
* Elesa Civos can't incur Infamy or be Arrested. Instead, the city guards will come to her aid if she's injured within the walls.
* As a member of the Civos family, she can go basically anywhere without question, and freely walk into high-security areas or locations that are restricted to other players. She can pow around in the military barracks, order people released from jail, or even order them arrested.
*With no Teachings, she can immediately advance into Master levels, gaining early stat upgrades that will make her less pathetic overall.
Elesa Civos has quite a few Secret Abilities, but there are trade-offs: most of them must be earned, not bought. She takes the role of a facilitator or mastermind; though she can't participate directly in combat without the aid of some clever shenanigans, she has the power to make practically anything happen. And, if you've a Hidden Agenda, the power to stop practically anything from happening...
Elesa Civos is very difficult to play.
SYSTEMS
*Projectiles
*Knockback
*Scaling abilities
*Damage/armor system
*Large walled city terrain with exterior, tons of enterable buildings
*Major and minor quests
*Chat system facilitates hidden information
*Oh god why are there so many secrets
WHAT'S THE LORE BEHIND THE CIVOS FAMILY
Stop
TELL ME WHERE ALL THE SECRETS ARE
Later.
MAP STATUS?
Hopefully playable soon.
Work is a little all over the place, and I'm still working out how I'm going to do some things (and at a loss for some ability ideas for some of the Heroes). I'm approaching development haphazardly and a bit at a time: let me know what you think about a player-driven RPG, feel free to voice questions or concerns, and stay tuned for more, including some obvious things that I've probably forgotten to say here!
