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General discussionIn Development: Exanima(235 posts)(235 posts)
(235 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted May 16, 2016
Let's get physical



<span class="bold">Exanima</span>, the dark isometric RPG armed with a unique, physics-based combat system, is available now, DRM-free on GOG.com with a 15% launch discount.

You find yourself in a dark dungeon full of dangers shambling out of the shadows. You feel powerless, defenseless, alone. In order to survive, you'll need to grab a weapon and quickly familiarize yourself with Exanima's innovative combat system, which requires your undivided attention and adaptation to its dynamic flow. Every hit has it's own weight, angle, momentum, and impact.
The unconventional mechanics are being constantly refined and polished but Bare Mettle also aim to keep adding new content: complex NPC interactions, ranged and magic-based combat, additional encounters, items, and environments. After having successfully gone through the game's alpha and beta stages, they hope to release this compelling low-fantasy RPG within six to nine months, but as we all know the development process is full of emergent challenges, much like Exanima's core gameplay.



Learn to survive the dungeons by mastering the unique combat mechanics of <span class="bold">Exanima</span>, DRM-free on GOG.com. The 15% discount will last until May 23, 12:59 PM UTC.

Note: This game is currently in development. See the <span class="bold">FAQ</span> to learn more about games in development, and check out the forums to find more information and to stay in touch with the community.
Posted May 16, 2016
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expopower: On a side note, are most of the current reviews written by fans who've purchased the Steam version of the game, and made accounts here so their opinions could be heard as well? Just noting this since there are already a few lengthy 5-star reviews, all done by brand new users. Loyal fanbase, if that's the case!
Ye, heard about the release here so I went and bought a copy for a friend. GoG release is a bit of a milestone for the community and the game at this point. I really can't recommend the game enough, been following it's development for years now and it never gets old.
Posted May 16, 2016
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Stevedog13: Well color me interested! This looks like a game with lots of potential. I'd like to know more about the controls however, is it mouse only (where you need to click everywhere you want to go) or can you use the keyboard to move around and the mouse for interaction? If it's keyboard and mouse controls, are the keys remap-able? Also, the description has the bullet point "Roguelike Elements", what would that be? Random loot? Perma-death? Randomly generated dungeon layouts? If anyone who has actually played the game can give me a bit of insight into how these mechanics work I'd be most appreciative. I have been burned in the past by buying a game based on the video and description only to find out that the controls are too horrible for me to actually enjoy the game.
Heyo, i will try to address some of your questions:

keyboard to move around and the mouse for interaction?
In exploration mode the intended way to move around is directing your mouse when you want to go and clicking right mouse button, although you can use WASD to walk while you perform some other action with the mouse, such like opening a door, or setting obstacles for your enemies. I say intended because there is people that move with tank controls, but that's not the easiest, faster or proper way to move.

are the keys remap-able?
Most of them yes. Main attack actions and RMB to move is not.

generated dungeon layouts?
No the levels are carefully handcrafted and tell an history by themselves.

"Roguelike Elements", what would that be?
It is a Dungeon crawler, there is some fantasy, and dying can mean risking a lot of progress, specially late in the game.

Random loot?
Some unique items are not, but most of the loot is.

Perma-death
The game have one mandatory checkpoint, and also an option to activate a few early checkpoints. It is not a pure
Perma-death game, but you will likely die a lot early on while you are still getting familiar with its original and uncommon mechanics and as a said when there are no more fresh checkpoints you will loose a lot of progress if you die.
Post edited May 16, 2016 by user404
Posted May 16, 2016
high rated
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tfishell: One of the reviews:

"The top 4 reviews for this game give it 5 stars each saying how great the game is, yet each account is only a few days old and, guess what, the game only came out a few days ago; these reviews smell like the devs of the game came in and review it"

(added punctuation)
That's an ugly and completely unfounded accusation. We've never done anything like that and never will. I think literally everyone can speak to our uncompromising integrity. There are obviously some reviews by people who are already fans of the game, but that is entirely out of our control and and ultimately has nothing to do with us.

I think it's more interesting how that's one of two negative reviews, neither of which have anything to say about the game itself, but are just some sort of consipary theory random accusations with no basis in fact.
Posted May 16, 2016
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Hickory: Name me a quality isometric RPG where the mouse is used to manipulate obstacles in the way it's done in that video. And I don't mean using the mouse to press a button or such like. One game. Do it.
Look at the post below yours. Divinity: Original Sin.

Now name me a quality pont and click adventure that has mechanics like that. Because I want to play it.
Post edited May 16, 2016 by WBGhiro
Posted May 16, 2016
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Hickory: Name me a quality RPG where the mouse is used to manipulate obstacles in the way it's done in that video. One game. Do it.
Divine Divinity and Original Sin.
Also, Elder Scrolls games, Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 kinda have this feature, where you move objects around telekinetically. But I guess none of them are quality RPG's :/

By the way, the game looks cool. Looking forward to see it complete!
Posted May 16, 2016
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Bare_Mettle:
A few questions:
How long is the game at this time?

What exactly is meant with "roguelike elements"?
Procedural Generation?
Permadeath?

Are levels prebuilt or are they randomly generated?
Post edited May 16, 2016 by omega64
Posted May 16, 2016
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Hickory: Name me a quality RPG where the mouse is used to manipulate obstacles in the way it's done in that video. One game. Do it.
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TheTrveFenris: Divine Divinity and Original Sin.
I've played both, and I've never used nor seen obstacles manipulated in such a manner.
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WBGhiro: Now name me a quality pont and click adventure that has mechanics like that.
Not my thing.
Post edited May 16, 2016 by Hickory
Posted May 16, 2016
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TheTrveFenris: Divine Divinity and Original Sin.
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Hickory: I've played both, and I've never used nor seen obstacles manipulated in such a manner.
Great, not everything has to conform to every standard right? :P
If no other RPG does things the same way that just means it's unique.
If you don't like the way it's been done it might just not be for you.
Posted May 16, 2016
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Hickory: Name me a quality isometric RPG where the mouse is used to manipulate obstacles in the way it's done in that video.
You mean click on an item to drag it somewhere else, without the character moving to that location first? Ultima 7.
Some items may be too heavy for your character to move (like a forge), but the engine does support you moving everything and anything around, even ground tiles. Just drag and drop them where you want.
Posted May 16, 2016
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Bare_Mettle:
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omega64: A few questions:
How long is the game at this time?

What exactly is meant with "roguelike elements"?
Procedural Generation?
Permadeath?

Are levels prebuilt or are they randomly generated?
All prebuilt. It has permadeath but a couple of concessions including far apart waypoints you can choose to activate. no map. General approach is very old school slow burning game. At two points in the game atm you can heal otherwise some damage is permanent.

Main game currently has 5 (large) levels packed with detail with the 5th one being enormous. These themselves mean several hours of play once you have learned not to die all the time! I can often spend 2-3+ hours on one level despite now being familiar. Arena mode is open ended some people have poured 50-100 hours in
Post edited May 16, 2016 by 4rray
Posted May 16, 2016
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Hickory: Name me a quality isometric RPG where the mouse is used to manipulate obstacles in the way it's done in that video.
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JMich: You mean click on an item to drag it somewhere else, without the character moving to that location first? Ultima 7.
Some items may be too heavy for your character to move (like a forge), but the engine does support you moving everything and anything around, even ground tiles. Just drag and drop them where you want.
Doesn't Arx Fatalis have this physical manipulation thingy going on, or am I confusing It with something else, I see'm to remember moving things and making bridges, and some objects being to have to move.
Posted May 16, 2016
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Hickory: [Edit for typo]
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Bare_Mettle: It has nothing to do with moving obstacles, you can interact with absolutely everything that isn't attached to the ground or too heavy to move. There are many detailed interactions that result from this, including things like jamming levers and gates, crossing a pit by placing a plank over it, physicaly diverting the flow of fire or even just neatly arranging small items in whatever way you like. Everyhing that moves is subect to physics and accurate collisions in this game, no exceptions. Many things are possible with level of detailed physics and interaction.

As for doing this through some actual animation of your character, it's just not realistically possible, it's never been done and I'm not sure how you imagine such a thing could ever work in reality. Even if it was possible, waiting for your character to physically manipulate an object and move around with it would be extremely tedious and impractical. It's a game and the focus is playablity, it's not a film.
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Hickory: Then it should be pigeon holed as point-and-click, not as RPG.
Following your standpoint, Baldur's Gate isn't an RPG, either, but a point-and-click. Torchlight and Diablo, too, as you can pick up items with no realistic animations. Legend of Grimrock is another good example, previously mentioned. Would you say for these games that "it's lazy; it's amateurish?" and do you think "it should remain in the domain of point-and-click?"

Point-and-clicks can be role-playing games, it's not set anywhere in stone that all point-and-clicks should be adventure games.

Anyway, enough of that nonsense.

@devs: Maybe you should only allow object manipulation if the character is close enough to the object to increase realism. (I don't know it's actually the case.)
Posted May 16, 2016
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Bare_Mettle:
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omega64: A few questions:
How long is the game at this time?

What exactly is meant with "roguelike elements"?
Procedural Generation?
Permadeath?

Are levels prebuilt or are they randomly generated?
That really depends, your first play through should definitely take you a good few hours, also depending on how thorough you are, as much of the content is optional and things can be well hidden. It is unfinished though, so you'll reach a point where you won't be able to progress further and with no conclusion.

The environment is not randomly generated, but very carefully designed and detailed, eveyrthing in it is meaningful and helps tell the story. Most loot is randomised, as well as the location of some key items. The gameplay is very dynamic and varied, so there's quite a lot of replayability value thanks to that alone.

The game has permanent death, but with one mandatory and additional optional checkpoint saves. You can safely exit at any point and return to where you were. You can avoid death quite easily by using your wits, you are not forced to rely on your combat skills to survive and you're not at the mercy of RNG. Armour and healing items can extend your survivability massively, and being defeated in combat results in unconciousness rather than death unless you are very seriously injured.

There is also an extensive arena mode that we added in reponse to people's love of the combat. You can participate in various matches, advance your character, hire additional player and NPC characters and purchase better gear. This mode will be expanded on too.
Posted May 16, 2016
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amok: Doesn't Arx Fatalis have this physical manipulation thingy going on, or am I confusing It with something else, I see'm to remember moving things and making bridges, and some objects being to have to move.
No idea, haven't played it yet. But I do think it's possible, since wasn't Arx Fatalis the one that you had to wave the mouse all around to do the spellcasting?
Either way, Arx Fatalis is first person, not isometric.
Posted May 16, 2016
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4rray: At two points in the game atm you can heal otherwise some damage is permanent.
3 doses to be exact, plus a new way to heal with one dose.
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionIn Development: Exanima(235 posts)(235 posts)
(235 posts)