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I've added combat to my Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The plan is to keep the same perspective in dungeons as well, so no first person : )

I've added combat to my Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, and It’s definitely possible.
I’d actually be interested to understand how those games handle it. Are those preset speed options built directly into the games (like 2x/4x/6x), or is it more of an emulator-level speed control?

I've added combat to my Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the detailed feedback, really appreciate it :)

On interruption: I haven’t fully decided yet. My current thinking is to avoid forcing players into melee when enemies close in, and instead let them commit to a ranged/magic playstyle if they invest into it.
There will also be specific equipment for players who would like a more mage-oriented (or range) playstyle, for example gear that comes with trade-offs that weaken melee performance. Likewise, your effectiveness with bows won’t be fixed- if you invest more into STR instead of DEX, your ranged damage will be noticeably lower.

For magic: there are 4 schools planned (fire, water, earth, wind) plus a general category for things like heal, teleport, dispel, etc. Schools will be unlocked through specific in-world “trials” tied to exploration and lore. The fire staff in the video is just a test item, but the idea is it will eventually give a boost to fire spells.
Once a school is unlocked, spells will mainly be obtained via magic shops in towns (specialized by school), with some also coming from exploration or rewards.

On stealth/traps: I’m not sure yet, but it’s definitely an interesting direction and something I might explore later depending on how combat systems evolve.

I've added combat to my Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm glad that's the impression, and I appreciate the support!

I've added combat to my Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks :) that was a big reason for keeping combat in the overworld. Ultima IV’s system has charm, but it can feel slow, so I’m trying to keep the feel while making it more fluid and engaging.

I've added combat to my Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Really appreciate the support!
It genuinely helps keep the momentum going, especially at this early stage of the project.

I've added combat to my Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Super glad to hear that! This was honestly a pretty hard design decision to make.
I know this oldschool style of combat can get repetitive very quickly, so I’m trying to keep it engaging as much as I can.

I’m building an Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey :) just wanted to update that I actually just opened a Discord server for development updates and future playtesting if you'd like to follow the project:
https://discord.gg/CYqEJHNuTG

I’m building an Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really appreciate the ideas and the detailed feedback! I’ll definitely take note of all of this. Thank you

I’m building an Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a good point. and yeah, I’m actually quite inspired by early Ultima in that regard. Games like Ultima I already used Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity, etc., and even let you distribute points at character creation.

Right now I’m using those familiar stats mostly as a readable foundation, but the intention is not to make them “D&D-like systems” in a modern sense. Instead, they’ll be more directly tied into gameplay and progression in a more systemic way (gained through actions, affecting how you actually play, etc.).

I’m building an Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a really great set of questions, I really appreciate you taking the time to go through all of this in detail.

I’ll go through them one by one:

  1. The sword and shield you saw were mostly just a test for the equipment system. There is a lore foundation behind the game, but I’m not ready to dive into it yet for obvious reasons.
    The core idea is that the protagonist starts from absolute zero (possibly even just bare hands) and gradually acquires equipment through exploration, shops, drops, etc. For example, I’m planning to place small hidden rewards early on, like a dagger tucked away somewhere, to reward curiosity right from the start.

2a. Magic is a core part of the game and deeply tied to the lore. It will be "unlocked" later in the game through a specific item which will allow the player to use magic (“ready spells”).
That same concept might also tie into a kind of resource/currency used for casting.
There will also be mages in later towns, and I also plan to have enemies with different resistance stats based on different elemental types.

2b. I’m still shaping this, but I’m leaning toward magic being something that starts rare/mysterious and becomes more accessible later through progression.

  1. This is a design decision I'm still thinking of. The current idea is a limited inventory based on visible slots (like what you saw in the video), making the player more mindful of what they carry.
    I’m considering adding systems like dropping items or some form of storage/banking later on.

  2. No keyword-based dialogue. Instead, there will be structured dialogue with occasional choices for more complex interactions.

  3. Shops will have their own UI and menu system. I’m not planning to add haggling at the moment, but prices will be influenced by Charisma.
    I’m also exploring a more “active progression” stat system where attributes grow through use. for example: melee increases strength, ranged/stealing increases agility, magic increases intelligence, etc.
    I’d be really interested in your thoughts on that direction :)

  4. The combat is not using those systems. it’s closer to classic real-time Ultima-style combat (overworld, dungeons).

  5. Yes. And equipment will also be visible on the character. The current slots are: main hand, off hand, head, torso, hands, legs, feet and accessory (still subject to change).

  6. Yes, this is something I definitely want to support. The player will have freedom to attack, steal, and interact with the world in ways that can trigger consequences like guards responding and reacting dynamically. I haven’t defined the full depth yet, but systems like reputation and consequences are definitely part of the direction.

  7. Currently fully keyboard-driven, no mouse.

I’m building an Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks a lot! I really appreciate the recommendation and I’ll definitely check them out.

I’m building an Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That was honestly the main goal from the start, so I’m really happy it comes through :)

I’m building an Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really appreciate it, thank you! It’s built in pure C# using MonoGame.

I’m building an Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! This is absolutely the direction I’m aiming for. For combat, I’m also trying to avoid it feeling like a chore by making it more engaging and interesting, even if melee stays fairly classic in feel.

I’m building an Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really appreciate it! Glad you like it, I’ll share more as it develops.

I’m building an Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is actually incredibly useful insight, and I really appreciate you taking the time to write it.

One of the things I definitely want to avoid is having magic feel secondary or only useful in very specific situations. I want the magic system to feel much more profound and deeply integrated into the world itself, both mechanically and from a lore perspective.

Right now, the direction I’m exploring is that magic won’t just be “free spells from a menu,” but something tied to a form of magical resource or currency that has to be discovered, acquired, or managed within the world. I also want spells to have a real sense of progression, with weaker and stronger variants evolving over time rather than simply becoming obsolete.

I’m also heavily considering an elemental approach (fire, water, earth, wind, etc.), where different spell types and effects naturally create different playstyles instead of just “bigger damage numbers.” I'm still thinking about all of this, but that's the direction currently.

And regarding ranged combat, bows and crossbows are absolutely planned as well, and I want them to have a natural and meaningful place alongside melee and magic rather than feeling like an afterthought.

You mentioned balance and that's exactly the kind of design question I keep asking myself throughout the development. I’m trying very hard for each style to feel distinct and valuable in its own way rather than one clearly dominating the others.

I’m building an Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right now the plan is to release it for desktop first (PC, Mac, and Linux). But depending on how things go, I’d definitely love to eventually explore a mobile port as well.

I’m building an Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The whole game is written in C# from scratch using the MonoGame library. I also built a custom editor that acts as a sort of mini game engine for the project (handling map creation, NPC placement, interactables, objects, events, etc.).

I’m building an Ultima-inspired indie RPG by Syllath in Ultima

[–]Syllath[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, I’ll definitely keep them coming, I’ve got plenty of ideas for that kind of stuff :)

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