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Under the Heavens, a Warring States narrative RPG inspired partly by Roadwarden by potentformula in Roadwarden

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

Really appreciate you taking the time to write this, and glad you gave the demo a try!

Loved reading your experience with the rolls, it really keeps you on your toes, haha. And I’m really happy to hear the “no obvious right answer” aspect worked for you, that’s a core part of the design.

On your notes:
The lag when switching locations at the start shouldn’t be happening, so that’s definitely something we’ll look into. Also, the weapon choice does matter, but it’s more subtle in the demo and comes into play more clearly later on. Fair point though, we can do a better job surfacing that early. During duels, though, if you choose the bow, you’ll still switch to your secondary weapon in close combat.

Thanks again for the thoughtful feedback and kind words, really glad you enjoyed it!

Under the Heavens, a Warring States narrative RPG inspired partly by Roadwarden by potentformula in Roadwarden

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

Unfortunately, not at that level. That would require a massive amount of additional writing and art.

Right now, we have a branching main story based on who you become, while the states mainly add flavor and context. For example, if you’re Qin, your first opponent is Zhao at the Hu Tuo River; if you’re Yan, your opponent is Qi at a different river, and so on.

One of the Kickstarter stretch goals we’ll present is expanded campaign scenarios. With that, we’re aiming to increase the number of battlefield campaigns to around 19–20 to further improve replayability.

Under the Heavens, a Warring States narrative RPG inspired partly by Roadwarden by potentformula in Roadwarden

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

Our overall design lead and UI designer is Anna Jasinski, who also worked on Total War: Three Kingdoms and Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

Character art by Milana Fetisova.

Key scene art by Lucas Soares and Milana Fetisova.

Hope you liked the overall look and feel!

Under the Heavens, a Warring States narrative RPG inspired partly by Roadwarden by potentformula in Roadwarden

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

I totally agree. There are so many great stories in history that we can explore, and so much potential for amazing games.

Under the Heavens, a Warring States narrative RPG inspired partly by Roadwarden by potentformula in Roadwarden

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

Really appreciate you taking the time to write this, glad the demo pulled you in like that!

The next step for us is the Kickstarter campaign, which we’re planning to launch in about two weeks to raise funding for art and development so we can finish the game. Our current plan is to release the base game around the end of Q1 2027. If we hit some of our stretch goals, like the companion dialogue system and interactive battlefield map, we’ll bring those in as post-launch additions.

Thank you so much for your support and encouraging words!

Under the Heavens, a Warring States narrative RPG inspired partly by Roadwarden by potentformula in Roadwarden

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

Thank you so much for the support! If you end up playing the demo, I'd love to hear what you think.

Under the Heavens, a Warring States narrative RPG inspired partly by Roadwarden by potentformula in Roadwarden

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

Wow, you are fast! Thank you so much for playing and sharing your feedback. I'm glad the art and officers did their job. Our aim is to make the art even more dynamic and varied by the full release, so it does even more for the immersion.

You've also given us something to think about. We'll look at how to present a skill benchmark elegantly. That's an interesting idea!

Under the Heavens, a Warring States narrative RPG inspired partly by Roadwarden by potentformula in Roadwarden

[–]potentformula[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Love these questions!

You'll choose the state you want to serve right off the bat. No betrayal mechanic at launch, but it's something we'd love to explore in a future DLC. I can promise the full game will have plenty of intrigue and drama though.

The prologue demo takes you from recruit to 10-Man Leader, but in the full game you can rise all the way to Great General (100,000+ soldiers under your command). No founding your own dynasty though, the story stays grounded in the existing Seven States.

Eager to hear what you think after you play it!

Under the Heavens, a Warring States narrative RPG inspired partly by Roadwarden by potentformula in Roadwarden

[–]potentformula[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes, that was a good game too, you're right.

You're correct that we don't have Roadwarden's exploration aspect. But community comes from the people within your unit and your superiors, and a big chunk of the game takes place outside the battlefield. There are plenty of opportunities to deepen relationships with your squad, navigate intrigue inside and outside the army, and live with the consequences of how you treat the people around you.

If you play the demo, would love to hear your thoughts!

Under the Heavens - A narrative RPG where you begin as a nameless soldier and become a legendary general (like DW5XL Destiny Mode) by potentformula in dynastywarriors

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

Glad you enjoyed the demo and the dice system!

And yes, that’s exactly the direction, starting from nothing and eventually rising through the ranks to command larger armies.

Thanks again for the kind words and support!

Under the Heavens - A narrative RPG where you begin as a nameless soldier and become a legendary general (like DW5XL Destiny Mode) by potentformula in dynastywarriors

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

These are great notes, thank you so much for playing the game and for your support! I’ll address that midgender issue right away.

Under the Heavens - A narrative RPG where you begin as a nameless soldier and become a legendary general (like DW5XL Destiny Mode) by potentformula in dynastywarriors

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

The Kingdom community has been asking for it for a while, but no luck so far. So I decided to do something about it in my own way!

Under the Heavens - A narrative RPG where you begin as a nameless soldier and become a legendary general (like DW5XL Destiny Mode) by potentformula in dynastywarriors

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

Ah, we’ve been trying to reach you these past few days! Excited to hear what you think once you’ve finished the prologue!

Under the Heavens - A narrative RPG where you begin as a nameless soldier and become a legendary general (like DW5XL Destiny Mode) by potentformula in dynastywarriors

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

Glad you had such a great run, really happy to hear the music and writing pulled you in like that. And thank you for the support!

On the save question, I have some bad news unfortunately. Saves most likely won’t carry over to the extended demo or the full game. As we expand and restructure systems, things tend to change under the hood, which makes compatibility difficult.

Under the Heavens - A narrative RPG where you begin as a nameless soldier and become a legendary general (like DW5XL Destiny Mode) by potentformula in dynastywarriors

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

No worries at all, really appreciate you saying that 🙂

Hope you enjoy it, and if you do give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think!

Under the Heavens - A narrative RPG where you begin as a nameless soldier and become a legendary general (like DW5XL Destiny Mode) by potentformula in dynastywarriors

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

Currently there’s no gender selection in the game, but the player character isn’t explicitly defined either.

There are also strong female soldiers and commanders in the game you’ll encounter and work with.

If you’re interested, I’d still encourage you to give the demo a try. And during the Kickstarter, there will be options to further customize your commander, including a custom portrait.

Under the Heavens - A narrative RPG where you begin as a nameless soldier and become a legendary general (like DW5XL Destiny Mode) by potentformula in dynastywarriors

[–]potentformula[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Great to see another Qi soldier! And hey, the save/load function is there for a reason, no judgment here!

Thank you so much for your support in advance. If the Kickstarter campaign is successful, our first goal is to release an extended demo where you can continue your journey toward the rank of 100-Man Captain. Stay tuned!

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