Atypical of Origins, a PC game was featured in the merchant area of the convention. That game is Super Dungeons Tactics. I had a chance to chat with Cory Heald, president of Underbite Games and creative director of SDT. When I first approached Heald, his passion was apparent, even on the fourth day of the convention. I got a chance to observe gameplay and understand what SDT is all about, though some details may change before its expected fall 2016 release.
Heald described SDT as akin to Final Fantasy Tactics and Advance Wars, and both are apt descriptors of the gameplay. Similar to the aforementioned titles, SDT offers grid-based gameplay using squares in which players control units that can complete attacks or advanced actions. The enemies, in turn, do the same. At the outset, players will have two units to start, which they can choose from amongst up to 16 characters, though some need to unlocked. Over the course of the game, players can have up to six units in combat at a time depending on the story-driven context. The character classes present are generic archetypes fantasy RPGers are used to in their chibi form with unusually large eyes.
What makes SDT stand out from other titles is that it is inspired by its board game predecessor, which was designed to simulate a video game RPG. Go figure! The board game component takes the form of dice. Each class has a natural inclination toward certain abilities and kinds of dice, but other than that, each character is completely customizable in terms of build. The way dice are developed is determined by four different kinds of equipment, which not only modify the strength of abilities, but what can come up on a die. At the start of a round of battle, players automatically roll dice and, of the results rolled, the player can allot each character one die. Be careful of blanks, which do nothing, and skulls, which are found on dice thrown into the mix by certain enemies. At the time of the explanation, I had the sense that Heald was keeping his cards close to his vest on this one, but I expect that more variety will come upon release — pardon the speculation on my part!
In terms of their individual power, the dice seem to substantially, though not singularly, impact the result of battle. Each character can move and attack, but certain abilities can only be accessed through dice. For example, if a paladin is to tank for his allies, he's going to need a shield to pop up in order to negate damage. Similarly, a fighter class will likely need special attack dice in order to access their powerful abilities. During the demo, the abilities seemed heavily overpowered in favor of the player, but Heald assured me that this will be tweaked upon release and was simply designed that way in the demo to communicate the effectiveness of the dice.
Regarding character progression, SDT completely omits experience points– a novel and refreshing take on the strategy RPG genre. Instead, loot reigns supreme. I asked Heald about overflowing bags of loot with a million copper swords, and he assured me that only one instance of each item will ever occur in a playthrough, which is yet another welcomed take on, well, any RPG. Simultaneously, this means that each piece of equipment carries greater importance since it's the only one of its kind.
Players can change the difficulty on the fly in case they feel the game is going soft on them or if they get stuck. This change in difficulty modifies a player's backpack, changing the amount of items and abilities one can carry into battle. Other changes may occur, but this is yet unclear. Based on what I observed of the gameplay, the AI can be brutal as it ravages one character in order to maximize efficiency and minimize threat. Heald informed me that certain enemies will have behaviors based on their species and class. Some enemies will pounce the front line or siege the backline. Similar to its predecessor, Super Dungeon Explore, some enemies engage in a sort of mob-mentality based on race. Challenge might also vary in terms of the kinds of battles one engages in. For example, Heald mentioned that objectives may include: rescue, assassinate, defend, or even a kind of tower defense variant.
I didn't get a chance to experience SDT's story, but based on what Heald told me, the narrative style will match its presentation: not so serious. The impetus for the tale is that a few members of a guild discover a mysterious town that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Our heroes take this opportunity not only to uncover the town's secrets, but also make a name for themselves in the guild. Players will have few meaningful decisions to make in the game, though some will impact the course of gameplay, not story. Heald quickly remarked that Underbite Games is a small, independent studio, and that branching story arcs simply aren't possible at this time, but the idea excites him. Most of the story progression occurs between battles, each story segment linking to the next battle. Players navigate an overworld map with nodes to get from place to place. In this way, the formula for story and gameplay flow sounds similar to titles we've seen in the past, though I will admit this isn't entirely clear just yet.
Visually, SDT woos the eyes. The shading and colors pop and the art direction seems similar to the Torchlight series, though the characters are distinctly chibi. I didn't get a chance to enjoy SDT's music or sound effects too much at the convention due to the bustle, but based on the trailer on its Steam page, SDT's music is serviceable, though this should be judged after the game's official release.
Heald estimates that SDT will offer 25 to 30 hours of gameplay and will sell at $20. Fans of SDE should not expect that SDT closely matches its gameplay, though the monsters and heroes should be familiar faces. Regarding future projects, Heald would love to fill the niche of bridging board games to the video game market. He said that board games don't tell stories very well and that this link could breathe new life into the hobby. From my perspective, I couldn't agree more. I'm not only excited to experience Super Dungeon Tactics myself, I also can't wait to see what Underbite Games does next for this seamless marriage of mediums. Make sure to check in on RPGFan this fall for the review of Super Dungeon Tactics!