What is Age Of Decadence?
Age Of Decadence, you say, I’ve never heard of it. What exactly is the Age of Decadence? You could not have known about this game even when you were PC gamers on a regular basis. Age of Decadence is an indie computer-based role-playing game created by Iron Tower Studios, set in a post-apocalyptic, post-apocalypse that is influenced by the fall of Rome. It is played as isometric top-down 3D, with controls for zooming and rotating the screen, and utilizes Torque Engine. Age of Decadence’s setting is a low-magic universe, and if you play the game in open beta, you might not be able to tell it’s supposed to be post-apocalyptic from its art. There’s no destruction to be seen in the beta, and there are questlines that can be completed for a single town. But it’s a definite Roman setting. It’s almost as if you’re in a historical setting, but only if you carefully read the dialogues.
Open Beta lets you explore the very first small town and its quests which include hours of play. Once you’ve started this game, players are taken into the main menu screen, which features stunningly created concept art and a surprisingly atmospheric main-menu tune. The artwork really adds personality to the game’s art; however, they’re not utilized much, aside from menus and in character portraits that are equally fantastic. It gives an excellent first impression of the experience.
Character Creation
The next step is character creation. Another feature that is sure to appeal to fans of older computer-based role-playing games. It’s a pretty high-stakes character creation screen. However, the screen is divided into sections that are very logical. It’s also interesting to note when hovering over any stat or skill, or almost every single thing on the screen, the game provides better details of what each stat means and what it can do within the game. You can also alter the appearance of your character. As a minor issue, the screen for editing character portraits is just too small. It’s hard to see more to the specifics of the face of your character. Also, the screen appears dark. I’d instead pick out a sketched portrait or something. In other words, there’s nothing to complain about.
The creation of characters is fascinating, with a variety of options. A majority of the skills are commonly associated with AD&D, like RPGs (although AoD uses its own ruleset). They are like them. However, there are some distinct differences that we’ll cover in a future post. There are six statistics, including Strength and Charisma, that play significant roles. In AoD, it is not recommended to attempt to play a jack-of-all-trades hybrid class and try to be a master in all areas. It’s likely to end in death very soon. You’ll be faced with two options: focus on one thing exclusively or at the very least focused combat. You’ll also require some diplomacy skills to back it up. Don’t be a slave to spending everything equally.
Skills are divided into two groups: “combat skills” and “general abilities.” If your character is brilliant and charismatic, you should better concentrate on general skills instead of combat-related abilities. However, forcing players to focus on specific types of characters and limiting players to do everything could be restricting. It allows it easier to play a specific “role” more effectively. Combat skills include eight types of weapons ranging from melee weapons, bows, and crossbows. There are also three general skills “Block” along with “Dodge” is defensive “Critical strike” is offensive.
Combat Skills and Weapons
Your choice of weapon does play a role in combat. Dagger, for instance, is an effective weapon against less armored adversaries because of its devastating damage; however, the ax and hammer are better against those with a lot of armor and also have the ability to track enemies to be down. Bows work better against enemies with no shield and appear to be able to parry arrows with great success and are an archer’s nightmare. Block could provide superior protection overall than Dodge, but Dodge skills can provide an attack counter-strike and are more effective when it comes to weapons that are able to do a great deal of damage to armor and shields. Speaking of shields, they can be damaged even more frequently when hit by large weapons. What is interesting is that combat abilities are not just used in combat as well as in dialog alternatives, such as when conversations lead to a situation that is appropriate.
Iron Tower Studios have included some nice twists to combat, making it more realistic as well as varying. It’s reminiscent of the Fallout franchise, which is turn-based with “Action Points,” which allow you to spend each turn a specific amount based on your dexterity skills are. It also allows you to choose various ways to attack with weapons or focus on a particular part of your body, which determines the number of action points each action will take. It’s my opinion that the system is more diverse than Fallout’s and takes various other factors into consideration during combat. Battles are also square-grid-based, making it easier to track movements. The bright colors of the grid do not appeal to me, but you can adjust the grid’s transparency and adjust it through the menus, which means it’s not a hassle.
Combat sequences that are tied to quests appear to be fascinating and highly demanding. *Spoiler warning! I, along with two imperial guardsmen disguised as raiders tasked to murder merchants. This was our first task to join the imperial forces. The battle against merchants as well as their guards was brutal 3v4, with us being a little nimble. When I finally got through the battle, not being the best fighter and only an archer of decent quality, I was sent back to Barracks to share our accomplishments. The good news is that our test to qualify to be a part of Imperial Soldiers was successful – the bad news is that three of us are in a dark, narrow alley without an escape route, and our commander informs them that they don’t require three new members, but only one. Kill the rest!. What a pity.
It was impossible to save the games in between. The other two were equally skilled in fighting each other as well, and when one attempted to slash me with a sword, I fled from the area between them to the furthest edge I could see, and the two of them began fighting with each other and left me alone. I used my crossbow to shoot at the person who was winning. There were 2 “almost dead” competitors, and after the one fell, I managed to shoot an arrow at the other men’s chest. This was a fantastic moment since I’d never won combat in melee against any of them—a great time in Beta and a different strategy to play that sequence well.
General Skills And Dialogue
Age of Decadence has twelve abilities, ranging from roguelike lockpicks and sneaky skills to persuasion and streetwise. It’s surprising that Pickpocket is omitted. In contrast to other computer RPGs Age of Decadence’s capabilities are often used in character dialogues and conversations; however, they are not utilized when exploring mode is used. This is both good and bad. It was my first experience of being annoyed when I went through the Inn and came across several chests in rooms; I was not able to unlock them and lock the chests. Then I realized these chests are just a decoration, and you can’t lockpick something unless you’re in story mode and inside dialog – if your quest involves actions like the one above. It means there’s no free exploration to earn loot but at least not that much. A bit disappointed in that regard.
The skills are typically utilized in the dialog mode, and this is where the appeal in Age Of Decadence also lies. The dialogue is perfect, and it is presented in a “storytelling”-like style. The dialogue is highly expressive and atmospheric, and the use of conversation skills really shines, maybe better than Fallout. There are many options to choose from regarding conversation based on your abilities, and your responses are akin to being tied to specific skills. There are times when you’re severely penalized for being a fool or trying to accomplish the desired result in a conversation that requires skills you don’t possess. The good thing is that if you decide to be threatening someone to accomplish your objective, There are a variety of options for the consequences: he might follow your instructions or take action, but keep your threats in mind for your next quest and then refuse to assist you in the future, causing you to achieve your goal in a more challenging way future quests, you could simply refuse or get annoyed enough to take you down in the spot you’re standing.
Age of Decadence makes you consider the answers you give to your players’ characters with care, and results may vary significantly from one playthrough. Conversation systems make it feel like you’re “playing an actual role.” It’s like the Fallout system and, at the very least, the initial town dialogue; the dialog branches were awe-inspiring. A special mention should be made of the fantastic, dark humor-flavored death screens that have descriptions of how you passed away. Fantastic work with this particular part of the Iron Tower!
For instance, if you want to drive your most feared competitor out from the area, You could draw him to an empty home and attempt to convince him to go away by using the persuasion skills – however, you might also have a solution that is tied to streetwise or trading. If you fail, then you could try fighting full-time. It’s not as far as a standard game rule would apply. In one game, I tried the same thing, but when the game concluded that I had succeeded in convincing the person I was trying to convince to go away, I was able to tell that my instincts in looking at at the person in the eyes when the latter was planning to leave revealed that he had been lying about his departure (high perception skills revealed this). There is a choice to allow him to go or attempt to attack him with a backstab while he walks away, using “critical strike” skills. Even though I was not a fighter with my strike crit being not high, I was unable to complete the assassination and was forced into a fight using a dagger. I was eventually victorious by reloading the save numerous times. Maybe there could have been more options If I had not wanted to go at it, but it was not considered.
It’s a basic situation, but it tells an aspect of the game’s narrative complexity and its connection to the capabilities that your characters have. There’s one aspect of character development that’s not yet explored, and that’s what you call your “background.” You could be Assassin Thief, Assassin Praetor, Loremaster, Grifter, Drifter, Mercenary, or Merchant.
How to Choose Your Background
Each background has distinct game features that begin with unique connections to various of the factions in the game. The “Background” establishes the overall tone for your relationships from the start of the game and determines whom you begin your friendship with. This will influence the first quests you undertake, who you’re working for, and other things. However, all will alter over time, should you decide to add a different faction. There are eight factions in the total, including, for instance, “Imperial Guards,” “The Forty Thieves,” “House Daratan,” and “Commercium,” which is a merchants’ faction. There are enough factions to tell fascinating stories with this much dialogue in the game, I would say.
Good Graphics For an Indie Game, but?
Let’s talk about graphics. They’re definitely suitable for an indie game, but how are they compared to other games? The graphics are good enough to stand up. The game looks a lot like the regular release of the early 2000s. The textures are pretty attractive, and lightning effects in shadows make the world more lively. The game doesn’t feel too heavy and can run on older machines, but it will require high power.
What’s wrong? The character models look unattractive, particularly women who appear like males, but they look like they look pretty poor too. They’re not high-detail and lack individuality. The same can be said for the model of the house and objects within the first town. While the textures are good but there’s not enough variety of objects or other artwork to make the city more interesting thoroughly, which makes it appear somewhat basic. I’m looking at every game, not just indie games. Graphics lack an artistic design to give life to the world; however, they stand their ground, however. Isometric 2D with an artistic design might have been the better option, however. It’s a shame that beautiful hand-drawn artwork is used only for the menu screen and portraits since it is a real kicker.
The 3D view isn’t without a hitch, since although it’s “OK” to use, the views can become restricted at times, with obstructions blocking your view. It is possible to move the camera around to a limited degree; however, it isn’t doing an excellent job. Zooming with the middle mouse button is far too slow, and following any conversation that zooms in on the person, the game will leave the user with a zoomed-in view. You must zoom out in a separate way after each conversation. This is a bit annoying.
The menus and inventories, as well as other screens, are well-organized and valuable. The Fallout inspired inventory screens are pleasant; however, it’s a slightly more refined version of Fallout’s old-fashioned “paper doll” available and with an array of grids that cover all parts of your body to put an item (left hand and right finger for shields for weapons the head is for a helmet, left hand for shield, etc.). Crafting menus are also included; however, I didn’t have the time to make a character for crafting at the moment. There are only two complaints regarding them. be descriptions of items, for instance, which are in a way overlapping with the boxed area in which they’re supposed to be placed, as well as the font for dialogue text being too small for conversations. I’m sure these errors will be rectified in the final version. A few descriptive icons for actions could be significant, like “go to the stairs” as well as “talk,” as well as the green neon movement cursors “blob” is plain awful. The game also comes with an areas map with the most critical areas marked, which allows you to swiftly move between them. It’s beautiful, but it’s missing one crucial element, an indicator that indicates the current location and in which direction you’re headed. This is a small detail that will simplify navigation.
The sound quality isn’t excellent in the Beta. At the same time, the music is quite good, but there are not many other sounds to be heard (at least for now). A few menu buttons and hit sound effects in battle are available. Anything else is off. Ambient sounds like noisy conversations in the market, the clash of swords in the training areas of the barracks, etc., will aid in creating a sense of excitement to a more a higher degree.
The Gameworld
The game world at the very most in the town of first is equally good and evil. If you’re playing the quest and you’re playing the role, it’s top-of-the-line with excellent dialogue. If the conversation is ended with one person and your quest requires you up to meet another person, you’re sent directly to the other character. This is a great way to cut the filler, but it can also tone down the free exploration feel slightly.
It’s beneficial in Beta since the only negative aspect of exploration appears to revolve around “free-roaming,” that’s not very satisfying, which is the case in the town that’s a starter. Although there’s plenty taking place within the quests, walking around the town can feel a bit insignificant and uninspired. There’s not much else to do except talk to the characters who are on the quest. There’s no absolute joy in discovery. The only way to get into things is by talking to them or walking until the point where you “bump” into someone else, which will automatically lead to a conversation. Apart from that, there’s not any interaction with the surrounding. I hope Iron Tower comes up with something in the final release that will please players looking to explore their surroundings in an accessible manner. Perhaps some sort of running event within the town could bring the town to life. Rare descriptions “You have seen the x” while adventuring is an excellent addition.
The skills of streetwise and lore play crucial roles, as post-apocalyptic Rome is a shrewd place, with scam artists and others making money by selling crap and taking to make money off of the dumb. It’s a cool thing that Age of Decadence features people who cheat you in the event that you’re not smart or have the ability to recognize the cheater. Characters from the game can rob you or even sell the item as an antiquated artifact with magic powers when they’re just selling rubbish; if you have Streetwise ability, the better at spotting scammers. Lore will influence giving better descriptions of the items. The thing to remember is that no magic item gives its stats. According to my understanding, you can be able to get accurate or inaccurate descriptions of items based on your expertise, but you will never have the ability to know the stats of their item. I learned the Iron Tower did this to stop people from stat-grinding to find the most magical items.
The game actually caused me to laugh out loud in amazement at the time that within my first hour of playing, I had already been lured to a vacant house to purchase items on a “deal too amazing to be true” and was robbed to buy the kebab, then offered a reward for completing the quest, later, I bought a fake product from the same person who gave me all the quest reward money with the hope of getting “ancient artifact” that proved to be a fake. Cool.
Epilogue
The game played mostly well, but there were only a few bugs and crashes that I came across. Moving from Windows or the game caused me to lose all the combat icons, and when I went into combat, I was unable to hit but only got hits. The game requires me to go into one particular combat quest with no weapons, even though I’ve got a weapon that’s pre-chosen, which isn’t a good thing as the game’s combat system is complex enough. The game makes you miss a turn that could be fatal during combat. The game crashed several times in a couple of days, not much; however, it does show that the game can be improved.
Age of Decadence Beta isn’t an ideal package in all aspects, but it certainly is interesting even with its inconsistencies. The beta allows things to be developed for the final release and also sets the stage in the air for a beautiful game. The game is notable in its story modes, missions, and dialogue and is very effective in the combat aspect too. The game is lacking in terms of graphics, particularly the environment design, as the town is a bit thin at times. I’d imagine that there will be more sound effects to be added to its final release, but we’ll wait and see. The best thing about this indie RPG is that it lets you “play the part” in story and quest mode. It does this excellently. As one of the best games from this department, it has been out for quite a while. Don’t be averse to this because it’s an “indie release”! Age of Decadence sends quite huge expectations and is worthy of the respect of fans of role-playing games.
