Double Fine launches Massive Chalice on Kickstarter
Double Fine has announced Massive Chalice and has taken it to Kickstarter.
The project is described by the firm as if "turn-based tactics and feudal fantasy had a lovechild, and that offspring founded a mighty century-spanning dynasty."
Using the Buddha Engine, the title is slated for PC, Mac, and Linux.
The firm needs $725,000 to make it a reality, and the counter is moving so fast I can't keep up, but as I type this $9,791 has been pledged by 253 backers.
"We're inspired by classic tactical strategy games like X-COM, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Fire Emblem, as well as Game of Thrones’ array of noble families," reads the description on Kickstarter. "With these influences in mind we’re creating an epic, replayable turn-based tactics game where you train generations of heroes to repel a demonic invasion."
A concept as well as a team stands at ready, and Double Fine says it will work "closely with our community to control the future, free from outside interference."
Gameplay consists of single player turn-based tactics within a "multi-generational strategy campaign built for replayability."
Players will play as an immortal King or Queen who must unite the kingdom under a powerful dynasty, "eliminate the demonic threat, and reforge the Massive Chalice."
In the strategy layer, players will oversee their kingdom, "arrange royal marriages, conduct research, and make the far-reaching decisions that will determine the fate of their legacy."
"Brutal turn-based battles" are the tactical part, and players will need to defend the kingdom using small squads of customizable heroes.
Permadeath is inevitable, according to the post, as the character will "grow, age, and eventually die." Choose to keep your monarch on the battlefield, or have them at home propagating their lineage.
Drawing from roguelikes we love, content is modular and randomized. Each playthrough begins with a random assortment of male and female heroes from various bloodlines, guaranteeing that each game is unique. Your knowledge and skill will increase over multiple playthroughs, but the details of every game will change based on your decisions and the whims of fate.
Core Game Features
- Your story emerges as you defend against attacks, complete quests, and respond to randomized events in your attempt to preserve the kingdom.
- Line of sight and fog of war mechanics come into play as your squad explores beautiful dynamic 3D battlefields where danger may lurk behind any corner.
- Distinct, customizable heroes learn new melee, ranged, and arcane abilities as they age and gain combat experience.
- Arrange marriage alliances to ensure your heroic bloodlines can handle any future combat situation.
- Battle alongside your ancestors by equipping your heroes with uniquely powerful Bloodline Relics.
- Invest your resources in forging new weapons and armor—and gamble on polluting a bloodline by researching dangerous demonic artifacts.
If you head through the Kickstarter link you can glean more information on the title as well as look over reward tiers.