Hey Blade Princes,
First and foremost, our public playtest is still ongoing until December 4. Register to participate and play Blade Princes Academy here! Fill out this survey to share your feedback!
Now that’s said, let’s move on and take a look at the concept of the game's Hub—the Academy! We wanted to capture the essence of the Academy and what the life of the Blade Princes was like there. In this devblog, we'll talk about why we chose the features that you'll find in the Academy and our process to get there!
The Academy is a pivotal place in the story, founded 15 years ago by Zian Torrus, the leader of the Black Mages. The Black Mages are a group of powerful magic-wielding beings ruling over Abjectalia, the city where they founded the Academy. They are skilled users of the black arts and scholars hungry for knowledge. They took over the city of Abjectalia to maintain some kind of order and stability despite the city's chaotic nature. That’s where the Academy finds its purpose—a place to train elite soldiers, spies and assassins with extraordinary powers. The Headmistress Malgadorae, a mysterious woman close to the Black Mages who earned their trust, is running the Academy with a strong hand.
So, it felt logical to us to make the Academy the main Hub of the game. This is where your characters are trained and where they can rest after missions. It is split into areas: the Black Mage Altar, the Main Hall, the Alchemist Lab, the Infirmary and the Park.
Black Mage Altar
The Black Mage Altar allows you to recycle or enchant pacts that you made during missions to improve your characters' stats. You can adapt your bonuses and penalties depending on how you wish to play. Recycling pacts allows you to get resources.
Main Hall
The Main Hall is where your characters can discuss each other and improve their relationships. Building strong bonds with your teammates is important, they are the ones you can count on in a dire situation. This panel allows you to have a recap of each of your relationships as well as the bonuses obtained via the relationships.
Alchemist Lab
The Alchemist Lab lets you prepare potions, add new effects of resistance to negative alterations and improve them, but also expand your potion holding capacity.
Infirmary
The Infirmary is where every Blade Prince who's been injured or is tired from successive missions can heal and rest. You can improve the quality of their rest and the number of available beds to let more and more of your Blade Princes have the rest they deserve.
Park
The Park, like the Main Hall, is where your characters can hang out, take some fresh air and talk to each other. This lets you discover side stories and learn more about their backgrounds, personalities, concerns and desires, but also about the city of Abjectalia.
The Academy in the pace of the game
The Academy has come a long way. Initially, the game was a mix of roguelite and real-time tactical RPG. We liked the use of the Darkest Dungeon Hub and the dungeon crawler aspect. It also fit the lore of the Blade Princes Academy. The project has undergone major changes, and we've removed the roguelite aspect while keeping this gameplay loop: Hub -> Mission -> Hub. One of the roles of the Academy is to mark a break in the rhythm of the game after missions by being a place where you manage your characters, your inventory, prepare for the next fight, but also explore the lore.
Moving on to a mission
And when you feel ready, you can go to the mission map. To select the area you’ll explore and with which characters. Some Blade Princes may be required, depending on the mission. The map lets you see how Abjectalia was organized and how the Black Mages have been trying to watch over the city by building their palace and the Academy at its center. The eye is drawn to the different districts, each with its own color for better readability. Time to visit Abjectalia, at your own risk…
The life at the Academy
Outside of the combat and the very pragmatic activities related to the Blade Princes’ lives, they also have desires and passions (yes, their lives do not solely revolve around fighting!). After completing a mission, you can decide to let a week pass so they can rest even more and be fully ready for the next mission. Doing so makes them spend your hard-earned money on hobbies and activities.
Don’t forget to register here to take part in the public playtest and to fill out our survey! More updates are on the horizon! Keep an eye out for upcoming news and development insights into the creation of Blade Prince Academy.
- The Blade Prince Academy Team -