HBGames
http://www.mediafire.com/?azec9bwzyb7z6qu
Leviathan is a non-commercial modern game with a gritty atmosphere and an emphasis on tactical choices in gameplay. The name is a reference to a book by philosopher Thomas Hobbes, who is most famous for describing human life in its natural state as "nasty, brutish, and short."
Story Overview
The year is 2020.
Earth nears the end of its time as humans plunder the last of its resources and poison its waters and sky.
To make matters worse, humanity has only just survived a global conflict known as The Reckoning: a conflict unlike any other, which followed the emergence of human beings with paranormal abilities. In the Western world, these people are called Celestials, and their powers are terrifying and significant.
The world remains a playground for conspiracies, vicious power plays, and wars waged in shadow. And it doesn't have much time.
You begin playing as Farrin “Bathory” Asgardi. Named after the infamous Blood Countess of the 17th century, Bathory is a world-class assassin, mercenary and criminal of war. Released from her charge of execution, her allegiance soon falls with the elusive mastermind-visionary who identifies himself only as Odin. Odin, with his great influence, vast resources and retinue of elite agents, bears an agenda that will either save the world and humanity, or propel it toward utter ruin.
Throughout your campaign you will engage on action-packed missions of espionage and modern brutality. Your journeys will span both the mysterious desert East and the dark decadence of the West. You will callously end many beautiful lives, and hardly know a moment’s peace.
Earth nears the end of its time as humans plunder the last of its resources and poison its waters and sky.
To make matters worse, humanity has only just survived a global conflict known as The Reckoning: a conflict unlike any other, which followed the emergence of human beings with paranormal abilities. In the Western world, these people are called Celestials, and their powers are terrifying and significant.
The world remains a playground for conspiracies, vicious power plays, and wars waged in shadow. And it doesn't have much time.
You begin playing as Farrin “Bathory” Asgardi. Named after the infamous Blood Countess of the 17th century, Bathory is a world-class assassin, mercenary and criminal of war. Released from her charge of execution, her allegiance soon falls with the elusive mastermind-visionary who identifies himself only as Odin. Odin, with his great influence, vast resources and retinue of elite agents, bears an agenda that will either save the world and humanity, or propel it toward utter ruin.
Throughout your campaign you will engage on action-packed missions of espionage and modern brutality. Your journeys will span both the mysterious desert East and the dark decadence of the West. You will callously end many beautiful lives, and hardly know a moment’s peace.
Gameplay & What to Expect
Tone: This game is on the dark and unforgiving side. Many of the characters depicted are morally questionable sorts who would probably be committed, at best, if faced with normal life. The lines between the good and the bad are gray and blurry. No mercy will be shown.
Combat: Leviathan uses the default battle system with a ton of changes and added elements.
Cooldowns: Almost every skill has a cooldown during which it cannot be used again. Some skills have more complex interactions. For example, one character possesses a "chain" of melee attacks where if he uses one skill, he gains access to another (for only one turn); if he continues in the chain, it eventually culminates in a powerful finisher skill.
Equipment-Based Skills: Some of a character's skills are tied to what they have equipped. For example, equipping a character with Mono-Knives will grant them the "Fan of Knives" skill; that same equipment slot could instead be filled with an Enforcer Heavy Pistol to give them "Double Tap." (As a general rule, equipment management becomes a series of tactical / preferential choices rather than what is explicitly "better.")
Difficulty: When guns go blazing, death comes swiftly for the unimaginative and the unprepared. Simply selecting "attack" over and over will usually accomplish little except your squad's demise. Successful progress through the game may require thoughtfulness, adaptability, and persistence. Perhaps thankfully for some, this demo comes loaded with a skill 'GM Killswitch' that allows a playtester to basically skip fights that are too much for them. This feature will NOT be in the finished game (obviously) and is meant merely for play testing convenience.
Character Advancement: You have significant control over how each of the main characters develop stat-wise and skill-wise. For example, you may decide to focus on developing a character's paranormal abilities versus making them crack shots with firearms, or making them more resilient, etc. Through your advancement choices, you will also impact what special skills your characters have and what roles they may fill in your team.
Combat: Leviathan uses the default battle system with a ton of changes and added elements.
Cooldowns: Almost every skill has a cooldown during which it cannot be used again. Some skills have more complex interactions. For example, one character possesses a "chain" of melee attacks where if he uses one skill, he gains access to another (for only one turn); if he continues in the chain, it eventually culminates in a powerful finisher skill.
Equipment-Based Skills: Some of a character's skills are tied to what they have equipped. For example, equipping a character with Mono-Knives will grant them the "Fan of Knives" skill; that same equipment slot could instead be filled with an Enforcer Heavy Pistol to give them "Double Tap." (As a general rule, equipment management becomes a series of tactical / preferential choices rather than what is explicitly "better.")
Difficulty: When guns go blazing, death comes swiftly for the unimaginative and the unprepared. Simply selecting "attack" over and over will usually accomplish little except your squad's demise. Successful progress through the game may require thoughtfulness, adaptability, and persistence. Perhaps thankfully for some, this demo comes loaded with a skill 'GM Killswitch' that allows a playtester to basically skip fights that are too much for them. This feature will NOT be in the finished game (obviously) and is meant merely for play testing convenience.
Character Advancement: You have significant control over how each of the main characters develop stat-wise and skill-wise. For example, you may decide to focus on developing a character's paranormal abilities versus making them crack shots with firearms, or making them more resilient, etc. Through your advancement choices, you will also impact what special skills your characters have and what roles they may fill in your team.
Playable Characters
Farrin “Bathory” Asgardi
Nationality: Iranian
Female, Age: 21
Preferred Armaments: Shotguns, swords and knives
Celestial Powers: Blood sense, blood control
Prior Occupation: Mercenary
Attitude: Calm, fatalistic, ruthless, introspective
Example Skills & Talents (these are a few among many possibilities; what she has will vary based on character development choices)
Acrobatics (Combat Skill): Causes Bathory to automatically dodge all physical attacks for one round, and then gives her a small dodge boost that lasts 3 rounds after. To make up for the turn lost in using a defensive skill, Bathory will automatically go first in the round after using Acrobatics.
Weapon Master (Passive Talent): Grants Bathory an additional equipment slot for secondary weapons like pistols or knives, effectively letting her have an extra combat skill.
Flow Control (Combat Skill): Heals one or more allies and stops their bleeding. More effective if used on one ally.
Fast Hands (Passive Talent): Reduces the cooldown on Bathory's gun-based combat skills.
Rupture (Combat Skill): Damages all biological foes and causes them to bleed, losing health each round.
Quotes:
“I am a merchant of ashes. Only a murderer knows the value of my trade.”
"A wind blows through shifting, groaning sands adorned with the blood and sweat of a thousand battles."
“The sun will rise and fall no matter what you do. You might as well worry over the cutting of your clothes in a world of blind men.”
Wilhelm Gustav, “Das Gespenst” (The Ghost)
Nationality: German
Male, Age: 35
Preferred Armaments: Automatics, explosives
Celestial Powers: Machine disruption, tech manipulation
Prior Occupation: Arms Dealer
Attitude: Trigger-happy, upbeat, adventurous, crazy
Example Skills & Talents (these are a few among many possibilities; what he has will vary based on character development choices)
Salvage (Passive Talent): Allows Gespenst to automatically salvage supplies from the battlefield, granting additional currency or occasionally items after winning key fights.
Blackout (Combat Skill): Kills the lights, inflicting the Dark state on both allies and enemies. The Dark state reduces accuracy and other stats. It is possible for the player to mitigate or completely eliminate the effects of this skill on themselves by using items like Thermal Visors, or special powers like blood sense. This skill isn't usable outdoors or in places with no electronic lighting.
Hijack (Combat Skill): Causes a mechanical foe to become your friend for a duration.
Boomshakalaka (Passive Talent): Whenever Gespenst uses a grenade skill, he has a 25% chance to trigger a secondary explosion that damages all foes (on top of the effects for the original skill). This % chance increases whenever this talent fails to trigger, and temporarily gets lowered when it does trigger.
Quotes:
“Bulleets! Glorious, shiny magnificence! A never-ending trail of automatic death! My true love has at last arrived….”
“We had better run like hampsters sprinting on wheels of fire!"
"Sometimes the big rumbling die of life comes tumbling down and fucks you sideways. Have a drink, and don't worry so much."
Clay Pliskin, “Invictus”
Nationality: American
Age: 29
Preferred Armaments: Close combat, longbows
Celestial Powers: Regeneration, super-endurance
Prior Occupation: Vigilante
Attitude: Passionate, indignant, tense, uncompromising
Example Skills & Talents (these are a few among many possibilities; what he has will vary based on character development choices)
Twin Blades / Rising Fury / Brutal Strike (Combat Skills): Twin Blades is a basic melee attack. If he uses it, he gains the ability to use Rising Fury - a more powerful maneuver - for one turn. If he uses Rising Fury, he gains the ability to use Brutal Finisher, which deals heavy damage and instantly slays lesser foes. There are other melee "chain" skills than these.
Vanguard (Passive Talent): Makes Invictus immune to suppression and increases the likelihood of enemies targeting him in combat.
Limit Break (Passive Talent): Grants Invictus bonus combat stats when he is reduced to low HP.
Undying (Passive Talent): Once per fight, when Invictus is reduced to 0 HP, he will rise again during the battle.
Wall Smash (Combat Skill): A hard-hitting melee attack that stuns foes. Only usable indoors or in areas where there would likely be obstacles to crash people into.
Quotes:
“I fight for this dying world and all its decadence. I fight for the God that does not exist, but ought to. I will not let the rape and ruin of humanity go answered. Not here, not now. Not ever.”
"None who stand and watch while the world turns, are innocent."
“Fuck you and everything you stand for.”
Nationality: Iranian
Female, Age: 21
Preferred Armaments: Shotguns, swords and knives
Celestial Powers: Blood sense, blood control
Prior Occupation: Mercenary
Attitude: Calm, fatalistic, ruthless, introspective
Example Skills & Talents (these are a few among many possibilities; what she has will vary based on character development choices)
Acrobatics (Combat Skill): Causes Bathory to automatically dodge all physical attacks for one round, and then gives her a small dodge boost that lasts 3 rounds after. To make up for the turn lost in using a defensive skill, Bathory will automatically go first in the round after using Acrobatics.
Weapon Master (Passive Talent): Grants Bathory an additional equipment slot for secondary weapons like pistols or knives, effectively letting her have an extra combat skill.
Flow Control (Combat Skill): Heals one or more allies and stops their bleeding. More effective if used on one ally.
Fast Hands (Passive Talent): Reduces the cooldown on Bathory's gun-based combat skills.
Rupture (Combat Skill): Damages all biological foes and causes them to bleed, losing health each round.
Quotes:
“I am a merchant of ashes. Only a murderer knows the value of my trade.”
"A wind blows through shifting, groaning sands adorned with the blood and sweat of a thousand battles."
“The sun will rise and fall no matter what you do. You might as well worry over the cutting of your clothes in a world of blind men.”
Wilhelm Gustav, “Das Gespenst” (The Ghost)
Nationality: German
Male, Age: 35
Preferred Armaments: Automatics, explosives
Celestial Powers: Machine disruption, tech manipulation
Prior Occupation: Arms Dealer
Attitude: Trigger-happy, upbeat, adventurous, crazy
Example Skills & Talents (these are a few among many possibilities; what he has will vary based on character development choices)
Salvage (Passive Talent): Allows Gespenst to automatically salvage supplies from the battlefield, granting additional currency or occasionally items after winning key fights.
Blackout (Combat Skill): Kills the lights, inflicting the Dark state on both allies and enemies. The Dark state reduces accuracy and other stats. It is possible for the player to mitigate or completely eliminate the effects of this skill on themselves by using items like Thermal Visors, or special powers like blood sense. This skill isn't usable outdoors or in places with no electronic lighting.
Hijack (Combat Skill): Causes a mechanical foe to become your friend for a duration.
Boomshakalaka (Passive Talent): Whenever Gespenst uses a grenade skill, he has a 25% chance to trigger a secondary explosion that damages all foes (on top of the effects for the original skill). This % chance increases whenever this talent fails to trigger, and temporarily gets lowered when it does trigger.
Quotes:
“Bulleets! Glorious, shiny magnificence! A never-ending trail of automatic death! My true love has at last arrived….”
“We had better run like hampsters sprinting on wheels of fire!"
"Sometimes the big rumbling die of life comes tumbling down and fucks you sideways. Have a drink, and don't worry so much."
Clay Pliskin, “Invictus”
Nationality: American
Age: 29
Preferred Armaments: Close combat, longbows
Celestial Powers: Regeneration, super-endurance
Prior Occupation: Vigilante
Attitude: Passionate, indignant, tense, uncompromising
Example Skills & Talents (these are a few among many possibilities; what he has will vary based on character development choices)
Twin Blades / Rising Fury / Brutal Strike (Combat Skills): Twin Blades is a basic melee attack. If he uses it, he gains the ability to use Rising Fury - a more powerful maneuver - for one turn. If he uses Rising Fury, he gains the ability to use Brutal Finisher, which deals heavy damage and instantly slays lesser foes. There are other melee "chain" skills than these.
Vanguard (Passive Talent): Makes Invictus immune to suppression and increases the likelihood of enemies targeting him in combat.
Limit Break (Passive Talent): Grants Invictus bonus combat stats when he is reduced to low HP.
Undying (Passive Talent): Once per fight, when Invictus is reduced to 0 HP, he will rise again during the battle.
Wall Smash (Combat Skill): A hard-hitting melee attack that stuns foes. Only usable indoors or in areas where there would likely be obstacles to crash people into.
Quotes:
“I fight for this dying world and all its decadence. I fight for the God that does not exist, but ought to. I will not let the rape and ruin of humanity go answered. Not here, not now. Not ever.”
"None who stand and watch while the world turns, are innocent."
“Fuck you and everything you stand for.”
Though the game is not finished, its existence thus-far is owed to many artists and community members.
From the RPGMaker Online Community: Coyotecraft (commissioned sprites for Bathory, Gespenst, Teresias and power armor), Blizzard (training scripts and others), Sithjester (various sprites and graphics used), DerrVVulfman (script support), Brewmeister (scripts), Simacir / elbowdude (arabic sprites and tiles), Mack (graphics), Nakurumman (sprites, etc), sozaimenu gozaru (sprites, etc)
Finished RPGMaker Games: KNight Blade (graphics lifted)
Commercial Works: Music is being used from the Command & Conquer video game series, Starcraft: Brood War, Fallout 2, Frozen Synapse (http://www.frozensynapse.com/soundtrack.html), Quake II, Half-Life 2, Street Fighter IV and Medieval Total War.
Also songs by a musical genius by the name of Frank Klepacki, whose website is here: http://www.frankklepacki.com/
Deviant Artist DAA-TRUTH, commissioned for the Mobster and Majesty battlers, whose work can be found here: http://daa-truth.deviantart.com/
Websites: soundbible.com, soundjay.com and sounddogs.com for sound effects
Youtube Artists: Zonic Zynth for "Wounded in the Dark" an original track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs0XED1mpWY
lacope0 for a remix on Sami's theme from Advanced Wars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvUNpfp0fag
JD Hererra for a remix from Metal Slug 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rXPaMw9LK4
Waterflame for "Ricochet Love" an original track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4B5Hzuvy_0
FDK Lukaid for Street Fighter II remix Vega's theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f4JubZnhPw
From the RPGMaker Online Community: Coyotecraft (commissioned sprites for Bathory, Gespenst, Teresias and power armor), Blizzard (training scripts and others), Sithjester (various sprites and graphics used), DerrVVulfman (script support), Brewmeister (scripts), Simacir / elbowdude (arabic sprites and tiles), Mack (graphics), Nakurumman (sprites, etc), sozaimenu gozaru (sprites, etc)
Finished RPGMaker Games: KNight Blade (graphics lifted)
Commercial Works: Music is being used from the Command & Conquer video game series, Starcraft: Brood War, Fallout 2, Frozen Synapse (http://www.frozensynapse.com/soundtrack.html), Quake II, Half-Life 2, Street Fighter IV and Medieval Total War.
Also songs by a musical genius by the name of Frank Klepacki, whose website is here: http://www.frankklepacki.com/
Deviant Artist DAA-TRUTH, commissioned for the Mobster and Majesty battlers, whose work can be found here: http://daa-truth.deviantart.com/
Websites: soundbible.com, soundjay.com and sounddogs.com for sound effects
Youtube Artists: Zonic Zynth for "Wounded in the Dark" an original track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs0XED1mpWY
lacope0 for a remix on Sami's theme from Advanced Wars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvUNpfp0fag
JD Hererra for a remix from Metal Slug 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rXPaMw9LK4
Waterflame for "Ricochet Love" an original track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4B5Hzuvy_0
FDK Lukaid for Street Fighter II remix Vega's theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f4JubZnhPw
Recruitment
I am in need of folks who can create or modify charasets and, possibly, modern/futuristic tilesets. I would be willing to pay a reasonable sum to commission whole new actor sets or tilesets suited for this project.
Wrap-Up
I am writing and developing this project alone, though a handful of chara and battler sprites are commissioned works (see Credits).
A single playthrough of this demo should run about 4-6 hours. The finished product will run between 12-16 hours and have room for multiple playthroughs due to the variety of "build" possibilities and, to an extent, story changes based on player decisions.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and impressions of the game.
Get the game here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?azec9bwzyb7z6qu