Devlog 2: Combat & Godotcon

In our first development log we gave a brief overview of the characters, world, and gameplay that we are creating. Today we want to give a bit more information on our combat system and what you’ll be able to expect when facing down the enemies of our tumultuous trio!

Spread across our open world are various areas where combat can occur. Depending on the context of the battle, they may start when the player gets close, or after a cutscene, or even on a simple button prompt, but either way you should always be prepared for a fight!

Once you have entered combat, your perspective will shift to give you a slightly better view of the battlefield and the tactical grid will appear. First off, you’ll need to place a number of your crewmates within the deployment area that is highlighted. Each visible space is a ‘node’ that you can later move to, shoot at, or swing a sword towards, among other options, but only the highlighted nodes can be occupied by your units. Once you are happy with their placement you can start the battle!

Each battle is turn-based, and a turn consists of any number of different actions & events that could spell the end of your journey or lead to a glorious victory! On a team’s turn, each crew member can perform a limited number of actions up to the maximum allowed by their Stamina bar. You can choose to use all of your stamina to move to an advantageous location on the battlefield, go all in on attacking and fire your pistol as many times as you can, or mix it up with any combination of attacks, moves, using items, or special options in the Order menu. Different actions consume different amounts of stamina, and we have plans to introduce additional forms of limited resources intro the fray, so you’ll have to make your moves count!

Attacking allows you to choose from different attacks for each weapon and an enemy (or object) to attack. Once each is selected, you will enter into a short minigame that can lead to bonus damage if you do well. Don’t worry; you will still do a base amount of damage even if you miss the timings! The mini game consists of a path of points that you have to hit at just the right moment, very similar to some rhythm games you might’ve played before. Each attack will have a slightly different path, and some weapons may even provide special attacks that will test your abilities!

Moving your units is quite simple. Once you select the option, you'll be able to select and move to any space within movement range that is not currently occupied or blocked by another unit or object.

Items can range from one time use healing items, bombs, and battle-changing equipment. Items will have many different uses and they can be found all over the map. Whether you heal yourself or your crewmates, light some cover on fire to drive the enemy out into the open, or create cover of your own to block line of sight, items are powerful tools to fill out your arsenal. 

Orders are special abilities that are based on the character, and are influenced by your position on the battlefield and the objects around you. Fire cannons located about the battlefield, use character specific-abilities like picking up cover objects, or call for backup from your crew below deck to turn the tides of battle in your favor!

While much of this is still a work in progress, we are so excited to have shared this with everyone as we continue to push forward. Our aim is to have fun, dynamic battles that still allow a great deal of depth in their strategy, and allow players to freely experiment with team composition, unit skills, and equipment builds to their hearts’ content.

In other news, we will be headed to GodotCon 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts! We are thrilled to announce we will be a part of the showcase held there, and anyone who comes to the convention will have a chance to give TurnTide Tales a try! We hope to see you there!