Trying to emulate the tabletop experience in video games has always been very hit or miss. Even in the heydays of classic RPG's like Baldur's Gate or Wizardry, players were often limited in what they could really do against monsters lurking in the depths of a dungeon. Players rarely interacted with the world and instead focused on the roll of the dice in all of their cold randomness.
Over the years though, many games have begun to take into account the more chaotic nature of the tabletop experience, and no exception to that is the brand new Kickstarter project Solasta: Crown of the Magister. Being developed and published by Tactical Adventures, Solasta is the company's first major title, which is spearheaded by Tactical Adventures founder Mathieu Girard, the co-founder of Amplitude Studios. The game itself is in its alpha stage, but the company has already released several trailers showing off the game's lore and more for the launch of their Kickstarter.
About Solasta: Crown of the Magister
Solasta is a fantasy RPG where the player creates a party of heroes who delve into the world of Solasta, a shattered land that suffered an age-old cataclysm centuries prior. Players will dive deep into dungeons to unearth ancient artifacts, fight hordes of monsters, and use a highly intricate, turn-based tactical combat system to survive encounters.
A key selling point is the dynamic environments, which can change the shape of the battlefield at a moment's notice. Walls and columns can be destroyed, characters can be tackled and shoved across chasms, and bridges can collapse if enough damage is poured on them. Fights will also be more three-dimensional as well. Players can climb, jump, or fly around obstacles, evade creatures from above, or ambush those below them to gain the upper hand in combat.
Solasta allows the players to create their own party with an in-depth character creation tool. Based in the classic tabletop RPG vein, Solasta features Humans, Dwarves, Elves and Halflings as the four traditional races to choose from, with a variety of classes for the player to fully customize their party. Players can also tweak their characters' personalities, which in turn is reflected in any scenes involving dialogue and party interaction.
The entire game is based heavily on a standard tabletop rule set, so many idiosyncrasies from the tabletop world will be present in Solasta. Some of those mentioned include familiar abilities and advantages such as darkvision and night vision, use of light and shadow, size differences which can lead to hidden rooms or inescapable situations, and even more complex grapples and maneuvers will be present in the game as well.
Pledges for Solasta
If you wish to participate in the Kickstarter, the list of rewards for Solasta: Crown of the Magister are extensive. The main ones are detailed below.
- €25 Digital Game and Credits - A copy of the game for PC at a discount, plus a high-quality magic item in-game and your name in the credits (Note: There are two early bird pledges for €18 and €22 respectively).
- €31 Digital OST - All but the physical and limited rewards plus a copy of the soundtrack by composer Maxime Hervé.
- €36 Digital Kickstarter Edition - Kickstarter Edition of the game, with new visuals for two spells and an additional in-game item: The Everlasting Torch.
- €45 Standard Edition Rulebook - A digital rulebook to bring Solasta to the tabletop, along with a copy of the game, except physical and limited rewards. The €58 pledge is the Kickstarter Edition of the rulebook, and the €76 pledge is a physical copy of the rulebook, but does not include shipping.
- €90 Name in Monument and Dev Doc - Your name will be placed in the monument of the dead, plus digital copies of developer documents to look over.
- €126 Solasta Adventure Box - A full tabletop package, including a DM screen, a Solasta dice bag with a dice set, a short adventure in Solasta, a battle mat, character sheets, and more. The OST and the game will also be included.
- €162 The Physical All Star Tier - A physical copy of the Kickstarter Edition of the Solasta gamebook Kickstarter edition, a vinyl of the games soundtrack, an adventure box, plus the in-game rewards and items for the game itself.
The larger tiers include direct work with the developers, specifically naming NPCs, Scrolls, Landmarks and being used for face creation for a character. Those willing to shell out more than €900 can also co-create a magic item, receive a physical piece of artwork, and for €2,700 players can name a boss character and receive a physical painting by the game's art director. The final tier, at €4,500, receives a large dynamic key art painting to hang in their home, plus an in-game statue of yourself and a visit to the Tactical Adventures studio, along with four copies of the game and four physical reward bundles.
What are your thoughts on Solasta: Crown of the Magister? Leave your comments below.