Daniel Musianek - Game Designer

1. Where did the idea for Toria come from?

From my unrealized need to play an interesting mobile RPG, with tactical turn-based gameplay that would draw handfuls from the rich heritage of the genre and be perfectly suited to mobile devices. One that would also allow players to play together (PvE and PvP). I couldn't find such a game on the market, so I decided to create one.

2. What will make this particular title stand out in the market?

There are quite a few elements that set Toria apart from RPGs on the market today.

ORIGINAL FIGHT

The fight is presented in a 3D arena. It is turn-based and involves the characters of both teams exchanging blows, special attacks, heals, DOTs, buffs, and debuffs, so the entire arsenal of means provided by the RPG canon to tilt the battle in one’s favor. Combat takes place between characters standing in formation. The place in the formation and the range of weapons determine who we can attack and how safe we are from attacks. This small change allows us to introduce a whole range of roles into the game, from heavy tank, melee DPS, and healer to dangerous but vulnerable mages. It also changes the gameplay from a simple clicker to a tactical one, having the needed depth and giving players a lot of options, both in setting up the team and implementing the player's strategy during the battle.

ADVENTURE STRUCTURE

We wanted to provide players with a sense of traveling into the unknown and the excitement of exploring each location. A player setting out on an expedition to, e.g., the Gopla Swamps, will never know what he will encounter. Each expedition consists of a map of randomly generated events – from various types of battles, hunting, gathering resources, and resting to hidden treasure, or meeting a stranger. The player will have to navigate between events so as to properly distribute forces for the entire expedition. When the team is wounded, it's better to take the path leading to rest or hunting instead of the next battle.

HEROES AND EXPERIENCE DIVERSITY

The player takes on the role of commander of a group of heroes. He must adapt the team to the challenges ahead. The Gopla Swamps with its poisonous inhabitants are a different challenge than the Flooded Mine with its bats and miners armed with pickaxes. The player can prepare for the expedition not only by selecting the right characters but also by equipping them with matching equipment, e.g., an amulet with high resistance to Water Magic will come in very handy for a tank on an expedition to the Gopla Swamps.

GAME WORLD

The world of Toria is divided into Regions – each consisting of at least one settlement and several adventure areas. In the first Region, e.g., the player will find a safe haven in Radogast Stronghold and can explore the Forest of Perun, Gopla Swamps, Misty Hills, Flooded Mine, and Haunted Graveyard. Further on, the player will be able to choose whether to go to the next region, Lonely Mountain, or the city of druids in the treetops of Silvaran.

LIVING OFF THE LAND

In the old days, a group of daredevils had to struggle not only against enemies but also against the environment. We wanted to portray these aspects of survival in Toria in the form of hunting and gathering resources in addition to combat. Both of these elements are interesting interludes in the adventure, allowing players to replenish their supplies of food, crafting materials or find something even more valuable. Survival in the old days depended on the ability to use the things we found and combine them skillfully – we will likewise want to make Crafting an important element of the game.

AUDIO-VISUAL ASPECT

We are an indie developer, but from the beginning we made the assumption that Toria should look and sound nice. That's why we make sure that every element of the game is graphically polished and the music and sounds properly introduce the atmosphere of the gameplay.

STORY

The main story of the game is guided around finding a certain unusual amulet. This is the main plot thread, but in addition to it, there are many side plot threads, allowing players to learn about the history and geography of Toria and its various areas. There are many side quests to discover in each Region and Area.

GUILDS, PvE & PvP

We want to allow players to compete extensively. A player will be able to challenge a friend to a duel to prove which team is better, as well as participate in several PvP modes – each with its own matchmaking, rules, and rewards. Later in development, we will focus on cooperative play and group battles. We have an extensive Guild system planned and joint raids of several players in one PvE location and PvP battles.

3. What do you do for the project?

I am a bit of an orchestra man – the originator of the game, its main and only designer, project lead, and producer.

4. What was the biggest challenge for you?

Convincing investors to the project. I'm a good organizer and planner, but a pretty weak salesman. That's why it took me a few years to find investors since I created the game design.

5. What are you most satisfied with so far?

With the whole game, which a year and a half ago was just an idea and today has become a reality. We are currently finishing its final elements. However, if I were to list its individual parts, I would say I am very proud of the adventure, arenas, and scenery generators. Each adventure will be unique and unpredictable, both from the point of view of the events encountered and the visual feel. The player will never encounter the same distribution of events in an adventure and will never see two identical locations. I am also very pleased with the representation of combat. I wanted to achieve a turn-based combat structure that would be easy to learn but hard to master, and this has been achieved.