Clearly nature is an inspiration for Four Realms, but it also is a gameplay element.

Posted by hugebot on Jul 25th, 2015

Hey Everybody!

One of the key design goals of Four Realms is to celebrate nature. Now obviously, all the characters are based off of real world animals. But I wanted to take a few posts and actual focus on the environmental sub systems to Four Realms.

I wanted the environment in in the animal nations to both feel real and play a part in the game play. This means the day/night cycle that is common in many games isn't just for visual effects. They play a tangible role in the game.

Today is the first of two parts focusing on the environment systems, I call them the soft systems. These systems don't play as critical role in core loop of Four Realms. But a clever player can still use these systems to their advantage and build smart thematic Spell Lists.

Wind (Air Realm)

When the wind is really blowing you will notice trees sway more, sand will blow, clouds will dance, and the grass will rustle. The wind is more present when playing levels in the Strato-Sultanate.





If the wind is really high you will see gust blowing across the screen. This is when the true power of wind is harnessed. Wind Clouds placed through out certain levels be come usable and open new paths in the level. Certain beasts from the Strato-Sultanate gain buff enchantments when in wind. Such as the Cadet Sparrowhawk who gains a health buff if the wind strength is high enough.

Rain (Water Realm)

If you walk through the Fluid Coalition, rain is a common sight. The down pour of water from the sky is only natural in the Water Realm. But this simple site is a source of power. Rain Leaves blossom in the water, creating new areas to explore.





Many beasts of the Fluid Coalition gain bonuses when in water, more so than any other nation. They find themselves at home in their element. This is why Rain is one of the few environment spells. Call down the rain any time you want and power your Fluid Nation army.

Day (Fire) & Night (Earth)

The twin environment systems. It's quite a stunning sight when you see a sun or moon rise. And similar to their cousin systems they too create paths. Sun Flowers bloom in the Day, while Moon Shrooms grow at night.





Press

Four Realms got a shout out form Indie Game Lover: Indiegamelover.blogspot.com

And a very nice write up from Billy D at One Angry Gamer.

"What originally looked like a typical side-scroller eventually turned into something far more unique. "

Blogjob.com

Thanks for reading! As always, let me know your questions and suggestions!

-Del