Eschaton

Eschaton is a prototype of a simultaneous-turn tactical battle system. It was originally envisioned as existing withing a larger party-based RPG.

I was inspired by the fantasy adventure books I read growing up (think R.A. Salvatore). The battles were always exciting scenes of people moving around, ducking and dodging and rolling to get an advantage. In contrast, most game battles were pretty standard affairs involving a lot of standing around and swinging weapons straight forward.

Eschaton emphasizes positioning and keeping the opponent off their feet. Since turns play out simultaneously, it’s possible to record the battle for a fluid, cinematic replay, recapturing the dynamicism that I was missing before.

My programming skill was lacking when I started this prototype, and it didn’t get far past an initial playable prototype. I still like the idea, though, and I’d like to return to it.