Ardor is an RPG that Wayne Kelley and I began thinking up after we graduated from High School. We both thought it wasn't likely to go anywhere, but there was something so damn appealing about the framework we had created - likable characters, an intriguing plotline, and a cast of realistic villains. I tried my hand at programming Ardor in a few different ways - RPGMaker, Sphere, etc. But it wasn't until I returned to college when I got the idea that I could do this. And so Ardor became more than an RPG - it became a training ground for design ideas. With my new and improved coding skills, I began prototyping various engines and putting serious thought into how the game would work.
These pages are a select few of the fruits of those labors.
| Title | Preview | All terms |
|---|---|---|
| Battle Boundary |
When combat begins, a circle of faintly visible light is drawn around the point where the fight is initiated. This is the battle boundary - field enemies outside this circle can't be seen and will not attempt to enter the fight. |
Gameplay |
| Varren Melkan |
Varren Melkan is the son of one of Malhaven's most prominent dukes, Greiling Melkan. He is Duke Melkan's only son, and as such would find himself recipient of a pampered lifestyle, had he any patience for it. |
Player Character |
| Ascendus |
A longtime member of Malhaven's nobility and Duke of Sardova, Ascendus' interest in politics is usually academic. He observes most Valiset meetings but does not vote on most recommendations, even those that concern his Dukedom. |
Player Character |
| Isa Milan |
Isadora Milan lived out her youth and adolescence in the Free Lands with her family. Her father was chieftain of their tribe, and they lived in relative luxury. |
Player Character |
| Evian Morgana |
Evian Morgana is a child of Versain in every way. She works as an agent of Versain's intelligence corp, and provides her country with eyes and ears in eastern Malhaven. |
Player Character |
| HP, Death, Rest, and Deep Wounds |
Each player character has a natural maximum of 10 hit points (HP). This number does not increase, but it is (conditionally) refilled after combat. The reason for this is twofold - it prevents the unnatural escalation of the typical RPG, and it keeps the battles fast paced. |
Gameplay |
| Combat: Moving and Attacking |
Sometimes simplicity rules the day. Combat systems in RPGs have gotten overwhelmingly complex in an effort to seem deep or to simulate real combat. Usually they fail at both. Combat in Ardor is relatively straightforward and rewards tactical thinking over stat crunching. |
Gameplay |
| Magic |
Magic rarely seems extraordinary in RPGs, which is jarring. Magic always seemed to me like the kind of primal force that no amount of book learning could ever contain. It wasn't energy bound in runes or sigils, it couldn't be conjured by hand gestures or mangled latin. |
Gameplay |
| Morality vs. Behavior |
RPGs for too long have ignored the harsh realities of life or death combat. Nowhere is this more apparent than the brightly colored lands of JRPGs like Eternal Sonata. The characters are little more than wide eyed children, and the many encounters with enemies never so much as damage their pretty clothes and cheerful dispositions. |
Gameplay |