Falconeers’ Gate is a historical solo RPG taking place in the 11st Century French Normandy. Lead your army into epic battles and leave your mark in History!
## About This Game
## Short Presentation
Falconers’ Gate (FG) is a medieval action RPG, with a strong tactical
component.
FG is a uchronia; its scenario is a rewrite of History, as it might have been
with a few alterations of the past.
The adventure is set in a fictional version of 11st century medieval Normandy.
Key Elements:
* Discover Medieval Normandy as you’ve never seen it before
* Live realistic fights directly inspired of Historical European martial arts (HEMA)
* Recruit and lead your own army
* Customize your hero and your troops
* Take part in epic battles and sharpen your tactical skills
## Detailed Presentation
October 14th, 1066: A Uchronia in the Skies
William the Conqueror is preparing to fight the Anglo-Saxons at the famous
battle of Hastings. If he wins, a substantial part of England will be his to
take.
On the other side of the Channel, in the heart of his duchy of Normandy, a
comet streaks the night sky shortly before crashing down on the village of
L’Aigle.
The fall of this celestial body on St. Martin’s Church is about to trigger a
series of events that will upset the course of history as we know it, and
unleash a terrible power struggle for the control of “Falconers Gate.”
You, the Comet’s Chosen One, are a Falconer at the head of your company,
caught in the throes of a war that will lay waste to the region.
Will you be on the side of History or on the side of Change?
Travel to Medieval Normandy!
The campaign map that you will roam with your Compagny will allow you to meet
important figures of Medieval Normandy, and you will be able to make powerful
allies – or enemies!
The design and historical faithfulness of the game will be worked out in close
collaboration with our partner, a YouTuber who’s passionate about this topic:
D-mystif
for the King Or For the Duchy?
The events taking place in the region are reshuffling the geopolitical cards.
As the leader of a company of soldiers, you will take part in battles between
the Duke of Normandy and the King of France by choosing sides, whether you
wish to take control of Falconers’ Gate – or destroy it!
* William the Conqueror’s duchy of Normandy
* The army of Anjou, Maine, Touraine and Blois counties, under the lead of King Philip I of France
* The clergy and their mercenaries, supported by Pope Alexander II
* A fanatical new order of chivalry who worships the Comet, led by the First of the Falconers
History Vs. Fantasy
Beyond the mere political stakes, the Comet may well have altered the region
in a major way, without it being immediately perceptible… An even more
decisive issue than the control of Falconers Gate and the Normandy region is
at stake!
Fantasy will be introduced progressively and will not be all over the game,
much like in the universe of Game of Thrones. In particular, fantasy will be
used as a means to integrate and rationalize the existence of certain comfort
tools for gamers, such as Strategic View and even TPV (Third-Person View).
## Combat Mechanics
Directional Fencing
In designing our combat tools, we took great care to create historically
accurate combat gestures and body language.
This is why we are working with the YouTube channel Entrer en Lice ( “Enter
the Fray”) in designing our animations. We believe these practitioners of HEMA
(Historical European Martial Arts) are the most competent to ensure the
realistic quality of our combat animations!
FG uses a directional combat system for strikes and parries with a weapon and
a shield. A hitbox system independent of parries will allow you to strike and
protect yourself at the same time, and you will not be able to get through
your opponent’s shield or weapon as long as he holds on to them. Likewise,
raised lances will deflect arrows and hold enemies back.
An armor worthy of the name
The pieces of armor used in FG will not only reduce the injuries you may
suffer; if they are thick enough they will completely block the enemy strikes.
In accordance with common practices in the Middle Ages, you will need to use
under-armor and over-armor in order to be fully protected.
The game also features a damage system based on different kinds of strikes:
slashing, blunt-force, and piercing, all with different properties depending
on the three types of materials used for your protection: Fabric, Quilted,
Mesh / Plates.
Health/Conscience/Stamina System
FG features a health system that seeks to reproduce the complexity of wearing
armor on a battlefield during prolonged periods of combat, without excessively
interfering with the game mechanics.
We have devised a cross-sectional system combining Health, Consciousness, and
Stamina, that will monitor your overall state of fatigue and impact your
ability to fight efficiently.
Each body part has its own hitbox and its own health points. Losing an arm
will cost you the use of the corresponding equipment. However, as long as your
chest and head are intact, you can always take flight or continue fighting
with what you are carrying in your other hand. That is, if you still have your
legs!
## Your Army
Epic Battles
Battles, inspired by the famous game Mount & Blade , will take place in real
time on terrain corresponding to your location on the campaign map. From the
Forest of Écouves to the plains of the Pays d’Auge, you will do battle against
your enemies in realistic environments!
FG will immerse you in battles involving hundreds of warriors for the most
crucial episodes of the adventure.
A tactical approach
Each group of combatants uses its own particular set of military formations.
Swordsmen specialize in the triangle formation, aimed at easily shattering a
wall of opposing shields by concentrating their mass at a given point.
Lancers, for their part, prefer to array themselves in serried ranks forming a
wall of lances that puts a dramatic stop to enemy charges – impaling the
opponents.
Formations play a key part in FG. Each formation features buffs and debuffs
relevant to the unit that uses them and to the situation at hand. A unit using
the right formation at the right time can prevail even outnumbered or faced
with a stronger opponent, if the latter is disorganized or not arrayed in a
formation.
Army Customization
As soon as you recruit a combat unit, it will start to grow and evolve over
the course of time (and depending on the various encounters they follow you
in). Units will vary in kind, depending on whether you are recruiting in a
town or village (rural or urban militia) or on whether you are directly hiring
mercenaries.
You may recruit up to 3 groups of 20 combatants, in order to form your 60-man
company according to the style of gameplay that suits you best. You are free
to staff your company homogeneously with soldiers specializing in a certain
kind of weapon, or to form a versatile combat group skilled in fighting with
different kinds of weapons.
An Endless Range of Possibilities
Each of your 3 combat squads will have its own combination of skills and
experience. The skill tree may feature linear branches affording huge bonuses
but require that you stick to a precise path, or may allow you to choose
between different nodes whose effects can vary in interest but offer a broader
range of choices.
You will thus benefit from a significant number of possibilities that can
transform your unorganized and unruly peasants into robust soldiers, trained
in a variety of devastating combat techniques.
Heroes At Your Side
You will not be alone as you command your troops on the battlefield! Three
Sergeants-at-arms will support you during missions that do not require an
entire army.
Some of these Sergeants will be actual historical figures pursuing their own
separate goals, like the kinfolk of Robert Guiscard who will return from
Sicily to protect their homeland. Unlocking these Sergeants will require the
completion of a side-quest.
In addition, each group of 20 soldiers has its own standard-bearer and horn-
player who will help you to tell your troops apart in the melee and relay your
orders. At the highest level of difficulty, user interface will be limited,
and those two will be the only reference points for you as the commander!
From Footmen to Knights
FG’s combat units will be organized into Infantry and Cavalry:
* The Cavalry will focus mainly on its ability to launch irresistible charges whilst carefully avoiding a wall of lances anchored in the ground.
* The Infantry will occupy the field through sheer mass, the use of formations, and methodical progression.
Archers will work differently from classical units. Once unlocked and
recruited, they will accompany you in battle as a support unit. You will
decide when they should shoot their arrows “outside of the map” or when to
order them to pick a fixed position where they can stick their arrows in the
ground in order to shoot faster.
Shields Up!
The skills that you will be able to choose for your combat units will range
from passive abilities (bonus health, increased stamina…) and active skills
that you can use during battle.
For instance, being able to charge the enemy (slow or at full speed) is one of
the most common abilities in FG.
“Open ranks” allows you to repel the opponents that surround you, reclaim some
space and break the intensity of their attack, as well as being awarded with a
defensive bonus.
## Other Features
A Narrative Worthy Of History
In order to ensure your complete immersion, we will take extra care in writing
dialogues and run through our storytelling throughout the game.
Moreover, most non-combat interactions will be carried out by means of text
menus, directly onto the campaign map. You will not have to deal with endless
trips between different NPCs within the same town or village. If need be, you
will be able to carry out some of your trading by instructing your advisers to
do so. Command and they will deal with your menial tasks!
Intelligent Craftsmanship
The production of resources in FG will focus on four materials: wood, metals,
rations, and money. These will cover all of your army’s needs.
In order to make good use of these resources, a crew of craftsmen, workmen,
farmers, and other non-combatants following your army will be there to carry
out everyday chores.
According to their individual skill level and specialty, these non-combatants
will automatically harvest food in the areas surrounding your camp,
manufacture equipment for you and your troops, and will gather resources
during your stopovers at the corresponding collection points (forests, fields,
mines…). They will also supplement your income by selling your surplus on
town and village squares as you go through them.
An innovative tactical interface
Your character’s skills will be mainly practical. Falconers are no super-
heroes; even though you will be definitely stronger than the average soldier,
it will be impossible for you to take on an army on your own.
Falconer’s View will be your main practical skill. It will grant you a
tactical view of the battlefield in an instant, allowing you to optimize your
troops’ position in just a few clicks.
You will be granted a large choice of skills, ranging from a simple area buff
or debuff to special strikes combos.
Much like your units, your skill tree (of which your Sergeants have a similar
variant) will lead you to make decisive choices: specialize in one skill or
unlock several of them, improve a wide range of characteristics or excel in
one type of buff…
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We are looking forward to take you with us through Falconers’ Gate!