Valisthea

Overview

Valisthea is a tactical turn-based RPG inspired by games like Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics. Players command a party of unique characters across grid-based battlefields, making strategic decisions about unit placement, movement, and combat. The game features an extensive deployment system, turn-based combat with attack/counter mechanics, and an engaging narrative delivered through cutscenes. Players can customize their units with different weapons and items, and face challenging AI-driven enemies.

Challenges & Solutions

Creating the grid-based pathfinding and tactical AI system was particularly challenging. I implemented an A* pathfinding algorithm from scratch that considers terrain obstacles and unit movement ranges. Another significant challenge was designing a flexible state machine for unit behavior that handles different combat states (idle, moving, attacking, hurt, etc.) while maintaining extensibility for player and enemy units. Developing a deployment system that integrates with the battle system required careful consideration of data flow between different game phases.

What I Learned

• 1Implemented a robust state machine architecture for unit behavior and combat sequences
• 2Developed custom pathfinding algorithms for grid-based tactical movement
• 3Created extensible battle system with action sequences and counter-attack mechanics
• 4Designed a data-driven approach for unit stats, items, and map configurations
• 5Built an enemy AI system with tactical decision-making capabilities
• 6Integrated a scene transition and game state management system