Ashes is *NOT* a hack-and-slash rpg and neither is it arcade oriented like games such as zelda. Ashes tries to be a complete rpg experience through the following features:
- NPCs are not just standing in one place. They live their lives, work in their shops, walk around, eat at lunchtime, sleep at night and so on.
- In Ashes you get to create your own party, but it won't be just a bunch of names and stats - for each member you'll also choose a social attitude (Valiant leader, cynical wrangler, shy intellectual, eccentric weirdo) which will play a very important role in the game!
- In Ashes there won't be just the "premade" and scripted NPCs, but randomly generated walk-ons. Random names, random jobs, random appearance and portrait, and random dialogue. The random dialogue, will be powered by an intelligent grammar interpreter - the results are surprising.
- Kill innocent people, steal, and your reputation will follow you. Guards will begin chasing you as you enter a town (either to impose a little fine, sending you to Jail or trying to kill you, depending on your crimes), merchants will refuse to trade with you, and if you really go too far - be prepared for bounty hunters seeking your head!
- Shops, inns, blacksmiths and so on will always have limited supplies. If you buy everything in stock you'll have to wait some time for more items to become available. Certain items will also need crafting so buying a fine piece of armour may mean you'll have to wait 3 days before it's ready.
- The game is in real time but combat is turn based. Transition between the two states is automatic (unless invoked) and smart. Combat aims to be simple yet tactical allowing you control of all your party members.
- You will be able to buy a house, a tower, a little shack - and owning a place to rest and store things will play a key role in the plot.
- Other features include :: A huge, seamless world, Day/night cycles, Atmospheric weather, Dynamic shadows and a high level of interactivity.
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Being independently developed and only by two people it's hard to say when the game will be released but we're aiming for late 2006 / early 2007.