This article introduces "Avalon, the Independent Ideal Nation," a game submitted to the 13th WoodyCon held in July-August 2021.
I was drawn to the fact that the game's description gave absolutely no clue as to what kind of game it was, so I decided to play it.
The game genre gives the impression of being a tower defense-style shooting game.
This game has a cool story and great word choices.
The completion time was approximately 3 hours.
Game Overview
"Avalon, the Independent Ideal Nation" is a story about those who tried to create an ideal nation and those who tried to destroy it.
Against the world's nations that seek to destroy their ideal country, Avalon will counter with the "Disparadigmer," a weapon it developed to twist existing events.
The story, which satirizes modern society with witty, cinematic dialogue, is incredibly engaging.
The game progresses in the following order: Story part → Preparation screen → Battle screen → Story part.
After the tense story segment ends, the game abruptly switches to the battle preparation screen.
Without any explanation whatsoever, you are asked to allocate parameters to a robot called Disparadimer, which has a rather bland appearance.
You probably won't understand it at first, so just assign things as you see fit.
"The passionate spirit of those who still pursue their ideals" is what we call a modification point, and the higher the parameter, the more modification points are required.
The battle screen will be displayed in real time on all of the maps shown above.
The yellow number above the Disparadigmer represents durability, the red number in the lower left represents attack reload time, and the blue number in the lower right represents movement cooldown time.
When you get hit by an enemy bullet, your durability decreases according to the bullet's power, and the game ends when your durability reaches zero.
When the red number in the lower left corner reaches 0, if there is an enemy within range (indicated by the red frame), the unit will automatically attack and then reload.
When the blue number reaches 0, movement becomes possible, and you can move by clicking within the blue frame.
If you move, you cannot move again until the blue number returns to 0.
The game ends if the enemy invades the capital in the center of the map or if the Disparadimer's durability reaches zero, so you'll need to fight with the idea of defending the center.
The game gradually becomes more difficult as you progress through the stages, so even if you don't understand it at first, you'll gradually get the hang of it.
The key to success lies in appropriately modifying your vehicle according to the enemies in each stage, and improving your own skills as a player.
By allocating parameters appropriately, you can make battles somewhat easier, while conversely, if the player's skill level is high, they can clear the game using their preferred and carefully chosen tactics.
Review (Contains some spoilers: Mentions the early developments)
I was completely absorbed in the game and managed to complete it.
While there are some challenging stages, the combination of parameter allocation and player experience gives you the feeling that you can somehow clear them, making it an addictive game that makes you want to try again and again.
The second half featured many stages reminiscent of bullet hell shooters, and it was fun to learn the bullet patterns by feel.
The enemy's exact spawn locations are random, so it's not entirely a game of memorization; the fact that you can sometimes get lucky and have an easier time is a great help.
The fact that attacks were automated, allowing the player to focus on movement and dodging, was very convenient.
The story had a futuristic, science fiction feel to it, which was very exciting.
It's exhilarating to see an ideal nation, possessing military power through advanced technology, expose the deception of existing nations simply by announcing its own policies.
I felt that the composition was similar to Kaiji Kawaguchi's manga "The Silent Service," and I was very curious to see how the story would unfold.
The parameter names are incredibly cool, such as "The passionate soul of someone who still pursues their ideals," "The cold yet sharp cry of someone who is discouraged by their ideals but still struggles," and "The cold yet fleeting soul of someone who still pursues their ideals."
The name of the final modification point is likely a play on UVERworld's song "Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi" (Fleeting and Eternal Sadness).
The anime "Gundam 00," for which this song served as the theme song, had a story about destroying and then rebuilding the world, so I felt there was some kind of connection between it and the anime.
The graphics and background music have a retro feel, and the difficulty level is on the higher side, but I didn't experience any particular stress while playing.
The beginning of the background music when you clear a stage is,The background music at the end of "Super Mario World"It sounds similar to [another song] and is memorable.
If it piques your interest, I encourage even those who aren't usually interested in this genre to give it a try.
Strategy Notes (No Story Spoilers) ver1.03
This game is by no means easy.
There are some easy stages, but there are also several that are quite difficult.
I've picked out a few stages that I found difficult and written some strategy notes, so I hope they'll be helpful.
Understanding the meaning and role of each parameter will allow you to enjoy customizing it to your liking.
I will now write about my thoughts on parameters.
Parameter description
Durability:
When this reaches zero, it's game over.
Since avoiding attacks seems to be the basic strategy in this game, you can probably allocate 0 to this.
However, to be cautious about accidental deaths, I think it would be a good idea to allocate about one point from the remaining points.
Attack power:
It will likely become quite important when facing tough enemies.
However, since this can be compensated for by increasing the ammunition capacity, allocating resources to ammunition should come after increasing the ammunition capacity.
Number of bullets:
This becomes extremely important when there are many enemies.
Even when there are few enemies, concentrating bullets on an enemy is equivalent to increasing attack power, making it an important parameter.
When facing fast-moving enemies, having a large number of bullets increases your chances of hitting them.
Range:
This is an important parameter that contributes to the comfort of the offensive aspect of the game.
When the range is shortened, you need to move to approach the enemy, so you'll need to allocate points to movement-related parameters.
In the second half, you can attack much more comfortably by having the bald pilot on board.
Attack frequency:
This affects various aspects of the attack, such as the number of enemies, their movement speed, and their toughness.
By increasing both the number of bullets and the overall damage output, you can effectively lay down a barrage of fire.
Movement:
As for enemy bullets aimed at your ship, you can avoid them by moving a little, so you can manage even at a low altitude.
However, in stages where enemy bullets are large or where you need to approach the enemy, this is a parameter you'll want to increase to some extent.
Portable CD:
Is CD an abbreviation for "transportation cost reduction"?
Allocating points to this skill will allow you to comfortably dodge enemy attacks.
If the enemy's projectiles are fast, you should allocate your resources accordingly.
Level 3 is mostly safe, but with level 4, you should be able to deal with most enemies.
Moving terrain:
The terrain is strengthened in the following order: flat land, rocky mountains, and shallow waters.
If you can distribute 20% of your resources and move to shallow waters, I think you'll be able to handle most situations.
However, since making large evasive maneuvers is easier and safer, allocating 30% to that will make things more comfortable.
Stage-by-stage strategy notes
The latest version apparently includes additions such as pilot abilities that make it easier to clear, so this might not be very helpful.
note that.
Chapter 6
Parameters upon completion
Durability: 2
Attack Power: 4
Number of bullets: 3
Range: 7
Attack frequency: 5
Movement: 3
Portable CD: 5
Movement terrain: All
This is a very difficult early stage.
The fast-moving fighter jets that appear in large numbers in the middle of the battle are a real nuisance.
If you don't adequately increase your attack frequency and ammunition, you won't be able to handle the enemy and they'll invade your capital.
Increase your movement speed and movement cooldown, and move around frequently to eliminate enemies.
Chapter 8
Parameters upon completion
Durability: 1
Attack Power: 1
Number of bullets: 1
Range: 3
Attack frequency: 1
Movement: 2
Portable CD: 3
Movement terrain: All
There are many enemies that are slow to move and tough.
Therefore, try to stay close to the enemy and take them down.
Considering the time lost moving around, instead of running around aimlessly, calmly dodge enemy bullets when they get closest.
Chapter 9
Parameters upon completion
Pilot: Bald (Range +20)
Durability: 1
Attack Power: 2
Number of bullets: 3
Range: 0
Attack frequency: 3
Movement: 2
Portable CD: 2
Moving terrain: shallow waters
Take advantage of the long range and defend the area near the capital without moving too far.
Since there are quite a few enemies, you'll want to ensure you have a reasonable number of attacks and ammunition.
Due to the speed of the final boss's projectiles, make sure you have at least 2 movement cooldowns available.
Chapter 10
Parameters upon completion
Pilot: Bald (Range +20)
Durability: 1
Attack Power: 1
Number of bullets: 3
Range: 0
Attack frequency: 3
Movement: 2
Portable CDs: 4
Moving terrain: shallow waters
Intercepting fast-moving missiles is an urgent priority.
To avoid wasting attack resources on unnecessary targets, eliminate enemies that are somewhat far away early on.
When missiles appear, approach them as a top priority and destroy them one by one.
Chapter 11
Parameters upon completion
Pilot: Bald (Range +20)
Durability: 1
Attack Power: 2
Number of bullets: 3
Range: 0
Attack frequency: 4
Movement: 3
Portable CD: 3
Moving terrain: shallow waters
That was a pretty difficult map.
If a fast-moving fighter jet appears, position yourself to block its path and intercept it.
You can't keep up with the speed unless you maintain a certain number of pitches and attacking frequency.
When fighter jets fire shotgun pellets, you can easily avoid them by moving to the other side of the projectiles as if you're passing them.
Chapter 13
Parameters upon completion
Pilot: Bald (Range +20)
Durability: 1
Attack Power: 4
Number of rounds: 4
Range: 0
Attack frequency: 4
Movement: 1
Portable CDs: 4
Moving terrain: shallow waters
There are so many enemies that if you don't customize your character to prioritize offense, the screen will be filled with enemy bullets.
Move around as if you were a stationary gun emplacement.
When fast-moving bullets start coming towards you, focus on them and try to dodge them.
This map is reminiscent of the Touhou series, with its bullet hell-style shooting gameplay.
Chapter 14
Parameters upon completion
Pilot: Bald (Range +20)
Durability: 1
Attack Power: 4
Number of rounds: 4
Range: 0
Attack frequency: 4
Movement: 2
Portable CDs: 4
Movement terrain: All
In the early stages, we'll only focus on protecting the fast-moving fighter jets.
You can dodge the bullets they fire by moving in a way that makes it seem like you're passing them by.
After that, if an enemy appears that fires large, fast-moving energy projectiles, focus your attention on it.
The Disparadimer will fly towards your location, so if you move away from where it's fired, you'll definitely avoid being hit.
However, since the projectiles are large, it's a good idea to move about two squares to be safe.
For the final boss fight, leave plenty of space to dodge the continuous barrage of projectiles.
Basically, you can avoid the attacks by continuously moving in the same direction, either up or down, until the series of attacks stops.
Chapter 15
Parameters upon completion
Pilot: Bald (Range +20)
Durability: 2
Attack Power: 5
Number of rounds: 6
Range: 1
Attack frequency: 6
Movement: 1
Portable CD: 3
Movement terrain: All
Because there are so many enemies, and the tough purple enemies are a pain, I made things easier by setting my parameters to allow me to defeat enemies as quickly as possible.
A movement range of 1 was a bit difficult, so increasing it to 2 might make it easier.
Chapter 16
Parameters upon completion
Pilot: Bald (Range +20)
Durability: 1
Attack Power: 8
Number of bullets: 5
Range: 1
Attack frequency: 6
Movement: 4
Portable CD: 5
Movement terrain: All
This map has the length and difficulty befitting a final map.
If you've made it to the halfway point, you'll be able to start from the middle of the stage, so let's aim for that first.
However, modifications cannot be redone, so if you want to allocate parameters, you will have to start from the beginning of the stage.
Sometimes your own bullets can make it difficult to see enemy bullets, so be careful about that.
Slow bullets can be dodged slowly when they get close, but fast bullet barrages should be dodged the moment they are fired.
It can be overwhelming when there are a lot of bullets on the screen, but try to distinguish between bullets that are placed in a way that doesn't target your ship and bullets that are targeting you, and dodge them calmly.
I managed to defeat the multiple bosses that appeared in the second half by constantly moving around and dodging them.
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