Five years ago, we got together and started our research on parallel universes in fiction such as Middle-Earth, Neverland, Elfland, Discworld, and the rich worlds of A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones), The Witcher... as well as the great storytelling of Japanese fiction, notably manga and role-playing games. Afterward, we decided to write about the great stories in the world of Shaola.
With that approach, we focused on creating hybrid games that combine our favorite aspects of old school RPGs and JRPGs, while at the same time, removing those things some players didn't like, like random encounters and time-consuming grinding.
The Shaola project is the product of that research and ideas. Our games are not a copycat clone, which borrows ideas from old games, or games with a cheap nostalgia effect. This project is about utilizing some of the best ideas, features and characteristics from the oldies, remix and refine them, then combine and create a new and different type of enjoyment in a modern gaming era.
Shaola is a long-term project. It is a process of telling great stories about many appealing characters in different kingdoms and regions in Shaola. The gameplay in Shaola games will be based on the distinct story, characters, settings and environment of each title.
Hidden behind the beautiful high fantasy theme is the cruel world of medieval politics, as each character and faction has different motives and conflicts. Who can you trust?
Leonardo’s adventure is not a carbon copy of the Tolkien-esque RPGs in the 90s where you go on a heroic mission. You meet orcs, wizards, trolls, goblins, hobbits, and then you defeat some Dark Lords and win the game.
In this adventure, you are kidnapped into a foreign kingdom. You meet an unsecured prince, who is scheming to dispose of his own brother. The dark side of medieval politics comes out in full force.
We focus on blending historical fiction and medieval realism with epic fantasy.
A common theme in folk tales and mythology is the battle between good and evil, which does not always mirror the medieval world.
Old-time writers tend to oversimplify the struggle between good and evil into stereotypical clichés.
The Shaola series brings a measure of harsh realism to high fantasy. They introduce gray tones into a black-and-white universe.
Two permanent characteristics in every game in the Shaola series are: I. Fun gameplay that is easy to play. II. Advanced storytelling and building your enjoyment to the fullest. The story in each game will be enjoyable and on par with any adventure game or Visual Novel.
While this game is an RPG, one could say that it is an uncategorized game. It could belong to every subgenre out there, while you wouldn’t be wrong if you said it belonged to no subgenre at all.
It is a combination of many fun things that we’ve loved since childhood from our very first video game experience. The Shaola series is simply a tool to share the fun, excitement, enjoyment and delightful experience with you.
Eric Truong,
Smiling Dragon RPG Studios
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