Pinoy strategy game: From student project to Indie Arena
We usually associate mobile gaming with the simplest of diversions, from endless runners to match-three games. But “simple” doesn’t have to mean “brainless,” nor does it have to be a lonesome experience.
Strategy may be one of the most mentally demanding video game genres, but that doesn’t mean it can’t work as a mobile game. One group of Pinoy indie game developers had the exact same thing in mind when they began developing their strategy game more than a year ago.
Just as interesting is the fact the said game started out as a student project that eventually grew into something worthy of inclusion in this year’s Indie Arena – the grand showcase of indie games at the Electronic Sports and Gaming Summit 2016.
Irreconcilable forces
At the time of GMA News Online’s interview with him, Cholo Lorenzo San Jose was a student of De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, where he was taking up a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a specialization in Game Design and Development. He is one of the developers in Team Rage Quit, the group behind the real-time strategy mobile game “Purgatorium.”
“Our game is about resource management and multi-tasking,” said San Jose. “You have an economic system, and you have to make your settlement thrive in a post-apocalyptic setting. And at the same time you have to defend your settlement from enemy units.”
The game San Jose described sounds very much like your classic real-time strategy game. The greatest titles this genre has produced – such as “Command & Conquer: Red Alert” and “StarCraft” – make use of similar mechanics. There are few things more challenging than ensuring a smooth influx of resources while simultaneously fending off invading hordes of monsters or overzealous military forces.
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![](http://images.gmanews.tv/webpics/2016/11/640_Purgatorium_02_2016_11_29_17_03_55_1.jpg)
Also like the best strategy games, “Purgatorium” pits powerful, irreconcilable forces against each other.
“In the game’s lore, the forces of heaven and hell use Earth as their battleground,” said San Jose. “Earth has become a warzone in which the forces of light fight against the dark forces, and humans are caught in the crossfire.”
The game has three factions: The Fallen, who are light forces from heaven; the Legion, who are the dark forces of hell; and the Resistance, who are the humans who must fight to prevent the extinction of all mortal life on Earth.
“Each faction has its own unique abilities and attributes,” said San Jose. “For example, the Fallen are defensive. Their units have strong defensive capabilties and are extremely expensive. The Legion are offensive and are very cheap to build, but their units have low life points. The Resistance are a balance of both defense and offense.”
![](http://images.gmanews.tv/webpics/2016/11/640_Purgatorium_03_2016_11_29_17_03_55_2.jpg)
Heaven and hell
Making the game took the team many months of work.
“Since we’re students, this project took us a year,” stated San Jose. “It took us a lot of revisions. There were lots of ideas and features that we had to scrap. But the good thing is, if other industries can make strategy games, why not local developers like ourselves?"
What made “Purgatorium” particularly difficult to develop was its unique nature as a real-time strategy game.
“We were tasked with creating a game for people on the commute, people who like to travel,” he said. “So most of my batch mates made 2D platformers, soft puzzle games, endless runners, because that kind of market loves those kinds of quick-paced games. But we wanted to think outside the box and do something different. So we decided to do a quick-paced game only of different genre – real-time strategy – for the same local market. It was really difficult, but in the end, it was worth it.”
It was indeed worth it, as their thesis was a huge success in their school.
“We have this event in our school called Incendium,” San Jose explained. “Incendium is a showcase of games made by people who are taking their thesis subjects… At that event, we got the People’s Choice award. And we’re really proud of that. We’re happy that our risk and hard work paid off.”
![](http://images.gmanews.tv/webpics/2016/11/640_Purgatorium_04_2016_11_29_17_03_55_3.jpg)
Currently, “Purgatorium” is a multiplayer-only game. There is a possibility that it will have a single-player mode one day, though.
“For our thesis, we were challenged to create something that lets a player experience the game with another live player,” San Jose explained. “So that is what it is right now. But there is a possibility in the future that we will include a feature in which a live player can play against the A.I.”
San Jose and his teammates hope to release “Purgatorium.”
“We have plans to release the game,” he said. “But we’re still optimizing it. We have to ensure that it’s game-tested, that everything is good. Once we believe the user experience has reached fully optimized results, we will release the game.”
San Jose is confident that the local game industry is on the right track, and that developers like himself have a bright future ahead of them.
“The game industry in the Philippines offers a lot of opportunities for Filipinos,” he said. “So that makes us very lucky, as it gives us a lot of options, and a lot of time to gain experience.”
Team Rage Quit is Cholo Lorenzo San Jose (Producer and Quality Assurance), Ralph De Vera (Lead Art & Animator, Game Designer), Christian Anthony Pacis (3D Artist), Chanelle Mikaela Magat (2D Artist & Game Designer), Miguel Libo-on (Game & Sound Designer), Patrick Gilbert Miano (Programmer), and Alfon Sia (Programmer). Pacis and Magat are still studying; the rest graduated from College of Saint Benilde on October 29, 2016.
“Purgatorium” was created using a diverse range of programs such as Unity 3D, Adobe Photoshop, Modo, Soundforge, and FL Studio. — TJD, GMA News
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