The Lamplighters League

The Lamplighters League ngumdlalo wezamasu wokuhlela izenzo owenziwa ngesigaba ngesigaba, olethela abadlali uhambo oluya kuhlobo oluhlukile lwekhulu lama-1930s, lushisayo nge-pulp adventure, imfihlo yezinto ezincamathelayo, kanye nezici ze-noir. Kukhululwe ngomhlaka 3 Okthoba 2023, lo mdlalo wathuthukiswe yi-Harebrained Schemes, is studio eyayaziwa ngaphambili ngeBattleTech kanye ne-Shadowrun trilogy, futhi washicilelwa yi-Paradox Interactive. Uhlanganisa ukuphathwa kwezwe ngezindlela ezisemqoka nezinhlelo zokulwa ezihlanganisa phakathi kokungena ngokushesha nangokushesha (real-time stealth) kanye nezikhathi zokulwa ngezigaba (turn-based tactical). Izilungiselelo NeNdaba Umdlalo uthatha ugqozi ezindabeni ze-adventure zasendaweni yezigaba zokuqala zekhulu lama-20s. Indaba igxile enhlanganweni eyimfihlo ebizwa iLamplighters League, iqembu elizinikele ukugcina umlingo onamandla ongagcinwa ezandleni ezimbi. Ngokokuqala komdlalo, ama-ejensi akhulela khona "best of the best" awatholakali, kushiya umdlali ekulawuleni iqembu elingajwayelekile lababhebhethekayo, abaxoki, nabangafaneleki. Abaphikisi abakhulu yiBanished Court, ukugunyaza okuhlanganisa izigaba ezintathu ezilwela ukulawula iTower End of the World, indawo yobumlingo enikela amandla okulungisa iqiniso. Lezi zinhlangano zihlanganisa iHouse Nicastro, isiko labakhonzisi abanjengabadlali be- deep-sea eldritch; iHouse Strum, uhlelo lwezamasu olusebenzisa izitha ezingaphili; kanye neHouse Marteau, eholwa umkhiqizi waseMelika oxuba ukutshalwa kwezimali nobuchwepheshe obuthuthukile. Umgomo womdlali ukuqhuba wokuqoshwa phakathi kwalezi zinhlangano emhlabeni wonke, ukonakalisa izinhlelo zabo futhi kuvimbela ukufinyelela kweTower. Izici Zokudlala Umjikelezo wokudlala uphakathi kwezikhathi ezimbili ezihlukene: ukungena ngaphakathi kwezwe ngesikhathi sangempela kanye nokulwa okwenziwe ngezigaba. Ngaphambi kokuqala impi, abadlali bahamba emhlabeni ngesikhathi sangempela. Le ndima igcizelela ukungena, ukuxilonga, nokubona izingozi zemvelo. Abenkathi abavunyelwe babonakala beqinisekisiwe nge-Takedown, ikhono elivumela amanye amakilasi ukuthi asuse izitha ezihlukene ngokuthule, ngaphambi kokuhlasela okukhulu. Uma umdlali ekhonjisiwe, umdlalo ulungela ngokuzenzakalelayo ekulweni. Uma impi iqala ngokusemthethweni, umdlalo ushintsha indlela yayo ibe yilokho okubhalwe ebizeni (grid-based) okufana ne-XCOM. Abadlali balawula iqembu lama-ejensi, ngamunye enamakhozi namakhono ahlukene. Isistimu yokulwa isebenzisa umnotho we-Action Point (AP), ngokujwayelekile inika ama-AP amabili kumlingiswa ngamunye ngesigaba ukuze enze ukuhamba, ukuhlasela, noma ukusebenzisa amakhono. Ukumboza, ukugijima ngaphesheya, kanye nomugqa wokubona kubalulekile ekuthutheni kwezamasu. Abalingiswa kanye Nesendlalelo Somkhakha Wezamasu Kwahlukile kwimidlalo yezamasu enezisebenzi ezijwayelekile, iThe Lamplighters League igxile kubalingiswa abaziwayo abanezindinganiso zobuntu, izindaba zangemuva, netshani zamakhono. Isibonelo, uIngrid ungumlingisi onegama elithi “Bruiser” ongakwazi ukunikela ukulimaza izitha eziningi endaweni yazo zonke izindiza; uLateef ungumlingisi othi “Sneak” othembekile ekugwemeni nasekugijineni. I-class ethi “Saboteur” isebenzisa izaziso nezincazelo zokuphazamisela izindlela zezinhlangano. Umhlaba wezamasu nawo unendawo ethe xaxa ebizwa ngokuthi i-world map layer. Abadlali kufanele bakhethe imisebenzi abazoyenza, beyazi ukuthi ukunganaki kwezinye imisebenzi kuzovumela izitha ukuba zifinyelele ezinkathini zazo ze-“Doomsday Clocks.” Njengoba lawo amakloks efika phambili, izitha zithola amayunit anamandla nezishintshi, okuqinisa ubunzima bokusebenzisana. Phakathi kwemisebenzi, abadlali bayaphatha abalingiswa babo endaweni yokufihla, benza izibuyekezo, bavuselela izilonda, futhi bavuselela umqondo wezimo zokucindezeleka (stress). Uma isisebenzi siqoqe ukucindezeleka kakhulu, singase sibe nokuphuka kwengqondo, okuhloswe umdlali ukuphumula. Ukutholwa Nokusebenza Kwezezimali Ngesikhathi sokuvela, u-The Lamplighters League wathola ukwamukelwa okuhlukeneyo kwabahlaziyi. Abagxeki bavuma indawo ye-pulp yomdlalo, ubuntu obuhlukile babalingiswa, kanye nokuhlanganyela okuthokomele phakathi kwezinhlelo ze-real-time nezokusebenza ngesigaba. Umbhalo nokuqondiswa kwezwi bekugqanyiswa njengamaphuzu aphezulu, kungeza ubuhle bemvelo befilimu yohambo lwama-1930s. Nokho, umdlalo wawuhlangabezana nokugxekwa okuqukethwe mayelana nokuzinza kwezobuchwepheshe kanye nezindlela zokuklama eziphindaphinda. Abadlali babika amaphutha, izinkinga zokulondolozwa kwezinto (save files), kanye nokwehla kokusebenza, ikakhulukazi kumabonakude. Kwakhona abanye abagxeki bacabanga ukuthi izici zokungena kwe-real-time zazilula kakhulu uma kuqhathaniswa nobunzima bokulwa be-turn-based, kanye nokwakheka kwemisebenzi obuphindaphindeka esikhathi eside somkhankaso. Ngokuhwebo, umdlalo wathola ukungakhululeki. Ngemva kokukhululwa, i-Paradox Interactive yamemezela ukuthi The Lamplighters League yatholakala njengengxaki yezomnotho, ithela ukuthi ukuthengiswa akuzukubuyisa izindleko zokuthuthukisa. Umshicili wabhala phansi izindleko ezibalulekile, kungachazwa ukulahlekelwa cishe izigidi ezingama-22 zama-dollar. Umphumela Ukwehluleka kwezomnotho kwasishaya umhlaba kwaba nemiphumela ebalulekile kubathuthukisi. Ngemva kokukhululwa komdlalo, i-Paradox Interactive kanye ne-Harebrained Schemes bavumelana ngesisivumelwano sokuhlukana. Kusukela ngomhla wokuqala kaJanuwari 2024, i-Harebrained Schemes ibuyela ukuzimela njengenkampani ezimele, yize i-Paradox igcina amalungelo e-The Lamplighters League. Ngaphandle kokuhlukana nokunzima kwezezimali zokuqala, umdlalo usasele uyisici esingavamile embonini yezamasu, okugxile ekwakheni umlingiswa nokuqina komqondo wokuhlelela.