Crafting a Champion

For most, the Afterlife is a one way trip; once you set foot there, you can never return. This is true of all living things, but clever Alchemists have found a way to exert their control without the hassle of death. Zosimos himself was the first to learn how to craft a homunculus, but he is most certainly not the last. As creatures neither living nor dead, homunculi are able to carry out any commands given to them. This makes them invaluable tools in the struggle to claim the Afterlife.

A homunculus is formed of three core Essences: Alchemist, Ego, and Elemental. Once each of these components has been chosen, they are combined in a mold to create the fully functional homunculus. These molds can grant a variety of shapes, but most often resemble humans for the versatility such a form grants.
[caption id="attachment_180" align="alignnone" width="1280"] First given to Zosimos of Panopolis, the art of homunculus creation has been passed down ever since.[/caption]
Elemental Essences form the core body material of a homunculus, and serve as the medium to which the other two Essences are bound; as such they primarily grant Body Dice. Most homunculi are formed of elemental matter, and it is these Essences that new students first learn to wield. It is rumored that Zosimos could use Elemental Essences formed of more than one element or even the essence of an entire Realm, but this knowledge has since been forgotten.

Alchemist Essences are required to grant sufficient intelligence to a homunculus to perform complex tasks, thus being the largest source of Mind Dice. They are imprints of the minds of great Alchemists past[link to Albertus Magnus post], which grants the homunculus the necessary knowledge to summon Minions, create Ambushes, and cast Spells- all necessary skills in the struggle for the Afterlife.
[caption id="attachment_182" align="alignnone" width="1365"] With an Alchemy Lab, it is a simple task to assemble whatever type of homunculus you require.[/caption]
Ego Essences bind the other two together, and grant the power needed for the homunculus to cast Spells and exert control over their Minions. Being the binding energy, they also provide Soul Dice. They are formed by channeling specific aspects of the souls of powerful individuals throughout history. They can even grant homunculi the semblance of a personality, but it is important to note that these Essences are mere echoes, and not true sentience. Depending on which aspect is being used, the effects on the homunculus can change dramatically, even when using the same soul’s energy.

With these three Essences properly combined, a homunculus is formed. As you can imagine, the capabilities of this homunculus vary considerably depending on which Essence is used. It is for this reason that Alchemists must choose their Essences with care, as the strategy their homunculus allows can be the difference between victory and defeat.

Claiming the Afterlife

In this blog, we have covered a number of subjects. We’ve described dice mechanics, the four elements, both realms, and delved into some deep lore for Visions of Zosimos. Today, however, we will be telling you about one of the most important aspects of the game - how to win!

In every game, victory is achieved by defeating any opposing homunculi on the game board. However, depending on which game board you choose, there may be other objectives as well. On a PvEvP board, you must not only defeat enemy homunculi, but also powerful monsters appropriate to the board. Defeating these monsters help advance the story and reveal the mystery and lore of the Afterlife in Visions of Zosimos.

Currently, there are three types of monsters on a given game board. They are Wandering Monsters, Bosses, and the Final Boss. All of them are considered adversaries, and they grant bonus dice to the homunculus of the player that defeats them. This bonus applies until the end of the current game. Bosses and Final Bosses may also give various other rewards, such as cards to add to your collection, as well as other surprises planned down the line.
[caption id="attachment_174" align="alignnone" width="2048"] The Bog Slave is a Boss Monster. He won't go down easily![/caption]
Wandering Monsters are free roaming monsters that make their way around the board until they get close enough to a homunculus or its minions - then attack, doing their best to wound or destroy any they can. There are several kinds of Wandering Monster per game board, and each are specific to their realm. The number of Wandering Monsters increases the more players there are per team.

Boss monsters are considerably stronger than Wandering Monsters and possess special abilities. Unlike their wandering counterparts, they do not change in number based on the number of players, rather they gain strength as their opposition becomes more numerous, forcing a team to work together to defeat them. The number of Bosses varies from board to board, but there is one of each kind available to each team on the field. Boss Monsters are generally not visible on the game board until they are drawn out from specific lairs, marked on the board by specific tiles.

Once a team defeats all of its Bosses, it may draw out a board’s Final Boss. Between its raw power and potent abilities, a Final Boss will take a considerable amount of effort to defeat, but unlike normal Bosses, there is but a single Final Boss per board. It is only once the Final Boss and all opposing homunculi have been defeated that a winner can be declared.
[caption id="attachment_175" align="alignnone" width="2048"] As a Final Boss, the Spawn of Fenris may take several players' concerted efforts to defeat.[/caption]
It is here a decision must be made. The Final Boss grants bonus dice as well, but only to the team that has defeated him first. However, any other rewards are split amongst any teams still on the board. This means you must find a way to handle both the powerful Final Boss, and any opponents that seek to defeat both it and you.

This confrontation is inevitable, but how will you handle it? Will you work together with your opponent to try to take the advantage before destroying them, or will you attempt to bring them down first to gain all the rewards? The choice, as they say, is yours.

A Game Like No Other

As previously mentioned on our facebook page, Visions of Zosimos is coming up on an Open Alpha Release! With that in mind, it’s more important than ever to showcase how truly unique this game really is! On the surface, Visions of Zosimos may seem like just another digital trading card game. This is far from accurate, despite the common elements that can be found.

The most obvious difference can be found in the game board. Unlike in other TCG’s, board positioning and tactics matter just as much as strategy in deck building or having powerful cards. Another element we borrow from board games is our use of various dice for attacking, defending, and playing cards.
[caption id="attachment_132" align="alignnone" width="584"]
Your struggle for the Afterlife will bring you into conflict with terrible foes.[/caption]
Even deck building has an additional layer of strategy differentiating it from standard TCG’s. In addition to the time-honored tradition of deck-building (choosing which cards will comprise your deck and strategy) we change the formula by allowing you to create and customize your homunculus, choosing different components to grant it different abilities and change its appearance.

There is even a bit of standard RPG structure to be found in this game. Players gain strength over time by playing, their wins and losses contributing to the overall power and variety their army. This advancement comes with numerous benefits, such as granting the ability to use more powerful components for your homunculus, deck building options and more!

These elements are already enough to make this experience unlike any other out there, but there are other interesting aspects to Visions of Zosimos. We also incorporate social elements found in MMORPG’s. As with any MMO endeavor, players are encouraged to form groups of up to three alchemists to take on challenges and foes within the Afterlife.
[caption id="attachment_133" align="alignnone" width="696"] You are not alone in your endeavor. Other students of Alchemy are there to support you.[/caption]
It is common for games to draw upon real world history or mythology for inspiration. We take that to a whole different level. Since the lore for this game is inextricably tied to real world lore, we go to great lengths to incorporate as much as we can from our world, even as we weave a narrative with our own elements. For some games finding a name from legend is sufficient; for us, it’s just the first step.

It is not all that unusual for a game to borrow elements from other games out there. However, the way the myriad elements of Visions of Zosimos interact leads to a one-of-a-kind experience with more depth than the sum of its parts might suggest. Even better, this combination is just what is planned for the upcoming Alpha; there is far more to come.

Interested in learning more about Visions of Zosimos? Join our facebook page and follow us on twitter for an invite to the alpha and more!