Independent studio Sinister Design is working on a Fire Emblem-inspired strategy game, Telepath Tactics, with a robust modding system, which will allow players to create custom campaigns, build bridges, alter the environment and make their own maps.
Developer Craig Stern told Polygon that he was inspired by Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and really wanted to make a game that merged elements like the ability to shove people around and throw them (à la Super Smash Bros.) and destructible environments like the ones found in XCOM.
The result is a tactical, turn-based role-playing game for Windows, Mac and Linux where, in addition to strategically positioning your army and taking them into battle, players can build bridges and barricades, create new routes around the battlefield and push their enemies into environmental hazards.
"Most battles are your standard destroy every enemy on the battlefield deal, but the game's local multiplayer has different game modes now," Stern told Polygon. "There's your standard destroy everyone mode, there's capture the flag mode, which is like in Unreal Tournament where you try to capture your enemy's flag and bring it back to your base, and there's a third mode called Generals, where you're trying to protect your own general while sniping at the opponent's general."
There are also different permutations in multiplayer — players can customize how their armies are set up, they can force identical armies on all players and they can have randomize armies.
"You can create multiplayer maps that have custom objectives, too," Stern said. "One of the script actions is you can end the battle and declare someone a winner. So you can get to the switch to open the door to get an item, and whoever does that first wins. There are a million different things you can do."
