SAECULUM
Blood Oaths. Political Intrigue. Exile. Conspiracy. Assassination.
The history of Rome through the eyes of its people.
In ancient Rome, a saeculum was a measurement of time that approximated the length of a person's lifespan. Our game, an educational work designed to teach students about the history of Rome, is played from the perspectives of four members of the historical Fulvii family, each from a separate generation. Thus, each gameplay arc is played from a different saeculum where players will meet with important figures and witness key events as the story of Rome itself unfolds before their eyes.
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Offered as part of an online course at the University of Arkansas, Saeculum is played by actual students that receive course credit for completing the game. It is accompanied by lectures and writing assignments that have players make connections between gameplay and Roman history.
The main gameplay of Saeculum revolves around the management of virtues and resources to overcome various types of encounters in order to proceed through the narrative. In one situation, the player may find themself ambushed by thieves in a dark alleyway and will have to fend them off in first-person combat. In another scenario, the player may have to argue with a demagogue using a card-style debate system in order to sway the masses to their side. The player will also acquire clients that can be sent on missions on the player's behalf.
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As the player progresses, they will develop their virtues, such as gravitas or pietas. These will unlock extra abilities that align with Roman beliefs about those virtues. For example, a player specializing in fides (which emphasizes client relations) will empower bodyguard clients that join the player as part of their entourage.
My role was Lead Software Engineer, where my primary responsibilities were to design the overarching software architecture, mentor and assign programming tasks to student interns, and ensure the game was in working order. As an episodic game, I was in charge of maintaining functionality and updating systems in response to new feature requests and player feedback over the course of the semester.
I was also responsible for the development of the majority of the game systems. Here is a list of the major systems I worked on:
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Player Controller
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Dialogue and Cutscenes (over 8,000 lines of voice recording)
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User Interface and Pause Menu
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Virtues and Talents
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Catena (social relationship system)
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Combat
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Debate
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Stealth
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Opes ("routing" minigame)
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State Machine and Behavior Tree AIs
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Maps
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Codex
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Level Serialization and Loading
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Cloud Save System
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Launcher and Binary Diff Patching
The sections below briefly describe each arc of the game and are accompanied by relevant screenshots. Please note that the fourth arc is an extra section being developed for the Spring 2017 semester and is still in development.
The Threat of Hannibal
218-201 BCE
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Despite objections from his father, Titus Fulvius Flaccus decides to follow the command of Scipio Africanus during the Punic Wars. By the end of the campaign, Titus witnesses Hannibal's defeat and becomes a hero in his own right. As Carthage falls, Rome begins to rise as a major power.
The nexus of democracy in the Roman Republic.
Defeat the Carthaginians in the final battle of the Second Punic War.
Famed Roman military leader Scipio Africanus learns of his father's death.
The nexus of democracy in the Roman Republic.
Civil Conflict
145-121 BCE
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Marcus Fulvius Flaccus is an expert politician. When the Gracchi brothers begin making waves through land reform, Marcus decides to ally with them and help realize their vision of a more fair and equal Rome. However, the wealthy have powerful allies and will fight Marcus using every means necessary...
As consul, Marcus debates with a powerful opposition party, the optimates.
Navigate a conversation with influential politicians over a Roman dinner.
Marcus can only succeed by giving political favors and gaining support.
As consul, Marcus debates with a powerful opposition party, the optimates.
The Augustan Revolution
17-9 BCE
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With the rest of her family in exile, Terentia is alone. Fearing that she might one day become a threat to his reign, Emperor Augustus places Terentia in the Vestal Virgins. Despite losing direct political power, Terentia leverages her religious influence as she vows to one day return her family to glory and exact revenge on Augustus.
Terentia learns the hard way how to survive politics in Rome.
Terentia debates with a Roman soldier in order to free his abused slave.
Just outside the Circus Flaminius, the Theatre of Marcellus stands.
Terentia learns the hard way how to survive politics in Rome.
Greatness of Rome
115-137 CE
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Gaius Fulvius Pius runs a powerful business in the port city of Ostia, but soon becomes caught up in Emperor Hadrian's schemes. Acting as a spy for the Roman Empire, Gaius must decide who to trust and learn how to lie.
COMING SOON
Spring 2017