Dawnspire: Prelude

Dawnspire is a PvP focused action game set in the fantasy world Alendere. The game is played in 3rd person with controls similar to Diablo, relying on the mouse and a number of optional keyboard shortcut to control your character, the preferred method of playing being Point and Click.

The game features six different classes, each with a unique skill set of about 10 different skills, each skill has 12 levels. There are no character levels, instead each character starts out with 50 skill points which are spent to determine your “build”. The game features two game modes: Relic Conquest and Domination, played on twelve different maps.

Game Modes

The primary mode is Relic Conquest which has some similarities to the popular CTF game mode found in most FPS:s. In Relic Conquest you have to move three Relics to your teams home base, at any time a relic can however be picked up by the other team making defense crucial. Each relic has a unique effect associated with it that affects the carrier and those around it while active (when carried or on ground, but not captured).

The second mode is a classic Domination variant which rewards points for controlling control points on the map, controlling a control point also yields a bonus (increased speed, damage etc) to the team which controls it which increases over time until the point is lost, each of the four points have a specific bonus attached to it allowing you to strategically use their effects in play.

Classes

Prowler

A ranged class focusing on scouting and ranged damage, also as an animal companion that can be summoned to harass enemies that is especially useful against magic users.

Reaver

The Reaver is a high DPS melee class with telekinetic abilities allowing for short term stuns and holds and the ever useful Sprint for fast in and out attacks and hunting down enemies.

Seeker

Seekers are a tank class with access to a wide array of traps and some nifty explosives. They also sport a shield and the Taunt ability allowing them to keep an enemy occupied while the rest of the team takes the enemy down.

Shadowblade

Stealthy assassin class which can turn invisible for a short time, can also teleport, as a dodge ability which avoids most attacks and can backstab for massive damage.

Templar

Slower moving warrior class with healing abilities and auras. A core part of any team, can cure various afflictions, heal and resurrect allies, or alternatively be a devastating melee fighter using a magical blade.

Witch

Caster class with crowd control abilities, useful for locking the enemies in place, has Displace which allows the witch to swap places with an enemy, Plague of Weakness which can debilitate an entire team, and Nether Gate which allows for fast troop movements.

Awards

Dawnspire won the Swedish Game Awards first price in the PC category in 2006. It also took home the best multiplayer game award from independent games portal GameTunnel in 2006.

Development

Dawnspire was largely developed on a hobbyist basis by a team of five guys from Stockholm Sweden which late in the development formed Silent Grove Studios AB. The team consisted of one programmer, one level designer, one character designer, one audio designer and one effects designer and manager.