TORB

TORB is the ultimate game of physics-based swordplay! Like a puppet, the character's every move is tied to springs, joints and wheels that you trigger in simple, familiar ways to produce true free-form combat. Blades clash, slide and behave like real world physical objects!

There are no character animations in TORB.  The fight is happening immediately in a virtual, but physically-grounded world. Each fight, each swing, each individual collision is completely unique and can always surprise you!

MASTER THE CRYSTAL BLADE! MASTER THE TORB!

FEATURES:

- TRUE FREE-FORM COMBAT - Create your own techniques, styles and moves. Unique control system allows for first-time TORBers to jump in and  have fun while giving cagey, battle-tested masters endless depth and possibilities.

- VERSUS - UP TO 4 PLAYER LOCAL MULTIPLAYER (Teams or free-for-all) - Dynamic, lightning-fast chess matches where opponents must react to each each other in split second real-time.  Players look for actual, exploitable openings that dynamically emerge and then strike with zen-like immediacy. Great duels and team battles build to a fever pitch, and only mastery can determine the outcome!

- WAVES - UP TO 4 PLAYER CO-OP or SINGLE PLAYER - Face an ever-spawning Gorblyn army amid crumbling, crystal ruins.  Explore the map, use your grapple to open doors and you may find hidden companions!

- DEATHBOWL - UP TO 4 PLAYER CO-OP or SINGLE PLAYER - Unhinged Gorblyn hordes eternally hurl themselves at you, and only razor wits and sharp teamwork can save you from the onslaught!

- SANDBOX -UP TO 4 PLAYER CO-OP or SINGLE PLAYER - With your mouse, create your own combat scenarios. Place dummies to test moves, create meditative exercises against AI, or stage ENORMOUS, GAME CRASHING BATTLES!  

NOTES:

IMPORTANT NOTE! TORB is best played with a controller! It works with mouse/keyboard, but it has been designed for analog stick/trigger controllers.

TORB is a very old project that we have been playing with on and off for almost 6 years. We dusted it off for the FFS Jam because we knew it was special, but never quite got the shine and polish it deserved. Though a complete (and we think, pretty sweet!) game unto itself,  we wanted to give players access to more options than we had time to add in-game. So we've put an .ini file next to the .exe with some deeper options for the game :

- Hide UI

- Control Rumble Strength - Xbox One controllers are much newer than our game's engine version, so they behave a bit strangely. In particular, some have unusually strong rumble in TORB. Lower this value if it's too nuts.

- Music Volume - Did you know our music is dynamic? As AI enemies spawn, their theme mixes fluidly with the other enemies' themes, forming a SYMPHONY OF DEATH.

- Gravity Scale - This can get nuts, but go for it.

- Shield Recharge Time - Turning this down really changes the game.

- Total Bops to win Free For All - Changes the target number of bops needed to win a TORBmatch when its every TORB for itself.

- Total Bops to win Free For All - Changes the target number of bops needed to win a TORBmatch when its TeamTORBs time. There I said it.

KNOWN ISSUES:

- KNOWN UNKNOWNS - TORB is an old project with lots of experimenting and tinkering under its hood. When you make a game about a crystal dimension of infinite, unique sword battles, you pay for it with some mysteries.  To be honest, we don't really know all the crazy stuff that can happen in TORB. Its never lived out in the wild, so be prepared for some unpredictable things. Its a weird little game, but it loves to be played and its can always surprise you!

- STARTUP - Its so weird how it takes so long to get to that unity splash screen. Sorry.

- WEAPONS - The game is currently balanced for the main weapon, the CRYSTAL BLADE! However, you can try out some alternate weapons we have made over the years in SANDBOX mode. THESE WEAPONS ARE NOT AT ALL BALANCED AGAINST EACH OTHER.

- WAVES - That map is big, but it was made in less than a month, so sometimes enemies get stuck in strange crevasses! This is lousy because then you can't end the wave and you have to restart. Sorry, it bothers us too.

- WAVES - Sometimes a buddy gets stuck on a wall. If you've played waves, YOU'LL KNOW WHO WE MEAN. Use your grapple to un-stick them.

- WAVES (sigh) - Sometimes the gates are a bit hard to open. They are completely physical contraptions so they can be a bit unpredictable.

CREDITS

TORB created by Adrian Lopez-Mobilia and Jason Rosenstock

Music by Gabe Lopez-Mobilia

Massive 'THANK YOU' to everyone who  encouraged us to keep working on TORB. Its a little game, but to us, its a really huge, personal project. Thank you for understanding that and helping to keep the TORB alive! 

TORB heroes include:

Alex Thomas, Rusty Moyer, Julia Lopez-Mobilia, Evelyn Cecilia Lopez-Mobilia, Karina Bonin, Stephen Foster, Ali Chenitz , Michael  Elder, Jeffrey Visgaitis, Nathan Swaney and anyone else who got roped into late night playtests over the years!

Special shout out to Nick Stohlman, Cameron Newman,  Michael Garcia and the rest of the TORB enclave at Avalanche for lunchTORBING and pushing TORB to its limits!