Umarius
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Combat Rework Poll 2
🕑 Added 2025-02-11 18:21:35 +0000 UTCSo, now that the first poll concluded in reworking combat for V0.4.0, this poll will determine how I should approach said rework.
As I've said before, a combat rework won't be too drastic, only making changes that would benefit the game as a whole, while keeping combat as a side mechanic that supports the story being told in the game. That being said, there are two main ways I can approach this rework.
The first way, is the minimalistic rework.
Since over 40% of the first poll didn't think a rework was needed, and I know a few that voted for the rework only think slight adjustments need to be made, this option is just that: slight adjustments. In the minimalistic approach, I would only be making changes to damage numbers, XP gain numbers, health numbers, etc. This way would just simply be changing the numbers of things, while leaving the core of how combat plays the same.
The second option, is a full rework.
A full rework would adjust the same numbers as a minimalistic, but go a bit more in-depth. In addition to the numbers being changed, the classes of party members and the MC as a whole would also be more refined. Skills would be added, removed, and switched between party members. Each party member would have a clearly defined role, with skills to give all party members a use in combat. Enemies would also be reworked in a similar way as well. Now, while the vast majority of combat encounters you will likely have will still be easy and quick under this type of rework (i.e., I won't make the new dark lord at the height of his power struggle to kill a human rebel in one hit), the boss and special enemy encounters in the game would be where this system would shine. Since fights like boss fights, group enemy fights, and special enemy encounters already last long enough for you to use your party members' attacks a few times, a full rework would make these fights a bit more engaging/interesting than simply holding down the enter button for a minute or two. These fights would likely be quicker than they are now with proper use of party members under this system.
Once this poll closes, I'll be accepting suggestions and feedback about the winning option of the poll, and start considering each suggestion for the future rework. If a suggestion or idea is particularly interesting and/or impactful, I might put out a poll for said suggestion to see if that's something people want.
There is also one more thing that I'll mention both here, and in next week's development update. In order to ensure that the rework is the best it can be, and something I only need to do once, I am considering looking for people to playtest the combat rework as I develop V0.4.0. whenever I begin it's development. This is something that would only be for V0.4.0, and the content they would have access to would only cover content already in the game at the time of V0.4.0's development, so these play testers wouldn't be seeing new corruption routes before anyone else (new content like that wouldn't even be in the game as they playtest, since I would be working from the start of the game, to the end of content before V0.4.0 like I'm doing with V0.3.0's development), just testing and providing feedback for how the game's existing content functions with the new combat systems. The current combat system is a result of me not having anyone to provide feedback before I released the game for the first time, and I would like to avoid that mistake again if possible.
If I do decide that playtesters are needed, I would prioritize volunteers who have been regularly active in the discord (as that's the easiest location to provide test builds, and get feedback and conversations with other testers) by the time of V0.4.0's development starting. I would also prefer to have enough testers that think a rework is needed, and testers that don't think a rework is needed so I can ensure that I wouldn't be getting too much of the same feedback, and potentially getting tunnel vision on the wrong things the rework should have.
Remember, V0.4.0's development is still a long time away from happening, and I'm still only considering this getting playtesters at the moment. There's still plenty of time for this to change, but I thought it would be best to put this idea out now and see people's opinions, rather than just before V0.4.0's development.
As usual, I will be combining patreon and subscribestar poll results for the final vote count.
Comments
Fulminato
strongly agree. changing only the numbers mean change nothing.
A. H. W.
It doesn't relate as much to the actual combat mechanics, but having notable enemies you fight talk more during the fights would probably help. Even if it's just "After Boss loses 50% HP, they say 'I won't give up that easily!", something like that might help blend the combat and the story a bit more. It should feel like the player is fighting Edar or Erina specifically as opposed to a spreadsheet of numbers behind a sprite.
Dialkaso
idc about the numbers, what i realy want is that i can either take all companions for fights or choose 3 in the Castle. The first would be cooler but would look like i throw a zoo at my enemys instead of fighting myself. while the latter will not show any power increase instead just new Companions and if that is the Case there WILL be better and worse characters, maybe sometimes you are even forced to play with one and throw one you like more out. tbh i skipped through the combat because it wasnt interesting but that was no issue as that wasnt what the game is about. i shouldnt struggle killing slime no. 2894. Bossfights do sound interesting, but i think they would be better if i have to play minigames. Combat in this type of game was never interesting imo
Mythloon
A simplistic rework that would only adjust numbers would, in my opinion, negate the entire purpose of doing a combat rework in the first place. As I mentioned in the discord and like you said in a previous post. The combat in this game should serve to help accentuate and support the actual story. Primarily through making important bosses feel strong and giving them moves and abilities to reflect their power in the story. And in that same vein, a combat update would help make your party members toolkits better reflect their powers in the story, making them feel more like an active force. Not to mention as well a combat update would help open up the possibilities of doing things like, giving The Dark Lord new abilities in correspondence with his power ups in the story. The ability to acquire new useful gear though progression. And so on, and so forth.
Buez
Didn't think the rework was needed, but if you're going for it do it big I say.
