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Introduction of Concept: Attributes
🕑 Added 2025-05-10 00:00:03 +0000 UTC"Into the Depths" builds upon the solid deckbuilding framework established by Slay the Spire, adopting familiar mechanics like state effects (Vulnerable, Weak), Status cards(Wound, Dazed). However, during development, I have been thinking of how to create distinct gameplay through an weight management system that fundamentally alters gameplay strategy.
The Weight Mechanic: A Tactical Balancing Act
As an essential system in this weight-focused game, the mechanics follow intuitive logic: higher weight grants increased HP and defense (along with stomach capacity), but at the cost of reduced agility and gradual strength deterioration. Weight accumulation primarily stems from overeating, inspiring the foundation for five core attributes: Fullness, Strength, Resilience, Speed, and HP Max.
Characters begin each combat at 25% Fullness, which serves as the foundation for weight management. During battle, exceeding Fullness capacity or starving into negative values triggers immediate weight changes with HP penalties. After the combat, the net change in Fullness converts to permanent weight adjustments.
Strength functions identically to Slay the Spire's strength system. Resilience acts as strength's inverse - a global damage reduction (similar to Rod's effect) applied to both HP and Block.
As for Speed, it introduces an unconventional dynamic though its inclusion may seem controversial—after all, facing high-speed enemies creates unpredictability when they chain multiple actions in succession. As a compensation of weight slowing down your character, Resilience and HP Max are boosted. These defensive boosts ensure survivability despite fewer turns.
In terms of overall game design, the character's attributes maintain a dynamic balance with weight: both maximum HP and damage reduction (Resilience) increase steadily in a linear fashion as weight grows, while Speed decreases correspondingly in a consistent manner. The most distinctive aspect lies in the Strength - it initially rises with increasing weight, peaks at an optimal threshold, then begins to deteriorate beyond this point, eventually falling into negative values that simulate the physical degradation caused by extreme obesity.
