Game Dev Log #3 - Design Pillars!

Hello everyone!

We're rapidly approaching the point where the demo will be in a stable state and ready to test out! However, before that, I wanted to take a moment to explain the core design pillars for the game. 

Of course, I'll end this dev log with a teaser for Keri's archetype as an assassin. 

Stay tuned!

Before we get into the thick of it, let's start by listing the three pillars that prop the project up : Exploration, Replayability and an overall Holistic Approach to gameplay. 

Exploration 

Exploration? In a SRPG? 

Yep! I'm working on establishing some kind of "korok seed" approach to map events where you see some special tiles on the map and are incentivized to examine them to unlock secret cutscenes, rewards, etc. 

The goal here is to make the world feel more alive and engaging.

For instance, a character returning to his home village could yield a unique reward that, if another character were to visit that same village, would've been more generic. 

Or maybe putting two characters who struggle to get along near each other during a tense moment could result in them lashing out at each other in the middle of the battle. 

This concept is pretty much limitless and I plan on adding more events and secrets to existing maps during the game's development, so I highly encourage you all to mess around! 

Replayability

Throughout the game, you'll be invited to make some decisions and alter the flow of history! These decisions could have gameplay repercussions of various scales depending on the situation!

As characters interact, they'll train together, teach each other techniques, trade trinkets with various effects. A Nayeli who's trained alongside Keri will be more prone to swift attacks, but a Nayeli who's been practicing with Quidel might learn some uniquely powerful lance moves. 

There are also various Skill Scrolls containing unique passive skills that can be taught to any characters, drastically altering their skills in combat. 

The goal here is to make sure that your playthrough is truly uniquely yours and the tools you're given in-game are aligned with your decisions. 

Holistic Approach

Most SRPGs have the battles take place on a seemingly separate world than the story and character interactions.  

Choices made during battle will have repercussions outside of battle and vice versa. Bringing a character in battle against old friends could unlock unique interactions after the fact exploring their feelings about the battle (and possibly stronger bonds with their current allies would be forged by this encounter) 

On the other hand, failing to de-escalate a tense situation outside of battle could lead to a more difficult encounter on the next chapter. 

These are the three pillars that are always on the back of my mind as I'm working on this game. I already implemented quite a few of these elements in-game and will definitely add more as development progresses. 

Keri, the Dark Elf Blade

Keri, in some ways, is quite similar to the Thief MC, but quite different in others. Instead of getting a self refresh, she instead has an extra move point and has a built in 'canto' effect where she can use her unused movement after most actions. 

She's also less reliable as a debuff character and more geared towards cleaning up the battlefield since she possesses an Assassinate combat art, which grants extra attacks on weakened foes.

She has a slightly higher Str stat than the Thief MC, which allows her multi hitting daggers to scale up surprisingly well. Paired with her high Res, she can dispatch of mages with ease.

Her unique skills are pretty unique and favor some kind of high risk, high reward playstyle for her. She gains extra critical hit rate when low on hp and later learns a passive skill called Daredevil, which gives her +1 Mov at the start of her turn if she is near enemies (lasts one turn). 

Finally, as a Rogue, she gets to use various items like Smoke Bombs, Flash Bangs, etc. to give her and her allies the upper hand in battle. 

All in all, she's the kind of unit who works best when working away from your main team while taking calculated risks, which embodies Keri's vibe quite well! 

Alright, back to the Dev Cave for me. I'll be back with some more art and a demo real soon!
See you then!
GK