When reviewing 1.0, we tried to evaluate what worked best and what missed the mark. Crafting had a clear progression system. This kept a good number of our players engaged. Crafting also naturally encouraged collaboration - having players exchange ingredients and recipe knowledge, or have your friend craft something for you. Combat, on the other hand, was fairly confusing and never hit the mark we hoped for. In 2.0, we are aiming to make combat a more rewarding experience. I will try to unpack all our planned features below, but in essence, players will select one of three classes and go discover the world through its lens. This will hopefully lead to a collaborative combat style. The world will be divided into regions, with each region having a clearly associated damage type. This means you will need to train yourself in a specific weapon and armor in order to deal damage there. Our aim is to let players grow their character, but still keep old content relevant if they decide to go to a familiar region with their friends. World Regions & Damage Types The world is now divided into 4 regions: Elpida, Mining Village, The Highlands, and The Underground. Each region will have different types of monsters, which will deal that region's damage type (Slashing, Blunt, Piercing, and Poison). Each region will also have its associated weapons and armor, which you will need in order to deal damage there. This means you will need to train your combat discipline to "unlock" the required equipment for the higher tier regions (more on progression below). Each region will be further divided into ~4-6 areas of increasing difficulty. For example, Elpida, your first region, will have the slashing damage type and is divided into Elpida City, Elpidan Woods, Elpidan Ruins, Old Fort, and Elpidan Lowlands. While the city poses no threat (besides an evil chicken overlord), the Old Fort is a dungeon inhabited by the wolf king and is much more difficult. A player will gradually progress through the easier areas, unlocking gear and ingredients to craft better weapons before they take on the stronger beasts. If you dare though, nothing is stopping you from taking a friend straight to the Elpidan Lowlands right off the boat - as long as they have unlocked a region's most basic weapon, you can in theory try to defeat its strongest boss. Once you progress through an entire region, you will unlock the lowest tier equipment for a new damage type, sending you into a new region. The major benefit of this system is that a veteran player may be capable of fighting in all regions, but even Elpida will still pose some challenge - progressing through the Underground (poison damage) doesn't make you any stronger in Elpida (slashing damage). Combat Specializations Like crafting, combat will let you choose a specialization. There are 3 to choose from: Temple of Phaedron (damage dealing), Temple of Ignarus (protection), Temple of Marventa (healing). Once you initially select a temple, you will gain access to equipment supporting its playstyle. For Phaedron, it is quick, high damage dealing weapons. For Ignarus, it is a range of shields. For the followers of Marventa, it is the ability to heal and remove negative effects. All players will still be able to do any type of damage, allowing you to progress through the world alone if you prefer. But a group of 3 balanced players should let you overcome the most difficult content much easier. A specialization is tied to a specific temple, with a unique storyline that lets you uncover thematic lore. Besides combat equipment (like bandages or spears), specializations also unlock new ways of interacting with your surroundings. For example, Phaedron will let you lockpick certain chests, and Marventa will let you speak to animals. Combat Progression For 2.0, we are aiming for 3 specializations, with 16 unlockable tiers each (4 tiers for 4 regions). They are unlocked linearly, by a combination of hunting and completing quests. There will be a storyline to guide you through the whole process. To get a promotion you will: hunt monsters in an area for trophies complete one or multiple dynamic quests (more on those in a separate post) complete the dialogue with your trainer to request a promotion. Once you promote 4 times, you will then be sent to a new region with 4 promotions as well. Throughout the whole process (1-4), you will have the ability to access an Expedition - a randomly generated dungeon that is changing on a daily basis (more on this also in a separate post). Status Effects Finally, to keep the combat interesting, certain enemies will have special skills that apply status effects. These are negative things that affect your character - from blurred vision to reduced damage or the inability to move. You will start encountering them towards the end of the first region (blindless). As you delve into the more advanced regions, monsters will be able to apply multiple effects at once (we are aiming for 7 total negative effects for 2.0). Don't worry though, these effects will expire over time. And better yet, those who selected the Temple of Marventa as their specialization will have access to equipment like eye drops, which help their friends get rid of blindness instantly.
