IHeartPie
Halloweed
Hi! Some of you probably at the very least heard parts of this, but overall, I'd like to see some major changes to turn the arcade mode into a full roguelite mode.
The aims for these changes are:
First, let's talk about what doesn't work (in my opinion) right now.
Phew, okay, I think that's all for now. Please be gentle when you rip it apart.
The aims for these changes are:
- Increase run-by-run variety
- Decrease run time
- Increase build variety
- Decrease difficulty of entry for players
- Increase "addictiveness"
First, let's talk about what doesn't work (in my opinion) right now.
- Runs are largely the same - you know largely which bosses will show up where, you know roughly how powerful you are at any point in the game, you know what build you're going in with, you know what build you'll end up with. There isn't enough changes on a run-by-run basis to really feel like the next run will be different. One may argue that this is good for challenging yourself and practicing, but I'd argue back that randomization isn't necessary for that. You can be given all the items you need instead of getting random items for example (if you want to practice without them, don't equip them). I think randomization was added to give variety between runs, and currently, the variety isn't high enough in my opinion.
- Runs are too long. It was fine when the end floor was the fortress, it got a bit long with seasonne temple, now it's too long with tai ming (and when the next section is added, it'll be way wayyy too long). We need to shorten runs to increase variety between runs and prevent constantly running into the same bosses (hello pumpking and halloweed for the billionth time).
- Build variety needs increase. While some may argue that some skills need nerfs and buffs, I think rather than spending forever nerfing the minutia of every skill to be fully balanced (which is a never ending process - just look at league of legends), we should focus on encouraging the other builds. While score decreases on "OP" skills is a good stop gap for pro-score chasing play, the vanilla users will just abuse it and find the game boring.
- New players find the game too hard. The steam forums have a lot of posts from people talking about how the game is hard and they don't feel like they are progressing. Decreasing floor length and increasing randomization will make them feel like they are making more progress while trying something new.
- The addictiveness gameplay of roguelites could be improved. In roguelites, you want to boot up another game because you want to see what you get this time. How will your run change? What interesting things are you going to see? Currently, the answer to that is... different challenge rooms... and that's pretty much it. You get similar items, similar bosses, similar enemy rooms, the same skill build, etc. Unless I force myself to do a different build, there really isn't much variety run-by-run.
- Do away with the current skill system. It works for story, not so much for a roguelite. In binding of Isaac for example, you start a run the same as everyone else, but you never end a run the same. Do you fire exploding mortars x 4? Do you shoot homing lasers? Does your damage revolve around your companions instead? Who knows! That's part of the fun of roguelites - your skill carries over so you know how to generally deal with enemies and bosses, but the way you deal damage changes. We have the unique skills already, we just don't have the randomization. So how do we fix it?
- Change it to a charge-level pick up for skills. You go into a chest room in pillar mountains, in it you find... Summon plants. Now you can use bronze charge. You actively groan, but you press on, largely relying on your trusty sword to carry you to the next item room. Luckily, you find a shrine room in the next floor that gives you another summon plant skill. This bumps it up to silver charge! Which is fantastic, especially this early on! See how a run can start off blank, but each pick up can change the mood of a run? That's part of the excitement of a roguelite, and it's something pre-set builds cannot provide. It creates a sense of "what am I going to get next run? Let's find out!". It also makes new players who die feel like "Oh, I would've done better if I got silver charge of shadow clone instead. Oh well."
- Reduce the floors for each section to 1. We don't particularly need 2 floors per section anymore. The runs are long enough as it is. The floors themselves are a bit short, however, so we should also increase the floor sizes by ~50%. That way, there's more decision making to be made about "here's the boss, but do I explore more and risk taking damage or should I rush the boss now and keep going?". Decisions like that are missing in the current version.
- Remove the leaderboard. I know, blasphemous right? But in it's current state, the leaderboard isn't really serving it's full purpose of comparing equal runs. After all, one person can have a better run than another but because RNG gave them a few less mobs, they get less score. The whole idea of "this skill is OP so we reduce the score you get for it" also feels real bad, same with "you suck? Use these bonuses for a score decrease". I feel like scores should be balanced based on equal runs which brings us to...
- Two new modes: Seeded dailies and Pre-set challenges. Seeded dailies are something most other roguelites have. It's a way to bring players back on a day by day basis and a way to let the skilled players show off. How it works is that you get 1 try at it, that's it. You get as far as you can on the same run that everyone else gets. If you're getting a dodging strike build with provoke, and you hate it, just know that everyone else got that too and if you play well, you'd still be ranked at the top. Preset challenges are things like "Bow Only - You get infinite arrows but no skills or weapons", "Mega-swing, you get a huge but slow two-handed weapon" or "Curses - All curses are active, good luck". You will get a random run every time, but you are set with whatever the challenge dictates. One mode could also be a "I want to pick my build mode" for those who want that. Overall, this should satisfy a lot of people looking to keep the competitiveness or the build-crafting aspect of the game mode.
- Remove muffins and candies and make them a part of the randomization. Because most gamers are stubborn and probably won't pick up muffins while candies are only for those whom are score chasing. Both don't really cater to the general "I just want to play the game" model of roguelites. They should be nice and simple where you just hop in and play and get a good experience rather than spending time deciding what muffins or candies to take. If each floor has a 33% chance for some kind of muffin blessing, 33% change of nothing and 33% chance of a candy curse, that makes runs more interesting and varied.
- Add in secret rooms. Part of the issue with the current room structure is that there isn't anything to "discover". You know what room you're going into, you know that when you've explored a floor, that's it. Secret rooms that are discovered using unique methods would make the exploration (especially for those who're more experienced) more satisfying. Getting a boar to rush a stone? Shooting an arrow at a statue? We already have a lot of these mechanics in story, it would be cool if they are added to arcade as well. Maybe even some arcade specific ones like finding a golden ghost or hit moving targets (archery challenge).
- Change the card system. This probably warrants a post on it's own but I have problems with the current card system not making *enough* of an impact. I'm specialized into a melee build and get a lantern jack card? Whoop dee doo, matk, great. I'd prefer it if it actually have things to completely change the way you play. For example, boar card makes it so as you move in one direction, you increase in speed. Or bloomo card lets you "root yourself" by standing still and it increases your attack damage. Another change to the system is that you'll be limited to choosing X amount of cards based on how many cards you have in total (just to keep with the motif that you want as many cards as possible even if the card doesn't help with your build). This makes it so that it's more exciting to pick up any card, regardless of whether it's something you use.
- Make talents a pick up as well. Picking up a +physical attack early will definitely change your mentality on what you go upcoming. Same with if you get some arrow talent upgrades. Lets the devs add in new talents that are arcade specific as well.
- Do away with... items? Not entirely sure about this, but if talents can essentially replace the stat increase of items and cards can do away with the special effects of items... items are kind of pointless, haha. We can still keep them in of course as additional stat increases (kind of like trinkets in Binding of Isaac - swappable items that gives bonuses).
- Increase shop, loot, challenge room rewards, shrine variety. Less of an optional thing, but essentially with cards, talents, skills and items, the reward variety for these can become a lot more varied, which in turns changes up your runs by a lot.
- This is going to take too long! Probably the most reasonable complaint and I completely agree. This is how we take Grindea arcade mode from an okay mode to an AMAZING game in my opinion. It's absolutely going to take time, but I think if any dev is willing to take time to make an amazing product, it's the Pixel Ferrets (no pressure).
- Some bosses like gund4m are going to be OP while phaseman is easy. If I get gund4m, I'm so unlucky! Yep. That's the point. Even Isaac have harder and easier bosses (Haunt and pin are both 1st level bosses but Haunt is infinitely harder than pin.) If you get a hard boss, just tough through it, you Hercules! Outside of that, easier bosses can be buffed, hard bosses can be nerfed. Keep in mind that you will some times luck out and get great items as well, which could make hard bosses a breeze.
- This is going to be a balancing nightmare! Well, yes and no. These items don't have to be 100% balanced. The bean in Isaac for example, is actually completely useless. But it's in the game. If I see it, I groan but I move on. Toughing it out to see what else I can get this run. So if I see dodging strike? I'll just keep moving, hoping the next item isn't dodging strike silver charge. You don't have to perfectly make each skill viable - just viable enough that it's not completely useless. The balance comes from bosses not being too much of a cakewalk/nightmare.
- Beating the game is going to be so easy with short floors. People will just beat it and leave! I've beaten Isaac. I haven't left. Why? Because I want to see what the next run holds. (Also, more items unlock when you beat it as different characters, but that's a whole other thing)
Phew, okay, I think that's all for now. Please be gentle when you rip it apart.
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