Energy



The spaceship’s Crystal provides energy to the rooms and powers the modules.

The energy gauge is the Dust stocked by the player.

One floor (= 10 Dust :dust is used for each room powered, and the remaining energy powers the Crystal’s shield.







If the HP of the Crystal’s shield is empty, one random room is disabled. If there is no more room to disable, the Crystal is destroyed and the game is over.



Here are some situations:







Moving the Crystal[/COLOR]



The player can decide to use a hero to take the Crystal off from its slot. Then all the rooms are unpowered, the hero can’t fight, and the Crystal does no longer have a shield and is therefore very fragile. The hero can only put the Crystal on its slot in the first room or on the slot of the exit to finish the level.



Series connections[/COLOR]



The rooms are connected serially; if one room is disabled, the entire branch is disabled too. By creating loops, the player avoids this problem.

1- All powered





2- No loop: branch disabled





3- Loop: one room disabled1

Module



They are one of the key elements of the game.

There are two types of modules:

• Major module:
  
  
  • 0-1 slot by room
  • Large central slot
  • Operable
  • Target the entire dungeon
  • 5 levels
    
    
• Minor module:
  
  
  • 1-6 slots by room
  • Discrete, non-solid
  • Non-operable
  • Target the room only
  • 3 levels
  • Divided into 3 categories:
    
    
    • Offensive: attacks the monsters in the room
    • Support: gives bonuses to heroes in the room (+defense, +offense, +speed…)
    • Debuff: gives penalties to monsters in the room (blindness, slow down…)
      
      
    
    
    
  
  
  

Each module has a specific effect such as:

• Producing one of the resources (FIS :food
• Attacking mobs, applying penalties to their states
• Adding gameplay options (healing heroes, seeing activity…)
• Adding a passive effect (+20% HP on heroes, +5% Dust production…)
• 
  
  

Moreover, each module has the following properties:

• A cost in Industry to build
• A level (from 1 to X) that defines the strength of their effect
• A cost in Science to upgrade
• Health Points: if they reach 0, the module is destroyed. The player can’t repair it and the slot is once again available for construction.
  
  

Each module can be:

• Upgraded by using Science
• Removed (no resources recovery)
• Repaired (without cost, only time)
  
  

If a hero is sent into a room with a major module and nothing else to do (like fight monster, repair module…), he operates the module to improve its effect. The boost may increase over several turns as long as there is no interruption.







VIP's Feedback

This game design document has been shown to the VIP. At the end of each topic, we will add a little summary of the fruitful discussions.

• We clarified the energy gauge by adding the examples of situations (the second image)
• We confirmed that all the rooms cost 10 to be powered, to keep it simple
• We clarified that the minor module slots aren't preset for support / attack / debuff
• We discussed Dust and Energy. To conclude, Dust isn't really Energy, but is used to improve the generator: it is not consumed
• They suggested we add the possibility to move some modules, for example with a skill and we like the idea!
  
  

Well, I was not sure what to expect, but I think this might work out better than I thought.



Nice and neat display of Energy/Rooms.

Is there a fix number of rooms per level? if you unpower a room would your characters remember what was in the room. I mean if the explored the room left and un powered it they would remember what was in there?



DarkMeph

DarkMeph wrote:
Is there a fix number of rooms per level? if you unpower a room would your characters remember what was in the room. I mean if the explored the room left and un powered it they would remember what was in there?



DarkMeph

The room won't change, you can see it but its not illuminated, therefore you can see the stuff in the room but not any deadly creatures. I think that answers one of your questions.

I think I understood the Dust/Energy system :

The Dust is never used, it accumulates, improving the Crystal power. More there are rooms, more the Crystal is fragile, as the Energy is the Crystal's "life". If the Crystal is attacked, we lose some Dust. Then if we don't have any Dust anymore the game is over.



Am I correct ? Then to buy an item or a skill we have to pump into the Crystal capabilities ?



And, I didn't understand a thing :

Mysterarts wrote:


Health Points: if they reach 0, the module is destroyed and deactivated. It has to be repaired to be activated again.

[...]

When a module is destroyed by the monsters, the player can’t repair it and the slot is once again available for construction.

What is the difference ?

Doshaburi wrote:
What is the difference ?

I think the possibility to change the module - normal destroy : repair; destroyed by monsters: build a new one (same or different one)

@DarkMeph



Currently, we have a fixed number of rooms by level but it will certainly change soon.

As InFlamesWeTrust said, you can only see the environment in "unoccupied" rooms (see GDD 4).



@Doshaburi



You are correct about Dust / Energy

To buy an item, you have indeed to pick in your stash of Dust and consequently in the Crystal capacity.

We were just talking about this yesterday and again, we're not sure if we will keep it that way ^^

It's interesting for us to use Dust as a currency (background, control of the amount etc...) and that creates a strong dilemma on the use of this resource.

But on the other hand, the player doesn't control enough of its Dust gain and it's not really compatible with the "unconsumed" use of Dust for energy.



And for the destroyed modules: it's my fault! I corrected that, thanks.

Mysterarts wrote:
@DarkMeph



Currently, we have a fixed number of rooms by level but it will certainly change soon.

As InFlamesWeTrust said, you can only see the environment in "unoccupied" rooms (see GDD 4).



@Doshaburi



You are correct about Dust / Energy

To buy an item, you have indeed to pick in your stash of Dust and consequently in the Crystal capacity.

We were just talking about this yesterday and again, we're not sure if we will keep it that way ^^

It's interesting for us to use Dust as a currency (background, control of the amount etc...) and that creates a strong dilemma on the use of this resource.

But on the other hand, the player doesn't control enough of its Dust gain and it's not really compatible with the "unconsumed" use of Dust for energy.



And for the destroyed modules: it's my fault! I corrected that, thanks.

Thanks for the info, this will be challenging

I'm liking the sound of this Dust/Energy interaction.

I would prefer to have an 'upgrade' mechanic where dust would be spent.



If I upgrade my crystal, it gains one energy slot, dust is deduced. If I purchase equipment, dust is deduced. If I use a skill, dust is deduced. Still has the choice dilemma, but also allows the player to max out the crystal.

I don't know if this is the place to post but i have an idea for a new major module.



It's an offensive module who fill the room with an uninterrupted fire when an ennemy come in the room.



This module is like the HUD module or the module who give food/science etc: you can just have one of them by room.



To counterbalance the power of this module, he makes damage to the heroes to, and if gollem go to the room, they can easily destroy the module if it's not protected by minor module (or something like that).





You can also add to the game different type of damage (fire, electricity, poison etc) to increase the tactical organization of the rooms:



units like gollem or robots (new monster?) don't fear poison, but are weak to electricity, insect mob fear fire etc





Otherwise, the machin gun new module is cool but the damages doesn't counterbalance the malus of overheating in my opinion.



Thanks for your job, this is a wonderfull game and i hope i give you some ideas to explore