October Development Update - Portal Objectives, Health Orbs, Shopping and Consumables, Quests

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Progress Update

Hello, and Happy Halloween!

My strategy for writing these updates has changed, and is reflected by the heftiness of this development update. For October, I wrote this development update as I was completing the respective work. This month we have various updates to the enjoyability of the game - and they're all live in the demo version on Steam!

Portal Objectives

While ruminating about the state of the game I couldn't help but feel as though the core gameplay loop, in an Aetherdale run, was not engaging. It basically boiled down to: enter area, kill around 20 enemies, leave area, repeat until boss. Killing a fixed amount of enemies is not logically connected to the Wraith's goal (to be revealed in greater detail later, but essentially to reach the final area and defeat the boss there), nor is it engaging. It felt like running Runescape slayer tasks - grindy.

    Introducing portal objectives - a mechanic stolen from inspired by the teleporter system in Risk of Rain 2. Portals now appear in all areas by default, in an unpowered state. While standing in close proximity to a portal, it will recharge itself. 
    
    In all seriousness, while I looked to Risk of Rain 2's teleporter system for visual inspiration in creating the objective, I plan to change it up enough mechanically that it doesn't seem like it's just a clone. The first difference is already implemented - killing enemies charges up the portal faster. If you're absolutely mowing enemies down, your momentum through that run will be complimented by a quick portal objective. If not, then (for now) you're going to have a rough time.

    To assist in your portal charging experience (or make it more difficult, depending on the run), enemies now become disgruntled when they detect a portal drawing energy from their environment. Upon starting the portal recharge process, all enemies in the area will make their way towards it.


A portal that has begun recharging. 




Health Orbs

Health orbs, mixed into gold coins

Enemies now drop health orbs! This is a staple mechanic of many games, and one I chose to employ for Aetherdale as well. Now, upon killing an enemy, you can restore a small amount of health by picking up the health orbs they drop. This introduces a new risk/reward component, and turns distance from your opponents into a consideration - this will be more important in later updates.

    Additionally, health orbs lend themselves incredibly well to synergy - I've already added a trait that increases the amount that drops per enemy, and there are more to come!



Shopping and Consumables

It seems that I may not have included it in any development update yet, but a while ago I implemented a store that can be visited right before each boss fight. Derbo waits dutifully in this store to pedal his wares to any Wraiths that may happen to pass through.

Derbo's Shop as it exists ingame today


Originally Derbo had quite a poor selection - one random weapon, and one random trait were available for purchase. Nowadays, Derbo has more trait selections, as well as his newest inventory - consumables!


The Brindleberry Muffin, and the Blazebomb - Aetherdale's first consumables


Two consumables are available for purchase now:
  • The Brindleberry Muffin, which restores you and your Idol form to full health
  • The Blazebomb, which can be lobbed in any direction you choose, and creates a powerful explosion where it lands.
These consumables can also be found in chests throughout your journeys - so if you feel underequipped for your circumstances, doing some scavenging can help get you the edge you need.



Quests

The existing, derelict quest system in place, from when Aetherdale was to be an MMO, is being reworked to make it useful in a roguelike. This includes various improvements to the dialogue system, and a focus on tying the quest system into gameplay. Quests will now run mostly in the background, tracking progress towards various goals you may complete.

    Many of the existing systems will be unlocked via completing quests, creating a form of progression as you achieve various tasks and challenges. The first such quest is to find Vincent's lost spellbook in the forests. Once he has it, he will be able to impart transformative wisdom upon the Wraith.

       Additionally, characters can speak random tidbits, either about the quest associated with them, or about anything else that might be on their mind:

Vincent chatters about his thoughts on Wraiths




Closing Thoughts

While Aetherdale's final form is, in broad strokes, determined, I am constantly refining it to make the experience of playing it more enjoyable. October represents a significant refinement in gameplay - the changes I've made, while perhaps subtle, add a depth to the game that was not there before.
    
    Future development will flesh out the questlines more, particularly as new regions enter the mix, with new challenges to overcome. Also soon to come to Aetherdale are crossbows - which will likely be the new default Wraith weapon, to complement their smaller, less combat-inclined nature than the Idol forms. Stay tuned for updates. 

    As always, thank you for reading.

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