I thought it best to discuss the game and talk about how the game differs from other games in the RPG genre and the inspirations I had when working on it up through to this point in development.

The most notable differences between Red Genie and other turn-based RPGs are the lack of a large party and the weapon swap mechanic. The first point, no large party, is something of a strangeness in the JRPG-style games; these games often thrive on the dynamic of these adventuring groups and their characterizations. But The Adventurer, Red Genie's protagonist, gave me the opportunity to explore one character and create an experience where one party member has to handle the battles a group would handle. This came from other RPGs like Elden Ring and games of the From Software cut, notably how one person can bring such rapturous change. I love the party mechanics myself (Persona 5 Royal is a game I'm streaming currently and I adore it) but I found this works really well for the game I want to make.

The second piece, the weapon swap mechanic, is a curious one. In Red Genie, players can have ten (10) weapons equipped at one time. However, you choose which weapon to use before choosing your action on each turn in battle. You receive the stat bonuses of the weapon you choose to have in hand when you do - the other weapons do not affect your stats when not in hand. To give an example, say you have a Sword and a Dagger equipped. If you swap to the Dagger, you get the Attack and Agility stats of the Dagger but lose the Magical Attack bonus the Sword has. This makes it so choosing your weapon in hand before each action is a strategic choice and an important piece of the battle system. Having all ten types of weapons equipped allows for some intense strategy, and this layers with having an Armor and Charm slot as well. As I put on Twitter yesterday, the number of combinations of weapons is upwards to the tens of thousands - though I suspect some players may be attracted to the idea of challenge runs with only the starting weapons of each type found in the first dungeon.

As a player myself, I found I like using the combination of Sword/Dagger/Whip to cast magic, handle armored foes, and land status ailments with Whips when able. I hope after the demo, I can have a better idea as to the preferences of players and see what needs buffs. (I detest nerfing things unless absolutely necessary. Why make things weaker when I can make things stronger?)

Hope this was interesting to read!

-Officer DaMickey (Greg)