Post by Drake Faewylde in I like what I see.

Viewing post in I like what I see.

Another random idea I had while playing a few other games (other new idle/incremental/time killing games) was the addition of a pet that can follow you around. I don’t know if it would fit with the theme, but I figured I’d toss the idea out there in case you like it and want to run with it.

More specific information:

Option 1 - Cosmetic only

Cosmetic pets that follow you around.
Offer zero gameplay benefit, purely cosmetic with no stats.

Option 2 - Pets provide equipped buffs

Each pet would provide a small buff that compliments one or more stats/playstyles.
Pets could also have their own upgrades, further enhancing the aid they provide.
Their overall stats should not be too powerful. At most, they should add about 10% to your damage output or survivability stats. Just enough to make it worth having them, but not enough that you would want to focus too much on getting their buffs/upgrades.

Option 3 - Pets auto-attack nearby enemies (Might conflict with The Maniac a bit…)

Pets will attack nearby enemies and each would have it’s own little way of doing damage. Some would charge at enemies for some contact damage, others would shoot projectiles. Some might just offer some crowd control or stun enemies or some such.
This option would require the pets to be more upgradable than Option 2; with higher potential damage, but no utility for the player’s stats.

Option 4 - Pets provide permanent buffs once unlocked

Each pet gives a small bit of extra stats based on type; this buff would be active at all times (add a tickbox to disable pet buffs for players that want to play without the buffs!)
You can select a pet to take with you, but your choice will not affect stats obtained
No mid-run upgrades for pets

How to obtain: (Each method would have it’s own selection of pets to obtain with no overlaps)

Obtained from first clear per character (each character has their own pet)
Obtained from Achievements (Demonic pets and enemy type pets)
Obtained for first time boss kill
Obtained from boss (after first kill) at a small chance

As previous stated, I just wanted to toss the idea out there and see if you had any comments on it. If you decide against this feature then so be it lol. Just had a thought, figured I’d share. :3

Nazgulia Dev10 days ago(+1)

Hey!

Thanks for taking the time to write all that up!

I actually like Option 4 the most out of the ideas you listed. It feels like it could add some long-term progression and collection goals without adding too much complexity to individual runs or creating another system players feel obligated to manage every time they level up.

I also like the idea of unlocking them through milestones, achievements, character victories, bosses, and similar accomplishments. That gives players more reasons to keep playing while still keeping the focus on the core gameplay.

One thing that stands out to me is that a system like this might make more sense as a future expansion to Endless Mode, Challenges, or other long-term progression content rather than being a major part of Story Mode itself. Story Mode is currently focused on the core gameplay loop, while a pet collection system could give players additional goals to chase once more content and game modes are in place.

That said, I'm trying to stay disciplined with the current roadmap. There are still a few systems, bosses, enemy types, balance changes, and game modes that I want to complete before I start introducing entirely new progression features.

As a solo developer, I have to be careful about scope and prioritize features that will have the biggest impact on the game first. Between freelance work, family life, and development time, there's always a much longer wishlist than there are hours in the day. 😄

I've added the pet idea to my future feature list, though. It's definitely something I can see fitting into the game later on, potentially as a free content update once the core systems, Endless Mode, and other planned features are in a stronger place.

Thanks again for the suggestion and for continuing to test new versions and share ideas. Feedback like this helps a lot when planning future updates.

See you in The Pit 🤘

Drake Faewylde10 days ago

I absolutely intended for this suggestion to be something for the distant future, not something to be implemented soon.

I think Story Mode not having pet buffs is a great idea - I feel that Story Mode serves more as a tutorial and introduction to the game than the core of the intended experience (spoken with the assumption that the rest of the major planned features make it into the game in the future lol)

The Pet System would be something more intended to provide some extra buffs for Endless Mode; to extend gameplay a bit and let you push a little farther, and maybe a little faster. (Some pets might add enemy spawn speed or reduce enemy HP growth by a small chunk; or aught similar)

By all means, please focus on the other major features. I had a thought, wanted to share and get you to noise about it if you were interested at all - and it looks like it’s a hit. I’d much rather see Endless mode than the Pet system lol.

Thanks for adding it to the list, and thanks for the information.

Nazgulia Dev9 days ago(+1)

Hey!

Thanks for clarifying! I understood it as more of a future feature, but I wanted to make sure I didn't forget the idea.

I agree that Endless Mode would bring much more value to the game right now, so that's definitely higher on the priority list.

For the moment I'm focused on improving the core gameplay, balance, bosses, and other planned features before expanding into larger systems.

I appreciate all the feedback and ideas you've been sharing. They've been very helpful during development. 🤘💀

See you in the pit. 🤘

itch.io

Viewing post in I like what I see.