Post by Michael Regard in A Very Busy Month: Skills, Loot, and the Last City comments

A Very Busy Month: Skills, Loot, and the Last City » Comments

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Hey, I was reading your latest Before We Fall devlog, and I really like the decision to remove warbands and contracts when they weren't giving the party a clear identity. Rebuilding progression around individual skills and shared equipment sounds much more interesting, especially when you have to decide which hero actually needs an upgrade.

The Last City is another cool addition because it gives players something to work towards beyond surviving the next dungeon run. I'm curious, do you see building different party combinations becoming one of the main reasons players return for another run?

kunic6 days ago

Hey, thanks for the affirmation that I made the right call!

For your question, my goal is to have predefined parties initially, very akin to Slay the Spire’s classes. You can see that here:

However, I’m strongly leaning on the idea of eventually giving an unlock to build your own party, which would be tied to its own leaderboard. In that sense, the pre-defined parties would be more like an extended tutorial before giving you the keys to the car.

Michael Regard6 days ago(+1)

That’s a really smart structure, honestly. Using predefined parties like Slay the Spire’s classes as an extended tutorial, then handing over the keys with a build your own party unlock tied to its own leaderboard, gives players a reason to master the basics before the real freedom opens up. The leaderboard angle also gives the best runs something to compete over, which tends to keep people coming back.

Decisions like cutting warbands and contracts to give the party a clearer identity are exactly the kind of story players love hearing about. Have you thought about sharing updates like this on social media too? Short posts or clips showing a party in action, or explaining why you rebuilt progression around individual skills, could let potential players see the thinking behind the game while it’s still being built. Deckbuilder and roguelike fans really follow development closely, and the ones who find a game early often become the people who spread it later.

Do you think that kind of ongoing visibility would help Before We Fall find its audience before launch, or have you already got a plan for that?

kunic5 days ago

I’ll probably start posting stuff soon, especially given the plan to enter the Steam Auto Battler fest and then transition into a Steam Next Fest next year (dunno which just yet). Definitely planning on it though! I’m not much of a tiktok user, so they’ll probably be on Youtube shorts and Bluesky.

Michael Regard5 days ago

YouTube Shorts and Bluesky are a solid start, and I’d keep both. I’d also suggest adding TikTok and X, because they do different jobs for a game like Before We Fall.

TikTok is where short gameplay clips reach people who have never heard of your game. Deckbuilder and roguelike clips do well there, and a good run, a clever party combo, or a close boss fight can travel far from a brand new account. X is where a lot of indie devs, press, and content creators talk about upcoming games, so it’s useful for getting noticed by the people who can amplify you, especially with the Auto Battler fest and Next Fest coming up.

You don’t have to be a TikTok user yourself for this to work. That’s the part I can take off your plate. I’m a professional video editor and social media manager, so I could cut your gameplay into clips and handle the posting and replies on TikTok and X, while you stay focused on development and keep Shorts and Bluesky your own way.

Would you be open to a short business proposal covering those two platforms before the fest? We could start small and see how it performs.

Michael Regard3 days ago

hey man do you mind sending your email to talk more on the potential business proposal?

kunic2 days ago

Hey, I’m not too comfortable doing that at this time. I’ve got a background in video editing and have done youtube for years, so I think I’ll be good at winging some social media marketing. If not then I’ll reach back out!

Michael Regard2 days ago

Alright then feel feel free to let me know if anything changes, and thanks for being upfront

itch.io

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