Post by 1StepCloser in Rise of the Soulmancer comments

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Hey docnutnut!

I enjoyed reading this.

maybe it's intentional is the ability to access the level-up, pet, accessory etc. pages of any character at any time.

I've tried to prevent overloading info/having too many options available at one time.

However, I can see how this would be useful if you've placed a specific equipment/companion etc. on one of these characters and want to remove it. I'll need to consider if I can show the pertinent parts (equipment, orbs, combo, companions) all on the same page (in summary form) when you click that character.

However, with ~800 playable characters, the odds of remembering where you put equipment, orbs, etc. would be quite low over time. So not sure how useful this would be in the long term.

I am also wondering if there are any earth pets. I have about 25 pets but zero earth element ones.

Currently, there are 3 collectable earth pets. There are 18 total pets, so I can see how you might end up without any thus far.

The game continues to astound. I have just unlocked the expansion part. A game-within-the-game and a whole new dimension in more ways than one.

One of the main priorities at the moment is to continue expanding gameplay variety, this is somewhat challenging at times, but definitely a fundamental goal.

I was looking at some of the comments made in the Jam section and while I agree that it is a bit overwhelming to begin due to lack of explanation, in a way this is not true.

Yes, one primary difficulty is providing gameplay depth in a drop-wise fashion over-time. Figuring out the right pacing has been a balancing act.

It is rare to play a game that is so eclectic. The amount of variety is on a par with one of the good Final Fantasy or GTA games.

I appreciate this. If you ever have any ideas for gameplay modes/mechanics, please let me know.

You don't have the story, but that is the way it is these days. Beginning, middle and end has all but died in computer gaming and been replaced with a constant and never-ending middle.

Spot-on observation in my opinion. Admittedly, I'm not a fan of endings, so my goal is to continue pushing the replay-ability aspect of the project so that the game will feel different over-time.

Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a plan for a proper story mode in here with an actual ending.

I've been wanting to set-up a procedurally generated story system, but this is no easy task (assuming coherence is a goal), but something I've been working on.

Obviously the option to carry on until the end of time goes without saying, but as with books and movies, it's always nice to be able to have a sense of completion in a game.

Well said.

I have written way more than I intended. I have taught so many classes today that my brain is still in teacher-mode.

No worries, I enjoyed it!

docnutnut361 days ago(+1)

Something that would be a welcome addition is moving around the expansion map by just pushing the cursor to the edge. I just laid a stonecutter's hut somewhere completely pointless because I had to click on the ground to move the screen. Though movement would need to be quite slow. In too many games, the map moves far too rapidly when the cursor hits the edge of the screen.

I have just realised that I could have scrolled out rather than moved the screen. The things we do when we're half asleep...

And this brings up another point. It would be nice if I could destroy a building that I have placed and get the materials back or at least a portion of them.

1StepCloser361 days ago(+1)

Thank you for the feedback!

Added to list:

-Scroll by having cursor at edge
-Destroy and refund partial resources for buildings

docnutnut360 days ago(+1)

Do we ever earn new hammers with which to build structures in expansion? Or is the only way to get them to restart the area?

I earning many resources each hour and I am offered most others as optional rewards for missions in the main game, but I have never been offered nor earned a new hammer.

And if I do start a new area, will I keep my current totals of each of these resources or will everything be returned to its default amount?

I have been playing expansion for less than 24 hours, I think, so I am hoping that hammers are earned each day.

1StepCloser360 days ago(+1)

Do we ever earn new hammers with which to build structures in expansion? Or is the only way to get them to restart the area?

Expansion is currently end-game-ish content. While you can on rare occasions, gain hammers through different Outerworld options, the main way to get them is by winning in the Path of Chaos, upon victory you have a high chance of encountering hammers.

If you haven't seen this yet, it means you haven't traversed far enough into the Outerworld yet.

And if I do start a new area, will I keep my current totals of each of these resources or will everything be returned to its default amount?

Should reset to the default amount, else you could keep re-rolling until you get a more favorable map (my thought process anyway).

I have been playing expansion for less than 24 hours, I think, so I am hoping that hammers are earned each day.

It's one of the more long-term methods of progression in the game, so it will take some time to see progression there.

docnutnut360 days ago(+1)

I didn't know what the path of chaos was until I started my game again and realised that the line of locations in front of me had a name!

docnutnut360 days ago(+1)

Also, I'm a little confused by what is the current/most recent version number of the game.

The game itself says that it is 0.84.6

The windows exe file says 0.76.0

The itch download page says version 170

A recent reply of yours on the forum says 0.84.7

I am a little cnoufesd.

1StepCloser360 days ago(+1)

Understandable.

The tricky part here is whether are not you have auto-updates enabled. If you don't, you potentially won't be playing the most up-to-date version of the game.

In order to get auto-updates you'd need to first install the official Itch.io app: Just search for "itch.io app" on your search engine

I don't make a devlog for every incremental update, I tend to wait until a significant amount of changes have taken place before releasing a devlog.

The most up-to-date version is 0.0.0.84.7

docnutnut360 days ago(+1)

From what you have said and from the game page on itch it seems like I have all of the current buildings or at least most of them.

Having died on my first journey down the Path of Chaos I find myself wanting another way to get hammers.

So I have an idea for you that fits with the genre:

Alchemy.

All items would need to be ranked and then given a percentage chance of successfully changing one type of item into another.

Changing wood into stone or creds into XP would have a high percentage, but turning wood into a small Soul Room would have a very low percentage and 1 cred into a hammer would also be very low.

As far as upgrades for the building go,

Percentage chance could be increased.

Time to completion could be reduced.

Options of what can be transformed could be added.

You get the idea, I'm sure.

1StepCloser360 days ago(+1)

Having died on my first journey down the Path of Chaos I find myself wanting another way to get hammers.

So the current issue is that there should be more ways to get hammers and Alchemy is one proposed way to do this.

This could work, but considering the priority to add more options in the Outerworld, I might make this an Outerworld specific venture similar to the Merchant rather than a Sanctum building.

I'll consider this, thanks!

docnutnut360 days ago(+1)

Maybe I'm just being impatient!

I'll try again. I'll get a whole bunch of characters to the high teens or 20s in level and then there won't be an issue, but more hammers would be nice. I just like the expansion zone is all. I want to explore the caves, uncover the whole map, have a gold income.

I'll keep plugging away ;)

docnutnut360 days ago (3 edits) (+1)

0.84.7 seems to be full of errors.

I have just hit the Path of Chaos for the second time and the message saying, 'You've Entered the Path of Chaos' has appeared with no way to close it.

EDIT: The location before The Path was a Trivia square. I think this is interfering with the Path message. Maybe the Path message should come after the trivia question, not before. My only other option is the merchant, which has the same problem. So my second visit to the path will end before it starts as I need to quit entirely and plan my route next time to have a fight before arriving at the Path.

EDIT2: Outerworld is totally broken for me. I can't enter the path due to the message being unclosable due to the issue above and I can't restart Outerworld as it can only be done from a fight scenario. Game-ending glitch right here!

Trivia doesn't always give rewards now and the questions relating to the characters' mottos are too easy as the answer appears if you hover over the character with your mouse.

There is this mirror asking me riddles now. The character related questions are easy as above. As for the other riddles, it tells me I'm wrong when I choose the correct answer. I tried to select the wrong answer, but this was also wrong, so it's not completely broken!

And in fights now, Soulmancer at the back of the party resembles a very burnt potato rather than a little magical dude.

I'm guessing that somebody complained that getting Soul Fragments is too easy. Tell them an overly sarcastic "Thank you" from me!

1StepCloser360 days ago(+1)

Epic bug report, I appreciate it docnutnut!

At work at the moment, but I'll take a look after.

1StepCloser360 days ago(+1)

Bug-fixing attempts have begun, I'll try to send an update out soon.

docnutnut359 days ago(+1)

Great.

Being unable to do Outerworld did make me focus a lot more on the Tower, which has been very useful. I had sort of forgotten about it.

Was the easy character-related trivia intentional? It has made me learn what each character's motto is. Maybe the trivia will become hard again after the Path of Chaos? Or never?

1StepCloser359 days ago

Being unable to do Outerworld did make me focus a lot more on the Tower, which has been very useful. I had sort of forgotten about it.

This has been on my mind lately, as I also tend to forget to make use of the tower, thus I've been brainstorming how to bring it into the Outerworld. The main issue is that the tower has an independent progression, so if you are at world level 100, you may still be at tower floor 5, or vice versa. So I might make it available in the Outerworld but without any permanent losses to your party (which is how it works already).

The other option is to just have it flash at certain times in Sanctum; maybe if your current party is around the level of progression where there is a chance to beat that tower floor.

Was the easy character-related trivia intentional? It has made me learn what each character's motto is.

Unintentional, I originally had the riddle trivia without any names showing for each option, but I wasn't sure if the icons were obvious enough, thus I decided to add the names in for those, however this unintentionally resulted in showing info during character motto trivia also.

docnutnut359 days ago(+1)

I have taken a screenshot of every unlocked character and their motto.

As long as the mirror of ambiguity can ask me a few obvious riddles, I should be OK.

The end of The Path is in sight. Smoke break. Need some darkness in my lungs to battle the chaos.

docnutnut359 days ago(+1)

I was thinking of game names again.

Sanctum is taken. Soulmancer is taken. Soulmancer's Sanctum of Souls is too long, though it does have three S's which can help for an aesthetically pleasing cover. Sanctum of Souls isn't taken but it was something within Final Fantasy XIV, it also abbreviates to SoS, which is nice.

Return of the Soulmancer could work as most characters found in the game express their surprise and joy and seeing a soulmancer once again.

Soulmancer Incremental or Incremental Soulmancer could also work, but it puts a literal limitation on the game and could put off potential future players who make an assumption based on the name alone. Also it's a bit stale.

You could always keep the name TBD which allows for the game to take any direction you want in the future. You could come up with a million acronyms for it.

The Battle Dimension

These Buildings of Death

Thick Butts, Damn!

1StepCloser359 days ago

Bug fix attempt(s) in 0.84.8:

Maybe the Path message should come after the trivia question

I've added a check to prevent Path of Chaos from triggering if an interface is showing at the time of map generation/shifting. Hopefully that fixes the issue.

Trivia doesn't always give rewards now

I noticed that there were some visual cues and sounds that made it seem like the correct answer (particularly for riddles) was chosen yet it was not the correct answer. I've attempted to make this clearer.

questions relating to the characters' mottos are too easy as the answer appears if you hover over the character with your mouse.

Great catch! Should be fixed now.

There is this mirror asking me riddles now. The character related questions are easy as above. As for the other riddles, it tells me I'm wrong when I choose the correct answer. I tried to select the wrong answer, but this was also wrong, so it's not completely broken

Another great catch! I noticed I was not including all riddles for a given object into the riddle check, so even when you were technically correct, it was not finding that riddle within the object's list of riddles.

And in fights now, Soulmancer at the back of the party resembles a very burnt potato rather than a little magical dude.

This cracked me up several times, 😂. I did expect this might be an issue and thus added a customize your avatar again option when you first loaded the newest version, I'm not sure if this showed up for you, but, when you pass the mirror challenge this should provide a way for you to fix this visual issue.

I'm guessing that somebody complained that getting Soul Fragments is too easy. Tell them an overly sarcastic "Thank you" from me!

Indeed, they did ^^!

Although I can't guarantee all issues mentioned were fixed, this was very helpful in at the very least locating where/how these issues were/are arising. Thanks!

Lastly, If you are still experiencing the game-ending loop issue, let me know.

docnutnut359 days ago

The great thing about our different timezones is that updates are ready when I get up in the morning.

I just opened the game to check if I can play in the Outerworld again and thankfully I can. Great job. Though the fix is not as you described. The Path of Chaos message now comes with an X allowing me to close the message.

I also noticed that minutes are now visible under an hour in expeditions. I was in there checking if hammers had possibly been added as a reward. Maybe they have and I was just unlucky, but I imagine that they have not!

I also checked if hammers now generate on their own in Expansion, but they don't as you well know.

I shall stop talking about hammers now as the image of a rapper with glasses and stupidly baggy trousers has invaded my mind.

Great job with the fixes and improvements. I'll get back to The Path when I have time later.

docnutnut359 days ago(+1)

This new soul fragment thing is really annoying. It's the only time in the game that you can't just relax and play and totally goes against the pace of the rest of the game. Like having a meditation part immediately following the start of an F1 race game, or having to play a round of Tetris in the middle of a battle in PUBG.

docnutnut359 days ago(+1)

Sorry. I'm being overly sensitive about being shot down by those irritating ghosts. It's just a fragment. It's just a game ;)

1StepCloser359 days ago(+1)

No worries, and it's understandable, while you can try to avoid that activity, if you are more of a completionist I can understand the conflict.

One thing I can work on is difficulty balance, for example, slowing the rate at which they fire, or reducing the maximum number of ghosts that can arise, increasing the starting light size, etc.

Long-term it becomes difficult to only have turn-based/idle mechanics if the goal is to diversify, but alas this does diverge from the main gameplay.

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