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Peridoc Devlog - New and upcoming changes!
Sgt M
- 02/12/2017 03:31 AM
- 1973 views
It’s been a while since I’ve really done an update, but rest assured that we’re still hard at work sprucing up Soma Spirits for the Steam launch!
As many of you know, Rebalance isn’t just a direct port onto Steam with a price tag. While many things are being touched up, I’m also adding quite a bit more to the game that wasn’t there before, as well as shifting around some things to cover some of the bigger issues with the original.
Today, let’s look at some of the combat-related changes that are coming.
Originally, all encounters were black blobs that moved around at random, with some that were programmed to approach the player directly. As a result, combat was either too easy to avoid, or too difficult. Now there are two types of encounter sprites: the regular black ones that wander at random, and faster red ones that chase you. Both types draw from the same encounter list, but In general, the red encounter symbols are more difficult to avoid.
Additionally, if you run from a battle, there will be a short timeframe where you can’t re-engage the same battle. Probably something that should’ve been in to begin with but better late than never, I suppose!
There are a handful of new spells that Heart and Soul can use in battle. Soul can eventually learn Incur, which allows Heart’s Fire and Thunder spells to launch an AOE move at no additional MP cost. Heart’s version of this is called Inscribe, in which Soul’s Ice and Wind spells will also heal the party.
Generally, elements are more emphasized, and certain skills that were outclassed by mid-game should stay useful for much longer.
I’ve got much more in store for this project, but I want to say that I’m at about the halfway mark for progress. The big time-consumer will be the new postgame dungeon, but I have a solid idea of how it will play out. And there will certainly be a few other surprises in store that I hope you'll love.
Until next time!
As many of you know, Rebalance isn’t just a direct port onto Steam with a price tag. While many things are being touched up, I’m also adding quite a bit more to the game that wasn’t there before, as well as shifting around some things to cover some of the bigger issues with the original.
Today, let’s look at some of the combat-related changes that are coming.
![](/media/content/users/26524/locker/redblob.png)
Originally, all encounters were black blobs that moved around at random, with some that were programmed to approach the player directly. As a result, combat was either too easy to avoid, or too difficult. Now there are two types of encounter sprites: the regular black ones that wander at random, and faster red ones that chase you. Both types draw from the same encounter list, but In general, the red encounter symbols are more difficult to avoid.
![](/media/content/users/26524/locker/blackblob.png)
Additionally, if you run from a battle, there will be a short timeframe where you can’t re-engage the same battle. Probably something that should’ve been in to begin with but better late than never, I suppose!
![](/media/content/users/26524/locker/incur.png)
There are a handful of new spells that Heart and Soul can use in battle. Soul can eventually learn Incur, which allows Heart’s Fire and Thunder spells to launch an AOE move at no additional MP cost. Heart’s version of this is called Inscribe, in which Soul’s Ice and Wind spells will also heal the party.
Generally, elements are more emphasized, and certain skills that were outclassed by mid-game should stay useful for much longer.
I’ve got much more in store for this project, but I want to say that I’m at about the halfway mark for progress. The big time-consumer will be the new postgame dungeon, but I have a solid idea of how it will play out. And there will certainly be a few other surprises in store that I hope you'll love.
Until next time!
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That all sounds pretty good. Especially preventing the player from getting forced back into a battle immediately after escaping is a real quality of life improvement. Is the chance or method of being able to escape combat going to be changed, too? At least I always had the impression that running away during a battle tended to not succeed rather often.
Those new abilities you describe also seem pretty useful and should add some extra strategic diversity to combat. (Personally, I might have to get used to the effects of Inscribe, as I generally tended to use Heart as the healing-focused character, not Soul. It makes sense since it's an effect granted to Soul by Heart, though.)
Anyway, it's good to hear you are making so much progress. In case you want to post some more update blogs like this later, I'd also be very interested in hearing about the other side, that is, how enemies and their abilities will be improved.
Best of luck!
Those new abilities you describe also seem pretty useful and should add some extra strategic diversity to combat. (Personally, I might have to get used to the effects of Inscribe, as I generally tended to use Heart as the healing-focused character, not Soul. It makes sense since it's an effect granted to Soul by Heart, though.)
Anyway, it's good to hear you are making so much progress. In case you want to post some more update blogs like this later, I'd also be very interested in hearing about the other side, that is, how enemies and their abilities will be improved.
Best of luck!
By default, RPG Maker uses a calculation of the party's agility versus the enemy's agility to determine the flee rate, and then increases it by 10% for each failed attempt. In the original Soma Spirits, I changed it to a flat 50% + 25% for each failed attempt. So, 50% on Turn 1, 75% on Turn 2, and 100% on Turn 3. I may change it to 60/80/100.
I may do a devlog on enemy changes, though some enemies have changed more than others. For the most part, they're smaller changes such as enemies using their "idle" actions less often, and a lot of stats being shifted around.
I may do a devlog on enemy changes, though some enemies have changed more than others. For the most part, they're smaller changes such as enemies using their "idle" actions less often, and a lot of stats being shifted around.
Oh, I didn't even know RPG Maker automatically increased the flee rate for every failed attempt. I learned something new today!
Regarding the enemies, I'm not trying to be unnecessarily critical or pessimistic here, but I'd strongly recommend making some more extensive changes even to standard encounter monsters. At least in my opinion, their stats were not as problematic as their small pool of abilities. Most enemies' skills had no other consequences than dealing some damage, which doesn't make for very exciting combat most of the time. Especially if you intend to increase their stats as the game progresses, not making their combat mechanics themselves more varied, versatile and interesting will only result in longer, but likely not better battles. That's just how I see it, anyway.
P.S.: I just finished my second playthrough, and... Well, suffice to say, it wasn't very joyful. I'll send you another report very soon.
Regarding the enemies, I'm not trying to be unnecessarily critical or pessimistic here, but I'd strongly recommend making some more extensive changes even to standard encounter monsters. At least in my opinion, their stats were not as problematic as their small pool of abilities. Most enemies' skills had no other consequences than dealing some damage, which doesn't make for very exciting combat most of the time. Especially if you intend to increase their stats as the game progresses, not making their combat mechanics themselves more varied, versatile and interesting will only result in longer, but likely not better battles. That's just how I see it, anyway.
P.S.: I just finished my second playthrough, and... Well, suffice to say, it wasn't very joyful. I'll send you another report very soon.
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