Sunday 15 March 2015

Hoplite Challenge Mode is ready

Play it HERE

So I went a bit overtime but I'm not really counting this as a 7DRL.

The basic gameplay hasn't changed much since the last post.  I've mostly been tweaking the balance and fixing bugs.


My thoughts on balance

Challenge Mode is intended for players who have mastered the original.  I expect people new to the game will find it quite difficult (I'm really just making the game for myself.)

I like games that are very difficult to win yet still always make me feel like it's my own fault when I lose.  For the record, DCSS achieves this better than any other that I know of.

I've played quite a few challenges now and while some have taken me a few attempts, I'm yet to find one that I couldn't beat.  This is basically ideal as far as I'm concerned so I'm happy with how this has turned out.

Some tips

If you're looking for extra help, here are some hints and advice.

The aim is not to kill all the demons.  You can use them to shield or block for you if you keep them alive.
  • Archers can't shoot through other demons.
  • Demonitionists won't throw bombs into tiles adjacent to other demons.
  • Wizards won't shoot if their beam would hit a demon behind you.

Damage taken from demons can always be determined in advance once you've learned how they behave.

Archers and Wizards prefer to be in tiles they can attack you from. You can often predict their movement based on this.

Bombs can easily end your game if you're not careful.  Consider where they are likely to be thrown before moving.

Hold the mouse button (or finger) down while targeting to check the result of your turn in advance.  Demons highlighted in red will be killed, stunned or knocked back.  A tile highlighted in blue shows where you will move to, which is especially useful when you have Reactive Bash.