Ratocalypse DevDiary #8 – Refining the Direction

Looking Back on the Previous Combat System

Before going through the changes one by one, we would first like to look back on what the original system was aiming for, and what we learned throughout the development process so far.

The core goal of was to combine the strategic depth of turn-based combat with the fast-paced flow of auto-battle. We wanted to reduce the sense of sluggishness that can sometimes come with traditional turn-based combat, while allowing the strengths of both systems to create a natural synergy.

Within battles that progressed automatically, players were able to intervene by directly controlling the Expedition Leader. The remaining squad members participated in combat according to the AI settings configured in advance. Our intention was to let players experience the battle flow they had designed, while also allowing them to make more precise strategic decisions through the character they directly controlled.

After testing the prototype, we were able to confirm that the intended play experience was present to some extent. At the same time, however, we also found that having these two combat systems operate together created more issues than expected.

At their core, turn-based games have the strength of letting players personally carry out every turn and steadily follow through on their intended strategic choices. However, AI party members could not fully replace that kind of strategic judgment. There were repeated situations where AI party members failed to respond adequately to various combat scenarios, and as a result, players accumulated frustrating experiences with the auto-battle system.

In addition, even when players wanted to create deeper strategic plans, the auto-battle system was not sophisticated enough to fully support them. On top of that, because there was also a character the player could control directly, the shortcomings in the AI party members’ judgment and behavior became even more noticeable.

Ultimately, we concluded that simply maintaining the current structure would make it difficult to fully bring out the strengths of both systems. For that reason, we decided to define the direction of combat more clearly and strengthen it toward one side.

Removing Direct Turn Control & Introducing the Preparation Phase

Based on this conclusion, we first decided to boldly remove the direct turn control system.

We also considered shifting to a fully turn-based combat system where players would directly control every character. However, considering the core direction we have been developing so far, we determined that a better path forward would be to let players design their own strategies within an auto-battle structure.

Players can no longer directly control characters during combat. Instead, we have introduced a new Preparation Phase, where players can adjust the skills and behavior direction their allies will use each combat round.

The core purpose of the Preparation Phase is not to issue direct commands after combat has already begun, but to design the flow of battle in advance before the round starts. During the Preparation Phase, players can check the skills enemies are planning to use, then decide which skills each allied squad member will use this round and in what order.

Through this, players can predict enemy actions, adjust how their allies respond, and plan the flow of each round more strategically. In other words, player decision-making is not disappearing. Instead, it is shifting from direct control during combat to strategic planning before each round.

Removing the Rune of Covenant & Revising AI Settings

In this update, we decided to remove the “Rune of Covenant”, which had been used as an unlock-style item for AI conditions, and instead make those functions part of the core system.

In the previous system, we used an item called the “Rune of Covenant” to reduce the burden of AI setup for players.

This was because we believed that giving players access to every complex AI setting from the very beginning could make the learning curve feel overwhelming.

To address this, we divided complex AI conditions into individual items, allowing them to be used separately once the corresponding item had been obtained.

However, during actual testing, we found that this approach created a different kind of burden. For players who wanted to actively make use of more advanced AI settings, having to obtain the necessary item first in order to use a desired condition felt restrictive.

In addition, because players had to farm for those items before they could properly test whether the AI they had designed would behave as intended, the process of reaching the fun part of the system became overly complicated and tedious.

Now, there is no longer any need to obtain separate items in order to use advanced AI settings. From the very start of the game, players will have access to the options needed to build the AI settings they want.

Of course, the steep learning curve is still an issue we need to continue addressing. However, at this stage, we felt it was more important to make sure that players who want to engage with this system can try it more freely and easily than before.

Changes to Enemy and Ally Skill Mechanics

Under the revised combat structure, we are also adjusting enemy and ally skills so that they revolve more around prediction and response each round.

Because the Preparation Phase is now provided repeatedly throughout combat, we are improving enemy skills and behavior patterns in a way that allows players to check information in advance and plan their response. Rather than simply enduring enemy attacks, we want players to identify what actions enemies are preparing for the current round, then adjust their allies’ skills and action order accordingly.

As a result, some enemies will act in ways that help fulfill specific conditions, then use skills that create powerful synergies within their formation once those conditions are met. Players will need to predict what conditions the enemies are trying to create, then respond by disrupting them or reducing the damage they can cause.

Ally skills are being revised so that they retain their basic effects, while gaining additional effects when skill-specific situational conditions are met. We hope these changes will provide players with more strategic clues when responding to enemy actions and building their expedition party.

Closing

There are other elements being changed alongside these updates, but since the system overhaul is still in progress, we were not able to cover all of them in this post.

In May, we plan to conduct our third user test with a new version of the game. We will also be gathering a wide range of feedback both online and offline through PlayX4. Further details regarding PlayX4 will be shared in a future announcement.

We hope the revised systems will allow players to experience deeper strategy and more engaging gameplay than before. Until the next DevDiary, I’ll be continuing to work hard on development.

Thank you for reading.