Steam News30 September 20232y ago

The Friday Scroll #2 - Combat Enhancement

In this update4

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Full The Rebellion update

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Repeated intro

Hey guys! I figure we can start with talking about some of the biggest changes we're doing with the new version; we previously talked about moving away from "dark souls" style combat, as well as moving away from competitive "SC2"-esque RTS gameplay. We hope that this Scroll provides a bit more context to those statements! -cazeoj

What changed

0 fixes1 addition6 changes0 removals

Gameplay
UI and audio

changedHey guys! I figure we can start with talking about some of the biggest changes we're doing with the new version; we previously talked about moving away from "dark souls" style combat, as well as moving away from competitive "SC2"-esque RTS gameplay. We hope that this Scroll provides a bit more context to those statements! -cazeoj

changedInitial DesignAt its heart; the initial gameplay design of The Rebellion was to merge traditional RTS elements with a soulslike third person combat system. With these tools as a base, we would try to create scenarios where the player can do complex interactions like create equipment for their forces, trade with other players, set up resource harvesting networks, etc. There were also plans for more complex hero and combat interactions, including abilities and interactable environment pieces.

changedCurrent StateHero combat doesn't feel compelling; although statting out your hero is one of the more enjoyable aspects in game, the core gameplay lacks variety outside of weapon selection

changedCurrent StateThe soulslike combat does not have much skill expression at all, attacks aren't telegraphed clearly, there is no means to dodge outside of base movement, and the feedback for attacking is lacking outside of poise break.

addedCurrent StateUnfortunately, I feel like we've failed to deliver on a lot of these gameplay elements. A lot of these systems were in development pre launch, and then failed to get revisited after a slew of new problems with our game became apparent.

changedThe Big ChangesA general slower pace to gameplay, with more focus on survival and taking advantage of your situation in the level

The Rebellion changes

Competitivemode

changedAt its heart; the initial gameplay design of The Rebellion was to merge traditional RTS elements with a soulslike third person combat system. With these tools as a base, we would try to create scenarios where the player can do complex interactions like create equipment for their forces, trade with other players, set up resource harvesting networks, etc. There were also plans for more complex hero and combat interactions, including abilities and interactable environment pieces.

changedHero combat doesn't feel compelling; although statting out your hero is one of the more enjoyable aspects in game, the core gameplay lacks variety outside of weapon selection

changedThe soulslike combat does not have much skill expression at all, attacks aren't telegraphed clearly, there is no means to dodge outside of base movement, and the feedback for attacking is lacking outside of poise break.

addedUnfortunately, I feel like we've failed to deliver on a lot of these gameplay elements. A lot of these systems were in development pre launch, and then failed to get revisited after a slew of new problems with our game became apparent.

Splitting ARPG with RTS

Initial Design

At its heart; the initial gameplay design of The Rebellion was to merge traditional RTS elements with a soulslike third person combat system. With these tools as a base, we would try to create scenarios where the player can do complex interactions like create equipment for their forces, trade with other players, set up resource harvesting networks, etc. There were also plans for more complex hero and combat interactions, including abilities and interactable environment pieces.

Current State

Complex interactions with your town like loadout creation and equipment crafting are tedious and APM intensive
When you play in Third Person, it feels like you will lose the RTS game because you aren't macroing your town
The minimap is absolutely a chore to control and read
Camera controls in general are clunky and difficult to work with
Hero combat doesn't feel compelling; although statting out your hero is one of the more enjoyable aspects in game, the core gameplay lacks variety outside of weapon selection
RTS controls have all the things that make traditional RTS intimidating and unapproachable, while not retaining ANY of the precision that makes it desirable
The soulslike combat does not have much skill expression at all, attacks aren't telegraphed clearly, there is no means to dodge outside of base movement, and the feedback for attacking is lacking outside of poise break.

Unfortunately, I feel like we've failed to deliver on a lot of these gameplay elements. A lot of these systems were in development pre launch, and then failed to get revisited after a slew of new problems with our game became apparent.

The game does have an identity and a somewhat fun core loop, despite the problems it faces. I also don't think the initial design is an impossible thing to fix; however I do think we can make a better game if we somewhat change our perspective and allow for a more immersive and enjoyable experience that blends the macro (RTS) and micro (ARPG) systems in a compelling way, as opposed to having them fight against each other.

A New Perspective

These are probably the biggest changes we'll ever make to The Rebellion, and I think they'll be the most controversial as well (at least so far).

The Big Changes

We're going to primarily develop the ARPG elements as First Person instead of Third Person.
No more minimap in RTS mode; instead there will be a battle camera and dynamic zoom options
We're vastly changing the way "fog of war" works
Combat will get huge changes with a focus on realism/physicality, aiming, and skill expression
Town and unit management will be automated as much as possible, while still retaining player control when desired
The Hero will have more options to control the army around him
A general slower pace to gameplay, with more focus on survival and taking advantage of your situation in the level

I understand that with this in mind, and in conjunction with the extraction mechanics we talked about, that this update is starting to sound like a different game entirely. I would like to think that because we

Source

Steam News / 30 September 2023

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