Deciding on new features news - Dungeon Deities

It has been a while since we've had an update on Dungeon Deities. After the alpha ended, we've been somewhat quiet, and we apologize. There have been updates, and there has been progress, but we didn't find the time to actually update everyone on it. This post, then, shall redeem that.

The alpha went great, and the community really went far and beyond what we could have hoped for. We got many great feature suggestions, clever discussions, and just seeing that people really care about this game simply puts the greatest smile on our face. Of course, there were also bug reports, which may not always result in smiles, but are, obviously, very important, too. We know we've been saying this already, but it can't be said enough: Thank you for all that. You guys were great!

Now it's our turn. We have compiled all the feedback we've gotten during the alpha in the forum, as well as the one from the (optional) questionare we've sent out, to what we've heard of in chats, discussions and emails into a long list. We've then discussed each and every feature - and there is much to discuss. After all, it has to fit the game, the concept and story, and there has to be a way to add it without breaking other things. This has been proven difficult, but we think we've made it.

Dungeon Deities is unique in many ways. One of the things that seem counter-intuitive at first lies in actually removing choice. For instance, ingame, it is not possible to choose which dungeon you want to go in. You can only roughly select from different options: A harder dungeon than usual? Or perhaps one relating to the story that is currently going on? However, you cannot chose "I want to go in Dungeon X by player Y". This was a deliberate decision. That randomness is an important element - it helps with balancing, as it makes it impossible to farm gold on certain dungeons, and it makes sure you always see something new and unexpected. It helps keep the whole game fresh.
However, people want to show others their dungeon if they're proud of it. And currently, that's not possible at all. We agree that it should be possible to show others a dungeon of yours, so we'll add some kind of invitation system. To prevent farming there, you won't be able to actually find gold or items there.

Did I say items? On our questionaire, we asked "Do you want to see more RPG content in the game (like leveling and attributes)?". Most people were in favor to it, but some were skeptical. Part of Dungeon Deities' charm is it's simplicity: There's no stat-selection to worry about before you start, or a class that you're always stuck in. This provides some kind of safety net: You can't screw up your stats in a way that you're stuck with an awful build of a character. To be unique, you'd use orbs. Like playing defensive? Use the fireball or bow&arrow-orb. Or prefer more direct ways of combat? Use the Whirlwind-Orb in combination with an Attack-Orb. And as an added bonus, since you'd randomly get different orbs during your playtime, you'd automatically adjust your playstyle, so things won't get old so fast. This system worked pretty well!

But there is something to be said about such stats. It makes your character unique, and your way of playing is still there even if the orbs don't match up. So we've thought up a system that - hopefully - offers the best of both worlds. Stats are pretty general: There is a "Strength" that dictates the power of your attacks, but there is no dexterity or wisdom that would permanently force you to use bows or magic, etc.

The second big thing we want to add is an inventory with items. Both items like potions or spell-scrolls, but also gear like helmets and armor are planned. Those change your attributes, though they'll likely not have other effects, with the single exception of changing your attacks. In turn, Orbs that used to fulfill these roles (Defense Orb, Speed Orb, ...) will disappear - Orbs are now there for the more exotic effects.

Of course, this means making the game less intuitive. To counter that somewhat, all those features won't be unlocked from the start, and instead unlocked one after another. Additionally, this will keep the experience fresh, since there's something new just around the corner.

And those are just a few of the things we want to add. We've filled an entire whiteboard in the tiniest font possible, and we're still thinking of new things to put on our lists. Lots to do, in other words, and so little time to write about it. For instance, we've said nothing about the story, events, and the whole Red-vs-Blue-Conflict. No words here about towers and diplomatics. Maybe some other time.

For now, we hope you enjoyed this little overview about our way of thinking when deciding what to add and how!