Swamp Slogger
Posts: 143
Joined: Friday, 24th July 2015, 23:03
Sunday, 18th December 2016, 12:59
Challenge Modes
Roguelikes have always been prime fodder for self-imposed challenges and alternate gamemodes of all kinds. In Crawl these mostly grow out of playing with different combinations of Species/Background/God, but also from optional branches, runes and Ziggurats. While these go a long way, I feel there is still room to explore different modes and challenges outside of what players can do themselves. There is something of an alternate mode in the form of Dungeon sprints, but I'm not sure how popular these are, and from what I understand supporting them is not a priority for the devteam.
My suggestion, then, is to introduce different challenge modes which modify the starting conditions of the game, but are otherwise the same. The idea is, basically, that you will start the game with different combinations of pre-defined mutations/items/gods/starting combos from which you'll try to win. My hope is that this should be fairly "cheap" in terms of development, as it uses existing features and doesn't require any "hand-crafted" maps or vaults beyond those already in the base game. Once the system is in place, it should also be fairly easy for devs and players to add or modify challenges, ensuring that the feature can stay updated for future versions.
These challenges could be scored and tracked separately online and could even be integrated into tournaments or into some future system of "achievements". They also allow for lots of variability in terms of difficulty, allowing veteran players to challenge themselves and newer players to have some fun with alternate rules.
Some examples of what I have in mind (these are just to illustrate what I mean, I realize they may not be that interesting so please don't focus too much on the specifics):
This is a fairly simple one, restricting the background and god (but not species) of the player and challenging them with two permanent mutations/effects (the final restriction works just as the Obsidian Axe, mesmerizing you when seeing a monster).
The idea here is that by restricting/modfying skill training one can create new ways of playing the game. I'm sure this specific example is not the most balanced, but it can always be tweaked by additional penalties or with innate mutations or starting items which aid in spellcasting.
Crawl has many items which change the way the game is played, and challenges like these would be a good way to play around with them. If the idea catches on, items could even be created specifically for such challenges.
This is a more severe step away from standard mechanics, but it could be a fun way to inject some chaos into the game, though it would probably need some kind of special cases for gods like Ru or Uskayaw.
These ideas should hopefully give an idea of the kinds of modifications and challenges I imagine and there are, of course, endless possible combinations. My hope is that such a feature could increase the longevity and variety of the game, without being too burdensome to maintain.
My suggestion, then, is to introduce different challenge modes which modify the starting conditions of the game, but are otherwise the same. The idea is, basically, that you will start the game with different combinations of pre-defined mutations/items/gods/starting combos from which you'll try to win. My hope is that this should be fairly "cheap" in terms of development, as it uses existing features and doesn't require any "hand-crafted" maps or vaults beyond those already in the base game. Once the system is in place, it should also be fairly easy for devs and players to add or modify challenges, ensuring that the feature can stay updated for future versions.
These challenges could be scored and tracked separately online and could even be integrated into tournaments or into some future system of "achievements". They also allow for lots of variability in terms of difficulty, allowing veteran players to challenge themselves and newer players to have some fun with alternate rules.
Some examples of what I have in mind (these are just to illustrate what I mean, I realize they may not be that interesting so please don't focus too much on the specifics):
- Code:
Challenge: Unending Rage
Trog abhors cowardice in all its forms, demanding that followers show neither weakness nor mercy. Those who trust in Trog's wrath will be amply rewarded.
Restrictions:
- You start the game as a berserker and are unable to abandon Trog.
- You are afflicted with incurable berserkitis
- You are unable to retreat from enemies
This is a fairly simple one, restricting the background and god (but not species) of the player and challenging them with two permanent mutations/effects (the final restriction works just as the Obsidian Axe, mesmerizing you when seeing a monster).
- Code:
Challenge: Scholarly Ideals
Sif Muna believes in the supremacy of knowledge over might and asks you to demonstrate these ideals by retrieving the Orb of Zot without recourse to the brutish tactics employed by lesser minds.
Restrictions:
- You start the game as a worshipper of Sif Muna, and are unable to renounce your faith or convert to another god.
- You cannot train in any weapon skill, nor in fighting, dodging, shields or armour.
- Your aptitudes for magical skills are increased by one, and your spellcasting skill starts at level 27.
The idea here is that by restricting/modfying skill training one can create new ways of playing the game. I'm sure this specific example is not the most balanced, but it can always be tweaked by additional penalties or with innate mutations or starting items which aid in spellcasting.
- Code:
Challenge: Noise Maker
Qazlal and Dithmenos have long disputed over the merits of subtlety and stealth. The Stormbringer insists that only weaklings need to hide from their enemies and has enlisted you to prove this hypothesis.
Restrictions:
- You must play as a fighter.
- You start the game wielding The Singing Sword and The Shield of the Gong, and are unable to remove these items by any means.
Crawl has many items which change the way the game is played, and challenges like these would be a good way to play around with them. If the idea catches on, items could even be created specifically for such challenges.
- Code:
Challenge: Beloved by the Gods
You seem to attract divine attention wherever you go. While it is always nice to be popular, your godly acquaintances sometimes get overeager.
Restrictions:
- You start the game worshipping a random god and are barred from manually switching religion.
- Periodically throughout the game, your religious affiliation is automatically switched.
- When switching gods, piety from your previous patron will carry over to your new benefactor.
This is a more severe step away from standard mechanics, but it could be a fun way to inject some chaos into the game, though it would probably need some kind of special cases for gods like Ru or Uskayaw.
These ideas should hopefully give an idea of the kinds of modifications and challenges I imagine and there are, of course, endless possible combinations. My hope is that such a feature could increase the longevity and variety of the game, without being too burdensome to maintain.
Last edited by Dioneo on Sunday, 18th December 2016, 14:35, edited 1 time in total.