Artiforgers Trials GDD

This is a limited scope game with the same combat mechanics as Artiforgers Adventures, but as a roguelike game, with the purpose to test the game combat mechanics and core game loop.


Introduction

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Artiforgers Trials is the first game of the Artiforgers series. It will be used to test and polish combat mechanics. Since it is in the same universe, it shares the same lore.
Artiforgers Trials is a roguelike Action Active Time Battle where the player controls a party that faces endless hordes of enemies that grow stronger during the playtime, while collecting items and more characters to join the party, eventually conquering the trial, or being defeated

Concept

Gameplay Overview

The player starts with a single default character at the starting trial, with the current character being at level 0 and possessing no items. The player must fight incoming enemies to find better equipment, level up their party, and find more characters to join him in the current run, to ultimately be able to defeat the final boss of the trial and conquer it.

Mechanics

Unlocking Trials

After completing a trial, the player unlocks another different trial, and also unlocks a harder difficulty of the first trial.

Difficulties

There will be 3 difficulties only.
  • Normal, in which the enemies get linearly stronger in every stage, meaning you can try to build a highly defensive party to win the game.
  • Hard, in which the enemies strength scales with time instead, so the player must manage to both be durable enough to not get killed and be strong enough to slay them.
  • Artifactum, which removes enemy cap scaling, and enemies scales even faster.

Starting a Run

Initially, the player must start with the default character, but when encountering another character in a run, it becomes available as a character to be picked as a the starting character for a next run.

Stages Progression In a Run

Every other step in a stage may have a couple of different paths that the player is able to choose after a couple of stages. There's an image hinting to what the chosen step will be.

Leveling

All characters are the same level, set by the level of the initial characters. Skill points can only be added but not removed.

Special Stages Steps

There will be special stages Steps. In all special steps the player can rearrange which items and consumables the party has equipped.
  • Wandering Merchant - Sell and purchase items
  • Artiforge - Combine items into their stronger version
  • Corrupted Artiforge - Reforge two equal items of same level to a random item of higher level (chance to fail at a level 5 corruption), consuming "Corrupted Energy".
  • Original Fragment Trail - gives plenty of healing to all party members (70%)
  • Character encounter - Can add a new character to the party.

Inventory

For every character in the party there are three slots to store any item/consumable. It may happen that the player cannot hold any more items, and if that is the case the player must discard one. When the player discards an item, they get a couple of coins that can be spent at the special stages.

Unlocking Characters During a Run

The player will eventually choose a path that leads to them finding another Artiforger. The player must have the required coins amount to hire the Artiforger to join his party.
If the player hires a fifth Artiforger, the player must dismiss one, not getting their coins back.

Beating The Trial

After the sixth completed stage, there's a chance to the player finding an "unstable crack" after beating a step. The player can withdraw some items to start collecting "Corrupted Energy". When there is enough corrupted energy, the player will stop finding "unstable cracks" and start finding "Energy-Filled Cracks". The player can choose go through these and fight the final boss stage.

Itemization

The player finds many items, equippable or consumable. Clearly, items found in early stages are of lesser power than items found in later stages. All Items have 4 levels, and lesser levels can be upgraded by combining 2 of the level before, meaning a level 4 item is equal to 8 identical level 1 items. Level 5 items can be obtained at the Corrupted Artiforge, at the expense of Corrupted Energy.

Stages

A stage is a step in a trial. A Stage may be a special stage, mentioned earlier, or a battle stage.