Greetings friends and fans,
It's been a while since our last update. Pandemics will hobble you like that sometimes. Still, we wanted to add something to the blog to let you guys know that, even when we're slowed, we're still working on Pharos.
With that in mind, let's talk about killing/being killed by things. Combat is one of the core experiences of our game and you'll be doing a lot of it by the time you reach your journey's end. However, the last thing we want to do is bog you down with encounters that don't matter; fleeting trash mobs and filler that show up only to be effortlessly beat down with a few taps of a button. Combat is somewhat avoidable in Pharos especially on the overworld as there's nothing worse than being stopped by random encounters when you're just trying to get a closer look at some point of interest you hadn't noticed before. We don't really promote grinding in Pharos either so what does our combat really represent?
Our enemies will need to be smart. We are currently building each enemy with a specific set of behaviors. Canines that rely on pack hunting tactics and follow the lead of a powerful alpha. Monsters that will sometimes devour other creatures in a combat encounter for a quick heal and a strong buff. Monsters that will shield themselves and panic if that shield is broken or explode when exposed to fire. Every encounter should be a fight but it should also be a puzzle to be deciphered and, eventually, exploited.
Here's a throwaway example of what we mean. Currently, our Green Slimes will simply bite every adventurer they see. However, they prefer to eat beetles when they can. There are two types of beetles on Slime Island; one that is pretty normal and one that is entirely toxic. The Green Slimes don't discriminate; they will eat every beetle they see. So, if you find yourself in a battle with a slime and a few assorted beetles, simply kill the brown beetles and you'll enter your second or third round of combat with a host of poisoned slimes.
Another example: our Red Slimes will "charge" themselves and "pop" as their main form of attack, dealing AOE fire damage every two turns. This can quickly bring your party down but you don't need to take this lying down. You can quickly disrupt a Red Slime with a water attack, dissipating its charge before it can attack. On the other hand, you could strike the same Red Slimes with fire, which causes them to immediately explode and deal damage to everyone in combat. This can quickly turn the tide of battle if you are facing numerous enemies and you are prepared to absorb the damage. However, if there are numerous Red Slimes in one battle, this approach can quickly turn into a deadly chain reaction.
