C-C-C-COMBO SYSTEM! Part 2

Last time we talked about how players will build Combo Points by playing cards in the right order. This time we’ll learn how that glorious combo can be ripped down in an instant if you’re not paying attention!

Interrupts

Not going with the flow

You can’t just rack up Combo Points carefree. Combos can be interrupted meaning you lose all of the combo points you’ve built up and perhaps even worse! Sometimes you may be able to play a card that is the color needed for you followup Combo Color, as is the case when you don’t have a card of the necessary color in your hand. In this situation you will still want to play a card in order to continue damaging your enemy, but when a card is played that is not the color of the required Combo Color your combo will be interrupted. Having your combo interrupted means setting your Combo Points back to zero and missing out on any combo bonus effects you had been building up! So try to manage your deck and cards in hand to maximize your combos.

Combo Breaker!

Your enemy isn’t going to sit there and let you wail on them all day! Enemies attack the player every few seconds, depending on the enemy. When an enemy attacks it will interrupt any combo you’re trying to put together. In addition to having your combo interrupted you will also be effected by the enemy’s attack typically in the form of being dealt damage. Ideally, the player will want to conclude their combos with a Finisher before an enemy’s attack timer fills resulting in the best combo bonuses while mitigating the enemy’s damage. One last thing, just as the player is given bonus for completing combos, the enemy will get bonuses for breaking the player’s combos!

Finish that combo quick! Dummy strikes back soon!
Finish that combo quick! Dummy strikes back soon!

So there is an overview of the current combo system used during combat. Things are still being tested to see what works and what needs to be changed. The need for the right card colors will hopefully play into the deck building aspect of the game, urging players to be mindful of the cards they put in their deck and to hunt down the perfect cards to fit their strategy.

C-C-C-COMBO SYSTEM! Part 1

Ok, now this is starting to look and feel more like a game. The combo system has been added to the game in a basic, minimum viable product sort of way. Just the minimal amount necessary to demonstrate the idea has been implemented. The code is still a bit of a mess and some refactoring is certainly in order but there are too many ideas to get out. Some other UX improvements have also been added.

Dragon Drop

The ability for a user to drag and drop (I prefer to call this Dragon Drop) cards during combat has been added, making for a much more fluid combat experience. Cards are now flicked at the enemy portrait in order to use the card. This flicking motion lends itself towards faster card plays which feeds into the combo system.

Combos

The idea is relatively simple, all cards are given a color and most cards have a Followup Combo Color. When a card is played and then the next card played is the color of the previous card’s Followup Combo Color the player’s Combo Points are increased. The player can continue to rack up combo points until the combo ends. A combo ends either through the use of a Finisher or by being interrupted. A combo can be interrupted either by the player not following up a card with a card that is not the Followup Combo Color or by being attacked by the enemy.

Finishers

Finishers are almost the same as Followup Combo Colors. Where most cards have a Followup Combo Color, many of them also have a Finisher Color. When a card with a Finisher Color is played and then followed by a card that is the color of that Finisher Color the combo is completed granting the player bonus damage and/or effects. The player’s Combo Points are then reset and a new combo can begin.

sweetCardArt
Early card examples showing card color, name, Combo Color and Finisher Color.

 

Next time we’ll cover how combos can be interrupted and all the terrible things that take place when that happens.