about this RPG

[jack1974]

Why discourages grinding? I can always define groups of enemies at a specific low level. Note that autolevel in this case means only that I use as starting point the same stats as the party average. Then, I do whatever I want with them. I can define a group of Goblins that are all 1-3 levels lower than the current party and that will be an easy encounter. Or have another with 3 "Easy Goblins" plus 1 Super Goblin that is 2 levels above the party (sort of mini-boss).

/SELF BRAG MODE ON
I think honestly that this solution is the best possible

(I realize that maybe wasn't clear how I explained it, hopefully after tomorrow's blog post will be completely clear)

[Lonestar51]

Why discourages grinding?

Oh, this boss is SOOOO hard. I better grind against a few goblins, and come back later. ... Oh no, the boss is now two levels harder than before. This is SOOOO unfair.

Sorry, channeling a meanie is the easiest way to explain.

I think honestly that this solution is the best possible

Well, I agree. But then, if a fight is too hard, I lower the difficulty, and think nothing about it. For me the autoleveling means that I do not need too much fiddling with difficulty, or thinking about if doing the sidequest makes the game too easy or not doing it makes the game too hard. Others have a competitive streak, and NEED to fight all fights with minimum party AND at the highest level.

[jack1974]

Oh, this boss is SOOOO hard. I better grind against a few goblins, and come back later. ... Oh no, the boss is now two levels harder than before. This is SOOOO unfair.

Well the boss is two level harder if your party is two level harder. So is relatively the same level as before
With this system the relative difficulty of battles remains intact (more or less).

Well, I agree. But then, if a fight is too hard, I lower the difficulty, and think nothing about it. For me the autoleveling means that I do not need too much fiddling with difficulty, or thinking about if doing the sidequest makes the game too easy or not doing it makes the game too hard. Others have a competitive streak, and NEED to fight all fights with minimum party AND at the highest level.

Well, nobody will force you to fight the fight with all party members (apart the early stages when there aren't many). So those who wants that can do it.
But wait, while the enemy base values will align to the party, obviously as your party levels up, they'll learn new skills and be more powerful. Don't think that with this system there's no more strategy in building your party. Choosing one skill instead of another can change some battles radically already at lower levels. Also, since you have many attributes to allocate, you can personalize your party even more. You can have a Warrior with a lot of HP, or another with a lot of SP so can perform more skills during the battle.
Same thing for the enemy, they have various skills like for Loren. The only change is that the base values are more balanced, but two identical Goblin could have very different skills (one that targets a single party and another with area of effect damage) so the battle will be very different too.

[Lonestar51]

Oh, this boss is SOOOO hard. I better grind against a few goblins, and come back later. ... Oh no, the boss is now two levels harder than before. This is SOOOO unfair.

Well the boss is two level harder if your party is two level harder. So is relatively the same level as before
With this system the relative difficulty of battles remains intact (more or less).

Which is exactly my point: Some people will want to play with "hard" or "impossible" settings, but still grind their way to having easy wins.

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BTW: How are you balancing the skill-gain with the equipment-gain? Assuming I get XP for two levels ups, but depending on the route taken I might either have two rusty daggers as loot, or some +100 swords of smiting. This could upset the balance as well.

But wait, while the enemy base values will align to the party, obviously as your party levels up, they'll learn new skills and be more powerful. Don't think that with this system there's no more strategy in building your party. Choosing one skill instead of another can change some battles radically already at lower levels. [...]
Same thing for the enemy, they have various skills like for Loren. The only change is that the base values are more balanced, but two identical Goblin could have very different skills (one that targets a single party and another with area of effect damage) so the battle will be very different too.

Does this mean that a goblin with a random build will be sometimes easy (wrong skills chosen by RNG) and sometimes very hard ("right" skills chosen by RNG)?

[jack1974]

BTW: How are you balancing the skill-gain with the equipment-gain? Assuming I get XP for two levels ups, but depending on the route taken I might either have two rusty daggers as loot, or some +100 swords of smiting. This could upset the balance as well.

I balance that by checking the items available, but those who like to grind will be able to earn enough money to buy better equipment. The grinding will still be "active" but different, for example getting a weapon with a specific elemental damage that works against a specific enemy race, or vice versa armors that offer a protection against an elemental damage. To be honest I can't really say how well that works at this point since I'm only testing the plot battles

Does this mean that a goblin with a random build will be sometimes easy (wrong skills chosen by RNG) and sometimes very hard ("right" skills chosen by RNG)?

I can decide the range of randomization, by default I just put a small one (+/- 5% change of values) so that doesn't break anything. For random/optional encounters I might do more randomization so could be fun to play, like a sort of random challenge and not fixed battles

[P_Tigras]

BTW: How are you balancing the skill-gain with the equipment-gain? Assuming I get XP for two levels ups, but depending on the route taken I might either have two rusty daggers as loot, or some +100 swords of smiting. This could upset the balance as well.

I balance that by checking the items available, but those who like to grind will be able to earn enough money to buy better equipment. The grinding will still be "active" but different, for example getting a weapon with a specific elemental damage that works against a specific enemy race, or vice versa armors that offer a protection against an elemental damage. To be honest I can't really say how well that works at this point since I'm only testing the plot battles

As I recall, there was a degree of "autoleveling" in the original Loren as well, but it wasn't fully linear as some stats were affected more than others. The cyclops, for example, were more dangerous at level 22 than at level 18. With strike-through, they could kill one of your back row mages or thieves with a single attack at level 22, while at level 18 they needed two. You may have nerfed Cyclopses a bit since, but the underlying "autoleveling" is still there.

[jack1974]

I published the blog post, check it. In practice, I do the autoleveling the reverse way: instead of trying to find the right values manually, I start with the base values automatically and then I tweak them. Is much easier this way to avoid problems like the one you mentioned

[jack1974]

another scene coded, with some choices, looting an abandoned goblin camp by night:

it's towards the end of second chapter. In Winter Season there are four, so I'm about halfway but I'm still missing all the side-quests and the random encounters. Not all seasons have same length though, Spring is almost double the Winter Season.
If I can keep this pace I think should have a beta demo sometimes in January though

[Lonestar51]

it's towards the end of second chapter. In Winter Season there are four,

Winter season? I thought the game was called "seasons of the Wolf"?

Bah you nit-picking people!

yes, that is me.

[jack1974]

Yes, I meant to write "Winter season"
Game is divided into the four seasons, but they're not even in length, that's why even if I'm mid-way through the first season doesn't mean that I'm at 12,5% of the whole game dev time