"Dark Crystal" Mechanism for Encounters?

[Anderson88 26]

I was thinking about a mechanism that I can use for the way encounters are found in my game. Basically, you have the regular "roaming enemies" that walk around, and you enter a battle with them if you touch them, etc.

 

But they don't respawn (ever). Instead, I was thinking that I could make a "Dark Crystal" or some sinister object that appears once all the enemies in an area have been slain, and it stays there forever.

It would allow you to enter battles that you would normally encounter in that region if you interact with it. I was thinking that it would help encourage exploration and make potential backtracking not as boring.

It could also give the player some idea on how strong they need to be at a certain point in the game... and it also allows the people who need EXP to grind in an easy and efficient way.

 

 

I'm curious as to what other people think about this.

[Lord Vectra 414]

Doesn't seem that bad of an idea except the fact it can be used as an EXP cheat.

[Gleason 15]

I don't know if I'd go so far as calling it an EXP cheat, unless the enemies don't respawn in order to limit the total available EXP. It's a good idea in that it saves the player from having to run back and forth to initiate battles if they're grinding/levelling/saving up cash, compared to the normal methods of random encounters.

 

I am curious as to how having the crystal would encourage exploration, though. Are you thinking of putting enemies in out of the way places, and if the crystal appears, then you (the player) knows that you've successfully cleared the area?

[+ CVincent 234]

I never was a fan of this kind of mechanic, it mostly just makes a player sit in a spot until they've grinded enough levels to be strong for the next area. I feel there are ways you can balance things out so that this isn't necessary, but there are ways to make it more enjoyable.

 

 

 

It would allow you to enter battles that you would normally encounter in that region if you interact with it. I was thinking that it would help encourage exploration and make potential backtracking not as boring.

 

Would you be able to select what you want to battle in some kind of menu, or would it respawn the enemies on the map? Also, I don't feel that this helps make backtracking any more interesting. It's more of a distraction that gives incentive to the player to spend time fighting again while they're on their way back to somewhere.

 

Some possible ideas to work with:

 

• Have an area that's easily accessible and doesn't require backtracking that also has this crystal. It could add monsters you've already battled to it, sort of like an arena mode.

• Activating the crystal spawns new enemies, or tougher ones to fight that have increased stats. Maybe give them new abilities to keep combat interesting if you intend to have this mechanic used frequently.

• Give increased rewards for doing battles using the crystal, maybe have a dropped currency by enemies from the crystal and a shop that sells you enhanced gear. This should make the transition feel less grindy and be more interactive.

• Unlock a new skill or class after completing so many battles using the crystal.

• Completing X amount of battles using the crystal unlocks a secret area with some hidden gear or more enemies.

 

Anything you can do to add depth to the mechanic will make it more desirable to play. The key to making it enjoyable is to either remove or mask the grinding element by giving the players interesting things to do.

[Anderson88 26]

I am curious as to how having the crystal would encourage exploration, though. Are you thinking of putting enemies in out of the way places, and if the crystal appears, then you (the player) knows that you've successfully cleared the area?

More or less. It encourages a player to look around for those enemies (and treasures along the way), while not having annoying random encounters or unnecessary battles that aren't part of their goal. When a player knows that they've "cleared" an area, there would be some closure and a nice feeling of progress, hopefully.

 

 

I never was a fan of this kind of mechanic, it mostly just makes a player sit in a spot until they've grinded enough levels to be strong for the next area. I feel there are ways you can balance things out so that this isn't necessary, but there are ways to make it more enjoyable.

I think if I were to execute this mechanic properly, the next stage of the game wouldn't be so difficult that grinding was mandatory. It's not too different from the usual encounter system... grinding is still optional. It would theoretically just make the player's life a little easier if they feel the need to grind.

 

I was thinking that interacting with the crystal would either enter a battle selected from a random pool of the enemies in that area, or there could be the menu so that the player can choose.

 

• Have an area that's easily accessible and doesn't require backtracking that also has this crystal. It could add monsters you've already battled to it, sort of like an arena mode.

• Activating the crystal spawns new enemies, or tougher ones to fight that have increased stats. Maybe give them new abilities to keep combat interesting if you intend to have this mechanic used frequently.

• Give increased rewards for doing battles using the crystal, maybe have a dropped currency by enemies from the crystal and a shop that sells you enhanced gear. This should make the transition feel less grindy and be more interactive.

• Unlock a new skill or class after completing so many battles using the crystal.

• Completing X amount of battles using the crystal unlocks a secret area with some hidden gear or more enemies.

 

Anything you can do to add depth to the mechanic will make it more desirable to play. The key to making it enjoyable is to either remove or mask the grinding element by giving the players interesting things to do.

 

I like these ideas! I'll keep these in mind for when I implement this system.