Next Build Update 11-18-22

This is just a brief update on what will be coming in the next build now that more work is underway, as well as a discussion on the enemies/enemy design you can expect to see when it's released.

At the moment the Prototype HUD is now complete and just needs to be implemented, and work is underway on all the enemy spritesheets. Afterwards I'll complete the new attack and spell assets, and then the backgrounds for the new rooms. Once all the assets are done, it's just a matter of getting everything plugged in to the existing code. I may stealth release another revision build this week, but it'd just consist of some bug fixes and maybe some clean-up thats been bugging me for a bit, so don't expect any big additions. I may implement the HUD as well, but keep in mind the new mechanics won't be programmed in yet, so there will be elements of it that don't do anything yet. It will clue you in on some of the new stuff coming though, so you might want to keep an eye out for if I do end up releasing a new revision build.

Four new enemy designs are coming to the next build, and the current enemy will be completely changed to behave in its originally intended role. For this core demo I just wanted to implement an example of each of the major attack types you can expect in the game, as well as basic targeting and decision-making ai. The current enemy has a melee attack, a projectile, and an AOE, but you can expect that most enemies will specialize in one of these attack types, or one of the new attack types coming in the next build. Attack choice is based on range from the last location it detected the player, with  a bit of RNG to make sure attacks aren't always performed on a strict timer.  This will be tuned and nuanced for each different enemy, as some will only use certain attacks based on line of sight, or on a countdown, or when under a specific status.

In the next build, moving attacks, defensive stances, and healing/support will be introduced for sure, with status and cut-in attacks being a possibility, but not definite. You can expect each enemy to have a defined role and specific properties that will make mob fights much more thoughtful and exciting. In general I don't intend for a single enemy to be dangerous on its own, in fact I more or less expect you to curbstomp them, save for specific "strong" enemies or bosses of course. The challenge will come from mob compositions, both in terms of the quantity of enemies and the variety of skills they bring to the table, and playing skillfully will mean knowing which enemies to prioritize and how to set up your build to deal with different scenarios. Buffs and Status Effects will start showing up in the next series of builds and these will be crucial to playing the game well. I will say that on the whole I don't intend for the game to be super challenging or anything, but I do want you to have to think and strategize especially later into the game.

Lastly, I want to note that the enemies in this build are all early versions of mid-game enemies, so you can expect that at the beginning of the game things will be simpler. I chose these enemies because I wanted to get as many enemy mechanics programmed and showed off as possible early on, and because they were generally easier to work with when it came to the interactive scene. 

Thank you to everyone who's following the project, and especially those who gave feedback and donations! I really appreciate it!