I finally released The Black Heart of Exile. It's available in the games section of this forum. I've played the hell out of it for a solid month to even the difficulty and stomp out bugs but I probably missed some so please let me know if you find anything suspect. Use this thread or PM me with any comments. I really hope you enjoy it.
I highly advise that you read the short and informative manual before playing.
A preview was available in September's Hamsterspeak in case you'd like to read some more about it: http://superwalrusland.com/ohr/issue53/index.html
Black Heart of Exile is out
Moderators: Bob the Hamster, marionline, SDHawk
-
Willy Elektrix
- Liquid Metal Slime
- Posts: 910
- Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:30 pm
-
KF Harlock
- Slime Knight
- Posts: 194
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 10:45 am
- Location: East Coast USA
- Contact:
Yes! I've been looking forward to it like crazy.
Man, I'm definitely going to get going on this one tonight or tomorrow, and I'll be sure to give some feedback!
Man, I'm definitely going to get going on this one tonight or tomorrow, and I'll be sure to give some feedback!
SPELLSHARD: THE BLACK CROWN OF HORGOTH now COMPLETE! <a href="http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewgam ... 4363">Grab it today!</a>
-
Willy Elektrix
- Liquid Metal Slime
- Posts: 910
- Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:30 pm
I have a request for anyone who feels like being extremely helpful. After you've played a bit, make a post here in the approximately following format for any zones you happen to complete.
If you would rather just play and not mess with this, any general impressions are also useful.
I've filled in example text in (parenthesis).
-----------
Class: (Android)
Zone 1
Equipment at zone start: (LaserGun, PlasticArmor)
Powers at zone start: (OffenseUp, Repair)
Items at zone start: (2 patches)
Unused money at zone start: (0)
Zone 1 completed notes: (The Amoeba Man was too hard to hit. Navigating the acid was annoying.)
Zone 2
Equipment at Zone start: (LaserGun, PlasticArmor, Bones2)
Powers at Zone start: (OffenseUp, Repair, MentalUp)
Items at zone start: (2 patches, 1 cloak)
Unused money at zone start: (60)
Zone 2 completed notes: (I had to run from some of the Giant Viruses. The Killer Hologram destroyed me and I had to replay the zone. It took me forever to find the Key.)[/code]
If you would rather just play and not mess with this, any general impressions are also useful.
I've filled in example text in (parenthesis).
-----------
Class: (Android)
Zone 1
Equipment at zone start: (LaserGun, PlasticArmor)
Powers at zone start: (OffenseUp, Repair)
Items at zone start: (2 patches)
Unused money at zone start: (0)
Zone 1 completed notes: (The Amoeba Man was too hard to hit. Navigating the acid was annoying.)
Zone 2
Equipment at Zone start: (LaserGun, PlasticArmor, Bones2)
Powers at Zone start: (OffenseUp, Repair, MentalUp)
Items at zone start: (2 patches, 1 cloak)
Unused money at zone start: (60)
Zone 2 completed notes: (I had to run from some of the Giant Viruses. The Killer Hologram destroyed me and I had to replay the zone. It took me forever to find the Key.)[/code]
Last edited by Willy Elektrix on Wed Oct 05, 2011 5:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
novakaiser
- Slime
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:28 am
Willy, Let me first say that I loved Castle on Night Land; I recommended it to Harlock!
Your games remind me of older DOS rpgs from the late 80s to early 90s in that they combine strong literary descriptions with minimalist visuals to enhance the imaginative experience. The choice of color theme and music for your titles couldn't be more perfect.
I've been pretty eager for awhile now to play The Black Heart of Exile, and I'm glad I can at least help you by giving my playthrough input.
(Btw, I took the liberty to expand upon the information you requested, hopefully it doesn't overwhelm you!)
ZONE 1:
--------------------------
Class: Robot
Name (I renamed him from the stat menu): KAISER
Equipment at zone start: Sonic Gun, Vibro Wand, Barrier Armor
Powers at zone start: Repair, Defense, Offense, Burst
Items at zone start: none
Unused money at zone start: 0
Zone 1 completed notes:
n/a. Poor power selection, I get trashed in almost every battle. Burst isn't useful starting out for the robot it seems. Time to reread the notes, leave on the ship and begin anew!
SECOND TRY:
Class: Robot
Name: KAISER
Equipment at zone start: Sonic Gun, Vibro Wand, Barrier Armor
Powers at zone start: Repair, Offense
Items at zone start: Patch x2
Unused money at zone start: 200
Zone 1 completed notes:
I managed to survive! The most difficult part was making it until I ranked up, especially against the rodent horde. It's quite possible to die right from the start just from successive stuns. In comparison, the Amoeba Man gets wrecked fairly easily by KAISER.
However, after ranking all battles quickly ease up in this zone. Ranks make a huge difference in the game so far. For KAISER, the repair skill is better used on the world map and acts as a buffer between needing patches, which is a good way to play the Robot class I think.
It appears I collected all parts; I found the chip and the tape, a few patches, several cloaks, and all visible chests. I also discovered a few hidden messages. I do wonder about the grave I desecrated, however.
ZONE 2:
--------------------------
Equipment at zone start: Sonic Gun, Vibro Wand, Barrier Armor, Heart 2
Powers at zone start: Repair, Offense, Bleed
Items at zone start: Cloak x3, Patch x2, Chip, Tape
Unused money at zone start: 130
Rank at zone start: 6
Zone 2 completed notes:
I took a risk with this build and invested heavily in KAISER's strike ability by purchasing the Heart 2 upgrade. However, I had enough materials left over to buy a new skill and a patch.
I decided to get Bleed since even as a robot, I figured it'd be good to at least cover my bases with a Psionic attack in the event I come across something that's immune or resistant to physical damage, and a DOT-based power would be battery-efficient and complimentary to the attack-based robot.
Then I got too curious with the Cutter Mine. Groan.
SECOND TRY:
Same strategy as above.
Zone 2 completed notes:
True to my intuition, I discovered the importance of investigating remote spots, even if they're not visually different other than by location. I discovered a wealth of materials buried within the crevices and paths inbetween the cinder block buildings and fires. Check everything suspicious -- but be careful! You never know what you might find. Even holographic portraits!
Speaking of which, it seemed my investment paid off, as it certainly saved me against the portrait and its relentless hypnosis. You can take nothing for granted in the surrealist world of Exile.
KAISER is able to dispatch most foes in two turns, sometimes three, although I don't always achieve the maximum number of attacks. Nonetheless, upgrading the gun should prove useful to maximize his potential for the next area.
In regards to the standard foes, encountering The Giant Virus has the most risk due to the combined power of its Sick and Fever attacks. This can't be underestimated, as it has repeatedly destroyed me (Ironically, it confirms the power of my aformentioned setup). The Nanite Cloud, on the other hand, seems to have the capability to do tremendous damage with the Charge power but KAISER often finishes it off before it has the chance to damage him. He got hit with it once but it did 20 damage, well within his means of survival. I think it was just a matter of luck that it hit that low, so I used a cloak when I had 27 health remaining when confronted with the same attack in another encounter.
Oh, a syringe filled with black liquid? INJECTED. KAISER is renewed with vigor!
Exile: A world of mystery and risk.
But I know better than to touch an implanted bomb. Fool me once...
I've found several items in this zone, two of which include the Holo and Log. I think that concludes this area's exploration.
Having completed Zone 2, I'm starting to see the pattern encounters have in their design. On the matter of battle, strategy depends entirely on minutiae. You must be prepared to realize your options and know the outcomes based on things as simple as whether or not you get to act first in battle, or even if you have, let's say, 23 or 25 health. There's also the chance for an unknown encounter, but fortunately they've been preceded by suspicious information. At least up until now.
--------------------------
So far, I'm loving it. You definitely have me hooked on figuring out this strange world. You have a master grasp of balance and you load your games with strong visuals, intrigue and mystery, with a surrealist bent. I'm gonna continue updating my progress with notes as I go through the world of Exile.
For others who might be reading this, my recommendation is to stick with the game at the beginning; Exile can put less patient players off from the start because you're liable to die by chance, but leveling up makes huge differences. Eventually, you obtain a solid means of controlling whether you survive or not, and random deaths become less likely (although the risk never goes away, to be certain, but that's all part of the challenge of exploring Exile).
Your games remind me of older DOS rpgs from the late 80s to early 90s in that they combine strong literary descriptions with minimalist visuals to enhance the imaginative experience. The choice of color theme and music for your titles couldn't be more perfect.
I've been pretty eager for awhile now to play The Black Heart of Exile, and I'm glad I can at least help you by giving my playthrough input.
(Btw, I took the liberty to expand upon the information you requested, hopefully it doesn't overwhelm you!)
ZONE 1:
--------------------------
Class: Robot
Name (I renamed him from the stat menu): KAISER
Equipment at zone start: Sonic Gun, Vibro Wand, Barrier Armor
Powers at zone start: Repair, Defense, Offense, Burst
Items at zone start: none
Unused money at zone start: 0
Zone 1 completed notes:
n/a. Poor power selection, I get trashed in almost every battle. Burst isn't useful starting out for the robot it seems. Time to reread the notes, leave on the ship and begin anew!
SECOND TRY:
Class: Robot
Name: KAISER
Equipment at zone start: Sonic Gun, Vibro Wand, Barrier Armor
Powers at zone start: Repair, Offense
Items at zone start: Patch x2
Unused money at zone start: 200
Zone 1 completed notes:
I managed to survive! The most difficult part was making it until I ranked up, especially against the rodent horde. It's quite possible to die right from the start just from successive stuns. In comparison, the Amoeba Man gets wrecked fairly easily by KAISER.
However, after ranking all battles quickly ease up in this zone. Ranks make a huge difference in the game so far. For KAISER, the repair skill is better used on the world map and acts as a buffer between needing patches, which is a good way to play the Robot class I think.
It appears I collected all parts; I found the chip and the tape, a few patches, several cloaks, and all visible chests. I also discovered a few hidden messages. I do wonder about the grave I desecrated, however.
ZONE 2:
--------------------------
Equipment at zone start: Sonic Gun, Vibro Wand, Barrier Armor, Heart 2
Powers at zone start: Repair, Offense, Bleed
Items at zone start: Cloak x3, Patch x2, Chip, Tape
Unused money at zone start: 130
Rank at zone start: 6
Zone 2 completed notes:
I took a risk with this build and invested heavily in KAISER's strike ability by purchasing the Heart 2 upgrade. However, I had enough materials left over to buy a new skill and a patch.
I decided to get Bleed since even as a robot, I figured it'd be good to at least cover my bases with a Psionic attack in the event I come across something that's immune or resistant to physical damage, and a DOT-based power would be battery-efficient and complimentary to the attack-based robot.
Then I got too curious with the Cutter Mine. Groan.
SECOND TRY:
Same strategy as above.
Zone 2 completed notes:
True to my intuition, I discovered the importance of investigating remote spots, even if they're not visually different other than by location. I discovered a wealth of materials buried within the crevices and paths inbetween the cinder block buildings and fires. Check everything suspicious -- but be careful! You never know what you might find. Even holographic portraits!
Speaking of which, it seemed my investment paid off, as it certainly saved me against the portrait and its relentless hypnosis. You can take nothing for granted in the surrealist world of Exile.
KAISER is able to dispatch most foes in two turns, sometimes three, although I don't always achieve the maximum number of attacks. Nonetheless, upgrading the gun should prove useful to maximize his potential for the next area.
In regards to the standard foes, encountering The Giant Virus has the most risk due to the combined power of its Sick and Fever attacks. This can't be underestimated, as it has repeatedly destroyed me (Ironically, it confirms the power of my aformentioned setup). The Nanite Cloud, on the other hand, seems to have the capability to do tremendous damage with the Charge power but KAISER often finishes it off before it has the chance to damage him. He got hit with it once but it did 20 damage, well within his means of survival. I think it was just a matter of luck that it hit that low, so I used a cloak when I had 27 health remaining when confronted with the same attack in another encounter.
Oh, a syringe filled with black liquid? INJECTED. KAISER is renewed with vigor!
Exile: A world of mystery and risk.
But I know better than to touch an implanted bomb. Fool me once...
I've found several items in this zone, two of which include the Holo and Log. I think that concludes this area's exploration.
Having completed Zone 2, I'm starting to see the pattern encounters have in their design. On the matter of battle, strategy depends entirely on minutiae. You must be prepared to realize your options and know the outcomes based on things as simple as whether or not you get to act first in battle, or even if you have, let's say, 23 or 25 health. There's also the chance for an unknown encounter, but fortunately they've been preceded by suspicious information. At least up until now.
--------------------------
So far, I'm loving it. You definitely have me hooked on figuring out this strange world. You have a master grasp of balance and you load your games with strong visuals, intrigue and mystery, with a surrealist bent. I'm gonna continue updating my progress with notes as I go through the world of Exile.
For others who might be reading this, my recommendation is to stick with the game at the beginning; Exile can put less patient players off from the start because you're liable to die by chance, but leveling up makes huge differences. Eventually, you obtain a solid means of controlling whether you survive or not, and random deaths become less likely (although the risk never goes away, to be certain, but that's all part of the challenge of exploring Exile).
Last edited by novakaiser on Thu Oct 06, 2011 7:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.
-
novakaiser
- Slime
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:28 am
****HEAR YE, HEAR YE, SPOILERS ABOUND!!****
ZONE 3:
--------------------------
Equipment at zone start: Death Gun, Vibro Wand, Pulsor Armor, Visor Helmet, Heart 2
Powers at zone start: Repair, Offense, Bleed
Items at zone start: Cloak x3, Patch x4, Chip, Tape, Log, Holo
Unused money at zone start: 80
Rank at zone start: 9
Zone 3 completed notes:
I now have DEATH on my side, Exile. What will you confront me with? (Hopefully nothing that does tremendous Psionic damage, because I'm terribly equipped for that!) But I did buy the Pulsor Armor and the Visor Helmet, and to afford that, I recycled the Sonic Gun and the Barrier Armor. For everything else, I'm relying on what I found from the previous zone.
Based on the information in the bestiary, I chose evasion-raising gear in the hopes that it would prevent me from getting hit by the knife and rocket-wielding Living Corpse, which sounds painful.
But first, a CANNIBAL PYGMY---!! He does a number to KAISER but I triumph with five consecutive blows totaling... 5 damage.
By now, the pattern is clear: unknown encounters deal rapid, weak blows and are conquered in a few hits worth single digit damage. However, their gimmicks are different and it seems that if a class were to be insufficiently equipped, it could fall easily to them. I hope KAISER doesn't encounter his Achilles' heel.
Vending machine! CANDY BAR. CRUSTY, GLOWING CANDY BAR. I must have it. That, and the Pulse and the Cloak. It turns out that the pulse is meant for a turret, and I disabled one on the left side of the road before knowing it could work like that. Good deal.
Wow, it wasn't kidding when it said the radiation field does tremendous damage. I healed to full in preparation, which proved to be a wise move. Had to use a patch since I was out of battery when returning, but it was worth it.
I'm curious about the significance of the doghouse, and the strange people here that choose to remain silent (or just outright attack me). This is truly a strange place.
I think I just found an answer, at least for one dog which gobbled up my candy bar. Too bad it didn't sit well with the pup. Shame on you, dog -- but thanks for the Cell!
A putrid swamp lies in the distance beyond the fence. (These are the details I love about your games, Willy.)
With the Death gun, battles have been one-sided, to say the least. The Living Corpse, when it does hit, achieves a rough average of 18 damage with the knife. But that's highly infrequent. The rocket doesn't pose much of a threat either, given that I destroy the foe before he can set up an accurate followup attack. The Walking Mold is a bit of a nuisance, but it can only delay its inevitable death. Still, the risk of dying is strong, and when I do take damage I almost always have to heal after battle. I'm pretty certain to survive two encounters in a row if I have at least 20 health after the first one. The biggest risk I have at this point is when the Strike ability doesn't activate, as that leaves me open to retaliatory attacks from foes.
Btw, this is also the first zone where I haven't died once.
I found two more score items, the Disc and the Cell. With that done, many Pygmies slain, a few ranks gained, and much loot obtained, I disposed of the metal doors with the bombs and ventured to the next Zone.
ZONE 4:
--------------------------
Equipment at zone start: Death Gun, Energy/Beam Wand, Pulsor Armor, Visor Helmet, Heart 2
Powers at zone start: Repair, Offense, Bleed, Rebuild
Items at zone start: Cloak x5, Patch x4, Chip, Tape, Log, Holo, Disc, Cell
Unused money at zone start: 2080
Rank at zone start: 12
Zone 4 completed notes:
I started this area with another tremendous upgrade: the Energy/Beam Wand. As a robot, I felt it necessary to get the best improvement to Accuracy, and the Psionic bonus will maybe benefit my Repair skill. (Btw, it may be a typo, but the wand is listed as "Energy" in the Assembly shop and as "Beam" in the inventory screen.) The Vibro Wand, having served me well, was recycled.
As preparation for the unknown, I also obtained the Rebuild skill, knowing that many foes unleash rapid chip damage. This too will perhaps benefit from the new wand.
I do enjoy a friendly steel robot doctor with flaying tentacles. HEALTH RESTORED. I'll leave him be to take a nap.
I wonder if there is something I might have missed laying underneath a boulder I didn't roll.
Sure enough, I'm able to all but repair KAISER to full health with the added power of the new wand. It's very useful especially against the Barbarian Thugs, who sometimes hit very hard with their hammers. In one encounter a Thug hit me for over 30 damage with his Threat skill. Needless to say I had to hightail it out of there with a cloak. One should be extremely careful around those guys. The Cultists however, aren't too much trouble for hard-hitting KAISER.
I dug around in the trash heap to find the Drive and lied to the android to obtain the Journal. A robot's gotta do what a robot's gotta do.
I know I mentioned it before, but I do enjoy the little details you have everywhere. Everything from skull-shaped rocks to the remains of a robot stuck inside the wall of this zone, the atmosphere is fantastic.
The shining object in the void gripped my curiosity. I wonder if I'll discover what it is eventually.
BEWARE THE CORE. IT HAS LEARNED TOO MUCH. Time for Zone 5.
ZONE 5 -- THE CORE:
--------------------------
Equipment at zone start: Death Gun, Energy/Beam Wand, Titan Armor, Antenna Helmet, Heart 2
Powers at zone start: Repair, Offense, Bleed, Rebuild
Items at zone start: Cloak x6, Patch x7, Offense x1, Defense x1, Chip, Tape, Log, Holo, Disc, Cell, Journal, Drive
Unused money at zone start: 980
Rank at zone start: 14
Zone 5 completed notes:
With spiritual Yetis and highly cancerous Brain Tumors with massive Psi power, what can a robot hope to do? Equip the Antenna Helmet, that's what. NOt only that, but also the Titan Armor. Being a robot, KAISER is going to rely less on the whims of evasion and more on hard stats. And with almost 3k materials left after maxing out his gear, I'm now investing in several direct upgrade items. I bought an Offense, a Defense, and three Patches. We'll see how this turns out. Like the gear of yore, the Pulsar Armor and Visor Helm were recycled.
"Pay attention. Negligent behavior can be fatal." Truer words have never been spoken in Exile.
First thing first was hacking a computer. And then being confronted by the guardian robot. That thing whupped me. Several times. I ultimately prevailed with 5 health remaining, however. Up until now I haven't had any use for the skills I've purchased besides Repair, but for this battle Bleed turned out to be an absolute must-have. If it wasn't for that skill I wouldn't have finished off the guardian robot in time like I did. 800 materials!
A WALL OF INVISIBLE ENERGY BLOCKS YOU. AN ALARM KLAXON HAS BEEN ALERTED!! THE WALL WAS A HOLOGRAPH!! This is an amazing area.
a junk box with 3 materials! 36 materials! 11! 5! 45! A "Clutter" item!! SCORE. I've passed through more walls than Metroid.
And more invisible damaging energy. Ouch. A DECODER! I use the Decode on the code box. You obtain: NOTE.
After exploring some more computers, I also found the MEMO. And I think I'll have a Patch to go with that order please, Mr.Computer. Thank you.
Alright, with those items obtained and two security robots hacked, making my way into that central room should be easy... Maybe. And it is. With an added shoulder bash for good measure. Looting time!
If those security robots are anything like the one I had to fight to hack that one computer, then they surely are foes to be reckoned with. I'm grateful for the ability to dispose of them like this.
Ruthless security robot aside, the standard enemies were fairly simple. The worst I've encountered is the Yeti's special attack, which does damage at roughly 17 a hit to KAISER and hurts itself in the process. I'm obviously well-equipped at this point. The Tumorous Brain, on the other hand, falls apart like mashed potatoes when faced against the might of my blitzkrieg robot. As a squishly Psionic enemy, it simply can't handle my build, I think.
ABANDON ALL HOPE.
Onwards.
FINAL ZONE:
--------------------------
Equipment at zone start: Death Gun, Energy/Beam Wand, Titan Armor, Antenna Helmet, Heart 2
Powers at zone start: Repair, Offense, Bleed, Rebuild
Items at zone start: Cloak x7, Patch x10, Offense x4, Defense x2, Chip, Tape, Log, Holo, Disc, Cell, Journal, Drive, Note, Memo
Unused money at zone start: 980
Rank at zone start: 15
Zone 5 completed notes:
Oh god, it's like I'm stuck in a nightmare carnival. Having so many materials, I finally grabbed Defense and Mental. I think these two might be just what I need in a sustained battle, and considering that this is the FINAL ZONE, I should prepare myself extremely well against...
THE BLACK HEART.
And any other foe I may encounter. I also grabbed a few more patches, four Offense, and two Defense. So here goes...
Since I'm here staring at the core of this mad world, I think it's probably a good of time as any to use those score-based items. I have all ten...
MY HAND IS TURNING INTO A FLIPPER. I CANNOT BEAR THE SHAME. Exile is truly a tragic world, and a very scary one at that. The Black Heart has been watching me this whole time!
It's time to make it pay.
After buffing myself with Mental, casting Defense four times for a total of +80 defense and evasion, casting Bleed, Offense twice, and using four Patches in the process, I smited the Black Heart for 70 damage thrice, annihilating it beyond all reason. You could say that... I showed no heart in defeating it. BUM DUM TSSSSH
And now my brain drifts in the void of space. Gee, thanks for exploding, Exile.
Score: 10
Rank: Master
You are a legend.
--------------------------
Thank you for the incredible game, Willy Electrix. I'm more than happy to help you with sucessive playthroughs using different characters, and with any help you may need for games you create in the future. Once again, you have proven your superlative skill at making a most excellent adventure.
-
novakaiser
- Slime
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:28 am
-------------------------
ADDITIONAL NOTES!!
-------------------------
Playing as a Robot with the setups I listed, I felt the game getting easier or at least less desperate towards the end. In particular, I blew through Zone 3 since I grabbed the Death Gun after having purchased the Heart 2 in the prior zone. However, Zones 4 & 5 started to balance things for me again with considerably more powerful enemies. I spent some time in Zone 3 grinding, which explains the notable jumps in rank. I believe this behavior skewed the game somewhat and set me up to have an abundance of Patches and Cloaks that went mostly unused.
Nonetheless, the last zones still demanded careful attention in battle. Even if I wasn't dying anymore I still couldn't approach any battle thoughtlessly; to do so would mean eating a yeti smash or receiving a pile of hammer on my poor robot's face, thus ending the game.
Also, the powers I purchased - with the big exception of Repair - went largely unused, but I suspect that has to do with the nature of the Robot class rather than the intrinsic value of the powers available. Simply put, a +3 Strike skill combined with the +24 damage Death Gun just wrecks foes. I think that an Android or a Cyborg would have a much tougher time in the game, the latter in particular, but they would also put the powers to good and repeated use as a matter of survival. At least that's my impression.
I play pretty aggressively and ruthlessly, leaving little to chance and taking advantage of anything that makes itself an opportunity (In fact, Harlock has once called me a "min-max power wh*re"
). Despite that, I had to very carefully calculate every decision from the beginning so that I could have an easier path through latter zones, and even then, there's little room for mistake when you're dealing with panels that zap you for five damage and you're debating on whether to walk that extra step and take another hit before a random battle or go ahead and use a Patch to heal up and not risk death at the hands of a Yeti. Decisions!
For the less fervent/insane it should prove to be a formidable challenge to clear the game from start to finish.
ADDITIONAL NOTES!!
-------------------------
Playing as a Robot with the setups I listed, I felt the game getting easier or at least less desperate towards the end. In particular, I blew through Zone 3 since I grabbed the Death Gun after having purchased the Heart 2 in the prior zone. However, Zones 4 & 5 started to balance things for me again with considerably more powerful enemies. I spent some time in Zone 3 grinding, which explains the notable jumps in rank. I believe this behavior skewed the game somewhat and set me up to have an abundance of Patches and Cloaks that went mostly unused.
Nonetheless, the last zones still demanded careful attention in battle. Even if I wasn't dying anymore I still couldn't approach any battle thoughtlessly; to do so would mean eating a yeti smash or receiving a pile of hammer on my poor robot's face, thus ending the game.
Also, the powers I purchased - with the big exception of Repair - went largely unused, but I suspect that has to do with the nature of the Robot class rather than the intrinsic value of the powers available. Simply put, a +3 Strike skill combined with the +24 damage Death Gun just wrecks foes. I think that an Android or a Cyborg would have a much tougher time in the game, the latter in particular, but they would also put the powers to good and repeated use as a matter of survival. At least that's my impression.
I play pretty aggressively and ruthlessly, leaving little to chance and taking advantage of anything that makes itself an opportunity (In fact, Harlock has once called me a "min-max power wh*re"
). Despite that, I had to very carefully calculate every decision from the beginning so that I could have an easier path through latter zones, and even then, there's little room for mistake when you're dealing with panels that zap you for five damage and you're debating on whether to walk that extra step and take another hit before a random battle or go ahead and use a Patch to heal up and not risk death at the hands of a Yeti. Decisions!For the less fervent/insane it should prove to be a formidable challenge to clear the game from start to finish.
-
Willy Elektrix
- Liquid Metal Slime
- Posts: 910
- Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:30 pm
novakaiser: First off, let me say, I love you man. I really appreciate your enthusiasm and thoroughness when playing this game. All your comments were very informative and also very amusing. You are the first person other than me to beat this game and I'll commemorate your victory permanently inside the game's manual. You rule.
---Concerning general game balance:
You have stumbled upon the biggest flaw of The Black Heart of Exile. If you learn how to play and make the right decisions, the game can become too easy. Granted, you played the game very well. Nice work!
The trouble is that I didn't want to the game to be impossible for people who made mistakes. For instance, if a player missed some Materials or had to run from battles and missed some experience, I didn't want them to be screwed in later zones. Part of the balancing mechanic is that you can sell scoring items for a decent amount of Materials. However, if you try to buy the most powerful equipment every Zone (instead of messing around with mid-level equipment) , then this is hardly necessary.
Buying Heart2 on the 2nd zone is a great move for the Robot. In fact, I think that buying the mid-range specials like Heart1 is probably a waste of time. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to fix that without changing the structure of the game entirely.
---Concerning Powers:
Powers are much more useful with other classes. That being said, I still find MentalUp to be handy for the Robot, and occasionally DefenseUp and OffenseUp. Obviously, Burst will never be useful since your Strikes+3 makes your physical attacks more useful.
The other classes are utterly dependent on Powers. The Cyborg can obviously wreck stuff with MentalUp and then Burst or Bleed. But perhaps more deadly is the Android whose speed lets him MentalUp and OffenseUp before the enemy even gets a turn and then start dealing crushing physical damage. Actually, I think I'm debating slowing the Android's max speed from 16 to 14 in future versions.
For the record, originally the Robot had a maximum of Strikes+2, but this was much too hard I think. That said, Strikes+3 seems too easy. I don't have answer for this.
---Concerning enemy strength:
The Black Heart should definitely be harder. This will be fixed in the next version.
Keeping your Health consistently low is what adds primarily to the challenge. Considering that you'll never have more than 40 Health, most enemy attacks will take you down about 1/4. Stacking DOTs (i.e. Zone 3's Moldmen) can get nasty too. I had to nerf lots of enemy attacks to prevent obnoxious one-hit-kills if you happen to have built your character poorly. The prime candidates for this were the Nanobots in Zone 2 and the Living Dead in Zone 3. It might have been good fortune that the Nanobots didn't cause you more trouble. But it was good planning (by buying Evasion) that you conquered the Living Dead.
The key to winning is to eliminate foes quickly with massive damage. That is why it is typically a good idea to upgrade your weapons before anything else. Which you have obviously discovered.
---Concerning the environments
Somethings you interact with are red herrings. You stumbled upon most of them. Desecrating the grave in Zone 1 has no purpose. There is no way to access the blinking light in Zone 4. The alarm klaxon on the hacked terminal in Zone 5 doesn't do anything.
Each zone has one "special" enemy, which you met all of (I think). Zone 1 has the Clone. Zone 2 has the Hologram. Zone 3 has the Pygmies (they're easy to find). Zone 4 has the Robot Doctor. And Zone 5 has the Guard Robots, who I think are rather clever.
There are a few instant death interactive things (the land mine). I'm not sure whether those are too annoying or not.
---Concerning the next version
I'm compiling a list of changes to be evaluated for next version. Here's what I've got. Some are definite, some are just ideas. I'm hoping to compile a lot of feedback and then I'll start making decisions about what to change.
*Android max speed should be lowered.
*The screen should flash red when a random battle happens. I don't know how to script this.
*Instead of old gear reselling for 1/4 its value, maybe it should be 1/2? This would make the game more beginner friendly, but maybe it doesn't need to be. I don't know.
*Fix the Energy/Beam wand typo that you revealed to me.
*Figure out how to make the lower level Upgrades more useful (i.e. Bone1, Heart1, Brain1).
*Make Black Heart harder.
*Possibly increase the overall challenge by making the monsters tougher? I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.
---Concerning general game balance:
You have stumbled upon the biggest flaw of The Black Heart of Exile. If you learn how to play and make the right decisions, the game can become too easy. Granted, you played the game very well. Nice work!
The trouble is that I didn't want to the game to be impossible for people who made mistakes. For instance, if a player missed some Materials or had to run from battles and missed some experience, I didn't want them to be screwed in later zones. Part of the balancing mechanic is that you can sell scoring items for a decent amount of Materials. However, if you try to buy the most powerful equipment every Zone (instead of messing around with mid-level equipment) , then this is hardly necessary.
Buying Heart2 on the 2nd zone is a great move for the Robot. In fact, I think that buying the mid-range specials like Heart1 is probably a waste of time. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to fix that without changing the structure of the game entirely.
---Concerning Powers:
Powers are much more useful with other classes. That being said, I still find MentalUp to be handy for the Robot, and occasionally DefenseUp and OffenseUp. Obviously, Burst will never be useful since your Strikes+3 makes your physical attacks more useful.
The other classes are utterly dependent on Powers. The Cyborg can obviously wreck stuff with MentalUp and then Burst or Bleed. But perhaps more deadly is the Android whose speed lets him MentalUp and OffenseUp before the enemy even gets a turn and then start dealing crushing physical damage. Actually, I think I'm debating slowing the Android's max speed from 16 to 14 in future versions.
For the record, originally the Robot had a maximum of Strikes+2, but this was much too hard I think. That said, Strikes+3 seems too easy. I don't have answer for this.
---Concerning enemy strength:
The Black Heart should definitely be harder. This will be fixed in the next version.
Keeping your Health consistently low is what adds primarily to the challenge. Considering that you'll never have more than 40 Health, most enemy attacks will take you down about 1/4. Stacking DOTs (i.e. Zone 3's Moldmen) can get nasty too. I had to nerf lots of enemy attacks to prevent obnoxious one-hit-kills if you happen to have built your character poorly. The prime candidates for this were the Nanobots in Zone 2 and the Living Dead in Zone 3. It might have been good fortune that the Nanobots didn't cause you more trouble. But it was good planning (by buying Evasion) that you conquered the Living Dead.
The key to winning is to eliminate foes quickly with massive damage. That is why it is typically a good idea to upgrade your weapons before anything else. Which you have obviously discovered.
---Concerning the environments
Somethings you interact with are red herrings. You stumbled upon most of them. Desecrating the grave in Zone 1 has no purpose. There is no way to access the blinking light in Zone 4. The alarm klaxon on the hacked terminal in Zone 5 doesn't do anything.
Each zone has one "special" enemy, which you met all of (I think). Zone 1 has the Clone. Zone 2 has the Hologram. Zone 3 has the Pygmies (they're easy to find). Zone 4 has the Robot Doctor. And Zone 5 has the Guard Robots, who I think are rather clever.
There are a few instant death interactive things (the land mine). I'm not sure whether those are too annoying or not.
---Concerning the next version
I'm compiling a list of changes to be evaluated for next version. Here's what I've got. Some are definite, some are just ideas. I'm hoping to compile a lot of feedback and then I'll start making decisions about what to change.
*Android max speed should be lowered.
*The screen should flash red when a random battle happens. I don't know how to script this.
*Instead of old gear reselling for 1/4 its value, maybe it should be 1/2? This would make the game more beginner friendly, but maybe it doesn't need to be. I don't know.
*Fix the Energy/Beam wand typo that you revealed to me.
*Figure out how to make the lower level Upgrades more useful (i.e. Bone1, Heart1, Brain1).
*Make Black Heart harder.
*Possibly increase the overall challenge by making the monsters tougher? I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.
Last edited by Willy Elektrix on Fri Oct 07, 2011 1:53 am, edited 3 times in total.
-
novakaiser
- Slime
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:28 am
No problem, Willy. I've been mostly lurking for awhile but I had to come out for this game. It's easily one of my favorite games for the OHR.
As a matter of which, my favorite aspect of Exile is how everything is an important decision. Should you stop to use a Patch or attempt one more battle? Keep exploring or go to the next zone? Is it worth it to step beyond the flames/acid/etc. to check that mysterious spot? What about examining that mysterious thing? Attack one more time hoping for a chain hit knowing the next attack will kill you, or use a cloak?
Also, you achieved a sweet spot for random battles. I noticed that there's a fairly consistent number of steps between them, and they stay interesting as a result. It's like: fight, win, prep, walk, fight, win, prep, walk... and inbetween the rhythm there's the aforementioned choices to make. There's a lot of strategy involved to exploring and fighting. It's like making moves on a board game.
MY FEEDBACK:
-----------------
Definitely make Black Heart a harder foe. I managed a pretty ridiculous overkill I admit, but even for an inexperienced player I think they'll find the end boss a bit too lenient.
In terms of balance, I think the current value for gear is fine as it is. Instead, consider this:
Try removing or replacing some of the abundant patches and cloaks, and reducing the value of the material caches. In return for those changes, raise the recycle value of the score items based on what balances the exchange. That way you could balance Exile around two diametrical play styles: one using the score items for getting through the game and the other a survivalist style aiming for an end game collection. The resulting outcome could be that using the score items would be the easiest difficulty, using only some of them would be the standard difficulty and saving them all would become a noble challenge for the highly experienced player.
It would add another dimension of decision-making to the game, one that puts pressure on the player to use these items and in turn allows a difficulty "knob" of sorts, allowing him to tailor their game experience to suit what they feel comfortable achieving. This also establishes a fantastic elusive goal for hoarding the score items to the very end and achieving that 10 out of 10.
It could be an equal exchange, so that the way the game plays currently wouldn't be affected so much, or it could even be slanted so that it becomes overall a bit more difficult to buy good equipment without them, while the score items continue to function as the get-out-of-jail cards that you intend.
Speaking of which, instead of setting them as usable items you could change ten of the computers at the end of the game to require the items in order to display the messages. That way a player can't simply "cheat" and reload a save after viewing a message log, or just view them immediately. It would be a worthy reward that would make it a requirement for the player to save them for the end zone, while staying thematically consistent given what they are: machine recordings and all that.
If you were to do this, it perhaps wouldn't be necessary to adjust the monsters at all. But I don't know the math behind Exile other than to say it's really good as is!
Regarding Bone1, Heart1, and Brain1, it's a tough call. Perhaps adding a secondary function to them would make them worth it, making them an alternative choice rather than a stepping stone to a better upgrade. This would follow the course of the other equipment, where you provided an either-or option at every "tier". Naturally, figuring what what works as a secondary function is the hard part, especially when you likely want to keep the classes streamlined.
-----------------
The red screen flashing is a great idea btw, but I'm rather rusty with the plotscripting so it would be up to someone else to suggest how to do that (Harlock?).
Of course, these are merely suggestions. By no means take what I'm saying as disrespect to your design philosophy; rather, I think it would compliment what you've achieved so far, something to consider and all for an already great game. I look forward to seeing what other players have to say as well. As for me, I'm gonna play through it again soon as a different class, this times perhaps as an Android (to test that roadrunner speed!)
As a matter of which, my favorite aspect of Exile is how everything is an important decision. Should you stop to use a Patch or attempt one more battle? Keep exploring or go to the next zone? Is it worth it to step beyond the flames/acid/etc. to check that mysterious spot? What about examining that mysterious thing? Attack one more time hoping for a chain hit knowing the next attack will kill you, or use a cloak?
Also, you achieved a sweet spot for random battles. I noticed that there's a fairly consistent number of steps between them, and they stay interesting as a result. It's like: fight, win, prep, walk, fight, win, prep, walk... and inbetween the rhythm there's the aforementioned choices to make. There's a lot of strategy involved to exploring and fighting. It's like making moves on a board game.
MY FEEDBACK:
-----------------
Definitely make Black Heart a harder foe. I managed a pretty ridiculous overkill I admit, but even for an inexperienced player I think they'll find the end boss a bit too lenient.
In terms of balance, I think the current value for gear is fine as it is. Instead, consider this:
Try removing or replacing some of the abundant patches and cloaks, and reducing the value of the material caches. In return for those changes, raise the recycle value of the score items based on what balances the exchange. That way you could balance Exile around two diametrical play styles: one using the score items for getting through the game and the other a survivalist style aiming for an end game collection. The resulting outcome could be that using the score items would be the easiest difficulty, using only some of them would be the standard difficulty and saving them all would become a noble challenge for the highly experienced player.
It would add another dimension of decision-making to the game, one that puts pressure on the player to use these items and in turn allows a difficulty "knob" of sorts, allowing him to tailor their game experience to suit what they feel comfortable achieving. This also establishes a fantastic elusive goal for hoarding the score items to the very end and achieving that 10 out of 10.
It could be an equal exchange, so that the way the game plays currently wouldn't be affected so much, or it could even be slanted so that it becomes overall a bit more difficult to buy good equipment without them, while the score items continue to function as the get-out-of-jail cards that you intend.
Speaking of which, instead of setting them as usable items you could change ten of the computers at the end of the game to require the items in order to display the messages. That way a player can't simply "cheat" and reload a save after viewing a message log, or just view them immediately. It would be a worthy reward that would make it a requirement for the player to save them for the end zone, while staying thematically consistent given what they are: machine recordings and all that.
If you were to do this, it perhaps wouldn't be necessary to adjust the monsters at all. But I don't know the math behind Exile other than to say it's really good as is!
Regarding Bone1, Heart1, and Brain1, it's a tough call. Perhaps adding a secondary function to them would make them worth it, making them an alternative choice rather than a stepping stone to a better upgrade. This would follow the course of the other equipment, where you provided an either-or option at every "tier". Naturally, figuring what what works as a secondary function is the hard part, especially when you likely want to keep the classes streamlined.
-----------------
The red screen flashing is a great idea btw, but I'm rather rusty with the plotscripting so it would be up to someone else to suggest how to do that (Harlock?).
Of course, these are merely suggestions. By no means take what I'm saying as disrespect to your design philosophy; rather, I think it would compliment what you've achieved so far, something to consider and all for an already great game. I look forward to seeing what other players have to say as well. As for me, I'm gonna play through it again soon as a different class, this times perhaps as an Android (to test that roadrunner speed!
)-
novakaiser
- Slime
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:28 am
Oh, and another thing. I didn't know about the repair doctor! I didn't want to bother him twice after getting a free heal, but I should've known. Very sneaky.
The death interactive things: I think they're great. They provide ample warning in a clever and subtle way, so there's nothing to worry about there other than a player's belligerent curiosity, which uh, I wouldn't know a thing about. *ahem*
The death interactive things: I think they're great. They provide ample warning in a clever and subtle way, so there's nothing to worry about there other than a player's belligerent curiosity, which uh, I wouldn't know a thing about. *ahem*
There is currently no way to prevent the white battle transition. You can fade the screen to red beforehand if you want, though -- it's easy to do.
Set that as your instead-of-battle script on each map.
Code: Select all
plotscript, instead of battle, formation, begin
fade screen out(255, 0, 0) # 100% red
wait(0) # I forget if this is actually necessary
fight formation(formation)
# The screen fades in automatically after battle, so you should be fine
end
Last edited by Mogri on Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
Willy Elektrix
- Liquid Metal Slime
- Posts: 910
- Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:30 pm
This is sound advice. I will make money less available and then up the resale value of items a bit. I could make it very difficult to obtain $3200 items until Zone 3 or 4, thereby eliminating the ability to buy the DeathGun and Heart2 and wreck all the enemies. This means a lot of replaying and rebalancing through. But surely it will be worth it.novakaiser wrote:Try removing or replacing some of the abundant patches and cloaks, and reducing the value of the material caches. In return for those changes, raise the recycle value of the score items based on what balances the exchange. That way you could balance Exile around two diametrical play styles: one using the score items for getting through the game and the other a survivalist style aiming for an end game collection. The resulting outcome could be that using the score items would be the easiest difficulty, using only some of them would be the standard difficulty and saving them all would become a noble challenge for the highly experienced player.
Interesting. This requires some consideration. Although the real reward isn't read the messages, it's the satisfaction of a job well done. Good idea though. I just need to flesh out how to implement it.novakaiser wrote:Speaking of which, instead of setting them as usable items you could change ten of the computers at the end of the game to require the items in order to display the messages. That way a player can't simply "cheat" and reload a save after viewing a message log, or just view them immediately. It would be a worthy reward that would make it a requirement for the player to save them for the end zone, while staying thematically consistent given what they are: machine recordings and all that.
This is a great idea. Maybe I'll even just make them another 3200 Material item that could upgrade two stats. For instance, for the Robot: Strikes+2 but maybe Speed+2 or something.novakaiser wrote:Regarding Bone1, Heart1, and Brain1, it's a tough call. Perhaps adding a secondary function to them would make them worth it, making them an alternative choice rather than a stepping stone to a better upgrade. This would follow the course of the other equipment, where you provided an either-or option at every "tier". Naturally, figuring what what works as a secondary function is the hard part, especially when you likely want to keep the classes streamlined.
I'm going to spend the next couple weeks gathering feedback, but then I'll probably start working on a revision version 1.1 early in November. Thanks again, you've been instrumental in fine-tuning Black Heart.
-
Willy Elektrix
- Liquid Metal Slime
- Posts: 910
- Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:30 pm