Souls Rescue

[Gornova]

I really like your style and like the option to go back to classic view. I'm also interested in craft system you mentioned, can you elaborate a little bit about it ?

[oldteen]

With pleasure, but not today, I have to go three days on vacation and I am already late.
I come back sunday and I will give you more explanation.

[oldteen]

As promised, a word about our "craft" system.
Actually I prefer name this feature "recipe system". You have recipes, you have ingredients and you can write a scroll, fill a bottle, make a bomb, etc.

For the alpha version, we don't think about how to get recipes. You start with 3 recipes already known (scroll of fireball, scroll of heal, heal potion)
To cast a spell, you have to consume a specific scroll and a magic scroll can't be looted.

Ingredient types:
- reagents (like ultima 7)
- seeds to plant
- (in future) metal scrap
- empty scroll
- something to write
- empty bottles
- ...

Currently, we have 2 categories of recipes, Witchery, Alchemy. We want to add "Machinery".

With the first alpha, you could mix ingredients and try to find a recipe. For the moment this window is disabled.

[oldteen]

We released the alpha 5 of Souls Rescue.

What's new:

• new dungeon design
• add bow (use DEX for damage calculation). Select an enemy with TAB and press F to shoot
• add crossbow (use STR for damage calculation). Select an enemy with TAB and press F to shoot
• add dagger (use DEX for damage calculation)
• add enemy who cast fireball (more spells in future)
• add plate that reveals a chest or summons 1, 2 or 3 monsters or shoot an arrow from left or right wall.
• deadly hole of lava or acid. Walk on lava or acid, you directly die! Tell us if it's a good idea.
• add an xp line. At top of your screen in green
• items with green background in your inventory are better than the equipped one
• press F5 to enter in the Classic Mode (ascii). This feature is clearly not finished.
• tooltip for primary attributes (str, dex, …)

available on

• gamejolt
  
• itch
  

Illustrations

[Gornova]

hey thanks for answer!

I've tried the demo you provided (one before last) and find your game really well done in terms of graphics and gameplay. All seems to be in the correct way to build a solid roguelike experience. In my opinion, however, you should improve keybindings, because in roguelikes there are some "standard" or "common way"  to handle some actions. For example get actions in many roguelikes are do it with char 'g' not 'r'. I was able only one time to show character screen, with attributes, and after that lucky time in help there is no way to get it.
I've found the "scroll" writing with recipes really easy to do, but if use health scroll was not a problem for me, using fireball is a problem: I've assigned key 2 and then if I'm using in combat.. nothing happens!
And also player need a way to figure out what items are equipped and make a comparison with new items!
For the difficulty it's brutal, because I've found first two levels an introduction of your game, than third level I was killed by a rat I' missing something ?

Graphics is awesome.. maybe too dark for my taste, on my laptop is difficult to see traps, but I think is intended: about traps, why design them to act every time and not just first time ?

I've found lack of full screen options irritating, because on my laptop resolution (1600x900) cover taskbar, please add a full screen option!

[oldteen]

Thanks for your return 

Key bindings
- Fortunately [G] is still free, we can switch [R] to [G] or just add [G] without any problem
- In next version (alpha 7 or 8 ) I want to add the classic HJKL too
- The key for hero attribute is [P]
- Maybe we have to make a keybinding configuration (a basic file or a window in game)

Fireball
You have to select a target with [TAB] (you will see a target on the monster) and after press [1-8] shortcut. In the next version (alpha 6) if you don't select a monster I will add a "BEEP" and a message like "You have to select an enemy with TAB"

Item comparison
You can see equipped items above shortcut bar and you have a mouse tooltip to see what is it. I have to think if you play only with keyboard or gamepad.
In the alpha 5 (current new version) in your inventory, item with better stat than the equipped one has a green background. Actually it's easy only one attribute per item. With more attributes we have to redesign that one more time

Difficulty
In the current version we redesign the dungeon structure, so the difficulty is softer. With potion and good scrolls you can easily finish the 4 floors. Now my wife (who is pixel artist) think the game is too easy. Difficulty is a big theme for us. We already add details like when you get a level you get full life too.

Traps
Wall trap shoot every 4 or 5 turns. Maybe I have to set more turns or a random value but greater than 5. Some traps are very annoying, but the goal is to think before move. Floor traps (pikes) are not too deadly . Now we have added lave or acid hole. If you fall into it you directly die. I don't know if it's a good idea.

Options
I have to add some basic option like fullscreen, sound and music volume. I was thinking that I don't need it in the alpha, but that 's wrong. Clearly a goal for the next version (certainly sunday 21 august)

I hope I have not forgotten anything.
-oldteen

[Gornova]

Thanks for your return 

 

Key bindings
- Fortunately [G] is still free, we can switch [R] to [G] or just add [G] without any problem
- In next version (alpha 7 or 8 ) I want to add the classic HJKL too
- The key for hero attribute is [P]
- Maybe we have to make a keybinding configuration (a basic file or a window in game)

a keybinding configuration is a good idea for me

Fireball
You have to select a target with [TAB] (you will see a target on the monster) and after press [1-8] shortcut. In the next version (alpha 6) if you don't select a monster I will add a "BEEP" and a message like "You have to select an enemy with TAB"

nice!

Item comparison
You can see equipped items above shortcut bar and you have a mouse tooltip to see what is it. I have to think if you play only with keyboard or gamepad.
In the alpha 5 (current new version) in your inventory, item with better stat than the equipped one has a green background. Actually it's easy only one attribute per item. With more attributes we have to redesign that one more time

I think most of the people here prefer keyboard only approach, but also a gamepad is a good idea!

Difficulty
In the current version we redesign the dungeon structure, so the difficulty is softer. With potion and good scrolls you can easily finish the 4 floors. Now my wife (who is pixel artist) think the game is too easy. Difficulty is a big theme for us. We already add details like when you get a level you get full life too.

okay, in my run was strange I was killed so easily by a rat

Traps
Wall trap shoot every 4 or 5 turns. Maybe I have to set more turns or a random value but greater than 5. Some traps are very annoying, but the goal is to think before move. Floor traps (pikes) are not too deadly . Now we have added lave or acid hole. If you fall into it you directly die. I don't know if it's a good idea.

I don't like a trap that kill me instantly, seems not so fair IMHO. I prefer also one-shot traps... and of course use traps as defensive weapons against monsters!

Options
I have to add some basic option like fullscreen, sound and music volume. I was thinking that I don't need it in the alpha, but that 's wrong. Clearly a goal for the next version (certainly sunday 21 august)

thanks!

I hope I have not forgotten anything.
-oldteen

Thanks! I like also graphics, kudso to your wife! If you have a good pixel artist on your side, invest more in building some sort of "lore" and "quest-like" systems, because can add a lot of fun and content on your game!

[oldteen]

okay, in my run was strange I was killed so easily by a rat

You are true, but you have tested the version 0.4 and since yesterday you can try 0.5. I think rats won't kill you again I hope so

[oldteen]

Souls Rescue Alpha 6 is out!

• 9 new spell scrolls (fireball and heal already exist)
• playable with The Witch (too weak in previous release without new spells)
• new damage calculation
• music on Linux and OSX
• screen with basic option (fullscreen, window size, sound and music volume)
• AI improvement
• more enemies use ranged attack

New spell scrolls:

• cure, remove poison
• trap detection, show traps
• light, greater light around the hero
• shield, protect the hero
• sorcerer's eye, see all map for 3 turns
• curse, for 5 turns cut damage from enemies
• poison, ... poison
• mark, create a teleporter where you can come back with "recall" scroll
• recall, come back to the teleporter created with "mark"

patch 6.1:

• recycle one item at a time
• remove fixed seed
• fix a problem with inventory
• F6-F7 change zoom of the game (like mouse wheel)

Available:
itch.io
gamejolt.com