v0.8.9 (Bugfixes + translations) released to Google Play!

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Source code of the game - Contribution guide - ATCS Editor - Translate the game on Weblate - Example walkthrough - Andor's Trail Directory - Join the Discord
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Starting Out

A place for general discussion about the content and gameplay of Andor's Trail.
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busdriver
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:35 pm

Starting Out

Post by busdriver »

Let me start off by saying I enjoy the game. It's this style of rpg that I think can do splendidly on the mobile platform. That said, does anyone else dislike the early game economy? Monsters I'm killing early on are dropping maybe 3 to 6g, but snakes have a good chance to drop meat that sells for a whopping 28g a piece. Significantly more difficult monsters drop rubies, but said ruby is an absurd 5g. The player, or at least this player, wound up in a situation where I farmed the beginning of the snake cave over and over to get money from meat. Is this really as intended? I would have assumed that the developers would want you to make money by slaying harder monsters, but the loot drops from even considerably harder monsters are pale in comparison to meat. Food seems to be of more value as currency than it is as something that increases your hitpoints.
sdevaney
Site Admin
Posts: 1177
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:17 pm
android_version: 14 - Android 14
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Re: Starting Out

Post by sdevaney »

Indeed the in game economy needs work, see here for what has been discussed already.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions we are open to them.

Thanks.
busdriver
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:35 pm

Re: Starting Out

Post by busdriver »

Wow, that was a quick response. Thank you for your enjoyable game and time. I guess my primary question would be "how do you want the game to play out?" As it presently is, the benefit you get from leveling is a joke in comparison to the benefits of equipping items, both in overall effectiveness as well as time efficiency (in short, it's a lot easier and more intelligent to grind money than experience). The disparity here enables some really weird optimal behavior as a result.

Let's say your average player sets off to go kill some monsters. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to complete dungeons until you've geared yourself up, so there's a lot of running back and forth, selling the very expensive (in comparison to vendor garbage) meat loot. This is odd, in that it discourages the player from really venturing very far into a dungeon, as the risk isn't worth the reward (and the 28 gold cost of using meat instead of selling it isn't worth the 12hp you get from it). It's also odd, in that it means the snakes at the beginning of the snake dungeon are the best early place to grind, as they're weak and drop considerably more $ on average than considerably more difficult monsters (basilisk, snake dudes etc). I doubt that it's your intent that monsters become more difficult, but drop crappier loot as you progress through the dungeon.

I know you're going to have players grind out money, or exp. RPGs are time-sinks, one way or another, I'd just suggest narrowing the huge gulf in utility between xp-grinding and $-grinding. Make the harder monsters in the dungeon actually drop loot worthy of their station, and not some glass-gem worth 1g. Hell, reverse the costs of gems and consumables, so that consumables are cheap and gems are expensive, which will encourage players delving deeper into dungeons (which I'm assuming you want). I can see how you might be worried that players will be able to spam-consumables to get through any fight. Make some consumables only usable out of combat, and make others usable in combat, but more expensive.

TLDR
1. Consumables are too expensive, and worthless items that do nothing other than get sold, such as the gems, are too inexpensive.
2. The benefits of leveling are a joke when compared to the benefits of better gear.
3. The difficulty of monsters should be tied to how good their loot is.
ScorpionZ
Posts: 161
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2011 8:53 pm

Re: Starting Out

Post by ScorpionZ »

Agree:

If loot is to be dropped, it could be a little more proportional to the monster dropping it.

Disagree:

In an rpg you have lots of things to manage. You must manage your health, gear and xp. While the snakes offer easily obtainable meat, they offer little in xp. On the other hand, the shadow gargoyle trainers offer gems and stones, but offer 100 or more xp. You have to manage your player.
Level: 49
XP: 2108290
Attack Cost: 3
Attack Chance: 166%
Attack Damage: 22-23
Critical Hit Chance: 25%
Critical Multiplier: 3
Block Chance: 92%
RoLS: 1
SR: 2945
busdriver
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:35 pm

Re: Starting Out

Post by busdriver »

Yes, but the utility of XP is a joke in comparison to the utility of money. The disparity in utility sort of makes that a non-choice, unless you really like wasting your time. Even if the more difficult monsters in the early dungeons were to drop decent loot (not just some junk 26g boots or whatever), it would help incentivize the player to go further.
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