Hello everyone!
I am pleased to announce the game's first patch. It will be all about risks and rewards. It will include some changes in the gameplay:
1. Increase in card costs after upgrades.
During the playtests, we realized that constantly upgrading one card might exponentially improve its value during the match (the card's benefit increases while the opportunity costs of the other cards also increase). This is pushing the players to focus on one card only while ignoring other cards in the deck, basically nullifying the deckbuilding aspects of the game.
One initial solution was to limit the number of upgrades one card could receive. This is done, for example, in games like Monster Train and Shogun Showdown. The drawback of this solution is that it creates an artificial scarcity in the enhancements (which is kind of dull) and generates a ceiling for some cards in the late game.
So, we are introducing some drawbacks in the upgrades. Most of the time, the drawback will be an increase in the card's cost, but some might include other trade-offs like +2x attack damage with -0.5x attack speed.
Another solution that will be implemented in future patches is the introduction of synergies between cards. This might decrease the opportunity cost of holding and playing other cards. But this solution might need some extra planning and I would love to know your suggestions about it.
2. Challenge level upgrade
In between rounds, the player will have the opportunity to increase the challenge level of all the following rounds. This will bring extra benefits if the player can survive, but will make the game more difficult!
Think about that as the Brotato's levels, but you adjust the challenge during the run and only upwards. During the run we will face the constant and exciting dilema of increasing the stakes of the next rounds. But this will not be done in a linear way. Each challenge level increase will introduce different flavors of challenge that might fit different decks and combos.
The fortune favors the bold, but pick your battles wisely!
The update is coming this weekend. I hope you enjoy it!