What a week!

When I first got into gaming, nobody told me that inventory/equipment/stats/bonuses/buffs was this herculean rite-of-passage that stymies so many beginning RPG devs. Player equipment – and passive benefits thereof – were literally the first thing we ever talked about when we started making Fingeance. Several months later, we’re finally able to implement it.

To say that the creative dams broke loose this week barely does it justice. Here are a few things we’re working on:

Augmenting Player Roles

A new part category – the Augment – joins Cannons and Gadgets among parts a player can put on his or her sub. Where Cannons shoot freely and Gadgets spend energy to produce myriad effects, Augments are entirely passive. Much more than the active parts, Augments help us define player roles like “Tank,” “Support,” and “Assault.”

Here are a couple of sample (in no way balanced or confirmed) Tank augments to show what I mean. Keep in mind: this is a Shmup. Tanks work better here than in most genres, because simply absorbing a bullet helps keep your allies safe.

Updating our Progression System

Astute readers likely noticed the Stars, Slots, and Scrap ratings on the parts above. As you progress in Fingeance, you’ll be able to find or purchase Cannons, Gadgets, or Augments for your ship. The system isn’t fully fleshed out, but we have a few thoughts on where things will go:

• Scrap, which is collected from dead enemies, is used to pay for everything.
• A star-rating system will tell players the approximate power of a given part.
• Parts will take up some number of slots on your ship.
• You’ll start with a few slots. You’ll be able to purchase more slots as the game unfolds.
• You’ll be able to equip one Cannon, up to three Gadgets, and any number of Augments.

The game is, at it’s core, a roguelike. Therefore, the parts that appear will be random. Players will need to be resourceful and use what they find to cobble together a powerful team.

Simplifying the Shop

That’s a lot of complexity for a Shmup, right? To combat the feeling of overload and keep the game friendly for a party environments, we’re considering two big features.

The first one is non-controversial. The shop needs to be better. It’s a mess as-is, and adding new features to it would turn it into a downright mess. Charles has been working overtime building a cleaner, more elegant, and more beautiful shop, and I’ll leave it to him to show it off.

The second feature is where I expect pushback from hardcore players. We’re considering a “Build-It-For-Me” mode for newcomers. Players who experience this option will play a game no more complicated than your industry-standard Shmup. As they progress, the game will build them a simple, albeit powerful, ship. Hypothetically, there would be a standard “Build-It-For-Me” progression line for each selectable character, representing a variety of roles. Players eager to dig in and build their own ship may select the “Let-Me-Build-It” option at game start.

Onward and… Downward?

That’s it for today’s update on player progression. Very soon, we’ll be turning our sights back towards enemies and bosses. We’re all excited to show you what lurks deeper beneath the waves.

If you have thoughts to share, we’re always delighted to hear from you.