Hello everyone! In todays devlog well demonstrate the final version of the reworked Dungeon Generator and showcase the main principles that governed its development.
Lets start with a list of reasons that led us to reevaluating our approach to dungeon generation. The player feedback we received about its current state revealed the following issues:

• There isnt much visual variety to speak of - the only difference between dungeons of the same type is what enemies can spawn in them, not their layout or overall design. This quickly makes dungeons feel predictable and uninspired.
• All dungeons use the same generation algorithm, which limits the room for structural distinction and environmental logic.
• The overall room structure and the abundance of single tile passages facilitate the funneling of enemies into doorways, trivializing both combat and positioning.

Our new approach is based on dungeon tiers. Initially, tiers were an informal term used by players to refer to dungeons based on their difficulty - in RtR they will actually become an official form of categorization. So instead of using hidden, rudimentary mechanics built around levels, this new system splits everything, be it enemies, items, or dungeons, into 5 distinct tiers. Lets explore what it entails, point by point:

• Different dungeon types will use different generation rules: the structure of Crypts will have noticeable differences from the structure of Bastions or Catacombs.
• Dungeons will feature varying visuals and room presets depending on their tier: the higher the tier, the more opulent a dungeon will appear, and the greater diversity of rooms it will display. Tier 4 and 5 dungeons in particular will look especially awe-inspiring.
  
• All dungeons will be split into two categories: generic and large, the latter consisting of two floors. We dont have plans to introduce dungeons deeper than that: three floors or more would be way too tiresome and draining in most scenarios. The visuals will change depending on how deep you go: lower Crypt floors, for instance, will appear more damaged and use alternative room layouts.
  
• Rooms with bosses or contract objectives will spawn in dungeons farthest reaches, with secondary rooms branching off from the main path rather than being a part of it, giving you options for additional exploration.
  
• The updated visuals for dungeon descents and ascents will make them easy to spot and separate from one another: descents will always be a part of the floor, and ascents will be built into dungeon walls, just like they are right now.
  
• We decided to almost completely do away with single tile passageways, which should bring additional depth to the combat system and positioning by making group fights more frequent or even inevitable in certain situations (obviously, this comes with tweaks to most enemies stats, especially high tier ones).
• Rather than remaining the same once they spawn (or respawn after being cleared), dungeons will be generated when you enter them for the first time, just like in the earlier versions of the game (the layout wont change if you save your progress after discovering it though). This will make dungeon exploration more engaging and unpredictable, since the ability to familiarize yourself with the location of enemies and traps throughout multiple save-load attempts wont be as easily available by default.
• Secret rooms will be generated once per dungeon instead of once per floor. The roster of available secret rooms and their visuals will also depend on a dungeons tier.
  
• Even though its not directly related to the Dungeon Generator, we decided to rework the Noise and Enemy Awareness Systems, as the old ones didnt work well with new dungeon layouts.

Now lets have a closer look at Crypt specific features:

• New Crypts will appear as spacious tombs, with large hallways connecting separate burial chambers that are protected by stone plates. To access such a chamber, your Character will need a crowbar.
  
• Crypts wont have wooden doors or narrow passages. Their vast halls will demand some clever maneuvering if you want to avoid getting surrounded by the Undead.
• Among other things, Crypts visuals will be affected by Dungeon Modifiers. Each dungeon type will have its own set of possible complications: for example, wafts of nauseatingly greenish air will signify the presence of Miasmas.
  
  
  
• The varied and unusual objectives of the reworked Contracts System will affect dungeon layouts as well: for instance, Wells of Souls will serve as spawning points for Wraiths, and the Holy Figurine contract will work quite differently from how it does right now

• We also changed how the Loot System functions in Crypts and added a number of new items that cant be found anywhere else. Here are some of them:

============ Thats all for now. Until the next devlog!

[ 2024-02-03 13:28:39 CET ] [ Original post ]