DevBlog #4 – RPG, rogue or rogueLite Shmup?

Developing Flight of the Athena has definitely been a much, much more challenging experience than anticipated. Graphics have taken longer, as have some code elements, but the biggest issue has been nailing down the game design core, and what the game is trying to be.

This is mainly due to being torn between wanting to create;
-An RPG Shmup, where the main campaign could be a lengthier experience, difficult enemies could be overcome through upgrading equipment, craft etc.
-A Rogue shmup, aiming for a shorter more replayable campaign experience.

When researching other games in the Shmup genre with these elements, it felt as though there were quite a few offerings with varying levels of depth on the RPG front, but not much on the rogue front. The conclusion I drew was that there is a severe genre clash between shmup (heavily focused on player skill) and rogue (player skill is important, but elements of luck can play a large role, and bad luck can be fatal).

I felt though that a faster, replayable campaign experience was where Flight of the Athena needed to be, so what could be done? The follow up conclusions were these:
- Make use of elements that aid replayability. With this in mind, FotA uses randomly generated campaigns & paths through, procedurally generated levels, etc.
- A full rogue option (one life and out) for those wanting a serious challenge, but also a more player friendly option for (hopefully) the majority of the player base.
-Luck based elements should provide small peaks and troughs – for example, whether you encounter shops when you need to, event decisions having a positive or negative outcome – BUT, the overriding ability to succeed should come down to player skill. The rogue elements provide small bonuses or penalties; adding spice, not emptying the chilli sauce.

In short, it's a Shmup first and foremost, with rpg and roguelike elements where appropriate.



The initial plan was Spring 2018, but that clearly hasn't happened, in large part due to the elements above. I've not committed to a new release date, this will come when I feel I will actually be able to hit it. This may also be dependent on a closed beta / early access period, as feedback will be pretty crucial whilst trying to merge these elements together. Work has been progressing much faster after making the big game decisions, and I should be able to share more in DevBlog updates more frequently.



There will be more to share in future DevBlog updates, but here's a screenshot of the current WIP arctic tundra region. The aim with regions will be to have pros and cons for each – e.g. Arctic regions could have more limited paths on the campaign map, but higher weighting on the chance of hidden credit stashes. These will be able to worked on and tweaked after the economy system has taken greater shape.



Thanks for reading!