#mod linker

Wow, almost(?) a third of the way through the month! I should probably get started on the ending of the game and such soon, huh?

No huge progress today, though I’ve been balancing a lot of gameplay things so that they feel more fair/fun. In particular, I’ve changed how herbs work so that there’s always a good, bad, and neutral herb type, as opposed to the previous system where it was more or less random.

I also added lava, which acts like water, but damages most enemies and the player when they begin their turn in it. The damage is also not prevented by defense, which makes it a dangerous hazard in the later levels where it’s found.

Lots of things to show off today! Firstly, we have some new magic items: Wands and the Camera.

Wands are magic items that drain your health in order to cast spells. To cast a spell, hold the action button (E) when on an empty tile or water, and then tap a direction. Depending on the wand, you will then cast one of four different kinds of spells! Beware though; some enemies may have access to the same spells as you!

Next, we have cameras. Cameras also drain your hp when used, although much less than wands. To use a camera, simply tap the action button (E) when on an empty tile or water. The camera will them flash and take a picture, stunning all surrounding enemies briefly. The camera’s flash will also instantly kill enemies if they’re weak enough, making it a very handy tool in the early game. 

Next, I’ve added a new level feature to the game: Statues.

Statues are effectively immobile, passive enemies. They act as obstacles to both the player and enemies, but can also be destroyed if they sustain enough damage. They may even drop something if you’re lucky!

Didn’t post yesterday because it was a pretty busy day for me outside of gamedev! However, I did manage to get some stuff done...!

Two new magic items have been added to the game!

First, we have a ball-and-chain. It’s more of a curse than a blessing, as it slows you down pretty considerably, and also creates a barrier which follows you, limiting your mobility somewhat. It also always generates cursed, meaning that I’ll probably add it in as some kind of punishment for naughty players. However, if used correctly, it can actually be somewhat helpful.

It’s about time we had something spooky in this game, since we’re halfway through the spookiest season of them all! Curses are in!

Effectively, cursed items are normal weapons or armor that have one very positive stat and other very negative stats. In the cases of both the items shown, the positive stat is speed, while the other stats are unchanged. Now, this wouldn’t be a major issue; you trade off one good stat for others. What’s so bad about that?

However, the curse doesn’t stop there. Cursed items cannot be dropped after being picked up, meaning you’re stuck with them as long as you’re still cursed. My next goal is to add some way of cleansing cursed items to allow them to be dropped, but that’ll come in time.

More magic items and work on the final boss today! Not gonna spoil the latter, but I will share some of the former!

The three items I have currently are the Mirror, the Fire Sword, and the Spectacles.

The Fire Sword allows the player to leave a trail of damaging fire behind them as they move, while also providing immunity to flames and lava! It’s also a pretty good sword in its own right, providing higher than average defense and attack buffs.

Carrying the Mirror makes the player immune to spells and petrification, which can be very handy in areas where enemies can petrify you! It also gives the player a defense boost.