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Weekly Update: Belief Battles - Some Screenshots

1 year ago1,066 words

I focused on this side project this week, and got a decent amount done! Here are some (hopefully at least passably) pretty pictures!

I was hoping to have a video demo of this 'Belief Battles' thing I've been working on by this weekend, but, shockingly, I don't yet! Who would have guessed?? I've probably got enough gameplay for one, but I was hoping to have a couple of pieces of music for it, and the battle track's been proving elusive, as tends to be the case whenever I try to compose battle music for whatever reason. I just need to wait for ~the muse to visit me~ or whatever.

I have been focused on that game all week, though, so here are some screenshots:



I've built a little test island, which is similar in layout to the Sprouting Isle in Atonal Dreams. I have mixed feelings about the graphical style I've gone with, though I'm hoping once I fill the areas with more props (trees, rocks, etc) it'll feel a lot less basic.

When you talk to an NPC, all of the people in the room say a line of dialogue like this consecutively, then everyone runs into place to start the battle.



When characters execute a skill, they say a line of dialogue like this, with each character type having a number of lines for each of the skills that they could learn (selected from at random).

The player could also enter text lines for their character's own skills, so for example if you learned the skill 'Insult', you could have them say 'ur maed of chikin bones' or whatever every time they used it.

I've been wondering if this would get annoying or not; it's interesting how something like a sound or particle effect playing every time typically wouldn't get annoying (unless overly long), but an audio voice clip likely would and I'd not be surprised if a text line felt even worse. I don't mind it currently, though.



The skills mostly either deal 'influence' (damage), or manipulate the elements/runes and excitement/arousal/whatever level (as in Atonal Dreams), and moods. I don't want things to get any more complicated than that.

I liked the emotional side effects of a skill in the original Belief where if a Girlfriend used Flirt, any allied Boyfriends got angry... or something; I forget the specifics. Here, this skill, Joke, tries to cause two opponents and an ally to start Laughing. If it succeeds, the user also starts Laughing, but if nobody laughs, the user starts Crying instead!

Lots of potential for silly skills like that.



You have 6 characters per side, but only the two at the front are 'active' and can take turns or be targetted, which I feel makes things way more manageable.

You can freely switch on your turn to a benched ally, without it costing a turn like it does in Pokemon. (I think FFX allowed you to do this? Haven't played that in years though.) I'm wondering whether having all your party present on the battlefield with their stats showing might encourage more switching.

I'm also planning to add 'Cheer' skills, which trigger from the bench. When a person starts taking their turn, their benched allies - the crowd behind them - have a random chance to execute one of these Cheer skills with effects like 'healing' the person who's about to take a turn. (I had something like this in an early version of then-Divine Dreams, though it makes way more sense here.)

Or maybe on your turn, one of the opposing benched allies will use 'Heckle', forcing you to target them with your skill. Interesting possibilities.




I've been wondering about statistical progression. Ideally I'd want something easily understood and with some customisation, but with minimal micromanaging.

Currently, each character type has 24 of these cards, and they choose one each time they level up (meaning the level cap is 25). They increase one of the three stats - Conviction (HP), Charisma (Attack), or Resistance (Defence) - or grant a new skill which can be equipped later. Some would have minimum level locks (which aren't yet implemented), but you'd usually have some choice about progression for each of your characters.

I imagine these will need some fiddling around as the game progresses. Makes me wonder how long it takes the Pokemon developers to decide on each Pokemon's movepool, and what their decision process is like.

(Equipment could also alter stats or grant skills while equipped, though I've yet to add the functionality for this.)



I also like the idea of skills like this one, Insult, which actually 'heals' the target by pushing them further towards their own side rather than convincing them of the user's, but it also has added effects like causing the Crying or Angry moods which other allies can take advantage of. (The original Belief had a similar thing with the Lunatics repulsing all their own allies and driving them to the opposing side.)

Overall, this combat system seems like it has more potential than the average "keep pressing Attack until everything dies" JRPG battle system without being overly complicated, but whether or not people feel the same way as me about it - and are receptive to it at all - it remains to be seen! It's similar enough to Atonal Dreams' to be a good gauge of people's receptivity to that if I finish and release this first, at least.



I'm writing this late on Sunday due to distractions! I also had some other stuff I wanted to talk about, but I suppose I'll write separate posts about those in the coming days. Makes sense to split things up anyway!

Oh, and I also wrote a post yesterday on ∞ my Patreon ∞ with the music I have composed for this so far, for those of you who support me on there and are curious!