Hey, it’s SnakeF8!

One challenge turn-based games have to endure is how to make the combat entertaining for the player, but this is a multi-layered problem. For turn-based combat to be entertaining, menu navigation would have to be minimal while also granting different solutions to a "puzzle." I felt like this was the opposite to what Soldiers’ Descent’s old combat system felt like because you had to navigate to shoot, select an enemy, then pick a firing mode. Overall, this old system felt either slow to choose or a button spamfest. Although the overall concept with ammo, accuracy, and shooting was unique, it could’ve been better presented in turn-based combat…

…AND IT CAN! Soldiers’ Descent’s combat system is now very different by incorporating more shooter elements into the fight. Now, the shooting mechanics act very similar to a third-person shooter. After the first shot, the timer goes down, so you have to plan your follow up shots accordingly. It’s very easy to miss, waste ammo, and waste time if you’re not careful! To encourage precise aim, shooting the star that pops up grants extra damage over time, or you can just full-send on Herder’s machine gun (damage by volume of fire also works too)!

Currently, you can’t back out once you press shoot, but that will change in next week’s QoL update. SirDiesALot and I are planning for next week to include full keyboard/controller key rebinding alongside updating certain UI elements, better menu navigation, and more. Pretty much we will be improving the user experience to make the game feel like polygonal butter.

Patch Notes:

• Entirely new shooting system!
  • Credit to ThePropagation for helping with the idea
• Weakspot system
• New recoil system!
• Accuracy now tied to reticle
• Changed how some combat animations work
• Proper reload animations/sounds added
• Bugfix: Animation coroutines now sync up with animation times
• Bugfix: Fixed climbing on props not supposed to be climbed on
• Bugfix: Fixed sometimes respawning at origin in dungeon after battle
  • Credit to snailrhymer for reporting this bug!
• Bugfix: Fixed saved seed on dungeon generation
  • Credit to snailrhymer for reporting this bug!