Map, Deckbuilding and Combat
In Drop Duchy's devlog #2, I'm telling you more about the most important thing about games: how to win!
Hello again! Thanks for the warm reception on our first devlog, we're delighted to see people intrigued by Drop Duchy's unique blend of genres. How can this be a puzzle, a city builder, a roguelite, and a deckbuilder all at once?! Rest assured, you'll understand how each element fits after reading this series of articles. Or, you know, you can play the demo or watch one of your favorite streamers having a blast.
Last time, we covered the basics of placing pieces in the grid to gain resources, so in this one, we'll dive deeper into how you progress and win a run!
Using the map to play your next move
A run of Drop Duchy consists of several rounds: your goal is to progress as far as possible despite the increasing enemy presence. If you can reach and defeat the final boss, you win! Each map is procedurally generated: learning to select the right path is essential to optimize your chances of success.
To choose your next location, first have a look at the terrains. Each grid has a different selection of forests, plains, rivers, etc: always pick the one that better suits your current buildings and think ahead of the resources you'll need to upgrade your cards. For instance, forests are ideal for gathering wood in large quantities if that's what you lack.
Second, watch out for enemy presence: some locations have combat, others don't. Going unprepared for a battle against the enemy could end your run early! Avoiding the enemy gives you an extra calm round, which may be beneficial to hone your skills, but it also increases the boss's strength, so make that decision wisely.
Finally, look at the bonus locations available on your way: Each guild, Depot, Trading Fair, and more gives you additional resources, cards, and buffs.
Assembling the Perfect Deck
In Drop Duchy, you add a new card to your deck after each round and can get even more when visiting locations such as the Guild or the University. With each run, you'll have new choices, and your goal is to assemble a strong and versatile deck based on the options on display.
Between rounds, visit the Deck Overview menu to manage your cards. Your priority is to spend your resources to upgrade their effect, as their basic form isn't optimal. You can also sell cards you no longer use and get a refund for all the resources you've spent. It's convenient when you want to pivot your strategy!
So, what do you choose in this sea of options? Ideally, you want to find cards that work well together. In the first devlog, we've shared an example of a combo based on fields, and we'll tease more synergies in upcoming articles.
A word on the combat
Now, let's discuss the combat system, a crucial component of the game for anyone who wishes to survive long enough (basically everyone). Each combat round has two phases: recruitment and resolution.
At the start of the round, enemy cards get shuffled with your buildings and the location's terrain: the enemy pieces will spawn among the other pieces during the round. What is your goal during the recruitment phase? Placing the enemy in a way that minimizes their recruits because the less you have to fight, the easier it'll be. Of course, you should also ensure that your military buildings recruit as many units as possible!
The resolution phase happens at the end of the round when all pieces have been placed. Devise your attack plan by selecting the order in which the groups attack. The outcome is dead simple: just subtract the number of units from both groups. There is no randomness at all there.
Sounds easy, right? There's more to it: each unit type (light, heavy, ranged) has a favored opponent type, and they get a +50% bonus strength against those. To optimize your battle, you must be careful about who fights who and use the group merging to your advantage. Trust me, it can get head-scratching fast: with just 8 groups on the grid, there are already more than 40000 different combat orders!
After the combat resolution, you lose one defense point for each if enemy units are still on the grid. It's not the immediate end of the run, but eliminating as many enemies as possible is literally a matter of life or death in Drop Duchy.
Wrap-up
Thanks for reading, that's it for today. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
In the upcoming issues, we'll see about the meta progression, advanced terrains, other factions, and more, so if you don't want to miss out, subscribe to the studio newsletter to receive updates directly in your inbox.