Although Serania is a text-based game, I think the power of the visuals in the gaming experience shouldn't be overlooked.
Our minds are wonderful at instantly capturing and assimilating information from visuals, faster than processing words. My aim is to create a design where artwork or visual effects not only enhance the reading journey but also communicate vital information to the player effectively. Moreover, it wouldn't hurt if it delivers a rewarding little boost.
Visually impaired players need not worry: Accessibility remains a core part of the game design, and visual effects always have a screen reader substitute and/or a sound effect substitute.
With the visuals in place, I turned to an improvement of the combat mechanics. In some combats there will now be a new option, where you can choose to anticipate your opponent's next attack.
If you guess correctly, you receive a substantial bonus both in defending against the attack and in launching your subsequent counter-attack.
Now the challenge will be to predict your opponents' next moves. I can reveal to you that their choices are not completely random. Opponents base their decisions on their preferences, their last move, your last move, their stats and your stats. They each have their own little AI to do the choosing. Plus a little randomness 🙂
I'm looking forward to the next task ahead of me: Putting more content into the game!
