Let’s talk mechanics! Second post that is just a collection of posts I’m doing on social media talking about some of my favorite mechanics in Ambal. Let me know if you want to read about something specific.
Conditions
Poison, Bleeding and Burning. These Conditions play an important role in many builds, either by pressuring with damage or allowing the player to trigger additional skill effects. I knew from early on that Conditions had to be a part of the game, both to make interesting skills but also because it fits with the RPG theme really well.
Poison: Deals little damage and reduces healing received. This might seem like the weakest condition, but its duration is usually longer than the other ones. Not many skills can inflict Poison though, as it is exclusive to the Assassination Path.
Bleeding: intermediate damage, lasts a good amount and has many sources with Assassination, Sword and Water schools being able to cause it. It’s the most common condition in the game and it can help trigger many skills, specially from the Sword Path.
Burning: highest damage of the three, but usually with a short duration or higher cost. Burning is also reckless, with Fire Magic users constantly setting themselves on fire to get benefits. This condition is essential in most Fire Magic decks, helping deal extra damage and generate more Energy.
I definitely plan to have more Conditions if the game grows and implements new Schools! They are a great way to give different strategic layers and variety of effects, while also being very cool to tie in the theme
The art of interrupting
The Interrupt effect is the strongest counter in Ambal, it even have priority over blocks. And unlike blocks, interrupts can affect defensive skills, preventing the opponent from using heals and buffs.
Although they are strong, interrupts usually have a higher cost or some requirements that need to be met. Silencing Strike is a great example of that, it becomes a complete Spell counter with the right Mastery. Denying a key card from your opponent can both save your life and throw them off strategically.
Interrupt skills are always offensive and can often be found on more aggressive Schools of Knowledge, with Assassination Path having the most of them.
Enchanting Boons!
Boons are skills that give the player positive effects and last for a number of rounds. “Buffing”, as it is known in RPGs, can be a strong tactic to get ahead of your opponent. In some cases they can even bend the rules, like with Magma Cloak.
Fire Magic skills are all about Burning, with the side effect of occasionally burning yourself. And that’s where a Boon like Magma Cloak shines, protecting the user while increasing their offensive power. Boons should be used to support a strategy, pushing it to new heights, with the downside of making it obvious what your plans are.
Boons are always considered defensive skills since their goal is to empower an ally, and will likely reflect the School’s flavor with their effect. You can expect a lot of damage buffs from the Fire Magic boons!
Stay safe everyone!
Interrupts are one of the most interesting elements of this game. Simultaneous gameplay is hard in board game settings.
Conditions are a great way to standardize various effects. One of the few design improvements of Guild Wars 2 was the suite of standardized boons and conditions.
Yeah, I like the dynamic that interrupts and blocks bring in the simultaneous format.
I was torn with the boon system from GW2, while it made things simpler and easier to balance, we lost all the uniqueness and fun from enchantments and stances. I really like the flavor that these bring to GW1. I guess the traits from GW2 could be seen as enchantments in a way, more permanent and passive.
That is all true. The traits are a good example, and many buffing effects in GW2 still had unique elements because boons couldn’t cover all bases, but the standardized boons helped make numerous similar buffs from different classes behave consistently. In GW1 terms, a Regeneration boon would have helped the player immediately recognize the effects of Healing Breeze, Mystic Regeneration, Troll Unguent, and so on.
Board games give you more time to read, though. ^_^
I think the standardized approach works really well for GW2.But in GW1 player have plenty of time to read their skills while in the city, and when they’re out they are locked with those. I love this idea, players have to strategize what they want to take an try to cover the party needs.
Both are great. What I feel they really improved from GW1 to GW2 was conditions. In GW1 conditions don’t do much damage, which makes them not that viable as a build option.
This is obvs future vision stuff but what other skill sets do you desire to release after completing Assassination, Swords, Fire Magic, and Water Magic?
I’m already planning those! I want to keep a balance of Magic and Strength Schools, and I’m envisioning more weapon based schools (got some ideas for hammer and spear) and other classic spell schools (like Earth, Air and Death). There’s also a new branch of schools that I want to release that will be a balance of actions and spells.