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, you’ll ask.
Rest assured, you'll understand how each element fits perfectly together after reading this series of articles!
Or you can… you know… play the demo or watch one of your favorite streamers having a blast.👀
In the previous devlog, we covered the basics of placing pieces in the grid to gain resources; today, let’s 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, you must first look at the terrains; each grid provides a different selection of forests, plains, rivers, etc.
You should focus on picking the one that suits your current deck better, and keep in mind 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 need.
Secondly, you should watch out for hostile regions: some locations require fighting against enemies, while others don't. Going unprepared for a battle against the enemy could end your run early!
Choosing a peaceful region gives you an extra calm round, which may be beneficial to hone your skills, but it also increases the boss' strength – so, make that decision wisely.
Finally, you can use the bonus locations available on your way: each guild, depot, trading fair, etc. grants 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 collect even more when visiting locations such as the guild or the university.
With each run, you'll be faced with new choices, and your goal is to assemble a strong and versatile deck based on the available options.
Don’t hesitate to check the deck overview menu to manage your cards between rounds. You should focus on spending 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 should you choose in this sea of options?
Ideally, you would 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 Combat
Now, let's discuss the combat system, a crucial game component for anyone who wishes to survive long enough (so, 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.
During this recruitment phase, your goal is to place the enemy pieces in a way that minimizes their recruits – 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 once 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.
Sounds easy, right? Well, there's a twist to it: each unit type (light, heavy, ranged) has its weaknesses and advantages – if you have the advantage over another unit type you will be granted a +50% bonus strength against them. To optimize your battle outcome, you must be careful about which unit type you’ll send towards the enemy, 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 40000+ different combat orders!
After the combat resolution, you will lose one defense point for each enemy unit still on the grid. While it might not cause the immediate end of your run, eliminating as many enemies as possible is still a matter of life or death in Drop Duchy.
Wrap-up
That’s it for today! Thanks for reading this new devlog, the whole team hopes you’re having a great time with Drop Duchy’s Demo!
Don’t hesitate to share any questions you may have, I would be happy to answer them!
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.
To keep up with all the latest updates and get exclusive behind-the-scenes sneak peeks of Drop Duchy, don’t forget to to join the official Discord server, and follow us on social media:
X / Twitter:
https://x.com/SleepyMillGames
https://x.com/TheArcadeCrew