Hello everyone.
In one of my previous devblogs, I talked about Skill Properties. These are modifications that can be installed on genes and developed during a run using Gene Substrate. In older versions of the game, they worked in a fairly straightforward way: a property could modify a specific part of a skill, not only its numbers but also some aspects of its behavior. However, the skill itself still remained fundamentally the same.In version 0.51, which is currently available on Steam, I expanded and reworked this system. The next step in its development became the Skill Forms system. Now, a property does not simply add a bonus to a skill. It unlocks independent forms for that skill, each of which can significantly change how it works.From Modifier to FormThe main difference between a numerical modifier or bonus and a Form - is that a Form changes the skill as a whole. It can change not only the result of an interaction, but almost everything about the skill: its icon, sound, area of effect, damage type, cooldown, effect chances, number of charges, role in combat, and even which effects and statuses it applies or removes.The skill effectively becomes a different skill. At the same time, a new Form still inherits the basic damage values, and sometimes part of the behavior, from the original skill.For example, let’s take the skill Rending Strike. By default, it deals Physical damage and applies Bleeding effects to the target, with additional effects depending on its rank. There are two Properties for this skill in the game. Each Property opens up a different playstyle and gives the skill several Forms, each of which turns it into a different version of the skill.
Hemorrhagic Cycle is a Property focused on strengthening Bleeding effects.
Form: Deep Laceration. Applies new and more powerful Bleeding effects.
Form: Blood Reaper. Collects all existing Bleeding effects on the target and deals a percentage of the total damage those effects would have dealt.
Wound Propagation is a Property focused on increasing the number of targets hit and shifting the skill toward other damage types.
Form: Piercing Laceration. The attack begins to pierce through the primary target and damages an additional target behind it. Bleeding effects are still applied to every target hit.
Form: Neurotoxic Sweep. Converts the skill into a Psionic form and attacks every enemy in a line. Instead of Bleeding, each target receives Poison effects.
Forms in CombatAt any given moment, a skill uses one specific Form. If no Property is installed, the base version of the skill is used.Only one Property can be installed for a particular skill at a time, so the available set of Forms is determined by that Property. I will explain in more detail how these Forms are selected and changed during combat in the next devblog.Acquiring Properties During a RunI created two Properties for each skill, with each Property providing two new Forms. Depending on how gene chains are rebuilt and arranged, the player can obtain a total of 25 skills, while two additional base skills are available from the start. As usual, I excluded the three charge-based skills for now, since I still have not decided whether I want to keep them in the game. This leaves a pool of 24 skills covered by the Form system.With four Forms created for each of these skills, the game now contains close to 100 different skill variations that can potentially appear during a run.In earlier versions of the game, all available Skill Properties were unlocked from the beginning. This gradually turned each new run into choosing the same familiar Properties again.In the new version, Properties are hidden at the start. The player receives one starting Property depending on their chosen initial Genome Origin. After that, following each victory, the player can learn random Property. I tried to balance this system so that at least five Properties can normally be obtained over the course of six floors.Property ProgressionI kept Property progression mostly the same as in previous versions of the game. Each time a gene is fused up to its third allele, the player receives Gene Substrate. This Substrate can then be spent to upgrade a Form to the next level. At any point during a run, these upgrades can be reset and the invested Substrate can be moved to another Form branch. Each Form has its own progression path. Just like before, a Property can also be removed from a gene at any time and later installed again if needed. I wanted to preserve as much flexibility as possible, so the player can rebuild their build at any point during a run.In the next devblog, I will focus specifically on how Forms work in combat: how the current Form is selected, how it changes after a skill is used, and how the player can influence this process.