In this first update to the prototype demo version of Mythswayer, we added a new enemy, the Orc shaman, who can cast protective and restorative spells on his allies; a new healing/buffing skill, Envigoration; and the skill Critical Chance, and Protection cap systems we talked about in our last article.

At this stage of development, after many technical aspects of the game (including map graphics & structure, pathfinding logic, UI, itemization, and the underlying data systems, etc.) have been set up for further refinement later, our focus now shifts toward enhancing the combat encounters, both from a game design and a user experience perspective. This includes adding new enemies with new skills, refining and expanding their behavior, introducing systems to counter “exploit” mechanics, and, of course, balancing all aspects of the system to achieve an overall better difficulty curve and more engaging battles. These improvements will be added continuously as we’re working toward an Early Access version in approximately 4-5 months.

You can encounter the Orc shaman added in this update on the island at the end of the demo. He will cast Arcane Shield on himself and his allies, and also heal them with Envigoration when their Life gets low. He’ll consume a Focus potion (carefully put in his inventory by us) when he runs out of Focus, and he’ll engage in melee combat if there’s nothing else he can do. This baseline behavior (and the behavior of every other enemy) will be expanded with fleeing, stealth, “group-up”, and item-sharing actions as we progress with the development. But, compared to the last version of the same battle we shared with you, you can already feel a big difference as the shaman casts his protective powers on his lackeys, making them a more challenging obstacle.

In the future, some enemies will also have random modifiers. These will be reflected by their name, and their looks, and will follow careful balancing rules suited to the quest and game settings you’re playing at. In other words, we’re not only going to add many more unique enemy types with their distinct skill sets, but each enemy type will have variants you can encounter. Some of these variants will be linked to specific locations, others to daytime or weather, and some to other variables.

As combat encounters get more complex, we’re also iterating on core combat systems to fine-tune tactics in the game. For example (though it’s not featured in the current demo), we’re adding a flanking system for melee combat. Attacking an enemy from behind, or being boxed in by multiple melee attackers will affect to-hit calculations.

Later on, another big part of combat will be elemental damage. Fire, frost, lightning, and poison, all with their distinct properties, will shake up the (yet) very baseline combat experience. These elemental effects will come from both skills and equipped items. As we expand the itemization and skill system in this direction, a plethora of new combinations will open up, allowing you to utilize elemental offenses and defenses best suited to your playstyle (and luck in your run).

That’s it for now! If you already got the treasure from the chest on the island, we dare you to try again—the shaman is waiting for you!