Thoughts on Non-balance stuff of Solomon Game
Here are some suggestions that might be helpful in making Solomon game better
1. Progression in BGM
In Legend of Zelda: Link between Worlds, the theme of Lorule Castle, the best BGM in Link between Worlds in my opinion, starts out with few instrument. As Link defeats each mini-boss, begins to add instruments and build and build up into an overwhelmingly exciting music that cause players to feel that they are close to defeat the final boss(can't say who it is cuz its spoiler). This sort of music with progression is commonly used on games to make players to feel that they are progressing through the level or dungeon. Considering most of the setting in Solomon's Keep is a just dark grey colored rooms, having a progressing BGM would definitely help players to feel that they are actually climbing the tower and getting closer to Solomon Dark. Also, because it is basically using one music to make multiple variations of it, progressive music can be much easier to make for composers compared to making several different musics.
2. More Options
In any game, having more options in the option menu generally never hurts. When I checked Solomon Dark's options menu, I felt that there were some options that should have been in the option menu like: mouse sensitivity, color blind mode, brightness, HUD size, and subtitle. I understand that Solomon Dark is not complete and will never be but I just want to make sure you know that these options should also be there in SKUME.
3. Slightly less content on release and add on through update
Basically, of all the work done, only release about 80% of them and use 20% as updates. This is a very simple psychological trick that make people to say "one of the best part of Solomon's Keep is a constant update". Good items to reserve(without counting 2 dlc classes and bard) are Boulder magic, Necromancer, one or two minor bosses, quests, and boneyard mode. However, if you are going to do this, you must not reserve too much or it will make people to complain that the game has too little contents.
4. Even more achievements (45 or more)
Achievements are one of the "hooks" that pulls player in. I know you are aware of necessity of more achievements but based on what I have seen in all three games, it is likely that Solomon's Keep might still have unsatisfactory number of achievement. Not only achievement makes people to feel the sense of progression, but also it is actually adding more contents without adding more contents. For example, if you make an achievement that makes you to do secondary only build, swordmaster mage build, heavy armor rouge build or etc. it will make people to play same class multiple times and still feel that each run is different from another.
Comments
Another thought would be automated monthly events and themes. Like once a month for 2 weeks you could have an event. With prizes and costumes/staff/wand transmogs. Even holiday themes like for Halloween you can earn a pumpkin head and transmit your hat into it. For Christmas you could earn a small or large candy cane transmog for your staff/wand. Things like that.
The transmogs are cosmetic and wouldn't effect your spells.
Unless you wanna make themed sets like in SD.
1. Diversity in combat:
Okay, this might sound a bit too broad, but something games like the witcher 3 and horizon: zero dawn do pretty well (I’m probably going to refer to the witcher 3 again, but well, I think it’s amazing).
1a: Anyway, what they do pretty well is that not many fights are the same, as well as the fact that there are a lot of tools which you can use to slay your foe. In the Witcher you have swords and bombs as well as magic to cast(including a magic shield), and most creatures have different attacks and patterns.
(Thereby not saying this should be as diverse as the witcher, but well, a game like Skyrim doesn’t do this too well as you’re mostly using the same one weapon to take care of everything. The solomon games do the creature part pretty well)
1b: So maybe something as fast attacks, charged attacks that deals more damage but leaves you vulnerable for some time, maybe even different ways of using the different spells/elements (think magicka)
1c: Other things could be something like a portable shield that can be placed and walked around (should the area allow it) - might be a bit op if abused. Maybe special traps a wizard could channel his mana into to charge it with an element.
2. An Immerseable world:
From what I have read, SKUME is going to be like SK, just a lot bigger. And I think both SK and SB does this pretty well, SK especially, although I missed it a bit in Solomon Dark.
Well, I am probably going to spend quite a while playing these games, so something that makes a game more enjoyable to me is that the world/scenario is somewhat enjoyable and immersive. (Again, witcher does this amazingly)
A world that invites us to explore it! Different kinds of places with different stories, different music, different kinds of monsters maybe :3 (sorry for the messy explanation)
It could be small things like if you’re in an abandoned dungeon, there are traces of when the dungeon was being used, maybe some old keys hanging, a skeleton in chains, scrapings on the walls, small notes.
Make the world be alive! A little bit :3
And yes, I know, it’s not supposed to be an AAA-game, but one could do well to draw some inspiration from the successful ones. (Those made to entertain you, not get your money)
1. Oh well, I must admit that I have not played Solomon Dark too much.
After some thinking, I am not sure of how much should be changed about the combat, since one of the (to me) joys of the solomon games is having one or two spells that you keep evolving into something beautiful. Maybe the spells could change more through buffing, yet they do this a bit more in Solomon Dark(through the two ‘ultimate’ paths). This is a way of diversity as well, and I would be sad if SKUME did not have this part.
2. I see and I agree!
Okay, that sounds pretty awesome!
I’m a bit concerned as to how the different subskills would work together though.
Revolving boulder:
Okay, I can see this working on the ether part, but what about earth? (Okay, the others could work, but will hasten rocks increase the speed of the boulders as well?)
Lava wave:
This I am not so sure about. For the flame lash (which was good because of it’s enormous damage) I did not like that the explosion and other subskills for fire were on kill and not on hit. So how about something like:
Meteor Swarm -> Magma boulder/Comet shot:
Same concept as boulder but with a lot more damage and the fire subskills integrated. And then instead of trampling like the usual earth, it explodes upon impact, sending some maybe a bit larger fragments around (with the number being based on the embers subskill)
Storm Cannon:
This could be fun :3 but I’m a bit worried about the stun subskill here, how it would be integrated.
Fire cluster sounds incredible! And the same with forked lightning! Another go on forked lightning could be that it, from one lightning, forks to 2 enemies, to 4, to 8 and so on. (Maybe while reducing the damage a bit more than normally) - this would enable one to stun a whole lot more enemies.
Also, with increased speed, the range of the boulders (from you) should increase as well.
One I've got is that of a faster, more sphere-shaped fire ball, not only exploding but doing so in a cone behind the mob hit, (based on air subskills as well) Still only causing one explosion, but with more damage, and maybe even more radius(like giving the explosion a direction), just directed in a cone instead of a circle. I'm not sure if this is too trivial, though. Prehaps the explosion knocks back enemies, to account for all the air subskills. (perhaps it could even melt arrows in-air to counteract the very poor defence against arrows that fire has) I have not thought of a name for it.
My bad! I meant Fire + Cold!
Revolving Boulder:
Well, they are supposed to be powerful, are they not? They could be mostly earth boulders when not using mana and solid, thus reflecting arrows. Then, when expending mana, the boulders become more ether, size, damage, speed and radius growing, but not reflecting arrows
(I was thinking about Aurelion Sol as well)
Another idea for this:
Asteroid belt:
Some of the same aspects as revolving boulder, although there is none when not expending mana (to keep the no mana usage = no damage)
Then, when expending mana, one creates a growing field of boulders revolving around you, size, damage, speed, scaling speed and limit and amount of boulders depending on earth and aether skills.
Nearly the same as you have described, but not always present.
Storm Cannon:
Aha! So like a pretty good boss tool as well