Combat

The combat interface.

The game features a turn-based one-on-one combat system. It utilises the participants' attributes (like strength and agility) and moves that consume them called cards. During combat the characters take turns to spend their attribute points in an effort to subdue their opponent. When a character doesn't have any spare attribute points for the cards they have been dealt, they'll have to end their turn to replenish their attribute points. Theoretically, there is no limit on how many moves a character can do per turn, but each character is dealt only so many cards per turn. It's also possible for the character to end the turn while still having cards and attributes to use them, but doing so offers no advantages to them.

A card's damage value is directly subtracted from the foe's hitpoints after being possibly lowered by their resistances. Character's resistances can completely mitigate an attack, so make sure that your card of choice doesn't turn out to be useless against them.

Damage types

Each attack has either one or multiple kinds of damage type. Conversely, each character can have a certain amount of resistance towards any of these damage types. The math used in the game is very simple: the card's damage value is reduced by the opponent's respective resistance value and the result is used to directly lower the foe's number of hitpoints. Currently, there are seven different types of damage in the game: heat, cold, impact, slash, pierce, magic and biological. There are currently no actual differences between them.

The player's resistances can be raised by wearing armour. There is currently only one way for the player to do that, via the refitted ancient Sejan helmet.

The deck

The player's deck selection.

At the very beginning of the game, the player only has unarmed melee attack cards available to them, ranging from a wimpy slap to wrestling and tackling the enemy. Later on they can obtain weapons to help them deal with more dangerous foes they'll encounter. Currently there are no way for the player to get defensive or ranged attack cards, but both of those are planned to be implemented in later versions.

When reviewing the player's deck, which can be accessed from the overworld map, the player can choose what cards they would prefer to appear during combat. In the deck selection image you can see both the default attacks and the axe chop given by felling axe being selected on the right.

During combat, the player can click on little springs next to each card, locking them in place. This prevents them from being used, but also keeps them from being reshuffled, so that they can be used at a more opportune time. The locks can be set on and off at any time in any number and combination of cards without any penalties to the player.