Welcome back Commanders!
This is the first in a regular series of updates where we'll be taking a closer look at key aspects of The Dragoness: Command of the Flame as well as sharing details on recent progress we've been making.
In this update, we'll be taking a look at the Drairthir Peninsula (the main setting for the campaign), giving a full breakdown of what to expect from the many quests you'll be taking on, and how the map exploration mechanics work.
A Land of Dragons
The lands of the Drairthir Peninsula were once ruled by the Regal Dragons alongside the powerful Va. However, years of war and violence slowly began to corrupt the Va and turned their bravery into cruelty. An unknown force presented the Va with a scroll of dark magic that transformed the once-mighty race into the violent and cruel Shai-Va.
An epic war between the Regal Dragons and the Shai-Va erupted across the kingdom, transforming great cities, including the magnificent capital of Voven-Sal into nothing more than ruins. Eventually, the ruler of the Regal Dragons, the Dragoness, emerged victorious, but the war had taken a huge toll on the land. Chaos and rebellion plagued the various regions across the peninsula, and factions of monstrous beasts emerged. The Dragoness was forced to retreat with her remaining forces to the stronghold of Níwenborh, sending out a desperate petition for aid.
News of this turmoil eventually reached the Elvish Empire, long-standing allies of the Regal Dragons, who immediately dispatched their finest commander to the Drairthir Peninsula.
That's where you come in...
Exploring the Drairthir Peninsula
Upon arrival, you will be immediately greeted by the Dragoness' trusted advisor, Natiq of the house of Battle Pangolins. Natiq will act as your guide and advisor throughout the campaign which consists of several quests commissioned by The Dragoness.
There are several types of quest, ranging from retrieving specific items, defeating difficult bosses, defending areas of importance, or securing specific resources. Every region that you travel to will have a unique feel and distinct environment, and will offer up different gameplay challenges, both in terms of map layout and the enemy armies you will encounter.
NOTE: You can experience some of this variety in our current demo - the first level (Fearann) challenges the player to secure granaries spread out across the map, while the second level (The Gates of Noita) has you defending a fortress from enemy invaders. Commanders will need to balance their army and resources whilst also maintaining a strong force mounted on the ramparts as leaving the wall unmanned will result in an immediate failure!
Side Quests and Challenges
During a quest, you may come across several huts belonging to the Wizard who will offer you side quests in exchange for unique rewards. Other side quests can also be picked up elsewhere on the map, depending on the quest.
Each quest will also have its own unique set of challenges which will yield valuable resources that can be spent back at the capital to improve its buildings and facilities.
Map Exploration: Maintaining a Healthy Army
When exploring a map during a quest, the commander has a limited number of movement points that they can spend per turn before their army needs to be fed. At the end of the turn, a commander has several choices they can make before they carry on moving. These options are determined by which revival spell was selected before embarking on a new quest. Some options allow for passive resource gathering in between movement, while others offer boosts to available steps and damage bonuses.
To maintain a healthy army, commanders will need to carefully plan out their routes and balance food supplies with exploration. Commanders will start each mission with a set amount of provisions but more can be found across the map, with some areas being more resourceful than others. Running out of food will result in an army growing hungry and weakening them in future battles.
There are multiple stages associated with this mechanic:
After just one day without food, your army will be WEAKENED, giving negative modifiers to HP, attack, initiative, dodge and magic resistance. After 4 days your army will become HUNGRY, compounding existing modifiers and adding a reduction to army movement. Finally after 8 days they will be STARVING which considerably decreases the aforementioned stats and adds a penalty to mana points.
Map Exploration: Resource Gathering & Management
Many different resources can be found out in the wild, including Granite, Iron, and Red Crystals. These resources will be your primary currency for purchasing new units, as well as upgrades back at the capital.
Most maps contain several mercenary camps that house a variety of beast units that can join your cause in exchange for resources. Later in your quest, you will also come across other types of resources such as Pyrite and Blue Crystals, which can be used to purchase even more specialised units.
While on your hunt for resources be sure to stop at points of interest scattered across the map. Interacting with these locations can yield multiple results, such as the local universities which can be activated to gain a significant boost to XP and learn new spells.
Alongside universities and mercenary camps, the commander can stumble across mining facilities. Activating these mines will cause a slow build-up of a specific resource over time. Commanders can also find mana wells or treasure troves that may contain precious artefacts that provide several stat bonuses, from improving ranged combat to raising unit defensive capabilities.
But be on guard as some chests may harbour something more devious than gold or trinkets... Some treasure has been rigged to cause an enemy ambush to descend on the commander!
Peril at Every Turn
There is plenty to discover on each map and countless treasures to be found. However, standing in your way are the ruthless hordes of beasts that inhabit the peninsula. Many of these enemies will be guarding powerful items or heaps of resources and treasure. While not all of these battles are essential, it is up to the commander to determine whether the reward outweighs the risk!
Depending on the quest, there will be a variable number of armies placed between you and your goal. In most areas, you will still have considerable room to plan alternative routes and tackle these enemies when you feel your forces are strong enough. To gauge the level of difficulty of these encounters, commanders can simply right-click a target on the map and the number and strength of the units in that army will be revealed.
Fight Another Day
It will take commanders a great deal of skill to juggle managing resources, growing an army, and overcoming the enemy. Remember that backtracking is always an option provided you have enough food to keep going!
If you're struggling to progress in the campaign, you can always revisit previously completed quests and attempt to uncover any missed items, and complete challenges to gain additional resources to help grow your infrastructure back at the capital.
Development Updates: Animations, new FX, and more!
We've recently been making improvements to the commander's animations, including her walk/run cycle during map exploration, so that she now moves much faster for a smoother experience!
Units of the same type but different star level now have unique FX tied to them as well as one or two star plates so that players can more clearly differentiate between unit tiers. There is also a new visual and sound effect applied when shields are broken in battle to help highlight their tactical significance.
And finally, upon winning a battle we now have an animated EXP bar to show exactly what the player has earned for their victory!
That's all for now, but we'll be back in a few weeks to take a closer look at the battle mechanics and share more details on the progress we've been making.
Until then!
- Crazy Goat Games & PQube
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