Greetings Heroes!
Today we want to give you an early look at our version of power-ups called 'Shards' and how you can use them to complete your run in style!
(Don't these magical creatures look familiar!??)
One of the most fun core gameplay elements of Roguelites is to try a different build every time you attempt a run to see how far you can get. Evercore Heroes is no different, it will offer you different rewards and island challenges every time you play. This means you'll have to learn and adapt if you want to succeed!
Totally unique to Evercore Heroes is that it's not just you working on a build. You will also need to keep your team composition, their builds and your role in mind! Will you pick something that increases your power, go for a combo piece or will you choose something that might work well with what your team is going for? This will be up to you!
We are still working on the game so all the Shards and thematic categories we are discussing today could change as we further develop the game. Do let us know what you think as we love the feedback and ideas!
Let's dive in and see what we can build!
What actually are Shards?
To help you on your mission to beat big baddies, every island will come with some kind of reward to help you on your way to become more powerful. Rewards come in different shapes and sizes but the most common ones you'll encounter will be Shards. These magical artifacts can be compared to items or power-ups in other Roguelite games that will enhance your sentinel with powerful magical abilities!
Some Shards will grant you a total new ability, others grant you a temporarily boost if a requirement is met while others are more meant as combo pieces or grant you raw power. For example, you could find a Shard that lets you put enemies on fire after you dash and combo this with a shard that lets you explode enemies that are on fire with your abilities and compliment this with a raw percentage ability power boost! Keep in mind that party members can assist you with combo's as well!
Outside of Shards we are also working on ability modifying rewards that will change how an ability works, and can be used to create builds around. This will further diversify how you can play your sentinel. More on those in a future blog!
(Do you prefer to shrink enemies or grow allies?)
Chase your build!
As you can imagine, there are quite some shards to explore, collect and experiment with! To make it easier to find certain shards and chase builds we've categorized them for you. Every category has a different theme and a set of shards to fit this theme that will show up as choices to pick from represented by a cute and fierce magical creature!
Here are examples of some of the themes you can encounter, but there are more on the way!
Fury; Deal damage and gain raw power from the mountain peaks of Kru!
Wild; Poison your enemies with toxins found in the deep jungles of Moxie and gain its benefits!
Flame; Put your enemies ablaze and explode them in Noktra style!
Invention; Luumtech inventions from Bios. Gain shields, gadgets and utility skills!
Mischief; Do you like chance? We like chance! Roll the dice and try your luck.
This means that when you see a certain theme pop up on the teleporter, you'll know what kind of shard rewards you can expect if you choose to pick this island as your next destination.
(A symbol will showcase what theme pops up next - can you guess which one this is?)
How does Shard selection work?!
You might have some questions about receiving one of these awesome mystical Shards! Selecting one works slightly different in a team than if you'd be playing alone.
As you complete an island with a Shard reward, your team is faced with the reward selection. On this screen you can see a multiple of reward options from the pool of shards available for this theme, which both you as your team can pick from. Highlight the Shard you'd like to have and use this time to discuss what you'd like to go for. Just make sure to keep an eye on the timer! Your teammates will see you what you highlight and select to make coordinating easier. Once happy, select the Shard you'd like to have.
And yes, it's possible for party members to pick the same Shard. You will not be locked out if somebody picks the same Shard as you. We can't wait to see what kind of crazy builds you will come up with!
(You can see the selection of your team to help you make your choice!)
We'll talk more about specific Shards and other upgrades in another blog in the future! Until then!