Difficulty in games varies wildly from player to player. Games that seem too easy to some will be challenging for others, and vice versa. Limerick: Cadence Mansion is no exception to this. Balancing difficulty is something I am continuing to work on.
Here's a brief breakdown of where I'm at with difficulty in Limerick and what my philosophy has been and will be moving forward.
SCALABILITY
If you've missed it, I've added quite a few scalability options for difficulty in Limerick. Unlike most games, these options do not affect combat/weapons/etc. Instead, they focus on scaling what people are finding truly difficult in Limerick: puzzles and encounters with the marionette himself.
This will continue to be my focus moving forward. I am staying true to my design philosophy as I craft new areas and experiences. But after this I return and explore avenues on how I can help players bypass some of the greater challenges. This even includes the addition of some new mechanics (most recently, exploding barrels) that give players a wider arsenal of tools to manage Limerick and his minions.
PAIN & FAIRNESS
So, what motivated me to make the game so challenging to begin with? The short answer is that I like challenging games. It is only natural that I pursued ways to create that kind of challenge in my own game.
But there is a deeper, lore-driven aspect to this design choice. Limerick is supposed to be incredibly powerful. He is supposed to be able to subvert, frustrate, and ultimately decimate his opponents. Of course, I want you to overcome and triumph over your wily opponent. But part of my design philosophy has been to induce a level of pain, frustration, and anger in your failed attempts to defeat Limerick. To me, that makes the thrill of triumphing over his cheeky little face all the more rewarding when you finally accomplish it!
But in order for any of that to work, the encounters with Limerick must be fair, even if they are also unforgiving. This is the area where I am putting my greatest focus. Having Limerick spawn directly behind you and one-shot you does not feel fair. Getting stuck on an enemy collision capsule does not feel fair. Getting held up by a glitch, bug, or misplaced object does not feel fair. These are the issues I am prioritizing and will continue to work on hardest.
I also know that challenge driven games like Limerick are not for everyone. While I do believe that the aforementioned scalability can greatly help widen the audience, I have also realized that I have to be true to the design of the game. Limerick: Cadence Mansion is driven by puzzles, resource management, and multi-layered survival mechanics. It is meant to reward you for the proper use of its systems. It is meant to be loaded with deep and intricate lore, a bevy of personal stories, and loads of monsters that can and will kill you when given the opportunity.
A NOTE ON TEDIUM
Another thing I want to try and avoid is the game just feeling downright tedious. Unfortunately, this is another area in which opinions vary wildly. The Limerick encounters themselves serve as an excellent example of this. Some players - while enjoying the puzzles as a whole - strongly disliked having to solve puzzles three times in a row while dealing with the presence of Limerick. They found it painful, tedious, and boring.
Others - including myself - thoroughly enjoy this challenge. Armed with the knowledge of how to solve the puzzles, players thrust themselves into the larger game of completing these cycles while being pursued by their opponent. They find the thrill not in the puzzles, but in the challenge of staying alive while racing through the halls of Limerick's arenas.
How do I bring these two disparate views into harmony? Believe me when I say that I am trying my best! I will continue to explore scalability settings, and some of the new options can greatly reduce the feeling of tedium for some players by bypassing some of these puzzle cycles.
Thank you all so much for your continued support and for taking time to play the demo. The witty, wonderful, whimsical world of Limerick continues to come together, and I cannot wait to share the final product soon!