docs(game design): power-creep & player progression systems

[jordanhoare]

Game Design Document: Progression System

Overview

The game's progression system intertwines Dungeons, a Battle Pass, and Hunter Missions to promote continuous engagement and power growth through gameplay rewards.

1. Dungeons

• Access: Entry requires tickets from Hunter Missions or the Battle Pass.
• Rewards: Includes gear, rare items, and upgrade materials, with higher difficulties offering better loot.
• Progression: Tiers (e.g., Rookie, Veteran, Master) unlock based on player gear, skill levels and hunter mission ranks.

2. Battle Pass

• Structure: Levels are achieved by earning points through daily/weekly tasks.
• Rewards: Includes materials, tickets, and currency, with premium options offering more significant rewards (additional materials, tickets and global boosts [i.e.: all players recieve 2hrs of increased exp, loot, skill rates]).

3. Hunter Missions

• Objective: Involves specific tasks like hunting monsters, and each mission givens points toward increasing 'hunter rank' (e.g., Rookie, Veteran, Master).
• Boss Mechanics: Completing kill requirements (e.g., 300 sea serpents) grants an invitation to face a special boss (e.g., sea serpent boss).
  • Standard Boss Drop: Guarantees a dungeon ticket and has a chance to drop 10-25 fragments toward a catalyst needed for item augmentation.
  • Augmented Boss: 25% chance the boss respawns as an 'augmented' version, which guarantees a drop of the 'augment' crafting item, the catalyst.
• Rewards: Yields dungeon tickets, materials, and random drops, fostering a gameplay loop with Dungeons.

Crafting and Augmentation System

• Catalyst Levels: Catalysts are tiered (1-5), corresponding to the level of the creature they are derived from (e.g., Dragons level 1, Dragon Lords level 2).
• Augment Crafting: To craft an augment, players combine a catalyst of the required tier with creature-specific items (e.g., 200 dragon leather for a tier 2 Dragon Hunter augment).
• Augment Application: The resulting item, such as a Dragon Hunter augment scroll, can be applied to equipment to bestow specific augments like increased damage or resistance against certain monsters.

Augments Examples:

• Vital Shot, Heavy Shot, Lightning Shot, Righteous Rejuvenation, Dragon Hunter: Each augment has unique modifiers that enhance player abilities or resistances, crafted by combining specific catalysts and creature items.

Upgrade System

• Mechanics: Gear is enhanced using materials from gameplay, with upgrades subject to RNG success rates.
• Sources: Materials come from guaranteed dungeon drops, Battle Pass milestones, and elite mob drops.

Currency System

• Usage: Buys upgrade materials, gear, or cosmetics (alongside hunter rank points, players earn task points to spend on a second in game store for cosmetics), earned across all game activities.
• Economy Impact: Encourages player-to-player material trades, balancing the grindyness of upgrades.

Player Power Growth

• Visibility: Power increases are evident through gear levels, dungeon completions, and Battle Pass progression.
• Ranking: Players achieve ranks that reflect their in-game progress and status.