05-29-2024, 10:06 PM
You do realize there is at least one bullet hell board game out there, but I digress. As a quick reminder, each class has a strong Primary attack, a weaker Secondary attack that can hit from a distance, a Special that hits very hard, and a Defensive that can evade an attack while buffing. Each class plays differently from another, so here's a closer analysis.
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Wizard:
Primary is a strong spell that explodes the enemy but is slow in both casting and movement. Secondary deal light damage and Charges the Special (Charge makes the affected skill do 1.5x damage). Special has the biggest explosion and damage and has a chance of getting reset by Primary. The Defensive places a circle that grants a 15% damage boost if you stay in it and has 2 uses that refresh on every cooldown.
With the Wizard, you ideally want to cast the Defensive and try to stay within the circle for the damage boost. You will mainly be casting your Special for big explosions, using a Secondary to buff the next one and as many Primaries until you can cast your Special again.
Assassin:
Primary slashes twice and has a chance of resetting the Defensive. Secondary throws 3 knives and will reset the Defensive if it has 5 seconds or less remaining. Special can be held up to two times and deals plenty of close range damage, more if done behind the enemy. Defensive will apply Vanish that lets the player evade attacks and deal 30% damage (Vanish will normally disappear after an attack is used.
Ideally, the Assassin's two goals will be to use Vanish from Defensive for that damage boost and try to get behind the enemy when the Special comes up. For this reason, it's best to use Primary up close and Secondary either when far or when the Defensive is close to resetting.
Heavyblade:
Primary deals slow and wide damage. Secondary shoots the blade and Charges both Primary and Secondary, but is also slow. Special adds some invulnerability and jumps to the target dealing a spin slash, holding up to two uses. Defensive places down a circle that prevents anyone in it from taking damage.
The Heavyblade is about dealing big damage so it's best to use Secondary to charge up the other skills and use both Primary and Special. Keep in mind that the Special is a double-edged sword that can jump you to the enemy but also into some mechanics. The Defensive can be used to help nearby allies.
Dancer:
Primary and Secondary are both weak but using them gives two Charges to the other skill. Special deals a lot of damage in a wide area and has a chance of being reset when using Primary and Secondary. Defensive will buff allies with 20% more damage.
To maximize the damage after using the Defensive, you should be using Special when it is available and alternative with Primary and Secondary.
Druid:
Primary fires a bullet. Secondary places a circle where the enemy and attacks 6 times over the course of its life; placing a new circle erases the older one. Special places down a "turret" that shoots the enemy four times, lasting long enough that a second turret can be added. Defensive boosts everyone's movement speed briefly.
This class is designed so that its Secondary only needs to be reapplied if the enemy moves and the Special can be used anywhere, so the Primary will be the main damage dealer until those wear off.
Spellsword:
Primary atttacks up close. Secondary is a slow spell that hits the target and adds 5 Darkspell (up to 9 can be held). Special shoots a beam and regains 3 uses per cooldown. Defensive will hit all enemies and apply a Hex debuff that makes the enemy take 10% more damage. Also, Darkspell is spent to make each skill hit twice.
Ideally, you want to have Darkspell up at all times so you want to cast the Secondary first and when you are running low on it, and also have Hex from Defensive to weaken the enemy. Ideally, you will shoot a lot of Special beams, resorting to Primary when you run out.
Sniper:
Primary fires a strong arrow with a cooldown, but the cooldown disappears if the arrow hits the target. Secondary will apply a Snare that that deals damage, and when the debuff wears off, the Special resets. Special fives 3 arrows at the target from anywhere and stores up to 3 uses, but one special is gained per cooldown. Defensive will Supercharge the Primary (Supercharge gives the affected skill 2x damage).
Technically, you are running two strategies here. The Special part requires applying Snare from Secondary so that you can gain an extra use of Special. The Primary is mainly used if you are lined up with the enemy with the Defensive boosting it whenever possible; the Primary should be used when the Special has no uses.
Bruiser:
Primary deals heavy but slow damage and can hold up 4 charges. Secondary deals a short range jabbing and has a chance to charge the Primary. Special will grant Berserk that shortens the global cooldown a lot as well as giving 2 charges to Berserk. Defensive quickly moves the player and gives one charge to Primary.
Unlike the other classes, Bruiser's biggest damage isn't from their Special but rather their Primary. The main idea is to gain Berserk through Special and then wail on Primary before the buff ends. When not on Berserk, use the Secondary to build up the next Berserk/Primary onslaught.
Defender:
Primary thrusts 3 times and charges Secondary, building up to 5 times. Secondary is a long range attack. Special has no uses upon starting but gains 2 uses after 5 other abilities are used and can hold up to 5 uses; it deals a lot of damage in a large radius and also removes bullets in a smaller radius. Defenses quickly moves and applies invulnerability to yourself and nearby allies.
The Defender has one of the most effective Specials, but you won't be able to use it from the beginning. Thankfully, you'll be gaining those Specials since you'll mainly be using charged Secondaries while refilling them with your Primaries. The Defensive is useful to protect allies from a mechanic.
Ancient:
This class has a "pet". Primary has both you and the pet attacking. Secondary makes your pet jump towards the target and holds 2 uses and a short cooldown; each use will reduce the Special by 4 seconds. The Special will have the pet attack in a large area but this skill will start on a long cooldown. Defensive will make the pet follow you and also restores a Secondary.
So the pet would be the main damage dealer, so the Secondary will be used to move the pet for optimal damage. For this reason, it's best to have the pet use the Special when the pet is in position, with the Primary used to fill the damage between the cooldowns.
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Next, let's design the Gem upgrades. It'll be a long list if I explain them all, but here are what each gem generally covers using Assassin as an example. Keep in mind that you might not have all four of the same gems so you may end up mixing them:
Opal- This gem can be considered an alternate playstyle. The Assassin's Primary will no longer randomly reset Defensive and instead resets it after attacking 5 times. Secondary will reset the Defensive at 7 seconds. Special deals more damage and is now a ranged attack. In addition, the Defensive will also send an attack
Sapphire- This gem either adds more hits or reduces cooldown. In this case, Primary cuts 4 times and Special hits 3 times. Secondary becomes automatic but it activates every 10 times you deal damage. The Defensive Cooldown is 3 seconds shorter.
Ruby- This gem simply aims for a bigger burst of damage. Primary's damage and size are greatly increased even though it hits once, at a cost to global cooldown and speed. Similarly, Secondary deals more damage once and has a cooldown. Special will no longer deal extra damage from behind but it inflicts Burn instead, which copies the damage from the hit. Defensive replaces Vanish with giving Supercharge to the Special (a comparison of 2x Special to 1.3x any skill).
Garnet- This gem is designed to give benefits to other skills. Primary has a greater chance at resetting Defensive. Secondary resets both Special and Defensive as well as giving a bit of speed, but it no longer deals damage and has a cooldown. Special and Defensive have a chance of resetting themselves when used.
Emerald- This gem will usually simplify the damage rotation. Primary and Special will not break Vanish. Secondary no longer resets Defensive but insteads become a cooldown button to shoot the target over time. Defensive will replace Vanish with a stronger version called Ghost, granting 60% more damage.
===
For Treasures, most of the loot follows a similar structure. This may not be true for all Treasures but it'll give you an idea how to build them.
A) Half of the Treasures usually deal with Primary/Secondary/Special the same way. Defensive may be used similarly or have a related effect. There is also a skill that deals damage or applies the status effect every couple of seconds.
B) The Treasure shares similar activation effects, usually in synergy with the other half of the Treasure.
For example, the Arcane Treasures have all skills apply Curse (10% extra damage), an AoE that applies Curse and damage every ten seconds, and the other three Treasures will increase damage for certain skill, with two of them resetting Special or Defensive and one increasing the damage of debuffs placed. The Night Set focuses more on the B side as most of the loot activates every number of seconds either automatically or through a skill; more emphasis on Special gaining damage, invulnerability and Omegacharge (3x damage) followed by Defensive (resets and shorter cooldown including loot).
There is at least one set that doesn't follow the B rules since it is technically two opposite mini-sets in one unlock.
===
Next time, we'll cover Enemies and Stages.
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Wizard:
Primary is a strong spell that explodes the enemy but is slow in both casting and movement. Secondary deal light damage and Charges the Special (Charge makes the affected skill do 1.5x damage). Special has the biggest explosion and damage and has a chance of getting reset by Primary. The Defensive places a circle that grants a 15% damage boost if you stay in it and has 2 uses that refresh on every cooldown.
With the Wizard, you ideally want to cast the Defensive and try to stay within the circle for the damage boost. You will mainly be casting your Special for big explosions, using a Secondary to buff the next one and as many Primaries until you can cast your Special again.
Assassin:
Primary slashes twice and has a chance of resetting the Defensive. Secondary throws 3 knives and will reset the Defensive if it has 5 seconds or less remaining. Special can be held up to two times and deals plenty of close range damage, more if done behind the enemy. Defensive will apply Vanish that lets the player evade attacks and deal 30% damage (Vanish will normally disappear after an attack is used.
Ideally, the Assassin's two goals will be to use Vanish from Defensive for that damage boost and try to get behind the enemy when the Special comes up. For this reason, it's best to use Primary up close and Secondary either when far or when the Defensive is close to resetting.
Heavyblade:
Primary deals slow and wide damage. Secondary shoots the blade and Charges both Primary and Secondary, but is also slow. Special adds some invulnerability and jumps to the target dealing a spin slash, holding up to two uses. Defensive places down a circle that prevents anyone in it from taking damage.
The Heavyblade is about dealing big damage so it's best to use Secondary to charge up the other skills and use both Primary and Special. Keep in mind that the Special is a double-edged sword that can jump you to the enemy but also into some mechanics. The Defensive can be used to help nearby allies.
Dancer:
Primary and Secondary are both weak but using them gives two Charges to the other skill. Special deals a lot of damage in a wide area and has a chance of being reset when using Primary and Secondary. Defensive will buff allies with 20% more damage.
To maximize the damage after using the Defensive, you should be using Special when it is available and alternative with Primary and Secondary.
Druid:
Primary fires a bullet. Secondary places a circle where the enemy and attacks 6 times over the course of its life; placing a new circle erases the older one. Special places down a "turret" that shoots the enemy four times, lasting long enough that a second turret can be added. Defensive boosts everyone's movement speed briefly.
This class is designed so that its Secondary only needs to be reapplied if the enemy moves and the Special can be used anywhere, so the Primary will be the main damage dealer until those wear off.
Spellsword:
Primary atttacks up close. Secondary is a slow spell that hits the target and adds 5 Darkspell (up to 9 can be held). Special shoots a beam and regains 3 uses per cooldown. Defensive will hit all enemies and apply a Hex debuff that makes the enemy take 10% more damage. Also, Darkspell is spent to make each skill hit twice.
Ideally, you want to have Darkspell up at all times so you want to cast the Secondary first and when you are running low on it, and also have Hex from Defensive to weaken the enemy. Ideally, you will shoot a lot of Special beams, resorting to Primary when you run out.
Sniper:
Primary fires a strong arrow with a cooldown, but the cooldown disappears if the arrow hits the target. Secondary will apply a Snare that that deals damage, and when the debuff wears off, the Special resets. Special fives 3 arrows at the target from anywhere and stores up to 3 uses, but one special is gained per cooldown. Defensive will Supercharge the Primary (Supercharge gives the affected skill 2x damage).
Technically, you are running two strategies here. The Special part requires applying Snare from Secondary so that you can gain an extra use of Special. The Primary is mainly used if you are lined up with the enemy with the Defensive boosting it whenever possible; the Primary should be used when the Special has no uses.
Bruiser:
Primary deals heavy but slow damage and can hold up 4 charges. Secondary deals a short range jabbing and has a chance to charge the Primary. Special will grant Berserk that shortens the global cooldown a lot as well as giving 2 charges to Berserk. Defensive quickly moves the player and gives one charge to Primary.
Unlike the other classes, Bruiser's biggest damage isn't from their Special but rather their Primary. The main idea is to gain Berserk through Special and then wail on Primary before the buff ends. When not on Berserk, use the Secondary to build up the next Berserk/Primary onslaught.
Defender:
Primary thrusts 3 times and charges Secondary, building up to 5 times. Secondary is a long range attack. Special has no uses upon starting but gains 2 uses after 5 other abilities are used and can hold up to 5 uses; it deals a lot of damage in a large radius and also removes bullets in a smaller radius. Defenses quickly moves and applies invulnerability to yourself and nearby allies.
The Defender has one of the most effective Specials, but you won't be able to use it from the beginning. Thankfully, you'll be gaining those Specials since you'll mainly be using charged Secondaries while refilling them with your Primaries. The Defensive is useful to protect allies from a mechanic.
Ancient:
This class has a "pet". Primary has both you and the pet attacking. Secondary makes your pet jump towards the target and holds 2 uses and a short cooldown; each use will reduce the Special by 4 seconds. The Special will have the pet attack in a large area but this skill will start on a long cooldown. Defensive will make the pet follow you and also restores a Secondary.
So the pet would be the main damage dealer, so the Secondary will be used to move the pet for optimal damage. For this reason, it's best to have the pet use the Special when the pet is in position, with the Primary used to fill the damage between the cooldowns.
---
Next, let's design the Gem upgrades. It'll be a long list if I explain them all, but here are what each gem generally covers using Assassin as an example. Keep in mind that you might not have all four of the same gems so you may end up mixing them:
Opal- This gem can be considered an alternate playstyle. The Assassin's Primary will no longer randomly reset Defensive and instead resets it after attacking 5 times. Secondary will reset the Defensive at 7 seconds. Special deals more damage and is now a ranged attack. In addition, the Defensive will also send an attack
Sapphire- This gem either adds more hits or reduces cooldown. In this case, Primary cuts 4 times and Special hits 3 times. Secondary becomes automatic but it activates every 10 times you deal damage. The Defensive Cooldown is 3 seconds shorter.
Ruby- This gem simply aims for a bigger burst of damage. Primary's damage and size are greatly increased even though it hits once, at a cost to global cooldown and speed. Similarly, Secondary deals more damage once and has a cooldown. Special will no longer deal extra damage from behind but it inflicts Burn instead, which copies the damage from the hit. Defensive replaces Vanish with giving Supercharge to the Special (a comparison of 2x Special to 1.3x any skill).
Garnet- This gem is designed to give benefits to other skills. Primary has a greater chance at resetting Defensive. Secondary resets both Special and Defensive as well as giving a bit of speed, but it no longer deals damage and has a cooldown. Special and Defensive have a chance of resetting themselves when used.
Emerald- This gem will usually simplify the damage rotation. Primary and Special will not break Vanish. Secondary no longer resets Defensive but insteads become a cooldown button to shoot the target over time. Defensive will replace Vanish with a stronger version called Ghost, granting 60% more damage.
===
For Treasures, most of the loot follows a similar structure. This may not be true for all Treasures but it'll give you an idea how to build them.
A) Half of the Treasures usually deal with Primary/Secondary/Special the same way. Defensive may be used similarly or have a related effect. There is also a skill that deals damage or applies the status effect every couple of seconds.
B) The Treasure shares similar activation effects, usually in synergy with the other half of the Treasure.
For example, the Arcane Treasures have all skills apply Curse (10% extra damage), an AoE that applies Curse and damage every ten seconds, and the other three Treasures will increase damage for certain skill, with two of them resetting Special or Defensive and one increasing the damage of debuffs placed. The Night Set focuses more on the B side as most of the loot activates every number of seconds either automatically or through a skill; more emphasis on Special gaining damage, invulnerability and Omegacharge (3x damage) followed by Defensive (resets and shorter cooldown including loot).
There is at least one set that doesn't follow the B rules since it is technically two opposite mini-sets in one unlock.
===
Next time, we'll cover Enemies and Stages.
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