What should we add to Drop Duchy next?

[Sleepy Mill Studio]

Hello!

Last week, we released a big update to Drop Duchy, with new content, much-requested quality of life changes, mechanics designed to improve the weaker aspects of the experience, and a lot of balancing/bug fixes to make the experience more enjoyable as a whole. This update was shaped by your feedback : I read every message posted here and on other platforms, and it helps us to prioritize the most asked changes/additions (as long as they're feasible for our small team).

We still have lots of ideas to enrich the game (and we do not guarantee in any way that we'll do everything written here), but still, now is the perfect time to shoot your ideas of what would make the game better! It can be big new modes or features, small details, UX improvements, maybe some thematic additions, you name it.

Thanks for playing the game and all your messages, looking forward to reading you

JB Oger, Developer/Designer

[jafferduo]

I want the function that can save Combat Phase examples via in-game saving, or we can make the examples by entering the information about what types and troop numbers of all allies/enemies have, STRENGTH IN NUMBERS situations can also be set, too.
So I can run every example in animation.

[Kaysoky]

Some suggestions off the top of my head:

• I like the extra rules of the Trials mode, and it would be really nice to have those included with the existing difficulty levels as configurable difficulty. Potentially letting you mix and match multiple trials or tailoring the difficulty to your taste.
  
• Having an alternate starting deck and/or the ability to choose starting card(s).
  
• Different boss variants instead of the same 3 bosses every run.
  
• An option to preview what types of enemies are in an upcoming encounter.

[Sleepy Mill Studio]

Originally posted by jafferduo:

I want the function that can save Combat Phase examples via in-game saving, or we can make the examples by entering the information about what types and troop numbers of all allies/enemies have, STRENGTH IN NUMBERS situations can also be set, too.
So I can run every example in animation.

So, a sort of "battle phase simulator" that lets you try out different orders to see which would have been the best? Like, after the fact or before making your final decision?

[jafferduo]

Originally posted by Sleepy Mill Studio:

So, a sort of "battle phase simulator" that lets you try out different orders to see which would have been the best? Like, after the fact or before making your final decision?

I think after the fact is okay.
It can be an independent function that doesn't have to work when you're in a run.

[Kaysoky]

Doesn't that function already exist? Just turn on the option that calculates the battle outcome as you click on troops in the battle phase.

[frozen_flame]

Some reason to keep doing more runs could be good. Taking a page from other games, what if there was this uber major boss where u needed to build up troops/resources with each run to eventually beat it (or challenge it). Maybe make act 4 like one peaceful region where you just build up as much stats as you can that accumulates over runs? Yes I kinda stole this idea from Slay the Spire

[Wess]

- A Custom mode where you can choose your starting cards.
- More choices of custom modifiers for difficulty.
- Maybe a "daily trial" that randomises difficulty settings and modifiers.

- A dlc tribe called "The State" that wins by using gold to buy out the enemies.

Your game is fun and fantastic keep up the good work

[AvarusTyrannus]

Only just got the game, but I'm loving it. Hoping there are more factions down the line. Maybe a nomadic raider faction that extracts more from tiles but desolates them.

I think I nice change or option would be to take some of the "building" cards as just an upgrade that replaces random terrain blocks. Bridge, Exploited Land, and Fertile Land for example don't really feel worth taking over a production, noble, tech, military, or religious building. Sure it would make things "easier" but I think it would be nice to give cards like that, improved terrain cards, an option in the progress tree to not just banish them but make them randomly replace a random terrain in the round of the matching shape. As it is I've only taken fertile grounds on a whim and the other two never.

[jafferduo]

Originally posted by Kaysoky:

Doesn't that function already exist? Just turn on the option that calculates the battle outcome as you click on troops in the battle phase.

With the function, I can enter the data freely so I can copy the situations from other places. It's totally different.

[Alpha]

Today I read a review I didn’t fully agree with, but it brought up a point I consider very valid. This person pointed out how after act 2 resources cards lose relevance and the game seems to focus more on combat cards. For this i was thinking that probably it would be a good idea to add some sort of "economical" campaign similar to what Stronghold developers implemented where we had 2 types of campaigns, military and economical. From a business perspective it could be sold as a DLC. You know, like giving the player the chance of winning without combat. This could give the game a more relaxing alternative that could be paired with slow paced music more fitted for that play style

[Kaysoky]

Originally posted by Xharliez:

Today I read a review I didn’t fully agree with, but it brought up a point I consider very valid. This person pointed out how after act 2 resources cards lose relevance and the game seems to focus more on combat cards.

Curious what review this was.

There are a handful of combinations that benefit from economic buildings. Like Barracks + gold-producing buildings or Provisions Convoy + food-producing buildings... and those are the only two I can think of :D (Maybe the Level 10 Belfry counts too.)

Having just 2 examples probably supports your point. Although I don't think resources cards fall off after Act 2 unless you've managed to upgrade all your cards (and have enough resources to upgrade future cards) by that point.

[Alpha]

Btw another suggestion i would like to make is to add the ability to zoom in. Sorry for insisting on this but it would great to be able to look at the buildings and the terrain in more detail! it doesnt even have to be during gameplay, maybe at the end of the level when statistics are shown

[Sleepy Mill Studio]

Originally posted by Xharliez:

Today I read a review I didn’t fully agree with, but it brought up a point I consider very valid. This person pointed out how after act 2 resources cards lose relevance and the game seems to focus more on combat cards. For this i was thinking that probably it would be a good idea to add some sort of "economical" campaign similar to what Stronghold developers implemented where we had 2 types of campaigns, military and economical. From a business perspective it could be sold as a DLC. You know, like giving the player the chance of winning without combat. This could give the game a more relaxing alternative that could be paired with slow paced music more fitted for that play style

From a design standpoint, this is normal, the run progression is inspired by RTS games where at some point, you have to sacrifice your whole production to fully focus on military (the challenge being to identify the right moment to do so). But yeah, in lower difficulties, it’s not a huge deal, you can focus on combat early and win comfortably despite not having all your cards leveled up.

Now the idea is interesting, should probably be a Trial though rather than a faction/game mode, so you can attempt it with any faction.

[Gentlest Giant]

The ability to skip all metaprogression and play the full game at maximum difficulty right away.

[Vun Mun Meeee]

I would just like new types of tribes, orders, or whatever the groups are called. I have liked all four so far and once I complete the Tribe it would be cool to have another kind to play. They have all been different enough that it feels like a different game for each one. I would gladly pay for another DLC like this......:)