Beating the game.

[Popcork]

Once you complete the final heist will you be forced back to the beginning of the game, or could you continue on infinitely until you want to restart?

[danthat]

It takes you back to the start. I trialled it running infinitely, but it needed that 'full stop', it just didn't work as an infini-game. The motivation isn't there, the 100 days time limit doesn't work. It's a design decision.

If the game does well enough, I'll look into adding Daily Challenge mode, which would open it out a bit more for post-Basilisk play. We'll see how it all goes :)

[sturmkoenig2k]

Time limit? Huh, i hate time limits. Is there a time limit in the game? Please noooo.

[Donut]

Originally posted by sturmkoenig2k:

Time limit? Huh, i hate time limits. Is there a time limit in the game? Please noooo.

There isn't a time limit for each level, however you have 100 days (levels) to complete the game.

[sturmkoenig2k]

Originally posted by tr8marc:

Originally posted by sturmkoenig2k:

Time limit? Huh, i hate time limits. Is there a time limit in the game? Please noooo.

There isn't a time limit for each level, however you have 100 days (levels) to complete the game.

Can you explain that a little bit more? The game is limited to 100 level? Once i finished the last level, the game ends?

[fco]

Originally posted by sturmkoenig2k:

Originally posted by tr8marc:

There isn't a time limit for each level, however you have 100 days (levels) to complete the game.

Can you explain that a little bit more? The game is limited to 100 level? Once i finished the last level, the game ends?

as I understand it, it's more like a resource you have to manage.
you can risk staying longer on each level and trying to get bigger amounts from your heists, but if you get killed, you loose a day.
or, you can play it safe and steal less money each level, but if you don't collect the required amount by day 100, then it's game over and you have to start again.

so more than a limit, I see it as a way to bring that risk/reward tension to the game.

[seph.au]

yep, fco nailed it. Can leave levels with $0 cash if you so choose, but a day is lost and the challenge of complete success grows larger. :)

[Shaori]

Originally posted by danthat:

If the game does well enough, I'll look into adding Daily Challenge mode, which would open it out a bit more for post-Basilisk play. We'll see how it all goes :)

Hi,
i just grabbed the game and i hope it will do well, because i would love to see a daily challenge. It adds so much to roguelike games.

good luck with the game

[frozen.LiQuid]

What's the replay value after you finish the game once? Do you gain anything for your next playthrough or will it be the same as initially?

[danthat]

It's the same, there's no new game+. The game stores your best run through (ie, how many days you've taken) so the game becomes more of a speed-running challenge, trying to steal the Basilisk in as few days as possible.

Honestly, there's enough content in a single playthrough. You won't complete the game in your first 100 Days, you'll wind up restarting. THink of it like XCOM in that way. Or 16-bit platformers, where you'll continually perfect the opening zones.

[frozen.LiQuid]

Ah alright. I don't know if this is the place to ask, but do you have any ideas you're thinking of implementing besides the possible daily/weekly challenges, which would increase replayability? (Eg. different "campaigns" etc.) Just asking because I'm not a huge fan of the "speed-running" aspect.

[danthat]

Honestly, it's perfectly replayable. I've been playing it for a year and a half, and I'm still enjoying it. It's procedurally-generated, so the levels are *infinite*. It's infinitely replayable!

But anyway, no plands to add an endless mode at the moment. I will if there's a big demand for it. I honestly don't think the game needs it, there's pleeeeeenty of content there.

[Popcork]

Thanks for the in-depth reply. Just bought the game and I'm very excited to give it a go. Good luck on future endeavors!

[2ndForm]

Hmm I get that you think it doesn't need it, and respect the idea of it behind design but...

For me the gameplay looks really great, the idea of there being no New Game+ or some kind of mechanic that carries over into the next game is a bit dissapointing.

While I get that would change it up completely, the opportunity to at least continue on at the
highest level, with whatever upgrades would solve that.
Rather than force me back to the start after a successful run, I could stick around at the higher difficulties/enjoy that level of gameplay.

You likened it to 16bit gen games, most of which still suffered from the 'get as many coins' ailments from the arcades before them. I lived through all that, and whilst nostalgia is fun, it was always hella frustrating, and just lazy design in a lot of cases (I finished Alex Kidd... I still hate myself).

I am probably completely misunderstanding, or incorrect, I will say that this kind of question is exactly what brought me to the boards, and the answer changes this from an insta-buy to a wait and see.

[danthat]

ok, understood. Honestly, it's not a simple thing to add an infinite mode - so much of The Swindle is reliant on the 100 day limit. The game will have its guts ripped out by removing that sense of time. I'm pretty sure it won't *work*, and you'd get bored of it really quickly.

Part of the game's challenge is in finding solutions to puzzles at lower levels - when you don't have al lthe kit. Starting over is kind of built into the game's design. It's always fun, never a slog, I promise.

[soullos]

Normally I don't like time limits, but this one seems to give you plenty of time. You have 100 days. And being a rogue-like, retying over and over again is inherent in the genre. You have to manage resources and time to complete your main objective and taking risks for potentially greater reward. Invisible Inc. did a similar time limit for their campaign. Watching some lets plays, I'm very intrigued. The movement does look finicky, and clunky, not as smooth as I would like, but that's from me watching videos. Bit hard to judge that without trying it myself.