Cool. A casual game option would really rock. In easy mode just make the game 20 dungeons deep and disable the "save progress" feature, but make the game so it can be finished within half an hour or less...
Hey Fargoal-Team, why don't you make a monster-design contest for Sword of Fargoal, btw.? Let everyone have the chance to design a monster with it's special abilities, then chose a winner, integrate that monster into SoF and name the monster after the winner. Uh, and you sure can give out a goodie for the winner, too. I think that would be real fun und bring even more notice to SoF.
Santoron, yes nobody should ever have been able to get to level 40+, heh. In the original, it was nearly impossible to reach level 20! So I have made some adjustments there. And with the addition of some of the new items, this reduces the grind somewhat, which I think is a good thing overall. KungPhoo, the easy mode will basically allow the player to continue after dying, but will have restrictions on finishing the game. Basically, you can only win if you have not died, which is in essence, the regular game mode. Everything else will be the same. Vovin, sounds cool! We do want to get some form of community input with the game content rolling... once we are able to support that sort of thing. Keep your ear to the ground.
yes i love this game so much! anyways, it would be cool if you added some magic spells like an area of effect spell, like fire something. (do you know what i mean?) also it seems that everytime i fall through one of those holes, there's always a rope to climb back up. it would be cool/challenging if sometimes there isnt a rope and your stuck in that lower level. sorry this post was very sloppy, but i'm half awake and i wanted to share my thoughts.
I've had this game for a while, but I was expecting a different game type, so I deleted it. I just redownloaded this game in the right mind-set (since this game is different that now-days dungeon crawlers) and started to play it. I've never really gotten to know these games very well, so I've got a few questions. 1. What does the gold do? I seem to always have full gold so I bury it. What does this accomplish? 2. What's the point of this game? I seem to keep going down the stairs not knowing what I'm supposed to be doing. 3. When I activate spells, how long do they last? I just activate enchant and things right when I see a monster, then attack it. But I'm not sure if the spells last long enough to help during this battle. 4. I also never seem to get very far before a dwarf just smashes my head in. Is there any way to revive myself? 5. Is Enchant Weapon Permanent? 6. What does sneak do? 7. What do Glowing Crystals and Shimmering Cisterns for? Thanks, any help would be appreciated.
Good job on giving this game a second chance. I can totally understand expecting it to be a different type game than it is, but good on you for having an open mind and giving it another try. It's one of the greatest games in the app store, IMO, and once you "get it" you will be hooked. Something that might help you a bit is to check out Sword of Fargoal and "roguelikes" on Wikipedia, just to get a basic understanding of the fundamentals of this genre of game. Also, many of the same aspects carry over into the iPhone version. As for your questions: 1. Gold can be exchanged on the temples for experience points. The temples are the little circles with a plus in them. There should be one on every section of every floor. Just stand on it and it will automatically deduct any gold you're carrying and convert it into XP that goes towards you leveling up. Also, the Magic Sacks that you come across will automatically allow you to carry more gold with you. 2. The point of the game is to get down to floor 20, retrieve the sword, and then make it all the way back up and out of the dungeon without losing the sword or dying. The enemies get harder as you progress down, so it's important to explore every floor and level up appropriately before diving down to the next floor. If you try and descend too quickly, you will die. Death is permanent in this game, so you can't just charge down every floor guns blazing. 3. Certain spells are permanent effects, like the enchant weapon you mention. Once you get one of these spells, you can just use it right away and it will give you a +1 to your sword strength. In the upcoming update, this process is streamlined for you and enchant spells will automatically be applied right when you pick them up. For now, just activate them right after you get them. Most other spells are timed, and will wear off after a short period or when you travel up/down to a different floor. You should get a message and an alert sound when a spells effects have worn off. 4. As I said, death is permanent. This game is all about utilizing your resources to stay alive, and taking your time to plan ahead. If you have a potion of regeneration, it will be automatically used for you if your HP goes below zero. The only time this will not apply is if the damage done to you is greater than the potion's restore strength. Example: say you have 5 HP points left during a battle. The next strike the monster does to you is +40 damage. That would take your life to -35 HP. If a potion does +40 HP healing, you would stay alive. If the monster's strike was +50 damage, it would take you to -45 HP, and the +40 healing potion would only get you to -5 HP, and you would die. Not sure on the exact numbers of this example, but hopefully how that works made sense. Misc. The glowing crystals don't currently do anything but glow and be crystally. Sneak allows you to disable traps, and traverse across a hazard safely. If you notice a floor tile that looks slightly different than the rest, it's potentially a trigger for a trap. If you stand on the square directly next to it, then hit sneak, then step on the trigger tile, it will allow you to attempt to disarm the trap. It's not guaranteed you'll disarm it, and the trap can spring on you while trying to do so. Same goes for the piles of rubbish on the floor, those contain both traps and treasures alike. Also you can use that button when you're next to a hole in the ground so you can cross it without falling in. Another thing that's very important. Your HP fills up and you heal slowly over time, but you can heal much quicker by standing on the temples. Also, monsters can't hurt you while you're standing on them. So while you're uncovering a dungeon, the first thing you should be looking for is that temple. That way, if you're getting in trouble in a fight you can run directly for the temple and stand there and heal without worrying about a monster killing you. And each floor can has 4 sections to it. A section is basically the entire map in the corner. So just remember that each floor has 4 of them, and some of them require you going down a level or two and coming up a different set of stairs to get to. Exploration is a key part of this game, so try to uncover every nook and cranny of every floor before proceeding down to others. Ok, that's all my tired mind can muster together for now. There's PLENTY of other useful tidbits about this game, but some of the fun is discovering them yourself, too. If you have any questions along the way, you can post them in this thread or PM me. Don't be afraid if you don't understand something, just ask. And don't get frustrated, this can be a hard game, but if you take the time to learn how it works the enjoyment it gives back to you is unmatched. Good luck.
Wow BOARDDUMB, thanks for the info dump! Saves me a lot of typing. dumbname, you're in luck! Those pits have undergone a behavioural adjustment for this update. Also, yes more magic is included. We're working on a tutorial, and we've got 3 difficulty levels now, with various new items, monsters, potions, magic, traps and dungeon dangers. I'm *really really* trying to get this all wrapped up this weekend. Wish me luck!
Can't wait! I got hooked on Rogue-Likes after playing Powder on my DS. I really like Sword of Fargoal, but after I beat it kinda got boring. It would great if new weapons/classes could be made for a future update.
Yup, new characters/weapons etc. are coming in the update after this one. This current one has a ton of new stuff though, so you won't get bored for a while. And Legend mode is just so very cool.
You take your time. I can't believe how impatient some people are. You're probably one of the most dedicated developers in the app store, and you're certainly one of the most communicative. I'm sure the wait will be worth it. Looking forward to playing through the game again
Aw I don't mind if you guys are a little impatient... it just means you really like our stuff, and I have no problem with that. So a little status update for you. Wands are pretty much rockin', enemies zapping you and all sorts of fun stuff. Very easy to use and manage too. In a way, easier than normal spells. The tutorial is coming along nicely, and the three difficulty modes seem to work very well. EASY is easy with infinite lives, but it's not like you can just run straight down and grab the sword. And Legend mode is just... fun. That one is for the die-hard roguelike players. And by die-hard, that's both figurative and literal. You'll have to be at the top of your game. Now, we're mainly focusing on wrapping up the new dungeon features (vaults etc.,) special items, and tutorial. This week is looking great for submission. This will be a pre-official update release, so the next update will finalize everything that was planned for "episode 2" of Sword of Fargoal.
Forgive me but I don't understand what this part means. Does it mean we only get the weapons update this time around and the cool new dungeon features later?
No, weapons and cool new dungeon features are all in this update. The next update is more to add social gaming platform support, some downloadable content, etc. as well as a few other features.
