Even with an unbearably hot week, we are successfully concluding yet another essential part of the early development. Some brainstorming and many gallons of water later, we have finally dared to dab into the topic of “How to make crafting in Hash Rush more fun?” A significant point to note is that making something fun does not necessarily mean compromising the challenge it comes with, and this is the first thing our team had in their mind while addressing the topic.
Crafting is an essential system in Hash Rush and has been the focus of many internal discussions beforehand. This time, we’ve given it a foot to stand on: a concept that will be incorporated into the game. Starting from basics, we all know that — to craft something — you must spend a certain amount of specific resources. Armed with this knowledge, you part for your adventure and are searching for the particular resources you need to progress the game.
So far, so simple, no?
Old McErnack Had a Farm
And, you are farming. And farming. And you are farming some more…
Before you know it, you’ve wasted hours, and you are not even nearly done, thanks to ours and your good pal Random Number Generator (RNG), that just decided you will not get the resource you need when you need it. Fun!
Previously, recipes were going to be only from unlocks, requiring you to fight RNG to get both the materials AND the recipe you desired. On top of that, the resulting item had some randomness within it. While this would have created a system with a huge amount of depth, we could see it getting very frustrating for Players.
So we went back to the drawing board and modified the system slightly by introducing a new item; Equipment Cores.
Journey to Cryptonia’s Core
We regard Equipment Cores as the backbone of the crafting system. They come in varying rarities and control both the minimum rarity of the resulting item as well as its main stat. Simply put, the rarer the core, the better the stats and rarity of the crafted item. Rarer Equipment Cores have higher base stat values as well as more stats when initially crafted.
We have a special mechanic that we’re working on to help players guarantee a stat and increase the rarity of the final item, but more about that in the future. This alone adds another layer of complexity to crafting: craft an item now or later when the results could be better? The decision is yours, but it might come at a co(re)st… :^)
So, how do you mitigate the annoyance of RNG without removing the challenge of collecting this rare item? The answer to this isn’t as easy as we thought, but we believe we have found the right track to tackle this issue head-on. We will introduce a different challenge that will contribute to the gaming experience, enrich the list of things to do during your in-game time, and reward your time and effort.
Wait for it! Dungeons.
To obtain this valuable resource, players will have to complete Dungeon runs! The dungeon system is currently the only way of acquiring Equipment Cores in the game.
To start a Dungeon run, players must select Units they want to bring in with them while being mindful of some limitations. As Ernack troops are already spread out across all the other ongoing engagements, one cannot simply storm a Dungeon with an entire battalion. To add to the challenge Dungeons present, each unit you bring has a point cost based on its relative power.
Like standard mode, Players are limited to only 3 Heroes, however, in addition, there will be restrictions on the number of each specific unit a Player can bring. Once you pass the base limits, the point cost of having more of that unit goes up rapidly (to simulate the difficulty of finding more of that troop). This means the most point-efficient way to complete dungeons is to have a diverse army.
Furthermore, once you’re in, you’re in to either win or lose the run. Switching your troops or adding more to replace the fallen units will not be possible although certain healing options or other buffs will sometimes be at your disposal. It’s essential to build a well-rounded team; after all, the Dungeons are meant to be quite dangerous, and some units will likely not make it back. Should your entire team perish (or, alternatively, your run timer expires), the run will end but you will be keeping all of the acquired rewards up to that point.
As of now, the Dungeon system is actively being tested. Our primary objective, as previously mentioned, is to provide an experience that is challenging but also fun and rewarding. A daring attempt that may take some time to perfect, but we have no doubts it will be!
Until new updates in July, we will leave a discussion open. Let us know what you think of the concept!
If you have any questions for us, join us on the official Hash Rush Discord server or Telegram channel.
