Let’s start by analyzing our previous video. The biggest impact on gameplay came from the introduction of bushes, which allow players to hide from the enemy team. However, they don’t obscure the core mechanic of the forester – resource gathering – so players can still observe their opponents and adapt to their strategies and routes. At the same time, bushes add an element of surprise, making it much harder to predict enemy movements and opening up countless opportunities for outplaying opponents.
Movement across the map has taken on an emotional “rollercoaster” effect:
- Players frequently have to cross bushes.
- Approaching a bush builds tension because of the unknown lurking inside.
- Entering an empty bush brings both relief and excitement – now it’s our turn to set up an ambush.
Bushes, especially those extending beyond the forest, also allow champions to sneak up on foresters undetected, making ganks far more viable. This has strengthened the interaction between foresters and champions, which has been a great improvement for the game.
As a result, we’ve gradually moved away from pure forest duels and shifted our focus to team-based testing. Most of our matches are now 2v2, with each team consisting of one forester and one champion. Some of the most exciting moments occur when champions leave their lanes to gank the forest, leading to large-scale team fights. Bushes enhance these situations, but to encourage even more forest skirmishes, we decided to add two linked teleporters to the map – one in the middle of the lane and another in the middle of the forest. This teleport system gives champions the ability to instantly appear in the heart of the forest, creating even more dynamic and unpredictable engagements.
At this point, we can say that the core gameplay of our game is fully formed, and no major changes are planned. Moving forward, our focus will be on balancing existing mechanics, refining heroes and their abilities, and adding new cards.
Game Overview & Rules
- Each match features two teams, each with a base where players spawn, respawn after death, and make purchases.
- Every base contains a portal that periodically spawns creeps, which march toward the enemy base. The objective of the game is to destroy the opponent’s portal.
- Heroes are divided into two classes: Champions and Foresters. Each team can have only one Forester, but there is no limit on the number of Champions.
- Champions play similarly to those in Dota or League of Legends – they earn gold and experience by killing creeps, level up, and upgrade unique abilities.
- Foresters spend most of their time in the forest, gathering resources and purchasing spell and ability cards.
- Foresters cycle between two alternating phases:
- Resource Gathering Phase (30 seconds): The forester can collect up to three resources. However, if they engage in combat, they immediately lose the ability to gather resources for the rest of the phase.
- Purchasing Phase (30 seconds): The Forester can use gathered resources to buy one card from two available decks.
- As they gather resources and purchase cards, Foresters gain experience and level up. With each level, they unlock one of their unique personal spells.
- There is a large pool of spell cards available for purchase, but only a randomly selected subset is used in each match, ensuring variety and unpredictability.
Choosing the Setting
Though it was a bit early in development, we decided to explore potential settings for the game and sketched out a few concepts.
Pirate Island
The game could take place on a pirate island, where adventurers arrive in search of treasure. Resources could be represented as chests filled with massive, colorful gemstones.
Distant Planet
This setting takes place on a faraway planet in the distant future, evoking a Starcraft-like atmosphere – alien deserts, futuristic technology, spacesuits, and bizarre extraterrestrial creatures. The battles revolve around harvesting rare and valuable minerals.
Battlefield
Here, we attempted to blend the aesthetics of World War I with steampunk elements. Instead of traditional bushes, cover could be represented by tattered tents scattered across the battlefield.
Magic University
In this setting, the game takes the form of a grand wizard tournament. This theme naturally complements the heroes' various abilities and the unique card-buying mechanics. While deep storytelling isn’t crucial for a game like this, a well-thought-out logical framework helps us, as developers, immerse ourselves in the world we're creating. This, in turn, makes it richer, more engaging, and better designed.
After reviewing our options, we decided that Magic University is the strongest candidate for the game's setting.
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