Frequently Asked Questions (Updated for v1.05)

Here you will find information about current release, plans for future releases, games rules, and features.
In case you think the game is difficult and need some help, here is a link to a helpful Strategy Guide.

This game does not make it a primary goal to behave like most other games in this genre. Therefore, not all features/behaviour seen in similar games will be implemented in LotDC. On the other hand, if many players thinks a certain feature adds lot of game play value, it may be implemented if the cost/risk is not too big, and if it still fits within the core visions of the game (see Game Home Page for Creator's Visions and Goals).

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Question 1.1: Supported platforms? Windows/Linux/Mac?

Answer:
The game has been verified to work on Windows 64 bit, Windows 32 bit, Linux 64 bit, Linux 32 bit, Mac.
Old computers (10+ years old) are not recommended as the game is not yet optimized to run on old graphics cards (may be in the future though). For example, the game has been verified to work on a Laptop from 2004 with Linux32/Win32... but THAT is NOT recommended. I'd say the game works OK on a 32 bit WinXP/Vista from 2008+. However, before you purchase it, download the Free Trial version and check it first!

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Question 1.2: In which way is the game casual?

Answer:
The game is casual in the following ways:

• RPG games are usually about creating a character, naming it, selecting class, starting skills, spending attributes, etc. Here, you only have hitpoints and base damage - and you just select a character image and start. The rest it about what you find on the way, which may be very different from one game to another.
• Strategies: many games give you huge benefits if you to read play strat guides on skill progression, etc. In this game, it is less meaningful, because you never know what creatures you will encounter and what items you will get (or lose to Thieves or armor-crushing Ogres). It's more adapting to current situation which will always be pretty hard to predict.
• You can beat the whole game in 1-2 hours playtime (but probably you have to try many times). You don't have to bury hundreds of hours of playtime here. If you are lucky and play well, you can be rewarded pretty fast. The game still has great replay value since every round is randomized in level design and there are plenty of achievements to unlock and higher scores to achieve.

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Question 1.3: This game is difficult. How can you say it's Casual? Can get I help on strategies?

Answer:
First of all, here is a Strategy Guide.
Then, about difficulty, there is a Children/Easy difficulty level that makes the game play much easier on the first 1-3 levels, but then it gets gradually harder, yes.
In my opinion, casual does not necessarily mean Easy (that is a subjective definition, though). For example, I play Candy Crush Saga sometimes. And it can be very difficult and tricky on some levels. Still, I think it is a casual and relaxing game.
This game is difficult for the following reasons:
- It is part of the core visions and goals of this game to present a difficult challenge.
- At the time of writing this, the game only has 7 levels which corresponds to about 2 hours playtime, from start to end. If the game was just a straight play-through, it would end too early.
However, the difficulty level may change as community feedback grows and balancing is fine tuned. Maybe if you return here in 3 months, the game is no longer difficult. :-) But, of course, I would like to present a difficulty level that would suit everyone, so feel free to send constructive proposals to the Developer.

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Question 1.4: Will the game be ported to Mobile devices in the future? In that case, which platform(s)?

Answer:
This game does not exist on mobile devices. It is not a trivial thing to do as I am not an experienced Android/iOS developer. Currently, this is a 1-man project, so it will have to be prioritized against other activities, like extending current desktop version with more features. I consider to port it in the future to mobile platforms, but I may instead focus on creating a new Unity3D version of the game (still turn-based, of course!). The game still has potential for developing LOTS of new features for the Desktop version and new game modes (such as Player vs Player mode or Player Coop, Forever-Dungeon-Mode) instead of porting to Mobile or making a 3D version, and I hope that you guys can help me with suggestions of new cool features (although I already have a big bunch in the pipeline!). If/when the game is ported to a mobile platform, it will be Android, because the game is developed in Java, so for Android it would be mostly about GUI component changes.

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Question 1.5: You have not so many levels - why not 2 billion levels like some Roguelike games?

Answer:
This game is not trying to compete with rogulikes having 2 billion levels (although I personally can sometimes enjoy those games as well). This game's focus is unique environments and graphics styles for each level. ONE wilderness level, ONE graveyard level. Although the game is very randomized in most aspects, there is still some kind of "Adventure", taking you from one level to another in a linear way. Compare with Diablo: 4 catherdral levels, 4 dungeon levels, etc. I currently just have one level / environment. MAY change, though. Community feedback is always good! Final Steam version will contain more levels in "adventure mode" than current version. However, in the final Steam version, I'm plan to implement a "Forever-Mode", similar to what you describe: no end level, the game just gets slightly harder as you reach deeper down, goal will be to get as deep as possible, no limit... with the downside is that there will not be uniqe graphics styles for every new level. However, currently, I focus on unique looking levels. I prefer 25 unique levels rather than 2 billion levels, but as with so much else, that's a matter of taste, and community feedback can help me to prioritize other "playing modes" such as "2-billion-levels-versions".

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2.1: DoT effects, doing damage first turn -> always at least 1 turns of damage, even with CureAllPotion / Dispell Curse.

Motivation:
The affection message is displayed at the same turn as the creature is affected, but no damage is applied. The DoT does its first damage at the start of the turn after it was activated (turn x+1). It often means that if someone casts at DoT at you and you have dispel curse, or cure all potion, you will suffer that DoT during at the start of your next turn -> typically before you even have the chance to dispell it.
We have to live with that, and it makes sense: You cannot apply an "antidote" before you actually suffer from the effect. (Otherwise, it would be some kind of preventive protection, and there is an Immunity spell effect for that!)

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2.2: Cold DoT - Shouldn't Cold prevent actions? The player can't move, so how can he drink a potion? Maybe. Current implementation allows it, though.

Motivation:
Current design decision still allows actions, such as drinking the Cure All Potion.

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2.3: Counter attack on Critical Hit, allowed? No, a surprise attack should not be possible to counter.

Motivation:
- A creature using Staff as weapon has x% chance to immediately counter attack during the enemy's turn.
- Attacking a creature from Sneak/Invisible mode causes a criticial hit. 2x Damage.
Should it be possible to counter attack against an enemy that attacks from Sneak/Invisible mode?
Developer decision: No! Seems unreasonable. If someone is surprised by a sneak-attack, it should not be possible to counter that attack.

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2.4: Dual Wield vs Critical hit - should Critical hit be applied twice, on both Swords? At the moment: Yes.

Motivation:
Dual wielding two swords can cause a double attack, 35% chance. (normal attack using 1st sword + normal attack using 2nd sword).
Assume a creature attacks another creature in Sneak mode, causing a Critical Hit (2x Damage) AND at the same time dual wielding two swords getting a successful double attack. Should the Critical Hit be applied on both attacks?
My feeling: well... Maybe the 2x Damage Crit should be applied only on the main-hand sword and the second hand sword should be a normal attack. Logic behind this?
- Assuming the main-hand is the most powerful hand.
- Assuming that the double attack uses the main-hand first (during the surprise moment -> Critical Hit), and then shortly after that, the 2nd hand sword.
I just had that situation. It felt almost too powerful to crit for almost 4x damage from several sneak-attacks.
On the other hand....
- it is not trivial to find 2 swords.
- dual wield attack does not always happen. 35% chance (unless Skill: Sword Master is applied... should also feel rewarding!)
- swords are not always so effective against armor (piercing is often much better)
It would be fun to look forward to getting equipped with 2 swords, spending a level-up on the Sword Master skill and building a powerful sneak character! For now, I will leave implementation as is: critical hit factor is still applied on both swords.

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2.5: Mighty Swing (multiple targets) vs Critical hit - should Critical hit be applied on all targets? Yes.

Motivation:
Swinging a 2-handed axe, or even 1-handed, can hit multiple targets, should critical hits be applied on all targets?
Yes. Collecting enemies around oneself and getting hit is a risky activity.
It should be rewarding to do just that, and then apply an invis scroll, doing that mighty swing, killing off many enemies at once with a crit!
Note: using invis/vanish scroll typically ends turn, unless having the skill Agile.

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2.6: Why does Slashing weapons (swords, scythes) do +25% against living humanoids?

Answer:
A sword is probably the most classical medieval weapon symbol you can find. It should have some kind of special ability as other weapons also have a variety of tempting and good stuff.
Swords already have potential for Dual Wield, but there should be some other thing that makes it interesting to use as single weapon. Boosting slashing weapons, including Scythe, with +25% against living humanoids makes these weapons a bit more powerful. Also the Scythe can need a bit of a boost in order to get some more Life-Steal power from armed humanoids.
This boost should not be considered OP, knowning that there are a great deal of other monsters, like undeads/beasts/animals in the game.

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2.7: Sneaking: When can you start sneaking or "re-sneaking" after being discovered?

Answer:
General rules: Cannot start sneaking while seen by an enemy, or when sneak cooldown timer is running.
For example, if we kill an enemy, we cannot go back to sneak again within x turns.
What about being followed by an enemy, trying to flee around corners, going back into sneak mode?
There would be two possibilities to solve this:
a) if an enemy has creature as target AND can see it -> can't sneak!
b) if an enemy has creature as target (regardless of Line of Sight) -> can't sneak!
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If choosing a, continously run around a corner, when sneak cooldown has ended -> very fast re-sneak-activation -> can do another crit.
If choosing b, continously run around a corner, now have to wait until the creature has also "forgot his target" before going Sneak mode.
Option (a) becomes pretty powerful and deterministic. It becomes too easy and fast to get back into Sneak mode even when the enemy runs after you and should be alert.
Option (b) is less deterministic, which is good for game tension. Also, option (b) is less likely to happen fast, because whenever the enemy sees us, he refreshes his memory of "lastSeenEnemy".
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Current game design decision goes with (b) -> can't "re-sneak" until enemy stops following us. This has been tested and verified with good result.
It has been been verified that a Sneak-build is powerful enough without choosing option (a) above.

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2.8: Alchemy - Convert Item to Half Value. Gems are special -> Full value!

Motivation:
The Alchemy skill usually gives 50% of the item value in gold. That's what the skill description says, and also what it says when you right click an item.
However, gems have a special property: converting a gem gives full value from Alchemy, "overriding" the normal skill rule. You can read that on the description for a gem. This is to make it more rewarding to choose Alchemy. When you have a couple of gems in your bag, you are probably very tempted to choose Alchemy as next level-up reward, even if you really need a health potion. :-)

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2.9: Experience Points given for Skill Usages, like Disarm Traps, Pick Lock, etc? Currently: no, only monster kills.

Motivation:
Some RPG-games give experience when you achieve something (not only monster kills), for example, successfully pick a lock, disarm a trap, etc. A beta tester even proposed that experience points could be given when getting hurt by a trap... because it's kind of an experience...
At this moment, the game design only gives experience per kill. This feature is currently in the TODO/CONSIDER-list. See also Disclaimer at the top of this FAQ.
Giving experience points for using a skill can be questioned in the terms of keeping a game philosophy of avoiding "double benefits" and "double punishments". A skill gives you a benefit. So why is there a need to "double up" that benefit by also giving out experience points when using this already beneficial skill.
As reward of the pick lock skill, you can actually unlock a chest that would otherwise be impossible. So why should the player get even more rewards? Isn't it rewarding enough to actually use that skill to improve the chances to get further into the game?

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2.10: Flying Skill - Why can't I attack a creature somtimes (for example a bat)? Flying creatures can position themselves over half-sized obstacles. The obstacle blocks a Hero attack.

Motivation:
A scenario that sometimes happens for bats or other creatures with Flying skill is that they fly over a square with a half-sized obstacle. Looking at the world map, there are obstacles in different colors.
- Dark red/brown: full-sized obstacles that it's not possible to fly over (big buildings, trees, etc)
- Light brown ones: half-size obstacles (small trees, tables, chairs, lakes, lava, etc). Creatures with flying ability can fly over half-size obstacles. (Even the hero can get Flying through enchanted boots.) Monsters that are flying over a light-brown obstacle cannot be attacked. The obstacle blocks the hero from attacking into that square (unless the Hero has flying himself).

Note: For the other way around, Hero flying over half-sized obstacle, the monsters can actually attack him. Does that suck? Yes, it does. Is it a bug? No. It's a current limitation in the AI implementation. If I would allow the hero to be safe on a half-sized obstacle square, it would be too easy to exploit and win over the stupid monsters that would just stand there beside the hero. Will be fixed in future versions.

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2.11: General Policy on Special Rules to Skills: Special Rules and Exceptions to normal game behaviour will NOT always be mentioned in every description. Only the item/creature/skill that introduces the special case will mention it.

Motivation:
If you have played the game Magic the Gathering, you are probably familiar with its complex rule set. With its continous extension of new features and cards, it is not feasible to state every exception on every standard card. Instead, they apply the policy of describing exceptions only on the new card that actually introduces the exception, partly because of limited space on cards.
In this game, there is a limited space to describe a Skill. Therefore, this game will apply the same general policy: special cases will only be described on the item/skill/creature that "triggers" it.

Example: the Alchemy Skill converts all items to half their value. This is the general/normal case stated in its skill description. There is a special case though. Gems convert to their full value. This is typically where the game policy would be to describe the special case only on the Gem - NOT in the Alchemy skill description. (However, in this case, it IS actually mentioned there. Just don't expect it to be like that always, because the general game policy will be to NOT do this.)

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Question 3.1: Even without skill tree (skills depending on other skills), why not let the player boost existing skills in several steps by choosing them multiple times?

Answer:
For Example, why not allow the following:
Choose the Pick Lock Skill as level up reward x 3 times. First time: you get 30%. Next time, +10%. Next time +10%, etc.
Yes... why not. With the first version only having 7 levels, it may not be so important at the moment. But of course, still more fun. But with 15, 30 or 100 levels, it will be more important to get more choices to develop the character further. It is an easy low risk feature to add, still preserving the original game vision with "no skill tree" and it allows for even more customizations and character build combinations. Might be implemented for final release depending on community feedback.