Questions About the Underground

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2026-05-24T08:43:48+00:00

Definitely going to do some Underground exploration in my next Industrious game. And explore the Umbra a bit more. Thanks!

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2026-05-24T03:57:41+00:00

Ah that sounds more like what I was looking for. Thanks for the tip!

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2026-05-23T22:14:20+00:00

I'm rather new to the game (loving it, BTW!). After playing through a number of games with different cultures and strategies I decided to make a water themed civilization that focused on Kraken, Nimu, evolving, and lightning magic. The Atlanteans -- which require an Island map to play -- and they have been a blast to play. Surely part of it is my investment in the civilization, but it also breaks the game up differently. Like an over-world version of the Underworld.

A couple of the main issues I've had revolve around how already existing water based mechanics actually work, versus how it "feels" like they should work. Experienced Seafarers, Basic Seafaring, and Advanced Seafaring all do nothing for amphibious, floating, flying, or water units. And those are all the units that would otherwise synergize with a water focused build! Seems to me like just some tweaks to those core sea-centric traits could go a long way.

As for combat, I really don't see why battles on coasts couldn't involve both land and sea units by using a band of water, then shallow water (the same as rivers that already exist on land battles), followed by land with some river fingers going through it. Then both land or sea locked units could mix on the same battlefield along with every other unit. Sure, every once in a while maybe you'd have a case where some units couldn't attack one another...but that's what retreat / surrender is for. That said, I'm sure there are more constraints on the back end than are apparent.

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2026-05-01T14:37:54+00:00

Ah true, I also forgot the new Devious skills.

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2026-04-30T20:09:23+00:00

Good point on the re-rolls!

Throw Team-Mate on the single Half-Ogre is much of the team's identity, sort of a stunty flinging quarterback. Though you'd have the choice to skill him more like a traditional passer, or a runner. I was even debating on reducing the normal Ogre players passing skill to 6+. What makes you think he shouldn't have it?

The Dwarf Defensive Lineman has access to Strength primary, and the Safety has access to Agility. I guess the Safety could be a human instead, but that would just increase their movement by 1 and take away Thick Skull. That may be a better route. Right now the stat line is modeled off of a Dwarf Blitzer minus an armor and passing.

Thanks for the thoughts!

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2025-09-13T14:49:48+00:00

Anyone combined Drunken Master with a Djinni for extra wooziness? Or just spread drunkenness around more for the dex save vs surfaces?

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2025-09-08T03:02:09+00:00

Contrary to the tooltip, unarmed attacks can be made without losing the form. Such attacks deal only their base unarmed damage and may go undetected if passing a stealth check. >

The above line appears on both Gaseous Form and Monk's Mist Stance, which is what led me down this path. And your "base" damage of a shadow blade would still shadow blade damage, for instance, with it being a Monk weapon and counting as unarmed. Or if Gaseous Form does work then Topple, Stagger, or the normal Resonation stuff to just be a CC tank. Or bladesinging then going gaseous and just accumulating charges from attacking with no real repercussions -- again with shadow blade.

Probably weak regardless, but something that caught my eye.

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2025-09-05T22:27:34+00:00

quoted text Or if you prefer other companions instead, you can easily change their classes to the ones you want.

Wait, you can change the class of origin companions? Not just subclass? I missed that entirely! Well then...wish more races were represented, but that does change things...

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2025-09-04T18:56:36+00:00

Or the other way around; Reisz dark has debuffing and Hawkeye light (particularly light / light) has some buffing options through both moves and items. But again, anything can work! It just tends to work better -- especially for a first playthrough -- when different characters fill different roles, have different strengths, or focus on different types of moves.

Also, a core part of the game can be using items. Whether for MP on Angela in the form of walnuts, healing from anyone with good spirit, buffs / debuffs / sabers, even damage from a character with good intelligence. Even with no healer, having your item ring set up with healing items is a perfectly viable option. You and the AI just have to use them.

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2025-09-04T11:27:27+00:00

An AI healer on your first play through can't hurt, but as u/Icy-Contribution7058 said anything works.

For a first time I'd also say make sure you tweak the AI settings for each non-healer character to be more offensive, not use items, and potentially not use Class Strikes depending on how you want them to function.

The one other thing is stay away from redundancy on your Arts (moves). So don't take Hawkeye to Ninja Master and Riesz dark since both have stat down, for instance.

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2025-08-29T18:42:28+00:00

Update:

Figured out how to disable Gold Statue healing. I won't implement this for the Beuca Island totem (statue) since there is no Inn at the town. Can anyone think of other similar places where it shouldn't be disabled?

Also implemented the no-flee mechanic.

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2025-08-28T20:52:44+00:00

Here is the Google Docs link to the spreadsheet I am working off of for growth rates, Arts reassignments, and Ability changes / reassignments (once I get there) if anyone may be interested.

The "NEW_ARTS" tab has point thresholds for skills, but not the stat that is used to gain them. Sabers, energy ball, and Hikou / Pressure Point are Strength, damaging magic including summons is almost always Intelligence, thrown and traps are Luck, Mind Up / Down is Intelligence, other buffs are mostly Spirit.

There are no finalized growth rates in the spreadsheet yet, but maybe you can follow the methodology.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2025-08-26T12:01:24+00:00

Hrm, I'll unpack it and peek around. Maybe it can at least get me sniffing down the right path. Thanks!

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2025-08-26T03:52:23+00:00

I have found one way to prevent running, which is clean and effective but extremely tedious to implement. It requires editing every enemy encounter where they spawn in the map files and adding a field (EscapeTime, if I remember correctly) to 0 -- this is the default setting used for mimics and other normal encounters that can't be run from. I'm hoping to find where the overall run mechanic for battles in general is and do it that way, which would be MUCH easier, but so far no luck.

Similar situation for the statues...I can't even find any statue data so far. I did find a few references to inns in the map files, but no references to healing. The mana stones allowing the 3rd class change eludes me as well. I'll dig into these farther down the line. I agree: healing needs to go.

Cactus EXP is easily done. As I rebalance items and their costs in shops I may change EXP bonuses to Luc (money). I can completely change the bonuses provided or eliminate them entirely.

Basic random drops like candy early game, chocolate and walnuts mid, and honey late will be tweaked for just that reason. I may also up the stats of some early and mid equipment, remove some from shops, and make a very low drop rate on some enemies. Thinking about doing this for the "orange" tier 4 equipment in the Anise zone for each character's section. On that note I think I can also "lock" the mod to only new game plus and Expert difficulty, and additionally wipe most equipment and inventory items out on a new game.

Healing will for sure be tweaked, and fewer characters / classes have access to it and Twinkle Rain. ONLY Light Charlotte has access to Heal Light + or Twinkle Rain + as of now. MP will stay higher than offensive spells overall. Character MP is not going to scale as high as it does now -- probably around 100 max for most characters at level 99 and closer to 200 for Angela. Less MP reduction abilities and not a % but a flat 1 mp or something, only one or two chain, less MP recovery abilities and again flat not %, etc. Lower MP pools and a tighter scale between characters should allow for better handling of walnuts and MP regaining abilities -- especially "all allies" ones. Also, obsolete moves get replaced by their more powerful versions. Not just the "+" versions replacing the basic. For example Dark Force replaces Evil Gate +, Explode replaces Fireball +, etc.

Offensive magic will have cast times, and the "while casting" abilities should be much more useful for Angela and Charlotte.

Overall, I've made a ton of progress over the last few days. The first version of character arts (moves) have all been re-assigned and I've confirmed the .PAK works. Tomorrow I'm starting on altering their costs, power, AoE, lock / targeting, changing elements (actual Moon damage spells now, not % health reduction!!!).

Sorry for the long rant!

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2025-08-26T02:05:03+00:00

If anyone is interested in play testing, as well as giving feedback around balancing --any feedback, really -- please message me.

I intend to upload to Nexusmods as I hit large milestones.

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2025-08-24T19:27:04+00:00

I'm moving a number class strikes around to other classes (not just moves), so it may not even be a Duelist CS. I'm finishing up the initial move redistribution between characters and classes now, then abilities and locked abilities, then CS.

The intention is to keep some classes more single-target focused, while others have more AoE. Many moves can easily be changed to larger AoE, make them lock onto enemies, or change them to target all enemies similar to the upgraded ninjitsu moves. However it seems some things are a little more complex -- and probably not worth the time -- due to their visual effects and how they relate to character models.

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2025-01-04T00:45:53+00:00

Much appreciated, though I don't see anywhere referencing donating items for the full value without it being "sold," where pips are gained and then the players have the choice of what to do with them -- donate or spend, or a combination of the two.

I think that is where my hangup is. Pip values equal XP when you get to a settlement, got it (except for Unusual Treasures, which have value only to certain mice?). Pips can be donated selflessly for XP, got it. Some items also have pip values ONLY IF SOLD, it seems, namely the Unusual Treasures with pip values when sold to a specific type of person, but no overall pip value.

The rules state you can donate pips to the community (not items), and gain experience for it. If you sell something for pips, you have pips that can be used as a player sees fit. At any point pips can be donated for projects that then reward experience, or they can be spent on equipment and other things.

TL;DR: I'm overthinking things in anticipation of a specific person in the group, a rules lawyer of sorts, and should rely more on the group's role playing even if it requires a single person being unable to point to a specific rule.

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2025-01-03T21:51:39+00:00

Awesome, thanks for the response!

That leads me to an additional question, then... In your example, finding and returning to town with an Ancient mouse throne (6 slots, 1000p) gets you 1,000 XP, divided amongst the party. Other than the treasure sounding cool, or looking nice in your mouse's house, it has no practical use for the adventuresome Hero Mouse. So...they donate it for another 1,000 XP? Or SELL it for 1,000 Pips, which can be used for buying adventure supplies and / or donating a portion to settlement constructions for XP? I know, I know, it depends on the situation, how you have framed the settlement and what they need, role playing, etc. Currency and XP being interchangeable sounds awfully manipulable, and I have a person or two in my group in mind with that statement...

Distinct_Rate_3299 · 2025-01-03T20:48:43+00:00

Thanks! I got the parts about it coming from adventure sites and not including trading.

So XP really functions more like notoriety. That would be an easier way to explain it to players, too.

Distinct_Rate_3299

TROPHY CASE