Fun game. I wasn't able to get very far when I tried and don't know if I just missed in the menu where I could save, but I died to a random encounter of 4 enemies shortly into the bramble woods.
As far as I have played well done for a Game Jam game. seems fun and I can't wait to play more.
Edit: After playing more I actually checked the pause menu and found the save button, but the game feels brutal, but maybe I just need to grind in a better area to get resources before actually going into the bramblewoods. The ents feels like they do a lot of damage and it's tough when you run into 2 ents and 2 goblins randomly. Brutal stuff like that is typical of Retro RPGs though I think where this game differs from what I am used to which is mostly Final Fantasy 4 is that there is no equipment just resources and levels to increase damage output.
Viewing post in Aurum & Aether (GBJAM 14) comments
Heya! Thanks for playing our game 😄
I hear you on the brutal difficulty mention; we got comments to that effect during the Voting period, but we couldn’t upload any changes until after the Jam concluded, unfortunately!
Since the Jam is over now, we pushed up a Post-Jam Update today (v0.1b) that attempts to smooth out difficulty spikes + resolve some bugs reported during the Jam voting period!
I have now beat the game after the update came out.
I think the reagents just make it hard to balance because I feel like I need plenty of resources for bigger fights, but then when I finally grind enough to have plenty of resources I feel TOO strong. It doesn't help that gear is there, but not really a system right now.
I also noticed the game freaks out saying Kernel Panic if you beat the game, close out, then hit continue game on the main menu. I am not sure if you have to close out, but that's what I did and then checked the menu for gear because I didn't notice it before on a new game.
It also seemed like the game could use some enemy variety. Something to break up the only trees and goblins you fight up until the boar. I don't fully understand the alchemy levels either, but I think the game has potential for a full version. Just needs some balancing, enemy variety, and a working gear system.
Aye! I have found the Reagents make balancing quite the challenge (as if balancing an RPG wasn’t already tough enough!)
If you’re in a resource famine it’s quite a bit more difficult, but if you’re feasting then you throw out spells like there’s no tomorrow!
I think if I had more time (I mean I do now after the jam, but I also want to work on more projects) I would do something akin to Resident Evil 4’s hidden adaptive difficulty system.
Basically, if you’re doing well already, I lower the drops you get from winning battles and the chests. If you’re struggling, then give them exactly what they need to barely survive.
The Kernel Panic issue should be fixed as of the latest version! (v0.1c)
I was also able to stuff in one more enemy that was on the drawing table as the Jam submission period was ending. They’re in now! They should be more difficult than the other 2 basic enemy types.
Also, thanks for the in-depth feedback! This kind of stuff is immensely valuable for indie devs to keep getting better at the craft, so cheers! =)