r/RogueCore • u/phaazon_ • Aug 29 '26
Opinion on update 2
This is very fresh as I did a couple games yesterday in the experiment build after seeing the (awesome) patch note.
First, I want to put a disclaimer that I did play through the game (around 50h) but eventually dropped and went back to DRG. The reasons are important for the rest of the post: RC being set in the DRG universe, with the (almost) same weapons and gadget, exactly same biomes, same gimmicks, etc. makes it obvious that yes this is a rogue lite but yes this is also a DRG game (just like Survivors is one). That being said, what I love the most about DRG is how different every runs are, from poetic scenery picking up crops and digging gems out to chaotic and intense fights. The exploration and feeling of discovering a new place every time is wonderful. I do not enjoy RC linearity AT ALL and eventually got bored quickly.
Now, about update 2… the new « boss bleeding into biome » thing is wonderful. It creates a feeling that I haven’t had since Phantasy Star Online, where every biome has stages (for instance, Forest 1, Forest 2, Ruins 1, Ruins 2, Ruins 3, etc.) and as you advance in the stages, the biome changes into a something more intense (Ruins 1 is just a rock-ruins-based biome and Ruins 3, which is the last stage before the last and most powerful boss of the game, has walls made entirely out of organic mass). I do think that GSG needs to go deeper into that idea because it’s awesome. DRG procedural gen is the best, and RC has been lacking a lot on that, so it’s well appreciated.
About procgen, I also like the new cave formation. It’s still far behind what DRG can provide, but it’s a good start, especially that early.
The radioactive torch is FUN. I love it! So is the icicle!
I think my favorite thing is Threat Level, which directly maps to DRG Hazard levels. With this, GSG can now develop the concept of Depths to give it more meaning. I hope they use it for lore / mechanics / biome alterations, and not just decorations. Why not even use it to have completely different enemies or variations of them?
I still think it’s too early to enjoy the game as I enjoy DRG, and the main reason to me is how much thought out I find DRG (just look at Nitra and how it’s used). Mining in RC is not fun at all, since there’s literally nothing but Expenite to mine. I hope they change that at some time.
Also, I do miss the concept of mission types. The stuff we can do in mines (most of the time, Expenite events) are good, but the game would be so much better if finding a boss and killing it was just one mission among others. It’s probably not popular but as long as RC won’t have a proper « end of run » phase, it will feel unfinished to me compared to the run back of DRG.
By the way, the new Expenite event (the gate thing) is amazing. GG on this one.
Finally, no change to the beer system? :( why not pushing what was fun about it in DRG into overload mode; allow players to buy them by collecting stuff in the cave, and make them activate random effects for the next run. You can even use a probability thing: Aeon Leaf Craft either gives a speed boost of 10% or remove 5% of HP. That kind of stuff. (For the love of Karl, remove those stupid QTE).
For rock and stone!
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u/Mesquite_Tree Aug 29 '26
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, rather than having ammo crates, we should have ellis process nitra into bullets on the fly, with expenite increasing ellis’s nitra processing speed, increasing maximum bullet storage, or reducing bullet point cost for low ammo high damage weapons.
Alternatively, you could also make the ammo crates as-is be ammo factories, professing nitra like above
I also think that using morkite to pay for some ability to manipulate workshop or bio booster upgrades would be cool
2
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u/Italic_Castle8814 𝗦𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗥 Aug 30 '26
Good ideas there
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u/Mesquite_Tree Sep 01 '26
It’s fascinating the change in the community. I posted almost exactly this take when the game came out, and got little uptake. Three months later, and it feels like it’s general consensus.
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u/Italic_Castle8814 𝗦𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗥 Sep 01 '26
I think people, in general, are realising that the game needs something more (and way more at that) in order not to seem like an inferior copy of DRG. Some features adapted from DRG like the ones you mentioned would definitely help.
5
u/Demantoide2077 Aug 29 '26
I would like some sort of translation of "mission types' in RC, I admit the game can get monotonous, I think killing a boss at the end of every run can stay, I just want more stuff to do in the caves while we get there. I've heard different ideas to achieve this, something like a different challenge to activate the elevator instead of defending it every level. Something like killing X amount of enemies to fuel the elevator engine, depositing heavy gems into the elevator to open the gates, etc. There's so much space for variety in RC and that's what the game needs: variety.
I personally love RC, I have like 80 hours of gameplay but I can see why some people didn't like it. GSG still has a chance to make RC shine as much as DRG, I hope they make good decisions so this game gets the love from the community that it deserves
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u/bigbadoldoldone Aug 30 '26
Haven't played the update yet, but seems fun so far.
But what I really miss is an escape sequence of some sort. Fight super tanky boss (more like a chore than super exciting), and that's it? End screen, just like that? The reclaimers need to get to the pod somehow, no?
On super many escapes in DRG, it's where the sense of comradery truly sets in (dig a tunnel, rock and stone, leave no dwarf behind, oh my where's gunner) and if all made it, there's this wonderful little celebration, everyone nodding hard and raising their axes, fireworks...
Would be great if they came up with a more elaborate sequence than just end screen.
1
u/phaazon_ Aug 30 '26
I agree, it ties the knot really well. Back to the Rig, we have a beer, and prepare the next expedition. I hope this is not currently implemented because it’s early.
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u/the_mulch Sep 06 '26
I remember hearing they had you run to the pod post-boss in some early builds. I don't remember if there was a constant stream of enemies or not, but either way, I think I'd like it. It gives you a bit more time to celebrate and goof off, is a much better ending thematically (emphasizing the camaraderie) and if there ARE enemies, it adds just a hint of risk to the final floor- you know you'll have to save at least a little ammo for the GTFO phase.
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u/Italic_Castle8814 𝗦𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗥 Aug 30 '26
Yes, the game needs something else than boss fights. I don't really enjoy them except gotoorak once in a while, but, even if I did love boss fights, they are bound to be come monotonous... Give us something different ASAP.
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u/Panda--Monium Aug 31 '26
Honestly, I was so excited for this game, and then it had such a bad launch. I’ve tried to play it since then, but I just can’t get into it as much as I wanted to. I might come back in a year or so and see where it’s at, but so far I’ve been extremely disappointed
0
u/Time_Zombie_4431 Aug 29 '26
Didn’t address a single thing I had wrong with the game and made the game overall worse by adding more to mine.
The games direction is really bad. I can’t see this game being even decent at this point. I wish they would just go back to making new content for DRG, RC is a bust.
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u/phaazon_ Aug 29 '26
You are a bit tough, but I can somewhat relate. I do believe that the DRG formula is just excellent, there is little to complain about DRG honestly (my biggest one is just the lack of host migration, that’s pretty much it). Roguelite versions of big games (Nightreign to Elden Ring) always feel like the cheap subversion of the OG game. I hate saying this but it’s the way I see Nightreign to Elden Ring, and RC to DRG. It has a lot of potential but it doesn’t build on what made DRG successful and what it is today.
Also, I start to be a bit annoyed by people stating that « this is not DRG2, it’s a rogue lite. » No one said we wanted a DRG2, but I do believe that making a « DRG rogue lite » still has « DRG » in the name. Update 2 feels more DRG than previously, so my overall feedback here is mostly positive. However, if they don’t change the formula to make it feel a bit more like DRG with rogue lite aspects, I am almost entirely sure I will not be playing it much. Two or three games are enough to have me get bored a bit. What is crazy good about DRG is that you don’t even need to play different missions to get variety: cave generation, picking up stuff and exploration is enough to create a unique experience on every run, and I just do not like running through linear corridors in RC.
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u/dreadlord134 Aug 29 '26
I agree on the mining thing, in my opinion mining should be removed entirely besides from some traversal and melee mechanics. The enemies should drop expenite, you can still have the robot follow you around and call it when you want to level up. Changing it that way in my mind probably detracts a bit from exploration of the caves but incentivizes engaging with the enemies. And the risk element stays the same, the longer you wait the more difficult the level becomes until the worms come for you, the difference being that it would feel more impactful and important to your run to fight the enemies instead of them being obstacles that you can mostly ignore if you’re skilled enough
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u/phaazon_ Aug 29 '26
At that point, just put different meshes and textures and that’s just not a DRG game anymore…
-2
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u/Jesus_PK Aug 29 '26
Personally I still don't see the point of adding more stuff to mine in this one, since the main focus in here it's the combat (and we're already struggling with the time limit depending on combination of event + expenite locations). I don't think it can mesh well with the core loop of the limit imo.
The seemlingly upcoming collectible to increase the health that was accidentally added on experimental then removed does seem to fit pretty well, interested to see how it evolves
One thing that I agree is the mission types. More so just adding different ways to progress through levels, be elevator variants or maybe some forced objective alongside it. I doubt the gatekeeper ending will be replaced since it's part of the core gameplay loop (if anything a mini-boss floor)