Skip to main content

Design: Wanderer's Charm, Hunger Regen, and Pillars

August 2, 2025​

  • @rachaelrose1212
  • @Sp3cialk
  • ???

Visual Working Board PDF​

Meeting Format​

  • Meeting included:
    • Idea sharing (15 minutes)
    • Weekly focus topic (30 minutes)
    • Review of existing and in-progress ideas (15 Miuntes)

Wanderer's Charm​

  • The Wanderer's Charm pitch allows teleportation from the Overworld to the Rift Hub
  • Proposed as a simple MVP: triggers a teleport command
  • Intention is to reduce travel friction and streamline returning to the Hub

Hunger Based Regen & Sustenance System​

Regen Discussion​

  • Sparked by Warren’s proposal to revise hunger mechanics.
  • Summary of discussion:
    • Exploration of removing hunger and armor
    • Vanilla hunger/saturation mechanics clarified
    • Compared with other games: Core Keeper, Terraria, Monster Hunter, BOTW, Last Epoch, PoE.
  • Dungeon Meshi Inspiration
    • Referenced Dungeon Meshi, an anime focused on cooking monsters
    • Inspired the idea of mob drops as ingredients

Proposed System: Sustenance & Support​

  • Meals (Provisions):
    • Refill hunger bar in Rifts, functioning like stamina restoration but automatic
  • Rift Refreshments:
    • Inspired by tea shop concept, supplements Provisions incorporates potions and buffs
  • Stat-Based Regen:
    • Passive health regen in Rifts tied to attributes instead of saturation
  • Goal: make food and drink strategically meaningful while improving QoL

Game Pillars: Core Concepts​

Pillar Overview​

  • Definition: "A pillar is a core value or concept that defines the game, not a mechanic."
  • Target: 2–3 primary pillars, with a hard max of 6 to avoid redundancy or contradiction.

Pillars Reviewed and Drafted​

Evolving Simplicity

  • Start simple; layer complexity over time
  • Example: socketing, fishing, ability mods
  • Must support both new and long-term players

More Than Just Numbers

  • Combat shouldn’t be about pure min-maxing
  • Stats should interact with elements (e.g., water conducts electricity)
  • Planning, synergy, and strategy should matter

Players Shape Their Path

  • No strict classes or enforced questlines
  • Players choose builds and progression styles (mage, rogue, builder, etc.)
  • Supported by:
    • Flexible build swapping
    • Optional quests
    • Skippable tutorials

Pillar Refinement & Consolidation​

  • Discussion around overlap among proposed values:

    • “Let the Player Play” = sandbox freedom, no restrictive handholding
    • “Respect the Player” = minimize downtime and time gates
    • “Flexible Meaningful Builds” = avoid meta-locks and dead paths
    • “Combinable Combat Archetypes” = warrior-mage hybrids, no locked class roles

  • Suggested merges:

    • Combine “Evolving Simplicity” + “Extra Challenges” into a single growth-focused pillar.
    • Merge “Synergies not Classes,” “Freedom of Loadouts,” and “Combinable Archetypes.”

Additional Design Values Submitted​

  • Risk Provides Reward : Extra challenge yields stronger returns.
  • Non-Gated Gameplay : Minimize barriers to play or progression.
  • Narrative Without Story : Lore can be present without scripted sequences.
  • Embrace Minecraft as a Game : The modpack should leverage Minecraft deeply, not layer over it.
  • Minimized Required Downtime : Shorten re-entry time between Rifts.

Grouping​

  • Plan to group similar ideas, write them up, and share as a post for team feedback
  • Will synthesize overlapping themes and clarify distinctions
  • Final goal: produce a small number of powerful, flexible pillars

Additional Topics​

Weapon Design (Next Meeting Topic)​

  • Attendees encouraged to contribute to the Weapon Ideas post.
  • Template includes:
    • Name, description
    • Melee or ranged, 1H/2H
    • Stats, offhand effect
    • Basic and unique abilities
  • Example weapons: glitter bomb, parasol umbrella, aether rifle

Essence Tech Chain​

  • Mentioned as an idea in pitch prep

Divine Essence​

  • Topic may be discussed next meeting if Andy attends

Item Review​

  • If a pitch feels ready, ping a navigator to move it forward

Next Actions

  • Meeting duration: ~1 hour
  • Next week’s meeting will continue at a similar time
  • Next focus: finalize pillar phrasing and review Divine Essence (pending Andy's presence)