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Design: Core Loop Development

October 18, 2025​

  • @Divides By Zero
  • @Galactic_15
  • @maloki
  • @rachaelrose1212
  • @Rev
  • @Rora
  • @Sp3cialK
  • @WarrenGore
  • @WolfsWeb
  • @whale

Focus​

  • Core Player Experience (CPE) mini vote check-in
  • Phase Three launch: Core Loop definition
  • Identify repeatable cycle of actions, motivations, rewards
  • Establish entry conditions, action phases, risk elements, rewards, reset conditions

Core Player Experience (Phase Two)​

Mini Vote Status​

  • Engagement and front runners already emerging
  • Open discussion of votes encouraged
  • Guideline: Keep persuasion positive, don't down-talk other options

Statement Feedback​

  • Comments that statements sound "cheesy"
  • Response: Typical of CPE - trying to fit much into one sentence
  • GDD is internal, so acceptable
  • Focus on what we want, not necessarily what currently exists

Wording Adjustments​

  • Changed for consistency (e.g., Wanderlust → Curiosity and Yearning)
  • Ensures right tense, perspective, and actual emotions
  • Note: If you want Wanderlust, vote for Curiosity and Yearning

Core Loop Definition (Phase Three)​

Official Launch​

Phase Three now open for submissions

Core Loop Components​

  • Definition: Repeatable cycle of actions, motivations, and rewards that keeps player engaged
  • Not: Full progression or bunch of features
  • Target: 4-6 steps
  • Format: Couple words or phrase per step (avoid sentences/paragraphs between arrows)

Example Loops​

  • Minecraft: Gather → Craft → Build → Explore → Repeat
  • Roguelite: Battle → Upgrade → Attempt → Die → Return → Upgrade → Repeat

Key Components to Consider​

  • Entry condition: What starts the loop
  • Action phase: What player does
  • Risk or challenge: What causes tension
  • Reward phase: Loot, what player gets
  • Reset: What causes repeat

Note: 4-6 components ideal, but acceptable with only 3

Core Question​

"If we strip everything out of the game, what does the player actually repeat between logins or plays?"

Entry Condition and Preparation​

First Step Discussion​

What players do right before entering Rift

Hub World Role​

  • Suggested as place where players spend considerable time
  • Starting point for activities

Preparation Steps​

  • Planning: Set next goal for Rift run (resource needs, guild focus, gear)
  • Gear preparation: Personal choices
  • Food/buffs: Preparing food, potions, buff foods
  • Purchasing: Buying items
  • Contract selection: Quest or campaign for 20-30 minute objective

Opening the Rift​

  • Choosing or crafting Rift type
  • Personal choices (e.g., Cave-themed Rift with right essences)

Selling Phase​

  • Currency and selling items discussion (Vault Hunters didn't have this)
  • What can be done differently from Vault Hunters?
  • Assumed part of "getting ready" phase

Downtime​

  • May be side loop rather than sub-loop
  • Should be at end of core loop
  • Players make choices about starting new Rift
  • Flowchart can include decision points and branches to side loops

Action Phase​

Consistent Player Actions​

What players do to progress or gather things

Core Actions​

  • Enter Rift
  • Kill
  • Loot
  • Collect
  • Explore
  • Progress objective Summary: Loot, fight, explore

Sub-Loops​

  • Each action can be own sub loop
  • Dying, victory, or leaving changes loop

Anomalies​

  • Still being developed
  • May spawn enemies when triggered
  • Original pitch: Click on anomaly and it does something
  • Player resource management (health, mana)

Secrets and Hidden Content​

  • Looking for secrets/hidden things
  • Fits under explore

Building​

  • No submissions about building
  • People don't see as integral
  • Could be sub-loop or side loop for relaxation
  • Not mandatory activity

Risk Element and Challenge​

Risk Discussion​

Where uncertainty or challenge naturally occurs

Risk Sources​

  • Quantity of mobs
  • Unknown mob spawner types
  • Soft time limit: Things get harder or rift starts collapsing
  • Rift spawners: Might reset after 30 minutes, making return harder
  • Traps: In old design document
  • Environmental risk: Gravity, difficult terrain
  • Chaos rooms: Harder to navigate, difficult return to main portal
  • Rift shape variation: Not all rifts same shape long-term (adds uncertainty)

Time-Based Mechanics​

  • Quicker objective completion = better reward Potential exploits:
    • Rush objective, get out
    • Enter and wait 20 minutes for rift to get hard enough before starting (min-max)
  • Need to consider how players will cheese systems

Challenge POIs​

  • Offer challenge POIs to encourage exploration (instead of timers)
  • High difficulty but chance for great loot
  • Questions: Relying on RNG? Does POI look different so player knows approaching it?

Tiered Rift Idea​

  • Find entrance to another rift inside your rift (up to 5 levels)
  • Finish objective → chance for another rift opening
  • Slightly harder version each level
  • At fifth level: leave and get multiplied loot rewards
  • Each rift one tier higher than starting rift

Accessibility Considerations​

  • Arachnophobia setting with alternative mobs to spiders
  • Alternative should have similar collision
  • No specific mob decided yet

Reward and Feedback System​

Tangible Rewards​

  • Opening chests and getting loot
  • Reputation gains
  • Guild progression
  • Gear leveling (instead of player leveling)
  • Access to new rift types
  • Unlock unique rifts or different kinds

Intangible Rewards​

  • Dopamine
  • Excitement of fighting bigger bosses
  • Getting better (even if skill-based)
  • Learning mob attack patterns
  • Learning rift layouts
  • Guild ranks unlocking different rifts

Reset Condition​

Loop Reset Triggers​

  • Death
  • Completed rift and feel done (leave voluntarily)
  • Struggling with objective and decide to abandon
  • Time constraints or IRL stuff

Additional Topics​

Emerged organically through discussion

Guild Quests and Objectives​

Quest System Integration

  • Objectives framed as guild quests for reputation
  • Quest system tied to guilds
  • Each guild might have own quest set Implementation Questions
  • Option 1: Selecting quest determines next objective
  • Option 2: Entering Rift randomly assigns quest for random unlocked guild
  • Either option could work Quest-Objective Tie-In -Guild quests implementable if quest system tied to objective system

Exploration Context​

Exploration Definition

  • Doesn't just mean walking through Overworld
  • Can mean room-to-room within Rifts Planning Component
  • Didn't come up initially in submissions
  • Setting next goal for Rift run is part of planning

Collaboration and Process​

Tools Discussion

  • Suggestions: Canva, Google Sheets, FigJam, Mural, Miro
  • WotR-Docs: Has Mermaid built in (supports flowcharts)
  • Obsidian: Has collaboration features (speaker uses for project) Submission Format
  • Can submit own drawings (perfection not required)
  • Collaborative creation encouraged

Next Actions

Forum Submissions​

  • Post ideas in forum
  • Goal: Collaborate, refine ideas, reach consensus by next meeting
  • Potentially mini-vote to move options into GDD

Feedback Channels​

  • Sp3cialk DMs open
  • Design general channel
  • Report ticket for anonymous feedback

Meeting Feedback​

  • Sp3cialk hopes everyone happy with game design direction
  • Open to suggestions for improvement

Timeline

  • Two week given for Phase 3 (Loop)
  • Goal: Start on mechanics by November