Combat Design in Echoes of Myth: Influences, Principles, and Challenges

The core combat in Echoes of Myth draws inspiration from many different games and genres. The top-down perspective and ARPG foundation naturally invite comparisons to Diablo, Path of Exile, and other looter ARPGs. However, significant influences also come from the Dark Souls series and Hades.

Combat Aims, Principles, and Influences

  • Deliberate and fair – Combat features Soulslike longer attack animations, with hits directly tied to those animations. A skillful player can theoretically avoid all attacks simply by paying attention (i.e., hitless runs are possible). One-shot enemy attacks are rare, occurring only if the player is deliberately under-leveled or if the attack is highly telegraphed. When the player dies, it should always feel like they could have done something differently, with a clear reason behind their failure. Additionally a Soulslike dodgeroll is available with invulnerability frames and attack cancel though limited by cooldown-tied charges instead of stamina system. I'm also currently evaluating the parry mechanism and likely doing away with it completely.

  • Skill-based at its core – While stats progression through divine treasures, buffs, leveling, etc., plays a significant role, player skill remains the most important factor, reinforcing the deliberate and fair philosophy.

  • Avoid one-button builds – A key design principle has always been a hybrid melee & magic playstyle. Mana does not regenerate automatically but instead restores through successful melee hits (or for mages, mana beam hits). This does not mean every build follows a static melee-magic loop; rather, the system provides a foundation that is modified by divine treasures and talents. Certain item & talent combinations can enable almost pure melee or almost pure mage playstyles, with multiple viable hybrid variations in between.

  • Core set of skills and spells available from the start – Each class starts with a standard set of skills, which can then be modified by talents and divine treasures. Certain talent choices transform existing skills into new ones. This avoids the common ARPG issue where early gameplay feels too simplistic, relying on a single repeated attack for the first hours. It also integrates well with the roguelite formula, ensuring skills from the start provide synergy potential and multiple build development paths.

  • No single enemy should be entirely trivial – The game will not rely on overwhelming the player with large enemy mobs. Instead, even single enemies should pose some level of threat. Encounters will be designed around mixing a small number of enemy types to create interesting synergies and force the player to adapt.

  • No scaling – Enemy strength will be static. When the player encounters a specific enemy type, they will immediately recognize its fixed strength. Over time, experience will allow the player to judge whether they are strong enough to take on certain enemies based on tactics and power level, rather than relying on artificial level scaling.

  • Interesting and behaviorally distinct enemies – Enemy designs will avoid the "same enemy but with a different color and higher stats" trap. Similarly, multiple enemy types will not share the same AI behaviors just to pad out variety. Each enemy should require different tactics, preventing a single universal strategy from trivializing encounters.

  • Engaging boss encounters – Multi-phase bosses with progressively more complex patterns are a standard in modern action games, and Echoes of Myth is no exception. However, given the roguelite format, bosses must balance depth and fairness. The goal is to challenge the player while avoiding excessive complexity that would require dozens of attempts just to understand core patterns, as that would be frustrating rather than engaging. Boss fights should feel rewarding and tactical, not overwhelming or exhausting.

Challenges in Player Expectations

A significant challenge is aligning player expectations with the game’s mechanics. Certain core combat elements in Echoes of Myth deviate from standard ARPG conventions, meaning misaligned expectations could lead to frustration if not properly communicated.

  • Mana restoration via melee hits – This system has the potential to feel janky if not properly balanced and conveyed. The current approach is to position spells as an addition rather than the primary attack method, while making melee restoration feel rewarding. However, expectation management around this mechanic—along with ensuring class/build balance—remains a challenge, especially since I want to avoid heavy tutorialization.

  • Breaking the "click-to-win" ARPG habit – Many players entering an ARPG with Diablo-like visuals expect a stats-driven experience where they can tank damage and spam attacks. Echoes of Myth actively discourages this, requiring intentional dodging and tactical play, particularly against slow but high-damage enemies. Early encounters must immediately teach players that they cannot simply face-tank enemies and spam attacks, guiding them toward the intended combat flow from the very start.

As development continues, refining both the combat itself and the way it’s introduced to players will be critical to ensuring Echoes of Myth delivers its intended experience while avoiding expectation mismatches.

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