Roguelike Deckbuilder Tropes, Part 2

If you’re just here for the art, scroll down for another great piece by Ivan Nathanael Juarez!

Persistent Damage

Persistent damage to your main character is a staple in the roguelike genre. Without it every battle would be all-or-nothing: lose the entire run or continue with at full strength.

Unfortunately RTS fights are, by their very nature, pretty all or nothing. KeyStone games often end when one team breaks through with an unstoppable wave that destroys the enemy main base in seconds. With snowballing combat like this, surviving with persistent damage just isn’t that common.

In Flaregate Network I resolve this tension by making your main base a flagship with an attack, rather than a passive structure. With this simple change I can create an experience where most enemy waves that break through do just a small amount of damage before being gunned down.

Some cards (like the one this art is for) fire missiles from your flagship's main cannon. The two smaller side cannons are always active, firing at nearby ships with low-damage bullets.