Preview of new cities' mechanics in Caverns and Dryads

In just a few days, the update that includes the city overhaul for Caverns and Dryads will be ready!  

This update makes the game more varied, and cities more fun, because it changes how they work.  

City exploration will look something like this:

I’m not sure if I’ll change the tile graphics. They’re pretty good as they are.

They’re still pointcrawls, but cities are more predictable now.

In dungeons outside the cities, you move through the unknown. Every step is tense and unpredictable. The same happens in sanctuaries: they’re calmer, but unexpected things can still occur.

But in cities, you’re in civilization. Navigation is now more straightforward.

At the start, you choose which district to visit: the shops district, the artisans district, the rest district (taverns and inns), or the city center (where special buildings are located).

Activating Examine mode makes clicking on tiles show a short explanation of what they are, in the character text box at the top left.

The tile on the opposite side from the heroes is used to leave the city.

Here, for example, we’ve gone to the shops district. Shops are now more distinct. Instead of only the bazaar, you’ll now find the food shop, the magic shop, and the bazaar. 

And another shop (the armory) is located in the artisans district.  The tile at the end takes you back to district selection.

Shops, taverns, and inns now have their own names, which I generate procedurally.

Here’s the leisure/rest district. I might add two more locations over time if I come up with good ideas. For now, it’s the inn and the tavern.

As you can see, the tavern can also have its own name.

The central district includes a new feature: special locations. For example, in Subterranea there will be two: the Amethyst Throne, the palace of the Purple King, and the Silver Palace, headquarters of the hated Magic Council (those killjoys who keep bothering our heroic couple). 

I’ve also added to every city the civil government building (the Keepers’ House), which might collect those fines you’ve been ignoring, and the Library, where you can read small pieces of lore (though they’re not long lore articles).

When you enter a special location, a chapter for that place will play. I’ve also programmed the necessary logic so that if you’ve done certain things in the game, visiting these places will trigger different events. 

This means special locations in cities can be visited multiple times, in different situations. This will add more depth and life to the stories.

The variety of mechanics grows. Cities become more varied: they feel more like real cities.  

WHAT ABOUT RANDOM ENCOUNTERS?  

Random encounters and events happen whenever you move between districts or between locations within a district. So you’ll still run into the thief, the sick, job missions, and so on.  

AND BACKGROUND CHAPTERS?  

They happen during those movements around the city, and in the inn, just like before. In fact, they’ll be more common now, since you can wander around the city for longer.  

I’ve also added checks to ensure you experience all background chapters before progressing to other parts of the main story, so that every player gets the full narrative and understands it better.  

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  

Feel free to share your ideas in the comments, or ask questions. Everything is welcome. I’m testing now, and I’ll publish this update soon—maybe this week.