Game Mechanics

Overview

Game Mechanics are the system the game uses for balancing and general gameplay. These range from loading screens, methods of attack, soundtracks, etc.

Damage

Damage is dealt when a unit attacks. When a unit attacks, its damage reduces the enemy's health.

Methods of Attack

AoE

AoE (Area of Effect) is the term used to describe the range a special action can effect. For example, the Catapult can launch gigantic rocks that cause explosions that deal AoE damage. Low-health units (like Squires) are completely decimated by the impact.

Melee

Melee units deal damage through physical contact. Examples of melee units are Squires, Hoplites, or Jarls.

Ranged

Ranged units deal damage from a distance. Examples of ranged units are Ninjas, Archers, or Spear Throwers.

Indirect

Indirect units deal damage indirectly, i.e. not from a weapon, but from something it creates. Units like the Scarecrow and Snake Archer do this.

Effect

Effect units give a status that deals damage. Examples are Potionseller and Ice Archer.

Support

Support units are meant to be used with other units, and support them in combat. Not all of them deal damage to enemy units, for example, the Healer. It heals allies. But other units like the Potionseller support units with its potions to help them in combat.

Other Troop Mechanics

Health

Health is the amount of damage a unit can take before it dies. When a unit is attacked, it loses health.

Speed

Speed is how fast a unit moves. Some high-speed units are Jousters and Cavalry.

Attack Speed

Attack Speed is how fast a unit can attack. The lower the number, the faster it can attack. For example, the Clubber attacks every few seconds.

Cost

The cost of the units limits how many units of this type you can use in the Campaign. To balance the power of a unit it has a price set. The more powerful the unit is the more it costs.

Status Effects

Status effects are effects that units can get that changes the outcome of the battle.

Other Mechanics

An example of several game features

Soundtrack/OST

This is the current soundtrack for Totally Accurate Battle Simulator. Since the game is work in progress, the list will expand over time. The soundtrack was created by KFLO. He also created the Soundtrack for Clustertruck, another game made by Landfall.

Link to the games music: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/karlflodin/totally-accurate-battle-simulator-original-video-game-soundtrack

Slow Mode

By left-clicking, the player is able to slow down the game. This is a great feature in such a physics based ragdoll game. It's great for reducing lag in large battles.

Freeze Time

Similar to slow motion, except completely freezes the movement of any unit and/or effect.

Unit Unlock System

Characters belonging to the Secret faction or Legacy faction need to be unlocked for use in Sandbox and Campaign modes, by locating their weapons on various maps. Otherwise, all faction units are available from the start in all modes outside of the Introduction.

Debug Tools

Debug Tools are features from the Bug DLC which includes 5 modes. Push which makes you push units with wind like the Shouter or the Fan Bearer's abilities. Grab which includes a hand that can grab anything at all. Shoot which makes you shoot any projectiles from the original factions (even hidden bomb arrows). Vacuum which makes like a Black Hole of units. Invert Gravity which makes units fly like they are on moon gravity.

Win Conditions

Winning Conditions are tasks to do in a level in order to win (It will be exclusive to the workshop). For example, a team can lose if the battle takes more than 30 seconds, or if the chosen unit(s) on the team dies.

Unit Creator

Unit Creator is a feature in TABS that will let the player customize and create their own units for them to use in battle. They will be able to put them on the workshop page for other users to play with. So far, we have seen Wilhelm tweet out features including: clothes, weapons, eyes, props, combat moves, walk style, stats, voice & color. Based on development videos, the unit editor allows for mounting, including having an Ice Giant seated on a horse. The character you created isn't dead after losing, so you can use it as many times as you like.

Health Bars

Health bars display the units current health.

Unreleased Game Mechanics

Hero Unit

Hero Unit is basically an improved version of Unit Possession. It allows you to hit a unit left, right, up, and down with a regular melee weapon, and pull the string back on bows and aim with range weapons. It will have a few "hero weapons" to use. Hero Unit will be released as separate update or free DLC after full-release of game, not update during early access.

Scrapped Game Mechanics

Battle Formation Bonus

The Battle Formation Bonus was a bonus that gived buffs to the units in a line the only known units that had a battle formation bonus were Shield Bearer, Archer, Hoplite and Musketeer.

Unit Command System

The Unit Command System was a system that allowed the player to command the units which paths do they go which is great to make advanced battle tactics.

Removed Game Mechanics

Est. Performance Impact

The Est. Performance Impact was a system only in Open Alpha to Closed Alpha to show the player how many units he placed and so will affect on the game such as lags, bugs or crashes it had an Easter Egg when you placed 500 units it said "Stahp" if you continued to placed more units it added more a's then after 10 it stops and says "404" as a joke.

Plague

The Plague was an Easter Egg for the Sahara map only in Closed Alpha. In the Pyramid there is spikes if you make one unit fall in it the plague will start killing the units from the team the unit that falled in was then start killing the other team. Sometimes it can just be random and choose a team.

Neon Cube

The Neon Cube was a cube falling from a tower on the Neon (Map) only in Closed Alpha. It has three features, blowing all the units that are in the center of the cube, rapidly pulling all units in a small radius or changing the gravity and sending them flying.