Change Log
- References to a “run” have been replaced with the term “run”.
Difficulty Modifiers are multi-levelled difficulty settings configured at the start of a run. They are unlocked over time, and give the player options to increase the challenge of a run.
Challenge Rating
The challenge rating of a run is the sum of the challenge rating of all difficulty modifiers used.
Each difficulty modifier has one or more levels that can be applied. Each additional level adds more to the challenge rating.
The player will have a maximum challenge rating they are allowed to start a run with. They cannot add any difficulty modifiers that would push that run’s challenge rating over the maximum. In each save file, the max starts at 0 (the player will not even see the difficulty modifier options), and is increased to a new tier each time the player wins a run at that maximum rating.
Challenge Rating Tiers
- 0 (initial)
- 4
- 8
- 12
- 16
- etc
Modifiers
Note for art team
Each of these difficulty modifiers will need their own icon. This is so that, during and after a run, we can easily display which modifiers were active without having to write out the names and details.
| Name | Description | Levels | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kernel Exploit | All enemies deal +20% bonus damage per level. | 5 | 1 |
| Tough Silicon | All enemies have +15% health per level. | 3 | 1 |
| Cybersecurity | All enemies spawn with 1 Barrier stack per level. | 2 | 1 |
| License Fee | All prices are +25% higher per level. | 3 | 1 |
| Surveillance | All healing outside battles is -50% effective per level. | 2 | 1 |
| Manufacturing Defects | Natural cover spawns with -25% health per level. | 3 | 1 |
| Defence Protocol | Elite battle rooms are +25% more common per level. | 4 | 1 |
| Overproduction | More Elite enemies spawn in elite battle rooms, +1 per level. | 3 | 1 |
| Buffer Overflow | Elite enemies have +20% more items per level. | 3 | 2 |
| Overclocked | Bosses are Elite, granting them items. Affected by Buffer Overflow. | 1 | 2 |
| Expiration Date | Each district has a turn limit, after which an item in your party is destroyed each turn. -X per level, starting at Y. | 3 | 1 |
| Memory Leak | Your party members can use fewer abilities, -1 per level. | 2 | 2 |
| Stack Trace | Cell modifiers last +1 turn longer per level. | 3 | 1 |
| Acid Rain | Random cells burn at the start of your turn, +5 per level. | 2 | 1 |