RPG98 Design Document
Page 4: Gear Progression & Combat System
Overview
In RPG98, gear and abilities are the only forms of permanent progression. Combat is real-time and server-authoritative, designed to feel responsive on the Miyoo Mini Plus while maintaining high tension and meaningful risk.
Core Philosophy
Power is temporary and fragile. Every meaningful upgrade — better stats, stronger affixes, new abilities, or additional augment slots — must be earned through successful extractions. There is no permanent leveling or skill tree. Abilities and gear are lost on death if equipped.
Currency System
- Crux — Common salvage used for supplies, potions, and trading in Blackthorn Hollow. Partial loss on death (20–30%).
- Aether — Rare magical essence used at the Aether Forge and to power the Dungeon Portal. Never lost on death.
Compactors (Recycling Stations)
Players can break down unwanted gear into Crux at two locations:
- Town Compactor (near Crowe’s Tradehouse) — Safe, standard exchange rate.
- Dungeon Compactor — Occasionally spawns in dungeons (30–40% in Stable, 100% in Empowered). Much better exchange rate, but high risk — anything gained is lost if you fail to extract.
Recycling augments (any tier) or slotted gear returns a small amount of Aether in addition to Crux.
Dungeon Portal Operation
Before every run, players choose how to power the Dungeon Portal. This choice directly affects dungeon size, duration, rewards, and danger.
Unstable (Free) Stability: Unstable Duration: 10 minutes (5 min extraction window) Dungeon Size: Small Compactor Chance: 0% Drop Rates: Low
Stable (20 Aether) Stability: Stable Duration: 15 minutes (10 min extraction window) Dungeon Size: Medium Compactor Chance: 30–40% Drop Rates: Standard
Empowered (1 Aether Core) Stability: Empowered Duration: 20 minutes (15 min extraction window) Dungeon Size: Large Compactor Chance: 100% Drop Rates: Increased high-tier Queue Type: PvPvE only
Aether Core is crafted at the Aether Forge using Aether, Crux, and rare components (e.g. Rift Fragments).
Queue & Matchmaking
- Maximum 8 players per dungeon.
- Team sizes are matched where possible. Solo players can queue with a warning of increased danger.
- PvE-Only: Max 4 players. On death, half equipped loot is randomly destroyed; teammates can retrieve the rest. Not available in Empowered mode.
- PvPvE: Up to 8 players (flexible team sizes). All equipped loot remains on corpse and can be looted by anyone.
Extraction Mechanics
An extraction portal always spawns and activates 5 minutes into the run. Players must reach it before the dungeon despawns or they die and lose everything equipped.
- Unstable: Despawns after 10 minutes
- Stable: Despawns after 15 minutes
- Empowered: Despawns after 20 minutes
Rarity Tiers & Stat Scaling
| Rarity | Color | Base Stat Multiplier | Affix Count | Augment Slot Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common | White | 80–100% | 0 | 0% |
| Uncommon | Green | 110–130% | 1 | ~8% |
| Rare | Blue | 140–170% | 2 | ~30% |
| Epic | Purple | 180–220% | 2–3 | ~55% |
| Legendary | Gold/Orange | 250%+ | 3–4 | ~80% |
Higher rarity items roll more and stronger affixes. Augment slots are rare and highly desirable.
Combat & Ability System
Combat is real-time with server authority. Movement uses D-pad/analog stick. Attacks and abilities map to face and shoulder buttons.
The Three Classes
- Warrior — High health and armor. Strong basic melee swings.
- Mage — High spell power and crowd control.
- Rogue — High mobility and loot find.
Ability System (Loot-Driven)
Each class starts with exactly two abilities:
- Basic attack
- Signature self-heal/utility (Warrior: Second Wind, Mage: Arcane Restore, Rogue: Shadow Mend)
Additional abilities come exclusively from loot as Ability Tomes or Runes. These occupy hotbar slots (4–6 total). If equipped during a run and you die, they are permanently lost.
This system keeps all power tied directly to successful extractions and encourages risky runs to hunt for better abilities.
Collision Rules
Collision is handled differently in the hub versus dungeons to support both smooth movement and tactical gameplay.
In Blackthorn Hollow (Main Hub)
- Player vs Player: Collision disabled — players can walk through each other for easy navigation in the small town.
- Player vs NPC: Collision enabled — prevents walking through NPCs, keeping the town feeling alive and interactive.
- NPC vs NPC: Collision enabled.
In Dungeons
- Player vs Teammates: Collision disabled — teammates can pass through each other for fluid co-op movement, especially in tight spaces and during fights.
- Player vs Enemy Players (PvPvE): Collision enabled — allows body-blocking and adds tactical depth against rivals.
- Player vs Enemies / NPCs: Collision enabled (standard combat collision).
Additional Notes:
- Extraction portals should have collision disabled near the exit area to prevent players from blocking each other during escape.
- Corpses in PvPvE are walkable for looting.
Death & Respawn
Players respawn in the designated area of Blackthorn Hollow with no equipped gear. Teammates may retrieve and trade back items from corpses in PvPvE runs.
Scavenger Exchange
Located in Crowe’s Tradehouse, players can list unwanted gear and Ability Tomes for others to buy with Crux (small fee applies).
Visual Feedback on Miyoo
- Rarity shown through colored names and borders.
- Augment slots and ability icons appear as small glowing indicators.
- Dungeon Portal clearly displays selected mode (Unstable / Stable / Empowered).
- Clean, glanceable HUD during runs.
Version 0.2 • April 2026