Welcome to another OneSamurai: Dusk blog.
In this blog we will focus more on gameplay, with a discussion about level scaling, difficulty, and navigation. Level Scaling refers to the level given to opponents in combat, and can have an effect on the difficulty of the game. The navigation portion of the blog will discuss how you travel between the different settlements of Japan.
Level Scaling
When starting a new game in OneSamurai: Dusk there are two options to pick between when it comes to level scaling. Each come with their own advantages.
The First option is anchored scaling, this is the default option enabled within the game. With this type of scaling, the enemies you encounter will have a level that they orbit around. An example would be encountering a Ronin who has a fixed level of 20. If encountered when you are only level 10 the Ronin would lower itself to be level 15, however if encountered at level 35, the Ronin would be level 30. This creates a sense of progression without sacrificing the feeling of difficulty. However, it also allows you dominion over some lesser enemies, a feeling some may enjoy.
The second option is fixed scaling, this option means that any enemy you encounter will have their level raised to yours. An example would be encountering a Ronin who has a fixed level of 20. If encountered when you are only level 10, this enemy would still be level 20. However, if you encountered it at level 35, the Ronin would raise itself to be level 35 as well. Whilst the level of the opponent rises to match your own, their equipment remains unchanged. This means that some enemies will still feel weaker than others even if they share the same level.
Fixed scaling is the default option when playing through the game again with premium stats brought in from a first playthrough.
Difficulty
As well as level scaling, there is also a more traditional difficulty scale. The various difficulty levels change how much damage is given, and how hit points are allocated.
Story level difficulty is for players who have a greater interest in the story than the combat. This difficulty increases the amount of damage the player inflicts, and increases the starting amount of HP.
Normal difficulty is the default level of difficulty in the game. This difficulty doesn’t modify the base values given to the player or opponents.
Hard difficulty follows the traditional pattern of making a game more gruelling. Hard difficulty increases the amount of damage the opponent can deal, and also increases their overall HP.
Samurai is the final main difficulty level that can be selected. This difficulty is more deadly than the others, and aims to make combat encounters swift and lethal. The Samurai Difficulty decreases the amount of HP given to the player and opponent and increases the amount of damage done.
When you start a new mission it is given a value in the log which lets you know how difficult the quest will be in relation to others.
Navigation
In order to navigate between the main locations in OneSamurai: Dusk travel over the mainland map is required. This map is an overhead view of Japan, which shows the character traveling over the course of a few days.
Travel speed is affected by the Navigation skill. Travelling by horse is also a viable method which increases the pace travelled overland.
Whilst travelling around the map, there is a chance to come across a random encounter. This can be an enemy, a friend, or something different. The location of your character is important in determining what encounter is found. The route taken can also have its own disadvantages and advantages. Travelling from Hakata to Kagoshima along the coastal road will take longer and mean you are more likely to run into other wanderers, while travelling across the mountains will be quieter but may have an encounter with a more difficult foe.
As well as random encounters, there are special encounters that can be seen on the overland map itself. Opponents seen on the overland map may chase after you, forcing you to take certain routes one may not wish to.
If you are not strong enough to travel to difficult parts of the map, there are other ways to travel with assistance. Merchants often require protection, and may hire you to protect them when they journey to the various towns of the Kamakura Shogunate.
Thank you again for reading this OneSamurai: Dusk Blog. The next blog will discuss skills in the game and what they are used for. The focus will mainly be on how these skills can be used outside of the combat arena.
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