Game Introduction:

"Prime of Flames" is a single-player strategy game that fuses the Banner and Roguelike genres. It changes the traditional banner game's progression mode from dungeon missions to non-linear exploration, and sets up various opportunity events along the player's exploration path to enhance the game's playability. Moreover, it introduces Roguelike mechanics in aspects such as overall buffs, individual character ability construction, and player lineup diversity, adding a great deal of uncertainty to the SRPG mode primarily centered around player's formation strategy. In addition to the basic job settings of banner games, the game also introduces a "Clan System", which further enhances the differentiation between characters in the game through the dual settings of different "clans" and jobs.

Game Analysis:

• The setup of the Clan System

In addition to the oft-discussed job system in banner games, "Prime of Flames" also emphasizes the "Clan" setting in the game. Different clans have their own exclusive talents and abilities. Even characters with the same job but different clans will have significant differences in their attack methods and personal abilities. This is unlike most banner games where "clan" or "nationality" settings are merely to reflect differences in factions and positions, rather than setting various differentiating features on them.

The implementation of the Clan System provides players with more choices beyond the job system. The cross-selection of different clans and jobs further increases the strategic demands of the game. Most importantly, the gameplay and formation strategies between different clans also have significant differences, with varying degrees of difficulty in mastering and different upper limits of strength. Compared to the relatively singular job system, the Clan System not only reduces the issue of monotonous and rigid formation strategies in the later stages of the game for players but also greatly broadens the scope of their strategic thinking. At the same time, it also enhances the game's playability.

• The integration of Roguelike elements

The game has made significant innovations in the Roguelike aspect, tailored to the banner game mode. It has transformed the most important dungeon mission system (bounty hunter style) of banner games into a non-linear Roguelike exploration-based progression. This approach is inspired by the exploration mode of the well-known card-based Roguelike game "Slay the Spire," and even the opportunity events encountered during exploration are reminiscent of those in "Slay the Spire."

The Roguelike elements in the game are also reflected in the overall game traits and character growth. There are Altar Blessings where players can choose trait cards that affect the entire game, as well as the Bloodline System that provides random ability enhancements for each character. The game frequently utilizes the Rogue-like loop mechanism, which starts over from the beginning upon each playthrough, thereby putting a greater emphasis on the player's comprehensive decision-making skills.

Even the most crucial character recruitment system in SRPGs has been integrated into the Roguelike elements by the developers. The character recruitment system also unfolds as the game exploration progresses, allowing players to continuously optimize their combat lineup during the non-linear exploration process. For most SRPGs, the diversity of the combat lineup is often much more useful than simply building the strength of existing characters. By incorporating this into the game's non-linear exploration, the game's randomness and the element of surprise in positive feedback have been further enhanced.

The Clan System in the game also further strengthens the differentiation between characters. Coupled with the unique and exquisite character illustrations for each character, it also gives players a sense of "gacha-style" thrill during the recruitment process.

Player Research:

• The demand for Roguelike random elements among players

With the rise of Roguelike elements, more and more games are attempting to incorporate Roguelike content into their original game mechanics to increase the game's randomness, thereby enhancing its playability. However, there are also many games that simply incorporate crude Roguelike mechanics into the game, without adjusting the Roguelike elements to suit the game's own gameplay, and instead, merely set some Roguelike mechanics in terms of numerical bonuses. Players often reject this kind of crude Roguelike integration. The high praise "Prime of Flames" has received from players is due to its Roguelike gameplay specifically designed for the SRPG mode, especially in aspects involving players' formation strategies, which has received unanimous praise from SRPG players. Players will unquestionably accept games with excellent Roguelike integration and different gameplay. Both the current market and players themselves still have a significant demand for game design modes that incorporate Roguelike elements into other gameplay styles. However, the prerequisite is to set appropriate Roguelike mechanics according to the game's original gameplay.

• The demand for IP character design elements among Banner game players

"Prime of Flames" has invested considerable effort in character design, with each clan and profession having their own exclusive illustrations, and the overall art style of the game is very cohesive. Additionally, the game's normal progression involves a random recruitment system, which aligns with the 'gacha-style' recruitment thrill that resonates with most Chinese players' interests. With the growing emphasis on IP character design in modern mobile games, more and more games are focusing on IP character development rather than gameplay design. "Prime of Flames" strikes a balance between the two, ensuring that while the gameplay itself is of high quality, the variety of character designs also attracts players who value character design.

Design Analysis:

• A large roster of characters leads to imbalances in strength (balance issues)

While the gameplay diversity brought about by the clan system is certainly a positive feature, it is crucial to maintain balance in terms of character strength. "Prime of Flames" has greatly expanded the game's strategic depth and variety of formations through the use of the "Clan" concept; however, the vast number of characters with differing abilities resulting from the intersection of clan and profession systems also makes it difficult to ensure game balance. Achieving balance while taking into account such a wide range of character abilities and traits requires a significant investment of time and effort in testing and adjustments. Often, an imbalance in the strength of a single character can affect the entire game experience. It is evident that "Prime of Flames" still needs further refinement and improvement in this area, as most of the negative feedback on the game currently centers on this issue.

• An array of offensive skill options to replace the monotony of basic attacks

In the game, characters only have basic attacks as their mode of attack, and the bloodline upgrade Roguelike system that corresponds with character abilities consists entirely of passive trigger skills. All sorts of attack judgments and calculations are performed by the computer, and players are only responsible for troop deployment and formation. While the Roguelike setup does enhance playability to a certain extent, the limitation to only basic attacks significantly reduces the player's interactive experience. It would be beneficial to draw inspiration from the tower defense skill model used in "Arknights," where players can not only deploy troops but also manage the skill activation of each character, thereby enhancing the player's engagement and strategic gaming experience.

Summary & Outlooks:

When discussing gameplay inspiration, the combination of Roguelike elements with different game genres is inevitable, whether it's Rogue+Shooter, Rogue+Platformer, or Rogue+Base Building/Simulation. The market is increasingly filled with games that fuse Roguelike elements, but only those that successfully adapt Roguelike to their core gameplay can win over players. For example, in a shooting game, the player's ammunition could be tied to Roguelike elements, with each reload randomly updating 5 bullets from the unlocked ammo pool, allowing players to plan the sequence of shots after reloading... (This idea is purely a creative suggestion, intended to spark further inspiration.)

For games with established character roles (classes), diversifying the number of classes can enhance the game's variety. Additionally, more changes in character traits and gameplay could be attempted within sub-settings like "clans," "factions," or "nationalities." While this intersection of two systems would significantly increase the differentiation and diversity among characters, it's crucial to balance character strengths and values through extensive testing. Otherwise, it could lead to balance issues as seen in "Prime of Flames," which has been criticized by some players for this reason.

"Prime of Flames," with its diverse character designs, has attracted many players who value character aesthetics. The "gacha-style" recruitment and character diversity settings could also be adapted into more gameplay-focused indie games, laying the groundwork for potential mobile game adaptations later on. Diverse character IPs and "gacha-style" recruitment are interests shared by many mobile gamers. However, it is important to ensure a consistent art style among character designs and to provide adequate background stories and character descriptions to meet the needs of these players.