I want to build a text-based RPG game using a Telegram bot. The game will have roguelike features where characters get wiped when they die.
The main features I’m thinking about:
Combat System
Turn-based fights against monsters and other players. When someone loses to another player, the winner gets to choose what happens:
Mercy - loser keeps everything and continues playing
Rob - winner steals all gear from the loser
Execute - loser’s character gets completely wiped
Capture - loser becomes prisoner for several hours, winner gets all their earnings during this time
Character Races
Each player gets assigned a random race with special bonuses:
Humans get bonus XP from fights
Goblins find extra coins
Dragonborn resist fire attacks
Special Traits
Characters can have traits like:
Treasure Hunter (better item drops)
Titan (extra hit points)
Monster Whisperer (can recruit wild creatures)
The game will also include different clans that players can join. What are your thoughts on this concept? Any suggestions for making it more engaging or balanced?
honestly the capture mechanic sounds brutal but kinda cool lol. maybe add some escape chances tho? like mini games or somthing so prisoners arent just stuck waiting. also consider making newbie protection zones - nothing worse than getting executed by veterans when ur just starting out
Your roguelike mechanics look promising but I’d focus heavily on the progression curve to keep players engaged after character deaths. In my experience with similar projects, the biggest challenge is maintaining player motivation when they lose everything. Consider implementing some form of meta-progression that survives death - maybe ancestral bonuses or account-wide achievements that provide small starting advantages for new characters. The trait system could work well here if certain traits become unlockable through gameplay milestones rather than pure RNG. For the Telegram implementation specifically, you’ll want to optimize for quick interactions since mobile users often play in short bursts. The turn-based combat should have reasonable timeouts and maybe allow players to queue multiple actions. Also think about implementing some kind of offline progression or idle mechanics - even simple things like passive coin generation or automatic healing over time can keep players coming back. The clan warfare aspect has huge potential if you add territorial control or group objectives that give meaning to the PvP beyond individual encounters.
The concept sounds solid but you might want to consider implementing some safeguards around the player vs player mechanics. From my experience developing similar games, the Execute and Capture options could create serious balance issues if not handled carefully. Players who get ahead early might dominate too heavily, creating a frustrating experience for newcomers. I’d suggest adding level brackets for PvP encounters or maybe a reputation system where excessive use of harsh options comes with consequences. Also, the random race assignment is interesting but consider allowing players to reroll once per character creation - complete randomness can feel unfair when someone really wants to play a specific style. The clan system could be your balancing mechanism here, perhaps offering protection or revenge mechanics for members. One technical note: make sure your database can handle the frequent character deletions efficiently, especially if you plan to track statistics or leaderboards.