Mark Of The Moon

Overview

Mark Of The Moon is a short narrative game built around a gameplay test of a new combat mechanic called the Exhaustion System, which combines the traditional gameplay concepts of health and stamina into a single bar that means the player’s attacking currency is also their health. This forces a higher degree of caution when in combat, as attacking can put the player in just as much danger as being attacked. The system is also built so that only attacks powerful enough to truly overwhelm an opponent will be able to knock them out. This aspect was designed to ensure more satisfying conclusions to combat, instead of defeating powerful enemies with small amounts of poke damage as the finishing blow.

The Exhaustion System

Combat is centered around Exhaustion. Attacking, empowering attacks, and dodging all build Exhaustion. The current level of Exhaustion slowly recovers after a short time of not building any new Exhaustion. Getting hit and taking damage also builds Exhaustion, but Exhaustion built from damage is permanent, raising the minimum level one’s Exhaustion can recover too. There is a maximum level of damage a combatant can receive. Above that threshold, further damage simply adds normal Exhaustion. To be defeated, a combatant must suffer damage that would cause their Exhaustion level go significantly over their maximum level. Such a blow will cause the combatant to be knocked out of the fight. Damage is healed for the player after successfully winning a combat encounter. Parrying attacks will instantly recover a small amount of Exhaustion, allowing the player to follow up with a powerful attack.

The player has both light and heavy attacks. Light attacks combo up to three moves. Heavy attacks combo up to four moves. Heavy attacks deal more damage, but are slower and build more Exhaustion. Moves higher in the combo chain deal increasingly higher damage. The player can empower attacks, causing them to deal double damage. However, empowerment continually builds Exhaustion while it is engaged, so be careful not become too vulnerable.

Tip: Only empower attacks right as they land for maximum efficiency.

Parrying an enemy attack will stagger the enemy and set both the light and heavy combo counters to their maximum values, allowing the player to follow up with very powerful counter-attacks.

If a combatant’s Exhaustion bar reaches full without being knocked out, they will be stunned until it can recover below a certain threshold. While stunned, a combatant will take extra damage.

Controls

Move = WASD / Left Stick

Look Around = Mouse / Right Stick

Interact = F / Top Face Button (Y)

Jump = Left Ctrl / Button Face Button (A)

Dodge = Space / Right Face Button (B)

Light Attack = LMB / Right Shoulder (RB)

Heavy Attack = RMB / Right Trigger (RT)

Parry = E / Left Shoulder (LB)

Empower Attacks (Hold) = Left Shift / Left Trigger (LT)

Pause = Esc / Start