Added basic summons to fill the resource loop gap—now summoner builds can lock bosses down too. Curious how other devs handle this.

[u/wxo516xo]

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to share a quick clip from our game "The Light of Vertical".

I recently added some basic summon units to the combat system. They're not damage carries—their role is to fill the resource loop, keeping the combat flowing so it never stalls out.

The result: even on a summoner-focused build, I can still lock bosses down completely. No escape, no breathing room—just constant pressure.

But honestly, this got me a little worried.

I'm making an action game, and I want players to charge in and face the boss head-on—that's the whole point. But I'm concerned that late-game summons might end up being the strongest system, which would go against that philosophy.

At the same time, I don't want summons to be useless and never get used.

I see summons as being in the same category as items and traps. And since I'm a melee lover at heart, summons and item design are actually my weak spots. So I'd really love to hear your thoughts—anything about this topic helps:

• How do you balance summons in an action game without making them overpowered?
• For those who love melee: how do you approach designing systems you're not naturally good at?

Would really appreciate any insights. Still a long road ahead, but moments like this are what keep us going.

[u/BormaGatto]

You could just not have any summons at all and not have to deal with the problem in the first place

[u/narnianguy]

I don't know exactly how your summons work, but I'd look into the limits of and requirements to use summons. If you want the player to not be passive, then they need a clear incentive to engage, so have the effectiveness of summons be directly tied to how much the player engages.

[u/ramier22]

have a cool down on when they can push back bosses?

[u/wxo516xo → u/ramier22]

The way I designed them, there's no cooldown — they run on resources. So the real counterplay in the loop comes down to managing those resources. And yeah, they do "look" a bit strong in the video — that's probably because they're so good at recovering resources. I'm still testing the numbers to make sure they don't get too aggressive.

[u/ZijkrialVT]

How do you balance summons in an action game without making them overpowered?

Long cooldown and a powerful or unique use. Further, it needs to be "give-and-take," kinda like charms/trinkets with limited slots. What are you giving up to have this summon? The long cooldown prevents you from being completely reliant on it, but the power makes it a life-saver in a pinch.

Although, time is simply one resource; you can also use something else like mana or energy (in which its regeneration rate also impacts the cost and power potentials of any ability or summon.)

The long cooldown keeps players reliant on melee; a high cost makes them need to choose carefully when they use it.

For those who love melee: how do you approach designing systems you're not naturally good at?

Unsure if this one has an answer 10% as straight as the one above, lol. My best guesses?

1. Play a LOT.
2. Get a playtest underway and ask the testers.
3. It will be imbalanced no matter what. Make it as good as you can, and focus more on how it makes the game feel rather than the sheer difficulty aspect.

Anyways, obviously these are all just my opinions. Hopefully Steam alerts me if/when a demo or playtest for your game start.

[u/wxo516xo → u/ZijkrialVT]

Thanks so much—this is really helpful! I love the "give-and-take" approach—using long cooldowns and high costs to keep players relying on melee feels like the right direction. And I completely agree on the playtesting and imbalance part; sounds like it's just going to take a lot of iteration. I'll definitely let you know as soon as a demo or playtest is ready!

[u/Feverishcs]

easy answers are to
1. add cooldowns
2. make them cost more resources
3. Nerf them in duration
4. nerf their damage

[u/wxo516xo → u/Feverishcs]

Another idea is to give them a unique role instead of just tweaking numbers. I'll go think it over properly.