Summary: For the second developer blog / interview, we're going to focus on the magic systems of Dark and Light .

1) Magic in a survival game is a unique concept, and the way it's executed in DnL is unique even compared to other fantasy game magic systems. How did the idea of a magic-based survival game even come around, and from there, how did the ideas for the skill leveling and magic crafting systems come around?

We felt like the typical open-world RPG and survival game formulas, as separate genres, had already been done to death. We were intrigued by the idea of fusing the two genres and seeing what the result would look like. The original Dark and Light had some features present in modern sandbox games, so we felt like it would be a great platform for building the kind of game we were thinking of.

Dark and Light 's magic includes a multitude of magical items, as well as a wide variety of unique magic spells. Combat, survival, and exploration are all enhanced through the use of magic, though initially players will only be able to use a limited range of spells.

In designing the crafting and skill leveling systems, we looked at some modern survival sandbox games and mechanics that players often struggle with, and we tried to figure out how we could use magic and interesting recipes to smooth out gameplay systems or make them more interesting / enjoyable. We wanted the skill system to give the game the feeling of an RPG, where, while progressing, players can develop skills in areas they're most interested in. We tried our best to avoid a one-size-fits-all skill development system as much as possible.

2) To further expand on DnL's magic system design, the way that it works is interesting in that it's item-based rather than spells that a character learns. Why did the team decide to go with this system instead of something more traditional, and were there other ideas that you also tried during the early development stages?

The fun of a sandbox game is learning new things every time you inevitably die and respawn, eventually accumulating enough knowledge, skills, and items to defend yourself against hostile forces around the world. Dark and Light follows this essential principle, but we've made crafting recipes the driving principle behind accumulating skills. The system we have allows players to focus more on what they'd like to learn, rather than following a rigidly linear path. Magic taking the form of items / catalysts instead of bound spells is also extremely beneficial for group play. This method lets players specialize early on and share their specialties with their group, giving everyone access to a wider variety of higher-tier spells, weapons, armor, and other items faster than they would be able to alone.

Though there will be guides and tutorials available that players can follow to gain new skills, players are free to explore and level up however they prefer. We tested out a few other ideas, but we finally chose to go with the current system because it allows players greater freedom to develop into the kind of character they most want to be.

3) We've heard from some players that they're concerned that magic is going to take center stage, with physical weapons taking a back seat. How does the team see the balance between magic and physical combat, and what are the team's goals for combat balance overall?

Players don't need to worry that magic will overtake physical weapons as the primary form of combat. Dark and Light has a variety of melee and ranged weapons that can cause serious damage, inflict debuffs, and so on. Some situations call for spells, while some are more suited to physical weapons. Sometimes you'll even need a combination of both. It all depends on your preferred fighting style. Players will also have access to a greater range of physical weapons earlier in the game, and they're generally easier to craft and maintain than powerful magic spells, which can require a pretty significant time investment before players can access them.

4) We'll be seeing the selection of magic spells increase as development continues, even after the Early Access launch - are you able to share any ideas that you or the team had for magic spells or trees that were rejected? Alternatively, are there any ideas for individual spells or magic trees that you'd really like to see be implemented in the future?

We entertained a lot of different ideas for magic spells that we eventually shelved, mainly because we couldn't figure out a way to make them powerful without being unfair. For example, we toyed with a master spell that could lift anything from stones and trees to entire enemy castles, and other spells that could even be used to totally alter the topography of the map. We haven't completely abandoned the ideas - a levitation spell does exist in the game that players can use to lift massive boulders and trees, then catapult at distant targets. We're open to introducing additional powerful spells down the line, and maybe even rethinking some scrapped ideas. When designing a sandbox game, one of the trickiest things is showing players something new and cool and making them feel a sense of freedom while, at the same time maintaining a sense of balance and fairness. As the game expands, we'll have more freedom to introduce more spells and spell trees, but the current roster of weapons and spells should keep players entertained for quite a while.