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Everspire – Floor Types

Document: Game Design – Everspire – Floor Types
Status: Exploratory
Last updated: 2026-01-13

1. Purpose

This document defines the different floor types within the Everspire and their roles in progression, pacing, and player experience.

Goals:

  • structure long-form Everspire runs
  • clearly separate authored vs procedural content
  • support weekly regeneration without frustration
  • reinforce cooperation, role value, and mastery
  • prevent degenerate farming patterns

Each floor type exists to serve a specific gameplay and emotional purpose.

2. High-Level Floor Taxonomy

Everspire floors fall into four primary categories:

  1. Generic Floors – procedural exploration and combat
  2. Gate Boss Floors – progression checkpoints with fixed boss arenas
  3. Safe Zone Floors – social and logistical hubs
  4. Special Floors (future) – challenge, puzzle, or event-driven variants

Not all floor types appear at all depths.

3. Generic Floors

3.1. Role and Intent

Generic floors form the core journey of the Everspire.

They are designed to:

  • test execution and coordination
  • reward exploration and scouting
  • introduce risk-reward decisions
  • vary moment-to-moment gameplay

Most player time in active combat is spent here.

3.2. Generation Model

  • Fully procedurally generated
  • Built from:
    • room graph structure
    • modular setpiece chunks
  • Deterministic per week (same layout for all players)

The generator controls:

  • room count and branching
  • enemy placement
  • trap anchors
  • optional secret connections
  • skip route eligibility

3.3. Features

Generic floors may contain:

  • combat rooms
  • elite encounters
  • traps (counterable by scouts)
  • secret rooms (chance-based)
  • optional mini-objectives
  • skip routes (locked and conditional)

3.4. Failure Handling

  • On wipe: restart at the beginning of the floor
  • No checkpoints inside the floor
  • Encourages learning and coordination without excessive punishment

4. Gate Boss Floors

4.1. Role and Intent

Gate boss floors represent major progression milestones.

They exist to:

  • block access to deeper Everspire sections
  • provide mastery-focused encounters
  • anchor weekly progression emotionally
  • prevent trivial farming of deeper content

Gate bosses are where players prove readiness, not grind efficiency.

4.2. Structural Composition

Gate boss floors are hybrid:

  • Procedurally generated approach
    • similar to a generic floor
    • controlled path length
    • limited branching
  • Fixed, handcrafted boss arena
    • always the final node
    • consistent geometry
    • authored mechanics and telegraphs

The exit to the next checkpoint is locked until the gate boss is defeated.

4.3. Boss Arena Design

Gate boss arenas are:

  • stable across weeks
  • tuned for clarity and fairness
  • designed around role interaction (Vanguard blocks, Scout utility, Striker burst windows)

The arena layout never changes, even when:

  • enemy patterns evolve
  • weekly modifiers are applied
  • difficulty scales

4.4. Rewards and Progression

Gate bosses typically reward:

  • adventurer rank progression credit
  • blueprint fragments
  • account-bound progression items
  • company-related objectives

They do not serve as efficient gold or loot farms.

4.5. Failure Handling

  • On wipe: restart at the beginning of the gate boss floor
  • No skipping the boss
  • Repeated attempts are expected and supported

5. Safe Zone Floors

5.1. Role and Intent

Safe zones are rest and social anchors within the Everspire.

They exist to:

  • provide checkpoints
  • enable party regrouping
  • support social interaction
  • reinforce a sense of journey and progress

Safe zones are places players remember.

5.2. Design Characteristics

Safe zones are:

  • fully handcrafted
  • visually distinct and recognizable
  • never procedurally generated
  • identical across all instances

They may include:

  • vendors
  • crafting services
  • repair stations
  • storage access
  • adventurer guild terminals
  • NPCs and ambient storytelling

5.3. Restrictions

Safe zones:

  • contain no enemies
  • contain no traps
  • contain no secret rooms
  • contain no high-value loot

They are intentionally non-farmable.

5.4. Checkpoint Rules

  • Reaching a safe zone unlocks a checkpoint
  • Players may start future runs from the last unlocked safe zone
  • Progress beyond the safe zone still requires clearing the next gate boss

6. Special Floors (Future Expansion)

6.1. Purpose

Special floors introduce variety and novelty without disrupting the core loop.

They may include:

  • challenge floors
  • puzzle-focused floors
  • environmental hazard floors
  • narrative event floors

These floors are optional and carefully paced.

6.2. Integration Rules

Special floors:

  • never replace gate boss floors
  • never act as checkpoints
  • never allow skipping required progression
  • may be excluded from certain weeks

They enhance, not redefine, the Everspire experience.

7. Weekly Regeneration Rules

  • All procedurally generated floors regenerate weekly
  • Gate boss arenas and safe zones remain unchanged
  • Existing instances continue unaffected
  • New instances reference the new weekly layout

This ensures freshness without disruption.

8. Design Rationale

This floor type system:

  • balances procedural freshness with authored quality
  • prevents exploitative farming
  • supports long-term mastery
  • keeps social spaces meaningful
  • scales well for an indie team

The Everspire feels designed, not random.

9. Open Questions

  • Should gate bosses rotate weekly, seasonally, or via variants?
  • How frequently should special floors appear?
  • Should some safe zones offer optional risk-based activities?
  • How visible should floor type indicators be to players?

These will be refined through iteration and playtesting.

End of document.

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