A minimap and a compass; the dead walk about
- A minimap in the top-left corner during runs: a round radar of the ground around you (about 46 m to the rim), turned so the way you're looking is always up.
- The land: drawn from the depth's own map. In the forest you see clearings, trails, the lake and the river; underground, halls, passages, the chasm and its bridges. Rooms you haven't been in are dimmer.
- Landmarks: extraction, the way down and up, guardians and the warden, vaults and the Reliquary, taverns, the fishing shack, spider lairs and fallen friends' graves, each on its own badge.
- Out of range: extraction, the way down, bosses, taverns and the shack sit on the rim with a pointer toward them.
- Enemies you've spotted: ones seen on screen within 34 m, or anything hunting you. They fade a few seconds after you lose sight of them. Ones on your heels pulse, and bosses wear a gold ring.
- Your party: each player in their own colour, with their initial, or on the rim when they're out of range.
- The frame: a bronze bezel with ticks and N / E / S / W that turn with the view, a soft view cone, and the depth's name underneath.
- A compass across the top centre:
- Ticks every 5° and the cardinal and quarter points, with N in gold. The bearing in degrees sits under a centre notch, and the band fades out at both ends.
- Markers: the nearest extraction (with its distance), the way down (with its distance) and up, the depth's guardian, taverns, the shack, vaults, graves and your party. Enemies hunting you show as red pips.
- Only what you know of shows: landmarks in rooms you've explored, or within 60 m.
- Layout: the full map (M) hides both while it's open. The locked-on target's bar and the extraction bar moved down under the compass, and in co-op the party frames sit under the minimap. The top-right corner now just says "M map".
- Enemies are no longer statues until you come close. When they haven't seen anyone they stroll about near where they were put, stop for a few seconds to look around, and stroll again.
- Spots: picked on the ground and the navmesh, with a clear line to them, so nobody walks into walls, water or off ledges. A stroll that stalls is given up.
- Per enemy:
- Ghouls prowl wider and are restless.
- Spiders skitter in short bursts with long still waits.
- Wraiths drift slowly.
- Guardians hold their post and only look about.
- The warden and mimics keep perfectly still (a chest doesn't stroll).
- Far off (35–70 m): enemies on screen still breathe and shift their weight, animated at a quarter of the frame rate. Those not on screen cost nothing, as before.
- Cost: idle life costs a couple of rays per stroll and the walk itself, only for enemies within 35 m; everything further away stays on the cheap path. Not everyone sets off at once.
VAEL is a co-op dark fantasy extraction dungeon crawler for PC, in active development. Get playtest news by email, or read the wiki.