🎮Game Design

1/ Elemental Counter System

$$Base Cycle: Earth → Water → Fire → Leaf → Earth$$

Special Elements

• Light (Super): Wins against all four natural elements but loses to Dark.

• Dark (Unique): Wins against all elements and only draws when facing another Dark unit.

Attacker ↓ / Defender →	Earth	Leaf	Water	Fire	Light	Dark
Earth (Base)	Draw	Lose	Win	Lose	Lose	Lose
Leaf (Base)	Win	Draw	Lose	Win	Lose	Lose
Water (Base)	Lose	Win	Draw	Lose	Lose	Lose
Fire (Base)	Win	Lose	Win	Draw	Lose	Lose
Light (Super)	Win	Win	Win	Win	Draw	Lose
Dark (Unique)	Win	Win	Win	Win	Win	Draw

Elemental mastery is key to predicting enemy choices and achieving chain victories.

Turn-Based RPG Mechanics

Ether Arena uses a lightweight turn-based combat system emphasizing team synergy and elemental counterplay.

Players must assemble balanced teams of Heroes and Monsters to maximize PvP performance.

• Win Element Duel: Character enters Attack State, dealing damage.

• Lose Element Duel: Character enters Hurt State, receiving damage.

• Draw Outcome: Both characters attack simultaneously, exchanging damage.

This system fuses resource management, elemental prediction, and stat optimization, creating an arena where strategy and production efficiency determine victory.

2/ Combo & Skill System

Combat in EtherForge features two layered damage mechanics, each rewarding skillful timing and consistent play.

Standard Damage + Combo Mechanism

$$\text{Actual Damage} = \Big( \text{ATK}{total} \times \frac{100}{100 + \text{DEF}{total}} \Big) \times \text{ComboMultiplier}$$

Combo Multiplier Rules:

Consecutive Wins	Combo Multiplier	Description
1	×1	Standard attack
2	×2	Minor combo bonus
3	×3	Full combo streak bonus

This system rewards consistent performance, simulating combat momentum and rewarding skilled tactical play.

Skill Power Mechanism

• Each round win grants +1 Power Point.

• Losing a round does not reset Power Points.

• Upon reaching 4 total wins, the next attack becomes a Skill Attack, dealing 3× damage, then resets the Power bar to 0.

3/ Victory Conditions

• A unit immediately loses when its HP ≤ 0.

• If the 3-minute timer expires and both players still have surviving units:

  • The system compares Total HP + DEF of both teams.

  • The side with a higher combined total wins.

  • If totals are equal → Draw.