Dark Deity Bonds Details Explanation

In Chip Moore's 2021 turn-based indie strategy game Dark Deity, the term "bonds" refers to a series of interpersonal character unit conversations that are unlocked if certain conditions are met by the actions of the player. Similar mechanics have been seen before (the bonds that develop between the quirky✨ cast members of Fire Embl𝓀em: Three Houses, for instance), and while they're not particularly difficult to understand, there's precious little information aggregated for Moore's title.

That's where we come in. Whether a potential player is brushing up on the basics before setting out on their journey or a full-fledged completionist bracing for their fifth playthrough to find that one missing piece, there's enough information compiled here to ensure smoother sailing along the way.

10 How𒁏 To Access The Bond Mechanic

Dark Deity characters stare out into the distance

The player will not be granted immediate access to the bond system. Once loaded in, the player must move through a series of establishing cutscenes, as we꧑ll as a tutorial battle, before acquiring the full menu of utilities.

To access the bond system, the player must click on the tab labeled Bonds while recouping at the camping ground, which operates as a hub between campaigns. Once 🍸in the menu, you are given a list of all currently available bond conversations for whichever character you currently have selected.

9 🍌 🧸 How To Develop Bonds

A swordfighter and an archer stand together in Dark Deity art

The key to unlocking the bonds is choosing to have two characters fight side by side during any given level. The levels are top-down arenas traversed via a grid system, akin to 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Fire Emblem, so side by side means close tile proximity and matching targets.

This might seem simple enough, however, as the maps grow in size, your team will be stretched thinner as they attempt to strategically cover more ground. If the player is equally intrigued𓆉 by story depth as well as the battle mechanics, pressing for specific bonds can add another layer of challenge, depending on their team lineup.

8 The Mechanic Is Optional If You're All About The Combat And Main Story

While player action will naturally unlock bonds through the game's progression, interacting with the bond system is entirely optional. The menu is not forced upon the player, and the main story will not be affected should this mechanic go totally ignored.

This allows for a diverse number of gameplay experiences that can better suit a wide range of player preferences. Had the bond system been mandatory, the overall quality of the product would decrease, as the action would seem much more time-consuming. Developing these bonds will make progress take longer, and the concept doesn't appeal to everybody (grinding is an unwelco🎐me aspect of the genre for some, after al🃏l). Making it optional was a great decision, then.

7 There's No In-Game Reward For Bonds

The team begins their quest in Dark Deity

It's vital to note that there is no mechanical value to unlocking these bonds. The characters who have achieved bonds will not receive any stat bonuses, new weapons, extra skins or cosmetics, or even combo moves for the bonded pair to dazzle their enemies with.

The primary function of the bonds is to flesh out the lo🔴re of Dark Deity by deepening the connections between the characters the player has chosen꧑ to use. For anyone seeking gameplay alone, these conversations will only serve to lengthen the time between rounds.

6 ꦗ 💫 There Are An Awful Lot Of Potential Bonds To Build

Barbarian boasting over his stats in Dark Deity

For the players with a vested interest in the character unit relationships, there's an abundance of good news. Dark Deity boasts more than 450 unique conversations to unlock, digest, and dissect.

These scenes, unfortunately, aren't voice acted. This further differentiates them from the main campaign, as they play out in a similar manner to a visual novel, with crisp character sprites partially obscured behind a silent textbox. The positive here is that the player may peruse the conversations at the preferred scrolling pace, not missing a line of the dialogue.

5 You Can't Build Them All In One Playthrough

With thirty character units, over 450 unlockable conversations, and only twenty-eight chapters to play through, the boundaries had to be set somewhere. Each character unit may only cr⛎eate bonds with ten other prominent characters during any giv🍷en playthrough.

Therefore, it would require multiple runs (approximately three per unit) to view every single possible bond that's programmed into the game. While that might create tension for the completioniꦓsts in the community, it leads to more organically varied gaming experiences for recreational players.

4 Relationships Operate On A Tiered System ﷽

Each character unit bond has three separate levels: ranked A, B, or C. A is the highest possible grade, which translates to three separate i🍃nteractions outside of the field of battle (which can be accessed at your leisure).

The current rank for any given relationship will be readily visible on the Bonds menu. Not all levels are immediately available to the player, however. In certain cases, a specific rank might be hidden behind a story event. This functions similarly to the "Hear a Tale" function in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Octopath Traveler, ▨where almost every viable interaction only exists if progꦿress parameters are met by the player.

3 🌜 True Completionists Will Be Disappointed By The Steam Achievements

While it is true that the bond system is optional, and that uninterested players may choose to avoid it, trophy hu🍨nting completionists (who often find hundreds of hou🦩rs of engagement in RPGs) are in for a little bit more work. Steam has an achievement attached to ful🅷ly leve💝ling up a single bond: The Best of Friends.

There is also an achievement for completing the entirety of the game, aptly called Dark Deity, which requires the aforementioned achievement to be unlocked first. There is no achievement for fully maxing the rankings for every single bond relationship, unfortunately for those most dedicated.

2 🌌 The Bonds On Offer Unfold In Fascinating And Varied Ways

Functionality aside, the conversations themselves can prove a wellspring of genuine entertainment. In most cases, the bond conversations offer enough information that the player may see a small yet totally encapsulated story.

Some character units will engage in friendly chat and chide each other, while some even fight or express romantic interest in each other. There are no mechanics in Dark Deity to act upon any of these deepened interactions, but they provide sufficient fodder for the imaginative mind, especially ❀with those party members that the player might form their own kind of bond with.

1 The Mechanic Was Central To🌳 The Development Of 🌳Dark Deity

Chip Moore has made no secret of the time that went into polishing the bond system. In an interview with , Moore broke down what he felt was important about bringing RPGs into the modern era. He openly stated, "in terms of limiting scope, the bonds are the big deal. Hitting a reasonable amount of bonds that we can write and have be good."

As previously mentioned, Moore's definition of a decent amount of bonds ultimately turned into a formidable 450+. Those who enjoy teasing every drop of lore out of their RPGs will certainly find Dark Deity a rich and engaging experience. Of course, you shouldn't expect the depth and character progression offered by the likes of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:BioWare's greatest in-game companions, though.