User interface in Griftlands Griftlands guide, walkthrough

In this section of our guide to Griftlands, you will learn more about the in-game interface. Here you will find a description of all the useful features and messages that will make your gameplay easier. You will also learn hotkeys and controls in Griftlands.

• Main user interface
• World map
• Negotiations
• Combat
• Controls and hotkeys

Main user interface

This interface accompanies you throughout most of the gameplay. In the upper right corner there is a portrait of your hero. After targeting it, you can see a brief summary of your character. This allows you to learn more about story' background. Next there is the amount of our shills (currency name in the game), the level of your health and the amount of "resolve" points. Use the former for duels and the latter for negotiations. At the top of this bar you can also see the game time, after moving over it, the overall progress of the game.

On the right you will find icons responsible for: sending information about bugs or feedback to the creators, checking improvements to your armor, cards available in your decks (both for battle and negotiation), relationships with other characters, ongoing task with current objectives you need to complete and the exit menu.

Starting from the left, the bug reporting screen is visible. It is worth recalling here that Griftlands is currently in the alpha phase, so you may encounter some defects or issues. I didn't come across any that would've made it impossible for me to play the game. Just a few graphics glitches. However, it is good that developers thought about such a solution. Moreover, you can immediately send a screenshot revealing a problem even without leaving the game.

As you can see, the developers also have a sense of humor :D

Then there is a tab with your relationships with other characters. It contains a ranking list of separate characters which reveals how much a certain character likes us. Here you can find out why a given character has such a relationship to your hero and see what advantages or disadvantages your acquaintance may bring.

For saving the life of Rasma you got 2 additional points of "resolve".

Next you have an icon responsible for your "grafts", i.e. armor upgrades. You have 3 items supporting the fight at your disposal. And the same number of items to assist in negotiations. During the game you can find additional slots in your armor. When you move the mouse pointer over an item, you get information about its effects and possible disadvantages.

Later on there are two icons responsible for combat and negotiating decks. You can find your current cards in them. Also, you can see the progress in improving them and see two possible evolutions. However, this does not apply to all cards. The basic cards receive two random "evolutions" when upgraded.

Example of two card evolutions, yellow marked changes that occur in relation to the base card.

World map

Playing our heroine Sal we get to a location called Havari. The whole action is taking place in this land. Completing subsequent tasks, you move along its paths. During this time you can find random activities. Also, after a task is completed, the map gets updated. Some tags disappear and new ones appear. So the sequence of tasks is important. For example, if you see a marker on the map that one of your friends needs support and you ignore it - this character may die. Also, you may lose the possibility of receiving a gift or a chance recover a few resolve points thanks to a conversation.

The first view of the map as soon as you leave the Fssh bar

Negotiations

In Griftlands we have two alternate ways to fight. One of them are negotiations. It consists in defeating the opponent by reducing his "resolve" points to zero. At the same time you try to maintain your resolve stat at high level. At the beginning of negotiations we get 5 cards, and arguments for you and the opponent are distributed. They are the result of the relationship with other heroes or the skills of the opponent. We can also bribe a character to help us negotiate.

Arguments appear on the bigger circle - they help you win the fight by aiding you or weakening your opponent. This circle shows the personality of the opponent. This is a skill that works throughout the negotiations.

The opponent has a second smaller circle. It shows the opponent's intentions for the next round. This makes it easier for you to respond to his or her attacks. By pointing the cursor at an argument or intention, you can read more information.

At the top you can see the current state of negotiations, in this case the amount of bonus negotiated. Also, you may check your armor improvements there, if you have any.

At the bottom from the left you can see cards that you will draw in the next round. For each turn you draw 5 cards, the rest goes to the pool of discarded ones. If a pile of cards to be drawn runs out of cards, the set of discarded cards is returned to the pot.

Then you can see the number of action points. Each card requires a sufficient number of action points to play, which can be seen in the top left corner of the card.

If you have already used up all the action points or do not want to play any cards, you can finish the turn with a button in the lower left corner of the screen. Below is the surrender button. It's available only in the negotiations mode. It results in the interruption of negotiations and the loss of negotiated benefits. However, you do not recover the lost "resolve" points.

To the right of these buttons is a set of discarded cards and a trash can. The first is used to store the not-played cards. If a set of draw cards has exhausted, the cards are moved from there. In the trash bin there are cards that can be played only once during the game or cards that are the effect of playing with another card.

A unique type of negotiation is the negotiation of an additional payment for a task. Unlike conventional negotiations, this is where you want to eliminate all side arguments. Usually they are 3 of them. The more resolve points they have, the more bonuses you will get for hitting them. The amount of bonuses gained for destruction of each argument is reduced by 25% for each turn. However, you must remember that in order to get this bonus you need to set the opponent's resolve points to zero.

Combat

Combat and battles are very similar to negotiations. Despite that, combat has several differences. Instead of using "resolve" points, you use health points and use a different set of cards. In case of a loss in negotiations, you lose only all 'resolve' points and the negotiated bonuses. However in case of battle death means the end of the game. To avoid this, you can pay heroes to help you in battle.

Above a character, you can see an indicator that tells you about upcoming damage. If you have a companion, you can also see the damage above your companions' heads.

Under the character you may see the current buffs and debuffs. After hovering you mouse pointer over them you can read more information about them.

Below you can see a health bar. All other characters except our main character have a two-part health bar. When it decreases to this level the character starts to panic, but it only applies to duels with heroes, not monsters. A character stays in panic state for 3 rounds, during this time he or she does not perform any actions. If all our opponents are in a state of panic, then we can end the fight by clicking on the button on the right or finish them.

The system of playing cards is identical to the one used in negotiations. At the beginning of each turn we get 5 cards and the rest are thrown away to a separate stack. For action points you play cards. The game ends with the opponents surrender, get defeated or lose all their health points.

Controls and hotkeys

Griftlands is a card game and has a very simple controls. It's limited to controlling the mouse and a few keyboard shortcuts to simplify gameplay. Press left mouse button (LMB) to select maps, options, window, move around the map and play cards. Use right mouse button (RMB) to check card improvements when selecting them. It is possible to see in advance whether the improvement suits you. You can also hover the mouse pointer over an icon or underlined word. Then, you will see additional information about a location, card, character, faction or effect.

In addition, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts: