Gameplay

## **Overview**

*Monster Hunter Verge* is a wiki-based fan project (not a real game!), styled as a fictional entry in Capcom's long running *Monster Hunter* series. It started development in March, 2020 after the release of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne and even saw an "early access demo" of sorts in 2021 on the Fanon Monster Hunter Wiki. The project went on hiatus for some time but has resumed "development" as of 2022.

Main features critical to *Monster Hunter Verge* are the introduction of an urban environment as a regular hunting ground, the return of underwater combat, and the introduction of dynamic weather patterns and natural disasters. The title's Flagship Monster, ???, is a ???.

### Story

Taking on the role of an already accomplished veteran hunter, you receive an urgent call for aid and travel to a far away land called *The Verge*. Once there you're tasked with protecting a small town called **Avanza**, an impromptu Guild stronghold used to shelter droves of refugees recently displaced by a series of suspicious "natural disasters".

Among the settlements lost is the Verge colony's very own capitol city, **Gran Veya**, the destruction of which has crippled commerce and trade and pushed Avanza's capacity to the breaking point. Fearful and impoverished citizens are eager to return to their homes and rebuild, but with the Guild suspecting an Elder Dragon as the destruction's true cause no reconstruction efforts can yet begin...

As you aid the townsfolk and progress through Village Quests you'll learn more about the history of the Verge, Gran Veya, the disasters, and the Guild's stake in all of this. Solving the mystery of the fallen cities and restoring the balance between man and nature may not be as straight-forward as you had hoped, but now more than ever the Verge needs a hero: and you're it.

## **Gameplay**

### New Content

* 7 new maps, each with their own native fauna, day/night cycles, weather variations, and Disaster States.
* ?? new monsters.
* ?? new monster types, including ?? and ??.

### Grapplehook, Rising Blows & Mounting

All hunters now carry a **Grapplehook**, a variation of the Slinger/Clutch Claw/Wirebug tool from 5th gen Monster Hunters. This wrist-mounted mechanical grappling hook can be aimed and fired to latch onto any solid object within a certain range, quickly pulling the player towards a set point. Like the Wirebug before it the Grapplehook can be used multiple times in a row before encountering a cooldown (3 uses), but unlike the Wirebug the Grapplehook *must* be aimed at a solid object like a wall, tree branch, or monster.
In most instances the player will immediately kick off the surface they've been reeled onto, giving them an opportunity to either fire again and climb higher or do nothing and drop back down.

* Destructible objects in the environment that can be used against monsters (precarious boulders, leaning trees, etc) are highlighted with a special *red reticle* while aiming the Grapplehook. Grappling onto these special areas will make the player cling in place, temporarily becoming exempt from stamina use and recovery. Once ahold the player can then press the grapple/dodge button to dismount, or use any attack button to strike the object and **trigger a trap**!

Using the Grapplehook on monsters works the same way it does on non-destructible objects (ergo, the player will kick off instead of grabbing hold), however there is an extra option: pressing an attack button while being reeled in will cause the player to perform a **Rising Blow**. Rising Blows are essentially jump attacks that use the vertical momentum of the Grapplehook reel to strike higher and harder than normal- useful for fighting especially tall and large monsters!

Performing a successful Rising Blow at exactly the right moment (such as when a monster is staggered or knocked down) may trigger a **Mount**, allowing the player to grab hold of a monster for a short amount of time. This mechanic works more or less the same as it does in Monster Hunter: World, with players able to climb back and forth between different parts of a monster's body while stabbing at it with their knife and using the block button to avoid being thrown off. Successful mounts end in finishing blows that topple monsters and may even break weakened parts like horns or tails.

* Mounts cannot be performed as frequently as in some past games, like Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, nor can they be achieved more easily by repetitious Rising Blows. Factors like a monster's stamina, health, and status are more important for triggering mounts than the height or frequency the player's attacks. This also equalizes each weapon type's proficiency in achieving mounts, as naturally vertical weapons like the Insect Glaive no longer hold an advantage.

### Hunter Ranks

* As in many real MH titles, *Monster Hunter Verge* has three Quest tiers: Low Rank, High Rank, and Master Rank.

*Low Rank* is intended for beginners and veterans who want to learn Verge's new mechanics, and unlike in previous Monster Hunter titles it's an *entirely optional* Rank. Players who choose Low Rank as their starting point will go through a truncated experience performing gathering and combining quests, learning menus and controls, and fighting a limited roster of some of the game's smaller and weaker monsters. Many Low Rank quests are also overseen by NPC instructors/teammates.

In MH: Verge Low and High Rank quests do *not* give different crafting materials, like for example Rathalos Scale versus Rathalos Scale+. This means that while choosing to start at Low Rank *is* slower and less action-oriented, it can also offer players a valuable head-start on gathering in the field and building early game equipment.

*High Rank* quests are for seasoned players ready to sink their teeth into the real "meat and potatoes" of Monster Hunter! Players can ascend to this rank by completing Low Rank or simply choose to start here immediately. Skipping Low Rank allows players to avoid early game tutorials and jump straight into the action, though it is a more unforgiving start, both in terms of quest difficulty and preparation. Wise use of zeni and crafting materials are highly recommended!

Unlike in past titles, High Rank is treated as a continuation of Low Rank rather than a reset point. None of the High Rank quests required to progress are recycled from Low Rank; it is all novel content.

*Master Rank* (as the name might suggest) is for only the most seasoned of hunters! It cannot be skipped to and will only unlock after the player has completed their last High Rank Urgent Quest.

Master Rank quests provide fewer supply items and feature tougher, more aggressive monsters. The player will find themselves "starting over" as in past games, fighting upgraded Master Rank versions of all the monsters they face in Low and High Rank as well as powerful new ones like Elder Dragons. All returning monsters provide new crafting materials, have dramatically increased health and attack, and feature surprising new moves.

Master Rank crafting materials can be used to further improve High Rank gear and forge new armor designs.

### Quest Rewards

* Quest rewards have been totally overhauled. Rather than earning a pool of RNG-based monster parts at the end of a quest, the player is given a set number of Reward Points which they can use to trade for monster parts. Rare parts are available for trade-in just like common parts, but the rarer the item the higher the point cost. Points do not carry over between quests so players need to choose for themselves what they want to earn from each hunt.
	+ For example, a High Rank player who earned 1500 Reward Points by slaying a Rathalos could choose to receive 10 150 point Rathalos Scales or one Rathalos Plate that would cost all 1500 of their points. Either way the player would have to hunt multiple Rathalos to get all the items they need for weapons and armor, but under this system they could prioritize which parts they most want and reduce the need for grind.
	+ Reward Points only replace reward screen items: monster parts can still be obtained from carving monsters and picking up dropped shinies in the field.
	+ The point costs of certain rewards lowers per-quest if the corresponding monster part was broken. For example, a hunter who broke both of a Rathalos' wings might purchase one Rath Wingtalon for 50 points, but a hunter who slew theirs without breaking either would pay have to pay 200.
	+ Monster parts from lower quest tiers remain available for trade-in later on and cost less each time you advance.
	+ In quests with multiple targets each monster has its own separate currency. A player who slew a Rathian and Rathalos would have 1500 Rathian points and 1500 Rathalos points.
	+ Players also receive a non-monster-specific point bonus for every large monster they slay in a quest. These bonus points can be allocated to any category the player chooses.

### Temperatures & Resistances

* Every map now has an ambient Temperature Level (Very Cold, Cool, Warm, Hot, Very Hot) that affects the hunter's performance. As in past titles, becoming too cold drains stamina and overheating drains health; how hot or cold the player is determines how fast the respective attributes drain. To counter these ill-affects two additional stats have been added to all armor sets, **Heat Resistance** and **Cold Resistance**. These resistances do not replace the Hot Drinks and Cold Drinks from previous games but rather work in tandem with them, raising or lowering the player's Temperature by one level. *Example*: A hunter with +1 (low) cold resistance starts to lose stamina in an environment where cold resistance +2 or higher is required. They can take a Hot Drink to raise their cold resistance to +2 and avoid stamina loss.

* + Wearing Temperature appropriate armor will grant hunters a unique Comfort status that slightly boosts Attack and Defense. This status can only be obtained from armor and will not be prompted by taking Drinks. *Example:* Player One has +3 heat resistance and Player Two has +2 heat resistance. Both go into a volcanic area where heat resistance +3 is required. Player Two can use a Cold Drink to avoid health loss, but only Player One will receive the Comfort status.
	+ While the Temperature listed in each quest description is accurate to *most* numbered zones on a map, some individual areas may be hotter or colder than usual! Caves and underwater areas, for instance, are usually at least one level cooler than their surroundings. Zone-to-zone changes like this can be kept track of with the Temperature icon located next to the HUD timer.
	+ Weather can also affect Temperature. *Example:* The Petrified Gorge is normally Hot, requiring heat resistance +2, but if rain sets in the temperature will lower to Warm, negating most hunters' need for Cool Drinks.
	+ The resistances of hunters using mixed sets is averaged. *Example:* A hunter's mixed set has pieces with heat resistance ratings +2, +2, +1, +1, and +3. Their overall heat resistance is averaged and rounded up to +2 (medium heat resistance).

### Misc. Changes

* Rather than having a constantly shifting day and night cycle like *Monster Hunter: World*, MH Verge re-implements Day and Night Quests in the style of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation games. That is, all quests are marked as being set at either day or night and will stay that way for the duration of a hunt.
	+ Free hunt expeditions, however, retain World's day-night cycle. The change happens more slowly than in 5th generation.

* Weather conditions like rain and snow can now stop and start mid-hunt.

* Every map introduced in MH Verge has what's called a **Disaster State**, a harder variant version of itself which is being plagued by a natural disaster.
	+ Disasters do not occur in Low Rank. They can first be encountered in the later part of High Rank, but are treated as pre-set states like Day and Night and so do not change per quest; a hunt is either set during the Disaster State, or it isn't.
	+ In Master Rank natural disasters can strike mid-quest, actively transforming the map a player's on and making conditions much more dangerous. Every quest that *can* introduce a Disaster State will supply a warning in its quest information and will be stamped with a special icon indicating dangerous weather.

* Though not counted as a new *type* of quest, there are now Village and Guild Quests where the player's objective is to hunt an invading monster appearing outside its native range. Functionally these are the same as regular Capture and Slay quests, but the target monster appears on a map it doesn't belong on and acts differently than normal.
	+ The canonical reason these quests are undertaken is to put down or relocate specific problem-monsters that are suffering or disrupting foreign ecosystems.
	+ Displaced monsters are especially aggressive, both towards the hunter and native species, and are much more restless. They rarely linger in one spot for long and will not exhibit their normal calm behaviors like napping and marking territory.
	+ While some exceptions do exist, most monsters do very poorly when removed from their natural habitat. Differences in cover, temperature, and resources tend to cause them enormous stress. This is the source of their heightened aggression but also causes them to tire out much quicker than normal monsters!

* Same species Turf Wars and Turf Wars with outcomes that differ depending on health are now much more common. Additionally, Turf Wars between species that normally don't coexist may be seen under special circumstances like arena and invasion quests.

* Several pre-existing Monster Types have been renamed, cut, or combined to simplify the monster family tree and make each group more distinct and easy to define.

* Small carnivores will gather to feed on nearby carrion. If allowed to feed for too long they can make small monster bodies and severed tails disappear.
	+ Note: This behavior only triggers in small monsters when they're within a certain proximity to hunters. If a solo player cuts off a wyvern tail and gets knocked out before carving then the small monsters in that area *cannot* destroy the tail while the player's returning from base camp. They will likely be gathered around it when they return, however, so the small monsters will need to be killed or scared away! Additionally this means a player in the same situation on an *online* hunt will have to rely on their teammates to defend the tail, as the scavengers there will still be in range of the other players and thus can continue their feeding animation.

* The Buddy system from previous games has been completely overhauled, with four distinct categories and functions: Pals (Felynes & Shakalakas), Pets (housepets & helpers), Seekers (Cohoots, Scoutflies, etc), and Raiders (Palamutes, small monsters).
	+ The Felyne gadgets from fifth generation have been replaced with Pet equivalents. Players now have an option to call on one of the Endemic creatures they've caught to unleash its special ability once per hunt. Ex: A player who captured a Paratoad on their last quest can select it as their helper back at Avanza, then summon it on their next quest to get one free Paratoad stun whenever they want.

* Layered Armor is made available for both High and Master Rank and works differently than in past titles. Any armor set the player crafts will automatically and permanently be added to their list of Layered Armor sets, regardless of whether the original armor is kept or sold.
	+ Invisible helmets are also a toggle-able option from the start in all Ranks, including Low.

* Waterblight is now explained as water filling up a hunter's suit. It can only affect players who are on land and wearing armor. Diving underwater does not inflict waterblight, but emerging from it does.
	+ The visual effects for waterblight and dragonblight have been altered. Waterblight is now shown as water excessively dripping from the player's armor and Dragonblight bolts now manifest on the player's weapon rather than on their character. The color of the weapon also fades while afflicted.