We're talking about pet design in Crashlands 2!
But before that, a quick announcement:
We're launching the public Crashlands 2 demo on May 21 It features the first about 2 hours of game content, so you'll finally get to see what we've been working on for the past four years. We're very excited to hear what you think.
Okay, back to pets!
We had pets in the original Crashlands, and we'd be absolute monsters to not continue the tradition with Crashlands 2. Although pets were fun and varied in the original, we felt like we could take things up a few notches in the sequel:
- We wanted each pet to feel more unique compared to other pets of different species in every respect -- its abilities, its passive benefits, and even how you acquire the pet in the first place.
- We wanted your pet to feel like something you interacted with during combat (at least a little), rather than a fully autonomous being that you never had to think about.
- We wanted each pet to have more meaningful stories behind it, both in terms of its backstory (where did this pet come from?), as well as what it means to raise the pet and help it to grow.
How are we doing all of that? Read on to learn about Pet design in Crashlands 2! Or, for a more visual experience, go watch the video version
The Pet Distribution System
In the original Crashlands we had a somewhat... gross approach to finding pets. You'd be out fighting creatures for resources, and eventually (and at random) you'd knock an egg right out of a creature! Then you could take it home, incubate it for a bit, and hatch your very own adorable little buddy.
We wanted pet-finding to be more story-driven in Crashlands 2. And, frankly, a bit less gross! Eggs in Crashlands 2 don't just randomly pop out of something -- the egg comes from something more meaningful.
Every egg you acquire in Crashlands 2 is obtained through an authored experience unique to that egg. Sometimes you'll follow a story that brings you to an egg, while other eggs just exist out in the world in their natural habitat, waiting for you to find them. Some eggs are well-hidden, while others need rescuing from perilous situations.
Pregnant Pauses
So you've got your egg, now what? In the original you'd just sorta wait around while it incubated. But that's hardly the behavior of a responsible pet owner! In Crashlands 2 you've gotta prove you can take care of your new baby by giving it care and attention even before it hatches.
Although you'll still need to construct a nest to incubate your egg, the job doesn't stop there! You must understand what each egg needs to allow it to begin incubating properly. Some eggs like a lot of noise and activity. Some eggs require light, while others require darkness. Some like open spaces, while others must be cramped into a broom closet.
Only once you've set up your egg's space to meet its needs will it begin to incubate!
Embiggening
To grow your pet big and strong, you must EMBIGGEN it! In the original game, that meant simply crafting a particular item and feeding it to your pet. In Crashlands 2, you have to do better than just feeding your beloved beast. This could mean just about anything, since every pet is unique!
Some pets will need to learn about where they come from, so you'll take them on journeys to important locations. Some will need to learn to fight certain predators that their wild kin routinely face. Some pets will want to go on the warpath, seeking revenge against those who wronged their families. And one particularly gluttonous type of pet will learn important lessons about food by watching you eat certain things from the environment.
Once your pet has learned everything it needs to know for its stage of life, you can empower it with a Juice Jem to embiggen it, granting it new powers and capabilities and a fresh new look!
To What End?
While all I want for my real-world pets is for them to simply exist and be adorable (and be spoiled absolutely rotten), in my video games I want my pets to do cool stuff!
(Who am I kidding, I'd also be happy to just spoil them rotten in video games...)
In the original Crashlands, pets were invincible companions that followed you around and helped you fight things. Like cats in the real world, they sorta did that however they wanted to.
In the new game your pets are better trained. Every pet in Crashlands 2 has a meaningful combat ability that you can choose to deploy at will. Pets have a range of fighting styles, damage profiles, damage types, and effects that they can use against opponents.
On top of an active ability, each pet also provides passive benefits that alter your own gameplay in important ways. Some of these benefits are totally passive, like stat improvements, while others are more reactive. For example, one type of pet will keep your weapons poisoned while it is with you, granting your attacks a chance to poison your targets!
Pet abilities and synergies can be further customized by Masteries that your pet learns as it grows up, allowing you to push your pet's combat abilities and passive benefits in a direction that suits your particular playstyle.
As you and your pet journey through the world together, both of you will grow and change over time, becoming stronger and more capable as a team. Just like real life!
And with that, it's time to close out this edition of the Bscotch Ballyhoo. Until next time, and don't forget about the demo going live on May 21.
💖 Your Fairy Godmothers,
Adam Coster & Seth Coster
Webslinger & Game Programmer @ Battlesloth Shemonkeygans