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Introducing Mutations 🧬
We’re excited to announce that the 🧬 Mutations feature is live. We postponed the release of this long-awaited system several times to refine other core aspects of the game, such as shooting mechanics, light system redesign, and UV lights. Now, we’re ready to share more about the mutation system, how it’s designed, and why it’s shaped the way it is.
Design Philosophy Behind Mutations
A core part of the alien design is to create constant tension within the extraction environment. Camping isn't a viable strategy because the third faction—the aliens—can hear, sense, and relentlessly hunt you. This forces players to keep moving and make tactical decisions.
However, this design came with a challenge: aliens had a stale power curve. Their strength depended entirely on starving mercenaries of resources and catching them at their weakest. To counteract this, we needed to introduce a system that allowed aliens to grow in power dynamically during a match.
The Mutations system is a scalable in-session progression mechanic that allows aliens to adapt their abilities to their preferred playstyle or counter the specific enemies they face. As time passes, aliens grow stronger through their actions, becoming an ever-greater threat to mercenaries lingering in dangerous zones or pushing for high-value loot.
How Does the Mutations System Work?
Aliens begin each session at mutation level 1, starting with no mutations. From there, they can earn mutation points in four main ways:
- Collecting eggs
- Observing Mercenaries in medium proximity
- Successfully using skills
- Knocking out and killing Mercenaries
Once enough mutation points are accumulated, aliens can unlock a mutation.
The Power of Mutations
Mutations offer a variety of options to enhance gameplay. They allow aliens to:
- Modify Existing Skills: Tailor abilities to fit different playstyles or scenarios.
- Add Passive Effects: Gain new advantages to complement their strategies.
This system creates a dynamic power curve for aliens. Early in the session, they hunt for mercenaries’ mistakes and vulnerabilities. As the session progresses, they evolve into formidable threats, making it increasingly difficult for mercenaries to survive in high-risk areas.
Mutation Effects & Levels
- Mutation Level 2: Slime Spit improvements (see the screenshot above ⬆️), such as increased damage, faster slime spit, slow effect, or healing reduction for victims of a slime spit for a limited time.
- Mutation Level 3: Egg Trap improvements (see the screenshot above ⬆️), such as an armored egg, an egg that deals more damage, an egg that replaces baby alien with an explosion that slows enemies around the egg, or an egg that senses nearby mercs, revealing their position to the alien player.
- Mutation Level 4: Passive effects, such as reduced incoming damage, increased movement speed, or increased damage traded for vulnerabilities.
- Mutation Level 5: EMP improvements, such as increased range, damage output, temporary shield, or healing from disabling devices around you.
- Mutation Level 6: Scream Wave improvements, such as reduced cooldown, increased resistances against targets of a scream wave, or slow down effect.
Aliens will start with two mutations per mutation level, with additional mutations becoming available with higher Alien levels.
The Future of Mutations
While some rough edges and balancing issues may emerge during this initial phase, we’re committed to addressing them. Your feedback and gameplay data will guide us as we release regular balance patches in the weeks following the feature's launch.
Once we’ve established a solid foundation, we’ll expand the system by adding more options for existing mutation levels and introducing new mutations for abilities we haven’t yet enhanced, such as invisibility, enhanced melee combat, and acid cloud. This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to see how you evolve your playstyles with these additions!
Update 0.7.2: December 25, 2024
General Changes:
- Introducing first iteration of alien mutations;
Merc Changes:
- Improved aiming using optic sights, allowing to aim much lower;
- Improved weapon animations when aiming down sights while crouching;
Alien Changes:
- “Mutations” menu is unlocked now, showing all of the available mutations that aliens could pick up in session;
- Aliens now have mutations levels, that are advanced by gaining mutation points;
- Aliens can get mutation points through stalking, collecting eggs, successfully using abilities and knocking or killing mercs;
- Alien melee attack now increases through mutation levels, starting from 12 and growing to 15;
- On mutation level two, aliens can choose from egg trap mutations: Savage Spawn, Fortified Shell, Viscous Trap, Seeker Egg;
- On mutation level three, aliens can choose from slime spit mutations: Rapid Reflux, Voluminous Bile, Venom Surge, Viscous Grasp, Corrosive Wounds;
- On mutation level four, aliens can choose from EMP mutations: Amplify, Surge, Pulse Shield, Light Drain, Overload;
- On mutation level five, aliens can choose from passive mutations: Shroud, Fast, Plated, Glass Cannon;
- On mutation level six, aliens can choose from scream wave mutations: Rapid Scream, Berserk, Echoing Reach, Extended Scream, Paralyzing Echo;
Just a heads-up, Level Zero: Extraction is 50% off until January 2nd:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1456940/Level_Zero_Extraction/
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