Between now and November, we will be sharing content in the form of Themes. These Themes will cover multiple topics from art, lore, weapons and more to provide you insight into our development journey. Lets look at our sixth theme, MINING.
Goodbye banana, hello Cutting Tool!
A versatile, equippable tool designed to interact with specific targets in the game world. Though it functions similarly to a weapon, the cutting tool is built to handle precision tasks, like cutting open mineral deposits, wreckage panels, or other materials that block access to valuable resources. It’s designed specifically for mining and exploration purposes, allowing you to retrieve resources or unlock containers and doors.
How the Cutting Tool works:
- Emits a beam that damages mining targets, allowing you to extract resources or access hidden areas.
- Used to mine mineral deposits, cut open wreckage for salvage, and unlock containers or covered switches.
- Designed to damage targets that respond to frequencies generated by the cutting tool laser, such as ore-rich deposits or latches on wreckage.
Cutting Tool Design:
The cutting tool itself is a tough, rugged piece of kit designed to survive the harshest conditions. Its construction allows it to withstand extended use in unforgiving environments. Additionally, it’s designed to be easily disassembled, ensuring that players can maintain and repair it with minimal effort when needed, making it a reliable companion in exploration and mining operations.
The cutting tool is essential for players exploring hostile environments where quick access to resources or locked areas can mean the difference between success and failure. It’s not just a weapon or a tool, but a key piece of gear for exploration, salvage, and even survival.
Customizing your Cutting Tool
The cutting tool uses mining crystals, each tuned to specific frequencies that are most effective for cutting certain materials. Players need to experiment with these crystals through trial and error to find the right one for the job.
Switching Crystals:
- Switching between crystal types is like swapping ammunition in a weapon. You can cycle through them to see which crystal works best for a particular material.
- Using the wrong crystal slows the process but the correct crystal will allow for faster, more efficient cutting.
- Crystals have limited durability, and once depleted, they must be replaced. Crystals cannot be repaired.
Mining Minigame:
The cutting tool introduces a simple, strategic element to mining: crafting the correct crystal to use for each material. Using the right crystal rewards players with faster cutting, while using the wrong one results in slower progress and may incur potential penalties.
Node Layers and Visual Feedback:
When mining resource nodes, players must cut through layers of material using the correct crystal type to speed up the process. Visual feedback, such as cracks or heat effects, will show how well the crystal is working. However, the process is more about experimenting with different crystals. If the wrong crystal is used, the cutting will take longer, encouraging players to switch crystals until they find the right one.
Chipsets and Customization (concept):
Chipsets can be added to the cutting tool to improve its efficiency, regardless of which crystal is being used. These chipsets provide benefits such as:
- Durability: Each crystal has a limited lifespan, but using the wrong one simply slows progress rather than depleting it faster. Crystals must be replaced when depleted.
- Yield: Enhances the amount of resources collected from nodes.
- Speed: Shortens the cutting time, helping players mine resources faster.
The idea is that these customizations offer the player flexibility depending on their playstyle—whether they prefer efficient resource gathering, faster gameplay, or a balance of both.
Combat Feedback:
Although the cutting tool is not designed for combat, it can deal minor damage to characters. However, for the upcoming release, the feedback for damaging characters might be rudimentary. Expect a more developed combat feedback system in future updates.
Until next time,
o7