Survivors! Over the last few weeks after the announcement, we have dedicated some time to address specific questions from the community on our Discord in form of Developer Blog Posts. We decided it would be much more convenient to mirror those on Steam in a collected format, meaning that this news includes the last (and first) 3 Developer Blogs to Endzone 2. As Discord is our main platform for feedback and discussion within the community, we highly recommend joining us and sharing your feedback there.
The Badlands
- I've seen my fair share of wrecked places, but this one is different. It reminds me of a book from when I was a kid – stories my grandpa told about the Grand Canyon, with its huge plateaus and cliffs. Even though we're nowhere near America, something big must've hit here. Lots of rainfall probably turned this area into a dangerous swamp over the last century.
The place feels strange, and I'm not ready to trust it. We need to reach higher ground, one of those plateaus in the distance. The surroundings seem like they're holding their breath, like something's about to happen. We've got to be smart about every step we take. Climbing up to a plateau should give us a better view and maybe some safety. The rocks and water know their own stories, but we're the ones who have to decide what happens next. -
What are the Badlands
The Badlands, characterized by toxic swamps, is a remnant of the massive flood and natural disasters depicted in Endzone - A World Apart. The Badlands, now consisting of only a few rivers, remains largely unexplored, inhospitable, and harbors numerous undiscovered dangers.
Conversely, the habitable territories boast untouched flora and fauna, providing an environment where life can flourish.
The Badlands constitute the region that lies between the habitable territories. We differentiate between these areas based on the fact that settlements can only be established on plateaus. Unlike habitable territories where structures like Watertowers or a Tree Nursery can be constructed, in the Badlands, you can re-establish certain ruins to function as Trading Post later on. Furthermore, settlers can embark on expeditions to explore diverse new ruins. A thoroughly revamped system enables you to engage with the world more deeply, as you directly assume control of your explorers during these expeditions. Certain structures might still be functional, offering resources to support your settlements.
The playable Map
The Badlands, and correspondingly, the habitable territories, are divided into three sectors. To gain access to these sectors, you need to restore the connection points that enable river crossings. Although you can actively choose where to initiate your first settlement by driving your bus across the Badlands within the first sector, the other sectors will become available as you progress in the game.
Similar to Endzone - A World Apart, the world is scattered with a multitude of ruins, many of which can now be discovered, looted, and utilized to generate resources beyond your settlement. While the Badlands present an expansive and perilous landscape, understanding your surroundings can prove extremely valuable and necessary. Initially shrouded in a dense fog, the Badlands gradually unveil themselves as you uncover certain locations.
A look ahead
Moreover, forging trading routes and discovering trading posts operated by familiar and cherished characters necessitates traversing the Badlands. To prepare for a variety of situations, a range of trusty vehicles like the iconic bus from Endzone - A World Apart will be at your disposal, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. We'll delve further into the topic of vehicles in the upcoming weeks, so be sure to keep an eye out.
Introducing the new Map Generation, you also have the freedom to establish a settlement on another habitable territory as your sphere of influence expands. Load your vehicles with the required resources and a group of settlers to kickstart the building process. Then, venture into the Badlands, cross the river, and begin a new settlement on a distinct plateau. This settlement will possess its own inventory, resources, and workforce.
Habitable Territories and Map Generation
- The sight is truly breathtaking. Mountains never really called my name, but living down there doesn't sit right with me either. It's hard to believe how the landscape changes as you follow the slope – a polluted, swampy, almost lifeless terrain giving way to paradise. Let's hope this plateau offers a better life than what we've known. From what I can tell, there are similar structures around here, and maybe other groups have gone through what we have. Let’s hope there are other settlements that found their way and made it through the Badlands unharmed. -
What is a Zone?
The zones in Endzone 2 constitute the inhabitable area where you can establish your settlements. A zone is defined as being situated on an elevated plateau, accessible from the Badlands via ramps. Zones differ from the rest of the map in that typical buildings like the Forester, the Watertower, or the Lead Caster be constructed. The Badlands, on the other hand, mostly retain the role of hosting expeditions and dangerous encounters. Each zone looks different from one another and may possess lakes, mountains, as well as various resource deposits. It's quite possible that a zone is not self-sustainable and needs to be supplied with basic resources from other sources.
But what determines the shape and composition of a zone? We have developed a dedicated terrain generation system that allows us to easily design and generate new zones. Just as straightforward as it sounds, it is also implemented in practice: We use a proprietary tool to define the boundaries and shape of a zone using color codes.
How Terrain is created
We use red to sketch how our zone should look. With blue, we define where water can be found. Using green, we control the distribution and generation of mountains. Furthermore, we establish the locations of forests and scrap, the types of soil present on the zone, as well as where and how the access to the plateaus, i.e., the ramp, appears.
The whole process looks something like this:
Once all the settings have been configured, we save the preset and set our terrain generator, which we've built in World Machine, to run automatically and generate the corresponding data for us. The zone is also automatically updated in our engine and can be further edited. This allows us to dynamically determine whether, where, and how many resource slots, such as those for copper or iron, should be placed, as well as ruin sets that you are already familiar with from Endzone 1. This can include power plants, small individual towns, and much more.
The best thing about this workflow and its simplicity, however, is that it is compatible with Modding. We are already planning and developing with the anticipation of possibly enabling every player to access our tools and create their own plateaus to be played in the game.
Mod Support
Please note, however, that Mod-Support, as communicated multiple times during Endzone 1 already, is very challenging and requires a significant amount of work time. If we do enable support, it will not happen at the start of the Early Access phase!
Vehicles
I wouldn't dare to traverse the Badlands on foot. Our mechanics truly outdid themselves with the Pathfinder. It now rumbles on the final drops of fuel salvaged from the depths of Endzone, offering us only a fleeting journey. We can only pray that we'll reach that distant Plateau, several kilometers to the north, before the last vestiges of gasoline vanish. The prospect of hauling all our precious cargo across this muddied expanse without a proper vehicle is a grim one, indeed.
Fulfilling a Long-Awaited Wish
In Endzone 2, we are bringing to life a feature that many of you have eagerly requested: vehicles! These vehicles will play a significant role in Endzone 2 right from the start of a new game.
Realistic Vehicle Simulation
Let's talk about the simulation of our vehicles. Our aim is to create an authentic look and feel. This involves ensuring that vehicles navigate terrain as realistically as possible, taking smooth turns, and accelerating and decelerating just as you would expect from a vehicle. However, we also understand that the simulation should not hinder gameplay, so we are continuously refining it. There will be some compromises along the way. Here, you can see early tests focused on achieving a satisfying driving experience.
Controlling Vehicles
For the first time in Endzone, vehicles will introduce actively controllable units. You can select one or more vehicles and send them to any location with a simple right-click. However, vehicles are designed to exclusively operate in the Badlands to avoid conflicting with the core gameplay of the Plateaus. After all, driving a fast and agile buggy through muddy, swampy wasteland is much more fun than being stuck in traffic within a settlement, right?
Variety of Vehicle Types
In Endzone 2, you'll have access to various vehicle types, each with unique characteristics. Currently, we are testing attributes like speed, inventory capacity, combat strength, and damage points.
For instance, the fast buggy is excellent for exploring new areas but is not well-equipped for defense and can't carry much. In a pinch, it can transport a bit of water or food from one place to another. We are planning additional vehicle types to enrich the gameplay further.
Vehicle Manufacturing
You'll be able to manufacture vehicles in specific production chains within Plateaus. To do this, you'll first need to find the necessary vehicle blueprints, which can be discovered on expeditions, purchased from traders, or obtained through missions.
How Vehicles Are Useful
The most important question of course is: What do I need vehicles for anyways?
A new session in Endzone 2 begins with the familiar bus from Endzone 1, also known as the "Pathfinder". There will be only one Pathfinder in a play session. Right at the beginning, you'll discover one of the most crucial uses of vehicles: transporting settlers and resources to unlock new zones.
An important note: When you load settlers into a vehicle, they consume water and food from its inventory. If none is available, the loaded settlers will die. Nonetheless, you'll need settlers to unlock zones and possibly transport them to those already unlocked. So, be mindful of your actions and routes for the well-being of your settlers. And don’t worry, a vehicle itself can always be controlled, even without settlers in its inventory.
Creating Trading Routes
Since you won't use them for this purpose regularly, you can employ vehicles for various other tasks. You can assign them to trade routes to automatically transport resources between zones, send them to traders to purchase new goods or overcome resource shortages, or send them to interesting locations on the map for expeditions.
Finally, they should also be able to defend against raider vehicles that may attack your trade routes and, potentially, your zones. We are approaching the design of this feature with utmost care, as raiders are expected to be significantly improved over Endzone 1. So everything regarding this feature is subject to change.
Last but not least…
To address a few specific questions:
What about the hot air balloons from Endzone 1?
We haven't forgotten about the fantastic hot air balloons you know from our DLC, Distance Places. Whether they will make an appearance in Endzone 2 is uncertain. We want to keep our options open and introduce them at the right moment for an improved gaming experience.
Can vehicles leave the map?
No, that is not currently planned. Vehicles will move around the Badlands, playing a vital role in the gameplay there.
Do vehicles need to be fueled?
We currently have no plans to introduce such a mechanic, as we believe it could lead to frustration and unnecessary complexity in gameplay
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2144640/Endzone_2/