Hi everyone, the devblog is back!
It's been a while since our last dev blog, and for this one, we're going to use a tag team style where our creatives—Sam, Desar, and Fandry—will share their initial vision of Shade and how they worked together to bring it to life.
The flow of this blog will start with Sam's initial brief on Shade, transition to Desar creating the concept and visuals, and conclude with Fandry implementing it into the game that you experienced during the last playtest on Operation Tombstone.
Thanks for reading this! If you want to read more about Shade, read the comics, and know more about the Shade Mythic Entry check our FLASHPOINT EVENT: SHADE RESURGANCE at our lore platform.
Let's start with the initial brief and vision for the monster. For Riftstorm and the larger universe we are building, enemy concept briefs have to balance in-game mechanical needs, narrative nuance, and big-picture IP needs.
The Shade concept began at the top with an IP based directive from the CCO to create an ethereal ghost-like mythic that could have existed throughout recorded history. Igor's brief to the team was as complex and esoteric as one might expect from him: this enemy had to be dangerous enough to create a sense of impending doom, it had to have a deeper narrative meta-commentary on the human condition, and it had to be fun, terrifying, and satisfying to shoot.
From there, the concept had to be further refined for use in Riftstorm and beyond.
So let's start with how our Lead Writer, Sam, took the brief and ran with it.
The Initial Vision
Sam - Lead Writer
Sam and the team wanted to make a monster that we could reuse, seasonally if necessary. "
"We needed an implacable yet concealable foe whose existence could be hinted at in history. Enter the shade. A self-replicating monster which, if left unattended, would quickly spiral out of control, the shades serve as a constant threat to the Mythic Protocol. In our version of history, they have hollowed out whole communities, leaving nothing but the mystery of forgotten towns and abandoned villages." Sam shared when I asked what is the initial vision in creating Shade.
According to Sam, The shade draws its inspiration from the shadow in Jungian psychology, an aspect of our personality that we are often compelled to repress or hide. What Adam brings out is the side of us that we often deny: the bouts of unquenchable anger, or the depths of morbid despair. And with his fatal touch, a new shade is born.
"What makes the shades even more vexing is that Adam, it's progenitor, is virtually unkillable. He reincarnates under specific conditions and these conditions are as inexorable as human nature itself. Adam is reborn in each century by a violent betrayal. His transformation from innocent soul to vengeful spirit embodies the observation that the lowest of lows are sometimes a product of the highest highs.
As part of the flawed species that inevitably betrays Adam, the story makes us as humans complicit in recreating our own curse— with each resurgence forcing us to ask ourselves if we will ever escape this self-afflicted condition."
Sam explained when asked about the creation of the newest boss in the game, Adam.
Every aspect of the shade's origin is a reminder that negative emotions are part and parcel of being human, and I think that makes Adam and the creation of Shade special and personal. In my opinion, it makes Shade realistic, as if it has always existed among us, just waiting for its moment of emergence.
When asked about Sam's favorite story about Shade, he chose the lighthearted yet sad Operation Fog Machine case file about two daring friends who faced the shades with unshakeable belief in each other. Check it out: https://repository.mythicprotocol.com/C-4603.
The shape of Shade
Desar - Sr. Concept Artist
The initial brief for Desar as Senior Concept Artist was to create an enemy with the shape of a "ghost," but not as a representation of a spirit. "It's more like a shapeless energy born from human emotions, so initially, I explored the shape of Shade as a representation of emotions, such as anger represented as a fireball shape, and so on." he explained, while showing us his exploration sketches of Shade.
The initial concept of Shade is quite straightforward for me. However, when considering its implementation in a game, there are many more important considerations to take into account.
Desar and Fandry, the Creative Director, discussed the need for uniformity in creating enemies in the game, ensuring they are easily identifiable for players. The team then established some basic rules:
Shade must have a humanoid shape, derived from humans but not strictly human—it can include broken limbs as long as the silhouette remains recognizable.
Each Shade will also exhibit different auras embedded in them to represent their emotions.
Shades have visible wounds on their back, stemming from how Adam was treated in the past.
"We also want to explore how we can expand Shade into different variations and shapes that help players identify how to react when they encounter them. We use the shades' human emotions and aura as a distinguishing feature. Through this, we incorporate different attack mechanics and shapes. As the art team says, humanoid with body horror, so in a top-down view game like ours, they are easily identifiable," Desar shared about how his discussion with the game team adapted his original ideas for Shade.
Regarding Adam, Desar explained that his story originates from an abusive environment and a quest for vengeance, which is reflected in his design. From the black tears on his face to the straight-lined wounds on his back and angelic wings, these elements signify him as the prime form of Shade, or the "boss" form.
"It was challenging creating something that lacks expression but still shows emotion. When you see Adam, you also notice the same shapes on the 'shadelings' that he controls. It's intentional to not only assimilate others into himself but also to convey his pain and suffering, making him, in my opinion, an inevitable plague." Desar said.
This approach is important because shades are not only created for the general lore but also adaptable into Riftstorm. I think the team has done a great job working together to realize this vision through adaptation without compromising the essential characteristics that define shades.
A Challenging Foe
Fandry - Creative Director
It was when I talked with Fandry that everything started to come together. Fandry shared that the initial briefing for Shade combines both world-building and gameplay experience needs. According to Fandry, his team already had plans in mind to develop the game from the insights gained in the two previous playtests.
"There are two important things to consider in designing enemy combat: first, how you encounter the enemy and how you respond. Currently, we need a crowd melee-based enemy where players face them head-on, equipped with the best weapons to eradicate them," Fandry explained.
He demonstrated how each enemy created in Riftstorm already occupies its own niche, emphasizing the team's need to explore a new mythic that can enhance the game's dynamics for the second playtest.
This requirement arose even before the general concept of Shade was fully formed. After several workshops, meetings, and the exploration of numerous cool ideas and proposals, the team decided that Shade best meets the needs of both gameplay and world-building.
"So, we ultimately settled on a ghost-like creature that aims to overwhelm and assimilate others into its own kind, which we've named Shadelings. It's also controlled by its primary source that spawns more of them, namely Adam," Fandry shared.
Besides the normal shadelings seen in-game, Fandry explained that the next challenge is to make them easily identifiable.
"We worked on different variations and shapes to ensure quick recognition, even in less than 1 second. The team agrees we should maintain a humanoid appearance to better reflect the lore and art, but with a twist through body horror. We also explore auras to convey emotions, which will differentiate their attack movements in-game. It's more challenging because of our top-down perspective, so visibility to players is crucial," Fandry explained.
It was unique to discover the origins of the mythics seen in-game. I also realized that Mania, who spawns purple bubbles surrounding the shadelings, is created from shades she absorbs, so the 'tentacles' are actually the arms of many shadelings!
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What I've learned from this is that the enemies you encounter in the game are meticulously created with intricate details and unique background stories. Every creature in Riftstorm has its own narrative and origins that tie into the broader world of Mythic Protocol. Each must be distinct yet plausible within the game, which is a remarkable achievement accomplished by the creative and game teams.
Listening to the story of Shade has taught me about the skill required to develop narratives like its own and has shown me the incredible storytelling possibilities that extend beyond the game itself.
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Talk soon,
Keeks