Hey Smallfolk!
Happy New Year!
We are so excited for 2022 and what we can share with you, so there are exciting things to come, but we'll still be here to answer those burning questions in the meanwhile!
Without further ado...
Q - Will there be bigger areas on the map that are free of trash and leftovers of humans? Many of the little clips we have seen take place in polluted surroundings.
A - Yes, truth be told these are easier to create initially so when you see behind the scenes in some of these shots you have some of the more developed areas, whereas the more organic ones take much more time to create. So they look and feel organic, but still have regular gameplay spaces regarding size, height. Initially in the very early days we did lots of experiments and areas either looked right, or felt right, but rarely both, so it meant a lot of level design rules and revisions. But the short answer is yes, lots of overgrown areas.
Q - Can I only ride my animal friends, or will they protect me like the game horizon zero?
A - It depends on the creature, some follow and some are mounts when tamed. Mounts have different strengths and weaknesses in different situations. And your allies will sometimes attack when you attack like a loyal steed, or initially retreat but attack if you are attacked, some will attack a creature on the same level of the food chain, while others may run away. Some may also cause trouble and get into fights you might not want to have. We are trying to give the creatures as much personality as possible, but also look and feel like real creatures (which are somewhat expressionless), so this is being portrayed via audio and their behaviour to their surroundings.
Q - Okay. Sooooo I don't mean to be super technical, but watching your short diary #2 on armour, based on the insect faction you choose to work with, you stated that you are will be able to craft that insects armour, assuming that you will be rewarded with parts to craft blueprints or even the armour its self as rewards. However, my questions would be based on the armour, is it made from the insects themselves? And if so is that desecrating their dead to get the items to craft the armour? I know this seems a little dark but I am just trying to see this from an angle of what others might think as well. I think the armour sets are really good looking and assuming again that the armour you are showing looks to be like some of the highest tiered armour in the game you will be able to craft toward the end game or much much later. I would love to hear your feedback.
A - Great question, hopefully, we can give some of the insight here as this wasn't a quick decision.
The quick answer is yes, some of the armour is made from the same insect carapace as the species you are aligned with, which in human terms could be somewhat grim. This isn't the case with all creatures, but as an example, Ant armours certainly do use carapaces. This could, as you mentioned, be perceived a little dark but also is in line with one of the major tones of the game; the circle of life. Creatures who are friendly to you may eat one another as predator and prey. And certain creatures will not care about their allies being killed as they put the overall hive first and foremost.
But although we aim to make everything as relatable and realistic as possible, we also want to make sure it's fun and makes sense for gameplay. So in the case of Ants and wearing the Ant armour as a specific example, you have to work with the Ants and you need to earn their trust over time and when worthy, they will trade and gift you some of the elements you need including parts of their fallen for you to create an armour set, which the Smallfolk see as an honour.
Thanks for the great questions, as always!
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