Hello Riftbreakers!
It’s a pretty intense period in our studio. We’re firing on all cylinders, working on dozens of additions to make The Riftbreaker the best it’s ever been. The programmers are implementing prediction algorithms to make co-op play smooth and predictable even over long-distance connections. Our artists are busy sculpting the powerful Omega creatures, the most powerful strains of Galatean monsters we’ve yet seen. At the same time, the design department is implementing gameplay changes and entirely new features with the free endgame update in mind. Today, we will show you some of the latest additions to The Riftbreaker. No lengthy stories or design deep-dives today - we just want to share some cool stuff that happened over the past few weeks. Enjoy!
NEW OMEGA STRAIN CREATURE VARIANTS
We already discussed these monstrosities in depth in an article a couple of weeks ago. Not all the creatures were ready for the show by then. Since then, our artists have managed to finish a couple of brand-new models and skins. They look just as dangerous as they are in the game, so we think you will enjoy testing your skills against these creatures on the battlefield.
The Necrodon family gathering. As you can see, the clan elders have been hitting the gym pretty consistently. The regular Necrodons are relatively small and look brittle thanks to their thin arms and legs. We wanted to make the Omega strain a bit bulkier to help it stand out in the crowd. The Omega strain will stay far beyond the frontline, just like the regular creature, supplying the enemy attack waves with endless ranks of the dead. Get your longest range towers ready!
Gnerots are naturally big and bulky. Our first attempt to make the Omega strain different from the regular version included spikes and extra stones. However, we weren’t quite happy with the result. The original Gnerot blends with the environment well when it is sleeping, and we wanted to keep that property.
The next step was to literally stick some of the rocks that naturally occur in the game to try to determine what shape would work best.
The end result was a blend of all the options we considered. We wanted the rocks on the Gnerot Omega’s back to be blunt and eroded. We also decided to keep the rocky arm ‘gauntlet’ from the first version. We think this version is distinct enough but maintains the character of the original.
“dope af” - one of the devs, 11:48 AM, Tuesday, November 19th Anno Domini 2024
Nurglax Omega has received its Acid and Energy variants. Like the Omega Necrodon, this creature will try to keep its distance from your base and attack from afar. Still, it should be easy to notice its impact on the battlefield - the larva-filled sack is bigger and more spikey than ever.
NEW OMEGA CREATURE ABILITIES
Apart from giving our Omega-strain creatures a visual makeover, we are still experimenting with new special abilities to provide our new favorite beasts. Here, you can see an acid cascade. A couple of lines of hit markers appear on the ground, signaling incoming danger. After a brief warning period, the Omega makes the earth open up.
This ability works well with other elements as well. Imagine a violent lightning storm like this hitting your base. Omega creatures with this skill will have to be your priority when you encounter them.
ENDLESS MISSION GENERATOR
Here’s a randomized map from the new generator, plus a sneak peek at the new and improved map screen layout.
One of the major additions in the free endgame update is going to be the ability to extend your Campaign playthrough by going on additional planetary missions. You will have the ability to choose the biome you’re interested in and go on a mission on a completely new, randomized map. We’re going to let you choose from a couple of locations with varying layouts and resource densities. This way, you will be able to expand your economy even further, amassing a wealth of resources you’re going to need to fulfill endgame goals. And boy, do we have some endgame goals for you… but more on that later.
WRAP-UP
As you can see - we have tons of cool new things coming to you in the coming updates. However, that is not everything we have in store for you. For example, we are working on remasters of the music added in our World Expansions. So far, we have finished working on the Metal Terror soundtrack. You can give it a listen now - we published it on YouTube, and the video is linked below. Into the Dark and Heart of the Swamp, music is also getting the same treatment, and when we are done, we will publish all the music as a free update for all owners of The Riftbreaker OST.
The best way to test all the new additions out early is to sign up for the beta test of the co-op build. We have just sent out a couple hundred new invites to celebrate the release of our third test biome - the Metallic Valley. Check your Discord inboxes! Join us at www.discord.gg/exorstudios to never miss any news about the latest developments and to sign up for the beta.
See you soon!
EXOR Studios