Hello Riftbreakers!
A couple of weeks ago we opened up a competition for new random encounter designs that you would like to see in The Riftbreaker. To say that you stepped up to the challenge would be an understatement - some of your designs could easily get their own storylines! After much deliberation and reading through all your ideas several times, our top five picks are here!
Please note that given the complex nature of your designs we might not be able to implement them exactly the way you designed them. We might have to change them quite a lot to fit our in-game systems, but we will do our best! Also, the screenshots do not represent the event in question - they're just here to reduce the 'wall of text' feeling.
CANDIDATE A - WILDFIRE - as suggested by Enderseye
One of Galatea’s many forests has caught fire and it’s spreading quickly! There is no point fighting it - you have no means of stopping this force of nature. Luckily for you - Mr. Riggs’ armor and all your structures are fire-resistant. Unluckily for everybody and everything else - the rest of Galatea 37 is not. The fire will consume everything in its path, making creatures flee in terror as they seek shelter - and you know what happens when creatures are afraid… On the bright side: nature rebuilds quickly and the affected area will come back to its former glory in no time.
Effects and rewards: Firestorm visuals - orange fog, clouds of ash covering the sky. Reduced output from renewable energy sources. Panicked creatures start attacking the base. Lots of loot left lying around after the destruction of the flora. Increased plant regrowth speed soon after the event is over.
CANDIDATE B - SPACE LOCUST - as suggested by: Pok1990
Your visit to Galatea 37 has coincided with the hatching season of a very peculiar species of insects. These small, locust-like creatures only live for a short amount of time. Their one goal is to find a good spot to lay eggs and make sure their species survives another cycle. Not all of them will make it to their destination, but they have numbers on their side: they are billions.
Effects and rewards: the massive swarm blocks out the sun completely as they fly across the sky. However, since some of the creatures die mid-flight, you are rewarded with a rain of animal biomass, boosting your biomass power plants like nothing else. Plus it’s super creepy.
CANDIDATE C - FLASH FREEZE - as suggested by: Thachicken
A sudden temperature drop surprises Ashley and Mr. Riggs at night. As a result, the structures inside your base have some difficulty operating. Target tracking by defensive towers is slowed down. Gates work slower than usual. Buildings require more power to keep operating, and your energy storage drains more quickly than usual. However, Mr. Riggs is unaffected, and the Galatean creatures don’t like the cold - they are slower and much weaker than usual.
Effects and rewards: Frost visuals - you can hear creaking and see little specks of ice reflect light everywhere. The ground is more brittle, allowing you to find underground treasures more easily.
CANDIDATE D - SWARM - as suggested by James Arlwind
This one is pretty straightforward: an enormous horde of small creatures is migrating through the area where your base is situated. They are smaller and weaker than most creatures you come across, but the sheer number makes this a huge threat to your mission. Prepare to fight.
Effects and rewards: Mr. Riggs gives the player a warning about the incoming horde. You only have a couple of minutes to prepare your defenses. After that, an incredibly large group of small creatures will commence the attack. There might be a lot of them, but they are smaller and weaker than usual, giving you a fighting chance. Plus, think about all the specimens, resources and other loot that you can get from them!
CANDIDATE E - IT’S RAINING EGG - as suggested by WirawanMYT
Galatea has seen an uptick when it comes to weather activity. Violent winds sweep across the surface, picking up small objects… Well, alien eggs count as small objects, too. ‘Eggs’ will rain from the sky in certain areas. If you let them survive long enough, creatures from other biomes will hatch - perhaps even in the middle of your base!
Effects and rewards: Highly increased wind power output. Violent winds and tornados. Eggs. Everywhere. You can call that an express biomass delivery.
Which one do you like the best? Cast your votes here: https://forms.gle/8jX5hZcoB5rgszxB6
Again, please bear in mind that these are just ideas - the final implementation of these random encounters might be a lot different from what we presented here.
There were plenty of other designs that we loved, but which we couldn’t possibly make a reality at the moment - but perhaps they may come to reality one day!
We will close the vote on the 11th of May, at 12 PM CEST.
Have a good weekend!
EXOR Studios