Realistically simulated environment
Endzone - A World Apart places great emphasis on realistically simulating nature and the environment. Weather effects and radioactive radiation are not only visually present for the atmosphere, but are actually simulated.
Radiation is calculated at the beginning of a map and distributed as a weak threat.
Weather conditions are primarily expressed by the humidity of the soil, but cloud formation and possible rainy areas are also marked.
Water Heatmap
To give the player control, the environment maps can be toggled with two buttons in the UI. The Water Heatmap colors the complete map into humid and arid areas. Cloud formation is also simulated in realtime and can be followed and observed.
It is relevant for the player to check how dry or humid an area is.
Dry areas reduce the growth rate of fields and can bring them to a complete standstill. When completely dry, the crop withers and the fields are destroyed. Manual irrigation is essential and can determine whether or not a drought can be survived.
The environment adapts visually to the humidity and expresses itself by dry or even missing grass up to dry soil and desert-like landscape.
Humid and arid landscape in comparison
Pro Tipp: cloud formation in most cases leads to rain, which in turn irrigates an area naturally. But beware: it can also be radioactive rain.
Radiation Heatmap
Radiation is the biggest threat in the Endzone. In the long run, radiation affects the health of settlers and can spread rapidly. Contaminated lakes pose a threat to the nutrition of the inhabitants, as the water is both drunk and used to irrigate the harvest. Radioactive rain can affect the fields and contaminate the food: a protective plastic roof is essential.
Before a new area is developed, settlers remove the soil and the radiation. Without adequate protective clothing, this quickly becomes a disaster.
The Radiation Heatmap can be used to check whether and to what extent an area is contaminated. Alternatively, the environment offers an indicator through a bluish glitching effect at the edge of the screen.
Non contaminated and radioactive are in comparison
Pro Tipp: a large number of flowers grow in particularly contaminated areas.
Overview & Map key
It is not always directly clear which color stands for which circumstance. For this purpose, players always find a current map key for the respective maps and can orient themselves on it. Be aware that the map key might change in the future and will be a constant WIP as the game develops.
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