SCP: Fragmented Minds News

Hey there everyone!

For those of you getting the scary Steam notification about a publisher revoking your Steam key for our tech demo we released last year -- have no fear!

We are simply making space on our page for our next-gen demo that will be available for our patrons and a select few of you to test very soon.

If you'd like to get a key for the next demo, please pledge on Patreon to get access once it releases:
https://www.patreon.com/hststudios

Sign up for our Kickstarter to pledge and bring this amazing project to life: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hststudiosllc/scp-fragmented-minds

Also, feel free to join our Discord to talk with us about the project and where it's going: https://discord.gg/3eBHnru

Hey everyone! In this post we have some pretty awesome stuff that ranges from frozen wastelands to grappling hooks, so let's get right into it.

Military Zone - Subsection Fusion Power Generator:



The image above shows the newest area that is going to be added to the Military Zone, which is a fusion power generator cooling pond. These subsection generators were critical to maintaining the power to each area of the facility when heavy electrical loads were applied during advanced weapon testing. However, as we know, the Military Zone has somehow become a frigid wasteland due to a horrible accident (which you will discover as you play) and will feature a ton of ice that will make this area somewhat difficult to traverse, but very rewarding to do so if you know where to look.

We are currently having more of these subsection concepts made to give a great idea of what the overall layout you can expect in each section is and to give an overview of what the facility looks like when viewed from each section itself so you will be able to fully understand exactly how this facility will look and feel to play in.

Game Changing Mechanic - The Grappling Gun:



The above two images are the concept and block-out model of our newest piece of equipment that also ties in with one of the most interesting mechanics we have implemented to date. Since Fragmented Minds is an immersive survival horror sim, we wanted to ensure this mechanic adds to the horrifying and stressful situations that will be plentiful within the game. To achieve this, it was decided that this unique piece of gear would only be useable on specific types of structures that will be present in certain areas of the game. This is to force players to keep a keen eye out, since being able to properly utilize this mechanic could mean the difference between life and death when being chased down.

We already have a prototype of this created (which patrons have seen!) and it is looking really good in the preliminary testing phases, but will of course get better both visually and mechanically as we progress throughout development. Overall this mechanic will provide a lot of fun and uniqueness to each utilization since being able to move so dynamically around your environment leads to great gameplay opportunities.

New Gameplay:

Down below, you will see several new gameplay videos that showcase three of our newly introduced mechanics. Please note that these are all WIP and visuals, SFX, and texturing will all be massively improved throughout development.

Terminal UI:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Up above, you can see our new terminals and UI system that will be implemented onto them. These will be critical for unlocking information about certain areas in the game, as well as for literally unlocking actual objects within an area you may find yourself in. However, the biggest use for these terminals will be for lore on certain creatures and to access audio logs and other material to help you piece together what happened within the story of SCP: Fragmented Minds.


Target Shooting System:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

No, we have not lost our minds and become an aim trainer. This mechanic video demonstrates one of the most important things that games featuring guns can have -- predictable accuracy. The weapons of Fragmented Minds will feature recoil that is controllable but will also be punishing if you simply try and spam it. However, for those of you who have a steady hand and patience, you will be able to land very critical shots on SCPs that can have a devastating effect depending on your ammo type and the spot your shot impacts.

Bullet and Item Physics:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Since we love puzzles so much, it was decided that adding another layer to the potential for puzzles was a great idea. In this video, you can see that bullets can indeed have an impact on objects within your environment! This opens the door to a ton of potential for gameplay since players will be able to also use this new physics system to potentially make weapons out of mundane items and to shoot objects around to move them from one area to another. Keep in mind though -- ammo is limited, so if you find yourself wasting ammo shooting all sorts of objects randomly, you might run into trouble down the line when you really need it.


September Weapon Skin:




Here is the official weapon skin for those who donate $20 or above for September! This skin has emissive textures which means that the parts that appear to be glowing will glow in-game!

Love the skin? Get it here: https://www.patreon.com/hststudios

Next Week:

Next week we will be showing off a new concept of an amazing new area of the facility, as well as showing off the grappling mechanic in action. We will also begin to show some new weapons and also concepts of a fantastic new enemy that is going to be coming to the game, so make sure you follow our posts by signing up at the top right! You are now also able to sign up to be a beta tester when we release our private demo, so make sure you sign up before you immediately click off the pop-up!

See you all in the Devlog being posted this Sunday on our YouTube!

Hey everyone, in this update, we are going to be talking about our newest gameplay mechanics and introduce you to two more SCPs as well as a concept for implementation into singleplayer that will fundamentally change gameplay.


SCP - 745:



The image above is SCP - 745, a pack-based predator that will be making its way into SCP: Fragmented Minds as a class of enemy you will have to carefully assess when making your plan of attack. These enemies will nearly always have a numerical advantage on you when encountered, so it is critical to take one out from a distance to prevent getting damaged from multiple angles. These creatures will primarily lurk in very dark sections of the facility and will launch attacks at very high speeds so using your environment to your advantage to evade these attacks is highly advised.

These enemies will be very interesting to play against since weak points on them will be fairly obvious, so ensuring your aim is up to par to take on the challenge will make for a fantastic battle in the darkest areas of Site-113!

SCP - 439 (Concept):

Because we have rather morbid tastes, we love horrifying scenes of mutilation and disfiguration (No, we have not gotten professional help for this). It was decided that SCP - 439 would be the perfect candidate to include as an environmental hazard in the game, as it allows for some fantastic horror but also poses a threat as a tiny creature that needs to be carefully dispatched to prevent getting infected and ending up petrified.

The homes for these creatures will be spread across the facility and may well house other SCPs that will combine to make an extremely deadly hazard that you will need to take great care (or use the flamethrower) to clear out.

New Gameplay Mechanics:

Down below, we are going to discuss three new gameplay mechanics that will be making their way into the game. Remember, these are WIP, and the animations, SFX, and environment will be massively upgraded before the actual public launch (which is coming shortly!!)

Cutting Torch:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Located around the facility will be various paths through levels. These include vents and other doors that you will be able to cut your way through to get to different areas, discover new things, or get the drop on any enemies that you may have come across and want to get the advantage over. With your trusty cutting torch, you will be able to cut these various objects open to enter what they cover and to enable a higher level of interaction with your environment while also opening the door to a wide array of puzzle opportunities.


Welding:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Quite literally the exact opposite of the above mechanic, welding will give you the ability to close off certain sections against enemies so you can take a breather and even repair some sections of the facility that are otherwise damaged. Welding doors while being chased by an SCP is a good idea if you can make it work -- but be warned they will be able to break the welds over time so it's never a good idea to rely on it. Welding will also open the door to some cool puzzles and tasks for you to do around the facility and will be a mechanic we will be consistently refining throughout development to get it just right depending on playtesting.


Door Control Panels:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Whoever said violence isn't the answer was dead wrong. Some doors located around Site-113 will have control panels that will be visible to you in specific areas (think in terms of puzzles!) and these will be vulnerable to bullets or melee attacks. These panels, when shot, will allow the lock on the door to be broken and the door will then be available to open. There is also an idea we had to take this mechanic to the next level, but we will go over that when we have a WIP version of it so we can give a clear idea of what the mechanic will do.


All of these mechanics will be critical in your journey through the facility and will play a key role in how the game will play as a whole. All the mechanics and SFX will be continually improved as we travel through the development process and will come out clean and polished.


Next Week:

Next week, we are going to be discussing some new concepts of new areas in the facility as well as an insanely cool new equipment piece that will literally have you off your feet. We will also share some gameplay clips of the new weapon and target systems and what exactly those will entail and what their usage will be within the game and closing with a look at the September weapon skin!

If you'd like to get the August skin, simply donate here: https://www.patreon.com/hststudios

If you'd like to follow our Kickstarter, click here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hststudiosllc/scp-fragmented-minds

Hey everyone!

In this update, we have some extremely exciting stuff to show off, with the first being our new assault rifle model, then our wrist device, and then wrap up with a look at our new drones and a peek at our WIP enhanced movement mechanics.

Note: Please help bring the game to life here on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hststudiosllc/scp-fragmented-minds

Modular Assault Rifle:



Like most of our weapons, we prefer to have multiple ways to use them so players can pick and choose how they best want to utilize what tools they are given for the situations they find themselves in. This weapon will fire similar to an AR-15 but will also have different variants, such as a sniper, SMG, and an enhanced sight version that features a digital zoom scope.

However, keep in mind that ammo will indeed be scarce so it will be up to you to decide which variant you would like to use for your playstyle since, if you run out of ammo, there will be a lot of potential for problems. Upgrades for this weapon will be craftable at fabricator stations around the facility so it is critical to find as many resources as you can to craft the best upgrades.

The Wrist Device:



Likely going to be the most interacted with piece of gear beyond the inventory tablet, the Wrist Device will serve as your personal PDA and will also house some very important information about creatures and other objects you have interacted with. However, unlike other games, we will not be having keycards be the main entry method through checkpoints and doors and rather will be utilizing upgrades to this tablet in the form of Access Chips. You will find these around the facility and they will give you access to certain otherwise off-limits areas. It will also allow you to store specific data you find around the facility and will give you a single place to hear your audio logs -- which will be abundant and are going to feature critical information as well as side stories featuring some voices you may already know...

Facility Drones - Phantoms:

The concept and block-out drone model above are known as Phantom drones across Site-113. These little drones will serve as security and surveillance drones that will be present in most zones across the facility. They will be able to shoot damaging projectiles at you and will pose a threat wherever they are encountered across the site. However, with this threat also comes with the opportunity for reward since successfully taking them out will yield some great parts and crafting materials that will make your potential ammo sacrifice worthwhile but they will not be a pushover threat either and will take some skill and planning to effectively dispatch.

These drones will be upgraded in terms of their look as we weave throughout development -- so if they look a bit rough do not fear since they will be getting an upgrade soon enough.

Enhanced Movement Gameplay!!!!

We would like to start you guys off easy with two videos of our enhanced movement that will play a key role in how you traverse the facility. The first video will be showing our mantling mechanic and will allow you to get to certain locations, parkour, and uniquely evade enemies.

Note: Please keep in mind though that this environment is a block-out development environment and the animation on the mechanics are all WIP that will be adjusted when we get our mocap suit next month!

Mantling:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Sliding:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

As you can see from these two videos, you will not be restricted to running away from every enemy and will be able to use these two mechanics to get around obstacles and escape from anything that may be chasing you. Sliding through doors is also a mechanic, as you can see, and is awesome. These two mechanics are critical since the SCPs will, by default, be faster than you so running away is not a great option.

We are going to start showing off more and more gameplay mechanics as we progress through these blogs, so it is a great idea to sign up at the top of this page to get notified when we drop new content each week.

Next Week:

We will be showing off even more gameplay, particularly with weapons and how those will work, along with some new SCPs that we just had fully modeled out. However, one of the big focuses will be an insanely cool concept idea we have that will fundamentally change the singleplayer campaign and we think is something you guys will like so do sign up for the updates above.

We did a Development Stream yesterday too, which can be found here and has a ton of cool information along with some commentary on how many of the items and mechanics in-game will work.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hststudios
Bring the game to life on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hststudiosllc/scp-fragmented-minds


Thank you all for reading and I will see you next week!

Hey there everyone! In this post, we are going to be talking about one of the most important zones within the entire game -- known as The Hub. No, not that hub, this one is less strange...

Note: Follow our Kickstarter page here!


Breakdown - The Hub:

The concepts below are going to, at first, look a bit strange never fear! We are going to take a look at the entire facility to break down the idea into something that makes more sense.



Taking a look at this concept yields some overview of The Hub, which is the sphere suspended within the middle of the facility. This area is going to be where most of the leisure and very high-level administrative activities took place before the site was completely abandoned. The Hub is also the only direct line down to certain highly classified areas within the facility and will be a critical location for you to spend some time in since it will be a "safe area" for the most part and will lead you down into the deepest levels of Site-113.

However, this area is going to house a lot of the items you will need to be able to continue your adventure through the facility but also will serve as a way for you to customize some aspects of the game as you see fit. The concept below is going to show off what the inside of The Hub is slated to look like, along with some areas of customization you will have.

Breakdown - Hub Interior:



So, taking into consideration the spherical shape we saw in the concept above, we can see that The Hub is going to feature a certain style unlike anything seen in an SCP game. It's an incredibly unique environment that served as the main point of leisure activities for personnel since they are many, many months away from their lives back on Earth.

In the concept, you can see the multiple levels and areas that will be present in this section of the hub, which will be the main section and will serve as the area you will more than likely visit most to keep your gear in check and gather your objectives throughout the game.

In this zone, there will be all sorts of interesting environmental pieces ranging from mini-aquariums to hollow tables for you to see mission objectives on -- since this area is one you will be coming back to and will serve as a way to give you information. However, this area also is going to need some repairs since it has been sitting and will give you a chance to customize some parts of the environment with certain items you have either found or can obtain from a catalog of items that will be available and useable with the Fabricator.

For those who are or will become Patrons and Kickstarter supporters, though, will get expanded customizability from a greater array of items that will allow them to show off their support since these zones will be unique to each player and are planned to be a gathering space for players in multiplayer matches! So, supporters will have a fantastic way to show off their support for the game and will be able to make sure everybody else knows about it. (You can donate here)

The images down below are going to detail some of the other areas that are planned to be in The Hub for you to store certain objects and also explore for resources.

Breakdown -- The Hub Subsections



The Hub is going to be fairly large of course, but not massive to the point where it is simply not achievable. The scope of this zone has been carefully crafted to allow for the maximum amount of customization (especially for donators!) and exploration all within a very precisely defined scope.

However, the subsections pictured above are the Meeting Room, Museum, and Lounge respectively. These are all going to have certain parts to them that you will find out as you explore the area and find your unique items. These areas are going to be, for the most part, relatively safe and will allow you to finally take a breather from the horrors that have been stalking you relentlessly -- although it might not be a good idea to 100% rely on that...

Keep in mind that this zone was very lively since it was indeed the most frequented section by staff for spending their leisure time, so there will be lots to explore and maybe even special items left over after the site was evacuated, so exploration is highly encouraged in this zone specifically.

Next Week:

This next week is going to be super cool since we are going to be going over some of the newest weapons and maybe even show off a little bit of our in-development gameplay footage for you guys to finally see! It should be a really cool update since it will give you the in-game glimpse you have been desiring. So, make sure you sign up for notifications by clicking at the top right of this page and signing up for an account!

Also, if you'd like to get our Patron-exclusive weapon skin, then head over to our Patreon and snag that by donating $20 or above this month only! You can find that by clicking here https://www.patreon.com/hststudios

Make sure to check out the mini-devlog that has been released on our YouTube as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD1N6s3jyR0

Follow the Kickstarter: Click me!
Thank you for joining us and I will see you next week!