The Crust News

Evaluate The Crust's new modules:

A thermonuclear generator that uses energy cells produced with Helium-3 to operate.




And we like the design of this module very much, what do you think the module is designed for?



To discuss ideas and participate in the development you can on our Discord server, come in

Dear Crusties,

You guys are absolutely amazing! In a joint effort over the last few days, we reached three our kickstarter streath goals, which is totally awesome.
Thank you all so very much, indeed!

Today we are taking a look at some of the most common questions we received and answering them all here.

[h3]Where can I share my suggestion to improve the game?[/h3]
We encourage everyone to join the dialog on the official Discord server, in the Suggestion section, right now there are several ideas that have not received the final iteration and we would like to hear your opinion.
You can vote for an idea or suggest your on our website: idea.the-crust.com, or Discord server.

[h3]When The Crust is the released?[/h3]
We plan to release the Beta version of The Crust in May - June, after we work with feedback and suggestions from the Beta team, we will work on polishing the game, voice acting and translation into different languages. Early Access on Steam is scheduled to launch in July.



[h3]Will it be possible to buy the Soundtrack Pack separately?[/h3]
Yes, we will publish the Soundtrack Pack as a separate DLC at the game's release.

[h3]Is demo available now? Will it be opened later?[/h3]
Demo is closed because we need to focus on development of beta version in time. There are no plans to launch the demo version before the full release of the game

[h3]Will Crust have modding support?[/h3]
We are close to putting together a POI, story and secondary quest builder for modders. In addition to this we really want to make a full-fledged support for modding, it will open up a whole world of new ideas and variants of game development. But it will not be possible to do this until we realise our plan before and a little after EA on Steam.

Hello everyone,

We just reached another stretch goal, which will allow us to expand the story and bring more variety and interesting moments to the game. Thank you all for your amazing support, and we can't wait to showcase everything that we have prepared for you.

Today, we would like to delve deeper into colonist management and the global market system, both of which intertwine seamlessly. While we covered some information about colonists in our previous update, today we aim to provide a more comprehensive understanding of this system alongside the Global Market system and how they synergize. We hope you will enjoy what is forthcoming, and as always, we eagerly await your thoughts. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments about these systems and whether you're excited to experience them in the game!

Lets Begin!

As mentioned in our previous update, colonists are one of the cornerstone mechanics within The Crust. They emerge as pivotal entities once the initial base and life support systems are in place. Integral to the game's progression, colonists serve as indispensable catalysts for generating high-tech resources and navigating the intricate branches of the technology tree. Beyond their vital role in resource production, colonists actively engage in expeditions and undertake pivotal tasks across the global map. Their pervasive involvement across all facets of gameplay enriches the experience with a nuanced layer of diversity and depth.



[h2]Colonists Skills[/h2]

Colonists possess a diverse array of skills, unique traits, and essential needs, all of which demand your careful attention to ensure optimal team efficiency.

In the game, there are five core skills: Scientist, Medic, Engineer, Botanist, and Service Worker. The level of proficiency in each skill determines a colonist's effectiveness within their designated profession.



Each skill has 10 levels and increases in several ways - direct work, training and sharing experience. Thus, while working in any profession increases the level of skill corresponding to it. In addition, the game has training centers and the ability to send colonists to other locations on the moon to share experience. For example, you can gather an expedition with scientists and send them to the research station of a neighboring faction. This will block the scientists for a while, but will give a noticeable increase in skill level. Also, during training, colonists have a small chance of acquiring a special perk that gives special bonuses (or penalties). Some factions will charge money for training.



These skills correspond to a variety of activities within the game:

• The Researcher operates in scientific modules and contributes to research expeditions.
  
• Dispatchers manage operations in the expedition center, coordinating mining units on the global map to enhance their productivity.
  
• Engineers are essential for the production of high-tech resources, overseeing construction processes and maintaining vital equipment like the 3D printer.
  
• Operators specialize in optimizing medium-tier production modules and are also involved in megastructure operations.
  
• Botanists are responsible for tending to organic farms.
  
• Pharmacists oversee drug production.
  
• Medics provide crucial medical care in the medical block, attending to injured and ill colonists.
  
• Psychologists monitor the team's psychological well-being, mitigating the risk of colonist breakdowns.
  

Consequently, a distinguished Scientist excels in scientific endeavors, while an experienced Engineer significantly boosts the output of the production modules they oversee.

[h2]Colonists Traits[/h2]

In addition to the Skills, colonists boast an array of distinctive traits that intricately shape gameplay dynamics. These traits, ranging from personality quirks to specialized expertise, significantly influence various aspects of colony management.

• Work Ethic: Traits such as Lazy or Workaholic directly impact productivity, with Lazy colonists reducing efficiency while Workaholics increase it. These contrasting work ethics will present you with strategic challenges in maximizing output while managing colonist morale.
  
• Social Dynamics: The disposition of colonists towards teamwork is another crucial factor. A Team Player fosters positive work environments, boosting team cohesion and performance, whereas an Asocial colonist may disrupt harmony, necessitating additional attention to maintain productivity amidst interpersonal challenges.
  
• Educational Background: Academic achievements also play a pivotal role, with a scientist's academic degree in a specific field providing bonus science points corresponding to their expertise. Leveraging these educational qualifications strategically enhances research endeavors and technological advancements, offering a competitive edge in scientific pursuits.
  
• Specialized Proficiencies: Some traits, such as Space Elevator Operator or Jekyll and Hyde, offer unique abilities or challenges tailored to individual colonists. These specialized proficiencies introduce captivating narratives and gameplay mechanics, enriching the experience with unforeseen opportunities and obstacles.
  

In essence, these diverse traits not only imbue colonists with depth and individuality but also pose strategic considerations for you as you navigate the complexities of lunar colonization. Understanding and leveraging these traits effectively are key to fostering a thriving and harmonious lunar colony in The Crust.

[h2]Temporary Effects[/h2]

Colonists are also a subject to a dynamic array of temporary effects that dynamically influence their well-being and performance. These effects, manifested through temporary cards, contribute to the ever-evolving narrative and gameplay challenges that you will have to face.

• Emotional States: Colonists experience a spectrum of emotions, ranging from inspiration to distress, which directly impact their morale and productivity. Temporary effects such as inspired, upset, or well-fed reflect fluctuations in emotional well-being, influencing performance in tasks and interactions within the colony.
  
• Physical Conditions: Temporary effects also encompass a range of physical ailments and conditions, including illnesses, injuries, and medication side effects. These conditions can arise from various sources, such as workplace accidents, hazardous expeditions, or exposure to environmental hazards like solar flares. Managing colonists' health becomes imperative as they grapple with the consequences of these temporary afflictions.
  
• Environmental Factors: External events and environmental hazards further contribute to temporary effects experienced by colonists. For instance, radiation sickness resulting from solar flares poses a persistent threat, necessitating proactive measures to mitigate its effects. Conversely, positive stimuli such as bonus payments can instill enthusiasm among colonists, bolstering morale and fostering heightened productivity.
  
• Narrative Dynamics: The interplay of temporary effects with narrative events adds depth and realism to the gameplay experience. Colonists' responses to challenges and triumphs are dynamically reflected through these temporary effects, enriching the narrative tapestry of lunar colonization.
  

[h2]Colonist Needs[/h2]

Each colonist in the game possesses a set of dynamic parameters crucial for their well-being and productivity. These parameters encompass four fundamental aspects: health, sleep, food, and comfort, alongside hidden psychological states. As the manager of the lunar facility, your primary responsibility is to ensure that these needs are adequately met to maintain the colony's operational efficiency and the colonists' overall welfare.

The challenging conditions inherent to life on the lunar base often result in the accumulation of fatigue and stress among colonists. To alleviate these pressures, it's essential to provide them with opportunities for relaxation, social interaction, and physical activity. Establishing facilities such as gyms, game rooms, or personal cabins can significantly contribute to maintaining colonists' alertness and well-being.



By prioritizing the fulfillment of colonists' basic needs and fostering a supportive environment within the lunar facility, you not only enhance their individual performance but also cultivate a cohesive and resilient community capable of overcoming the rigors of space exploration in The Crust.

Hiring Colonists

Accessing the colonist recruitment market is vital for expanding your lunar colony's workforce, although securing highly skilled specialists can pose a challenge during the early stages of the game. To overcome this hurdle, you must focus on developing your Global Reputation Index (GRI) or fostering relationships with specific factions. These interactions grant access to hiring high-caliber specialists with unique traits tailored to each faction's expertise.



Each faction offers a distinct set of traits for their colonists, obtainable through close interaction and completion of contracts and quests. For instance, specialists from the Arab Construction Consortium excel in optimizing water-producing modules, leveraging their extensive experience. Conversely, colonists affiliated with the Crust organization are seasoned veterans of lunar exploration, adept at navigating expeditionary challenges with resilience and skill.

Furthermore, skills and unique traits play a pivotal role in quest chains and random events, offering alternative development options based on your colonist composition. Much like in Fallout New Vegas, possessing colonists with specific skill levels or unique traits unlocks new decision-making opportunities, enriching gameplay with diverse narrative branches and strategic possibilities.

Overall, our meticulous attention to creating engaging choices extends beyond gameplay mechanics to quest chains and random events. Colonists and their associated mechanics serve as linchpins in this endeavor, enhancing your immersion and strategic depth.



Colonist Management System

The colonist management mechanic is intricately designed to empower you in efficiently distributing colonists among workplaces, ensuring optimal productivity and task alignment. The flexible profession system automatically assigns roles based on colonists' skills but can be tailored to suit your current priorities.



Each colonist can be assigned a priority task, granting you granular control over their deployment according to specific needs. Additionally, we've introduced a new interface for interacting with Laboratories, enabling you to select specialists proficient in various scientific fields, further enhancing strategic decision-making.

As you progress beyond the initial stages of the game, colonist management becomes a primary focus. Ensuring the smooth operation of life support systems, timely wage payments, and addressing health and comfort needs directly impact the productivity of living employees. It's worth noting that higher-skilled colonists command higher costs, mirroring real-world dynamics. Furthermore, each colonist possesses unique quirks and secrets, gradually revealed over time, adding depth and intrigue to the colony's inhabitants.

Global Markets

The Global Market is a dynamic system within the game that reacts to your actions and progress. It's not merely a tool for acquiring what you need and disposing of surplus; it's akin to a living organism that evolves over time.



Market prices constantly fluctuate in response to dynamic events worldwide. You can capitalize on a crisis in the high-tech goods market for profitable purchases, or leverage a humanitarian catastrophe to sell your goods lucratively. In addition to in-game events, the market reacts to major purchases and sales made by you or other factions. The laws of supply and demand are fully operational here. Therefore, a significant influx of resources into the market can lead to scarcity and drive prices up, while flooding the market with the same resource can result in price depreciation, minimizing profits.



Another influential factor on the global market is the Global Reputation Index (GRI) and expanded trading license. Your GRI value, influenced by completing faction-related tasks and making certain decisions, slightly reduces purchase prices and boosts selling prices. The expanded trading license, attainable through social research, narrows the gap between purchase and selling prices.

As previously mentioned, the Global Market is also where you can hire various colonists. Similar to goods prices, the salaries demanded by colonists depend significantly on the game's current circumstances. Following a catastrophic event on the moon or Earth, securing skilled engineers or medical professionals may be challenging and expensive due to increased demand. Conversely, other specialties may become more affordable. Thus, keeping abreast of global events allows you to time your hiring effectively.

We hope you will enjoy this extensive deep dive into these systems, and as always, if you have any questions, let us know. You can drop your questions in the comments or join our Discord.

Hello Community,

In this article we want to talk about our experiments with the combat system and get your opinion on it as we approach another Stretch Goal.

[h2]Core Loop Combat System[/h2]
[h3]Fighting for Helium-3 on the Moon in sandbox mode.[/h3]

As the player's base grows, there is an increasing need for energy. The game is balanced in such a way that as the game progresses, more and more energy is required, and this growth is not linear but almost exponential. Servicing a base with colonists and producing hi-tier resources requires an enormous amount of energy. Helium-3 is needed in large quantities to meet the energy demand, as hydrogen-based fuel has too low an efficiency to cover all the needs.



[h3]Mining Helium-3[/h3]
Mining Helium-3 requires a Harvester, which is built in the Great Machinery Factory and requires medium and high-tech resources. The Harvester also requires fuel or energy cells to operate and move around the map. Which limits its range and autonomy time.
Helium-3 is extracted from the surface layer of regolith in different areas of the moon. The concentration of Helium-3 in each area is different, there are richer areas with concentrations in craters, and there are less rich areas.
The basic concept of the combat system is to capture and hold key areas on the moon. Something similar can be seen in the HoI game. Capturing one area gives the player several bonuses:
- access to Helium-3 deposits,
- the ability to build outposts to refuel and repair units,
- exploration of scientifically interesting craters and anomalies that generate science points with the help of rovers,
- logistical advantage, allowing you to "reach" remote promising areas and points of interest.



However, when capturing a large number of zones, it becomes increasingly difficult to control and defend them, so the player should carefully consider their expansion. Helium-3 mining speed is determined by several factors: the concentration of helium in an area, the number of Harvesters in an area, logistics to the main base (outposts, remoteness and speed) and special technologies that increase mining speeds. This combination of factors gives the player more flexibility in choosing a development and expansion strategy.

[h3]Military Unit Production[/h3]
The game adds several ground unit factories, a flying unit factory, artillery railguns and satellites that give certain bonuses to your units, and penalties to enemy units while above the battlefield.
The efficiency and automation of a player's base greatly affects the speed and scalability of their combat units. Thus moon factory efficiency becomes as important as military strategy on the global map. Each factory in the game is equipped with conveyor entrances for fast automatic delivery of resources, which allows you to put the production of different equipment on the stream.



[h3]Unit Parameters[/h3]
Each unit has a number of parameters that determine its purpose and combat potential:
- Damage type (predominant damage type of the guns (laser, kinetic, explosive))
- Damage (the total damage output of the guns)
- Armor (number of armor points)
- Hull (number of hull points)
- Maneuverability (the probability of evading enemy hits and the probability of leaving the battle)
- Speed (speed of movement on the global map and the probability of withdrawal from combat)

Combat units are divided into small, medium and large units.
Medium and large units have the ability to customize by changing the composition of components in the cells of the unit, which allows you to collect different characteristics and purpose of units. For example, to fight flying enemy units will be better suited missiles, to fight light and fast units - high-precision lasers, and to destroy armored targets - heavy kinetic guns. The player can also build a fast but lightly armored unit that can intercept an enemy unit heading towards your precious Harvestor.



Units also have experience and veteran points that increase with the number of victories and increase damage and maneuverability parameters.

[h3]Ai factions[/h3]
From the beginning of the game, each faction has only one home area under its control. The other areas have a neutral status, which allows Helium-3 and other resources to be mined from that area without restrictions. Building an outpost paints the area in the faction's (or player's) color, opens new opportunities, and prohibits other factions from mining the area. This mechanic allows you to develop diplomatic relations with factions and mine the same areas without resorting to military action. But all resources are limited, sooner or later the harvesters of the player and other factions will meet at the points of highest concentration of Helium-3, which may lead to conflict.



[h3]Battle[/h3]
Combat skirmishes take place on the orbital level (global map) between Ai faction units and the player. During the battle there are calculations with dice (random numbers), on the results of which various modifiers of composition and abilities of units of each side are applied. Each unit has a number of characteristics that add up and participate in the battle calculations:

- Damage (determines the combined damage power of all of the combat unit's guns)
- Armor (number of armor and hull points)
- Accuracy (the probability of hitting an enemy unit, made up of the accuracy of the guns mounted on the units)
- Maneuverability (determines the ability to evade enemy hits and the ability to withdraw from combat)
- Speed (affects the probability of withdrawal from the battle and determines the speed of movement on the global map).



Depending on the number of units, the battle can last a long time, which allows you to pull up additional units, or decide to retreat with the loss of some of their forces.
Each unit has the option to withdraw from the battle if it takes critical damage, if its maneuverability and speed are high enough.
The side that does the most damage to the enemy and keeps at least one active unit in the combat zone wins the battle.


[h3]Relationship to the game's economy[/h3]
In our concept, the combat system should not distract the player too much with micromanagement, but should set global goals and make them think strategically ahead of time. All mechanics in The Crust we strived to make automated, but with the possibility of fine manual control. This combination allows the player to achieve the best efficiency of his factory in the early stages, and not to drown in a series of micro tasks when developing a particularly large base. We want to apply the same principle to the combat system. The player will have a wide range of opportunities to win, he can focus on fine-tuning and managing units, diving into tactics, or emphasize mass production focusing on logistics and efficiency of creating new units.



The combat system is a great direction for The Crust's development, it allows us to expand the economy, greatly increase replayability and take the first step towards a possible multiplayer mode for the game.

The combat system will be available as a sandbox mode, after which we will probably add it to the third chapter of the company.
However, the so-called creative mode will remain in the game, which will allow you to develop your lunar venture or go through the story campaign without much stress.

We are still thinking about the fog of war, exploration units and satellites.
We are very interested in your opinion about it, what do you think about this concept?

Hey everyone,

We’ve really hit the ground running with The Crust Kickstarter, and it’s all thanks to you! We’re so appreciative of our almost 2,000 backers, and we’re so excited to show everyone what we’ve been working on! Check out our roadmap for what comes next and take a look at our latest Kickstarter update!

[h2]Stretch Goals[/h2]

Now that we've reached our funding goal, we're excited to announce some additional stretch goals to enhance the game further. These include features like an Expanded Expedition Mode, an Alternative Story Mode, and even a Combat System. We're incredibly grateful for your support, and we can't wait to bring these new elements to life with your help! You can find all of our updates on our Kickstarter page!

Check out our roadmap to see what comes next!