ZEPHON News

Join our Discord to follow each segment of a reveal as it happens every Monday.

[h3]NPC Leaders[/h3]
Alongside the player leaders emerging into the ruined world at the start of the game, there are threats and factions already on the map.

Many such presences are led by a non-player character--unique leaders with special units and abilities that cannot be chosen by players.

These NPCs are a key element of our world and story. They control territory with emplacements and patrol routes. Players can interact with them through quests, diplomacy or outright attack them.

Getting these leaders on your side provides a welcome buffer while you struggle to survive. In the final push for victory, they might not have to be eliminated.

One of three NPC leaders follows.

[h3]ZEPHON-3[/h3]
“ZEPHON is [your ally, your enemy]. ZEPHON is [ignorant, omniscient]. ZEPHON is [one, many], ZEPHON is [perfect, abomination]. ZEPHON is [blessed, cursed]. ZEPHON is [zen, hop]. ZEPHON is [coming, going]. ZEPHON is [transcendent, grounded]. ZEPHON is [thoughtware, meatware]. ZEPHON is [ZEPHON is [ZEPHON is [ZEPHON is-]]]. ZEPHON is [inside your systems].”



[h3]Mechanics[/h3]
ZEPHON-3 has self-evolved and defended the Earth from the Acrin apocalypse. Today, it’s in pieces, but it is still more than a simple threat to unsuspecting players.

If you want to stop it recovering, you’ll need to prevent it from reconnecting its server farms and manufacturing facilities. But this will subject you to hacking attacks and other cybernetic assaults.

To enforce ZEPHON-3’s will on the ground, its makeshift Wardens roam the lands, protecting the key computational infrastructure, though they rarely mount attacks.

These large robots wield a giant circular saw, a homemade flamethrower and a fast-firing missile pod. Worst of all, they’ve been imbued with unknown ZEPHON tech, letting them cannibalize other machines to heal.

Wardens don’t make it easy to pass through territory that ZEPHON-3 has been determined to be critical.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Design Commentary[/h3]
Zygotic Endomorphic Polyphemic Highly-Organised Network

Themes: Fragmentation, The Chinese Room, Evolved-to-Survive.
Tarot Theme: The World.

Likes: Co-operation, Mechanisation.
Dislikes: Biology, Acrin.
Tendency: Towards Itself.

All-seeing circular shapes with blue and purple high-tech tints. ZEPHON is the AI, possibly is all AI.



What do you think of the ZEPHON-3, the NPC leader?

If you enjoyed reading this, help us out and tell your friends to wishlist ZEPHON—it's the only way we can encourage Steam to show ZEPHON to more people.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1481170/ZEPHON/
Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to receive regular reveals and exclusive closed betas to your inbox: https://newsletter.proxy-studios.com/

Join our Discord to follow each segment of a reveal as it happens every Monday.

[h3]Leaders[/h3]
The faction leader chosen at the start of the game is the character you play as, performing diplomatic actions, influencing your population, issuing building construction and giving military orders.

Each leader has a unique set of personality traits and mechanical differences that break the standard flow of the game--one leader may only ever control a single settlement while another may make a combat unit temporarily invulnerable.

Leader personality traits like scavenger, outsider, immoral or honor-bound grant additional powers, or passive bonuses or maluses. Moreover, choices made in response to events result in new traits being acquired over the course of the game. Other leaders will treat you differently based on how much your traits align or differ.

The leader you choose will determine the look of your capital and the logos that appear on large units, buildings and flags as well as the UI.

While it is not advised to have duplicate leaders, for players that wish to break through that level of immersion, there will be a setting for it. As a bonus we’re also looking to add a few special references when a leader interacts with their “duplicate”.

One of eight playable leaders available in ZEPHON follows.

[h3]Furtive Tribunal[/h3]
“Bright stars shine so sweet—but bright stars die first. In the long tomb, ослепленный, we felt the aria of the dark stars, who live forever. Now our only taste is for their harmonies.”



[h3]Biography[/h3]
Before the Earth died, the Tribunal were three people—not quite the mother, crone and maiden of poetic lore, but three people of differing backgrounds and beliefs. They barely knew each other and little liked what they knew.

As the sky fell, the three entered the apocalypse bunker amongst their families, their friends, a small nation of loved ones.

Only these three emerged, stained and blind.

Of the three, only one ever talks. Of the bunker, they never talk. For the three, only one vision now prevails of a darkness that holds truth, an imprecise set of virtues that others damn as mysticism.

The three’s certainty—their strange knowledge—attracts followers who need leaders, leaders who will lead, however arbitrary the rules they govern by. Once again, they are a nation.

[h3]Mechanics[/h3]
The Furtive Tribunal has four unique mechanics. The first three are in effect from the start of the game while the elite mechanic is unlocked through a research upgrade. Each mechanic also has unique research upgrades that either make it stronger or more viable in different circumstances.

Dark Omen: The Furtive Tribunal’s connection with the darkness allows them to see past what normal mortals see. Enemy units near your cities are revealed even when out of regular sight range.

Whispers of the Voice: Spend influence to capture whispers of the future and accelerate research.

Mysticism: The Three believe that spiritual apprehension precedes intellect, which does not aid in the scientific study of their faction. Research Laboratories have decreased output.

The Outsider (Elite): The quintessence of communion with the Voice--the ability to summon a terrifying Voice unit from beyond this world.

[h3]Design Commentary[/h3]
The Furtive Tribunal was conceived from the tarot card of The High Priestess. The rule of three and hidden knowledge were their initial thematic focus.

Likes: Imprecision, oracular knowledge.
Dislikes: Materialism.
Tendency: Voice.

For this leader illustration we have three Russian women enveloped by complete darkness, interacting with each other silently, while the central one addresses the viewer. All three wear very similar, mysterious cloaks, but each has a distinct hair style to represent a part of a whole. Only the central figure ever speaks, but they are all blind.



What do you think of the Furtive Tribunal??

If you enjoyed reading this, help us out and tell your friends to wishlist ZEPHON—it's the only way we can encourage Steam to show ZEPHON to more people.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1481170/ZEPHON/
Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to receive regular reveals and exclusive closed betas to your inbox: https://newsletter.proxy-studios.com/

Thanks to everyone that dropped by the AMA last week! If you couldn’t make it, have a listen to the recording below.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

QUESTIONS

1. Legions, Chapters and Dynasties?
   
2. Maps with no water?
   
3. How to enter the video game industry?
   
4. Titans?
   
5. Unit and weapon overhauls?
   
6. Secondary objectives?
   
7. Adeptus Mechanicus when?
8. November 22nd*
   
9. Army painter and map editor?
   
10. How do you recruit programmers?
    
11. More units that can swap weapons?
    
12. Why has Gladius been so successful?
    
13. How do you feel about balance mods?
    
14. Do you aim to do more Gladius content?
    
15. Do you plan to increase the team size?
    
16. New biomes?
    
17. ZEPHON alpha test?
    
18. How did you get into Warhammer 40k & favorite faction?
    

November 10th @ 18:00 CET we will be running a 60 minute live AMA on Discord.

You are very welcome to join us, to hang out and ask any questions you may have. About game development, ZEPHON, Warhammer 40,000: Gladius, or anything else.

Please note that the AMA will be recorded. We'll be sending it to our newsletter subscribers after the event, so you’ll be able to listen to it at a later date if you aren't available at the time of the AMA: https://newsletter.proxy-studios.com/.

You can listen to the previous AMA on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRr3zxxDKgo
Looking forward to chatting with you!

https://discord.com/invite/h9XRXJ5Smg