Dev Diary // The Artifacts
Hello explorers!
Today we’re continuing our talk about loot, but this time focusing more on the artifacts. We want to make artifacts a more crucial part of the game by delving deeper into the mechanics and systems related to them.
Artifacts, as items, will serve the following roles:
Each of these aspects touches upon its own set of systems.
[h3]Artifacts as Valuables[/h3]
Artifacts will become a more significant source of income for players compared to valuables, as was the case in ITR1. The Committee is exploring the Radius, and it's much more important to gather as many artifacts as possible rather than redeeming their own lost equipment or paperwork.
Other valuables will still be encountered, but not as often as before.
[h3]Artifacts as Mission Items[/h3]
Here not much will actually change. Many missions will revolve around artifacts or be centered on artifacts as part of UNPSC operations. But considering our new mission system, this should become more engaging and diverse (more on that in future diary entries).
[h3]Artifacts as “Enhancements”[/h3]
In ITR1, there were only a few artifacts that slightly influenced player gameplay. In the sequel, we aim to focus a lot more on them.
A whole range of artifacts will be added that directly affect the player. Each artifact will have one positive and several negative effects. Players can enhance the positive and remove the negative effects using a special stationary modification system located at the base. Money and "ash," as we mentioned last time, will be used to modify artifacts.
The positive effects of artifacts are passive perks. Among them will be permanent ones, such as "+10% maximum health," as well as semi-active ones. These effects have a certain chance of triggering, for example, "5% chance for bullets to ricochet off the player’s body." There won’t be any special abilities you can trigger at the click of a button!
The main idea is to give players an additional tool in customizing their "build." Such a "build" consists of their equipment (vest, backpack, helmet), weapons, and "enhancement” artifacts. Artifacts can help strengthen the "build," compensate for its shortcomings, or improve the player’s overall quality of life.
The player will have a special 3-slot glove where they can insert an "enhancement" and then its effect will start affecting the character.
The process of finding artifacts will also change. All artifacts will spawn inside unique "nests." Each "nest" is a container that requires a special action to "open" and retrieve the artifact. The detector reacts to the nest itself, not the artifact. Once the artifact is taken, the detector stops reacting to the "nest."
"Nests" will be divided into 3 types:
1) Unlocks with bare hands. The player needs nothing but their hands to retrieve the artifact.
- For example, pulling an artifact out of the nest.
2) Doesn’t require a detector but requires an item. Unlocks with simple equipment that the player has - a lighter, a weapon, food, a flashlight, etc.
- For example, a nest that needs to be broken open with a pistol shot or grenade explosion.
3) Requires a detector.
- For example, an invisible nest that needs to be illuminated with a detector flash to reveal it and the artifact (as was the case in ITR1).
Such "nests" will be located not only in anomaly clusters but also throughout the Radius. Of course, the most valuable artifacts can only be found in large anomaly clusters.
As you progress, the variety of "nests" on locations that players can encounter will expand.
This will make artifact acquisition more interesting and diverse. We conducted playtests with different types of "nests" within the team, and we have high hopes for this idea.
At the start of Early Access, there will be only one type of "nest" and no “enhancement” artifacts, only ones for sale. All of the aforementioned features will be added gradually.
We hope that this new and improved artifact system will appeal to our explorers. Naturally, adjustments will be made based on your feedback along the way.
See you in the Radius!
[h2]Previous Diary Entries[/h2]
[expand]
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/4193488293621894543?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/4115799931687545740?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/4130435365852766085?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/4194610392076293661?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/4059501135884135951?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/3996449472307187236?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/5797888151162063655?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/3862464213256385055?l=english
[/expand]
Join our Discord Join our Subreddit Follow on Twitter
Today we’re continuing our talk about loot, but this time focusing more on the artifacts. We want to make artifacts a more crucial part of the game by delving deeper into the mechanics and systems related to them.
Artifacts, as items, will serve the following roles:
- Valuables
- Mission Items
- Player “Enhancements"
Each of these aspects touches upon its own set of systems.
[h3]Artifacts as Valuables[/h3]
Artifacts will become a more significant source of income for players compared to valuables, as was the case in ITR1. The Committee is exploring the Radius, and it's much more important to gather as many artifacts as possible rather than redeeming their own lost equipment or paperwork.
Other valuables will still be encountered, but not as often as before.
[h3]Artifacts as Mission Items[/h3]
Here not much will actually change. Many missions will revolve around artifacts or be centered on artifacts as part of UNPSC operations. But considering our new mission system, this should become more engaging and diverse (more on that in future diary entries).
[h3]Artifacts as “Enhancements”[/h3]
In ITR1, there were only a few artifacts that slightly influenced player gameplay. In the sequel, we aim to focus a lot more on them.
A whole range of artifacts will be added that directly affect the player. Each artifact will have one positive and several negative effects. Players can enhance the positive and remove the negative effects using a special stationary modification system located at the base. Money and "ash," as we mentioned last time, will be used to modify artifacts.
The positive effects of artifacts are passive perks. Among them will be permanent ones, such as "+10% maximum health," as well as semi-active ones. These effects have a certain chance of triggering, for example, "5% chance for bullets to ricochet off the player’s body." There won’t be any special abilities you can trigger at the click of a button!
The main idea is to give players an additional tool in customizing their "build." Such a "build" consists of their equipment (vest, backpack, helmet), weapons, and "enhancement” artifacts. Artifacts can help strengthen the "build," compensate for its shortcomings, or improve the player’s overall quality of life.
The player will have a special 3-slot glove where they can insert an "enhancement" and then its effect will start affecting the character.
The process of finding artifacts will also change. All artifacts will spawn inside unique "nests." Each "nest" is a container that requires a special action to "open" and retrieve the artifact. The detector reacts to the nest itself, not the artifact. Once the artifact is taken, the detector stops reacting to the "nest."
"Nests" will be divided into 3 types:
1) Unlocks with bare hands. The player needs nothing but their hands to retrieve the artifact.
- For example, pulling an artifact out of the nest.
2) Doesn’t require a detector but requires an item. Unlocks with simple equipment that the player has - a lighter, a weapon, food, a flashlight, etc.
- For example, a nest that needs to be broken open with a pistol shot or grenade explosion.
3) Requires a detector.
- For example, an invisible nest that needs to be illuminated with a detector flash to reveal it and the artifact (as was the case in ITR1).
Such "nests" will be located not only in anomaly clusters but also throughout the Radius. Of course, the most valuable artifacts can only be found in large anomaly clusters.
As you progress, the variety of "nests" on locations that players can encounter will expand.
This will make artifact acquisition more interesting and diverse. We conducted playtests with different types of "nests" within the team, and we have high hopes for this idea.
At the start of Early Access, there will be only one type of "nest" and no “enhancement” artifacts, only ones for sale. All of the aforementioned features will be added gradually.
We hope that this new and improved artifact system will appeal to our explorers. Naturally, adjustments will be made based on your feedback along the way.
See you in the Radius!
[h2]Previous Diary Entries[/h2]
[expand]
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/4193488293621894543?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/4115799931687545740?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/4130435365852766085?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/4194610392076293661?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/4059501135884135951?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/3996449472307187236?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/5797888151162063655?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2307350/view/3862464213256385055?l=english
[/expand]
Join our Discord Join our Subreddit Follow on Twitter