The Riftbreaker News

In our descriptions of the Swamp biome, we mentioned that not only the creatures inhabiting this area pose a threat to our Riftbreaker duo. The wildlife of the Swamp is vastly different from the other areas of Galatea 37 and gives home to species of plants that are not seen anywhere else - not even in the rich Tropical Zone. The plants we are about to show you will spice up the exploration of the new biome. Watch your step - here are the carnivorous plants of Galatea 37!



Carnivorous plants are not uncommon, even on Earth. They can survive on their own, using photosynthesis to get their nutrients. However, they can also trap and digest small animals using their specialized organs. Still, we need to be clear here - they are no apex predators. They are slow and will never catch something that is more capable of identifying threats. On Galatea, this type of plant has evolved one step further. Not only have they developed various offensive strategies, but also act much faster than their cousins from Earth, giving them an element of surprise. There are several species that you will encounter in the Galatean Swamp - let’s take a look at them now.



The most common species you are going to encounter is the Carnicynth. A Carnicynth spends most of its time with the majority of its body hidden underground. Only a couple of leaves stick out above the surface, growing around a ‘tree trunk,’ disguising the Carnicynth’s underground hiding hole. The leaves act as radar - the tiny needles covering them react to the movement of the air and vibrations of the ground. If they detect movement in the vicinity, they send a signal to strike. Then, the Carnicynth’s body unburrows in a split second, ready to strike, unveiling its terrifying maw. This plant's main form of attack is spitting razor-sharp needles laced with acid and toxins at unsuspecting creatures. The bodies of Carnicynth’s prey decompose quickly, enriching the soil with valuable nutrients.



The next creature/plant you’re going to see is the Artigian. These humongous pitcher plants will grab your attention by the large sack that hangs beneath their ‘mouth holes.’ Unlike their counterparts from Earth, Artigians do not try to lure anything into their mouths. Instead of that, they form an explosive ball of acids and enzymes that they aim at their prey. The ball explodes on impact, covering a large area in Artigian’s corrosive substances that start dissolving matter around them. Much like Carnicynths, they later scoop up whatever nutrients seep into the ground using their extensive root networks.



The last species on our list does things a little bit differently. It is called Invigor. Its body is long and slender for the most part, with no leaves or branches around the plant’s stem. At the top of the stem, there is a large and heavy head bulb with just a single antenna sticking out on top. That antenna is the only thing you will usually get to see - and the only thing you want to see, to be honest. If the antenna detects any movement from suitable prey, the rest of the Invigor will burst out from beneath the ground. The plant uses its head bulb as a beater, trying to smash the prey to pieces. Whatever’s left behind gets dragged beneath the ground for the digestion process.

I always feel like somebody's watching me...

Other plants in this biome took example from their carnivorous counterparts. They evolved mechanisms that make them seem more dangerous than they really are. While exploring the Swamp, you are going to see many such plants - identifying which ones pose a threat to you and which ones don’t will be key to survival. Try not to fall into a trap, but don’t panic if you do - all the plants we described today are firmly rooted in the ground. They have no ability to chase you, so if you run far enough, you should be safe - unless you run into an entire field full of Carnicynths, Artigians, and Invigors, of course. Then you might be in trouble.

Sometimes things take a turn from bad to worse when you're running away.

You can watch us do live playthroughs of Survival missions in the Swamp biome every Tuesday and Thursday live on www.twitch.tv/exorstudios. We introduce a plethora of changes every week, so you never know what the next stream will bring. We also do co-op test streams from time to time to check on our progress. They have been going well, and we can’t wait for the moment we get to play together! Until then, catch us on Discord at www.discord.gg/exorstudios.


See you next time!
EXOR Studios

In our Roadmap Update published last week, we revealed some extensive changes and reworks that we are either planning or developing as we speak. One of those changes is connected to the loot system in The Riftbreaker. While loot rewards are quite generous in our game, offering fountains of rare resources, high-quality mods, and unique unlockables, we felt that they could be upgraded. In this article, we will show you what we’re planning to upgrade in World Expansion III.

Better be prepared to open one of these!

Bioanomalies are the main source of loot in The Riftbreaker. They are the unique, interactable objects that you can find scattered across each map. Opening one of these objects will shower you with a randomized mixture of resources, mods, and unlockables that persist through your Riftbreaker runs. However, there is a price to pay. Coming into contact with Bioanomalies triggers an additional attack wave, which is often much stronger than what you might encounter in the wild. Still, if your economy needs a boost or if you’re looking for some additional decorations, Bioanomalies have done the job quite well, offering a reward for exploring the map.

If you do come prepared, great riches await!

With the introduction of World Expansion III, we are going to give you more incentives to travel around Galatea 37 and look for treasure. The large Bioanomalies you already know are getting smaller but more common counterparts. Bioanomalies were quite limited in numbers, with only a couple of them spawning on each map. The new containers won’t stick to the same rules. In fact, we plan to make them appear on most of the map tiles! What is more, opening them will not trigger any sort of a special attack wave. Sure, the creatures in the immediate vicinity might get angry at you for interfering with nature, but apart from that, you should be safe.

We do not have a name for them yet - could you help us with that? Let us know in the comments what we should call these.

The new, smaller loot containers will not be as densely packed with resources as the old ones, but the sheer number of them available on each map should more than make up for that. You will also be more eager to open one of these, as you will not have to fight an entire army to get your rewards. Apart from the standard assortment of resources, you will also be able to find mods and unlockables inside of these containers - although at a lower ratio than in the case of Bioanomalies. The rewards inside will be especially valuable in the case of Survival Mode, where every piece of Carbonium matters. However, we think that they will be an interesting proposition in Campaign mode, too, since you will get a chance to get good mods, unlock an upgrade, or even find a new weapon.

These little containers are scattered across the entire map. If you look for them, you are guaranteed to have all the resources you could ever need and possibly more!

Yes - you read that right. Starting with World Expansion III, ready-made weapons will join the pool of loot rewards. The range of weapons that you will be able to find will depend on your progress in the research tree. However, every once in a while, you will find a weapon that is slightly above the maximum level you could craft, boosting your firepower significantly. Weapons you find will also have the chance to get unique properties, often much better than what you could craft yourself. This way, we can reward you for taking your time and scouting the entire play area. Even if the weapon you find doesn’t fit your playstyle, you can always deconstruct it and earn some valuable resources. Naturally, we will need some help playtesting this feature. You can expect an experimental update sometime before the official launch of the update. Remember, all of the aforementioned changes are subject to change based on your feedback during the experimental phase of the update. Our primary goal is to make the game better, and we are always open to feedback and further refinement of features that are found lacking.

Poogrets are some of the most unique creatures we've made.

The mini-bioanomalies are not the only new sources of loot we will add in World Expansion III. Various biomes of Galatea 37 will receive additional, region-specific loot caches. We’re going to start with the Swamp biome, where you will be able to find piles of… fertilizer left behind by the goofy Poogret species of neutral creatures. Turns out that these cute but definitely not smart creatures consume a lot of valuable resources when they feed. Those resources can be later retrieved by digging in their feces. Luckily, you do not need to use your own hands, as Mr. Riggs will happily do the dirty work for you.

Poogrets play a vital role in the ecosystem of the Swamp. They will also play a vital role in World Expansion III - but more on that another time.

The purpose of all these changes and additions is to give you more chances to find valuable rewards while exploring the planet. We hope that the new rewards will encourage you to check every corner of the map for hidden resources and other goodies. As we mentioned earlier, these changes will be available on our experimental branch first, so join our Discord server at www.discord.gg/exorstudios to be the first in line for the latest news.

See you next time!
EXOR Studios

Last week, we published our Roadmap Update for 2024. We explained our plans for this year: World Expansion III, Endgame Update and, of course - further online co-op development.

While we did mention this in the previous article, we managed to complete a co-op playthrough live on stream. Previously, all our attempts were stifled by bad performance and stability issues. However, this was the first time we managed to complete a full Survival Mode run. Ever since that day, we have been able to do live playthroughs in co-op consistently.

It is a huge milestone for us. It means that all our work, coupled with your feedback and data from the Closed Beta, has brought significant results. We're excited beyond belief - and for that reason we want to share this again. Give this video a watch, as we answer quite a lot of questions about the co-op development, the nature of the universe, and everything.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

If you would like to watch future streams live, join us at www.twitch.tv/exorstudios every Tuesday and Thursday at 3 PM CET. We sometimes do random, unscheduled streams on other weekdays, which we announce on our Discord: www.discord.gg/exorstudios.


We would also like to inform you that The Riftbreaker is currently available at -40% on Steam. Also, thanks to a collaboration with the awesome people at Far From Home, you can get The Riftbreaker in a bundle with Forever Skies.

Forever Skies is a first-person post-apocalyptic survival game. You are a lone scientist returning to Earth, ravaged by an ecological disaster. Once there, you’ll get to fly, upgrade, and customize a mobile high-tech airship base as you explore. Scavenge resources, upgrade your tools and abilities and descend beneath the toxic dust that has enveloped Earth as you hunt for viral pathogens to complete your mission.

And remember, if you already own The Riftbreaker, you can still use the bundle to get an additional 15% off from Forever Skies.

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/37896/FOREVER_SKIES_X_THE_RIFTBREAKER/

Have a good week!
EXOR Studios

Hello Riftbreakers!

With the holiday season firmly behind us, it is time to outline EXOR Studios' plans for the year 2024. We have plenty of exciting things scheduled for this year, including some of the biggest updates we have ever developed. This article will tell you what we plan to release in the coming months and the extent of changes you can expect. But first, let’s take a look at the freshly updated 2024 Riftbreaker Roadmap.



[h2]WORLD EXPANSION III[/h2]

The first major release in 2024 will be the World Expansion III. Just like in the case of Metal Terror and Into the Dark in the prior years, WE III is going to consist of two parts: a free content update for all our players and an optional, paid DLC with a new Story Campaign branch. Here is all the information we can give you about the update at this point.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2506610/The_Riftbreaker_World_Expansion_III/

World Expansion III update will introduce an entirely new biome for you to explore: the Swamp. While swamps on Earth are rather uninviting and gloomy most of the time, Galatean Swamps are rich, colorful, and teeming with life. The unique creatures inhabiting these lands display adaptations never seen before in other Galatean species. The plant life is extraordinary as well, with several new species, including aggressive, predatory plants capable of attacking everything that moves. However, fungi are the true rulers of this land, as can be seen in the artwork we prepared for this biome.



You will get the chance to discover the Swamp together with Ashley and Mr. Riggs in the brand-new Story Campaign DLC. Over the course of its several missions, you will get to know what led to the discovery of this biome. Ashley will face a new kind of challenge as she discovers that the Swamp is just a shadow of its former self. Our heroes are going to restore the natural beauty and peace to this place. You will also get to experience an all-new mission variant, taking place on a map that expands further as you complete your objectives.



All our players will be able to explore the Swamp in the new Survival Mode map, which will arrive as a free content update. However, the update is not just a new map. In fact, it is a massive upgrade and a rework of many game systems you had issues with. All of the following aspects of the game will receive an upgrade, which will be free for everyone to enjoy as a part of World Expansion III.



Exploring the new biome means more opportunities for research, and that can only mean one thing - shiny new technologies for you to develop and use! You will be able to craft plenty of gear pieces to adapt your mech to the threats of the Swamps. Your base will get a makeover as well, as we’re adding several types of defensive towers into the mix. You’ll also get an opportunity to improve your economy as we introduce new ways to power your base and utilize the resources you’ve gathered.



However, in order to fit all of these new tech items into our research tree, we needed to implement a radical rework. There was simply no room left to add any more nodes, and we were not happy with the legibility of our system in the first place. This is why World Expansion III will mark the release of our brand-new research tree. Instead of three tabs separating the research categories, the new system will feature only one large and scrollable tree. We are working on making the new tech tree as easy to use as possible, which is a great challenge, given its size. However, it is a necessary step to move forward. We will try to make the transition as smooth as possible. And that is just the first of the many reworks we’re planning.



We are experimenting with associating resource costs to individual research items. In the early stages, these costs will be symbolic at best. We do not want to hinder your progress by putting prohibitive price tags on basic technologies. However, more advanced and non-mandatory tech upgrades will require you to save up a bit of cash. We want you to be more mindful of the research and make conscious decisions about the research priorities during your campaigns. This approach will also give you a reason to build up a stronger economy and expand your outposts beyond the bare necessities. As we said, though, this is an experiment and we will see whether it makes it beyond the prototype phase.



Another area of the game that is going to see significant changes with the release of World Expansion III is the balance of weapons. The majority of Superior and Extreme quality weapons show significant balance problems. They are either overpowered, making them a must-have choice, or severely underpowered, rendering them useless against late-game enemies. We will try to fix this situation by flattening their power level a little bit. We will reduce the number of special properties that weapons receive during crafting. While it will slightly reduce the DPS of Superior and Extreme quality weapons, you will be able to add special properties later with the use of the revamped mod system.



Weapon Mods in The Riftbreaker were previously divided into two distinct categories: property enablers and property bonuses. If you had a +1 Piercing Mod, you could only use it in a weapon that had the piercing property, or you had to first insert a mod that enabled piercing for that item. The system was confusing and caused your mod collection to grow to an unreasonable size. After WE III update, all mods will enable their corresponding property on a weapon, saving you a mod slot in a weapon that was previously blocked by an enabler.



This simplification will make the system more welcoming and easily understandable. Mods will also be grouped in the inventory by type, reducing the size of the list significantly. We will also change the inventory screen to let you clearly see all the stats and properties of your guns and upgrades. The redesigned layout will allow you to check all the important stats at a glance and easily compare two items in your inventory.



The loot system is getting a major overhaul as well. Previously, we followed the logic of “a wild animal can’t drop a minigun for you.” We now realize it was an unnecessary limitation and did not reward you enough for dealing with increasingly difficult attack waves. With the new system in place, not only will you get the chance to find powerful weapons in the wild (sometimes beyond the level you’ve researched). You will also get more chances to find rewards scattered across the map in miniature versions of bioanomalies you already know. We hope to give you an incentive to explore each map and allow you more chances to find something exciting and useful.

[h2]EXPANDED STORY CAMPAIGN[/h2]

All of the features and changes above are under development already. We’re introducing these reworks to lay the foundation for the endgame expansion, another free content update we are planning to release this year. We want to give you an optional goal to strive for after you have finished the Story Campaign mode. This part is not in the works yet (not everything, at least), but the refresh of the elements we mentioned before will give us a good start. Please bear in mind that the following are our plans, and they are subject to change as we make progress toward the release of the endgame update (or updates - with so many things getting reworked, it might turn out to be impossible to release it all at once).



The core of the endgame update is the ability to generate additional, randomized missions on the Orbital Scanner screen. You will be able to choose the biome you want to explore further and play an additional mission taking place on a new map. These maps will sometimes utilize a brand-new type of map tile we call “encounter tiles.” Encounter tiles feature unique spots that will serve as the main point of the mission. They will vary in purpose and character, giving the additional missions an aura of mystery and encouraging you to explore the secrets of the planet.



Another problem we would like to solve with the endgame update is outpost attacks. In the current version of the game, once you set up your outpost and leave the map, nothing can ever happen to that base unless you come back. It is not what we originally intended, and we would love to change that in a future update. Our plan is to allow outposts to be attacked when you’re not around. You will receive a warning about an incoming horde drawing near one of your bases. If you choose to ignore the danger, your remote base will get destroyed or severely damaged. However, you will have a couple of minutes to travel there and help defend your facilities. Hopefully, this will make the game more dynamic and exciting in the long run.



We would also like to add more variety to the sub-objectives you receive while on your missions. There are only a couple of them in the game at the moment: destroy a nest, hunt down a boss creature, or clear an infestation of acidic yeast. We’ve had more objectives planned and prototyped but simply did not have time to flesh them out before the release of the game. Now, with much more experience, knowledge, and your suggestions pouring in for years, we believe we can finally make this system worthwhile and less repetitive than it is currently.



Completing the activities in the endgame will bring you closer to an all-new alternate ending to the game. The details of this will remain a secret for now. All we can say is that it will require you to stay on Galatea 37 a little bit longer than expected, but with your help, the planet may yet become the second home for humanity.

[h2]CO-OP MULTIPLAYER[/h2]

The final thing on our roadmap for 2024 is the Co-Op Multiplayer. As you know, we have been working on this for a long time and even started a closed beta program a couple of months ago. While the beta tests were limited to PVP only, they have provided us with heaps of much-needed data to improve the game's netcode. The progress we managed to achieve in the past couple of months, thanks to your help, has been significant. We have been able to complete a Survival Mode mission in co-op on stream for the first time! Here’s the full, unedited VOD from that stream:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

As you can see, while things are far from perfect, we have made considerable progress. We’re able to consistently clear Survival runs. Now, it’s only a matter of getting the performance to an acceptable level. Once we do that, we think that we are going to be able to expand our closed beta from Deathmatch to full Co-Op. From that point onwards, we will start introducing multiplayer-centric changes, like adjustments to the difficulty level, more interaction options between the players, additional challenges, and more. If you want to be a part of this, make sure to sign up for the closed beta here:

[h3]https://bit.ly/rb-multi-beta[/h3]

We do not have any estimates when it comes to the release date. Our progress has been quick lately, and it feels like, for the first time, we can finally see the end in sight. Still, we can’t predict what challenges lie ahead and prefer to be flexible. We will keep you informed throughout the year. The closed beta will receive updates frequently, and we will keep collecting data from your runs to see where our game is lacking. We will invite more and more people to test with us and stream live gameplay on a regular basis. If there is anything we can do to improve communication with you on the multiplayer front - please let us know.

So that’s it - our roadmap for 2024. If everything goes according to our plans, by the end of the year, The Riftbreaker is going to be almost a completely new experience. We’re always eager to hear your suggestions and learn what we can improve, so join us at www.discord.gg/exorstudios to let us know what you think!

This is going to be a good year!
EXOR Studios

Just before the holiday season, we announced a Skin Design Contest. We asked you to come up with ideas for new designs for Mr. Riggs’ paint scheme. We received some great entries - you should all be proud of yourselves. However, we only have three spots for our winners. In this article we will highlight the winners, selected by our jury panel, consisting of the EXOR graphics designers. Congratulations!

[h3]The first winner is itsthompson88 with the Graffiti Mech skin.[/h3]

Steam doesn't always want to zoom in after clicking on the image. You can find the original submission link right here: https://imgur.com/a/P3ubSpP

This design made the cut for obvious reasons - it is a real, game-ready skin! itsthompson88 clearly put a lot of effort into it. The graffiti theme plays along very nicely with the purple and blue color palette. The giant skull on the windscreen is also a nice touch that we used ourselves in a couple of spots. Overall, we felt that this was the most complete skin and that it wouldn’t feel out of place among the designs available in the game. Good job!

[h3]The second winner is Cat on a phone. [/h3]





Click on any of the images to view them in a larger window. Alternatively, you can find the original submission link right here: https://imgur.com/a/GIR8EVh

There are a couple of potentially great designs here. Sure, you need to use your imagination to fully envision what the author wanted to show, but that’s not the point. The idea of Mr. Riggs dressed up as a cow made us laugh. The neon camo paint scheme made us think of the 80s glam metal image. The liquid metal skins could look great if they were animated and changed colors in real-time. It’s hard to even choose one here. Well done!

[h3]The last trophy goes out to akee3, the man who took down every competition we held so far![/h3]





Click the image to view it in a larger window. Alternatively, you can find the original submission link right here: https://www.clickasnap.com/profile/akeeman

Akee’s entries bend the rules a little bit when it comes to not changing Mr. Riggs’ geometry. However, we decided to accept these because the slight modifications in the shape of the Mech are not the most important thing here. These designs stand out thanks to the great color combinations, unique patterns, and clever use of materials. The combinations of metal, plastic, glass, carbon fiber, and rubber look great here. We can’t wait to see what they might look like in the game.

[h2]The winners receive a set of Steam keys for all EXOR Studios games, as well as a care package with EXOR Studios merch, including a Mr. Riggs plushie (you can mod it and make your skin come to plush life!). Additionally, we will use your designs to create new skins for The Riftbreaker - they will arrive with the next World Expansion. [/h2]



Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you, everyone, for taking part in our little contest. We have direct contact to itsthompson88 and akee3, but no way to reach Cat on a phone. Please shoot me an email with your contact information to piotr.bomak [at] exorstudios.com.

Be on the lookout for future contests!
EXOR Studios