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Power Wells - New Power-Ups in The Riftbreaker

Hello, Riftbreakers!

Last week, we presented the various plant species of the Swamp biome that will require you to stay sharp while exploring the area. By this point, you know that the new biome is not that welcoming despite its lively and colorful looks. However, it’s not all doom and gloom! You will find plenty of interesting and valuable things during your excursions into the fungal forest. One such addition coming to The Riftbreaker in World Expansion III is Power Wells - incredible artifacts that let you harness game-breakingly powerful skills for a short period. Let’s talk about them now.

GOTTA GO FAST

Power Wells are our take on a classic action RPG game mechanic. They are mysterious objects scattered across the entire map. Once activated, they grant you short-lasting but very powerful bonuses that have the potential to change the way you play the game for the time they are active. In today’s article, we will take a look at what kind of Power Wells you will be able to encounter in the game, starting with World Expansion III. Please remember that this feature is still being actively developed. The visual representation of the Wells and the duration and exact bonus values are all subject to change. That’s how we do things - prototype, iterate, and see what comes out of all this!

The Wells are large, alien-looking structures that radiate energy all around them. Mr. Riggs can walk up to any of those and interact with them to channel the energy into his systems to reap the rewards. Power Wells are for one-time use only and work for a short time. Activating one of these artifacts drains their power completely, so sometimes it is better to save them for later use - especially since the bonuses they grant are really diverse and helpful for various situations. Let’s look at the broad categories of Power Wells you can find.

[h3]OFFENSIVE[/h3]
The arsenal of weapons available in The Riftbreaker makes Mr. Riggs a force to be reckoned with. Sometimes, it is not enough, though, and you need a bit of extra firepower. Finding one of these power wells will help you boost your power level when you really need it.

High Fire Rate Power Well affects all weapons, melee included. It can lead to unexpected results at times!

Higher Fire Rate:
Sometimes, you don’t need to shoot more projectiles - you simply want to shoot more often. Using this buff, you can achieve ridiculous results, such as firing your Mini-Nuke Launchers almost at a machine-gun pace. We’re sure that the Schmetterling Engine can handle such firepower. We’re also sure that your enemies won’t.

fire rate + unlimited ammo = yes

Unlimited Ammo:
It's the most straightforward upgrade you could think of. Thanks to activating this Power Well, your weapons will not consume any ammunition while firing. Pack your most powerful, ammo-consuming mods into your favorite miniguns and go nuts! This round is on the house.

Quad Damage:
People sometimes say that a good offense is the best defense. This Power Well will quadruple your damage output from all weapons. With power like that, you don’t really need any survivability because no creature will ever manage to get close to you. Just be careful once it runs out - you don’t want to be caught in the middle of a horde without this buff.

[h3]DEFENSIVE[/h3]

Mr. Riggs is a very powerful machine when in the hands of a skilled pilot. Still, he is not indestructible. The most powerful foes among the Galatean creatures can easily overpower him, especially if Mr. Riggs is backed into a corner. These Power Wells will help you overcome your Mech’s weaknesses.

The regen speed matches the health increase, making you really difficult to beat.

Mega Health:
Activating this bonus grants your Mech a major HP boost (300% at the moment), making it able to withstand a lot more hits before having to reconstruct at the HQ. You also start regenerating health rapidly, helping you replenish your lost health. Hint: your repair kits work with percentages, not flat HP amounts - use them while the bonus is active to get the most out of them.

With this buff you can basically 'walk it off' when you take damage.

Mega Forcefield:
Similarly to Mega Health, this Power Well boosts your Mech’s forcefield beyond what is possible while using regular upgrade modules. Apart from increasing the number of hitpoints, the forcefield also gains the ability to replenish very quickly, allowing you to make use of your bonus hitpoints multiple times throughout the fight.

Reflect Damage:
It is a perfect power for those Riftbreakers who love to jump head-first into battle. Whenever you take damage from an enemy, a portion of that damage will be returned to the sender. It’s an incredibly powerful ability, especially against the large, heavy-hitting creatures like Krocoons, who attack once every couple of seconds. Don’t get too brave, though - you’re not indestructible!

Resist All:
A much more indirect form of help with survivability. This Power Well gives you a 50% resistance to all forms of incoming damage. While it won’t make you impervious, it will give you the ability to stay in the fight for a longer time. It will also help during accidental dives into pools of acidic sludge or molten lava.

Apart from a Well that grants you resistance to all types of damage, you may also find those that grant you a more powerful buff against only one type of damage. Those variants will be found in appropriate biomes.

[h3]UTILITY[/h3]

Sometimes, you do not need extra firepower or survivability - you just want to do things more efficiently or cheaper. This group of Power Wells will grant you bonuses that can be useful outside of combat, too.

Reduced Cooldowns:
After activating this Power Well, you can use all the items in your consumable slots without much delay. It might seem like a typical offensive ability, letting you bombard your foes from the orbit, shoot flame waves at them, as well as disintegrate them with antigravity balls. However, many items can benefit from shorter cooldowns outside of combat, too, such as various landmines. Activate the boost before the wave, set up a minefield, and watch the world burn from the comfort of your base.

Increased Radar Range:
This buff does exactly what it says on the tin. For a short time, the range of Mr. Riggs’ radar becomes much greater than usual, allowing you to quickly discover everything that the surrounding area has to offer. You will know where to look for resources and where the creature nests lie.

You'd better get some storage ready for all these treasures you're about to collect.

Increased Loot Chance:
This is a perfect find if you lack the resources to craft that sweet, extreme-quality weapon you couldn’t afford earlier. After activating this Power Well, all creatures, plants, and anything else you can destroy will reward you with a fountain of resources and weapon mods (and possibly more; read about our loot system rework here). You can maximize this boost by activating it just before an attack wave arrives at your base. Remember the 5-second rule and collect everything quickly - we don’t want anything to go to waste.

Beautiful automated chaos.

Drone Swarm:
After you activate this Power Well, Mr. Riggs will gain control of a couple of additional drones - a mixture of all available types. They will repair your structures, attack the enemies, and intercept projectiles. Moreover, this buff can be activated even if you already have the maximum number of drones in your build. Become the swarm.

Building Speed Power Well, aka instant base upgrade

Building Speed and Cost Reduction:
Imagine you just completed research for Defensive Buildings - Level 3 but have little to no carbonium left to upgrade your walls. This Power Well will fix that problem for you. It greatly reduces prices for all buildings and slashes building times to a fraction of the original. There are two ways to maximize this power: upgrade many smaller elements around your base or build something massive, like a Fusion Power Plant, at a great discount. This might be the most potent Power Well of the bunch. Note: if you build something at a reduced price, you will also sell and repair it for that cost. No infinite money glitches - at least not because of this.

We are likely to add even more types of Power Wells you will be able to find in the wilderness of Galatea 37 - not only in the Swamp biome. As we said before, the gameplay details are yet to be determined. We don’t know how often you’ll find these, how long they will last, or what precise numbers you can expect from their boosts. However, we will make sure that they are both fun and impactful and that they are always an exciting find. We will likely beta-test this feature with our Discord community - join us at www.discord.gg/exorstudios. Our experimental branch updates are free for everyone to join. We can use all the feedback we get once we’re ready to test!

Also, remember to join our streams on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 PM CET on www.twitch.tv/exorstudios. We have recently completed full co-op playthroughs of three different Survival Maps. Last Tuesday, we even ran a session when one of us connected outside our local network, and nothing exploded! It’s wild, but it seems we’re getting closer and closer… Sign up for the multiplayer beta here: https://bit.ly/rb-multi-beta.

See you next time!
EXOR Studios

Lunar New Year event is active!

Hello Riftbreakers!


Happy 2024 - we made it around the Sun once again! Let’s celebrate the new year with our Lunar New Year Festival in-game seasonal event. We have also prepared a brand-new skin for you to unlock and enjoy - read on for details!

The Lunar New Year features play along really well with the decorations introduced in the 2023 Summer Update.

Much like the Winter Holiday event that we held just a couple of weeks ago, the Lunar New Year Festival is an optional and purely decorative event that takes place between February 7th and February 21st, 2024, to spice up the Galatean atmosphere a little bit. Some of the basic structures in your base will be replaced with special, seasonal versions.

Almost like a red carpet. Almost.

Enjoy the premium wooden floors designed by the best carpenters in the galaxy. Let the light of the paper lanterns warm up the night. Combine these props with the other decorative structures matching the color scheme and transform the looks of your base with the warm red-and-gold color scheme.

The basic floor will automatically switch to the festive variant while the seasonal event is active.

Your base is not the only thing that will change during this event. The Tropical Zone of Galatea 37 will also get more festive with the new weather event. You will be able to see fireworks popping all around the place, and the air will turn slightly red, giving the entire place a cozy, warm look. Combined with the festive decorations, this will give your Headquarters a truly distinct look.

To unlock this skin go to the options menu, select 'Redeem Code' and type in: DRAGON.

We all know that Mr. Riggs loves playing dress-up as well. For this reason, we have decided to give him a new paint job. You can unlock this skin for your favorite Mecha-Suit by entering the code DRAGON in the ‘Redeem Code’ section of the Options menu. The code is free to use for everyone and does not expire. Even if you missed this event - you can still get this skin.

We made separate variants of festive lamps for the basic lamps of each color available in the game. The models are replaced automatically, and you can revert this at any time with one toggle in the options menu.

Naturally, seasonal events are not everybody’s jam. If you decide you prefer the classic look for the game, simply go to the ‘Gameplay’ section of the options menu and disable the ‘Seasonal Events’ option. You can turn it back on at any time while the event remains active.

Enjoy!
EXOR Studios

Swamp Biome's Carnivorous Plants

Hello Riftbreakers!



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

More Loot, More Fun!

Hello Riftbreakers!


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

Full Co-Op Playthrough Video + Discounts Available This Week

Hello Riftbreakers!


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