We’re back for another Dev Update this week, and let me tell you now: it’s a good one. Last week, we laid the groundwork for advanced crafting, which was one of the most requested features for the next Alpha release. This week, we’re working on a new component of that, which I’ll get to momentarily, but we’re also starting work on something else… something big. We’re starting work on bases.
First though, let’s talk about crafting. In Gears of Eden, we have a world that we’re slowly crafting for you to explore, and we hope you have as much fun with it as we’ve been having with its creation. For that to work though, we can’t just dump story and characters on you; you need to really feel the world and the challenges it presents. We want you to feel like you’ve conquered those challenges to your survival, and the first one we’re putting in? Durability. Yes, yes, it’s the easiest one. But it’s also important! Just like getting sick is a danger we must mitigate in our world, the machines of Gears of Eden are always at risk of falling into disrepair. We’re not going to make this element take up too much of a player’s head space, but we definitely want it to be a consideration. So, in our next Alpha, you can expect that all those parts you craft and equip will start to show some wear and tear and degrade with usage.
Now. Bases, right? If you go broad enough, we really have two goals for the bases. First, we want them to be helpful; these bases aren’t just geometry to get around, they’re an actual, useful tool that you want to have up and running. The second is that we want you to be able to build them; we want you to be able to make your base really yours, if that’s what you’re into! Sounds simple, right? But of course, in game development, nothing’s simple. To begin any feature, big or small, you need to take the first step. In this case, that means implementing a click-based interaction system. Small first step, right? It’s so necessary though, and it’ll open so many doors for us, well beyond the bases. In fact, one of the first things we’ll be able to do with it is interact with our SINTER Forges.
It’s weeks like this one that get me excited for the future. I can’t wait to see how Gears of Eden looks at our the next Alpha Release! That’s a long way off, but we can already see that future taking shape. We’ll be back next week to talk about the next stages of development, but until then, be sure to check out the most recent episode of our Reaching Eden Podcast! Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to see all the latest and greatest Gears of Eden news the very moment we release it! Thank you for reading, thank you for sticking with us, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week.
