In several days your space adventure will resume thanks to the first step of colonization gameplay: scanning and landing!
We are just a few days until it happens, but it's still hard to give an accurate number. Something such as 7+ days, so even with the risk of a small delay of a couple days, opening is coming very, very soon now!
This will be the beginning of our PHASE 2 - Colonization!
After this first big step, other actions - exploring, collecting resources, designing, crafting and then selling - will be unlocked in the following weeks, one by one, meaning you'll see even more features coming in February.
Let's hear more about it!
SCANNING REWARDS!
Scanning is shorter than evacuation and a main transition from evacuation to colonization. This is where you get to your planet. An important time for you, but also of course... for us!
It will be a new gameplay scene for you and a big time for EXODE. And development of colonization features has been going on for some weeks!
But we need to tell you something. Getting a planet and then not playing the full colonization experience is a requirement for now. It is not even than all other options are "locked out"; they are still being worked on. Also, even when we'll release more colonization features, players must not "feel cheated" by limited test options. Imagine what will happen to citizens if they can't hunt,or if wildlife bugs out. I suppose we'll see some of that. Even if we can expect many dangers for ships, colonies and citizens, we want dangers to come when designed so, not when things bug.
So we release some things early and have to accept all bugs that come, because that's the way alpha should go, but we still decided for a few nice things for testers while waiting for seasons and other rewards to come.
We had to design how the first planets - the moment when you can scan them but can't yet play on them! - will be included in our alpha. And how will our players be rewarded.
We have decided that:
- The scanning feature will open in testroom version (as soon as it's ready)
- Depending on your collection, you will have access to one or several demo; giving a variety of options in ships and crew from your collection to test out.
- These options will be unlocked thanks to your collection cards.
- There will be a "scanning event" with personal achievements for finding things
- Scanned planets will be saved and locked to your account.
- Once next colonization features are deployed: you will be able to "select" previously scanned planets... to continue your game!
- Remember these planets are part of a demo and test environment; you will have tradable planets of your own later!
Also, as you can't have the regular rewards in demo mode you will be allowed to earn tester rewards.
And here we mean: every tester who plays and scans and tests should be able to get somewhere.
Once tested and nice, the scanning feature will be available as a continuation of your normal evacuation games.
We will share another article about all this next week!
SCANNING YOUR PLANET
You can refer to our the last post for generic information about scanning. You can land even without scanning, but there are many scans available, so we wanted to detail every option to you.
Today we will give details about the primary scan, called PRIMSCAN.
All players should use this one!
PRIMSCAN reveals information about the planet usable size and sectors.
It also secures your landing.
- PRIMSCAN LEVEL 1 -
The first scan level is rather fast (we estimate it of about ten seconds) and will give you a rough estimate of the total usable sectors on this planet and 'easiness' (or harshness) to land. The more sectors there is the better, usually, although it implies that there could be more time required before this planet is "explored" and "tamed" (more about "completing exploration" later!). For landing difficulty, it will give a rough idea such as: deadly, or hard landing, or easy landing and a difficulty score (from 1 to 10). The higher this score, the more damage you will receive on your ship.
If you decide to land at this point, it will be to a random landing site... with big cheers to your pilot!
- PRIMSCAN LEVEL 2 -
But better people scan further, and here we will speak about... Regions!
Regions are relevant areas on this planet. Every Region is composed of a number of Sectors. Every Sector is a location you can explore.
The second scan level will give you the total number of Regions and their base climate and sector size. This scan level will also reveal to you the number of landing sites.
For instance, it can tell you there is a Mountainous Region of 36 sectors with 1 landing site, and a Desert Region of 58 sectors with 2 landing sites, and an Ice Region with 22 sectors and no landing site found yet. Actually, these Regions will even have their own names!
If you decide to land after the second scan you will be allowed to pick your region and landing site.
- PRIMSCAN LEVEL 3 -
The third and last scan level will add more landing sites and reduce damage caused to your ship from your landing options. Depending on the skill level of the person running the scan, it can actually reduce the 1-10 difficulty mentioned above, and announce it every time it succeeds.
In our example of 3 regions, landing in a desert region should be safer. But at this point we would advise to run other scans (such as the CFR scan) to analyze wildlife and check what other dangers there could be. Are there deadly sand beasts coming at dusk? Violent storms every Sunday? Giant worms to eat you whole?
- COMBINING PRIMSCAN INFORMATION -
Picking your landing site is very important as it also picks your colony site. But PRIMSCAN alone does not give you enough information to make the best choice.
Running other scans, such as a CFR scan, can provide more information about lifeforms and minerals and associate it to sectors you move your mouse over.
This can help you pick the best region and the best landing site, such as one giving access to wildlife and minerals; or one further from aggressive creatures!
- PICKING YOUR LANDING SITE -
The landing site is very important not only because it will be your colony site but also because all exploration parties will start here.
This means your people will have an easy access to the sectors near your colony site, and not other places (unless you power up some air vehicles).
Which leads us to one of our features to be released after: traveling between sectors.
EXPLORING AND TRAVELING
With every article we will also now share more information about colonization features. In this one, we will discuss traveling.
Every sector on a planet can be explored if you have the proper ways to travel there. Walking is usually a proper way, but not always, so it's possible you will need to unpack (or design) new vehicles to access some areas.
Speaking of ways to travel somewhere, there will be air vehicles, land vehicles and anti-gravity ones.
Air vehicles are very fast but usually consume a lot and in addition to speed, have the advantage of being only exposed to air creatures and events.
Land vehicles can benefit from easier terrain for better speed; but this also means they can't be used on hard terrain. Accessible terrain will be related to the piloting skill of your pilot.
Anti-gravity vehicles are a bit between the first two: these vehicles are not exposed to air creatures, are still exposed to land creatures, but can fly at topspeed above cliffs and hard terrain. These vehicles are more complex and harder to maintain than land vehicles and usually require more power.
Walking is another way to travel; the easiest, slowest, cheapest, it is also the most exposed, meaning it can trigger the most interesting events (including aggressive creatures).
- CREATING AN EXPLORATION PARTY -
Traveling is as easy as clicking on a team, then a destination sector, and validating!
But the first time you run a colony will be an interesting time as you will be allowed to unpack your vehicles and make your teams.
In EXODE, you will be allowed to create a team, to name it, and to select characters to include in it. You can then assign vehicles and equipments to this team.
The team will always propose a "leader" slot where you can select one of your crew members.
Vehicles will always propose a "pilot" slot; allowing you to select the best pilot for it.
Equipments, unless already equipped, will always propose a "wielder" slot to mention who gets it. It makes sense but it also allows interesting features.
Some vehicles can propose some "storage"; this means you can also load equipments there! In that case, you will just have to select the vehicle for this equipment instead of a team member, and the equipment will begin stored. This allows you to swap equipments manually later.
- SENDING YOUR PARY -
Once your team is created you will be able to select it on the planetary map. The team will reveal its status then wait for your orders. It can be sent away to explore a new sector!
That's all pilots!
This was some big of information for all soon-to-be settlers!
While we are working on the last details... you can imagine your planet names, prepare your flags and warm your ships up! please give us just a few more days!
====================================================================
More information about EXODE can also be found on our website, our Discord, or multiple posts such as this one about our epic characters, or this trailer made by a fan, or this review or this one . A summary of latest posts and events is also here.
Also running a witness node:
You can check the post about it here and if you like what this means you can:
See you soon in eXode!
