Variety is good, surprising player - even better. That’s why we implemented many worlds to our game; their name might suggest something, but we made sure that each one is unpredictable and has lots to offer to the players. Same goes with toxic world - the name may ring a bell, but we wanted to avoid clichés at all cost, creating one of a kind experience for characters coming here to complete their quest.
When it comes to toxic world, the survival here is harder than in any other world. Atmosphere here is contaminated, which makes it almost impossible to breathe without proper gear. The terrain is mountainous, that’s why there’s a number of levels that players can explore. Top is relatively a safe spot, but the lower they travel, the more dangerous it becomes. Also - the closer to the bottom, the more poisonous the fumes in the air become, so everyone should have an antidote in their equipment in order not to suffocate.
Air isn’t the only thing that’s contaminated here. Same goes with food, so player better take enough of supplies to survive, or quickly learn how to purify what they’ll find here. Creatures that live here, don’t make it easier either. Because of the surroundings, they live in, weapons with poisonous traits are no use. However - their toxic effect works just fine, so players have to be cautious during combat in order no to envenom themselves.
Speaking of infection - toxic fumes aren’t the only phenomenon that players have to be aware of. Some parts of the land will need players to get through puddles; without proper outfit their characters will be poisoned very swiftly and their weapon will get destroyed. Doesn’t sound like much? Don’t worry! There’s also toxic rain, that moves around the map. If players don’t hide from it quick enough, they’ll have to deal with the consequences. And it won’t be easy heal those poisonings, especially if the whole team becomes sick from the rain.
We want our game to be enjoyable and interesting. Since it’s a survival one - we can’t go easy on the players. We cannot bore them with same environment, that’s why we created so many - and they all differ in appearance and mechanics. They all are surprising and changeable. We think that it’s important to care about the people that are going to play your game - listen their needs and advices and give them the entertainment they ask for. That’s why we’ve made terrains toxic, so the community doesn’t have to be.
Games are made to be played. They do not exist without players. Without games - players aren’t players. Those statements are not a big surprise, however most don’t really pay attention to the fact how important they are. When developing a game, creators must be aware that the player will eventually tie up with it and its characters, so it’s crucial to make sure that this bond will grow to even larger relationship, which both sides will care about.
Creating additional scenarios, imaging potential fate of the character played or giving away ideas for future events - these are only few of the possible ways of how players get involved in expanding an in-game world. When creating one, we have to deal with the fact that it will start to live its own life, at some point. There’s nothing we can really do about it. It’s all because of players’ engagement, which is extremely valuable. They will have some unique ideas and concepts to share and all of them should be taken into consideration. This way it will attract more and more people and ones who already enjoy it, will stay for longer. Also - the players themselves will feel very important, since they’re listened too and their commitment has visible impact on the game.
Players do like to feel responsible for what’s happening within the game and it’s relevant to inform them about most of the progresses. Not only the ones that are going to happen for sure, but also those who are only considered to be implemented. They are looking at the game from way different perspective than the developers do and know which features would work the best within the game world. They know what’s needed and what doesn’t fit the setting they enjoy - their voice is crucial, since the game is being developed mainly to satisfy them. It’s necessary to understand that players’ ideas give developers additional opportunities. Their thinking is way outside the box, thanks to that the game can take a whole new path, which will make it even more interesting than originally intended.
Having trusting in community is a way of creating a successful game. The ones who play give away part of themselves in exchange for being part of something bigger. They have a chance to play a visible part in improving something they like and enjoy. On the other hand - thanks to that collaboration, the creators are making sure that their title is growing properly, satisfying those to whom it is addressed. Giving players a chance to participate even more directly is a great way of showing your gratitude for their commitment. Learning your mistakes from critique is good, but making something together is even better, as because you know, in advance, what reactions you can expect.
The opinion of players is crucial to us, that’s why we’ve invited some of them to try out alpha version of the game. We’ve spent two weekends together and their feedback helped us a lot. That’s why we’ve already scheduled another test - from June 25th to 29th, players will be able to see how much we have improved, since the last time and check out some new features.
It’s important to keep in touch with players, since they’re not only customers of our product. They’re part of the team. They know how to improve what’s around them, because they spend hours there. Proper communication and teamwork between players and developers is important. It serves a purpose of creating a space where everyone feels welcome and will be enjoyable for both: to create it and play it.
Do you know this feeling, when you enjoy the game so much, you want to forget it, so you can experience its greatness once again? Yeah, we know it too. It doesn’t stop us from playing the game again and again, though. However, we are not impressed as much as the first time, because we know what’s waiting for us behind the corner. That’s why we wanted to make our game one-of-a-kind on almost every level, so with every new game, player will be able to use the knowledge they’ve learned in-game before, but circumstance might be different.
We wanted Gatewalkers to be a tactical game, but also unpredictable. That’s why one of our choices was to make the worlds generated procedurally. This mechanic is pretty old, when it comes to the history of game development, but as effective as the day it was used for the first time. But, what does “generated procedurally” actually mean? Well, the answer is simple: we - the developers - create all the features and the program uses its algorithm to combine them into a big picture. Of course, there are many complicated tasks to complete, during this process, but for the time being, the basics will suffice.
Why is it so useful to us? Because we’re sure that the player will never come across of the same world twice. The shape of the terrain will be different, same goes for positioning of enemies and location of essential items and resources. That requires the player to come up with completely new strategy, every time they enter the world. They don’t know what to expect. It’s our way of forcing them to adapt and change their gameplay style in order to survive. Also, that is why players cannot use one manner of fighting during game. They need to flexible, because the threat will be constantly changing its position and, what goes with it - the scenario of the combat will be different.
The atmosphere changes too. It is much more special, when the place that player visits is not familiar. They don’t feel safe, they do not know what to expect; they are not self-confident enough to make risky choices. They can’t stick up with one type of plan during an expedition and keep repeating it over and over, during every gameplay. They need to plan ahead what their next steps will be, in order to not expose themselves to unnecessary losses. This is also our way of guiding them into tactical mindset and sticking to it.
Thanks to that mechanic, we don’t have to worry that our players will ever get bored with exploring. Because of procedurally generated worlds, our game will be unpredictable every time they play it. So, when it comes to Gatewalkers, we will never have to ask ourselves the question: how does it feel to play this game for the very first time. We made sure, that every single game feel like the very first one.
We’ve made the game’s world full of surprises, and we just cannot wait to see how the players will deal with them all. Keep up with our newest updates to get to know what we’re planning, and we hope we will see you on the other side of the Gate soon.
Thank you for taking part in the second Alpha Test of Gatewalkers. We want to ask you one more thing. Like the last time, we have prepared a short survey. We'll be very grateful for answering a few questions about Gatewalkers, any feedback is precious to us. You can also join a discussion and share your opinion here - link below!
Link to survey: https://forms.gle/Lk42jojrn1vUnRym9
You can also share your opinion here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1125710/discussions/0/2145343313161520824/
Thank you once again. We hope that Gatewalkers is already on your wishlist:) See you next time and don't forget to follow us on social media:
The time has come to gather your teammates and begin a dangerous, yet very exciting journey to distant worlds! The next Alpha test starts now!
More information on Alpha Start: 03/26/2020 - 4:00 PM (CET) End: 03/29/2020 - 11:59 PM (CET)
How to participate? If you didn't get your key already, go to www.gatewalkers.com and sign up to our newsletter. You should get the key instantly. If you want your friends to join you, just ask them to do the same. Please note, that the number of keys is limited.
What to do with the key? After receiving the key, go to Steam and activate the new product. Now, you're ready to play!
Can I stream? Yes, of course. You can stream, make screenshots, etc. But please, don't forget to mention that this isn't the final version of the game. And it would be nice if you could add a direct link to Gatewalkers on Steam:)
How to contact us during Alpha? The best way to contact us is via Discord. But, you can also find us on social media.
What can I do to help? Of course, your feedback will be very precious to us. Don't hesitate to leave it here: Feedback We'll also ask you to take part in a survey after the tests.
I have already played the game during the first Alpha. Any changes? Well, yes:) Check out this thread for more info: Patch notes
A new gameplay trailer for Gatewalkers is here! Do you know what it means? Yes, we are moving forward to the next phase of Alpha tests! You are all more than welcome to participate, just go to www.gatewalkers.com and subscribe to our newsletter! Stay tuned for more info!
When it comes to video games, the day and night cycle serves different purposes. Sometimes it’s just the designation of time of the day, on the other hand - it creates a peculiar climax for a location. However, with the same cycle, the designer can introduce unique mechanics to the game, that will change the aura of gameplay, depending on what time of a day it will take place.
Games are using day and night differently, and it all serves various reasons. Some of them build climax, others introduce completely new mechanics. Some create new, remarkable atmosphere, that not only adds new elements to the gameplay but also extends the lore. When we were planning on what do we want to show in our game, we got the idea of making the night-time some sort of mystery. So, after the sun sets, the player needs to explore surroundings to uncover the secrets of darkness.
During the development of Gatewalkers we implemented mechanics, connected with daytime - one for the mobs, and the other for survival. Both of them have a huge impact on gameplay during a different time of the day. Moreover, we’ve decided that the cycle should not only influence players (they need to encamp, craft more useful weapons or create a light source in order to survive in the night), but also the creatures living in particular world.
Hienne - Day/Night (Concept arts)
The night has a direct impact on creatures, some of them transform under the influence of the night. Transformed creatures don’t only change their appearance, but also gain new abilities and are getting stronger in the process. Because of that - during the night the world becomes even more hostile and full of terrors. Studying creatures’ behaviour during the day is a very useful practice, however, this knowledge won’t do much for players after the sun goes down.
Lizard - Day/Night (Concept arts)
Now, let us introduce how the time of day influences players. Each player exploring forest world need to face its own fears that are indicated by their mental health, During the night many Gatewalkers see possessed creatures lurking in the shadows. Long exposure to cursed darkness often makes them lose their sanity. If player gets lost in madness her/his subconscious will spawn nightmare creatures. To stay sane one need to stay within the source of the light - e.g. by staying near a campfire or by holding a torch. This way, we are introducing different feel of gameplay during a different time of day. In result, players must choose whether they prefer to explore the world safer during the day or prefer to risk their adventure at night in return for better loot.
In real life - we don’t really pay attention to how the day changes. We just do our duties, follow the particular schedule and just check the clock to get to know, how much time do we have left in order to finish a task. However, in Gatewalkers, day and night cycle is very important and in consequence make the game more engaging.
Players love to challenge themselves. When it comes to reaching a peculiar goal, like getting the highest rank or collecting all the achievements, players are able to get to the heights of their abilities in order to get the desired trophy. However, it’s not only about winning the whole thing - it’s more about the process that’s needed in order to succeed. The satisfaction coming from realization, that you’ve made it all by yourself, with your own skills is. When we were working on the game environment, we’ve decided that every dimension needs to be unique, so that player won’t get bored with repeatability, but will also need to adapt to new surroundings. Every world brings new challenges, and survival in each of them requires a different tactic. We’d like to introduce the whole idea with our concept of an icy world, in which the survival mechanics are based on body temperature.
Locations with an ice theme always give creators a chance to introduce new features, that’ll diversify the gameplay. However, most of the games, literally, use ice as an obstacle, and the player needs to learn how to profit from it. We wanted to go a step forward and make every aspect of winter a challenge to deal with. First, compared to the forest or toxic world - ice is much different when it comes to terrain. There are lots of chasms and plateaus, and it's impossible to get through any of them since they're unimaginably vast.
Secondly, in order to survive, players should craft warm clothes, eat adequate (fat) food and use heat sources, like campfires, to warm themselves. Players will need to pay attention to more than one aspect to face cold: what’s the temperature and how does it change, whether they are dressed properly and - if not - how to deal with frostbite that causes them to be more vulnerable.
Thirdly, we’ve prepared special events that will distract the players, and also force them to change the direction of their mission. One of them is a blizzard - incoming snowstorm means, that players need to find a shelter since it’s too dangerous to stay in an open field. It will destroy every campfire and tent, so it’ll be best to find some sort of cave or build a proper shelter. It will take some time, however, blizzard anticipation doesn’t mean that players only wasted their time. For a short period of time, after the snowstorm, some unique resources will appear, ready to be collected.
All of those mechanics combined, create a feeling of travelling through actual ice world. It is full of surprises, so players need to be prepared for every unforeseen circumstance.
But there’s more than just environment - the inhabitants of the ice world have adapted to their climate perfectly. Their survival abilities make them one of the most dangerous enemies for frozen players. Allow us to introduce them:
Tanaraq is one of the largest animals, players will find in the ice world. It’s one of the best fat, meat and sturdy leather source. However - just because it looks like easy prey, doesn’t mean it will not fight back. They’re strong enough to trample their hunters.
Nilak might be small and cute-looking, but when it comes to facing them in large groups - they can be very challenging opponents. Their main ability allows them to merge and transform into way larger, more fierce opponent. And huge Nilak is something, that you don’t want to cross your ways with.
This is how the new world looks like. In our opinion - venturing into uncharted Ice World will bring a lot of new challenges to overcome, but will also be fun for our players. Actually - you can try it yourself, during next alpha event, that will take place from 26th to 29th March 2020! Atmosphere might be a bit chilly, but we warmly invite you to join us there!
We play different games. As for us - the developers - playing is not only a pleasure but also a way to inspire our own title. Back when our game was only an idea on a paper, we were trying to figure out what would be the best genre combination to show to the players. And we have quickly discovered, we have either played survival games - full of dangerous exploration and crafting - or aRPG, which are mostly about character development and combat. As great enthusiasts of challenges ourselves, we eventually came out with an idea of mixing a huge part of survival with a bit of aRPG, since there’s no such game on the market. The creation of these mechanics will serve every individual and unique experience to every single future player of our game.
Speaking about the survival part – before implementing anything to the game, we needed to figure out how realistic we wanted all the mechanics to be. The trick there was to create a believable and entertaining challenge that will not bore the players, but make them even more committed to the struggle of survival. Gatewalkers is a cooperative game, but we needed to address it to the players not just by making the survival harder when playing alone. This was also the part where we wanted the action RPG elements to kick in. Imagine the feeling, when you spend the time with your team, finally resting after the exploration. The immersion unleashed by taking care of each other is supposed to make the players feel that they play an important role and without one’s help others won’t make it. You will have to start a fire to let others warm up, someone will take care of building a tent, so all of you can rest. There will always be something to do!
Every world that players got to explore is different, so are the environments and their inhabitants consequently. You’ll have to face toxic atmosphere, lack of oxygen, terrifying darkness, penetrating cold and powerful snowstorms. It’s all about adaptation and advance planning. Players aren’t forced to rely completely on what they find in a particular world, they can prepare ahead and bring the essentials with them in order to endure the hazardous surroundings. You will also have to collect unique resources and use them for crafting in order to develop and prepare for bigger challenges.
Our goal was to underline the part of action RPG and survival fusion, by making Gatewalkers a game based on cooperation and teamwork. It is easier to cope with all the misfortunes when having friends by your side. When together you can share all the duties and mutually support each other. Also, the team always consists of characters with different and unique abilities that complement each other; imagine all the combos arising from fusing your different spells. Those will be also needed when you’’ have to face the boss, and every single one is full of surprises! That’s how players will always feel the importance of their contribution to the team, by playing their role and – what is even better – the impersonation of a character is something that they have created themselves.
Gatewalkers is a game in which we don’t put the labels on the players – they can be whoever they want. Creating an enjoyable character makes it easier for the player to take on the role and play it while cooperating with a team. Thanks to that, the survival aspect is being reinforced, because everyone feels the urgency of taking care of all the party members, not only themselves. This is how we combined those two genres: by making all the parts complement each other, being a unique experience for both: every single individual and the entire team.
We have a piece of short but good news for you. The next Alpha tests will take place from March 26 to March 29. There is plenty of time to subscribe to the newsletter on our website www.gatewalkers.com. This is the most convenient way to sign up for the tests. Just do it once, and we will remind you of the event at the right time. Remember to pass the information on to your friends with whom you would like to check what's on the other side of the Gate.
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