A small update that we finally had time to make is the possibility to climb the ladders. We've been working on several new ladders in terms of 3D modeling and finally got a chance to add this small but crucial feature. It opens more locations and adds a tactical aspect as well. Now some of You will be able to say, "It's over I have a high ground". Of course, while you are climbing, you are kind of exposed, but we are working to fix this injustice. You will be able to aim and shoot while you are climbing, which still leaves you exposed to the enemy, but gives you a chance to shoot your way through the ladder. Linkedin Facebook
Surrender or die, or maybe run
We've been reworking animal AI, but it would be unfair if animal AI would be smarter than human AI. The small addition that human AI will face is the surrendering option and run option. Basically, if you and your friends are outnumbering the AI, it can consider running rather than dying. If you are willing to shoot a poor NPC in the back, it's your choice, nobody will blame you. Another small addition is if you are sneaking to NPC and aiming at it, you will be able to make them surrender and give whatever you can take from them, of course, nobody insists on actually sparing the NPC's life. But yet again, like with shooting at the back, the choice is yours.
As always, have a great weekend and see you guys next week! ;)
Weekly News #178
One week one blog, that is the deal! ;)
More trucks
You may remember that in one of the previous weekly rounds, we were implementing the wheels blowing of the large trucks. It is a tactical move that will allow to stun the enemy, create a distraction or scare the animals. We are planning to make trucks more than just interior or loot containers. Right now we are increasing the variability of trucks, then we will differ their functionality in terms of loot and tactical usage. Moreover, trucks will be like a fortress once a faction or player upgrades it to such a truck. We will share more details once we have an MVP of such functionality, it will come with a new game mode with high stakes high reward mood. If you want to see new trucks that have been made do visit our social pages. linkedin facebook
Animal fear
You might noticed that most of the animals are very aggressive and once you shoot them they will try to avenge the damage. We've been reworking AI to make animals more realistic, when they are starving they will be more aggressive, however, if you are able to give them some food that this type of animal can and want to eat, player will be able to get rid of animals without a direct fight. This could be a "bribe" with food, fire, or a very noisy sound that scares the crap out of the animal. So all of the news we are posting are connected to each other. This new animal behavior not only will increase the emersion but also increase the animals' survivability, it would be slightly harder to hunt them down.
It becomes warmer, so have a sunny weekend! :)
Weekly News #177
Warning Weekly News. WWN!
Complete rework of the airport
You might remember the location airport, it was Sentinel Alliance HQ. We've started reworking or it would be better to say remaking the airport, it becomes bigger and more complex. Previously the airport was just a bunch of containers and a runway strip, now it will have a lot of buildings to scavenge around and a lot of good positions to scavenge the scavenger. We are working not only on the airport but on Cobra HQ as well, as you might remember cobra HQ is a prison. But in this weekly news, we will be discussing only the airport. The airport itself, as it was mentioned, is the heart of the sentinel alliance, they've managed to take control of the only operational supply hub in the region. As a result, they've got a lot of supplies and non-functional airplanes. The airplanes will be used as buildings as well, in some cases as storage. Previously around the airport, there were no locations or points of interest, now there will be places to hide, scavenge or place a trap. However, the territory itself is guarded by a sentinel alliance so if you are a cobra follower it might be not a great idea to hang out there. We have a lot of work to do still with both the airport and prison, we will share more detail in upcoming weeklies. If you want to see some screenshots visit our social pages. linkedin facebook
Friends and foes system
We are working on a friend system, which is pretty normal for any social game where you can party with other players and create a clan, or in our case PMC. The friend system is easy as it sounds, you can add another player to friend list, he can accept the friend request and now you will be able to cooperate more easily in the game. The foe system is something opposite. If there is a player who constantly annoys you by killing you on the raids or stealing something from you. You can add this player to the foe list, and by paying some amount of money you will be able to get additional information about this player's mercenary and get some revenge or ways to dodge this player.
We wish you a great weekend and hope to cya guys next week! ;)
Weekly News #176
Welcome to the weekly news blog, on to the news!
A little about asset progress
We were told previously that we are reworking all of the assets. We've started from small assets such as road signs moving to the whole buildings and roads. To answer some questions about why it can take a long time. First of all, we've changed the game time frame, which forced us to modernize some of the assets and get rid of the others. The buildings are not so crucial since the buildings themselves are standing on the ground and completing their objectives for a long time, but the inner assets should match the time frame, and these assets are consuming a lot of time. We wanted to show some of the work that has been done. Check out the assets on our social pages. Linkedin. Facebook.
QA time
And yet again, some major features have been implemented we need to launch a round of QA for the LR to get rid of annoying bugs that could be present. During this period, we are not really implementing anything new globally, just small features that do not affect the testing area of work. The Unreal Engine tools are very helpful during this stage of development. Tools like Profiler allows us to optimize the load and overall FPS stability, for example. We are also doing a small check to find out if we are on the right track if the game is fun to play, if it is infesting to explore, and how difficult it is to get good in the game. Once one if these questions are answered as NO or Pretty hard, we are watching what we need to change in order to turn the answer around to Yes.
Have a great weekend ya'll, and cya guys next week! ;)
Weekly News #175
Welcome back to another weekly news round!
Be sure to check the full weekly report following the link.
Multi-Level Raids
As You already know, raiding is one of the most exciting and profitable activities in the game. With this new update, we wanted to make it more challenging.
So, how do these multi-level raids work? Well, each raid is divided into several stages, and players must complete each stage to progress to the next level. After finishing each stage of the raid, players will be presented with a choice: continue to the next stage or finish the raid and collect the loot they've acquired so far. If players choose to continue, they'll be grouped with other players who have made the same choice and continue to the next stage. However, if players in a squad make different choices, the squad will disband, and those who want to continue will be grouped with other players in the group finder. This ensures that players who are committed to completing the raid can do so without being held back by those who aren't. The final stage of each multi-level raid will be the most difficult but also the most rewarding. Players will have to decide whether to risk everything and continue or play it safe and collect the loot they've earned so far. This decision will be a tough one, but it's what makes these raids so exciting. If you're looking to earn the most juicy loot in Lost Region, multi-level raids are the way to go. With each level you complete, the rewards become greater, so if you're up for the challenge, you could walk away with some seriously valuable items.
Major PMC contracts
As you might remember, PMC is a private military company that serves the role of clan in Lost Region. With the introduction of these major contracts, players now have a new opportunity to showcase the strength and capabilities of their clans. The contracts can be taken by the PMC that is strong enough to handle them, and upon completion, they will bring in significant profits for the entire clan. But that's not all: completing these contracts will also change the reputation of the entire clan drastically. This means that every player involved in the completion of the contract will receive an increased reputation, making them more valuable assets for the clan in the future. The contracts will be assigned to every PMC member, and each member will have the option to participate or not. However, it's important to note that the more members that participate, the higher the chances of success in completing the contract. Most of these contracts will involve fighting with the opposite faction, which will require the PMC members to work together and strategize to overcome the challenges. Apart from increasing reputation and profits, the completion of a major PMC contract will grant the clan access to unique faction items that cannot be obtained anywhere else in the game. These items are rare and valuable and can give the PMC a significant advantage over other clans in the game. Such a contract itself could have a simple task, like killing a certain amount of soldiers of the opposite faction, or something more complex, like capturing the key point of the map, such as a dam. Let it be clan wars.
Good luck and have fun on the weekend! ;)
Weekly News #174
New news now! NNN!
Be sure to check the full weekly report following the link.
Shooting sound rework
We are aiming for a more realistic and immersive experience when shooting, reloading, and hitting targets and improving player awareness of the surroundings. Rework of long-distance shooting sound will help players determine the shooter's location more accurately. The new long-distance shooting sound will have a distinct echo and reverb effect, which will vary depending on the shooter's location and terrain. This will enable players to identify the direction of the shot more easily and react accordingly. This change is expected to make gameplay more challenging and exciting, as players will need to use their senses and instincts to survive in the game. Another significant addition to Lost Region's gun sounds is the effect of shooting inside concrete buildings or any structure that can reflect sound. It will apply the deafening effect that will last for a short period of time after firing a gun indoors. To avoid this, you might want to use silencers when shooting indoors.
Optimization
We've started a round of optimization to enhance the game's FPS and load speed. As the game continues to add new levels, optimizing streaming becomes crucial to maintain stable FPS and providing a seamless gaming experience. Our goal is to ensure that Lost Region runs smoothly on a variety of devices and configurations. The optimization process involved streamlining the game's code and reducing the load on the CPU and GPU. The optimization also ensures that the game will continue to run well as new content is added. Thanks to UE 5, it is much easier to optimize the game, and the performance has improved greatly, thanks to the new game engine version.
Have a shiny weekend, folks! ;)
Weekly News #173
Back to the news!
Be sure to check the full weekly report following the link.
Shooting the walls
The upgrade involves making some surfaces such as thin wood, glass, thin metal, and thin ceramic not bulletproof. This means that players will need to be more careful when choosing cover during battles. While players can still get some additional defense by getting behind thin wood, it will just reduce the damage. To be completely safe, it is better to find appropriate covers such as sandbags or really thick walls. In any case, the first goal should always be to look for something thick to hide behind. Players will need to be strategic in their approach to combat and think carefully about their choices. The developers have also added new elements to the game, such as destructible environments, which means that players can now use their environment to their advantage. Note that gaps in defense are still going to be a problem, so if you are standing behind a thick wall and your foot is visible to your enemy, this foot is not in a safe position.
Minor factions
When a player chooses a mercenary for a raid, they will need to return to the base in order to finish the mission. This can be done by either exiting the map using one of the four generated spots or by using a faction base as a safe transfer back home. While the faction exit is more safe because of the faction guards, players still need to reach the faction base, and every player knows where the faction bases are located. So both options have their pros and cons. Players will need to be strategic and plan their route carefully to return to the base successfully. In the event that a player's mercenary dies during the raid, they will still be able to retrieve the goods by sending another mercenary. However, retrieving the lost mercenary will depend on their condition and how long they have been missing. The chances of success will also depend on how the mercenary went missing, whether they were too exhausted or shot in the head. Players will need to be resourceful and use their survival skills to complete the raids and return to the base successfully.
Important!
We are leaving Twitter. There are several reasons, but most importantly, we do not like how Twitter, as a platform and company, is ruled by its heads. If you will see any Farom Studio on Twitter, it is 100% fake because, yet again, we are leaving Twitter. If the tides will change and we will consider returning to Twitter, we will announce it as well.
Have a great weekend! And see you guys next week!
Weekly News #172
172 weekly news blog!
Be sure to check the full weekly report following the link.
Sentinel Alliance HQ
The world of Lost Region is about to get a lot bigger. As we announced earlier, we would revisit the old levels, and the time has come, with a special focus on the airport, which was the Sentinel Alliance HQ base. The airport has been transformed into a small military city, complete with traders, auctions, and a lot of guards to keep the peace. The base will be a hub of activity where players can trade, restock supplies, and pick up new missions. Players can also expect to find unique weapons being traded by Sentinel Alliance traders. These weapons will be available only to those who have earned a good reputation with the faction. Additionally, players will need to earn the trust of the faction to access certain areas of the base. The base is sprawling, with buildings and structures that range from sleek and modern to rusty and worn. The airport has a unique history, having been deconstructed for civilian and military needs. This history is reflected in the base's layout, with plenty of aircraft parts and other salvaged materials repurposed for military use. We don't recommend to storm the base, it would end badly.
Minor factions
The map is primarily controlled by the two major factions, Sentinel Alliance and Cobra, players will now have the opportunity to improve their reputation with smaller groups. Improving your reputation with minor factions will unlock new items and weapons to buy, as well as new perks. This will allow players to customize their gameplay experience and choose the faction that best aligns with their play style. Minor factions will be a source of new missions and will be integrated into the larger faction ecosystem of Lost Region. Players will have to make choices about which factions they support, as improving their reputation with one may slightly improve or decrease their reputation with the major factions, depending on their allegiance. Minor factions won't be able to control key points of the map like the major factions, they will be able to make life better or worse for those factions. This creates a dynamic and ever-changing environment where players will have to adapt to shifting alliances and power struggles.
As always, have a great weekend, and cya guys next week! ;)
Weekly News #171
What is week? 7 days! What comes after 7 days? Weekly news.
Be sure to check the full weekly report following the link.
Dynamic trade
We've been working on the game's trade system, the goal is to adjust the price of items and gear according to their demand, ensuring that players get fair prices for their goods. Lost Region's trade system sets a minimum price that cannot be crossed. This means that even if players try to reduce the price of an item, they won't be able to go below its minimum. This ensures that players don't get ripped off and that the market remains stable. However, the game's trade system doesn't only affect players. Factions and NPC trades also keep an eye on the market and adjust their stock prices accordingly. While players can't reduce prices below the minimum, they can boost prices to sell their goods at higher prices. Of course, such actions will require money, and it's up to the players to decide how to earn that money. Whether it's through hunting, gathering, scavenging, raiding, crafting, or trading, we offer ways for players to make money and thrive in the world of Lost Region. With this dynamic trade system and emphasis on fair prices, we want to change the way players approach in-game economics.
Ammo and ways to kill
Players will be able to inflict various ammo upgrades such as poison ammo, piercing ammo, shrapnel ammo, and many more. These ammo upgrades will allow players to choose the right type of ammo for different situations, making their gameplay even more exciting. Poison ammo is great for slowing down enemies and causing them to vomit while running from you. Although this type of ammo deals less impact damage, it can be incredibly useful when trying to get away from enemies or trying to slow them down to take them out more easily. Piercing ammo, on the other hand, is great for taking out armored enemies, making it a valuable tool for players in certain situations. However, it's not as effective against light armor enemies, so players will need to be strategic about when to use it. Shrapnel ammo is the most powerful of the ammo upgrades, dealing much more damage than regular ammo. However, it's completely useless against heavy armor enemies, making it a risky choice in certain situations. The developers are still working on balancing the ammo types, ensuring that players can't simply rely on one type of ammo to dominate the game. New types of ammo can be crafted, found, and bought, providing players with plenty of opportunities to experiment and find the right ammo for their gameplay style.
As always, have a great weekend! Cya next week!
Weekly News #170
How is it going, folks? Weekly news blog is starting!
Be sure to check the full weekly report following the link.
Map control
Map control players can help major factions control key locations on the map, such as the dam, which provides energy to the faction that controls it. However, even if the opposing faction controls the dam, players can still generate energy using power generators, so that is a boost, tasty and useful. To gain control of these key locations, players must align themselves with a faction and help them dominate the area. The faction that controls a key location gains a significant advantage, enabling them to expand its influence and resources. There will be several key areas on the map, each providing different advantages, but for factions, the more areas they control, the less free manpower they have. Therefore, it is quite difficult to control all of them. Conflict zones will be decided by factions, and players will be able to see the control zones on the map. This will bring an everlasting dynamics to map control.
PMC mercenaries
PMC mercenaries are soldiers that a PMC allows other players to hire in order to complete quests and participate in conflicts. Players can contribute their soldiers to a PMC's pool of mercenaries, which can be used by other players (if their membership allows it) for various activities, including scavenging, raiding, and more. The ultimate goal of the PMC is to construct a battle-ready pool of mercenaries that can stand against other PMCs and go on raids. Using PMC mercenaries is a great way for players to earn loot and money in the game. When a player hires a PMC member's soldier, they will receive a percentage of the rewards earned from completing the mission. This includes any loot found during the mission, as well as a percentage of the money earned. Also, it would be a great way to help your friends soldiers stay updated in terms of level. Note that gear must be provided by the player that takes the merc for the mission, not by the owner of this soldier.
That is all for today. Will cya guys next week! Cheers! ;)
