As you might have noticed from all the promotional materials we’ve released on the topic of the Fungal Swamp, this new biome is a lot different from the other areas of Galatea 37. Of course, all biomes are unique thanks to their varied fauna and flora, but the Swamp stands out because of something else. The amount of dry land is by far the lowest among the biomes we’ve visited so far. Not only does this present a building challenge to you, but also a visual challenge for us. Liquid pools were never the strongest point of The Riftbreaker’s visual presentation. However, thanks to the improvements in The Schmetterling Engine, this will change with the World Expansion III update.
For a long time, we did not have support for rendering transparent materials in the engine due to the constraints of deferred shading. Last year, we made an effort to switch to a new shading technique called tiled deferred shading, which we described in detail in this article. This change was largely dictated by the fact that an idea for a water-based biome has been brewing in our minds for quite some time. Transparent materials were the first step in order to pull this off properly. After a period of experimentation carried out by the graphics team, we arrived at this result:
Each physical element that comes into contact with water causes waves to appear.
As you can see, the water we created is not perfectly clear. Moreover, the deeper the pool is, the darker the water gets. This way, we can simulate how the light behaves in the liquid without having to carry out the complex math of light refraction. It is done via a shader that controls the color of the liquid material based on the depth of the pool. This way, we can change the appearance of the liquid by adjusting shader properties. It also means that you can potentially create mods with new liquids and custom looks based on what we’ve done.
'Water' in the prologue mission did not look like water at all, however, we did not have the correct tools to make it better.
Naturally, filling a pool with water or any other liquid is not enough to simulate the behavior of a real liquid pool. To make a convincing lake, you need more than water. The bottom of the lake must be filled with various stones and plants, and the formation of the terrain itself must vary as well. Our level designers carefully redesigned every liquid pool on every tile in the game, creating a believable layer of tiny decorations hidden beneath the surface. You might not notice them a lot in-game, but believe us - if they weren’t there, the game simply wouldn’t look right.
After the switch to the new system, the water looks much more convincing. The waves that appear on the surface play a huge role in that. The edges of liquid pools are much more distinct in the new system and easier to notice.
Another aspect of a good looking water simulation is convincingly portraying the waves and ripples on the surface. That’s a job for another custom shader. First, we made sure that each vertex that comes into collision with the surface causes concentric waves to appear. This is visible when Mr. Riggs walks through a lake, for example, but truly shines when you observe a creature with more than two legs. In the case of Stickrids, for example, you can see each of the six legs causing its own ripple effect. In addition, the waves multiply and cancel each other out if they come into contact.
In the previous system we faked waves and ripples by using a 'refract' particle effect, which generally caused chaos on the screen.
The new and improved version. It takes some time for the surface to settle after it's been disturbed.
However, some phenomena can also cause waves to appear on water despite not making direct physical contact with it. Explosions and shockwaves caused by rockets and other projectiles should also have a visible effect and cause a wake to appear. The solution to that required some creativity, but we made that happen. Explosions and large projectiles now have an invisible collision sphere attached to them. The sphere is large enough to come into contact with the liquid surface. Thanks to that, our shader knows that it should cause waves to appear. The effect looks great, especially when you shoot multiple rockets - just check out the new and improved Swarm Missile launcher!
The improved Swarm Missile Launcher is a great tool for testing the 'interactability' of the liquid pools!
Additionally, to give our lakes a more lively and natural look, we decided to sprinkle in some details. Take water lilies as an example. All the vegetation and decorations in lakes are created using our prefab system. The level designer marks the area to be filled with a prefab, and the system spawns various props on the ground. However, we give water lilies a bit of special treatment. The game always spawns them on the surface of the water. This way, you can decorate your lakes, even without the ability to place objects directly on the surface in the editor. We also made sure that whenever a liquid comes into contact with the ground or a prop, you will see delicate foam forming at the point of contact. This allows the ground and liquids to blend in a natural way.
The refraction effect looked quite okay on some liquids, but it wasn't the level we were satisfied with.
Things can always look better. We won't stop improving.
We applied these changes to all the liquids in the game, so all the biomes are going to get a visual boost with the arrival of World Expansion III. Naturally, these changes are not without a performance cost, so if you would rather have a couple of extra frames per second or just do not enjoy these effects, you can simply flick a switch in the options menu to turn the water simulation off. If you’re on the fence - come and see the new liquids live at www.twitch.tv/exorstudios - we’re on at 3 PM CEST on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Drop by Discord to get notified about that: www.discord.gg/exorstudios
See you next time! EXOR Studios
Introducing Prop Sets
Hello Riftbreakers!
When designing The Riftbreaker, we wanted each playthrough to be slightly different. Enemy attacks happen at randomized intervals, and you never know what kind of a surprise the Galatean weather is holding for you. This variety is greatly aided by the randomized map generation system that we implemented. In today’s article, we’re going to tell you about the most recent addition to this system, that will expand its capabilities even more - Prop Sets.
The new system allows us to replace decorations in various spots across the level, reducing the rare, but unpleasant repetitions.
You can walk by the same spot many times and not even realize you've seen it before, but slightly different!
We have already written a lengthy article about the map generation system. We encourage you to give it a read, but if you want a quick summary, we have your back, too: maps are constructed from tiles. Each tile is handcrafted by a level designer. They set up the terrain obstacles, place resource deposits, mark spots for player and enemy spawns, and set up all the necessary boundaries. The map is also filled with various props. The bigger props are placed manually, while the large fields of vegetation are handled by our prefab system. This system allows us to mark a flat area to be filled automatically with various grass tufts, shrubs, bushes, palm trees, and many others.
Prefabs work great and save a lot of time, but have their limitations. This is why we decided to introduce prop sets.
The prefab system not only makes designing a level easier but also ensures an even higher degree of variability within a tile. We have many prefabs to choose from, and you never know which one you’re going to see in the game. However, this system also had its limitations - it could only be used on a flat, empty space. This means that if we wanted to place some vegetation on rocks, or create a complex structure by combining several props, it would always be the same and not undergo randomization. For World Expansion III we decided to improve that and developed the Prop Set System.
The prefab system was quite powerful, as it could transform the feeling of an entire tile. But, as always, we wanted more power. MORE POWER!
The idea behind this system is very simple. In order to introduce more variability within the tiles, we decided to group our props into sets that can be exchanged with each other without any hassle. The designer places props on the map as usual. They can set them anywhere they like - on the ground, in canyons, on the rocks - the sky is the limit here. However, some magic happens during the map generation process. The game can exchange the objects that the designer placed on the map with similar ones, using a list that we created. Thanks to this, every time you load a map, you will see quite a different landscape. If this sounds complicated, just check out this GIF, and it will all become clear:
A dozen variations available at a click of a button.
We choose a base set of props for the designers to use during the tile creation process. Then, we create a simple CSV table that lists all the individual props that belong to the base set. After that, we can create as many alternative sets as we want. Let’s use a simple example to portray the process.
In the table above, you can see a simplified version of the base set of props. It contains the tree_01, bush_01, and grass_01 models. The level designer will place these props on the map and the game will use it as a baseline. Then, we can create an alternative set by choosing some other models that are similar to the base props and listing them in the CSV file.
This tells the game that it is safe to replace the tree_01 model from the base set with the tree_02 model from the alternative set. The system will only exchange props from the same table row, so you don’t have to worry about giant trees replacing grass tufts. However, you can specify completely different props. For example:
In this case, if the game decides to choose Alternative Set 02, the original trees, bushes, and rocks will be replaced with mushrooms, rocks, and flowers. You can get really creative here, but you also have to make sure that the lists you create make sense - you don’t want rocks to grow on top of trees, do you?
SURPRISE SPREADSHEET! Working in game development requires more staring at spreadsheets than you imagine. This is a fragment of our Fungal Swamp biome propset. Click to zoom in, if you like spreadsheets.
Additionally, during the map generation process, each tile is divided into four almost equal parts (not all tiles are square or rectangular, hence the almost part). Each part of the tile will use a different prop set if possible, ensuring that you will see as many variants of flora and other decorations as possible.
This feature allows us to have many variations of complex structures without the need for manual re-propping everything each time.
For now, only the map tiles we created for World Expansion III will use this system. Retroactively introducing it to each of our map tiles from other biomes would be a lengthy process. It would require us to create prop sets, remove all existing props from the maps, and replace them with only the base set models. We’re not saying it is never going to happen, but it will need a lot of dedication. Creating a new biome using this system is a breeze, though, so we highly encourage you to use it when creating your custom maps. We will publish an update to The Riftbreaker World Editor suite around the release of the World Expansion itself.
Replacing props in such tightly-packed spaces would be a nightmare. With the new system, it's a breeze.
The right set can completely change the mood of the scene.
We hope that this (relatively) small addition will greatly enhance your experience with the Fungal Swamp biome in the upcoming expansion. Each day we are getting closer to our beta experimental release, so stay tuned for more info on that - www.discord.gg/exorstudios is the best place to stay informed. We’re also quite happy with our progress on the multiplayer front - we even streamed a four-player playthrough of an online co-op run on www.twitch.tv/exorstudios. You can watch it here:
When the time comes, we will for sure have a closed beta release of the co-op version. Sign up for that here:
Have a great weekend, and see you next time! EXOR Studios
New Creature Reveal: Canceroth
Hello Riftbreakers!
If you see one Canceroth in the wild, there is a good chance that there are more nearby.
Our work on World Expansion III for The Riftbreaker is progressing nicely. We are at the Alpha stage of production—the logic structure for the entire campaign is in place, allowing playtesters to complete the expansion without any tricks or debug options. We have already started conducting early playtests within the company. Tests like these help us identify problems and challenges, as well as the highlights of the campaign. It turns out that we all consider today’s topic to be one of the highlights. Some of you might have seen this creature on our stream already - let’s take a closer look at the Canceroth.
Canceroth testing in a synthetic environment. Take a good look - it's rare to see one in such a calm setting.
The Canceroth is one of the most unique lifeforms you will encounter during your exploration of the Swamp biome. At first, it looks like a colony of some sort. In the center of the colony, there is a large cell that is surrounded by several smaller ones, identical to the one in the middle. The colony moves as one, with the central cell controlling the behavior of the entire group, rolling over the surface of the planet with no regard for anything on its way. Canceroths leave a wake of destruction behind them, annihilating all organisms and structures they encapsulate. If they get inside your base, it is already too late to stop them. You can’t even count on natural protection - Canceroths traverse mountains and canyons with ease.
Canceroth Nests are well protected by other species of creatures and plants. What's their connection? You will have to discover it yourself.
A Canceroth’s body is incredibly resilient, thanks to its unique construction. Each individual cell looks as if it holds some kind of dark energy trapped within it. However, the physical part of the body resembles a ball made of elastic tubes, capable of changing shape according to the organism’s needs. This protects a Canceroth from physical damage, as the body absorbs the energy or changes shape to avoid injury. Acid, energy, and fire also seem to have limited potential against these creatures. What works is cryo damage coupled with area damage. First, you slow the creature down, then bombard it with whatever you have at your disposal for maximum effect.
Canceroths do not only spawn during attack waves. They will also attack you if you touch a Bioanomaly.
Speaking of ways to eliminate the Canceroth, you must do it strategically. The smaller cells can be destroyed to limit the creature’s size and damage output, but this is not very effective in the long run, as the cells can simply regrow. The only way to deal with the colony once and for all is to destroy the central node. Sounds simple at first, but all the surrounding cells are great at soaking up damage and protecting the ‘head.’ Use traps, landmines, and precision-targeting weapons to snipe the central piece.
If you thought battles in The Riftbreaker can get chaotic sometimes, just wait for the Canceroth to appear.
What makes matters even more tricky is that Canceroths usually do not come alone. Sometimes, they will invade your base as a part of an attack wave. However, Canceroths also create their own nests, and when they do, they will simply keep coming after you as long as they stay active. Moreover, Canceroths also come in Alpha and Ultra variants, each even bigger and more powerful than the last. Not a lot can stand in their way, so be on the lookout for those and destroy them before they can reach your base.
Terrain obstacles are nothing for a Canceroth. They can move across the talles peaks and deepest canyons of Galatea 37.
Canceroths are not similar to any creatures in the Swamp biome. However, they do not display aggression towards other species. Still, their destructive nature and ability to destroy and consume everything in their path are not without consequences. Their destructive behavior brings imbalance to the ecosystem and threatens the existence of other creatures. Ashley and Mr. Riggs will have to solve the mystery of the Canceroth’s origin and find out whether its influence threatens the planet. Should they interfere at all? Is Galatea 37 better off without their intervention? What other secrets does the biome hold? You will find everything in the story-driven campaign that’s coming alongside the World Expansion III update for The Riftbreaker.
If you somehow miss a Canceroth rolling through your base, you will definitely notice the telltale trail of destruction.
All our players will be able to face off against the Canceroth and many other new creatures we’ve prepared for you in the free portion of the World Expansion III update. This time it’s going to feature not one, but two additional maps for the Survival Mode, which will give you plenty of opportunities to try out the new weapons and technologies. If you’d like to get your hands on the early, follow us on www.discord.gg/exorstudios not to miss the experimental update, which is going to happen well before the official release. Join our streams on Tuesdays and Thursdays at www.twitch.tv/exorstudios for even more exclusive information and live Q&As!
See you there! EXOR Studios
Creature Nests in the Swamp Biome
Hello Riftbreakers!
This creature/structure/growth/whatever-it-is looks certainly different from all the other nests we've seen so far.
Today, we continue our cycle of articles previewing the new content in The Riftbreaker World Expansion III. We’ve already discussed some of the new technologies that will help you master both the dry land and the waters of the Swamp biome. We have also shown you some creatures that will oppose your expansion into their home turf and destroy their nesting grounds. In fact, you might want to think twice before disturbing any nests - and we’re going to tell you why in today’s article.
You will rarely get this much space to fight the nest. Cherish these moments.
Like the creatures found in other areas of the planet, the inhabitants of the Swamp biome often live in packs. This allows them to hunt together and protect each other from danger. These groups often form large nests, which serve as their makeshift homes and nurseries for the young. However, these nests are different from what we see in other regions of Galatea. In areas such as the Tropical Zone, you will find only one species living in nests - the Canoptrix. The same is true for the Mushbits in the Desert, Morirots in the Volcanic Zone, and Granans in the Acidic Plains. Things are different in the Swamps.
Battling through to the nest itself is a difficult and dangerous process.
Multiple species of nesting creatures inhabit this newly discovered biome, which is not really strange by itself. What makes them unique is the fact that all species in the Swamp biome seem to gather around the same type of nest. It makes it pretty clear that the creatures do not build this structure themselves but find it in the wild and claim it as their home. What makes the Swamp nest even stranger is a giant acid-spitting maw located at the very top of this structure. It will actively seek out threats, aim at them, and bombard them with a barrage of acidic projectiles from a long distance. All these properties make it very likely that the nest is a living organism, forming a symbiotic relationship with the creatures of the Swamp biome.
Luckily most of the natural inhabitants of the Swamp biome absolutely hate fire.
Multiple species of creatures lay eggs both within and around the nests. You will want to clear them out as quickly as you can - otherwise, your base will never get any rest from an endless stream of creatures pouring your way. Fungors, Plutrodons, and Stickrids are not the only creatures that you will face while trying to clear these nests out. The aggressive, carnivorous plants, which we showed you a couple of weeks before, very often grow in the immediate vicinity of the nest. It’s an additional layer of protection for the entire structure and the creatures inside. Combine that with the “turret” on top, and you’ve got a serious siege on your hands.
Energy-based weapons like the Lightning Gun can help you clear out multiple targets at once - which is especially useful when the entire jungle decides to attack you!
Clearing out a Swamp nest is not an easy task. It will require a slow, methodical approach, getting rid of the threats layer by layer. You can, for example, try to lure the creatures out first, then burn the carnivorous plants with fire, and finally blow up your main target with an orbital barrage. However, that’s not the only option, and we’re sure you will find many ways to sweet victory. If you succeed, you will be rewarded with a shower of rare resources and high-quality mods (and perhaps something more!). Most importantly, though, you will enjoy a moment of peace and quiet.
Sometimes you might not even realize how many enemies are around you! Employ hit-and-run tactics to get away from hairy situations like these.
We hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the weird world of the Swamp biome, which is coming to The Riftbreaker in World Expansion III. Remember to add the expansion to your Steam Wishlist and join us on www.discord.gg/exorstudios never to miss any news! We have also started streaming co-op playthroughs of the survival Mode once more, so follow www.twitch.tv/exorstudios and get notified when we go live on Tuesdays and Thursdays!
See you there! EXOR Studios
Enter the Maze of Vines
Hello Riftbreakers!
These plants have nothing to do with the rest of the article, but they are cute and funny and shy and awesome.
The Swamp biome that is coming to The Riftbreaker in World Expansion III is a beautiful place filled with all kinds of life. Plants, creatures, and fungi living here have perfect conditions to grow, multiply, and thrive - all thanks to the abundance of water and fertile soil, rich with minerals and nutrients. Given enough time, any form of life can reach a truly gigantic size in the Swamp. However, Galatea 37 likes to surprise us. Apart from towering, ancient trees that have been growing for the past few thousand years, you will encounter other unexpectedly large life forms. Life forms that grow quickly and claim all the land they can find. Let’s talk about Vine Walls today.
This place doesn't look inviting and the creatures don't want us there. Let's go inside before we see reason!
A large portion of the Swamp biome is covered with a sprawling growth of what we call Vine Walls. At first, they seem to be a very large formation of intertwining bushes that are impossible to cross for something larger than a Quelver. However, they are not just a field of shrubs. In fact, it is one giant organism, probably one of the largest ones on Galatea 37. Vine Walls spread like wildfire, taking over every piece of land they can. As the Vines spread, some of their branches get rooted into the ground, soaking up all the nutrients and water a plant needs to survive. Vines are very densely packed, blocking all the sunlight and leaving nothing for competing organisms. In the world of plants, they are as close to the top of the food chain as they can get.
You can carve a path into the vines to regenerate ammo, charge a shot, or simply run away from a creature. It's a nice little tactic.
Encountering a growth like this on your path to exploring the secrets of the Swamp biome is going to pose a challenge. While Vines are not a direct threat to Mr. Riggs, they will limit your movement options. They might seem a bit similar to Limestone Walls from the Crystal Caverns biome, but you will quickly realize that they are very different. Walls and Vines can both be cleared with Mr. Riggs’s drilling arm, and this is where the similarities end. While Limestone Walls stayed open after you drilled through them, Vine Walls will grow back just a couple of seconds after you initially cleared them. You will have to carve your path as you go, with your escape route closing all the time.
Given enough time, the vines will grow back and trap you within. Luckily, good old brute force helps.
Luckily, Vines are quite brittle, and most of your melee weapons will punch through them with ease. This is going to be especially helpful in combat - and there is going to be quite a lot of combat here! While the Vine Wall does not enjoy sharing space with most plants, it forms a symbiotic relationship with carnivorous plants, like Artigians and Carnicynths. The Vine allows these species to grow within its ‘body’ in isolated pockets. Carnivorous plants are supplied with food and shelter. In return, if something is trying to carve its path through the Vine growth, the plant will try to trap it in such a way that Artigians and Carnicynths can destroy the threat from a safe distance. Be careful not to fall into one of these traps.
Mr. Riggs knows he won't burn it all down, but it won't stop him from trying anyway.
Since Mr. Riggs is the biggest pyromaniac on Galatea 37 (this is an official title (edit. no, it’s not)), he quickly discovers that the branches of the Vine Walls can be easily cleared using the good old flamethrower. It is a plant, after all, and plants burn. However, the Vine’s defensive mechanism stops the flames from spreading by secreting a flame-resistant substance that covers the branches near the source of the fire. You can burn a path forward, but you will never get rid of the entire growth.
Fights taking place within the growth require you to find new strategies and look for the most efficient solutions.
It is unclear at this point if the Vine Wall colonies spread around the Swamp have a positive or a negative effect on the ecosystem. That will be left for you to discover. One thing is certain - you will either have to learn to live alongside them or use something other than brute force to destroy them. You will solve this and many other secrets in World Expansion III, which you can wishlist here:
If you would like to see previews of World Expansion III even before the update goes to the experimental branch, join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays on www.twitch.tv/exorstudios - we stream both World Expansion III Survival runs and our brave first attempts at Co-Op sessions. We’d love to hang out with you and answer all the questions you might have. You can also catch us on our Discord at www.discord.gg/exorstudios.
See you there! EXOR Studios
P.S.
We have a bundle going with our friends from Far From Home, allowing you to get The Riftbreaker and Forever Skies, an awesome, post-apo survival game that should be right up your alley. Forever Skies is on a 20% discount at the moment, and if you already own The Riftbreaker, you can get an additional 15% off using the bundle. Check it out!
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.
OFFENSIVE
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.
DEFENSIVE
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.
UTILITY
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.
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.
