Ashfall Dev Blog #2-Environment Graphic Upgrade
Heya! I'm back for another chat.
Lemme first let you in on what we've been cooking up. Graphics-wise we’ve been out of the early stages of updating the graphics quality of PC version, mainly adding more details to guarantee visual richness for bigger screens. I'll be sure to share some before-and-after pics! We've also made some progress on weapon handling and firing recoil, which we'll show you in some videos later on.
Content-wise, we've just added two new modes: Secret Realm and No Man's Land. The Secret Realm is a HUGE map to explore. Once you're able to get in, there are tons of mysteries to unravel and, of course, tough enemies to fight. The kicker? Players can get great rewards here — including capturable mounts! No Man's Land is a PvP mode where four teams can duke it out. You'll be tasked with searching for and bringing out some treasure from No Man’s Land. But I mean, if you can't find it, you could always just find the *team* who is carrying it and, well, things have a way of happening...
We've got early versions for both of them and will keep polishing and testing 'em until they shine. We'll aim to include more specific content for you in future Dev Blogs or messages.
There've been some lively discussions in our communities about what to expect in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. I saw some cool stuff in there and want to respond to a few and also showcase some of our game's content, because we've got A LOT.
1. Some asked if there'll be various settlements, landscapes, caves, underground worlds, mutated creatures, or even aliens, along with players’ own virtual homes.
Oh yeah, we've got all of that. We've got oodles of different cities, and towns that belong to different factions with unique backstories. We've also got TONS of different landscapes and areas to explore and adventure on, with all sorts of mutated creatures and enemies.
As for aliens... Well. Rumor has it there's a certain chain restaurant where missing person cases seem to keep happening. All I'm saying is the Men in Black might have been spotted around there and it *might* be worth checking out.
We're also cooking up personal bases. When you reach a certain area, you can follow a quest to buy your own base with a bunch of mysterious machines ready to be activated. And hey, as you're out exploring, why not scavenge some good old furniture? Might give you some inner peace when placed in your base.
2. Some asked if there'll be voice cast, since other MMORPGs don't always have that.
Voice cast is SO important for immersion, so we'll have full voice cast for all the main quests and important side quests. We're already doing some English voice cast at the moment, given the strong demand for it! You'll be able to choose from voice casts of different languages that works best for you.
3. Exploration is the core of a game and please add more ways to explore.
I totally agree with this. Exploration is the soul of post-apocalyptic games and I personally love the feeling of wandering in a vast, unfamiliar world. Rest assured, we'll be sure to offer lots of modes of exploration. And you can also find rich rewards and have lots of mysterious encounters.
4. Some asked if we could include more interactive mechanics and random encounters, like npcs or other players setting up traps in their own houses.
Random encounters are crucial for the exploration experience and an important part in our design. There'll be plenty of different random encounters to be experienced when you are exploring! For instance, you might come across a group of flesh worms marching in a line — or even find a time machine. One time when I was playing our game, I was looking for something to do in a bar when someone told me to meet him out back in an alleyway later on. WELL when I showed up, I passed out and... hmm, I won’t tell you what happened next.
5. Some asked if they'd be able to team up with other players.
We've got multiplayer instances and PvP modes for sure. So far exploration is mainly for solo mode. That being said, we've got some areas in the works for players to go explore together. For instance, players can join a Guild and go to these areas with other Guild members to earn some rewards. We'll see what resonates most with you before deciding to add more multiplayer areas.
Oh, and one more thing: when you join a Guild, we'll be giving you a Guild Base where you can interact with other members. Be sure to show up in your Guild Base from time to time for some sweet surprises!
6. Some asked us to add more realism to the world, like including dust, day and night cycle, climb mechanic, or even a hunger and thirst mechanic.
We've got you covered as far as dust goes, and the visual changes based on the time of day to really amp up the setting. Some quests can only be accepted at certain times of the day based on when NPCs appear. There are even some quests you can only receive if you are around an NPC and listen to his ramblings long enough before he reveals some key info.
For now, we don't have a plan for developing a climbing mechanic, but we're considering adding it to maps like the Secret Realm for a better exploring experience.
Since we're not a survival game, we haven't added a thirst mechanic to avoid players having to struggle to meet basic needs. But I will say this: If you spend enough time in the radiation-filled wastelands, you just might come out with an extra toe.
Join the Ashfall Official Discord Server!
https://discord.gg/EgXUYgx4fj
Mentioned games
![Migeru[XIII]](https://img3.tapimg.net/avatars/etag/Frrzdgdy8PtpUgV5K2rInGXnm0qJ.png?imageMogr2/auto-orient/strip/thumbnail/!180x180r/gravity/Center/crop/180x180/format/jpg/interlace/1/quality/40)
