Hello, hunters! Excited to share the first development diary of CONVRGENCE with you. Today, I'll be talking about the adversaries you'll encounter during your exploration of the Chernokamensk Zone and the allied factions working alongside you. [h3][b]Military[/b][/h3] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44664458/85a7c4005259010ebd0b41fb1f2ad107c7e9958f.png[/img] The massive wall surrounding the Chernokamensk Zone is guarded by the military. Their main task is perimeter patrol: preventing unauthorized access to the restricted area and containing entities of the zone to prevent them from breaching into the outside world. However, in special cases, they are deployed to work inside the perimeter. During operations inside the zone, the military is divided into two formations, working separately. The Cleaners search and destroy demon nests - operations takes place during daytime while monsters are dormant. The Rapid Reaction Force (RRF) provide combat support and accompany operatives or scientists on secret assignments. Rumors suggest that a significant portion of the military has 'gone rogue'. Corrupt personnel are believed to have allowed bandits and cultists to gain access to the restricted area, in exchange for financial rewards. Partly, these rumors are based on reality: in the last two months, around 20 military personnel have faced a tribunal for various abuses of authority. [list] [*] Orders are received through a dispatcher from a unified control center [*] Hostile to the bandits, cultists, demons, and wild fauna [/list] [h3][b]Hunters[/b][/h3] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44664458/fc1e1ff4dc0f87e488dfc46fbdc6216fea273572.png[/img] Volunteers are actively recruited for additional exploration of the Chernokamensk Zone and mainly for artifact hunting. Some are promised amnesty, others substantial financial rewards, and some - career advancement. The motivations vary, and the volunteer squads consist of specialists across a broad spectrum. After brief training, rookie hunters are given free access to the closed territory, along with basic gear that, according to reviews, is 'not very trustworthy'. Nonetheless, newcomers have the chance to prove themselves on forays, earn from selling loot and artifacts, and acquire new equipment that better suits their needs. Some call this approach to organizing expeditions 'natural selection to weed out the weak'. Others consider it 'corrupt, brutal, leading to inevitable doom'. Rumors suggest a high mortality rate among rookie hunters due to subpar equipment, but this information remains unconfirmed. [list] [*] Hunters are authorized to eliminate anyone illegally entering the restricted area [*] Hunter actions are coordinated from the control center [*] Hostile to the bandits, cultists, demons, and wild fauna [/list] [h3][b]Scientists[/b][/h3] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44664458/4d7fcac7a40e8c5de012f38b6e9598d8547f934d.png[/img] Scientists are engaged in the study of the exclusion zone, exploring continuously emerging spatial anomalies and mysterious artifacts. Despite close collaboration with the military, scientists do not directly report to them. All directives come from scientific leaders who worked on classified projects in Chernokamensk long before the appearance of the anomaly zone. Teams consist of employees from research laboratories that previously worked on classified projects. Unconfirmed rumors suggest that scientists are now not only developing weapons for mass demon destruction but also searching for parallel worlds. However, few believe these rumors, often dismissing them as 'science fiction from the TV.' Scientists operate individually and in teams, accompanied by RRF. The goals of scientists and the results of their research are strictly classified. [list] [*] Always work in the presence of the military [*] Pay hunters well for found artifacts [/list] [h3][b]Bandits[/b][/h3] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44664458/ce54c7205b579877fcc61fe6fb038990df34ce42.png[/img] Despite the government's efforts to conceal information about the zone, rumors about its 'untold treasures' and enigmatic artifacts persist among the public. This is why opportunistic individuals illegally infiltrate the Chernokamensk Zone. In pursuit of wealth or a new life, the anomaly zone has been overrun by criminals, escaped convicts, and military deserters who left service due to personal reasons or conflicting ideologies. All of them, for simplicity's sake, are referred to as bandits. Bandits are often disorganized, acting alone or in small groups, but occasionally forming gangs and establishing makeshift camps. These gangs are led by 'bosses' who impose their rules and principles with an iron fist. [list] [*] Despite their cruelty and lawlessness, there's a certain romance in the lives of bandits [*] Solo bandits try to leave the zone before sunset, while camp-based bandits live in it almost permanently [*] Hostile to the military, hunters, cultists, demons, and wild fauna [/list] [h3][b]Cultists[/b]*[/h3] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44664458/9ba3e8982bd750c204e98b0a0661fad59664d4c0.png[/img] Cultists - followers of Satan who worship demons and everything associated with them. They existed before the formation of the zone but strengthened their beliefs upon learning that 'demons have come to Earth' and headed to Chernokamensk. Unlike bandits, they infiltrate the closed territory not for enrichment but to conduct Satanic rituals: sacrifices, flesh mutilation, and cannibalism. They believe these rituals will help them 'become one' with the zone and 'reunite with the underworld'. A certain 'Initiator' leads the cult. Adherents call him the 'voice of Satan' and the 'first man nearby'. The identity of the Initiator is kept secret, even from the cult followers. [list] [*] Initiator calls new cultists into the zone every day [*] For unknown reasons, demons do not attack cult members [*] Hostile to the military, hunters, scientists, bandits, and wild fauna [/list] [h3][b]Demons[/b][/h3] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44664458/6d03d9f1df402f07edba0062d67c67e048b2d7bf.png[/img] Demons - creatures that have instilled fear throughout the Chernokamensk from the very first day of the zone's appearance. At night, they emerge from their nests with one goal - to tear apart all living things. Even an experienced hunter should not encounter them after sunset. It's better to find shelter or leave the zone before duskfall. Demons have a weakness - sunlight. During the day, these 'interlopers' sleep in their so-called nests - underground facilities or abandoned buildings where sunlight does not reach. The commonly used term might have been influenced by cultists and their blind faith that demons 'came from hell to herald Satan's arrival'. Scientists view the 'popular' name with irony and even laugh at it, but nevertheless, they use it themselves. [list] [*] Fighting demons at night is suicidal [*] Demons can only be harmed by sunlight and UV lamps [*] Hostile to everyone except their kind and, strangely, cultists [/list] [h3][b]Wild Fauna[/b]*[/h3] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44664458/2dff4ff7081fba367022bfcf8fe078f8b4e745c3.png[/img] After locals left Chernokamensk, nature began reclaiming its territories, and the zone was overrun by wild animals. In places where civilians used to live, aggressive fauna such as wild boars, wolves, and bears can now be encountered. The more time passes since the catastrophe, the more uncontrollable wild animal populations become. Currently, scientists are studying the nature of this process, and among hunters, there are rumors that the zone's influence is to blame. Meanwhile, cultists believe that aggressive animal behavior and rapid population growth are 'clear signs of Satan's arrival'. For a prepared hunter, wild fauna poses no serious threat. [list] [*] Scatter when demons appear [*] Rumors circulate that animals are drawn to the center of the zone, but why is unknown [*] Hostile to everyone except their kind [/list] [b][h3]Conclusion[/h3][/b] That's it for today. I hope the first diary has revealed a bit more about the world of CONVRGENCE and its uniqueness. Add the game to your 'wishlist' and follow it to stay tuned for updates; there's still a lot more to come! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2609610/CONVRGENCE [url=https://discord.gg/9t79QCHvPc][img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44664458/d0b492cbbe744df3b11989e7fdb8451d5cd5cbb3.png[/img][/url] [i]*Please note that the highlighted enemies are likely not available at the start. They will be introduced in one of the early content updates. In this diary, they are present for a complete picture and to form an understanding of the game world's structure.[/i]