Greetings, fans of darkness and insanity, Meeting deadly monsters will be inevitable when traversing a hostile Alaskan environment. In today’s development update, we dive deep into their design, role in the game, and main strengths and weaknesses. [b]Iterative approach[/b] The design of a new enemy starts with multiple sketches following the description our game director has set. After internal voting, we draw the high-detail model and move on to animations getting iteratively improved. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//42848898/2022572ddbf920e6590cd4feea4f303d1ae3d312.png[/img] Each monster consists of a mix of idle, walking, attacks, grabbing, getting damage, animations, etc. The next part requires testing them during expeditions, adding sounds, tweaking, and repeating. [b]Relying on senses[/b] The way of designing monsters and enemies in Edge of Sanity is sense-driven. Meeting a maggot, zombie, or any other awful creature for the first time is structured puzzle-like. Imagine being thrown into a room full of light-sensitive maggots the moment after discovering a box full of flares. Place them correctly, and you are safe. Have a full inventory or wait too long throwing them around and, well... Good luck. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//42848898/b81fa381cc38b40b46be6ce92016d1cd019f364e.gif[/img] [b]Enhancing the atmosphere[/b] The other element important from the design perspective is the way the monster improves the overall atmosphere, increasing the impact of the madness theme and overall hound. We’ve been working on a tentacled monster that follows you in the darkness, and the only way to receive temporary relief is to stand in the light. Another example is an enhanced maggot popping out randomly of a previously killed, regular maggot. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//42848898/098e376cf80fa5ab7012cec8a2ab9342d31552f0.png[/img] [b]Adjust the strategy on the fly[/b] Versatile equipment, effective against close quarters and ranged enemies will come in handy during expeditions. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//42848898/70d9e1008ac87fea58e598fc95d1613e10f47553.gif[/img] Engaging in a fight always comes at a cost (e.g. slowly damaging your knife and axe), but fortunately, you can also use environments like caves, traps, and elevation changes to your advantage. There is no good or wrong approach, as long as you survive and don’t become wounded. [b]Don’t trust your eyes[/b] In a world on the edge of sanity becoming fully dependent on what you see might fool you easily. Some monsters might disappear the moment they approach you. Will you risk wasting your resources to avoid getting wounded? [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//42848898/d56ff530b97f83c9c91c3873b31eb6c3cafac6b0.gif[/img] And that’s it for today! We left a couple of surprises, including bosses, fighting-related traumas, and other monsters to discover for yourself once you embark on a journey to Alaska.