[vlog entry for this piece coming later this week, stay tuned!] Hi! Ever since we announced The Riftbreaker we have been regularly showing off the development progress. The game has received multiple UI overhauls, new visuals, new weapons, and new weather effects. However, one thing has changed very little over the course of the past year. We still have only 3 types of enemies! Granted, we changed their skins and added Alpha and Ultra variations, and created an Arachnoid boss to top it off, but still, 3 is nowhere near where we want to be. It changes today. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//34659267/80c52e5b279583bf5497d91eddb01bdeea4c2e5e.jpg[/img] [b][I]Concept sketches are the first part of work on a new prop, building or creature.[/i][/b] There are various reasons why you had to wait so long for new creatures. First, we decided to give the backend system that handles unit behavior a complete overhaul to make it faster and easier to use. Second, modeling, texturing, and animating a creature is an extremely time-consuming process that often requires a couple of designers working together. Lastly, 3 types of alien creatures were enough for the ‘proof of concept’ version of the game. Now, as we get closer to Campaign Mode, it’s time we introduce some new units. Meet the Gnerot. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//34659267/097c3b8a40d9ba8ae0e64f1e4c71e7619a8729d1.png[/img] [b][I]One of the Gnerot variations in all its glory.[/i][/b] The Gnerot is a very strange creature, difficult to classify using biological terms known to humans. It is very large, with the biggest specimens outgrowing even the largest Hammeroceroses. When it comes to appearance, the Gnerot is more or less humanoid - arms, legs and the head are clearly visible. The material covering the creature strongly resembles rocks, gravel and dirt. It is yet unknown whether it is a product of the creature’s skin or if the Gnerots stick the loose material it finds to its own body. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//34659267/f1578cc64b30bc26be585732f18c53cfa00bbb00.png[/img] [b][I]T-posing Mr. Riggs allows you to see the scale of this monstrosity.[/i][/b] Their appearance would suggest a slow and sluggish nature but they are far from harmless. These giants can move quite quickly and utilize all their limbs in combat, so you never know how they are going to attack. They defend their territory until the last drop of whatever-flows-in-their-veins. Gnerots are primarily active during the day, but it is not uncommon to see them roaming the surface of Galatea 37 at night as well. When they need rest, Gnerots burrow most of their bodies into the ground, leaving just the bulky back part on the surface. It strongly resembles a rock, so be careful not to startle one… [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//34659267/fffd950717c2143d7de2332f991296b935269e3f.png[/img] [b][I]There were also more ideas for the general shape of the creature, but we chose a mixture of the second and third ones.[/i][/b] Gnerots are usually found around resource deposits and minerals, due to their uncommon diet. Instead of relying on nutrients in water, plants and meat, they consume macroelements in their most primitive form - by chomping on ores directly. We don’t know what goes on in their gastrointestinal tracts, or if they even have such... What you should take away from all this is: if you want to use a resource field that Gnerot fancies, you will have to do a lot of work to drive it away. [img]https://i.imgur.com/E1uKtnW.gif[/img] [b][I]WIP eating animation.[/i][/b] Interesting little fellows, aren’t they? We’re still in the process of giving them their finishing touches, but you can expect to see them in full glory on the stream soon. Join our Discord at www.discord.gg/exorstudios not to miss a thing! We have recently started posting daily changelogs from development, so you can see how the work on the game progresses with your own eyes. We stream every Tuesday on Mixer - https://www.mixer.com/exor_studios and every Thursday on Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/exorstudios See you next time! Useful links: www.facebook.com/exorstudios www.twitter.com/exorstudios www.mixer.com/exor_studios www.twitch.tv/exorstudios www.youtube.com/exorstudios