Dev Log #57: The Rig

[Styg]

Hi guys, here's a quick update on what we've been up to in the past few months.



In order to wrap up the geographical consistency of the base game, we had to create a number of water maps that connect SGS, Junkyard, Core City, Camp Hathor, and the Black Sea. In the expansion the player will be able to traverse and explore these maps with his jet ski, but he won't be the only one as a number of factions also utilize these waters, such as Protectorate, Black Eels, and Black Sea pirates. Also encounters with random sea bandits are not uncommon.





The most powerful naval faction in the South Underrail is, of course, the Black Eels. Their naval platform The Rig is perfectly positioned to facilitate the trade between different stations as well as their own scrap exporting business. The Rig is also used to control the central body of water of the Lower Caves in order to fend off pirates. This place will be vital for pirate missions that the player will be able to take part in if he chooses to ally with the them in the expansion.

The Rig missions are not 100% complete yet, but will be soon. After that we'll be returning to the Black Sea to wrap up and polish off the maps we made so far and integrate them into the global map. And then we still have two more areas to develop - the villages of the savage natives and the final dungeon.

Let us know how you like the aesthetics of the new areas.

Cheers.

[Turbodevil]

Do I like the aesthetic? Let's see... you gave us the game of underground society run by lunatics where you can sneak around and throw grenades at exposed brains of mutated psionic beetles. Then you decided it is not punk enough, so now we can run jet ski through contaminated sewers while plundering pirates using smgs.

Even boring transition from second screencap looks like adventure now.

I can only assume there will be wenches at the rig, right? There better be wenches.

[Altos]

Wow. This all looks amazing! The Black Eels just became a LOT more threatening.

All these waterways remind me of epeli's old alpha map for the lower caves. It looks like you weren't too far off, epeli!

I do have a few questions, though:

1.) Will the player be able to access Silent Isle and Forsaken Island using these waterways? I don't see any structures that look like them on that screenshot of the lower caves you've provided us.

2.) By any chance, does that village of the "savage natives" have any relation to the elemental twins of Forsaken Island?

3.) Is this content part of Expedition, or will it be released as an update to the base game separate from the expansion?

Thanks for the update, guys! I can't wait to conquer the Black Sea!

[Tygrende]

Let us know how you like the aesthetics of the new areas.

That eel sign is awesome.

The most powerful naval faction in the South Underrail is, of course, the Black Eels. Their naval platform The Rig is perfectly positioned to facilitate the trade between different stations as well as their own scrap exporting business. The Rig is also used to control the central body of water of the Lower Caves in order to fend off pirates. This place will be vital for pirate missions that the player will be able to take part in if he chooses to ally with the them in the expansion.

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of fighting pirates and it certainly makes sense to work for Black Eels in order to do so, but this gives us even less reason to support Scrappers instead and there's not much reason to begin with.

Supporting Scrappers is not a very attractive choice as it is now since it involves killing one of the best traders in the game and doesn't give us an opportunity to ally Junkyard with SGS/Protectorate. I think they really need some serious love, especially if Black Eels are going to get even more cool content in the expansion.

Also, I just noticed: One of the Protectorate soldiers is wearing what looks like a diving suit. Will we get to fight divers?

[Bruno]

Do I like the aesthetic? Let's see... you gave us the game of underground society run by lunatics where you can sneak around and throw grenades at exposed brains of mutated psionic beetles. Then you decided it is not punk enough, so now we can run jet ski through contaminated sewers while plundering pirates using smgs.

Even boring transition from second screencap looks like adventure now.

I can only assume there will be wenches at the rig, right? There better be wenches.

There must be wenches! We need them

[Dizzy]

Holy cow, this looks amazing. Can't wait to role play a steampunk smg-wielding jet-ski pirate.

Keep up the great work, I am unfathomably excited!

[destroyor]

I wonder if there will be a scrapper mission to take over The Rig?

[Fenix]

That neon sign so cool. ) Artist just a wonder.

[Styg]

Wow. This all looks amazing! The Black Eels just became a LOT more threatening.

All these waterways remind me of epeli's old alpha map for the lower caves. It looks like you weren't too far off, epeli!

I do have a few questions, though:

1.) Will the player be able to access Silent Isle and Forsaken Island using these waterways? I don't see any structures that look like them on that screenshot of the lower caves you've provided us.

2.) By any chance, does that village of the "savage natives" have any relation to the elemental twins of Forsaken Island?

3.) Is this content part of Expedition, or will it be released as an update to the base game separate from the expansion?

Thanks for the update, guys! I can't wait to conquer the Black Sea!

1. Silent Isle - yes (it is on the map). Forsaken Island - no, at least for now, due to some quest organizational reasons.

2. You'll just have to find out this sort of stuff yourselves.

3. Most new water maps will technically be part of the base game, but there isn't any way (at least for now) to access any of them without a jet ski. The Rig itself is DLC content.

[Styg]

Also, I just noticed: One of the Protectorate soldiers is wearing what looks like a diving suit. Will we get to fight divers?

No, but that's not a bad idea.

[Styg]

That's no dinky passenger ferry.

The old ferries are also getting scrapped, we got brand new scrappy ferries.

[drealmer7]

Ohno, there is NOT room in the Underseas for 2 gangs with "Black" in their name.

1 must be extinctified.

[UnLimiTeD]

The new content looks gorgeous.
Beautifully crafted, all that detail.
But I got a question:
Are all those squares on the map directly connected - aka roughly the same distance?
If so, I wonder what for.
I, for one, have absolutely no problem with two areas being "adjacent", yet not actually - adding two or three filler areas adds nothing to the game.
Now, not saying they are all empty, but I remember when I first went to the lake from SGS after that part was changed, and my thoughts were roughly "was that really necessary?".

Oh, and if Silent Isle is on the map, can we bypass the admittedly rather fun mushroom hopping game by landing on the other side ourselves?
Btw, if that logo is for a black eel station, maybe have some white elements there that'd glow brighter when it glows, given they should should probably use black light or rename themselves the purple eels.
Not sure why they'd need our help to drive off the scrappers, though, what with all the personell they apparently have available.

[Yonaiker]

If the Black Eels are the most powerful naval force in South Underrail it means they shouldn't have trouble taking Junkyard on their own and crushing the Scrappers without much trouble... or perhaps the scrappies have an ace under their sleeve?

That Protectorate mini-battleship looks sick,

[kpoxo6op]

absolutely beautiful