Happy Weekend, Mercenaries. It’s been a big week for us, as we have added a few new features and mechanics to the game that expands Vorax’s survival mechanics. This week’s development log will cover some of the bigger additions such as cooking, campfires, and the addition of torches to help light your way. We will also give you a taste of tense action below.
If you haven’t read last week’s post featuring traps, barricades and fences, check it out here.
Cooking, Campfires, and a New Light Source
In order to survive on the island you will need sustenance. You will ingest fat, salt, sugar, protein, fungi, bacteria, diverse plants and animals…entire ecosystems. This will be your menu on the island…unless you plan on becoming part of that menu. It’s eat or be eaten.
If you are lucky, you might find some rations, a can of soup or a granola energy bar. But you ended up on this cursed island, so luck isn’t your strong point. “Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity” they say, so you’ll have to compromise and adapt. Harvesting for nuts and berries might not always be an option, that’s why hunting for game can become a vital priority. Game meat is nutritious, but eating it raw can be risky.
During the Early Stone Age the early humans managed to tame the blazing beast and harness its powers. Fire provided a source of warmth and lighting, when there was none, protection from predators (especially in the dark), it improved hunting, tool-making, as well as revolutionized cooking food.
In order to make it through we return to those dark ages, the methods are old, but reliable. For better nourishment we cook our food to make it last longer and taste better. For better navigation we light up torches when our flashlight batteries died on us. For comfort we set up a campfire, even without marshmallows, we will manage to survive and to stay safe.
Fight or flight against a pack of…
In tense, heart-pounding moments we will trigger a primordial instinct. An automatic physiological reaction to an event that is perceived as stressful or frightening, also known as the fight-or-flight response. Regardless of where on the island you are, danger is never far off, and the fear of threatening wild animals is something primal, in our nature. Will you face your fear or run in terror?
When armed with a weapon, a wild dog might not be too frightening, a mutated wolf might be unsettling…but a pack of infected wolf-like creatures chasing you during the night is another story.
While the mutation has affected the animals, both their bodies and the behavior, grotesquely deforming their physic and making them more aggressive, more feral, one primal aspect is maintained for wild dogs: their pack mentality. They will act as a unit, communicate, work as a team and attack accordingly. You must not break eye contact and must never expose your back. It can be your final fatal mistake.
Community Highlight: An In-Depth Review
The community content just keeps coming our way. Here’s a recent video by SfRoss we’ve chosen as our community highlight this week. He knowingly set foot on the island and did not expect to survive, however he came back with a tale to tell.
Not only did he offer an entertaining playthrough, but also an insightful one, sharing with us his honest experience and suggestions, both during the play and after. Feedback is really important to us. The voice of the community helps us craft an improved game experience for everyone. Thank you.
What’s coming in the near future?
Not to reveal too much, but you might receive a hand…or two…or even a leg.
