Attention Mercenaries!
It has been almost a year now since we started our closed beta, in that time a lot has changed. We’ve gone from one simple map to a series of drastically different settings and scenarios. With new status effects, weapons, perks, crafting and more sprinkled in lovingly along the way. In honor of our nearly one year of closed beta, and the transition to Open Beta. Please join us on a trip down memory lane.
This is one of the early concept images for the main 3 classes, of course a lot changed before release, however you can still pick out core elements kept in the game, and maybe some hints for what’s to come.
Our original 3 classes were much more standardized than the released version, as you can see, each class is fairly similar to the other aside from coloring and size. We also realized that mercenaries with capes tend to die, so we removed those. (Thanks for the help Edna.). We still wanted to keep some form of flare though, so we made a compromise in the early Seraph Design.
This design would later become the golden and dark Phoenix. We removed a lot of red as you can probably tell, but elements were split between the two final suits and can still be seen.
Not everything was changed though, many of the early designs have endured almost untouched since they were first sketched. Several of the shade for example have kept their designs throughout development, such as the Monstrosity and Hunter.
The monstrosity has remained a staple of the games design, often being one of the first major difficulties a player will encounter.
Most of the shade designs have been maintained and upgraded throughout development. With more interactions based upon their designs added. Such as thermal shields being placed on the hunters rocky body, or the Red Dot on the back of the monstrosity being a weak point. The shade however have evolved well beyond just these creatures. In the Floating Fortress map, we are able to see more of what they are capable of. Showcasing their ability to affect and control technology from within as well. With the Neuromancer even able to control the minds of other shade and possibly even the mercenaries.
We also have some early concept art for the upcoming procedural map location in Asia. Drawn back in the early stages of development, the procedurally generated maps have been on our Wishlist for a while. Now with the release planned in November, it only seems fitting to show you where we started, and where we are now with the maps design.
The first concept image of the city themed maps in Asia.
A sneak peek at the current stage of the map, 2 other screenshots are available in our discord.
It has been a long road to get here, but the team is as excited as ever to bring you the next additions to the game. As of today The Desolation is now in Open Beta, the NFT requirement has been removed and everyone is now able to play. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback as we continue to improve on the fast paced top down action we all love, Happy Hunting Mercenaries.
