Developer Journal #4 - Military Outpost Scenario

[Jens Erik]

Hello Survivors!

We're gearing up for the 1.0 release of Stranded: Alien Dawn and with it the game's 3rd gameplay scenario: the Military Outpost! We're back with a brand new Developer Journal with our friends from Haemimont Games to talk about the new scenario and what you can expect when you land on the alien world!

Let's dive right in:

Hello! Thank you for joining us for this dev journal! Could you please introduce yourself and what you do on Stranded: Alien Dawn?

• Hello! My name is Ivan Grozev, and I'm the Lead Game Designer on Stranded: Alien Dawn. My job is to oversee the development of the game's features and create all the chaos and excitement that players will encounter in the upcoming update.

Could you also introduce the brand new scenario you're adding to Stranded: Alien Dawn in the coming update?

• Absolutely! The new scenario is called "Military Outpost," and it follows a team of scientists, soldiers, and adventurers who are dropped onto a hostile planet in the far reaches of the galaxy. Their mission is to construct, power up, and defend a massive structure called Ansible Relay #499, which will allow the establishment of intergalactic communication with the rest of the universe.

What made you decide to go in this direction for the new scenario?

• We always envisioned scenarios as different ways to play the game, and we wanted to create a scenario that would appeal to players who enjoy the tower defense element of Stranded: Alien Dawn. "Military Outpost" is more intense because the enemies are stronger and tougher, and players must be ready to defend themselves from the moment they land on the planet.

What is the importance of the Ansible Relay?

• The Ansible Relay is a critical component of the scenario as it consumes massive amounts of power and emits pulses throughout space to learn about the planetary systems in the sector. However, this process attracts local insects who will attack the relay with everything they've got. If players can defend the relay long enough, it will be able to establish interstellar communication and connect with all the other relays in the universe, making further colonization of the sector possible.

This new scenario focuses primarily on combat, but retains the element of survival and the necessity to gather resources. What are some new challenges players should be ready for when jumping into this scenario?

• In "Military Outpost," up to six characters are dropped onto the planet with no help or backup. Every death decreases the chances of success, so players must be careful. They land with a lot of weapons, armor, and supplies, and they can construct defense structures, but they still need to gather additional resources to build strong defense lines.

How important is building a proper power grid in this scenario?

• The Ansible Relay consumes an immense amount of power and must operate non-stop for 12 days to establish a connection with the rest of the universe. Without a stable power supply, the attempt will fail, and you'll have to start all over again.

Can you tell us more about the new mechs that you're now adding to the game?

• Yes! We're introducing two mechs in the update: a fast, agile one and a massive combat mech that can blast enemies with a barrage of missiles. Players can construct them using metal alloys and mech cores, a new resource that can be produced in the "Military Outpost" scenario and purchased in the "Trading Outpost" scenario. Mech cores can also be found during by scavenging in all scenarios, so even your crashed survivors can have mechs!

What made you decide to add mechs?

• We already had survivors with ranged weapons, as well as stationary turrets, so adding moving, heavily-armored machines for mass destruction was a natural progression for the combat system.

The mechs have a new jumping ability, which will be very helpful for flanking enemies. What made you decide to add mech jumps?

• We wanted to give players the ability to stomp on bugs! Just kidding. The jumping ability allows players to relocate their mechs between different floor levels and behind fortification walls, making them even more effective in combat.

Do you have a favorite new feature from the new update?

• Hmm, that's a tough one! I'm really excited about the new Fabricators we're adding to the game. They allow players to create all sorts of useful items, from food to construction materials to liquid fuel. Plus, they just look really cool! The Fabricators are a new addition to the Military Outpost scenario, and they're designed to help shift the focus from basic survival to more advanced construction and defense strategies. The Food Fabricator generates all kinds of meals from energy, while the Material Fabricator produces construction materials and even liquid fuel and silicon over time. We think players are going to love having these tools at their disposal!

What can you tell us about the new survivor?

• Our new survivor is Ember Griffin, a tough and experienced Spec-ops commander. Her Tactical Commander trait gives her the ability to improve the hit chance and critical hit chance of everyone around her, making her a valuable addition to any team.

Anything else you'd like to share from the new update that we haven't talked about yet?

• Oh, absolutely! We've added some really cool new elements to the game, like carbon fortifications, impenetrable force field barriers, searchlights that make enemies easier to track and shot, and even sirens that distract hostile animals. These might seem like small touches, but they really add up to create a more immersive and exciting combat experience.

That's all we had time for this time, survivors! Please join us in thanking Ivan for joining us for this Developer Journal. We're looking forward to seeing everyone jump into the new update, and the new scenario, next week!

Don't forget to join the Stranded: Alien Dawn Discord and you'll never miss any news! You can also follow the game on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, or join the discussions on Steam and the Frontier Forums.