Today we are going to take a closer look at another key mechanic of Hell Galaxy: the Stability. Please keep in mind that the images we share are still works in progress.
When we created the raiders, we wanted to give them something that would connect them to their lost humanity. An aspect that would remind us that even though the raiders are machines, there is still something human about them, and that would directly affect gameplay.
So we said, imagine that your consciousness is installed in a spaceship. You no longer have eyes or a mouth. What do you feel? A mix of fear, excitement, survival instinct. Your old feelings resurface in your new state.
We call all of this Stability, which is represented in the HUD by a brain icon and an indicator at the top of the health and shield bars.
Stability represents the raider’s mental sanity. When a raider is not under mental stress, Stability remains at its base level. When suffering an Alter attack, a raider doesn’t lose health; instead, Stability is affected. The raider's perceptions begin to change.
As mental stress increases, the raider's survival instinct kicks in. This results in a decrease in defense and an increase in firepower. You will deal more damage to enemies, but you will also be less resilient, and your perceptions will change.
There are five levels of mental stress associated with Stability. At the highest level, Alters will be able to kill you as if they were normal enemies.
The effects of Stability changes are both negative and positive. In some difficult areas, you may decide, at your own risk, to stay at a high mental stress level for more firepower. Stability, in fact, never resets itself, but you decide when to restore it using a tool found near each space station, the Stabilizer.
The Stabilizer resets your Stability, and that will last for a while… Or at least until you find another Alter.
And that's it for today. While we go back to mentally stressing our lost raiders, keep following us. We look forward to seeing you in the next dev diary!
Farewell, raiders!
