Welcome to the new October Dev Diary. In the last two entries, we introduced you to the creation process of two creatures that inhabit the Galaxy of Neterun. Today, we’re continuing that series by discussing an enemy many of you who played the demo are already familiar with: the Zanion. As always, please remember that the material we’re about to show you is still in development.
Let’s dive into the creation of the Zanion. This is the very first creature that new raiders will encounter in their journey through the Galaxy of Neterun, so we wanted to design something powerful, but not overwhelmingly so. The Zanion’s aggressiveness has increased since earlier versions, and its appearance has evolved, as you can see from one of the initial models we created, somewhat different from the current version.
As you’ll notice in the picture, the inspirations for the Zanion came from nature, particularly the world of spores and fungi. We envisioned a creature that uses sonic matter to produce large spores, which explode on contact with the raider's body. These spores are created in the central part of the creature, in a kind of pouch on its back, reminiscent of earthball mushrooms.
The structure on its head, on the other hand, serves to absorb tiny particles of sonic matter, which the Zanion then processes to both form and launch the spores.
Originally, the Zanion was designed to be a fairly passive creature, easily hunted by raiders seeking to collect sonic matter. Over time, however, we transformed them into much more aggressive beings, though they remain less hostile than the Gunlaxy, which we discussed in the last dev diary. Being surrounded by a group of Zanion is never ideal for a raider. In combat, you’ll have to contend with their explosive spores.
One of the Zanion’s defining traits is its defensive behavior. However, if you persist in chasing and shooting at them, no Zanion will show you mercy, and you’ll soon find yourself dodging an overwhelming barrage of dangerous spores. But hey, you brought it upon yourself.
That brings us to the end of this dev diary. We hope you enjoyed it and look forward to sharing more in the next diary.
Farewell, raiders!
