Jul 27, 2016

Raw Data - verymahalo

Greetings, SyndiK8 operatives!

The data we’ve been collecting from your ventures into Eden Corp have been invaluable. Thanks to your ongoing feedback and reports, we’ve been able to put together our first big update for your mission.

From new abilities for both Bishop and Saija to improved weapon mechanics to a much-requested light source for a certain mission--we’ve heard you! Here's what's just been implemented in Raw Data:

New Content / Functionality

Bishop: New Hero Ability - Fusion Charged Shot. Players must steal the technology from Eden Corp and purchase it from the Hero selection screen.
Saija: New Hero Ability - Telekinesis. Players must steal the technology from Eden Corp and purchase it from the Hero selection screen.
Ninja Bot: New Enemy Ability - Stealth. Will allow him to sneak up on players more easily.
Dark Source: Flashlight functionality has been added. Automatically activates at mission start on Bishop’s pistol and Saija’s Flash Blade.
Added volume and mute controls for voice chat in the in-game options menu.
Game Start sequences can now be skipped through with button input allowing players to get to the Showroom quicker. (Skip functionality is disabled for first-time game startup.)

Saija shows off her new illuminated Flash Blade on Dark Source.

Bishop lights up Dark Source with newly added flashlights and Fusion Charged Shot.

Go robo-bowling with Saija's new single-target Telekinesis ability.

Gameplay Improvements / Balance

Dark Source mission difficulty has been slightly reduced.
Data Core health has been slightly increased.
Teleshift now maintains player embodiment during movement, allowing players to melee attack/slice through enemies while Teleshifting.
A buffer zone around enemies has been added to help prevent Teleshifting too close.
Teleshifting is now limited with a stamina system to improve game balance.
Decreased pistol reloading distance and increased speed of reload animation. The reload animation can also now be interrupted by moving your hand away during the sequence.
Improved crawler vomit VFX to increase player awareness. Also decreased the time before the Crawler vomits on the player.
Updated VFX for Saija’s Flash Blade, including trails.
Improved Flash Blade hit reactions by making them bigger and more responsive to help with player feedback.
Improved pistol fire SFX.
Improved Bulletstorm VFX.
New fade-out material on view model of player avatar arms added.
Revamped ability cooldown/energy indicator UI. Gravity Thrust and Shurikens have temporary energy meters that are only visible on hand when triggering ability. Special Ability button UI now also has cooldown meters integrated.
Ability popup in the main menu now has information about controls and a link to the controls page.
Main menu now displays current number of players online.

Fixes

Fixed an issue that was preventing all open games from displaying in the multiplayer game search UI based on geographic proximity.
Fix implemented to prevent accidental pistol and ammo clip swapping.
Fixed an issue where the Crawler enemy was not always aligning properly to the front of the player.

Want to review the new abilities? Check out the latest Survios dev stream where we highlight some of the main features & fixes in Update v0.2. Follow Survios on Twitch to stay tuned for all dev streams!

And as always, we want to hear your ongoing thoughts on how we can better support your mission into Eden Corp! Join us on the Steam discussion forum and engage with developers and fellow SyndiK8 operatives, and be sure to use the official Feedback Form and Bug Reporting Form to submit anything you encounter.

Good luck--we look forward to reviewing your latest reports!

Bonus Gif! Timewarp + Fusion Charged Shot is a beautiful combo!

EDIT: Check out our Update v.0.2 Dev Stream!
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=755141413

Jul 27, 2016

Early Access Update v0.2 Now Live!

Raw Data - verymahalo

Bishop: New Hero Ability - Fusion Charged Shot. Players must steal the technology from Eden Corp and purchase it from the Hero selection screen.
Saija: New Hero Ability - Telekinesis. Players must steal the technology from Eden Corp and purchase it from the Hero selection screen.
Ninja Bot: New Enemy Ability - Stealth. Will allow him to sneak up on players more easily.
Dark Source: Flashlight functionality has been added. Automatically activates at mission start on Bishop’s pistol and Saija’s Flash Blade.
Added volume and mute controls for voice chat in the in-game options menu.
Game Start sequences can now be skipped through with button input allowing players to get to the Showroom quicker. (Skip functionality is disabled for first-time game startup.)

Saija shows off her new illuminated Flash Blade on Dark Source.

Bishop lights up Dark Source with newly added flashlights and Fusion Charged Shot.

Go robo-bowling with Saija's new single-target Telekinesis ability.

Gameplay Improvements / Balance

Dark Source mission difficulty has been slightly reduced.
Data Core health has been slightly increased.
Teleshift now maintains player embodiment during movement, allowing players to melee attack/slice through enemies while Teleshifting.
A buffer zone around enemies has been added to help prevent Teleshifting too close.
Teleshifting is now limited with a stamina system to improve game balance.
Decreased pistol reloading distance and increased speed of reload animation. The reload animation can also now be interrupted by moving your hand away during the sequence.
Improved crawler vomit VFX to increase player awareness. Also decreased the time before the Crawler vomits on the player.
Updated VFX for Saija’s Flash Blade, including trails.
Improved Flash Blade hit reactions by making them bigger and more responsive to help with player feedback.
Improved pistol fire SFX.
Improved Bulletstorm VFX.
New fade-out material on view model of player avatar arms added.
Revamped ability cooldown/energy indicator UI. Gravity Thrust and Shurikens have temporary energy meters that are only visible on hand when triggering ability. Special Ability button UI now also has cooldown meters integrated.
Ability popup in the main menu now has information about controls and a link to the controls page.
Main menu now displays current number of players online.

Fixes

Fixed an issue that was preventing all open games from displaying in the multiplayer game search UI based on geographic proximity.
Fix implemented to prevent accidental pistol and ammo clip swapping.
Fixed an issue where the Crawler enemy was not always aligning properly to the front of the player.

Bonus Gif! Timewarp + Fusion Charged Shot is a beautiful combo!

EDIT: Check out our Update v.0.2 Dev Stream!
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=755141413

Jul 18, 2016

Parsing Raw Data: Creation of Saija

Raw Data - verymahalo

You’ve met Bishop, and earlier you got an in-depth look at all of Saija’s gravity-manipulation abilities that make her so much more than just a melee class. Just like with Bishop, we wanted to share our inspiration for Raw Data’s distinctive take on the classic ninja archetype, playing with how she would embody the well-honed tropes while also standing out as a unique interpretation.

She’s also become such an iconic figure for us during development that we made her the star of Raw Data’s cover art.

The concept of a tech-enhanced ninja is so well-suited to Raw Data’s futuristic Neo-Shinjuku setting that it was basically part of the game from the start. Even the earliest demos of the game featured the fan-favorite Flash Blade, because--simply put--everyone feels badass wielding a katana.

But our ninja needed to be much more than just a martial artist clad in black. You’ve probably already noticed that Saija sports a bit more armor than her gun-wielding compatriot.

As one of SyndiK8’s elite operatives, Saija walks the line between being a spy in the shadows and a fighter on the front lines: a marriage of the ancient discipline of Ninjutsu with the samurai code of Bushido. In the Raw Data universe, Ninjutsu has evolved to stand toe-to-toe with advanced weaponry by including mental mastery among its practices.

Along with refined swordplay and incredible physical prowess, practitioners of modern Ninjutsu are also telekinetic thanks to point-cloud neural nanomachines. How can a gun compete with someone who’s able to not only deflect the bullet, but pick up the shooter and fling him away?

During the concept art process, Saija wasn’t even referred to as a ninja--her codename was “Knight,” and with her suit of futuristic armor, it wasn’t that far-fetched of a moniker.

In a sharp contrast to Bishop, Saija is completely shielded from head to toe in form-fitting armor that explicitly reads as such. It needed to be equal parts protective and agile, so we went for a chitinous appearance that suggests interlocking yet flexible plates of carbon fiber and strong vinyl.

Saija’s suit also gained a helmet for complete head coverage, transforming her into the consummate faceless assassin.

A basic katana wouldn’t cut it (literally), so Saija uses the latest in blade-honing technology. Her retractable energy-powered Flash Blade features an advanced harmonizing wave-dynamic effector grind, providing sharpness on an atomic scale. In simple terms: it slices through everything unfortunate enough to come into contact with it.

As mentioned before, while Saija is easy to classify as a melee hero because of her Flash Blade, her true strength lies in that perfect balance of physical and mental power. Playing as Saija means you have to always be aware of positioning (Teleshift is essential), plan your ability timing well, and not be afraid to get up close and personal with Eden’s vicious synthetics (read the full ability rundown in our complete Saija hero feature):

Katana Throw transforms the Flash Blade into a ranged weapon: a sharp spinning boomerang with a controllable flight path that slices through enemies both going and coming.
Gravity Thrust unleashes a wave of energy that can knock enemies backward, shove them aside, or even yank them forward for when you’re feeling particularly stabby.
Levitation Smash, Saija’s ultimate, lets you rise above the battle--then come crashing back down with a devastating energy blast in all directions.

Saija is a challenge to play, but there’s a reason she’s the go-to hero on the Survios dev team. (See their tips and tricks for playing both her and Bishop!) With her gravity-defying telekinetic abilities and kickass blade, Raw Data’s Cyber Ninja adds a new level of adrenaline to VR gameplay. Choose Saija for your SyndiK8 team and experience how it feels to cut down your enemies, see them strewn before you, and hear the sizzling death knells of robots forcefully powering down.

Jul 18, 2016

Parsing Raw Data: Creation of Saija

Raw Data - verymahalo

Saija’s suit also gained a helmet for complete head coverage, transforming her into the consummate faceless assassin.

Katana Throw transforms the Flash Blade into a ranged weapon: a sharp spinning boomerang with a controllable flight path that slices through enemies both going and coming.
Gravity Thrust unleashes a wave of energy that can knock enemies backward, shove them aside, or even yank them forward for when you’re feeling particularly stabby.
Levitation Smash, Saija’s ultimate, lets you rise above the battle--then come crashing back down with a devastating energy blast in all directions.

Jul 15, 2016

Raw Data Hero Spotlight: Saija, the Cyber Ninja

Raw Data - verymahalo

Hello, and welcome to the second Raw Data hero spotlight! In this series, we’ll give you insight into how SyndiK8’s top operatives utilize nanotechnology to gain enhanced abilities, both through their weapons and with their minds.

Raw Data’s Early Access build comes with two SyndiK8 heroes: Bishop and Saija. We went over Bishop’s loadout and development last week. Today, it’s time to meet Saija, the Cyber Ninja.

Saija is the second of two starting heroes in Raw Data (more to come!) and is our melee-oriented player character. When you hear the word ninja, what usually comes to mind? Shadows, stealthiness, lightning-fast reflexes?

Well, Saija definitely has the latter, but as for the former–she’s a bit more in-your-face than the typical ninja trope. That’s thanks to her discipline of telekinetic Ninjutsu, an ideal marriage of enhanced physical prowess with well-honed psychic abilities.

In a Flash

The core of Saija’s loadout is the fan favorite Flash Blade, a futuristic energy katana that uses a contained energy beam to slice through robots like butter. It can always be found behind your back, reachable over your shoulder, and can be wielded with one or both hands. Holding with both hands will activate the supercharged blade, which gives tons of extra damage to each swing.

The katana’s power is derived from you–the harder you swing, the more damage you’ll do when it connects. No wimpy sword waggling allowed here!

Return to Sender

The Flash Blade is much more versatile than it initially appears: the energy blade deflects as well as slices and dices. In addition to charging the blade, holding it with both hands will also activate Bullet Counter, which greatly magnifies its deflection accuracy and precision. Tip: Make sure to swing hard at projectiles to effectively counter enemy fire.

When you feel surrounded, this is an effective way to protect yourself and send your enemies’ projectiles back at them in a deadly reversal of fortune. However, this is strictly situational; you’ll soon learn why keeping one hand free is crucial to play Saija.

As you rack up the mission accomplishments, Saija will unlock her Shuriken Stream, fired from whatever arm isn’t holding her Flash Blade (shown here in combo with Katana Throw).

A quick squeeze-and-hold of the Trigger will unleash a brief onslaught of ethereal ninja stars that will tear apart whatever enemy is unfortunate enough to be in its path.

Free Your Mind

What makes Saija so much more than a typical melee class isn’t just her crazy beam sword. Her psychic abilities manifest themselves in multiple effective methods of literally get enemies off your back.

For example, when Hornet Drones or hordes of enemies appear, Saija’s Flash Blade doubles as a ranged weapon–albeit one you guide with your mind. Katana Throw transforms it into a sharp spinning boomerang with a controllable flight path.

Make a throwing gesture and release the Grip buttons, then wave your hand to direct it–you’ll send your sword hurtling through enemies, cutting them up both going and returning. The angle of your throw also defines the angle of the spinning blade, allowing you to cut through many enemies horizontally, or vanquishing a foe from head to foot with a well-placed vertical sword toss.

But her powers aren’t limited to her weapon: Saija also focuses her powers to turn her enemies into her weapons. Unlocked through game progression, Gravity Thrust gives you perspective on the gravity of the situation, in that you can manipulate it to throw enemies around like ragdolls.

Despite its name, Gravity Thrust works in all directions: sure, you can knock enemies backwards (and hopefully off a walkway or into another robot), but you can also toss them sideways and–if you want to execute a coup de grâce–pull them toward you onto your Flash Blade.

Or you can always throw it at them, too:

Let's Break It Down!

In the current Early Access build, Saija has one Ultimate, and to give you an idea of how it works, all we have to say is this: Everybody get up, it’s time to slam now!

Levitation Smash is the pinnacle of Saija’s gravity-manipulation prowess. You’ll rise up and float above the battlefield, and just when you’re enjoying the view (of several pairs of robot eyes goggling at you), it’s time to return to Earth. With a devastating area-of-effect energy blast.

Yes, this even deals a hefty blow to the super-heavy Dynomo robots. Save it up and unleash it when you’re surrounded–your enemies will be blown away faster than you can shout, “Welcome to the jam!”

Puppetmaster

Coming up in a future content patch, Saija’s second Ultimate is the aptly-named Telekinesis. Think of it as the much more powerful big brother of Gravity Thrust, because instead of just a blast of directed gravity, you can actually pick up an enemy of your choice and jettison them into the crowd like a rocket.

Usable at a great distance, your victim is completely at your mercy. Throw it into other enemies? Sure. Slam it down on the ground from an absurd height? Of course. Hurl it off the side into oblivion? Aww yeah.

When you’re thinking NOPE, Telekinesis will be your go-to.

Perfect Harmony

While Saija is initially more difficult to play, she soon lives up to her SyndiK8 operative classification as a lethal ninja assassin. The key to her effectiveness is to not be afraid to get close to enemies: Teleshift to get within melee range, then quickly escape and activate ranged abilities. Hit ‘em quick, get out fast!

And like with Bishop, special ability combos are crucial for those big multi-enemy kills:

Gravity Thrust + Katana Throw: blast enemies away from you, then finish them off with a well-directed boomerang

Katana Throw + Shuriken Stream: a deadly duo of bladed ranged projectiles that can take out Hornet Drones and thin out large enemy groups

Gravity Thrust + Teleshift + Levitation Smash: knock them back, rush up, and slam down for a double dose of heavy AOE damage

You’ll soon be pulling off satisfying superhuman results that’ll leave you going, “Gun? Who needs a gun?”

Next in our Raw Data hero spotlight series: a look at Saija’s inspiration and design development, and a sneak peek at the upcoming shotgun-toting Street Merc (still in SyndiK8 operative training).

Jul 15, 2016

Raw Data Hero Spotlight: Saija, the Cyber Ninja

Raw Data - verymahalo

The katana’s power is derived from you–the harder you swing, the more damage you’ll do when it connects. No wimpy sword waggling allowed here!

Let's Break It Down!

In the current Early Access build, Saija has one Ultimate, and to give you an idea of how it works, all we have to say is this: Everybody get up, it’s time to slam now!

Next in our Raw Data hero spotlight series: a look at Saija’s inspiration and design development, and a sneak peek at the upcoming shotgun-toting Street Merc (still in SyndiK8 operative training).