Sep 24, 2021

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG - Iron_Orca

More than two weeks have passed since Encased came out. We are continuing to actively work on the game and develop additional content (which we will announce separately), finalize controversial issues and, of course, read your reports and fix bugs.

However, today's hotfix is special: not only have we eliminated a number of problems, but we’ve also added the function that you have been asking for - the ability to select a custom portrait for the protagonist. The game supports * .jpg and * .png formats, however, we recommend using * .png with transparency so that the background of the location is displayed behind your character's back.

Warning: fix descriptions may contain plot spoilers!

Localization and Voiceover

Numerous fixes for Chinese (Traditional, Simplified) and Japanese localizations
Fixed Sparrow lines not matching voice overs
Removed Greeting and Goodbye voiceover for Meatball
Removed Greetings and Goodbyes if the narrator is disabled in the settings
Fixed voiceover for Clara Morgan's Greeting

Text

Description of the Point-Blank Shot ability has been updated - now it is indicated that it does not apply to large creatures (entities with Immense status)
Description of the Wrench weapon has been updated - now it is indicated that it requires the Throw a Wrench ability to use it
Fixed the description of the Flurry of Punches ability
Fixed description of the "Golden Ticket" relic
Fixed bugs in dialogues with Louise Decker-Schultz and Kurt Spengler
Fixed bugs in Tkachenko's journal
Fixed narrator nodes in Victoria Legrand's trailer

Graphics

Added additional artwork for the Maelstrom Church finale
Fixed monitors displaying over the "Fog of War"

Features

Added the ability to upload custom portraits for your character

Fixed the displaying of the Crime Committed icon
Fixed incorrect displaying of player's equipment when opening a container with a companion - now it is marked as equipped.

Levels

Improved visual effects at the start of the battle with the necroid boss in Campbell bunker
Fixed camera bounds at Bradbury Station location
Fixed camera bounds at wandering traders' camp locations
Fixed camera bounds at Magellan Station – Administration location
Fixed passage to lower drains in the Nashville sewers
Fixed passability at Magellan Station – Administration location
Fixed camera bounds at Nashville Cave location
Fixed camera bounds and lighting at Crossroads location
Fixed camera bounds, moved the wall in the toilet, fixed positions of using the sinks at Magellan Station – Residential Level
Removed Invisible boxes at C12-Nashville Facility – Observation Deck location
Fixed the position of the installation for the Servoshell Storage Station at the Parked Ursula location
Placed Airplane Stimulator in a box near the entrance to the sewer, added a personal chest for the player, fixed problems with passability at the Picnic Neutral Zone location
Fixed the inability to select a mine under the bridge using the cursor at the Suspicious Cave location
Fixed the camera's elevation map at a combat location with a random encounter in a swamp, hid the “flip side” of the location
Fixed the player incorrectly teleporting at the Unknown Place location
Fixed camera bounds, removed the passable zone on the edge of the map that allowed to bypass mines at New Committee Outpost location
Removed the tarpaulin cover from the car that had an incorrect collider at Magellan Station – Warehouse and Parking Lot location
Fixed lighting settings at First Settlers Camp location
Corrected the positions of transition triggers at Barrens location
Added a minimap to Quicksand location (the one with the stuck Ursula)
Fixed camera bounds and height map for the camera at Phalanx Warehouse location
Fixed the passability at The City location
Fixed camera bounds at Treasure Hunters' Campside location

Quests

Added quest update about clearing out the road at Crossroads location
Fixed the name of the character in the Want to Get Rich, Ask Me How quest

Game Mechanics

Fixed working of the Hermit ability
Headshot ability for heavy weapons now causes stun rather than knockout, as indicated in the description
Certain necroids can now climb stairs
Improved the effect of the Fatigue Anomaly

Story Edits

Spoiler Warning!

The death of Johan or Olivia Raysner in the Meat Grinder anomaly now affects the fate of Carmine Heights in the game's ending
Fixed being able to take Victoria Legrand's quest after last contact with Maelstrom
Fixed character dialogue with low intelligence, in the case when the player throws the Beta Helmet into Maelstrom
Fixed looped navigation in the public terminal at Kaleidoscope location
Fixed the low intelligence dialogue when issuing a quest for obtaining Maelstrom Beacons

Bugs and Errors

Opening barter with Sparrow no longer removes stolen items from inventory
Fixed a bug due to which companions did not receive experience if the player “jumped” over the companion's initial level when gaining experience,
Fixed the possibility of infinite experience gain at Jordan Prius Salt Marsh location
Fixed the possibility of infinite experience gain with the filmstrip box
Removed the possibility of bribing Victoria Legrand when meeting her projection in the White Fog
Fixed a bug where the group did not gain experience if the container with items inside was opened by a companion, not the player
Fixed multiple experience gain when going to the elevator at the Magellan station
Killing holograms now does not count as killing people in statistics
Fixed the untimely appearance of the training message when the companions commit a crime
Removed the ability to start a dialogue with dead bandits at the Picnic
Removed the ability to steal hidden weapons from some Black Wing fighters
Fixed the incorrect ability to equip some types of armor with the Neanderthal trait
Fixed infinite reputation gain in dialogue with New Committee merchant Asya de Boer

Effects and Animations

Fixed displaying death effects from cryolasers, as well as a number of other effects
Fixed animation for Monty James on the Magellan Station – Administration location
Clara Morgan no longer turns to the player during dialogue in the Nashville parking lot

Miscellaneous

Fixed problems with displaying characters under Ursula's roof on location where you find Ursula
Fixed the ability to ask Taylor Portman for a discount more than once
Fixed a typo on the servoshell armor unequip button
Fixed position of the drive away button in random car events
Added a trader icon for Pavel Svetlov, the technician who trades tools at Magellan station
Igor Potanin portrait now displays correctly in transport capsule's dialogues
Victoria Legrand got a unique outfit in all scenes
Fixed the displaying of the Scheelite Fiber item in the inventory
Fixed the displaying of the hamburger model when used
Changed the portrait of Sister Beatrice Catcher

Encased community is the most important for us - we are going to follow up closely for your feedback on the game.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/921800/

Click Follow to stay updated!

The game continues to evolve so if you want to stay in touch on other channels than Steam you can follow us on social media and visit other cool resources with game updates, information, new artworks and lore pieces.

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG

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Sep 17, 2021

ENCASED - Hotfix 2

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG - Iron_Orca

The recent Encased hotfix released a week ago fixed the most annoying and noticeable bugs that interfered with the comfortable playthrough, and also introduced a number of cosmetic fixes, mostly voice acting and localization. Nevertheless, we received a fairly large number of reports from our players regarding not bugs but the interface, game mechanics and unexpected game behavior. Many of these bugs took a long time to fix, so we included fixes for them in Hotfix 2.
Overall, the latest update turned out to be much more voluminous than the previous one, and we hope that traveling around the world of the Dome will become even more convenient.

Attention: fix descriptions may contain plot spoilers!

Localization and voiceover

Added narrator voiceover for the main storyline [EN]
Added voiceover for companions: Fox, Crump, Jack, Sparrow and Yoko [EN]
Several localization fixes for Chinese (Traditional)
Significantly improved Chinese (Simplified) localization, wait for further improvements
Fixed a typo in the dialogue with Milo Randall [EN]
Fixed scan records of relics named Seashell and Hook
Fixed typos [RU]
Fixed scan of Rajah Chakraborty's character scan record
Corrected the name and description of the Burning Skeleton (Pyro-Skeleton)

Game Options

Added the option to disable narrator voiceover in dialogues and plot interactions

Interface

Added a special designation for abilities that can be added to the Quick Access panel (Belt), added a button to quickly add abilities
Improved the displaying of characteristics, taking into account bonuses from traits and starting bonuses of Wings on the final screen of character creation
Added a red border to the context menu for abilities that are considered a crime
Fixed old icons when using actions with progress bar
Fixed incorrect indication of the weapon reload button
Camera shake option is now saved when saving settings
Added the ability to assign camera panning to arrow keys
Fixed the Companion marker on the local map
Fixed displaying of status effect notifications when player is wearing a Servoshell
Improved interface for displaying evidence at location
Fixed the info line for the use of AoE abilities
Added additional types of markers for the local map
Fixed the displaying of the action points bar for a large number of Action Points

Levels

Fixed displaying of the combat grid on platforms in the Barrens location during random combat encounters
Fixed camera borders on Magellan
Expanded the area of access to the container at the Nashville Sewers (Act 1) location
Fixed the displaying of flower pots at the Magellan Military Post location
Added decorations for Parked Ursula (Ursula camp)
Added a Servoshell Storage Station to Ursula
Fixed inability to approach the shower stall on Ursula
Fixed locations that could be entered from the Global Map, but cannot be exited in Servoshell
The Pillaged Caravan location has been optimized, interactivity of some items has been fixed
Corrected the name of the gate leading to the Arena in the Fops’ camp
Added camera boundaries at the Barrens location during random combat encounters
Fixed destruction of doors at the Roadside Picnic location
Fixed the owner of the safe at the Temple location
Fixed access to vending machine at Magellan Laboratory
Fixed access to the container at the Kaleidoscope location

Quests

Fixed inability to install Maelstrom Beacons
Fixed inability to speak with Henrietta Russo when completing the main quest in Act 2
Fixed being able to return the Ejector to Santiago if the player has already completed the main quest “Cooperation Above All Else”
Fixed The Poisoned Well quest playthrough
Fixed the low Brains dialogue during the final meeting with the Maelstrom: now the game responds correctly to using the Beta Helmet
Fixed inability to name a password for a character with Brains equal to 1 on Magellan Reactor Floor
Added a special illustration for the Church and Phalanx ending
Fixed inability to talk to Lenny with a drawn weapon at the Crossroads location
Fixed low Brains character dialogue in the epilogue
City Location: fixed the accessibility of some objects
Removed the ability to receive infinite experience when finishing the quest by talking to Harris Hampton at the Radioactive Graveyard location
Fixed the ending related to killing the leaders of the Carmine Heights faction
Fixed the working of the Lost Caravan quest with a certain sequence of actions

Game Mechanics

Fixed New Committee reputation decreases for killing the Afflicted
Fixed the range of the Robot Maintenance ability
Hog Loader: using the Dismantle ability in the dialogue now adds fatigue, similar to using this ability on other world objects
Hog Loader: Fixed infinite driving experience gain
Attacks on settlements: the level of the attackers is now calculated according to the level of the location
Attacks on settlements: Exploding Robokids removed from the list of attackers
The cooldown of the Thievery ability has been reduced to 1 turn
Fixed the Career Criminal ability
Fixed the displaying of exiting a location by car if the player received Ursula as a vehicle
Fixed description and mechanic of the Third Adrenal perk
Fixed immobilization mechanic for Psi-Stasis

Bugs and Errors

Fixed inability to remove fatigue when using beds and skipping time
Fixed broken inventory display when some items are present
Fixed the disappearance of the player character's model when using the Holo-5 contraption
Fixed being able to steal the obsolete Matilda pistol from Courtney Reznor
Fixed the appearance of character named Giampiero Stalvardi after completing his quest
Fixed potential bugs in the Tutorial and Give feedback windows
Fixed the work of saves in case of using only special characters in the save name
Fixed bugs when escaping and getting imprisoned
Fixed work of internal reputation with factions when completing main storyline quests
Fixed the ability to use the Resuscitation Kit through the inventory on the Global Map
Waiting window - fixed time updates on the slider
Fixed Wound Up ability working
Fixed potential freeze on title screen
Fixed being able to apply items while in White Space
Fixed potential freeze when moving around the Roadside Picnic location with companions
Fixed inability to fire at hyenas in burst mode
Fixed a bug with repeated dialogue with the character named Ilya Andreev
Fixed freeze when using the elevator in combat on the -3rd floor of Nashville

Sound

Fixed sounds of electrohyena: now they stop playing after its death
Added sounds for using gates from City to Junktown and vice versa
Added sounds for using Council gates
Fixed events volume in some text random encounters
Fixed sounds of interaction with objects in the Emulator laboratories
Added sound for using the gate in the Maze of Death
Added sounds for random encounters while using Ursula
Added sounds for the Ursula quest
Fixed the sound of the Field Autopsy ability

Miscellaneous

Fixed the absence of an icon in the fractal tree (Apple Tree Fractal Crystal) on the Picnic
Fixed an issue where attacking MOBIOS on Magellan's lab floor would render the entire faction hostile
Fixed some death effects
Fixed trade table for Sebastian Van Ulden
Fixed trade table for the Church's weapons merchant
Reduced the amount of dynamite on sale
Increased the number of Sleep Grenades on sale
Removed the ability to create an Electronic Repair Kit
Fixed the displaying of the skeleton in T-pose when removing the Light Alloy Chest Armor from it during the random encounter
Fixed Encased logo
Added new Encased app icon

Encased community is the most important for us - we are going to follow up closely for your feedback on the game.

Sep 10, 2021

ENCASED - Hotfix 1

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG - Iron_Orca

20% discount, new trailer and first post-release hotfix

Since the release of Encased, we have been actively collecting your feedback and working on fixing bugs - both critical and minor - which are impacting the game experience. An updated version is already available for download. If you’ve not got the game yet, we have a release discount of 20%. You can find out more about the final version in our newest trailer.

Below is the list of fixes. Some notes may contain small spoilers.

Gameplay

Fatigue recovery increased threefold with all bed types
The frequency of attacks on settlements has been significantly reduced
Corrected the description of the "Dawn" relic
Description of the Atox stimulator has been changed
Added progression for buttstrokes
Fixed being able to equip the Servoshell while in a Servoshell

Quests and Events

Fixed the position of the Maelstrom beacon in the First Settlers Camp
Fixed Influence check in dialogue with Pepper
Fixed completing the "Against All Protocols" quest in case of Monty James’ death
Fixed some checks in the "Help me" quest
Fixed some endings

Transport

Reworked mechanics of "The Return of Ursula" quest
Using the car in the prologue now does not add Fatigue to the character and cannot cause death from it
The interaction with the Hog loaders has been temporarily changed

UI/UX

Clicking the "Store All" button now does not close the container window
Clicking the "Store All" button is accompanied by a sound event
Esc button correctly closes game windows
Improved the responsiveness of clicking on buttons in the quick access panel on the right side of the screen
Changed time preview in the time skip window

Translation and Voiceover

Added many missing translations Note: already improved but still being worked on is the version for Chinese (Simplified)
Added Fox voiceover in the Russian version of the game
Voiceover bugs fixed; narrator lines added in the English version of the game
Fixed subtitles in the intro cutscene
Fixed greetings and goodbyes for some characters

Status effects

Changed the "Restless" status effect

Enemies

Fixed burning skeleton (added name and description - Pyro-Skeleton)
Fixed incorrect behavior of necroids in combat

Bugs and Errors

Fixed infinite loading when exiting to main menu in the Nashville cave
Fixed several types of freezes
Fixed access to shelves in Magellan's library
Fixed access to some objects on the Abandoned Film Set
Fixed the ladder leading from the sewers to the destroyed parking lot in Nashville
Fixed freezing when pickpocketing from a character at Concord station
Fixed problems with game launching on systems with some types of oriental calendars

Miscellaneous

Changed the appearance of Clara Morgan in the Unknown Place event
Fixed portraits and appearance of some characters
Added story illustrations

Encased community is the most important for us - we are going to follow up closely for your feedback on the game.

Sep 7, 2021

Encased is out

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG - Iron_Orca

We are beyond thrilled to make this announcement: Today Encased - the game to which we have dedicated more than three years of our lives - will be released out of early access. It's hard for us to contain our excitement and describe how important this moment is.

We’ve been through the Kickstarter campaign, two years of early access, five content patches, millions of hours of early access playtime, hundreds of characters, quests, abilities, and items.

Ahead of us is a leap of faith into the final stage of the most desperate adventure of our lives!

Do you remember how it all started?

In 2017 a very small team of developers decided to create their own game. An RPG with enormous freedom of choice, nearly infinite variability, hundreds of characters and a real influence of player’s choices on the world and story. We knew from the start that we had a long, challenging, but incredibly exciting road ahead of us. And as we developed, it only became more and more difficult.

Now we are working with a major publisher Prime Matter, but we are still the same independent studio, burning with the idea to create games of our dreams. Our numbers have grown from only a few employees to dozens of people, and the duration of a single full playthrough is around 40 hours!

Get ready for adventures and more

During the two years of Early Access, many of you have already played dozens of hours through this phase. The game has already received five content patches that added new mechanics, locations and characters to the game.

Today, you will uncover the entire world under the Dome, a full story campaign, an updated interface and dozens of endings that will be influenced by your own decisions. And today we're going to tell you about some of the features we're most proud of!

Encased encourages the most sophisticated ways of playing through the game and is ready for your most extraordinary deeds and decisions. Many, even seemingly insignificant steps of your character will affect the world, story and ending.

Tactical turn-based combat

We're die-hard fans of old-school RPGs, so we chose to stick with turn-based battles, where winning is not a matter of clicking your mouse fast enough, but of tactics and strategy. The game mechanics have been changing throughout the early access and our game designers invested a lot of effort into the combat system and balance.

Encased now features 14 skill trees, over 250 passive and active abilities, 70 perks, and 17 character traits. We did the maths and found that at least 40 unique builds are available to players.

Unique playthroughs

Remember we promised you that only you can decide how to play the game? The World under the Dome gives you maximum freedom of choice.

Create a character with low intelligence and unlock completely unique dialogues and character reactions, coupled with unconventional ways to die or complete the quest against all the odds.

And if you don't want to talk to anyone, you can hide from others using stealth, strike your enemies from the shadows and go through the whole story as a lone wolf.

Unleash your darkest fantasies and start destroying and killing every living thing under the Dome from the very first seconds of the game. Engage in every fight and mercilessly kill every employee of the CRONUS corporation, the game is even ready for a psychopath like you.

Believe the best of people? Take on the role of an ardent pacifist, use only non-lethal methods of eliminating opponents and go through the game without spilling a drop of blood. The world under the Dome will remember every action you take.

And these are just a few of your future playthrough options. Immerse yourself in the world under the Dome and play your chosen role to the very end!

Fully voiced main quest with multiple actors

Each key character of the world under the Dome is voiced by a professional actor in both English and Russian. Now the adventures have become much more atmospheric and the characters are fully individualised.

Weapon upgrades, crafting, and survival systems

We did not strive to create a wasteland survival simulator, but rather a believable living world where in order to stay alive you have to eat, sleep, find or create weapons, try on servoshell armor that protects against many dangers, but is not able to fit through a small manhole or a gap in the fence. Each location and quest can be completed in a variety of ways and it's up to you to decide which one to use.

Hundreds of characters, companions and factions

The world under the Dome has a rich life of its own even without your involvement. Here you will meet interesting characters that can either become your best friends or your worst enemies. Militant factions will try to get you on their side, but whoever's right and wrong is for you to decide. Heroes and dubious characters alike are ready to join your squad. Each of them has their own view on what is going on, as well as their own attitude towards your actions. It's likely that you'll disagree with some of them while others may become your most loyal friends. These people —and not only such— will stand by your character’s side until the end and will possibly play an important role in the game's finale.

A Story that you can and will shape

From the start Encased has been a game about how people’s courage, wisdom, and hard work can rebuild a decadent civilization from the ashes. But as we all know, not everyone wants to follow the hero's path. We’ve created the story in a way so that the world reacts to every decision you make, and instead of a thriving world in the finale you may see smoking ruins of cities, or a totalitarian empire growing under the Dome, or a state ruled by technocrats, or...

There truly are many endings to Encased, and we want each of you to experience the story that resonates with you.

We created Encased together with you

All the things we mentioned above would remain a dream without the support of our community. We often talk about how players have influenced the creation and development of Encased - and these are not mere words. Every bug report, Steam review, social media comment, game feedback and message you send us directly impacts how we develop the project.

The Kickstarter campaign was not the starting point of Encased. Even prior to that we came up with the basic concept of the project, put together the first technical preview, created the concept of Wings and the basis of the universe where humanity discovered the gigantic anomalous Dome. But it wasn't until the campaign began that we realized how many people were willing to support our dream. We realized that our players needed Encased!

We sincerely thank the 2,938 Kickstarter backers, the people who believed in us at the earliest stage of development. Pre-orders and every copy sold in early access only strengthened that feeling. The thought of your trust kept us going even in our darkest moments.

What’s next?

Encased has exceeded our expectations. It has a lot more content, mechanics, characters, and points of interest than we intended to make at the beginning of development. Now it's a whole world that lives by its own laws and rules. Tomorrow, when you run the full version of the game for the first time, it may have bugs and flaws. Right now we're getting ready to receive your messages, to address each and every one of them as fast as we can, and to fix, edit and improve all the available content!

You can support us with feedback, send us a bug report, write to us on any social media platforms that will continue to be filled with content. And we will continue to improve the world under the Dome to make your adventures even more exciting.

As soon as the game is released, we'll start creating previously unannounced content that will keep you coming back to the world under the Dome!

Encased community is the most important for us - we are going to follow up closely for your feedback on the game.

Sep 6, 2021

Release Day Stream with PRIME MATTER

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG - Iron_Orca

Fellow C.R.O.N.U.S. Employees, supporters and viewers from outside the Dome,

It has been a long journey - from Kickstarter campaign to full release - but the all-important day is almost here! Tomorrow, Encased will leave early access and we will finally be able to welcome you to our complete vision of the Dome. Happy jitters are starting to set in!

But we aren’t the only ones excited: In celebration, Prime Matter’s very own Luci Verdalla will be streaming Encased tomorrow - here on Steam - and on Prime Matter Twitch channel.

Join us for an exciting few hours as Luci explores the Dome and tries her hand at a few of the unconventional ways to play the game.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Encased will release tomorrow at 10:00 PST / 19:00 CEST / 20:00 MSK
Stream Start: 10:30 PST / 19:30 CEST / 20:30 MSK

Encased community is the most important for us - we are going to follow up those closely for your feedback on the game.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/921800/

Please Wishlist and click Follow to stay updated!

The game is still in the development so if you want to stay in touch on other channels than Steam you can follow us on social media and visit other cool resources with game updates information new artworks and lore pieces.

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG

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Sep 3, 2021

Encased Full Release

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG - Iron_Orca

Dear subscribers! Once again, the latest post-apocalyptic CRONUS Weekly is on your screens. Can anyone hear us?

Over three years in development, two years in Early Access. Encased has changed a lot since the first alpha, and every step of the way your support, criticism, and social media activity kept us going.

In just a couple of days, on September 7, Encased will finally leave Early Access and fully open the Dome to anyone who wants to play the game from start to finish.

Today we're going to tell you about some new Encased mechanics, which we've saved for dessert.

Servoshell Paint

The servoshell armor can be upgraded to four levels and each of them will change the appearance of this death machine. But even this is not the limit of customization. By upgrading the servoshell armor to level four, the player will be able to paint it in the colors of national flags. And it's easy to do, just loot the dead engineers who worked on the paint job.

How will you paint your armor? All options are shown on the gif above.

By the way, servoshell armor painting was one of the social goals on Kickstarter, and without the help of our friendly community would never have made it into the game.

Ursula

Tired of wandering the endless wasteland on your own two feet? Hurry up to get your hands on the real armored train “Ursula”! It will become your mobile base in the Encased world!

Covered in sand somewhere in the vast wastelands of the Dome, it's waiting to take you to any destination at the speed of light.

Camps

The journey from one settlement to another can take several days of playing time. That's why the full version of Encased on September 7 not only offers players an updated world map, but also the ability to camp anywhere under the Dome.

There you'll be able to grab a bite, have a heart-to-heart talk with your companions, cook food, and heal your wounds.

Encased community is the most important for us - we are going to follow up those closely for your feedback on the game.

Aug 27, 2021

News from the other side of the Dome

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG - Iron_Orca

Dear subscribers! Here’s the latest issue of the post-apocalyptic CRONUS Weekly on your screens. Can anyone hear us?

Today we want to talk about the news on the other side of the Dome and what awaits the Encased world in the coming weeks.

Gamescom 2021

All week our attention was concentrated on one of the main gaming shows, Gamescom 2021. And we were happy to be directly involved!

Even if the award for the best RPG this year escaped us, we are still grateful that we were placed together with such titans of the genre as Tales of Arise and Elden Ring.

By the way, let us remind you that we released a video about Encased's possible playthrough styles for gamescom. We recommend you watch it!

Upcoming release

Employees: Encased is less than two weeks away from the full release and our team is working hard to make your first visit to the full version of Encased as enjoyable as possible.

The game has been translated into Russian, English, German, French, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Japanese. It was also dubbed in English and Russian. Undoubtedly, such an abundance of languages will allow many players to better immerse themselves into the atmosphere of post-apocalyptic Dome.

On 7 September you will be able to wipe out entire settlements, explore all the secrets of the Dome, learn psionics, meet the most unusual inhabitants of the wastelands and, of course, influence the lives of all the CRONUS employees.

Updated servoshell armor

In anticipation of the release, our artists have updated all servoshell armor models!

In the days of CRONUS, only the best members of the Black Wing could get their hands on it, but the Incident changed everything. Now anyone can get their hands on this technology.

Find your own servoshell armor in the vast wasteland, and improve it over time. That, together with mastering the piloting skills, will make your hero a death machine.

Encased community is the most important for us - we are going to follow up those closely for your feedback on the game.

Aug 25, 2021

Trailers, Psychology and Awards under the Dome

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG - Iron_Orca

Dear C.R.O.N.U.S. Employees,

We are happy to announce that Encased has been nominated for the Best Role Playing Game Award at this year’s gamescom!

If you want to check out the full list of Award Nominations, you’ll find it here:

https://www.gamescom.global/the-gamescom/gamescom-award/

And don’t forget to vote for Encased as the most anticipated game of Gamescom 2021!

https://www.surveymonkey.de/r/gamescomawardconsumerawards

------------------

When a number of media outlets previewed Encased last month, we noticed that very few explored the more unique playstyles Encased has to offer. To find out why that was, we spoke with Dr. Rachel Kowert, who said:

“Our in-game avatars are often a means of experimenting with many possible ‘selves’, either as we are – our actual self – or an idealized version of ourselves. The characters we create in-game are very often closely related to who we are out of game.”

There’s also a personal development aspect to this too. Research at Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab found players who were helpful to NPCs in a video game were then more helpful to others in real life too. It’s called the Proteus effect and – yes – playing video games can make you a better person; other studies have produced similar results.

“There is an entire field of research looking at how digital role play in video games can impact how we think and behave out of game. For example, seeing a digital version of ourselves being successful in these spaces can become a catalyst for changing thoughts and beliefs we have about ourselves.”

Here you can watch our new trailer showing off some of the more unusual ways you can play Encased:

• Setting your intelligence as low as possible
• Not talking to anyone and being permanently in the shadows
• Being a pacifist and only using non-lethal weapons
• Acting like a serial killer

And if you want to learn more about Encased and the psychology behind how we play video games, take a look at this Interview between Gamereactor and Dr. Rachel Kowert here.

Remember: Encased comes out 7 September! Only two more weeks to go!

Encased community is the most important for us - we are going to follow up those closely for your feedback on the game.

Aug 20, 2021

Factions under the Dome

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG - Iron_Orca

Dear subscribers! Once again, the latest issue of the post-apocalyptic CRONUS Weekly is on your screens. Can anyone hear us?

Today we want to talk about factions, how they came to be, who they consist of, and how friendly they are.

Before the Incident

CRONUS is an international organization created specifically for the study of the anomalous Dome. It consists of leading scientists from all over the world, as well as experienced soldiers, engineers, doctors, managers and handymen. The organization is divided into five wings, each specializing in their own field:

Black Wing - military
White Wing - scientists and medics
Blue Wing - engineers
Silver Wing - managers
Orange Wing - handymen

Access under the Dome for non-employees is strictly forbidden.

During the Incident

The incident, the details of which are still shrouded in mystery, nearly destroyed CRONUS, splitting it into dozens of groups, each of which simply wanted to survive. Employees caught in the middle of the Maelstrom turned into ruthless Fops, madmen killing everyone in their path.

Those more fortunate began to seek salvation by uniting into the most powerful factions of the post-apocalyptic Dome.

After the Incident

Carmine Heights, the Whirlwind Church, the New Committee, the Fops, the autonomous “Roadside Picnic”, and the Phalanx are the main political and military forces in the post-apocalyptic Dome.

Only the New Committee and the autonomous zone "Roadside Picnic" have been able to maintain the former structure of CRONUS. However, their views on life under the Dome are exactly the opposite. The Committee fights for absolute control, while Picnic is free-spirited and wants to obey no one.

The Fops are mad raiders. They enjoy chaos and destruction, and are mentally stuck somewhere at the level of children. They have no constructive long-term goals and live here and now.

Phalanx are no longer raiders, but not yet PMC. With all their might, they try to strengthen their position in the world under the Dome. Building firepower, reputation, and looking for a way to enter the big politics of the Dome.

Carmine Heights is a society of engineers built on the principles of rationalism and asceticism, which seeks to squeeze the most out of scarce resources. There are many rules: water and electricity consumption standards, a mandatory four-hour workday, a system of rewards and fines for misbehavior. It is an almost completely autonomous state.

Maelstrom Church was originally developed as a way to control the lower, superstitious part of the Dome's population, but after the Incident that severed communication with the outside world, the organization asserted itself in a new way. It's now a real church of the Maelstrom, with its own pastors and parishioners. And in its ranks are some of the strongest psionics and technological fanatics, which, together with the support of the general population, makes the church one of the strongest factions under the Dome.

Encased community is the most important for us - we are going to follow up those closely for your feedback on the game.

Aug 13, 2021

How the community influenced the development of Encased

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG - Iron_Orca

Dear subscribers! Once again, the latest issue of the post-apocalyptic CRONUS Weekly is on your screens. Can anyone hear us?

Today we want to talk about how feedback and creativity from players has changed our game.

Settlers under the Dome

In Encased, players will choose between six unique companions, but did you know that Crump was created by one of the players? Crump is one of the profiles that players sent us through a special site right after the kickstarter campaign. Engineer Yuki Tetsunai was also added to the game this way.

Character creation and leveling up

Balance is a tricky thing, so every content patch we monitored player feedback and made the changes we thought were necessary. There's probably not a single skill left in the game that hasn't been affected in one way or another by player feedback. We hope that our combined efforts will be noticeable at release, and that new players will have a much more balanced game to look forward to.

A user-friendly interface is one of the keys to success of any game. Players should intuitively understand what, where, and how to click for a particular action. Encased is a tribute to Fallout, but the interface doesn't have to stay the same as it was decades ago. Thanks to player feedback and gameplay clips, we've greatly improved the usability. Players no longer have to spend hours looking for the right button.

Encased community is the most important for us - we are going to follow up those closely for your feedback on the game.