Devlog: Surviving the Wastelands

First of all, it's been a while since our last update, so thank you for your patience and continued support. We apologize for what may have been perceived as a lack of communication on our part. However, you can rest assured that the development is going smoothly, and the release is getting closer than ever. We will do our best to keep communication going via multiple channels, including a new series of devlogs. Please make sure to wishlist and follow Outcast Tales to receive all the latest updates the moment they arrive.

Greetings, misfits.

Before you set out to beat the living sand out of a bunch of folks using your fists, guns, and philosophical inquiry, it might be a good idea to review some basics.

The Map

You can drag the map to view your charted journey in full. Hope the sight doesn’t break your spirit

This ain’t a holiday brochure. In fact, this thing might just save your life… or not. Each point on the map is its own journey: are you going to buy some gear, get ambushed by monsters, or get turned into mincemeat for showing a single act of kindness in this merciless world? The choice is yours. Kinda.

Still, the icons do give you some idea of what you can expect. Here are some of them:

Wasteland. Get used to the desert, you are in one, after all. These locations will put you to the test with combat challenges and other surprises. Is your party a well-oiled machine or just a band of deviants after all?

Ruins. Every barren world has got a sappy backstory. Thankfully, that’s not what we're in for here: your team’s gotta survive, and ancient gear’s the ticket. Loot the place, or die trying.

Settlement. Spend your blood-drenched and gray-matter-stained coins here. Hear the woes of the townsfolk or get clobbered on the head by them.

Training camp. Spend cash to train and level up. No training montage included.

Oasis. Sometimes, we can have nice things. Or can we? …how about you discover the rest on your own? Isn’t this what gaming is about?

Team make-up

This screen also lets you choose your difficulty level

Your squads always come in threes. Just the perfect amount for love triangles and needless drama. You can try to outsmart your destiny with the team creator or leave it up to fate. If you do decide to play God, do take note of your characters’ background and personality. The Background determines your crew member’s sorry life story up until this point. This determines their initial skills, abilities, and appearance. Roleplay your heart out. Personality here determines how your character acts in the present. This always comes with one negative and one positive trait. This all affects your character’s skills, the way they speak, and the manner of interaction with their crewmates and surroundings. No Mary Sues get to survive the Wasteland.

Being this buff and having zero persuasion? Impossible

Crew members can’t get the same background or personality. That'd make things pretty boring, wouldn't it? Now go and try minmax the system. We dare you.

Companions

Think of it as the crew pet. Just maybe don't give it a name...

Remember how we said you only get three crew members? Well, we might’ve lied a bit. During your run, you might get one extra companion willing to tag along just this once. To meet a companion, you have to stumble your way to a rare event, and then try to get on top. If you do join up, they will be accompanying you until their last breath, acting as a fourth party member. They will also heal during rest, and might help you with certain events. But if they’re gone — that’s it!

This was just a taste of what's to come as the game's zeroing in on its release. Expect more in-depth info and hardcore survivor strats in the upcoming devlogs. Just try your best not to bite the sand until then. See you soon.