Alien Fauna is coming to life with the newest version of Shadow Empire

[Edmon]

Alien Fauna is coming to life with the newest version of Shadow Empire and you’ll be able to enjoy it now as is already available for Matrix owners.


This militia is moving in to push these squid-like "Mungos" out of the way.

There were only around 6 different graphics used to display all the possible xeno-biological evolutionary results in Shadow Empire. Now, thanks to artist Mike Tenebrae, there are over 120 different graphics in different sizes and colours. This ensures that every new alien critter you’ll meet feels new and unique.


5 meters is tall and with a lot of bulk, combined with chitinous armour these "Mungo" critters will be tough cookies for your militia to handle.

Originally, you could observe some of the offensive/defensive/competition statistics that any potential Alien Fauna had in the evolutionary phase of planet generation. This is still possible, but now these factors are used to assign over 40 different Alien Fauna Feats. Examples of these Feats are things like: Acrobat, Entangler, Metallic, Swimmer, Killer and Grazer. Most Unit Feats have 5 different levels to allow for even more variety and also for some extremely dangerous lifeforms.


The attack begins on a big group of omnivorous Salamanders

In addition to the new Alien Fauna types, you’ll often but not always find more diverse Alien Fauna species on your Planet. This is due to the introduction of new subspecies generation. There are different variations based on abstract family species. This ensures more surprises.


In the north the pinkish and omnivorous Supernod-Allactaga. In the south the more purplish and solitary herbivore Supernod-Periotes. 2 somewhat different subspecies of the same family.

Critters will also have different strengths and weaknesses and more importantly different on-map behaviour. Each Alien Fauna will now have its own area to which they might migrate and from which they might guard from human incursions. Some species might try to avoid you, others might try to ambush you or even start a “crusade” against you. The behaviour depends mostly on Fauna Feats. This means you will be required to think a lot more about how to tackle wildlife challenges.


A scary Planet with 20 meter tall monsters called “Biters”. Roaming the prairies in their thousands... some caution is advised...

New features:
* Over 40 new Alien Fauna Feats
* Over a 120 new Alien Fauna graphics
* Subspecies introduced

[Destragon]

ORIGINAL: Edmon

A scary Planet with 20 meter tall monsters called “Biters”. Roaming the prairies in their thousands... some caution is advised...

Sounds like the game has turned into Factorio. [:'(]

[Dehimos]

ORIGINAL: Edmon

New features:
* Over 40 new Alien Fauna Feats
* Over a 120 new Alien Fauna graphics
* Subspecies introduced

The spice must flow!

[Daza99]

This is cool.

Would be interesting if you could create a science group or containment compound (that is placed on the map like a research station is already) and play stratagem cards which basically sends out an expedition to try and capture a young alien creature (being smaller etc) and try to study it. There could be a generic gun added to the game that just as its name or ammo type set to what is researched to unlock it and get a buff on attack when attacking that specific fauna. But capturing them to study could be difficult and perhaps you need to attach a Mil unit to the mission to protect the scientists or whoever is going to do the dirty work out in the field. If you get lucky and capture something. The next difficulty barrier is succeeding in analyzing the creature, it might die or reason x it fails- you might learn alittle more about it ie. its digestive system or whatever but nothing more. So a new sample has to be sought. However some species might be more aggressive if one of their kind has been taken. So maybe another possibility is the compound itself gets attacks from these creatures (hey maybe the fauna captured can silently communicate beyond hearing range they need help or distressed idk)

I presume there could be more than on fauna on a planet so obviously any weapon research made after learning more about a captured species would only work on that fauna.

Another idea built on top of the previous one, is being able to tame certain fauna, they might have a tameable stat if too high then it will never work- maybe the tame stat is vague and you have to do several attempts to see its true stat reading (sort of like how recon points works). If you can tame a fauna, there could be a breeding compound Stratagem card to play and you could produce some that can be moved about to attack whatever. But takes time for them to become mature and always a risk of them going feral, so there might be an event where there some breakout and destroy the compound and start terrorizing workers/citizens and fear goes up and deaths etc, along with a chance of a disease breaking out due to the pop getting attacked. So that could be the risk of doing this, but could be worth the risk if the creature is very strong or has good natural armor. And of course add to variety of what you can do in the game.

[Jorgas]

I like the wolverines in my current huge game.

[Vic]

ORIGINAL: Daza99

This is cool.

Would be interesting if you could create a science group or containment compound (that is placed on the map like a research station is already) and play stratagem cards which basically sends out an expedition to try and capture a young alien creature (being smaller etc) and try to study it. There could be a generic gun added to the game that just as its name or ammo type set to what is researched to unlock it and get a buff on attack when attacking that specific fauna. But capturing them to study could be difficult and perhaps you need to attach a Mil unit to the mission to protect the scientists or whoever is going to do the dirty work out in the field. If you get lucky and capture something. The next difficulty barrier is succeeding in analyzing the creature, it might die or reason x it fails- you might learn alittle more about it ie. its digestive system or whatever but nothing more. So a new sample has to be sought. However some species might be more aggressive if one of their kind has been taken. So maybe another possibility is the compound itself gets attacks from these creatures (hey maybe the fauna captured can silently communicate beyond hearing range they need help or distressed idk)

I presume there could be more than on fauna on a planet so obviously any weapon research made after learning more about a captured species would only work on that fauna.

Another idea built on top of the previous one, is being able to tame certain fauna, they might have a tameable stat if too high then it will never work- maybe the tame stat is vague and you have to do several attempts to see its true stat reading (sort of like how recon points works). If you can tame a fauna, there could be a breeding compound Stratagem card to play and you could produce some that can be moved about to attack whatever. But takes time for them to become mature and always a risk of them going feral, so there might be an event where there some breakout and destroy the compound and start terrorizing workers/citizens and fear goes up and deaths etc, along with a chance of a disease breaking out due to the pop getting attacked. So that could be the risk of doing this, but could be worth the risk if the creature is very strong or has good natural armor. And of course add to variety of what you can do in the game.

I had ideas in a similar direction, but sadly ran out of time, for now

[Jorgas]

@vic
I was actually wondering why there was a "Arachnid" in your own troops statistics , perhaps we can breed them one day? (would not be fun to see how many we've only killed!)

[Destragon]

By the way, does anyone know if the original creature graphics still show up in new games and are mixed together with the new graphics? I was wondering about that.

[wodin]

Great addition

[Protonic2020]

Now, thanks to artist Mike Tenebrae, there are over 120 different graphics in different sizes and colours. This ensures that every new alien critter you’ll meet feels new and unique.

That´s such a good move, well done. And i must also say as one beginner of this deep game, i never seem to feel lost thanks to all fast pop ups and direct explanations that´s right there for everything upon being their with the mouse pointer.
I like this type of game a lot, thanks.

EDIT: The option to customize your factions flag at the beginning and such with those rather few symbols to chose from, is there more to come or any user made to import into the game for more variation to that?
Would just be nice to have that, not a big thing but all small little stuff makes it a notch better.

[springel]

ORIGINAL: Protonic2020
EDIT: The option to customize your factions flag at the beginning and such with those rather few symbols to chose from, is there more to come or any user made to import into the game for more variation to that?
Would just be nice to have that, not a big thing but all small little stuff makes it a notch better.

You are presented with a random subset from a larger collection. When you start a new game your choices are different.

[Protonic2020]

ORIGINAL: springel

ORIGINAL: Protonic2020
EDIT: The option to customize your factions flag at the beginning and such with those rather few symbols to chose from, is there more to come or any user made to import into the game for more variation to that?
Would just be nice to have that, not a big thing but all small little stuff makes it a notch better.

You are presented with a random subset from a larger collection. When you start a new game your choices are different.

Any reason you know about why not the whole set is available to chose from? Good to know but why the limitation also.

[springel]

ORIGINAL: Protonic2020

ORIGINAL: springel

ORIGINAL: Protonic2020
EDIT: The option to customize your factions flag at the beginning and such with those rather few symbols to chose from, is there more to come or any user made to import into the game for more variation to that?
Would just be nice to have that, not a big thing but all small little stuff makes it a notch better.

You are presented with a random subset from a larger collection. When you start a new game your choices are different.

Any reason you know about why not the whole set is available to chose from? Good to know but why the limitation also.

This whole game is playing with the hand you are dealt. [8D]