Dev note 5 — Enemies & Environment
What awaits you in the next Holder Test?
Hello Pioneers of XOCIETY!
This is YK, the Director of Game Design at Team NDUS. Today, I’m going to dig deep into some of the enemies you’ll meet in the world of XOCIETY and our Next Holder Test. Maybe you’ll pick up some hints about how to take down these impressive beasts.
If you’ve been paying attention to XOCIETY’s weekly development updates, you’ll have met some of these beasts before, through hints and teasers now you can see them all in their glory.
Ready, then read on.
Parabos
Birth / Creation
The ‘Parabos’ is a unique plant that evolved into a parasite, rooting in animal bodies rather than soil for nutrients. Their seeds attach to plant foliage, infiltrating a host when eaten. They grow by siphoning the host’s nutrients, growing faster with more consumption. Hence, Parabos primarily target large herbivores, often found in their main food sources.
As Parabos grows, it gradually stretches its roots and stems throughout the host’s body, and when it reaches adulthood, it erodes the host’s brain, gaining control over the host.
Features
Since Parabos grow from inside the host’s body, there is no difference in the external aspects from general animal entities until they become an adult. However, Parabos does not stop growing even after becoming an adult, and as a result, it gradually pierces the host’s skin.
After becoming an adult, it produces seeds through the stems that grow outside the host’s skin. Often depositing on its host’s food sources. Due to this mode of reproduction, many of the same species of animals that share the same food often become hosts as a group.
Generally, Parabos move only to get nutrients, however as the host is slowly consumed and its functions replaced by the Parabos, its overall movement is slow and unnatural.
Boss Creatures: Acer & Gelu
Birth / Creation
Earth, already ravaged by major natural disasters faced another upheaval due to the asteroid X646f776e66616c6c. The impact of which, resulted in major MOTUS energy leakage. The southern hemisphere was particularly impacted, polluting the natural flora and fauna, resulting in ecosystem collapse. Entities contaminated with leaked MOTUS energy began to show addiction, high aggression and desire for MOTUS energy and their evolution pattern of entities also changed rapidly.
‘Acer’ and ‘Gelu’ are special entities born in this process, originally classified as a subspecies of snow leopard, a native species of the QAYLAK state. However, with the start of the activities of MOTUS energy-contaminated entities, they faced an unexpected risk of extinction. In this situation, only two entities managed to survive, but they also continued to contact the remaining MOTUS energy and contaminated entities on the ground during the survival process, resulting in energy contamination.
Features
Aker and Gelu retain the characteristics of the indigenous species of the past, high aggression and high adaptability. In addition to high environmental adaptability, they have excellent cold resistance, due to their ability to concentrate cold within their bodies in certain areas. Additionally, the areas where the cold is concentrated are also used as a major means of attack, so the attacks of Aker and Gelu can cause fatal levels of frostbite.
Aker and Gelu have developed the ability to share reactions to basic emotions or sensations, due to abnormal mutations caused by MOTUS energy pollution. It is assumed that the situation of the last surviving entity of the species, the dependency relationship (or bond) formed from it, and the external factor of MOTUS energy have combined to result in changes in mental structure.
They can be said to perform virtually all activities “as one.” Proving this, there have been no cases so far where only one of Aker and Gelu has been found, and there is no record of the distance between the two entities exceeding a certain level.
In hunting scenarios, the entities Aker and Gelu display complex behaviors. They assign roles based on the prey’s characteristics, with Aker chasing prey and Gelu securing the area and targeting the next prey. Their roles aren’t fixed and can shift fluidly based on threats or circumstances. Aker favors close combat with fangs, claws, and tails, whereas Gelu discharges cold energy from a distance like shooting bullets. By utilizing their contrasting traits and covering each other’s weaknesses, they maximize combat efficiency.
In most situations, Aker acts before Gelu and prefers close combat, so it has superior physical abilities and a larger body compared to Gelu. It also has the characteristic of emitting blue light when the concentrated cold energy is glowing. Gelu, on the other hand, has less physical ability and physical size compared to Aker, but it is understood to have developed more in the intellectual domain than Aker. It also has the characteristic that the cold energy glows red.
World: The WASTELAND
Formation
During humanity’s hibernation, Earth transformed under NDUS’ control, maintaining its suitability for humans. However, an uncontrollable threat, asteroid X-646f776e66616c6c, approached. NDUS predicted and prevented a collision, but the asteroid’s near miss caused massive terrain changes, global facility destruction, and ecosystem mutations due to leaked MOTUS energy.
NDUS had to make a lot of efforts to resolve the aftermath caused by the asteroid. A large number of NDUS companion bots were mobilized, followed by numerous tasks such as facility reconstruction and ecosystem restoration. Inevitably, an astronomical amount of MOTUS energy was consumed, which posed a critical issue not only for the survival of mankind but also for the maintenance of hibernation itself.
To solve the issue, NDUS implemented emergency protocols. Awakening procedures were brought forward. As well as reducing the maintenance of other facilities, and all protective management capabilities under the main system were focused on Caelum and its near vicinity.
As all other regions were excluded from the management area, wild uncontrolled creatures rapidly multiplied and expanded their influence. NDUS prioritized the safety of Caelum facilities and humans in Cold Dormancy. Large-scale measures, such as controlling volcanic activity, were rejected regardless of their effectiveness.
In their place Companion bots were mobilized to directly perform procedures such as exploration and incineration of the targeted creatures. While inefficient, was deemed suitable to achieve wild animal control without harming the wider ecosystem.
Following the completion of this process, immediate follow-up measures were taken to stabilize the ecosystem in the areas surrounding Caelum. This region was given the name ‘WASTELAND’ and designated as a special management area.
Characteristics
Unlike the CAELUM, which serves as a major city with a variety of facilities for humanity, the WASTELAND remains a barren natural environment.
It possesses unique vegetation and frequently witnesses the appearance of wild animals. Thus the WASTELAND is an area essentially untouched by human development. Of course, as previously described, the WASTELAND does receive some management and Companion support, so it is not entirely a wild area.
Wastelands, characterized by abnormalities impeding ecosystem recovery, have scarce wildlife and limited vegetation, exposing much ground and bedrock. These traits may stem from the asteroid X-646f776e66616c6c aftermath, with MOTUS Energy proliferation or wildlife depletion, but the precise cause is being investigated. Efforts to restore the ecosystem are ongoing. Pioneers will be needed to undergo this process for NDUS.
The WASTELAND’s hostile ecosystem supports only the most resilient vegetation. These species, with fibers ten times stronger than usual, have evolved to withstand physical shocks, unlike ‘resilient plants’ in deserts or high altitudes that prioritize life preservation. WASTELAND plants prioritize resisting external damage.
The WASTELAND is home to artificially mutated organisms, believed to have been caused by leaked MOTUS Energy from asteroid X-646f776e66616c6c. These organisms interact with MOTUS Energy, primarily in organic matter, but occasionally in certain minerals. Though these mutations are thought to be global, they have only been observed within the WASTELAND.
Final Thoughts
It’s almost the end of the year. Christmas is coming, but Team NDUS is stepping up the final development of our milestone and our excitement for the next Holder Test is enough to overshadow even Christmas. Please pay a lot of attention to the ongoing events, the second sale that will take place soon, and the holder test!
Shoot, Earn, Pioneer. Now We Live in XOCIETY
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