Welcome to our March Patreon Post! This one may feel a little different than usual. Last year, we released two Progress Reports which focused on multiple different topics instead of focusing on one specific topic. These are a different type of post that we are experimenting with (like Memorandums), so please give us your impressions. Without further ado, let's delve into some of the miscellany coming in Megapatch III.
SCP-953's implementation is still the main focus for our programming team, with lead programmer Beryl focusing on implementing all the code and systems, such that once the model and animations are completed, they can be easily added to the system. Working simultaneously like this allows us to significantly speed up development and allows the update to be completed much quicker. There is little to share in terms of implementation due to there being no model in-engine to showcase abilities with, but rest assured that it is still coming along smoothly.
With the models we showed off in a previous teaser (Linked Here) being finished, we are now able to move onto the actual implementation. This is still in the quality assurance stages, but we are confident that we will be able to have these included in 15.0 thanks to the work from Mith and the implementation assistance provided by Sol.
(Video of the SCP Lockers, Generators, and Warhead Panels in-game)
With the layout and design of the Surface Zone being completed, Level Design has now turned their focus to the Entrance Zone rooms to ensure that they play well and do not result in a problematic choke point into the facility, which would negate all the benefits of the new Surface Zone’s layout being designed to be as difficult to camp as possible. Currently, the first design pass for Gate B has been finished by PlookieDookie and is waiting on a staff test to verify that it plays well before it is sent off to our art team. We have always wanted to give Gate B a large cargo elevator, with concept art for it being made by Purplegoop all the way back in 2018 for a previous iteration of the room. (Concept art by Purplegoop (Depressed Coconut) on the Gate B elevator)
"Akira elevator" ~ Purplegoop(An art pass made by Mora based on the Gate B concept art. It unfortunately had to be scrapped due to the layout being too compact and not working in gameplay) But the idea stuck, even to this day. As such, we still intend to add the cargo elevator to the new Surface Zone. (Gate B Surface concept art by Grongo)(Another concept art by Grongo, this time a close up of the elevator and the elevator shaft)
"Recently, I've been thinking a lot about the function of Gate B's elevator. It's led to a domino effect of many cool ideas that I hope can all be implemented together. Additionally, I'm starting to get a clearer picture of what the entrance zone side could look like. Can't wait to share it all with you.” ~ Grongo Gate A’s reshaping will of course be included in 15.0, though it is still in the design phase. Our goal is to develop a design that is unique to the double elevator structure and massively distinct from Gate B in layout and gameplay.
All of the deep corners shown off in a previous teaser have been completed, thanks to the work of Soup, with a total of five different versions. These will also be included in 15.0, as they have passed gameplay tests. There are still some minor changes that need to be addressed, and the rooms have yet to be fully QA-approved, but we can now give you a full, in-depth look at all the variants. These new variations of the original deep corner serve to help diversify the corners in HCZ, and feature some additional layouts and item spawns to make it feel more unique. Variant 1:Variant 2:Variant 3:Variant 4:Variant 5:SCP-079 Cameras:Video Showcase:
The SCP-049/SCP-173 Sublevel has progressed significantly since we last showed it off. The greybox has been completely finished, barring any iteration that needs to be made during testing. However, with all the environmental artists now being allocated to work on the Surface Zone, we have unfortunately been forced to put it on the back burner. While it may still have a chance of being included in Megapatch III, it likely will not be included on launch and will instead be included in a subsequent update, such as 15.1. (Latest iteration of the 049/173 Sublevel by Quidstar)(Top-down view of the sublevel) We will keep you updated on the progress we make on this subsection, likely making it the topic of a Site-02 Transmission in the future, so keep an eye out for it!
While the sublevel is still being worked on, the second hallway elevator room has been finished, barring some minor tweaks and changes such as the addition of minor props, and is just waiting on the full sublevel to be completed before it gets implemented. (The 2nd Hallway entrance to the sublevel, created by Josh)
Surface Zone The primary focus for our art team and the flagship feature of 15.0 is still full steam ahead, and the project is going smoothly. We shared a lot of details in our last Patreon post, but to give more context as to what's being worked on:
The outside areas of the surface zone are coming along well, with the outside building for Gate B making good progress, thanks to the work of Quidstar.
The road with all its props and decals is, as you saw in our last post, also coming along smoothly thanks to the work of Mora.
Environmental Artist Ben is working on the Utility Building and the new standard doors, which will be used for Surface Zone.
Gate A is being worked on by our Environmental Artist Josh who is doing all the textures and modelling of the interior and exterior.
Grongo is still hard at work creating concept art for Gates A and B.
Art Manager Mikel & Art Supervisor Sol are creating new props to be used across Surface Zone to make the area feel like a real, lived space.
C.A.S.S.I.E.’s room is [REDACTED]
We will make sure to keep you up to date on any progress. There is still a long road to go before Surface Zone is finished, and projects as large as this take considerable time to complete.
Meanwhile, while the majority of the art team hammers down on Surface Zone, our newest Organic Artist syuzhet is applying the finishing touches to the SCP-953 model and textures. Once that’s done, it will be sent off to be rigged and animated. It won’t be long before you get to see what the SCP-953 model looks like, which will be slightly different from the concept art you have already seen. “While designing the final model, we made a slight deviation. Originally, SCP-953 had the waist sash tucked into the top, something that you don’t normally see in a hanbok (a traditional dress for Korean people), and instead is seen more commonly in a kimono or a hanfu. We made an adjustment while modelling to make sure we stayed accurate to the article”. ~ syuzhet (An image of the waist sash showing how it differs from the concept art)
We also have created a public animation which reveals more of the SCP-953 Model, which you can check out on our Youtube!
We will also keep you up to date on any progress we make with SCP-953, and we aim to go into more detail on it in a future Patreon post Which you can check out here!
That's all for today's Progress Report. This is a new type of post where we aim to address many different elements of what the studio has been doing and to bring you up to speed on what’s happening. If you liked this type of Patreon post and would like to see more like it, please let us know, either in the comments or on our Discord server.
Be sure to catch up on any exclusive upcoming teasers we regularly post on our Discord server (https://discord.gg/scpsl).
If you are not a Patreon supporter reading this post as it becomes public, you can subscribe to our Patreon (https://patreon.com/HubertMoszka), in which our Patreon supporters who are Tier-2 or above will receive early insights into upcoming content for the game.
~Northwood Studios