Howdy!
Halloween may be over, but who said the spookies have to end? We've been thinking long and hard about that very question for a while now, and have decided that the spookies stay. And what is more spooky than zombies, you may ask? Umm… Mega Zombies, of course!
That being said, welcome to our newest Development Log, where Big™ things are the order of the day. Big™ Zombies, Big™ Mutants, Big™ Trolls… you get it. Here we go.
If you played any of the previous Decision games, you know that there were no bosses in any of them, but they all featured (and still do feature) large-scale horde attacks on your settlements. These levels were a relatively small part of the games, but we and most of our players really enjoyed them. They reminded us of the Tower Defense minigames, although less nuanced and more involved: you were the one doing the shooting and the defending on your own, like a real soldier, instead of staying back, upgrading buildings and giving instructions about where to place them (we're not babies here).
They were good mindless fun and played great on Flash, but as our technology improves, so must our game. Hence the improvements to the Assault system, Bosses, and Red Daze.
Around most of the settlements you’ll come across in the Dust Bowl, there are Hideout camps. DO NOT GO CHARGING INTO THEM HEAD ON! These locations are incredibly dangerous, and inhabited by Leaders and Bosses of various hostile races: in the northwestern part of the map, the land is ruled by Zombie Bosses, while Mutant Leaders roam the southeast. Their skill sets and appearances differ. While they may look like a nice little challenge, trust me, they WILL take you down if you're not well prepared.
That said, the bosses are not meant to be ignored entirely. They're responsible for every attack your settlements suffer. As a boss's army grows, the Red Daze and the area of influence widens, restricting players’ movements in this area and making a larger zone around the settlement unsafe for survivors. The longer you let a boss summon forces, the larger the area becomes and the greater the threat of getting attacked. With each passing day, bosses attract more and more wild monsters to their side. They bide their time and gather their strength before unleashing all of their might upon the settlement nearest to them.
That’s where the aforementioned settlement defense kicks in, and you’re thrust into the madness that is making sure a HUGE horde of monsters does not get through your defenses and wreak havoc throughout your settlement.
Successfully defending your settlement and taking out the boss's army will leave him weakened, and gives you a window of opportunity to strike back before they gather their strength AGAIN. If you miss your chance to take down the boss, they’ll keep regrowing their army and hitting your settlements until you learn your lesson and go over there to finish him off.
Now, killing bosses is no easy task, and you’ll need more info on them if you want to have even a CHANCE of taking them down. So here goes.
Although bosses can't use long-range weapons like some regular enemies, they are good with melee weapons, which are designed specifically for them. You might end up facing a pipe wrench, the back axle of a car, or other heavy things.
In addition to regular hits with these things, bosses can make a series of hits that are unstoppable. These are called Combo Hits. There are also Heavy Area Strikes, which are even more dangerous because everyone nearby will almost certainly be knocked down or seriously wounded and require medical care. Sometimes bosses will strike after taking quick and dangerous leaps toward your squad. This is perilous because you don't know at what point the boss will make that deadly Charge. Bosses are also capable of throwing heavy objects at your squad, such as barrels, tires, or wooden cases. With all these features, you'll have to keep your guard up: you won't get bored, even if you keep the boss at a distance and use firearms. And don't forget that the boss still has the rest of his loyal army.
Since the bosses are the most ferocious and like the Red Daze the most, it's also easy to distinguish them visually from regular enemies thanks to their enormous size and the vibrant blood red color of their skin and equipment.
Bosses are what we call the antagonists that pose the greatest threat to the Dust Bowl's inhabitants. As developers, we are really glad to have found a good, simple way of explaining things to players who are agonizing over the mystery of all of these periodic attacks on their territory. And the guys from the screenwriting team came up with great unique names and backstories for each boss, taking into account the sprawling history of the Decision world. We hope all our players enjoy battling bosses and bringing order to the Dust Bowl!
