As a greenhorn to the world of survival games, I find myself utterly fascinated by the intricate mechanics and uncompromising challenges that “The Last Plague” presents. I can only imagine what a seasoned veteran would appreciate about this game – the sheer depth and complexity that seems to defy simplicity, the evolving challenge that keeps one on their toes, and the purposeful setbacks that are not just frustrating but also learning experiences.
The Final Pandemic: Blight
In The Last Plague, tasks such as boiling water are incredibly lifelike: players must create a bowl from clay, fetch water from a source, and then transport the bowl back to their campfire for heating. This simulation-style realism gives The Last Plague an authentic feel reminiscent of Project Zomboid, making each step forward a genuine achievement.
Game Rant recently chatted with Bezborodko prior to the Early Access launch of The Last Plague in October. During this conversation, he shared insights into his research on authentic crafting methods, the benefits of the game’s distinctive top-down viewpoint, and why The Last Plague resonates with dedicated enthusiasts of the genre. For your convenience, some parts of the interview have been shortened for readability and understanding.
The Last Plague Is a Hardcore Survival Game
A: In the game “The Last Plague,” we aimed to create a unique experience by incorporating elements not commonly found in the hardcore survival genre. Could you tell me what particular aspects you were curious about?
Bezborodko: What I adore about these games is becoming engrossed in the intricate details of what they offer. To create a more immersive environment, I tried to steer clear of over-simplifying things. For instance, rather than having a straightforward “wood” resource that yields 10 wood from chopping a tree, 1 wood from picking up a stick, and 20 wood for placing a wall tile—I wanted the game to be meticulous about the resources you gather and how they’re utilized within the game.
Initially, trees are cut down, followed by their division into separate logs. These logs can then be further split into firewood, enhancing their efficiency as fuel. On the other hand, longer pieces of wood are utilized for building shelters and structures, and they can be easily split in half to serve smaller purposes, like crafting various items, much like what one might use in a true wilderness setting.
Water and liquids are also something I wanted to make complex. You can boil water to make it safer to drink, but you need to carry a bowl from the lake to your fire, you can’t simply place it in your bag and expect the water to stay in it. Eventually, you can create sealable containers and waterskins, which you can pour one into another to combine various healing salves, soups, and teas to create the ideal on-the-go sustenance. I thought this functionality was really interesting and not something I’ve seen much of.
As a storyteller, I constantly grapple with finding the right equilibrium between raw reality and enjoyable entertainment. There have indeed been instances when I’ve had to make concessions, choosing either to maintain the gritty authenticity of a scene or to inject more fun to keep the audience engaged. It’s a delicate dance, but it’s what makes the creative process so exciting!
Bezborodko: Indeed, this has been quite a challenging question during the game’s development and alpha testing phase. In truth, I’ve scaled back on realism significantly after receiving numerous suggestions following our initial playtests in 2021.
At first, I appreciated the raw realism of my design, but feedback from players and testers shaped my approach, leading to some adjustments to enhance enjoyment among a broader group. For instance, I introduced an option for easier gameplay difficulty, added a world map to help navigate, and decreased the material demands for constructing structures to minimize tediousness – changes that hadn’t been part of the original blueprint.
A: Can you tell me what sparked the creative concept behind The Last Plague, which is a survival game centered around Blight, and why you think this theme enhances the overall survival experience?
Bezborodko: The Covid-19 pandemic served as a significant source of inspiration for incorporating a disease within the game. I found it incredibly liberating to introduce an unseen threat that consistently intensifies the player’s experience, similar to radiation in games like Fallout or sanity in Don’t Starve. This ever-growing menace makes gathering clean food more challenging and battling enemies increasingly difficult as they become progressively aggressive from infection. I appreciate the organic difficulty curve this creates. Additionally, it offers a defined objective for the game, enabling players to discover strategies to overcome the Blight and rebuild society, thereby giving the game purpose beyond mere “survive until you die” gameplay.
A: Why did you choose the distinctive bird’s-eye view? Can you explain the benefits you see it offering compared to the conventional player-perspective in a survival game?
Bezborodko: In the past, playing games such as Project Zomboid and Don’t Starve greatly inspired me to create a game with a similar perspective. What captivates me is the top-down view of an environment filled with houses, rooms, and villages. I believed this perspective would make my game more distinctive within the survival genre since there are already numerous first- and third-person games available.
Looking down from above offers an incredibly distinctive vantage point, allowing you to swiftly assess your environment, identify the strong and weak points of your base or camp layout, and more efficiently prioritize potential threats and targets nearby.
Q: Are there any games that have inspired you with The Last Plague’s development?
Bezborodko: I previously mentioned that games like Project Zomboid, Don’t Starve, and The Long Dark are particularly noteworthy. The former two create a sense of constant danger, while the latter employs a more authentic survival setting, with cold serving as its silent antagonist. I aimed to merge the relentless tension and encroaching threats characteristic of Don’t Starve with the lifelike survival mechanics found in both Project Zomboid and The Long Dark.
The Last Plague Crafting is Based On Real World Techniques
A: In simple terms, how do you approach creating crafting items, recipes, or cooking times in The Last Plague? Does your method involve extensive research?
Bezborodko: Absolutely, there’s a lot of research involved. When developing, the key question that constantly crosses my mind is “How would this function or process operate in practical, everyday situations?
To create an authentic and fitting addition to the game set in the medieval era, I’ve delved into numerous Wikipedia articles and YouTube videos about various subjects such as metalworking, tanning leather, herbalism, horticulture, agriculture, pottery, geology, and more. The goal is to understand these historical processes, considering their compatibility with the game’s setting and character abilities.
A: Could you share with me the key principles guiding the design of The Last Plague, and what aspects are essential for getting them just right?
Bezborodko: My primary design principles revolve around creating a realistic, engaging, and deeply immersive game experience. I aim to delve into every detail of the game, ensuring a constant sense of impending peril is maintained. I’m committed to preserving my original concept for the game, which is to develop a lifelike, breathing world that feels so authentic you might mistake it for being the character carrying out these tasks.
Q: What has been the most challenging part of developing The Last Plague so far?
Bezborodko: The most difficult aspect of creating my first game has been making it user-friendly for new players. However, observing others play the game through videos or live streams has taught me a valuable lesson – what I think is intuitive or obvious often isn’t at all!
Initially, the game presented numerous obstacles simultaneously, making it excessively difficult for players right off the bat. To smooth out the learning curve, I had to make numerous adjustments, such as simplifying the difficulty, enhancing initial tutorial tasks, and improving the overall user interface for better clarity. Although it remains somewhat cumbersome today, it has undeniably evolved significantly during development. Learning to step back from my personal attachment to the game and view it through the eyes of a new player has been a challenging skill to master.
How would an experienced player of survival games find enjoyment in “The Last Plague”? What aspects of the game could potentially captivate a seasoned survival gamer?
Bezborodko: I believe this game will resonate strongly with players who prefer complex mechanics over the more straightforward options found in most other games. Unlike many survival games that start off tough but ease up as you gather more resources and items, I want the difficulty to stay engaging even as your camp expands and weapons improve. This way, you’re always forced to plan ahead a few steps, which I think a particular group of survival game enthusiasts truly enjoys.
A: Given the abundance of games designed to be user-friendly, is it still important to have titles that are undeniably difficult? Is The Last Plague one of those games that might require a simpler setting or “easier mode”?
As a gamer, I’m all about striking that perfect balance between fun and challenge. It’s a fine line, indeed! A game can quickly become aggravating if it’s too tough from the get-go, especially when it relies heavily on trial and error at the start. I aim to steer clear of creating a game that’s unnecessarily difficult just for the sake of it. The challenge should be meaningful, fair, and not drive players up the wall. Each setback or death in the game should serve as a teachable moment, rather than being down to bad luck or factors beyond the player’s control. It’s been quite a challenge to get this right, and it’s an ongoing process that I’m constantly working on.
The game offers a difficulty adjustment featuring two choices: “Standard” and “Less Challenging.” After receiving feedback from numerous players who desired a slightly easier playthrough, we implemented the “Less Challenging” option. This setting alters hunger, thirst levels and enemy encounters, but leaves the rest of the game untouched – a balance I consider reasonable. Moving forward, I aim to introduce tougher difficulty modes such as “Hardcore,” which would limit saving/loading among other adjustments.
Question: With The Last Plague approaching Early Access, could you share some key objectives you have during this phase?
Bezborodko: The initial Early Access version of the game will be quite significant, but what’s even more exciting is the additional features and content I plan to incorporate into the game before its final 1.0 release and beyond. I adore this genre because it allows for such a flexible development process, with endless possibilities for what the game could include in the future. If the game gains enough success to allow me to hire more team members, then I can expedite some of the work towards the 1.0 release.
In the game, the central narrative won’t be fully concluded when Electronic Arts (EA) launches on October 3. Instead, it will expand in multiple stages or updates throughout the EA period. By the time of the 1.0 release, though, you can expect an additional phase where you can interact with other survivors, trading and rebuilding together.
[END]
The Last Plague: Blight enters Steam Early Access on October 3.
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2024-09-26 13:24