Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
other visual artifacts on the screen. Besides the satellites, there are also vari-
ous electronic traps left bythe pirates. The HUD can notice them. It highlights
them as zones with unknown fields. Some traps simply disorient the Unit just
as satellites do, while others take away some portion of the protagonist's en-
ergy and freeze him for a period of time. There are also artificial anomalies
that absorb energy beams so that the laser gun cannot punch through them.
They work like a protective shield.
The anomalies work fine in synergy with the physical obstacles, thus helping each
other. For instance, a gravity anomaly may attract the protagonist into a territory with
a lot of dangerous metallic trusses. A combination of obstacles and anomalies also
may lead to the creation of a space quagmire (a group of medium rocks, crates, and
other junk, plus several gravity anomalies). For a period of time, the player will be
stuck in this mess of objects. The pirates, on their turns, use their traps for a reason.
They try to immobilize or take off all the resources of the player before combat.
