Matt interviewed Slava, the designer of Encased, a sci-fi post-apocalyptic RPG:

Matt Chat 492: Interview with Encased Developer Slava

Matt checked out the sci-fi RPG Encased:

Matt Chat 489: Encased

This episode features an in-depth look at Encased, a fun science-fiction game by Dark Crystal Games. It also features some new musical bites by our own Steam Machine Dalton!

The Scarlet Seeker checked out Encased:

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG Gameplay Overview | 2022 Revisit

Kordanor reviewed the sci-fi post-apocalyptic RPG Encased:

Encased - Review / Fazit [EN] by Kordanor

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Conclusion:

Encased is promising much more than it can keep over the duration of the game, which in my case, with reading out all the texts was more than 120 hours. After 10 to 20 hours you can already see a clear drop in how thoroughly things have been designed, which is especially true for some zones and game balance.

The game is still fun, which is partly thanks to the great events and partly because of the zones and quests which are actually designed thoroughly. But you have to accept that every now and then you will be disappointed, which of course wouldn't have happened if it was really the "Fallout of our Dreams".

My personal rating of the game for that reason is a thumb barely reaching the three-quarter line. If you really like the setting and you want to sink yourself into the world, then you can definitely give it a try. But if you are rather skeptical or put a lot of emphasis on combat mechanics, then you should keep your distance. At least until new patches are being published which hopefully fix the problems and fill the game with additional content. 

Many A True Nerd checked out the post-apocalypse RPG Encased:

Encased - The Great Post-Apocalypse Car Heist

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Encased is a classic-format post-apocalypse RPG, but with an especially strong focus on roleplaying, and thus begins my plan to conduct the world's most vaguely-defined vehicular heist...

Henriquejr spotted a hotfix for Encased:

ENCASED - PATCH 3, HOTFIX 1: Gamepad tweaks, critical bug fixes and cosmetics

Game version: 1.3.1414.1540

The last patch was a real test for the team – we’ve added gamepad support, new content, expanded on car mechanics, and added a Linux version. And, of course, bug fixes.

In today's hotfix, we've addressed a few bugs that have been discovered, and also made some cosmetic changes to the game regarding sound and level design. The list of fixes and improvements is provided below.

Critical errors
Fixed infinite start of the battle on the Desert Road location
Fixed inability to initiate dialogue with the air duct on the -1 floor of the C12-Nashville facility
Fixed non-working scissor lift at Magellan Station - Residential Level

Gamepads
Fixed an issue related to interacting with items on the belt when near interactive location objects
The character that was controlled by the player earlier stops running in the indicated direction when choosing another character
Fixed problems with selecting the girder using analog stick at the Camp of the First Settlers location

Locations
Fixed incorrect lighting at the Stone Forest location
Fixed incorrect lighting at the Magellan Station - Warehouse and Parking Lot location
Fixed patency at the Destroyed Concord Station location

Sound
Fixed incorrect sound effects in the dialogues at the Kaleidoscope Bunker location
Vignettes with cars now have sound
Vignettes with Ursula now have sound
Vignettes with additional automotive content now have sound

Miscellaneous
Fixed absence of damage for squad members that are outside the scope of the Church implant in the Camp of the First Settlers location
Fixed a situation where each tick of damage caused the companion to say an “injured” line

Changed how companions auto-resurrect after battles in Story difficulty mode
Fixed incorrect display of brass knuckles in a character's hand when switching weapons

Dark Crystal Games have released the content Patch #3 for Encased. It's a 8-GB download (on GOG at least).

ENCASED - PATCH 3: CARS, A PLANE IN DESERT AND GAMEPAD SUPPORT

Game version: 1.3.1329.1111

The full version of Encased was released in September and we’ve since introduced several hotfixes - and a couple of major patches - where we thoroughly worked on the UI, optimisation, level design and other aspects of the game. But all of this (with the exception of the special Halloween patch) was related to the content that was already in the game. That's great, but how about something new? Such as what we promised during our kickstarter campaign.

With this in mind, we started developing Patch 3. Today we are happy to present it to you and let you know what awaits you in the first (but not last!) large-scale Encased update.

A new adventure and cars

Before the Spire Station was built, cargo was delivered under the Dome by aircraft. One such aircraft - a decommissioned military transport callsigned Eldorado - made a hard landing in a mountainous area and was abandoned. A few years later, the plane which was devoid of life, began to broadcast strange signals... You’ll need to find out what is happening at the crash site and what fate befell the scientific group that went to investigate the plane shortly after it crashed. Oh and, by the way, on board the plane you can find a unique piece of clothing for your character as well as tons of loot.

We have redesigned the game's transport system; players can now steal almost any car (except those that will never run again). Having a car brings on many changes: not only can you navigate the map faster, but you also unlock new encounters, many of which can lead to highly unpredictable outcomes.

And conversely, we’ve added a little more predictability to random events in which you can encounter travelers named after kickstarter backers; as of now, if you convince someone to join one of the factions, upon arriving at the settlement, you will most certainly meet them, and some of such characters will become merchants.

Bug fixes, gamepad and Linux version

[...]

Dark Crystal tweeted that the much expected "content patch" was postponed to next month. They also released a new dev update video.

Employees, the release of the new patch is postponed to mid-January for technical reasons.

However, we still have a little surprise for you this year. The new development update is live! Find out how the world of Encased will change.

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In case some of you are playing with a gamepad controller, you'll be happy to hear about today's development update.

Upcoming update and gamepad support

Dear subscribers! The latest issue of the post-apocalyptic CRONUS Weekly is, once more, on your screen. Can anyone hear us?

Today we’ll talk about the near-future of Encased.

December Update

Employees, winter has arrived. It won't be long before we start preparing for the holidays and most people go on a well-deserved vacation. And to make sure you don't get bored during the break,we'll be releasing another Encased update this year!

We'll tell you more later, but you can expect new locations, enemies, battles, gear and more. We really hope you enjoy it :)

Gamepad Support

We've been actively working on full PC gamepad support for the past few months and we're happy to announce that your wait will be over in December.

We have adapted the interface and hotkeys for each panel and will also try to add a special mode with larger font and text contrast.

By the way, if you played on a gamepad in the early access, you should like the fact that now the character will independently bypass minor obstacles. No longer will you cling to small objects in your path.

Steam Awards

Employees, the annual Steam Awards is underway and players have begun to vote for the best games in ten categories. If you had fun under the Dome — please vote for Encased in any of the categories. We'll really appreciate it.

Redglyph played Encased and had enough fun with it to write this review.

Encased is set in an alternate retro-futuristic '70s era. The game takes place inside a giant Dome that has been built by a mysterious, more advanced civilization called the Forefathers, and which has been recently discovered in a remote desert. CRONUS, a company founded by governments for that purpose, has sent people inside the Dome to explore and assess the situation. There, they found new technologies and strange artefacts left by the Forefather. More people were sent, they built facilities and brought more equipment inside the Dome to recover these artefacts and try to understand their technology. The player is one of the new arrivals.

The Dome is also the host to the Maelstrom, which has a life of its own and reacts to the human presence by spawning anomalies, and triggering other events that will quickly escalate to a potential disaster. As a little caveat in the contract, the journey to the Dome is a one-way trip for living creatures! Since the explorers cannot come back, they can only face those events in order to preserve the settlements and survive.

The story is sound and relatively simple; you will not find overly convoluted plots and extensive lore in Encased. Yet it is original and doesn't follow the usual post-apocalyptic nuclear scenario of many other games. The difference can be felt when the player explores the areas too: it is not a desolated environment but a mix of modern facilities, countryside settlements and a few areas that have been devastated by a cataclysm.

Encased has been patched to remove the Halloween event and fix a few issues.

ENCASED - Hotfix 4: End of the Halloween event, minor fixes. What's next?

Game version 1.2.1029.1355

It's been two months since Encased was released. During this time, we have significantly improved stability, added more reputation events, fixed many bugs and typos. We have also published a roadmap for the game’s further development. By New Year, another patch will be released containing special events for vehicles (including Ursula), balance tweaks and a number of "quality of life" changes.

As for today's hotfix, we’ve added a small number of fixes and disabled the Halloween event. Keep in mind that the merchant named Sylvia Halen will be staying in the City and will continue to give rewards in exchange for Cursed Seeds, but the pumpkin-headed skeletons will disappear from the game until next year.

As for the edits made to the game, here is the list:

• Fixed necroids generating a stupefying ‘field of death’
• Fixed Church reputation decrease after the death of Victoria Legrand
• Fixed infinite gain experience with a fusebox in Magellan reactor section
• Fixed button for creating ability shortcuts on the quick access panel
• Fixed freezing in the dialogue with bandits at the Roadside Picnic Staging Post during prologue
• Expanded ability to use the Stealth Generator on robots and allies
• Now you can talk to Lenny after defeating the Afflicted
• Fixed navigation routes for new characters in the Desert near Concord location
• Localization has been significantly improved
• Fixed typos

Ye Old Entertainment helps us decide whether Encased is the game for us. Heads up, there are some spoilers, this is actually more an early retrospective than a review.

Encased a sci-fi post-apocalyptic rpg a la Fallout review. Scratching your Fallout New Vegas itch?

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Encased is a sci-fi post-apocalyptic rpg that tries too hard to be little bit of Fallout and a little bit of Xcom, but the thing it tries the hardest is not to displease anyone at all. Does it succeed in any of these things?

Perhaps you can't pit Encased against Fallout New Vegas and Wasteland 3, but you can fairly compare it Underrail and Atom RPG, and although this title makes an early very impressive statement... it falls apart after eight hours or so, check the video to know all about it.

Dark Crystal Games posted a dev update, mostly related to the voice acting posted previously and the Halloween event. The stream of the event is on Youtube now.

A new development update and the beginning of Halloween under the Dome!

[...]

Development update #15: Voices under the Dome

The first post-release development update is dedicated to voice acting. How the inhabitants of the world under the Dome got their own voices and how it affected the atmosphere and immersion into the game's story.

What other details about the game's development would you like to hear? Suggest your video ideas in the comments!

Halloween event and discounts

The Encased Halloween event began on October 28. It will last until November 8.

Battle the cursed skeletons right now! They were once employees of the CRONUS Corporation, but now they are servants of evil, hungry for only one thing — the death of all living things.

Sylvia Halen, an up-and-coming scientist from the mysterious White Swan Station, hunts for the Cursed Seeds, little-explored relics that can be extracted from the bodies of dead employees. Sylvia is not stingy on rewards: in addition to various chemicals, she is ready to offer the player a unique artifact. [...]

And here is the Steam Halloween Event stream which presents the event, and gameplay / Q&A with Creative Director Viacheslav Kozikhin:

WolfheartFPS checked out the tactical RPG Encased:

Encased - You Should Really Check Out This RPG

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In this video I will show you guys a new CRPG by the name of Encased. This one is a sci fi turn based rpg based on the 1970s cold war era.

Dark Crystal Games have uploaded the expected update, but it does not only contain the event, there are fixes and improvements as well.

Patch 2: a number of bugfixes and the Horrors of the Dome

This October turned out very stressful – as we finished work on the latest patch and sat back to relax, a new one was on its way. This time we fixed many bugs and added a special event in honor of All Saints’ Day: the Barrens are now overrun with pumpkin-headed skeletons, and a special merchant was sighted in the City. But, first things first.

Special Event

Sylvia Halen, a promising scientist from the mysterious White Swan station, is on the hunt for the Cursed Seeds – the little-studied relics that can be obtained from the bodies of dead employees. Sylvia does not skimp on rewards: in addition to various chemicals, she will offer the player a unique artifact. The following awaits you in the Halloween event:

• Temporary redesign of old enemies (Skeletons),
• A new relic,
• Festive decor at various locations,
• A new piece of equipment – Pumpkin Helmet, which can be upgraded.

[...]

Dark Crystal Games uploaded a little post-release update about voice acting in Encased. The video gives a few glimpses of some famous locations in early builds.

Development update #15: Voices under the Dome

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As promised, Encased has something coming for this period of Halloween!

Halloween under the Dome!

Employees: the Dome is once again in danger and it is far more terrifying than any anomaly. On 28 October, the dead will rise from their graves and hunt the living.

Fight the undead and gain cursed seeds for your victories. You can exchange these for a valuable artifact or useful equipment from a new merchant.

Survivors will receive a unique pumpkin helmet; it can be upgraded up to three levels, using the seeds of the dead and other resources.

To get some of the valuable prizes, you will have to meet the Halloween Merchant who is waiting for you in the heart of New Committee City. She sells not only the usual first aid kits and anti-radiation drugs, but also a new valuable artifact available for purchase only in exchange for cursed seeds.

By the way, the merchant will remain in the world under the Dome even after the Halloween event ends, so if you forget to sell the seeds before the end of the event, fear not. However, the skeletons WILL disappear from the game and you so will not be able to get new seeds once the event ends.

Also, to celebrate Halloween, we'll stream via Steam, showing off new content and trying to answer the most interesting questions. Stream will be held at 19:00 CEST on 28 October. See you there!

Dark Crystal Games share their plans for the future months.

Encased roadmap!

Dear subscribers! The latest issue of the post-apocalyptic CRONUS Weekly is once again on your screens. Can anyone hear us?

This week, we’ll be telling players what they can expect in the coming months. Short for time? In that case, here's a little road map of the Encased train.

Halloween

Employees: the scariest day of the year, Halloween, is coming. The world of Encased won’t be spared either. Employees will soon have to fight - to the death - with horrible creatures straight from your nightmares.

Defeat new enemies and receive a unique currency, which can be exchanged for new equipment and artifacts from a special merchant. We'll tell and show you more next week.

New Year Update

New Year's Eve is the time for gifts and holiday festivities. Our team is also preparing a present for you. In December you can expect new random encounters on Ursula, as well as new content that’ll bring even more life under the Dome.

We're also always listening to what players want. Tell us what you'd like to see in the upcoming updates! We'll choose the most popular wishes and try to add them.

Patch 2

Much of the second patch is still under the veil of secrecy, but we can tell you about some things now. In the second patch there will be a new game mode: Arena. There you will be able to hone your combat skills, try new weapons, team combinations and different builds.

More information will be revealed closer to the patch release. We hope you’ll enjoy it :)

As promised, Dark Crystal Games have uploaded their first regular patch for Encased. This update to version 1.1.1013.1238 weighs 9.3 GB (on GOG anyway).

ENCASED — PATCH 1

As you probably already noticed, the work on Patch 1 took a little delay, but there are objective reasons for this – there really are a lot of changes and improvements. In addition to fixing the voiceover, incorrect descriptions, bugs and typos, we focused on improving the user experience: a lot of changes were made to the game interface, balance, mechanics and, of course, optimizations – now the game runs faster and a little more stable. This is partly attributable to you, Dear Players, as many errors in the game have been fixed thanks to your bug reports.

We also listen closely to the suggestions you offer across our social networks. Thank you for your words of support and well-reasoned criticism. And above all, thank you for staying with us – it matters a lot to us.

[...]

Dark Crystal Games posted a small update to announce the first patch for Encased, with bug fixes but also improvements from the feedback they have received. They added a few tips as well.

New, upcoming and well forgotten!

Dear subscribers! Once again, the latest post-apocalyptic CRONUS weekly is on your screens. Can anyone hear us?

This week you’ll learn when you can expect the first post-release patch, as well as a couple of mechanics that new players might not have noticed.

First patch

Employees, our team is working tirelessly on the technical state of the game.

Next week, on 14 October, you can expect the first post-release patch: it will fix the difficult bugs that required a lot of time to work on, as well as fix the texture quality degradation, improve the interface and add some other nice changes.

We have also been reading the feedback carefully and some of the changes were made thanks to you and your support.

By the way, did you know that in Encased you can hide dynamite in your enemy's pockets?

[...]

The latest hotfix for Encased includes many fixes and adds the ability to add custom portraits.

More than two weeks have passed since Encased came out. We are continuing to actively work on the game and develop additional content (which we will announce separately), finalize controversial issues and, of course, read your reports and fix bugs.

However, today's hotfix is ​​special: not only have we eliminated a number of problems, but we’ve also added the function that you have been asking for - the ability to select a custom portrait for the protagonist. The game supports * .jpg and * .png formats, however, we recommend using * .png with transparency so that the background of the location is displayed behind your character's back.

Warning: fix descriptions may contain plot spoilers!

[...]

Mortismal Gaming reviews Encased after completing all its achievements.

Encased - Review After 100%

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Games and patches are on a release spree, as Encased receives its second hotfix!

ENCASED - Hotfix 2

Game version 1.0.916.1145

The recent Encased hotfix released a week ago fixed the most annoying and noticeable bugs that interfered with the comfortable playthrough, and also introduced a number of cosmetic fixes, mostly voice acting and localization. Nevertheless, we received a fairly large number of reports from our players regarding not bugs but the interface, game mechanics and unexpected game behavior. Many of these bugs took a long time to fix, so we included fixes for them in Hotfix 2.

Overall, the latest update turned out to be much more voluminous than the previous one, and we hope that traveling around the world of the Dome will become even more convenient.

[...]

Wccftech has reviewed Encased and given a 7.7 score, details in the article.

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG Review – The Post-Dome Dream

The first two entries in the Fallout series still hold a dear place in the hearts of many RPG fans, thanks to their post-apocalyptic setting and classic RPG gameplay mechanics. Developers know this all too well, and the fact that the series has changed so much since the second game allowed many studios to attempt to fill the void with their own take on the post-apocalyptic setting made popular by Fallout. The Wasteland series successfully managed to do so, especially with the third entry in the series released last year, but now a new contender has risen. It's Encased: A Sci-Fi Post- Apocalyptic, a game that can definitely rival Fallout in terms of setting and worldbuilding, although some issues prevent it from achieving the must-have status for all sorts of players.

[...]

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG is a worthy purchase for all fans of classic Fallout games, thanks to a well-crafted post-apocalyptic setting, great worldbuilding, reactive world, and solid overall gameplay. The clunky interface, basic combat, verbose writing, and overwhelming amount of status conditions to keep track of damage the experience a bit, however, making Encased a game that only the most die-hard RPG fans will enjoy right from the start.

Pros

• Engaging setting
• Great atmosphere
• Highly reactive world
• Solid exploration mechanics
• Competent turn-based combat...

Cons

• ... that feels a little too basic
• Writing could have used a little trimming
• Clunky interface
• Underwhelming visuals

Henriquejr spotted the first hotfix for Encased:

ENCASED - Hotfix 1

20% discount, new trailer and first post-release hotfix

Since the release of Encased, we have been actively collecting your feedback and working on fixing bugs - both critical and minor - which are impacting the game experience. An updated version is already available for download. If you’ve not got the game yet, we have a release discount of 20%. You can find out more about the final version in our newest trailer.

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Below is the list of fixes. Some notes may contain small spoilers.

Gameplay

• Fatigue recovery increased threefold with all bed types
• The frequency of attacks on settlements has been significantly reduced
• Corrected the description of the "Dawn" relic
• Description of the Atox stimulator has been changed
• Added progression for buttstrokes
• Fixed being able to equip the Servoshell while in a Servoshell

Quests and Events

• Fixed the position of the Maelstrom beacon in the First Settlers Camp
• Fixed Influence check in dialogue with Pepper
• Fixed completing the "Against All Protocols" quest in case of Monty James’ death
• Fixed some checks in the "Help me" quest
• Fixed some endings

Transport

• Reworked mechanics of "The Return of Ursula" quest
• Using the car in the prologue now does not add Fatigue to the character and cannot cause death from it
• The interaction with the Hog loaders has been temporarily changed

UI/UX

• Clicking the "Store All" button now does not close the container window
• Clicking the "Store All" button is accompanied by a sound event
• Esc button correctly closes game windows
• Improved the responsiveness of clicking on buttons in the quick access panel on the right side of the screen
• Changed time preview in the time skip window

Translation and Voiceover

• Added many missing translations Note: already improved but still being worked on is the version for Chinese (Simplified)
• Added Fox voiceover in the Russian version of the game
• Voiceover bugs fixed; narrator lines added in the English version of the game
• Fixed subtitles in the intro cutscene
• Fixed greetings and goodbyes for some characters

Status effects

• Changed the "Restless" status effect

Enemies

• Fixed burning skeleton (added name and description - Pyro-Skeleton)
• Fixed incorrect behavior of necroids in combat

Bugs and Errors

• Fixed infinite loading when exiting to main menu in the Nashville cave
• Fixed several types of freezes
• Fixed access to shelves in Magellan's library
• Fixed access to some objects on the Abandoned Film Set
• Fixed the ladder leading from the sewers to the destroyed parking lot in Nashville
• Fixed freezing when pickpocketing from a character at Concord station
• Fixed problems with game launching on systems with some types of oriental calendars

Miscellaneous

• Changed the appearance of Clara Morgan in the Unknown Place event
• Fixed portraits and appearance of some characters
• Added story illustrations

Mortismal Gaming takes a look at the companions in Encased.

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Dark Crystal Games tweeted that it was possible to run the current version of Encased on Linux via Proton, but that they sent a native Linux version to Steam and GOG for approval. The macOS port will follow.

For our beloved #Linux players! Native ports for Encased are uploaded both on Steam and GOG and being verified and approved. Should be available in near time!

It's possible to run the game with proton for now.

Mac build is in works, should be available in a week or two.

Dark Crystal Games posted an update about the game features and what to expect next. Encased is now on sales (-20%) until September 14th on Steam and GOG.

Encased is out

We are beyond thrilled to make this announcement: Today Encased - the game to which we have dedicated more than three years of our lives - will be released out of early access. It's hard for us to contain our excitement and describe how important this moment is.

We’ve been through the Kickstarter campaign, two years of early access, five content patches, millions of hours of early access playtime, hundreds of characters, quests, abilities, and items.

Ahead of us is a leap of faith into the final stage of the most desperate adventure of our lives!

Do you remember how it all started?

In 2017 a very small team of developers decided to create their own game. An RPG with enormous freedom of choice, nearly infinite variability, hundreds of characters and a real influence of player’s choices on the world and story. We knew from the start that we had a long, challenging, but incredibly exciting road ahead of us. And as we developed, it only became more and more difficult.

[...]

As soon as the game is released, we'll start creating previously unannounced content that will keep you coming back to the world under the Dome!

Dark Crystal Games is releasing Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG later today, and announced a Twitch stream with Prime Matter starting shortly after the release.

On Steam, the release is planned for 10:00 PST / 19:00 CEST / 20:00 MSK; no time has been given for the GOG platform but the timing is usually similar.

Release Day Stream with PRIME MATTER

Fellow C.R.O.N.U.S. Employees, supporters and viewers from outside the Dome,

It has been a long journey - from Kickstarter campaign to full release - but the all-important day is almost here! Tomorrow, Encased will leave early access and we will finally be able to welcome you to our complete vision of the Dome. Happy jitters are starting to set in!

But we aren’t the only ones excited: In celebration, Prime Matter’s very own Luci Verdalla will be streaming Encased tomorrow - here on Steam - and on Prime Matter Twitch channel.

Join us for an exciting few hours as Luci explores the Dome and tries her hand at a few of the unconventional ways to play the game.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Encased will release tomorrow at 10:00 PST / 19:00 CEST / 20:00 MSK
Stream Start: 10:30 PST / 19:30 CEST / 20:30 MSK

Mortismal Gaming is taking a quick look at Encased, two days before the game's release.

Check Out: Encased - Fallout-Inspired CRPG

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Dark Crystal Games reveal some of the new mechanics that will be put in place in the full release version of Encased.

Encased Full Release

Dear subscribers! Once again, the latest post-apocalyptic CRONUS Weekly is on your screens. Can anyone hear us?

Over three years in development, two years in Early Access. Encased has changed a lot since the first alpha, and every step of the way your support, criticism, and social media activity kept us going.

In just a couple of days, on September 7, Encased will finally leave Early Access and fully open the Dome to anyone who wants to play the game from start to finish.

Today we're going to tell you about some new Encased mechanics, which we've saved for dessert.

Servoshell Paint

The servoshell armor can be upgraded to four levels and each of them will change the appearance of this death machine. But even this is not the limit of customization. By upgrading the servoshell armor to level four, the player will be able to paint it in the colors of national flags. And it's easy to do, just loot the dead engineers who worked on the paint job.

How will you paint your armor? All options are shown on the gif above.

By the way, servoshell armor painting was one of the social goals on Kickstarter, and without the help of our friendly community would never have made it into the game.

Ursula

Tired of wandering the endless wasteland on your own two feet? Hurry up to get your hands on the real armored train “Ursula”! It will become your mobile base in the Encased world!

Covered in sand somewhere in the vast wastelands of the Dome, it's waiting to take you to any destination at the speed of light.

Camps

The journey from one settlement to another can take several days of playing time. That's why the full version of Encased on September 7 not only offers players an updated world map, but also the ability to camp anywhere under the Dome.

There you'll be able to grab a bite, have a heart-to-heart talk with your companions, cook food, and heal your wounds.

Dark Crystal Games posted an update on the events of the next few weeks.

News from the other side of the Dome

Dear subscribers! Here’s the latest issue of the post-apocalyptic CRONUS Weekly on your screens. Can anyone hear us?

Today we want to talk about the news on the other side of the Dome and what awaits the Encased world in the coming weeks.

Gamescom 2021

All week our attention was concentrated on one of the main gaming shows, Gamescom 2021. And we were happy to be directly involved!

Even if the award for the best RPG this year escaped us, we are still grateful that we were placed together with such titans of the genre as Tales of Arise and Elden Ring.

By the way, let us remind you that we released a video about Encased's possible playthrough styles for gamescom. We recommend you watch it!

Upcoming release

Employees: Encased is less than two weeks away from the full release and our team is working hard to make your first visit to the full version of Encased as enjoyable as possible.

The game has been translated into Russian, English, German, French, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Japanese. It was also dubbed in English and Russian. Undoubtedly, such an abundance of languages will allow many players to better immerse themselves into the atmosphere of post-apocalyptic Dome.

On 7 September you will be able to wipe out entire settlements, explore all the secrets of the Dome, learn psionics, meet the most unusual inhabitants of the wastelands and, of course, influence the lives of all the CRONUS employees.

Updated servoshell armor

In anticipation of the release, our artists have updated all servoshell armor models!

In the days of CRONUS, only the best members of the Black Wing could get their hands on it, but the Incident changed everything. Now anyone can get their hands on this technology.

Find your own servoshell armor in the vast wasteland, and improve it over time. That, together with mastering the piloting skills, will make your hero a death machine.

Learn more about the factions of Encased:

Factions under the Dome

CRONUS Weekly

Dear subscribers! Once again, the latest issue of the post-apocalyptic CRONUS Weekly is on your screens. Can anyone hear us?

Today we want to talk about factions, how they came to be, who they consist of, and how friendly they are.

Before the Incident

CRONUS is an international organization created specifically for the study of the anomalous Dome. It consists of leading scientists from all over the world, as well as experienced soldiers, engineers, doctors, managers and handymen. The organization is divided into five wings, each specializing in their own field:

Black Wing - military
White Wing - scientists and medics
Blue Wing - engineers
Silver Wing - managers
Orange Wing - handymen

Access under the Dome for non-employees is strictly forbidden.

During the Incident

The incident, the details of which are still shrouded in mystery, nearly destroyed CRONUS, splitting it into dozens of groups, each of which simply wanted to survive. Employees caught in the middle of the Maelstrom turned into ruthless Fops, madmen killing everyone in their path.

Those more fortunate began to seek salvation by uniting into the most powerful factions of the post-apocalyptic Dome.

After the Incident

Carmine Heights, the Whirlwind Church, the New Committee, the Fops, the autonomous “Roadside Picnic”, and the Phalanx are the main political and military forces in the post-apocalyptic Dome.

Only the New Committee and the autonomous zone "Roadside Picnic" have been able to maintain the former structure of CRONUS. However, their views on life under the Dome are exactly the opposite. The Committee fights for absolute control, while Picnic is free-spirited and wants to obey no one.

The Fops are mad raiders. They enjoy chaos and destruction, and are mentally stuck somewhere at the level of children. They have no constructive long-term goals and live here and now.

Phalanx are no longer raiders, but not yet PMC. With all their might, they try to strengthen their position in the world under the Dome. Building firepower, reputation, and looking for a way to enter the big politics of the Dome.

Carmine Heights is a society of engineers built on the principles of rationalism and asceticism, which seeks to squeeze the most out of scarce resources. There are many rules: water and electricity consumption standards, a mandatory four-hour workday, a system of rewards and fines for misbehavior. It is an almost completely autonomous state.

Maelstrom Church was originally developed as a way to control the lower, superstitious part of the Dome's population, but after the Incident that severed communication with the outside world, the organization asserted itself in a new way. It's now a real church of the Maelstrom, with its own pastors and parishioners. And in its ranks are some of the strongest psionics and technological fanatics, which, together with the support of the general population, makes the church one of the strongest factions under the Dome.

Thanks Henriquejr!

Henriquejr spotted an article how the community influenced the development of Encased:

How the community influenced the development of Encased

Dear subscribers! Once again, the latest issue of the post-apocalyptic CRONUS Weekly is on your screens. Can anyone hear us?

Today we want to talk about how feedback and creativity from players has changed our game.

Settlers under the Dome
In Encased, players will choose between six unique companions, but did you know that Crump was created by one of the players? Crump is one of the profiles that players sent us through a special site right after the kickstarter campaign. Engineer Yuki Tetsunai was also added to the game this way.

Character creation and leveling up
Balance is a tricky thing, so every content patch we monitored player feedback and made the changes we thought were necessary. There's probably not a single skill left in the game that hasn't been affected in one way or another by player feedback. We hope that our combined efforts will be noticeable at release, and that new players will have a much more balanced game to look forward to.

UI
A user-friendly interface is one of the keys to success of any game. Players should intuitively understand what, where, and how to click for a particular action. Encased is a tribute to Fallout, but the interface doesn't have to stay the same as it was decades ago. Thanks to player feedback and gameplay clips, we've greatly improved the usability. Players no longer have to spend hours looking for the right button.

Encased community is the most important for us - we are going to follow up those closely for your feedback on the game.

Kordanor spotted that Encased will be released on September 7:

Encased will be released on September 7!

In just over a month players from all over the world will go on an adventure to fully explore the Dome. Players can expect dozens of new quests and locations, new story chapters, many endings, weapons, artifacts, a redesigned combat system, updated stealth, and much, much more!

See you under the Dome! 

The latest update for Encased announces a release in September and shows some new trailers.

Hello, Dark Crystal Games is here again! Today we want to share what's been happening with Encased over the past few months and when you can explore the wastelands of the Dome from start to finish.

Summer Game Fest

Prime Matter, a subsidiary of Koch Media, as well as our publisher, presented a new video at Summer Game Fest.

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Do you like it? Can't wait to join one of the Wings and complete the Encased story?

Right now our team is polishing the game, adding new content and fixing bugs to make your playthrough truly exciting.

Preview Trailer

Our team has also released a preview trailer of the game in which you can hear the new voice-over from the game, see new locations and more.

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Please note that Encased will be released this September. 

Your wait is almost over. See you under the Dome, dear employees!

Dark Crystal Games released a new trailer for their upcoming RPG Encased:

Encased Preview Trailer

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Encased is an old-school sci-fi post-apocalyptic RPG that'll release on PC in September. Wishlist now to not miss the release date!

Thanks Redglyph!

Henriquejr spotted an update for Encased:

Small updates under the Dome

CRONUS Weekly

Dear subscribers! Once again, the latest issue of the post-apocalyptic CRONUS Weekly is on your screens. Can anyone hear us?

New week - new development news. Our team polishes the already available locations, as well as new ones and also updates and adds new art to the game. We're doing everything we can to make your adventure under the Dome this fall the most memorable experience :)

There's a funny story behind this location. It was originally planned as a random combat arena, but our level designers ended up doing it so well that we decided to turn it into a normal location. Pretty soon we’ll populate it with unique settlers with their own stories and quests. We really hope you’ll enjoy it!

Random encounters are a pretty big part of Encased and our team goes back to them almost every week. Right now there are already dozens of random story events in the game, and there will be even more in the full version.

By the way, you don't have to travel around the world map to see some of them. Sometimes a simple rest in the fresh air in the middle of the swamp or somewhere else is enough. By the way, who will try to find all the random events?

Do you recognize it? Yes, this is the Emulator Project Lab in Junktown. This art and many others will be added to the game very soon. Our artists put all their souls into the game and hope that you’ll notice it while playing the game :)

Redglyph spotted a new trailer for Encased:

Encased Summer Game Fest 2021 Gameplay Trailer

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Encased is an old-school sci-fi post-apocalyptic RPG in development.

It's a tactical sci-fi RPG set in an alternative 1970's, where an enormous and inexplicable artifact – the Dome – is discovered in a remote desert. Fight enemies, explore the anomalous wasteland, level up your character and join one of the forces in the ruined world.

Dark Crystal Games have just shared news on Encased and announced a new content update (update 5) on May 20th, this will be the last update before the final release.

Encased Development Update. The fifth Content Patch will be released on May 20.

Hello everyone, Dark Crystal Games is here again!

It's time to tell you about the fifth major content update for Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG. You will discover an expanded world after a mysterious Incident destroyed our way of life, and reduced the all-powerful CRONUS Foundation to rubble. Get ready for new adventures, locations, quests and enemies!

For those who pefer watching over reading, you can find a video version of this announcement right here:

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On May 20th Encased will receive the fifth major content update. New locations, quests, random events, enemies, mechanics, weapons, armor, skills, and more await you.

Since the release of patch #4, we've continued to work hard. Encased is now very close to the final 1.0 release. We’ve been closely following your game reports and comments on our forums and social networks. With your help, we’ve compiled a list of everything that needs to be fixed. Thank you for your patience, and the awesome feedback!

We weren't planning on releasing a fifth patch, but we realized we needed this opportunity to sync up with the community, gather feedback, and issue a few last pre-release fixes. This will be the final update, patch #5. Encased is technically complete. Right now, we’re focusing on exhaustive testing and a last polishing pass.

The game can be played as a lone wolf or together with various interesting companions.
You can kill every living thing in every location, or not spill a drop of blood during the whole playthrough. You can not speak a word and skulk in the shadows, or make your way by persuading, intimidating and charming everyone you meet. There’s even a unique and fascinating play branch for an extremely low intelligence character. How your story plays out is 100% up to you!

Now that the picture is finally starting to take shape, we can see the fruits of our labor and are thrilled to be approaching the finish line. It's taken longer than we expected, but it's all about making the best game we possibly can.

We know you’re just as excited as we are to see the final version. Very soon, we’ll be able to reveal everything and announce the release date. For today, we present content patch #5.

[...]

Thanks Redglyph!

Redglyph takes a look at Encased, which is currently in Early Access.

Encased is a post-apocalyptic CRPG set in an alternate 70's era, it takes place inside a giant dome that has been built by a mysterious, more advanced civilization, the Forefathers, and recently discovered in a remote desert. CRONUS, a company founded by governments for that purpose, sent people inside the dome to explore and assess the situation. There, they found new technologies and strange artefacts left by the Forefather. More people were sent, they built facilities and brought more equipment inside the dome to recover these artefacts and try to understand the technology. The player is one of the new arrivals.

The dome has a life of its own and seems to react to the recent presence of humans by spawning anomalies, and triggering other events that will quickly escalate to a potential disaster. The journey to the dome is a one-way trip for living creatures: the explorers cannot come back, so it is up to them to face those events in order to preserve the settlements and survive.

Redglyph spotted Encased RPG Development Update #13:

How to Master Psionics?

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Today we have a new development update, dedicated to psionics. Find out everything about the "mages" of the wastelands and how to become one of them!

The post-apocalytic RPG Encased got some more content:

BIG ENCASED PATCH: NEW ENEMY AI, NEW INTERFACE AND NEW COMPANIONS

We really wanted to release Encased this year, but we postponed it due to the introduction of new content and full voice acting. The game has increased in size, and we need time to tweak and polish it. We're releasing this patch to delight you before the final push, and also because we appreciate your participation, feedback, and help.

The development wasn’t easy. Three years of work, a large project, and a coronavirus pandemic awaited us. We switched to remote work back in the spring, some of our employees got sick, and some of them even ended up in hospital. Still, we made it: most of the work on the main storyline is complete, the game brought together an active and friendly community and the team welcomed new great people. We also signed a contract with Koch Media! They will help us finish Encased and make it a really good game.

This partnership will allow us to remain who we are and do what the studio was created to do — develop exciting games focused on the wishes of players, not on analytics, monetization and PR. All the work related to quality control, publishing and promotion of the game will be done by our new partners from Koch Media, we believe in their experience and professionalism, and we know that they will do a great job.

In the meantime, here's the last pre-release patch. After that, we're coming to the finish line to release the game you've all been waiting for!

List of changes by category

[...]

Thanks Redglyph!

The devs of Encased have announced that they now have a publisher (Koch Media) which means that the game will now be fully voice acted.

Encased is joining Koch Media

From the very first day of development, Encased was a completely independent project, funded by our own money and the incredible support on Kickstarter. After receiving many offers we are fortunate enough to be able to cooperate with Koch Media. This partnership will secure the best possible publishing partner support from the whole Koch Media group while guaranteeing us the complete creative freedom to design the game we want and promised to you. We will put all our combined efforts behind the goal to make Encased a unique and truly amazing gaming experience on PlayStation 4, Xbox One as well as PC.

Koch Media will publish Encased within one of its labels. We will share more news on this subject at a later date. For now, the important information for you, our fans and backers is simply, we Dark Crystal Games will maintain full creative freedom and receive the necessary resources to make Encased even better, more interesting and friendly for players. The Koch Media family will support us not only with the group’s full publishing power but sharing insights on global development and releases.

Thanks to the support of Koch Media each character under the Dome will get its own voice — the game will get a full professional voice over, including the environment, dialogues and story inserts. We will be able to work even more carefully on each and every corner of the world, expand game mechanics and available game content. We will translate Encased into additional languages and the full version of Encased will be released simultaneously on PC and consoles! Unfortunately, we will need extra time to add all this to the game. But we are absolutely sure that the end result will not disappoint you.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us since the very first concept art. See you soon under the Dome!

[...]

Thanks Carnifex!

A lore update for Encased talks about the first mega-anomaly under the Dome.

The first mega-anomaly under the Dome

Good day, dear subscribers and residents of the Dome! In the latest issue of "CRONUS Weekly" we will try to shed light on one of the main mysteries of the Dome, talk about the career consequences of your decisions, and also visit the backstage of one of the main objects under the Dome.

The first mega-anomaly under the Dome

Please welcome the first mega-anomaly found under the Dome. Scientists of the White Wing attributed it to the heat type. The influence of such anomalies extends over a vast territory. When you encounter such an anomaly, do not come into contact with it at any cost, the consequences are extremely unpredictable. The anomaly is still poorly studied and is under 24-hour supervision of CRONUS scientists.

Anomalous protector

Each resident of the Dome at least once was in the anomalous zone. In such places, literally all the equipment goes crazy or breaks. To learn how to deal with the effects of anomalies, our editorial staff went to the heart of one of the anomalous zones — Roadside Picnic.

Aaron Melville, manager of the gas station, said that it is possible to deal with the harmful effects of anomalies with a simple homemade device. You only need improvised resources and a "Brass Apple" relic. The resulting device works thanks to the principles of electromagnetic induction. Melville himself calls it the Anomalous Protector, it creates a special field around itself that removes the harmful effects of anomalies.

С12-Nashville Object

Nashville is the true embodiment of the Dome. Here employees daily encounter the most incredible wonders of the Forefathers.

Everything here is based on the latest science breakthroughs, the elevators never get stuck, the guards are polite and competent and the walls are so thick as if made to withstand an atomic bomb. Is it worth even mentioning the record number of surveillance cameras? Thankfully, they don’t need them that much, because no crimes have been reported in Nashville, ever. If you are looking for a place to go for a quick career ladder, this is where you should go.
[...]

Thanks Farflame!

A new update for Encased talks about the faction divide and the need for central control.

Welcome, dear employees and subscribers! In the latest issue of "CRONUS Weekly" we will tell you about interesting and promising vacant positions, share a new feature film and tell you about other creative feats of talented employees.

Feature film «Factions that divided the Dome»

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The CRONUS management has repeatedly expressed its support for the creative initiatives of its employees. Today we are pleased to present the feature film "Factions that divided the Dome". The plot of the film will tell you about the importance of having one centralized management system. Without strict control, the society would be plunged into chaos and endless war for power.

Before starting your work, CRONUS strongly recommends that you read the list of allowed topics in advance. Otherwise, the Committee may impose a ban on your film production at any time.

*Roadside Picnic is a transshipment point, as well as one of the most popular facilities under the Dome.

Don't worry that you might not have enough qualifications to work at CRONUS. Especially if you have difficulty finding a job in the outside world. Now all this is in the past for you.

Administrator of a transshipment point is one of the most popular positions under the Dome, for which neither experience nor additional education is needed. The northern and eastern parts of the Dome are covered with a developed network of highways with related infrastructure: cafes, motels and, of course, gas stations.

Right now there are more than a dozen and a half gas stations, but the CRONUS management expects to increase their number to 50 within two years. So, if you have been dreaming of your own nice place for a long time, then immediately go under the Dome. You will not find a more promising place in the whole world.

Today we managed to get a picture of one of the paintings, confiscated from employees, called "Maze of Death". We support creative freedom, but we strongly recommend avoiding propaganda of violence. Just look at this "work of art" and imagine what is going on in the author's head. By the way, all his "masterpieces" have already been confiscated and he was taken to the medical center for psychological examination.

The latest update for Encased previews what we can expect from the third content patch. Another recent update showed off Crystal Sands, portable computers, and dart guns.

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The experiment of CRONUS Corporation comes to an end — life under the Dome is suitable for human habitation. Researchers may still encounter very dangerous cockroaches, but in most cases we have fixed the problem.

On August 13 we will release the third and final content patch for the early access of Encased. After that, the next update will be the release version of the game. Big changes are waiting for us, the third patch is the last chance for players to touch the early version of the game, to see how the story begins! Today we will reveal the details of the third content patch. Reworked RPG balance, updated locations, exciting stories and adventures, stealth, non-lethal weapons and new artifacts to study — learn all about this in our new video.

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

A new update for Encased talks about Russian Fallout.

Turn based lovers interviewed the Encased developers.

1^st Turn ) Let’s start talking about the gameplay. How much freedom will have the player in order to complete the quests? For example, at the very beginning of the game, when you are stuck in the lift, I noticed that you can solve the problem in many ways. There will be the same degree of freedom throughout the entire game?

In our opinion, the player’s freedom is the most important aspect of a quality RPG. We strive to provide a real variability, which would be manifested not only in dialogue options but also in multiple ways to complete quests and overall NPC and world interactions. If a player wants to get an item, he can use force or cunning, buy or bargain. We don’t want to limit players even in obviously bad actions. For example, you can break a capsule on which you’re transported under the Dome. That way you’ll kill everyone inside and finish the game in 1 minute.

Each quest in the game can be completed in many ways, which is important for an RPG. It is often very difficult to predict the consequences of such decisions. Most significantly, in Encased, there is no right way to play through the game. Everything depends on the creativity of the player, his perseverance and interests.

[...]

6^th Turn) Ok, now let’s talk about the combat. Even in this alpha state, I liked very much the combat system, but I would like to know if there is the possibility to see in the future features like “taking cover”, “crouching”, “attack of opportunity” and overwatch in the game.

The combat system from the early versions of the game was just a sketch of what will be implemented in the final version. Even now, before the release of the second content patch, you can see how the combat system has evolved. There are skills that not only cause damage to the enemy but also can stun, make him run away in fear or confuse so that he will start shooting at his own comrades-in-arms. Misses in combat, can also end badly, for those who stood next to your target, because the bullets now fly not just in the chosen enemy, they have a certain trajectory.

In the future, we will add covers, as well as skills that can traumatize specific limbs, which will diversify the fight even more. There will also be anomalies in the game that affect the battles. They will bring variety to the combat and will seriously challenge player’s tactical thinking.

This video explores what will be available in Encased for content patch 2.

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In this development update, we'll tell you about the most important changes in the content patch 2.

Encased is an old-school sci-fi post-apocalyptic RPG in development.

Dev Log 6 for Encased asks what lurks beneath the wastelands.

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Today we’re going to talk about a treasured feature of the traditional RPGs: the random encounter! How many of them are there, how do they work, and how can players influence these events? We’ll also talk about Easter eggs and unique rewards! Encased is a turn-based sci-fi RPG. A game for those who love Fallout, Divinity: Original Sin, Wasteland and Shadowrun.

Buy on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/921800/Encased_A_SciFi_PostApocalyptic_RPG/
Buy on GOG: https://www.gog.com/game/encased_a_scifi_postapocalyptic_rpg

SaintMattyGruden checked out the Sci-Fi RPG Encased:

ENCASED: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG REVIEW (Early Access Review)

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The first content expansion for Encased is set for December 14th. Encased is currently in Steam Early Access.

Save or Quit checked out Encased:

REVIEW: Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG

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LMG checked out Encased:

Encased Sci-Fi Post Apocalyptic RPG Early Access Review

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Encased Sci-Fi Post Apocalyptic RPG Gameplay.

Jay Krishnan has checked out the Early Access version of Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG:

Encased Preview- Making the Apocalypse Fresh Again

I’ve been saying this again and again. It’s a great time to be a Fallout fan. While a true Fallout 3 still remains a pipe dream, there has been no shortage of good post-apocalyptic RPGs taking inspiration from the original Fallout in the last five years. Wasteland 2, Age of Decadence, Underrail and ATOM RPG has proven that there is still a sizeable audience for the ol’ post-apocalyptic RPG formula pioneered by Wasteland and perfected by Fallout. Dark Crystal Games’ Encased, is the latest game to join the list.

After a moderate Kickstarter success, Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG has finally launched on Steam Early Access last month. I know what you’re thinking. Early Acess, ambitious RPG, yada yada. Not every Early Access RPG is going to be an After Reset, right?

[...]

While the 10 hours of content is not enough to form a full impression, the current build of Encased serves to give you a small taste of what’s to come, as well as help decide if you want to periodically check back, issue a refund or keep it in your wishlist.  Aside from some annoyances, I found myself having a good time with the current build of Encased. One of the most detailed prologues in an RPG ever and I mean it in a good way. I must have spent near to 5 hours on the tutorial section alone without being bored to death. It does a great job of introducing you to CRONUS, the world as well as get you acquainted with many of its systems.

The Early Access version of Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG will be released today:

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG

Encased is an isometric role-playing game in a sci-fi post-apocalyptic setting. It was inspired by the first two Fallout installments, Divinity: Original Sin, Baldur’s Gate, Pillars of Eternity and alike.

Our team of experienced developers, some of whom were involved in developing such games as Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition and Divinity: Original Sin 2, Age of Decadence, Life is Feudal: Forest Village and others, is now offering you to join C.R.O.N.U.S. corporation. Dive deep into the non-linear adventure and investigate mysterious ruins of the lost civilization.

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Explore, fight and rob caravans!
Encased is an open world CRPG that encourages exploration, it appeals not only to old fans of games like Icewind Dale, Torment and Shadowrun, but to newcomers as well. Being a sort of tribute to the best games of the genre, it aims not only to use their essential aspects, but also to improve and develop the genre even further.

Create weapons, armor and upgrade them, if you want to survive in this post-apocalyptic world. Search for mysterious artifacts in abandoned labyrinths and facilities of the Forefathers and use them - each relic has unique properties. What do they do? Apply them to your gear and see for yourself.

Hire, persuade or threaten residents of the desert to follow your cause. Use their skills and abilities for yourself or others. Join the ranks of New Committee who tries to rebuild the old world, freedom fighters of the Republic of Carmine Heights, the Church that tries everyone to convert everyone to their faith, the raiders of Phalanx or the Kshatriya military order. All factions are different and have their own unique vision. Help one faction dominate everyone, destroy them all or just be a lone wolf.

Encased doesn’t use classes. The versatile system of skills and attributes lets you customize your character any way you want.

Show your tactical skills in a turn-based combat with multiple types of enemies. Take cover, use different types of weapons and ammo, place traps or get close to them in your power armor and give them a taste of your makeshift club! The ruins of the lost civilization are full of enemies, from mutated wildlife to ancient combat robots. You will need to implement different tactics to overcome different foes.

Make your own unique adventure, thanks to the breathtaking random encounters: create an unassailable fortress out of a crashed plane, win gladiator games, escape the Labyrinth Of Death or steal mysterious case from a roadside car.

And remember, game world will react to your actions. Save a settlement from the raider attack and find new trusted friends, or turn your back, finish off any survivors and pillage ruins. Choice is yours.

Encased will be releasing onto Steam Early Access and a GOG release will also follow according to the latest update.

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Greetings, recruits!

The time has come. The Early Access version of Encased is almost ready, and the Dome will soon be open to everyone. On September 26th, you can begin exploring the enigma that is the Dome!

Those who pledged their support on Kickstarter, or otherwise pre-ordered the game, will receive their keys via email during the Early Access launch. Over the next few days we will send out a questionnaire where you may choose your platform, Steam or GOG.

Now we will answer the biggest question posed by community: "What can we expect in Early Access?"

•  Early Access will include a section of the game's main plot relating the events leading up to and during the Incident.
• After the prologue, you will have access to some parts of the open world, where you can explore and discover how life under the Dome changed after the disaster.
• Portions of the desert beneath the Dome will be obscured as anomalous zones, and temporarily inaccessible. But don't worry, regular content updates will gradually open up new sectors of the Dome for you to explore.
•  The open world has a life of its own. Traveling through the desert, you'll meet wandering traders, bandits, wild animals, the Forefathers' machines and anomaly mazes. Sometimes you’ll encounter unique events leading to a quest or acquainting you with one of the Dome’s factions.
• The Early Access release will include about 40 weapons. In addition, Encased lets players craft their own weapons, which can lead to more than 100 deadly devices in total!

You will also find new side quests, characters, secrets, locations, items, weapons and armor, new animations, improved sounds and music, item crafting, etc.

Right now and until the start of Early Access, we will continue to polish and improve the game. None of the feedback you sent escaped our notice. We've fixed tons of bugs, changed some small mechanics, and improved what you told us needing improving (but nothing too crazy, we can't add a Godzilla-sized Cheburashka or anything like that).

As a reminder, you can directly report any errors you find in the game by using the "Feedback" button in the interface. You can also message us in Discord .

The Dome awaits, your patience will soon be rewarded! Join your fellow Encased players on Steam or GOG!

Steam Store page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/921800/
GOG Store page: https://www.gog.com/game/encased_a_scifi_postapocalyptic_rpg

The closed beta for the RPG Encase is now live - here are the changes for the beta:

Full list of changes in Beta:

• Expanded introductory event with the elevator stop;
• The reactor level is now open;
• Rebalanced main attributes of different Wings;
• Hand-to-hand combat branch has been significantly updated – new skills have been added, old ones have been changed;
• A lot of skill tree changes;
• A batch of new weapons has been added for sale in the armory;
• NPCs react to player vandalism;
• Fixed some errors in quests;
• Random events have been added to time rewind;
• New items, statuses and effects from consuming food and drink;
• Many technical and performance improvements;

Thanks Farflame!

A video showing gameplay from Encased while also answering community questions.

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Encased is an old-school sci-fi post-apocalyptic RPG in development.
Add to wishlist on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/92...

Thanks Farflame!

The Early Access version of Encased will be announced soon (look here). Here's an older video from Vulcan to give you a preview:

ENCASED | A Fallout-Inspired, Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi RPG Coming Soon...

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Encased is a Fallout-Inspired, Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi RPG from Dark Crystal Games that is coming to market in 2019. It's entering early access soon and promises to build upon the previous classics it pulls inspiration from.

A new development update for Encased.

Do you remember our questionnaire we created for players to create their own in-game character? The first fruits of this labor are ready to be shared. In a new Developer Diary, we’ll tell how you changed the world and story of Encased.

Submit your character as well:
https://cronus.darkcrystalgames.com/en/

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The latest update for Encased talks about 'Rewards that Matter'.

KSU 32 — Rewards that matter

“So, Marcus, now you’re calling me a marauder? Bullshit. Calling me a historian would be closer to the truth.

“Look here, for instance: a fine pair of boots. I fished these out of an empty trash barrel at a gas station. They’re practically new. Someone hid them there is my guess, planned to come back for them at some point.

“You see now, yeah? Every thing has its history. That’s what I’m looking for, that’s what I collect. A sucker like you wouldn’t understand. Wait, what’s that sticking out of your pocket?”

We love stories too. A good story is the most important part of any classic RPG, and there are many of these little vignettes in Encased, each of which contributes to the narration in one way or another.

Narrative, along with gameplay and graphics, is one of the “whales” upon which a successful project depends. The narrative is served not only through dialogues, character cues and in-game documents. We, like our nameless marauder, love telling a story through things. A battered rifle hidden beneath the floorboards of an abandoned hut can tell you a lot about its deceased owner: twenty notches on the barrel, homemade ammo clip, and a telescopic sniper sight worth tens of thousands of combonds - a small, but complete story reveals itself to the attentive player who is prepared to look and think.

***

This experience is inspired by dozens of playthroughs of original Fallout, Planescape: Torment, and other cool games. We, like you, are players above all.

How does our tiny tale lead us to the rewards? Easy: recall the stories. In the world of Encased, one does not simply open a chest and pick up a “Kickstarter Shotgun” or “Backer Armor.” “Rewarded” items become part of the plot, with a natural and organic backstory for the players who supported our project from the very start. The origin of each reward item will be interwoven with the lore of the game’s universe.

But do not expect these rewards to make the main character an invulnerable killing machine, destroying all life in their path. Balance is of no less importance to us than storyline, and we consider “Kickstarter” items to be an interesting way to reveal secrets about the world of Encased (i.e. additional lore and quests).


***

Take, for example, this lunchbox. It will not protect you from a high velocity round (though it might stop a pistol shot). It does not give the owner immunity to high levels of radiation or grant regenerative powers to the sandwiches you keep inside. But on discovering such a thing near a dusty old skeleton, sitting by a locked door deep in an abandoned bunker, one can assume certain facts. And having examined the scratches, blood stains and wiped clean handle - one might even come to definitive conclusion or two. Also, don’t forget that sandwiches do need to be safely stored someplace.

Although our campaign is already finished, everyone has the opportunity to leave their footprint in Encased. We are still collecting CRONUS employee questionnaires[cronus.darkcrystalgames.com]. Anyone who sends an interesting and detailed character bio via the form will be included in the CRONUS employees database. And if our writers find your character interesting enough, you will have a chance to see them in the game! So act now, citizen, because when release day comes, the questionnaire will be taken offline permanently. Hurry up and you’re gonna make it!

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

The latest update for Encased shows off some new screenshots.

KSU #31: New Screenshots

14 Mar @ 5:40am - Stormtrooper

“My father showed me my first miracle when I was a little boy. Starting with a photograph, he explained everything that went into the process of making it: lens, lamps, cuvettes, the mysterious dark room, photographic film, solutions, and finally the image, slowly emerging as if by magic from the void. It was as if I had discovered a window into a whole new world.

Sometimes I think this desert beneath the Dome works in exactly the same way. Perform the correct ritual and it will reveal its secrets. Not immediately, of course, but slowly. Be patient and in the end the picture will appear. You will not discover everything all at one...

But it is just as awe inspiring.”

(from a scrap of paper found drifting across the sands of the Southern Region.)

The graphics for Encased are slowly but steadily taking on a more polished and distinctive shape. It’s very important tous that with a single glance at the screen, players can say, “Yeah, I know that game!" Our artists and level-designers are working long and hard to fulfill that goal.

Why don’t we check on some of their work? Let’s take a look at screenshots from some of our work-in-progress locations.



Imagine that later today you’re scheduled for a serious talk with some bigshot from management. You have a feeling an assignment is coming up, something big involving new responsibilities. It’s obviously in your best interest to get as much information as possible. What’s your plan?

You could search for information on a public terminal; hack into the main servers; study the Dome’s strategic map in order to draw conclusions from key site placements; or find a Silver Wing associate and charm or intimidate them into sharing privileged information. There will be many different possibilities, and it’s up to the game to present them for you. But which solution you choose is always up to you.



The road leading to this cave is obstructed by hazardous anomalies. You don’t know what’s inside. How dangerous said anomalies might be is also a mystery to you. But due to an overheard conversation between two people from a nearby village, this site is particularly tempting. What to do...

You could attempt to find a different way in; use scientific equipment to discharge the anomalies; use your agility to cautiously squeeze past them; put your visor down and take your armor for a test run; or simply turn back. In every situation, you will have several options for finding a way in or out.



In the darkness of the alternative past, bunkers littler the desert. Along with the turrets guarding them. Here is a situation every genre-loving gamer has experienced at least once: You need to get inside, but the entrance is guarded. Problem is, you don’t know if the bunker’s inhabitants and their turrets see you as an enemy or a friend. It’s probably a good idea to double check.

But the easiest way is not always the right one. Maybe you should look around for a secret tunnel; ask an inhabitant on a smoke break about the pros and cons; use your lockpick and hacking skills; or just throw an EMP grenade and tell everyone it was a lightning strike. A motivated individual will always find a way.



What could be better than a cozy evening enjoying the warmth of a post-apocalyptic bonfire? An evening spent on nothing but quality time. Fun activities may include: scaring away a gang of raiders attracted by your fire; stealthily accessing the storeroom of a deserted filling station; eavesdropping on the latest secrets and gossip of the folks occupying the nearby ruins; or engaging in some fair (or not so fair) trade with the locals.

Don’t forget to admire the beautiful scenery on the way!



Is there anything beautiful to be found in a swamp? If you don’t mind getting your hands, legs and everything else dirty, then yes. Otherwise CRONUS wouldn’t send yet another expedition into these parts. Truth be told, all participants are currently MIA. A slightly rusty, tracked vehicle is the only sign of the expedition’s passing.

Now you have to map an uncharted, toxic swamp, fight off monsters, look for traces of survivors, search their corpses for evidence, and finally put their sad story together. Or maybe you’ll go your own way and pursue your own goals. Though the swamps will be no less unpleasant, this need not be the main episode of your gaming experience.

While conquering the Dome and its virtual territories, don’t forget about the real world. Or rather about Steam, our bridge between the digital and the material.

[...]

A new update for Encased looks at White Swan Station.

Encased Kickstarter Update #30: White Swan Station

Posted by Dark Crystal Games (Creator)

CRONUS Foundation was actively exploring, and exploiting, the Dome right up until the Incident. Thanks to Blue Wing’s efforts, roads traversed the sands, settlements blossomed, and research complexes arose alongside the mysterious edifices of the Forefathers. Some of these facilities subsided deep underground, a strange predilection of the ancient race.

Some even survived the Incident, and a few survived more or less intact.

Bunkers. Who among us fans of the post-apocalyptic genre doesn’t like a bunker? Preferably ancient, dilapidated, and abandoned. Or on the contrary, well maintained and populated. Encased provides plenty of options - for every taste.

In such locations one may stumble upon rich rewards. Or perhaps run into trouble. Or reveal a secret of the ruined world. Or all of the above!

White Swan Research Station is just such a place.

***

Soon after the Incident, local scientists decided they had the brains and the resources to go it alone. The head of the base, Vera Dammerung, overrode the complex’s security systems, drove out the Blacks and the Silvers, and imposed severe restrictions on access.

However, it is still possible to penetrate the station. If the guy manning the intercom buys your story, or you are a genius at persuasion, or convince them you make a better ally than enemy - the main gates will swiftly open. The point is not to overdo it. Scientists typically avoid physical conflict, and the guards here are all automated, robotic - which means they are ever vigilant and have no concept of mercy.

But you can also rely on cunning and ingenuity. There is a second, hidden entrance within a labyrinth of nearby caves. If you successfully navigate those narrow stone passages, bypassing the traps and defeating your opponents, in the deepest recess of the caverns you will find a back door to the bunker. However you will likely have to do some talking there as well.

But it's worth it. A handful of former White Wing employees have something else to offer: crazy theories, stories of academic squabbles, violent struggle, and a massive cover-up... In other words, a run-of-the-mill scientific community, multiplied by a high-tech sci-fi future, flavored with the grim spirit of the post-apocalypse.

For example, you might try to solve a dilemma for two former colleagues. They each accuse the other of villainy, deceit, sabotage and -more seriously- coffee theft. But dig deeper and you’ll find out there’s more, and not much of it related to science (yes, a woman is involved, one with a good old-fashioned dark past).

Having earned the favor of the bunker’s inhabitants, the hero will gain access to rare, experimental equipment, as well as upgrades made possible with the assistance of certain specialists. The station scientists will also buy advanced relics at a good price. Speaking the language of RPGs, White Swan is a hub for high-level weapons and armor, and interesting quests.

[...]

A mini-update for Encased focuses on architecture and the brutalistic style of the 1970's.

Encased Kickstarter Mini Update #29: Blood and Concrete

Posted by Dark Crystal Games (Creator)

Abandoned Gas Stations and Other Encased Architecture.

Imagine our fictional world working according to the laws of reality: the world under the Dome is currently a complete mess. Concrete slabs are stacked in rows somewhere in a forbidding desert. Level designers clear away wild terrain piled with stones, preparing for construction. Artists make sketches for modular buildings, while modellers turn sketches into the building blocks from which dwellings, offices, military bases, and shopping centers will be erected.

All the while, I am writing this update to tell you how great it will look in the game, when this gigantic construction project is finally complete.

As you may already know, Encased is set in an alternative 1970s, and we really want our square, six-cylinder Dreadnoughts to ride the roads of this fictional world, our characters smoking cigarettes, and every structure looking as impressive and authentic as possible.

Having studied a lot of old photos, we understand the direction to take: buildings under the Dome will be assembled from concrete blocks, because the 70s were the heyday of concrete architecture.

We’ve outlined the task to our artist, who has sketched a concise draft of the plant which will churn out these ubiquitous construction blocks.

***

As you can see the plant itself is modular, and if it outlives its usefulness CRONUS will herd the cranes back to the depot and disassemble the plant in a couple of days. The salvaged blocks will be transported to a different site, and start a new life as a car dealership, research complex, or shopping mall.

***

Not all building blocks are huge. Some are more modest, because in addition to sprawling factories there are small private stores, car repair shops, and gas stations under the Dome...

Here for example is a gas station of the Wingman Petroleum company.

***

You will notice it seems slightly the worse for wear, since after the incident most of the Dome's infrastructure was abandoned, and small businesses like gas stations and roadside diners have mutated into raider outposts.

To make our post-apocalypse as authentic as possible, we create several versions of each block. There are new blocks arriving at factory warehouses, and there are blocks covered with rusty steel lining, punctured by bullets and chipped by shrapnel. Of course you will find much more of the latter.

***

In the end, what kind of apocalypse would it be without ruin?

We would again like to thank the backers and invite them to join the game community in Twitter, VK, Facebook or Discord.

Thank you for being there, guys.

A new update for Encased announces first rewards, new monsters and that the game is now available to pre-order.

New monsters and dangers of the Dome in development

The desert under the Dome was a bit empty, so we decided to spice thing up with some new and unusual creatures! Now the sands of the Dome will be host to giant, acid-spitting beetles; doodlebugs the size of a car, which wait hidden in funnels in the ground for their prey; huge armadillos; and possums with a squad of aggressive joeys living on their backs.

***

News spread quickly at the Magellan Research Facility. By 1:00 pm, all White Wing employees had abandoned their lunches and gathered at the loading dock to await the cargo.

An expectant silence greeted the truck’s arrival. A huge, hulking form lay in the back, haphazardly covered in layers of tarpaulin.

***

 Lab tech Rao, Dr. Osovitsky’s assistant, touched him gently on the sleeve.

“What’s that oozing?” he asked, nodding at the thin layer of slime covering the body of the truck.

“Нemolymph, I suppose.” Osovitsky pulled a notebook and pen from his pocket, and began to take notes.

The truck eased to a stop. A Black Wing sergeant exited the vehicle and took a few long strides towards the scientists.

“Unload,” he said to a group of Oranges standing nearby. They approached the cargo reluctantly. “Just take care not to get any of this stuff on you, it’s almost like acid. Made a mess of Medeiros’ and Ginsburg’s shoes.” “Astonishing!” mumbled Osovitsky, scribbling on his notepad. “Giant acid beetles!”

***

New NPC’s and characters

Every story is driven by its heroes, so we pay the closest attention to our characters. Before sketching out an NPC’s physical appearance, our writers detail their backstory and personality traits.

***

Among these faces you will find a cult leader who controls the will of hundreds, a married couple who bitterly hate each other, and a stern woman who holds the fate of half the Dome in her hands.

And our community manager, a more desperate case than all the others combined...

[...]

Encased is in its last day to reach some stretch goals. Dark Crystal Games will also be hosting an AMA on Reddit Monday, 15th October (11:00 PM CET/ 03:00 PM PDT).

Encased Kickstarter Update #25: 24 hours countdown, details about 'Ursula' HQ

A little more than a day is left till the end of our Kickstarter campaign. Thanks to your activity, less than 24 hours passed from achieving one stretch goal to unlocking another! Now, not only will Encased include the Fallen Fortress encounter, but the game will also have an extended freeplay mode, entertaining you with additional quests and content after the initial playthrough is over.

Very little funding is needed until we unlock the next stretch goal: the auto-train mobile HQ.

We’ve already talked about Ursula in an earlier update, but a few more details remain to be revealed.

  We need to rush to get it!

Ursula was designed before the Incident, and when Maelstrom was unleashed on the world the project had to be modified in a hurry. The engineers worked furiously to protect the machine and its crew from waves of damaging psychic energy, and they were quite successful: one of Ursula’s cars is equipped with a special air-tight compartment shielded by thick lead walls. This allows you to navigate Ursula through those rare sectors where Maelstrom is so strong that no exposed character, no matter how high his Psyche score, can survive.

Ursula will grant you access to places you cannot reach in any other way.

***

To survey areas made uninhabitable by raging psychic energy, you can use a special drone with weapons and a manipulator arm which allows you to retrieve small objects, press buttons, and open doors.

Researchers were certain these autonomous robots would be very useful: according to maps compiled before the catastrophe, several unexamined complexes were located in areas with the highest Maelstrom activity. Perhaps the increased concentration of psychic energy has some relation to their contents, but... what could that be?

The answer to this question we leave for the player to uncover.

***

Although rigorous testing showing the shielding to be effective, there was something even the research scientists did not know. The weird psychic energy affects not only organic matter, but technology as well. In sufficient quantities, the radiation will manifest itself by altering the behavior of onboard systems.

The change in Ursula’s “personality” poses many difficult questions: is this new development dangerous, or is it an opportunity to make direct contact with Maelstrom? What are the possible threats, and are there any positive effects?

This event could turn out to be a serious crisis, but it’s also one of the many interesting, major quests associated with the auto-train HQ.

***

Ursula is unique, and there are many people in the desert who would like to lay hands on her. Sooner or later you will have to raise your defenses and fight against raiders intent on taking over your auto-train.

  That's how stationed camp looks like

In the previous update dedicated to the mobile HQ, we talked about converting the train’s armored hull into a wall. However, that’s not all: the train can be equipped with stationary turrets directed by the on-board computer’s defense protocol. This program itself can also be edited by the player for maximum effectiveness.

The turrets must be serviced and repaired, and their ammunition replenished of course. Upgrades will be available.

***

[...]

Encased has been funded on Kickstarter and is now onto stretch goals.

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Thank you!

And we do want to express our sincere gratitude to our backers in these exact words. We are thrilled to be able to make Encased the RPG exactly as it was intended, with your help.

The Kickstarter campaign is taking a lot of energy and we are damned tired, but there’s still about a week to go and we have tons of plans and ideas. What else can we include in the game to make it even better and more interesting? How will additional funds from this point on affect Encased?

That’s what we’ll cover in today's update!

$105 000 — The Fallen Fortress Encounter

Fascinating combat encounter where the player must defend a crashed bomber in the desert against a crowd of raiders. Read more about this event in one of our previous updates. 

$110 000 — Interesting Free Play

Mode Encased won’t end when the credits roll. Moreover, the post-completion Free Play Mode will get a number of interesting options, additional quests, events and dialogues. The game will also “remember” which ending the player achieved and the world will adjust accordingly.

$120 000 — Upgradable Mobile HQ

An auto-train buried in the sands will appear on the outskirts of the Dome. The hero will be able to capture and restore it, and use it as a mobile base of operations.

The auto-train is designed to be modular: some cars provide the ability to produce weapons, others allow you to heal injured comrades (or yourself), and a third type acts as a launching pad for reconnaissance drones. There are also several random events and quests associated with the road train.

You can read more about Free Play Mode and the mobile base here.

$130 000 — Player Vehicles

The desert under the Dome is vast and dangerous. It is much safer, and less exhausting, to travel behind the wheel of your own vehicle. However, safety does not equal boredom. Automobile ownership automatically triggers the appearance of specialized “automotive” events in the game, as well as additional ways to complete quests.

  ***

 Also, the car (or the motorcycle) can be upgraded into a real post-apocalyptic tank.

$130 001 — 1 Combond Encounter

We’re all used to quests of epic complexity being rewarded with superior loot and good money. But what about an adventure that pays a single coin? Will it be easy? Maybe. Will it be strange? Definitely. In any case, the result will be completely unpredictable.

  ***

 After collecting $130,001, we will add this funny and unusual quest to the game.

$135 000 — Personal Drone Assistants

Robotics is one area where the technologies under the Dome have been successfully implemented. These little-studied mechanisms have allowed the creation of lightweight, levitating drones that crack wise, criticize the player’s actions, occasionally do useful things, and sometimes even participate in combat.
  ***

The drone is not merely a companion, but also an exciting “construction kit”, whose components can be assembled in a variety of ways. As a result, you might convert a frail flying robot into an incredibly effective fighter, or an inconspicuous scout into a universal first-aid kit, darting from unit to unit on the battlefield.

$145 000 — Gladiator Arena

Having been captured by one of the raider factions, a player may find himself in a real post-apocalyptic coliseum! Gladiatorial combat in the world of Encased is not just a bloody fight for survival, but a whole game unto itself, with match-fixing, intrigue, and confrontation between champions.

  ***

You will also discover unique items, interesting text events, and a couple of extra hours of gameplay to spend knocking the crap out of opponents in multiple colorful and detailed arenas.

And by the way, you can bet on yourself at the local bookie.

$160 000 — Mod Support

A good RPG often awakens the desire to continue or expand its story. Or write a completely new one. Such has been the case with the classic Fallout, as well as The Elder Scrolls series, and we hope the same will be true of Encased.

If we collect $160,000 or more, we will create a toolkit with a user-friendly interface to pass along to our players.

$210 000 — Narrative Voiceover

Encased has a lot of stories that could be even better if the “narrator” had a real voice. But we need your help with this.

Project funding info: $99,799 pledged by 2,331 backers!

Once again - thanks to each and every one of you!

Thanks screeg!

Encased has a new update about the justice system and is now over 90% funded.

Encased Kickstarter Update #18: Justice System

The light of a flashing TV screen in a dark room makes your eyes sting. When your eyes have adjusted, you recognize the logo of the Dome Police Department soaring over the pale pink sands of the desert - seems like the colors are slightly off.

The desert is replaced with a massive wooden table in a bright room. A large, dark-skinned man in a brand new police uniform is leaning slightly towards the camera.

  Sergeant Major James Keppler himself

“Greetings, cadets. I'm Sergeant Major James Keppler of the Black Wing Public Supervision Department. We perform police duties throughout the New Committee zone, as well as in friendly, neutral, and uninhabited areas of the Dome.

Get your pens and pencils ready. In this tutorial video, I’m going to tell you about our criminal code and about the measures we take against offenders.”

Keppler is a great storyteller, but let’s let him have the floor a bit later. In today's update, we discuss how the law works in the world under the Dome.

The world in post-apocalyptic settings is often one of absolute lawlessness, but Encased is an exception to this rule. In any civilized corner of the Dome, the player will have to think twice before killing a merchant or robbing a defenseless traveler, for there is a Justice System in the game which includes the following concepts: 

Infamy: the motivation of the police to capture you. Ranges from 0 to 5.

Tension: the degree to which crime will be tolerated in the region. The lower the tolerance level, the more Infamy points the criminal will get for each transgression. In fact, it is an Infamy “multiplier." The Tension of each region ranges from 1 to 3.

Statute of Limitations: the time frame in which a criminal may be prosecuted. Varies from a few hours of game time to infinity.

Area: ranges from the spot on which the victim stands to the whole territory under the Dome. 

The most important of these measures is Infamy. Infamy determines the intensity of the pursuit and the severity of his punishment.

In the video, Keppler limps as he makes his way around the table. It seems he hasn’t fully recovered from a recent leg injury.

“Law abiding citizens have an Infamy level of zero. However, we strictly monitor all crimes under the Dome and punishment will follow even a minor offense. Minor theft without bodily harm is an estimated 0.5 points of Infamy. Significant theft of money or valuables, as well as bodily harm to the victim, 1 point. Robbery and GBH, 2 points. Bank robbery, shoplifting and murder, 3 points. Mass murder, 4. In exceptional cases, a particularly egregious offender will receive 5 points. This will result in a search throughout the whole territory of the Dome.”

The Infamy level is a dynamic value, decreasing the farther you are from the crime scene. Prosecution for minor transgressions does not extend beyond the town sector or game location, while a criminal with an Infamy of 3 will be hunted throughout the whole city. At level 4 they will stalk the violator throughout that entire faction territory. If you reach Infamy 5 you’d better sleep with both eyes open. At that point, you’d be better off hiding out in some remote area until the threat has passed. But no matter how far you run, there is always a chance the authorities will come for you.

You might be able to hide, but most likely you will get caught.

***

[...]

Thanks screeg!

A new update for Encased looks at the origins of the storyline.

Encased Kickstarter Update #16: Behind the Storyline

There is almost certainly no game genre in which the storyline plays a greater role than in the RPG. The storyline creates the ground under the hero's feet, motivates his decision making, and drives a person from the safety of his Vault into a perilous quest for a water chip. In today’s update we will not simply relate Encased’s storyline, but also explore it, try to comprehend its origins, and imagine the place to which it will lead the player. We will also hear from people behind storyline development for the game.

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The game takes place in the 1970’s, a decade with many similarities to our own history but with one tiny twist: the discovery of the Dome.

[... both helicopters from the search group were wrecked, only one crew member survived. He said that one of the vehicles allegedly crashed against an "invisible wall" and, falling, collided with the second helicopter.]

[... like the Bermuda Triangle, except that it’s not really a triangle. A sergeant broke his nose against this thing when they set up camp near the crash site.]

[...an unpleasant surprise. Yes, the parachutes opened and our people successfully descended into the Dome. It's not even that one of them died in a gravity anomaly: this is a calculated risk, we also lost robots this way. But who could have guessed that the dome is semi-permeable and our people won’t be able to come back out?]

  ***

Why the 1970’s? Because the 70’s were a highly controversial period around the world, and many of the conflicts of that time end up reflected in the world under the Dome. Within the confines of this mysterious anomaly, the details begin to look a little bit... different.

The Dome is the major enigma of the world of Encased. An enormous, artificially engineered structure, with a vast network of underground facilities, full of sentient machines, traps and weird gizmos, the ultimate purpose of which the player will have to decipher on his own. This otherworldly artifact is the foundation of the main storyline, which sets the tone and background for the entire narrative.

But all this comes much later. In its initial stages, the conquest of the Dome was an unqualified success. Naturally, an undertaking of this size and complexity could not come to be without financing. The organization both backing and implementing the research, the CRONUS Foundation, recouped their investment by auctioning, on a global scale, some of the fantastic relics and technologies recovered from the Dome.

As the wealth of CRONUS grew, so did its political influence: as the brainchild of the world political elite, the foundation employed lobbyists around the world to promote its interests.

***

[...]

A new update for Encased shows off 20 minutes of gameplay.

The latest update for Encased focuses on vehicles.

Design Corner I - Vehicles

In this update, we’re going to tell you about the various vehicles that roam and/or rust in the desert under the Dome, as well as the backstory of the company manufacturing them for CRONUS.

Although the Dome is far removed from civilization, its motor pool is diverse and extensive. There were approximately 5,500 functioning vehicles before the incident. By the time of the main story around 2,000 of them are still on the road, since a vehicle’s lifespan is significantly reduced without access to parts. Some vehicles were stripped, some destroyed in conflicts, and others were completely redesigned and thus not counted in the official statistics.

Aside from the Dome’s dozens of research facilities, many small towns were built as well. CRONUS employees enjoyed white block houses, supermarkets, movie theaters and, of course, cars. With generous salaries, many employees enjoyed a personal vehicle.

The main supplier of both civilian and work vehicles was Stanton Motor Company. Established 17 years before the Dome’s discovery, Stanton was a big name with great ambitions in the industry, and a rather odious head honcho.

Stanton Motor Co. is our concept of a company which miraculously survived the oil crisis of the 70’s. Its history is counterintuitive, its end predictable, and that’s done on purpose: we want every detail of Encased’s setting to build on the atmosphere of the game and create a real feeling for the era.

Stanton is made up of two divisions. One is called Marks and Manfred Trucks; it specializes in manufacturing trucks, buses and other heavy work vehicles using a universal chassis.

Click to download hi-res version

The most renowned vehicle of MM Trucks is already on display in our screenshots and concept art — an orange transport designed for delivering research teams to remote desert facilities.

But if Marks and Manfred Trucks is the dutiful workhorse of the corporation, then its second child, Jupiter Moon, is the scandalous black sheep. Jupiter Moon stamped out small cars, known as Type 72, with a high emphasis on quantity. Type 72 was infamous for its underpowered 4-cylinder engine (6-cylinder available in the luxury model), climate control in the form of a triangular quarter glass window on the driver's side, leatherette upholstery destined to crack and discolor, a "kicking" gearbox, and several other nasty surprises.

Despite all this, the machine became fantastically popular, and remains so even after the catastrophe: you will see Type 72 regularly converted into mobile storefronts, rental accommodations, and insanely painted tanks. The variety of applications for machines not even fit for spare parts is truly limitless: houses, fences and fixed fire points made from old Jupiters are a common sight across the world of Encased.

 ***  

It can be said with certainty that the success of Stanton Motor Co. changed the face of the world under the Dome. And everything, from its rapid rise to every triumph and failure, the company owes to its founder, Stanley Stanton.

In the first act, Stanley is 62 years old. He is a thin, unpleasant man with red hair fading to gray, a long nose, the gold teeth of a gypsy, and the general appearance of a washed-up comedian. At first he makes a quite positive impression: joking and smiling with an easy confidence. Stanley has the air of a reliable business partner, a man you can count on to fulfill any order and solve any problem.

But after a longer acquaintance with Stanley, different qualities come to the fore. His business is growing rapidly due to optimistic investors, profitable contracts, and aggressive PR. Maybe too rapidly. Deadlines are regularly missed and scheduled deliveries delayed. Cars often arrive incomplete, or in such poor shape they must be scrapped for parts. Though MM Trucks have a more or less consistent level of quality, Jupiter Moon has a well-deserved reputation as a manufacturer of rolling (sometimes) trash cans. The enterprise by some miracle does stay afloat however, and the boss perseveres.

The true face of Stanton is an arrogant, insolent grifter, an expert at making bank on other people’s trust. He thinks himself a genius salesman and wheeler-dealer and in a sense he is right, as long as the profits continue to offset his infamy. Unlike almost every other corporate executive, the man himself relocated to the Dome and transferred a large part of his production there. Even the incident couldn’t turn Stanley Stanton into anything but a businessman, though his business now has shifted from production to repair. In the game, you can even visit the Stanton Motor Co.’s decrepit main plant, and a huge warehouse full of dusty Jupiters.

Project funding info: $67,078 pledged by 1,787 backers and 19 days to go! Thank you, friends, let's keep it up!

Important (and funny) shout out!

Thanks Silver Coin!

Dark Crystal Games wants you to spread the word for Encased and has some enticements in mind.

Encased Kickstarter Update #11: Help Spread the Word!

As of now, Encased has earned more than $58,000 in Kickstarter pledges. We are very grateful for the enthusiastic response. However, money is not the only way you can help us create the exact experience we intended.

We’ve prepared some cool in-game rewards for our community. To get these rewards into the game, we need your subscriptions, likes, and reposts.

Think of every milestone as a small quest. The completed quests award you with achievement points, which in turn unlock the new game bonuses.

Facebook likes: Like the Encased Facebook page and encourage your friends to do the same.

Encased was originally conceived as a game with a rich storyline and fully realized world. We put significant effort into a detailed setting and immersive atmosphere. This is why it’s worth getting acquainted with the world of the Dome on our Facebook page. 

Facebook shares: share the Encased announcement post on Facebook.

We publish samples of the game’s lore, art and 3D models on our Facebook page on a regular basis, creating an interesting and welcoming community. Tell other old-school, post-apocalypse and sci-fi fans about our site. By spreading the word about Encased, you’ll be contributing to the development of the game.

Twitter followers: follow @darkcrystal_hq on Twitter and encourage your friends to too.

Our Twitter account is about publishing fun-size concept art, 3D models and game news. Follow @darkcrystal_hq, and be the first to see the details!  

Twitter retweets: retweet the announcement tweet from @darkcrystal_hq 

The more retweets we get, the more successful our Kickstarter campaign will be. Help Encased become a really huge and cool game!

Twitter likes: Like the announcement tweet from @darkcrystal_hq

For each Like, a raider in the wasteland dies a horrible death, and one more player joins our ranks.

Discord fans: join our Discord group .

In addition to our Facebook community, we also have a Discord channel, where we share the latest game news, reveal our carefully guarded development hints and secrets, embrace our nostalgia for cool RPGs of days gone by, and simply talk to our players.

And don’t forget: Discord is the most convenient way of communicating with developers and sharing your own ideas to make Encased even better.

And now let's talk about the rewards!

4 Points - Community Wallpapers

Our artists will create HD-wallpapers based on the short story developed by Encased writers for our Kickstarter backers.  

7 Points - New In-Game Hat Accessory

Before you venture out to conquer the desert, don’t forget to put on your helmet! Or a hat. Or the special item we thought up, modeled, and added to the game. 

12 Points - New In-Game item - Veteran Rifle 

Every equippable item in Encased has a history. We’re planning an additional assault rifle (to be added to the game with your help) with such as history. It’s an unusual weapon with an illustrious past and remarkable properties.

21 Point - New Outfit - Leather Motorcycle Jacket

A cool leather jacket is an invaluable asset in the vastness of a harsh, dying world. Thanks to your social media activity, it might become available in Encased.

35 Points - New Servoshell Coloring

Who doesn’t like motorized armor? Thanks to our backers, this servoshell might get an additional unique color scheme.

48 Points - New In-Game item - Dragon Katana

This katana will be useful both in close quarters… and in a firefight. The unique weapon of Kimiko Nakamura (head of the New Committee)’s personal bodyguard.

62 Points - Bloodbath Perk

Perhaps the most nostalgic perk of them all. Watch your enemies blast their allies into a pile of red chunks as grenades blow up in their hands… but don’t get too excited: the next critical failure might be yours.

85 Points - Dog the Pal

This ally will follow you into the heat of any battle. A friend in need is a friend indeed, right? Yes, you read that right: more social media activity and we’ll add a recruitable canine companion to the game! 

Thanks Silver Coin!

Encased has a new update that shows off a snippet of gameplay.

Encased Kickstarter Update #10: New Kickstarter Teaser and Artwork

Hello everyone! We hope you have a good Sunday!

We have posted a new gameplay teaser dedicated to our Kickstarter campaign on YouTube, check it out!

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If you have friends who love post-apocalyptic and sci-fi RPGs, and they don't know about Encased yet - this is a perfect opportunity to share with them.

Also check out our latest artwork, dedicated to our dear KS-backers. Thanks to all of you again and again!These Tier 2 Orange Wing employees are definitely up to something

 

Project funding info: $55,855 raised by 1,589 backers! This is 55% of the funding goal and we still have 22 days to go! Stay tuned for more updates, next week will be very intense.

Thanks Silver Coin!

The latest update for Encased looks at the graphics creation process and shows off some screenshots.

Encased Kickstarter Update #9: Screenshot Saturday I

In today’s update, we would like to talk about the gradual game enhancement a bit. We’re in pre-alpha state now and there’s a lot of work before us, but we’re working on developing every aspect every day.

In order to proceed as quickly as possible, we often make rough models, which then fall for revision. Crafting the intermediate versions is useful because we can see the in-game result immediately, and the other members of the team are much more interested in working with a living character, not a running cube.

[...]

Thanks Farflame and Silver Coin!

A new update for Encased talks about music. Encased is 52% funded with 24 days to go.

Encased Kickstarter Update #8: Music - Part I

In today's update we would like to speak about one of the most important aspects for creating the atmosphere of the game — the music. And about the people who composed the main theme for our Kickstarter video.  

Make yourself comfortable and get your best speakers, they’ll come in handy! Now we’re gonna show you how the track was being made.

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Encased Kickstarter Theme — Original Jazz Rock Version

Suddenly, there’s a man responsible for the music under our Dome. Introduce yourself, buddy.

My name is Peter Salnikov and I’m happy to be on board of this campaign. As a composer, I wrote this Encased Kickstarter Theme with my bandmate Ruslan Eldoradovitch.

Peter, you’re not telling us everything. There are no random guys under the Dome. You’re connected to games, aren’t you?

My career could be easily split in two sections. The first is media. After seven years in gaming journalism I decided to quit this profession, and for the last five years me and my partners run an independent lifestyle media called Disgusting Men. It’s the biggest site and community of it’s sort in Russia, we also run the biggest entertainment podcast of the same name. It’s all in Russian, but if you feel like listening to it, check the episodes with Raphael Colantonio (Dishonored, Prey), Daniel Vavra (Mafia, Kingdom Come: Deliverance) – they were published in English as well.

We begin to see the big picture now. let’s talk about music.

Aside of that, for almost a decade we play rock’n’roll with our band called Solar Deity. It’s a real rock band with rehearsals, shows and tours, and its lyrics are in English, so this could be easier to check out. We also did some soundtrack jobs before. Being a curious and a stubborn person, I offered my help to Vyacheslav the way he couldn’t refuse.

Let’s think back a few days ago and recall how did it happen.

The week before Encased Kickstarter launch was pretty tough. We were live streaming, breaking down the musical plan we sticked to while recording the demo of this music. We then held a Skype call with Dark Crystal Games and that was the exact moment when found out that this Kickstarter page will go live on September 13th and not a single day later.

After that, you most certainly did grab you head, saying ‘Guys, to hell with you, we don’t have the time!’ Was it like this? Or...

After a short panic strike we’ve mobilised all our forces to record this music live, as was planned earlier. We wrote the theme together with my band partner Ruslan but in fact there were a lot more people involved in this than the two of us. In a day we got all of them covered: the trombone player, the string trio, the sax guy, the drummer, the sound engineer and the studio fellas – all of them got their instructions, paper score, dates and details. In two days we stood ready at the studio. In short, it was a huge luck to suddenly be able to gather all those gifted (and thus – over occupied) people at one time and place and this fast. We did all the basic job in 24 hours.

Let’s ruin the intrigue from the start: it was much more harder.

The problem was that the Kickstarter video itself wasn’t finished by then, and when it finally was – it was almost seven minutes long vs. two and a half minutes of our music. But that was a part of the deal we made with the Crystals.

And still you managed.

This Encased Kickstarter Theme (sorry, it still has no name but it definitely deserves to have one – leave your suggestions in the comment section below) was built to be a «handcrafted procedural track». In short, all instruments and fragments were recorded in one tempo and key, and though the original track was only 2:40 long, all of its pieces and cues could be cut apart, arranged in any order and length and transformed into a longer track or a smaller jingle. Actually, we learned that playing a lot of Red Dead Redemption and watching this video after. So, after getting a Dropbox video link, we’ve spent a night and a morning bringing the demo music to needed structure. And then our sound engineer Artem brought the instrumental track to the same form.

When we were waiting for the track, we tried to guess, what will it be like… and we didn’t. Although the result surprised us, in a good way. The video provides a sense how this track was being created, but the references and the internal working are still a mystery.

First off, when we had our first meeting with Vyacheslav Kozikhin, we were talking about the references, the vibe we need. We’ve played the pre-alpha build (and yes, we play a lot of CRPGs in general) and figured, why not make it something that would sound sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, western, and 1970’s-ish at the same time? As a reference, we took Dune (1984) soundtrack, the music of The Last Man Standing (1996, a Bruce Willis movie) and mixed it up with our vision of our favourite game music (Mass Effect, Baldur’s Gate, Fallout – there’s a lot of «canon» features if you listen closely). But the main part was to imagine something like this to be played by a real band actually existing in this word of alternative history.

And, well, there you have it. If you’d ask us to think of an orchestra performing in a club somewhere outside the Dome, we’d think of this. Tell us what you think! There’s a lot more job ahead than done, so your suggestions will be considered.

Project funding info

As of today $53,160 pledged by 1,494 backers! Thanks to all of you!

Thanks Silver Coin!

A new update for Encased about random encounters. Encased is now 38% funded with 28 days to go.

Encased Kickstarter Update #5: Random Encounters

Whoa, this update came out of nowhere, didn’t it? Kind of snuck up on you, just like one of our random encounters! 

Our random encounter system is one of the features we’re most proud of. Here’s how it works: 

Every encounter in Encased is its own post-apocalyptic story. Some of these stories will resolve on the spot, others will require significant effort and maximum concentration. Many encounters have consequences and lead to a whole new series of quests. 

Random encounters occur when the player travels on the world map. A player’s Stats as well as the world’s condition directly affects which stories will be generated. 

 

There is still civilization of a sort in the east of the Dome. You might meet a water caravan, slave traders, or a Kshatriya patrol. You may stumble upon a suspicious house, or a car riddled with bullet holes and carrying a mysterious case on the back seat. You might discover money or a relic inside.  

Encounters in the east are mostly social in nature, while the west is almost barren of life. Salt marshes and white sand tell completely different stories: of bare survival and limited supplies, of struggling against the elements. You may find yourself searching out rare underground facilities offering shelter and relief from the relentless heat.

The south of the Dome also has underground complexes, but travellers won’t find any welcome there. The south is an old communications center, a place where ancient battle machines lay buried beneath the sand and rocks. There are countless small bunkers here, the kind where once you enter, the somehow still-powered doors slide silently shut behind your back.  

The north lands are now ruled by the New Committee. You may meet police and army patrols, come upon restricted areas where weird experiments are underway, and whole fields of abandoned vehicles rusting away to nothing. 

Sooner or later, fate will lead the player to the very center of the Dome where Maelstrom runs rampant alongside gangs of insane raiders, and the stranger anomalies summoned by Tower radiation. Encounters near the center involve battles with bandits, surreal zones of abnormality, the constant chatter of insane Maelstrom, and many other unusual and exciting events.

When we say ‘many’ unusual events, this is no exaggeration. Encounters in Encased cannot all be resolved with combat. There are meetings with characters, secret locations which cannot be found any other way, and vignettes — brief but detailed text adventures, where the solution will depend on a player’s decisions, Stats and Skills. 

For example, while travelling the desert the player may discover a spacious house. The doors are all locked, but there is definitely something going on inside. The player may break in (Lockpicking), enter through the open window on the second floor (Deftness), slip in through the back door (Sneaking), or simply knock and ask them to let you in (Looks). Although if you are unsuccessful, there’s always the risk of a bullet to the face. Perhaps, the player is wearing a mad raider’s mask or has shown up at a gang lair in a Black Wing uniform. Anyway, there is always a way to complete an encounter, even if it’s not immediately obvious. 

At this point most of our planned 75 random encounters have already been written. With your help there can be even more! 

Project fundraising report: $38,260 pledged by 1,010 backers! This means we’ve successfully raised almost 40% of our base goal, and are moving quickly past to the next milestone! Thank you so much! 

Special thanks also to our friends at Larian Studios and especially to Swen Vincke for their generous contribution, shout out and moral support! Larian is constantly raising the bar for CRPGs with their beautiful games. Larian’s love, dedication, and creative energy make their studio a role model for all of us at Dark Crystal Games.

Thanks Silver Coin!

A new update for the currently crowdfunding Encased; explores the factions in the game. 

Encased Kickstarter Update 2 - The Factions: who owns the Dome after the catastrophe?

“Something happened. You all know what, dear listeners. But I won’t talk about it aloud. Let it lose its power and turn its gaze away from us, like a demon that weakens until called by its true name… So, we now walk in the canopy of… this. No, wrong! We are in the eye of the storm! From the vortex of sand faces look upon us, faces of people you will hear of not just once or twice in the years to come. But today it will be me to tell you about them!” 

– Mike Warden Jr., Make Yourself Comfortable, live on 20th of January, 1977 

  Click to download pack of avatars

The New Committee

“Everybody is scared, panic is everywhere! Where’s food? Where are antibiotics? Where are the cigarettes? The last helicopter left a week ago. What if it was, truly, THE LAST?.. And then Kimiko Nakamura entered the stage and she was all like “Hey, it will be ok, guys! We just need to tighten up the laws. And make me the one in charge.”— Max

Click to download hi-res version

But the price was high: the Committee paid for this with the dramatic change of political climate, harsh laws and total militarization. Some see this as the corporation’s last days, but Kimiko Nakamura, the president of the Committee, knows: a relic was found in one of the Forefathers’ facilities, which can change everything.

There’s no place under the Dome where the New Committee wouldn’t have their tentacles. But this huge monster is vulnerable, and you will have many possibilities to take it down. Or, on the contrary, make it even stronger.

Carmine Heights 

“Cool guys. I see the Committee as kind of white-collar luddites, and Reisners are like Barton family protecting their factory. The difference being it’s not a factory they are building, but something much more important. I say: give them time. Just a little time, that’s all.” — Max

Click to download hi-res version

Carmine Heights Republic is an independent city with adjacent territories, established by Johan and Olivia Reisner, two former Blue Wing employees. Dissatisfied with the New Committee policies, the Reisners led their followers to the eastern border of the Dome, where one of the mothballed facilities became their home. Carmine Heights is technicians, scientists, some army men, and former prisoners. They don’t like the Silvers here as much as they don’t believe in autocratic rule. An electronic voting system is applied in the territory, and they try to involve the whole commune in making decisions.

But behind the facade of the prosperous commonwealth, a threat is festering. While Johan is busy developing the settlement and carrying out some research projects, Olivia becomes more and more skeptical of the path she chose and tries to find a way to leave the Dome. You arrive in Carmine Heights just at the time when the split is more obvious than ever.

Kshatriya

“Mister Singh, let me address you! You may even be listening to me at the moment. If so, listen up carefully. Do you consider yourself a good person? How much blood are you willing to spill protecting your good name? Is the Committee, even in its current state, worth struggling for? “ — Max

Serving the noble cause — this is the real honor. This is what justifies tyranny, sacrifices and dirty game behind the scenes. At least Sabal Singh, the commander of the Kshatriya squad, firmly believes in it. The core of this small organization consists of the former special forces operatives, officers and private soldiers of the Black Wing. Among them, there are a lot of those who were the part of the very first expeditionary unit sent under the newly discovered Dome. As well as those, who had several years to become disillusioned with C.R.O.N.U.S. policies, as the corporation was quickly turning into an immense monster sucking juices from the Dome exploration activities.

Sabal is too smart to openly confront C.R.O.N.U.S., which became the New Committee. But he’s got a plan. And he’s got the men. And he’s got you — although, it’s up to you to decide if you want to help him or not.

Popinjays

“You know, I was once a reckless kid. When all this happened, I mean when the cap was blown away to kingdom come from this Petri dish, and the Maelstrom, which was inside, broke free, I was ready to grab my pals and just study the hell out of it… I don’t want anymore. Since I‘ve learned what became of Victoria. Vicky… She wasn’t like that before, you know. ” — Max

Click to download hi-res version

Flamethrowers made of water pipes, body armor made of tires, hand grenades made of rubber hedgehogs. Insane masks. Insane souls. Popinjay gangs rove the desert riding garbage trucks. Their destination is a surrealistic mirage painted by inflammatory mind the Maelstrom radiation scorched for good. Traveling in a spiral, they get closer and closer to the center of the Dome to fight… anything, really. For the glory of their Queen Victoria Legrand, former Silver Wing employee. We've made a lot of research to make them not just generic Raiders... are we done yet? (Click to download hi-res)

Yes, Max is right: the Maelstrom distorted Victoria’s personality but didn’t burn it out completely. The story of a journalist turned queen leads you to her subconscious, to her past. And to the only way to stop Popinjays.

Phalanx

“Talk about irony! It’s not the spiffed out madmen the threat comes from. In fact, it comes from the most intelligent of us. When Zemeckis starts talking, I feel a noose around my neck. It’s really nice and shiny, made from the finest silk. I’m sure I won’t even feel it tightening. ” — Max

Several squads of Blacks, Oranges, and sympathizers, united under a single banner. But their strength comes not from their guns and servoshells. Phalanx is a plenty of strings, thin and sometimes invisible. Spies, informants, saboteurs. And all these strings weave together in a ball held by the hands of Hieronymus Zemeckis himself — a funny little man with kind fatherly eyes.

Click to download hi-res version

Hieronymus seems to be the only man with a vivid vision of the future of the world under the Dome. But to carry out such a large-scale project he will need your help... 

The Church Of The Maelstrom

“...potato pancakes they give everyone at the night shelter on Street Twelve. And then, when I’m done with my pancakes and ginger tea, which is also free, by the way, I raise my gaze and see this huge temple they built. There’s something wrong with them, can you feel it too?” — Max 

They heal wounds. They help the poor and the desperate. They promise miracles you want to believe in the most when you’re trapped under the Dome. But behind the outer layer of kindness and humane speeches, some plan lies within the walls of free night shelters. When you see a diverse mob of believers who fill the streets of towns under the Dome nowadays, you realize: something’s happening. And if you’re smart, you just might link the rise of the Church to the strange events in the West of the Dome. 

The story of the Church is not a story about conspiracy. It is more likely a story about a different path for the human race, and it is within your power to complete it (whatever it means). 

Click to download hi-res version

That's all for today!

Tell us which faction you'd join after the Apocalypse? Become a renegade colonel, lonely wanderer or gray cardinal?

A little project update: we now have 18% of funding goal - thanks to our awesome 555 bakers! Please, let us know what do you think about this update and which topics you'd like us to cover in next updates.

The Encased Kickstarter is now live and seeking 86K with 32 days to go.

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Short Description

• Old-school isometric RPG coming to PC, Mac, XBox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch;
• Sci-fi and post-apocalyptic setting;
• Turn-based combat system; 
• Single protagonist with companions;
• Story campaign of approximately 30+ hours long with significant replay potential;
• Dozens and dozens of side quests to adventure; 
• Gigantic open world via the global map with about 200 handcrafted locations to explore;
• More than 75 unique random encounters.

[...]

Thanks to Silver Coin and Couchpotato!

Encased now has a Steam page which lists an Early Access release date of Q1 2019.

- Old-school isometric RPG;
- Sci-fi and post-apocalyptic setting;
- Turn-based combat system;
- Single protagonist with companions;
- Story campaign of approximately 30+ hours long with significant replay potential;
- Dozens and dozens of side quests to adventure;
- Gigantic open world via the global map with about 200 handcrafted locations to explore;
- More than 75 unique random encounters.

Story premise

The events of the game happen inside the Dome – an artificial construction of unknown origin. The Dome is indestructible. Technology, items, and relics can be extracted from it, but people who enter the Dome are not able to leave it. Beneath the ground yet more mystery awaits, as the Dome is just the tip of an enormous complex hidden beneath the sands. These ancient underground labyrinths contain artifacts, weapons and AI systems that control the complex… not to mention lethal traps and dangerous anomalies that guard the riches.

Research and exploration of the Dome are conducted by staff of the C.R.O.N.U.S. Foundation. To the outside world, little is known about the inner workings of C.R.O.N.U.S. Those that sign up for a life within the Dome do not speak of their experiences, and those managing the Foundation from outside speak even less. Thanks to the powerful artifacts extracted from within the Dome, C.R.O.N.U.S. have become powerful enough to hold sway over the leaders of the world. Now, the fate of the entire planet rests in the hands of the soldiers, businessmen, scientists and even criminals who comprise the ranks of C.R.O.N.U.S.
In the end, the Foundation’s political machinations led to nuclear war, the echo of which was heard inside the Dome. All communication means with the outside world were lost, and another power has now arisen – something that explorers never faced before. An intelligent entity has awakened in the depths of the underground complex, causing death and destruction. Within the Dome, the survivors will have to build a new civilization upon the ruins of the old one, and the player’s character is among them.

Combat

• Encased combat is inspired by classic, tactical turn-based systems, with a grid overlay, action points, cover system, special abilities, various ammo and damage types, many different resistances, and more!
  
• The player has direct control over his character only. You will manage the behavior and tactics of their your henchmen but their specific actions will be guided by the game’s combat AI system, introducing funny and interesting situations into your battles.
  
• There are dozens of weapons to be found, many of which can be stripped and upgraded.

Enemies and Creatures

The world of the Dome has from its discovery been a place full of weird creatures and dangerous traps. There’s no telling what lies around the next bend in the road, or inside the twilit cave, or beneath the murky waters of the swamp. But who knows? Perhaps humans are the biggest threat in this bizarre land.

Maelstrom

- Impacting the narrative
Maelstrom dominates everything, its telepathic rage sowing chaos in the minds of everyone trapped under the Dome. But the player, having “freed” the entity, enjoys a special relationship with it. The two of you have regular interactions, and Maelstrom may even grant “wishes” to the player... but be warned: every call for assistance will eventually incur a price.

- Impacting the gameplay
Maelstrom’s power grows stronger the closer you move to the heart of the Dome, and that is exactly where you must go to find the answers. There is a special stat influencing interactions with Maelstrom: Psyche. Resistance to Maelstrom’s negative effect can be developed in several ways, and develop it you must before you may venture deeper into the Dome. There is also a special skill branch related to Psychic abilities.

Factions

Following the devastating events of Maelstrom’s release, CRONUS splintered into multiple other, often warring, factions. The world has changed while you were in stasis, but has the nature of Man?
Trapped inside the Dome like spiders in a jar, these factions will show the worst and best of humankind. Will you join them, or strike out on your own?

Each faction has two unique endings. Likewise, there are two endings for those who choose to go it alone.

Justice System

If the player chooses to commit crimes against society, he will incur penalties to his reputation, and earn titles ranging from ‘Petty Thief’ to ‘Enemy of the State,’ or even ‘Threat to Humanity.’

Crime begets punishment. The player may be fined, imprisoned, and even executed. Luckily, there are several ways to deal with your arrest: bribe judges, organize a jailbreak, or return alive from the Labyrinth of Death (this last one may be particularly challenging).

Global Map

The Dome is huge and for the most part is an open sandbox (if you are able to resist the psychic presence of Maelstrom). The map consists of more than 170 sectors, each carefully planned and handcrafted. There are abandoned bunkers, black caves, the complexes of the Forefathers, as well as wastes, swamps and other biomes.

Random Encounters

Random encounters have been a standby of the old-school role playing game since the dawn of the genre. But Encased will bring them to a new level. Each encounter is a separate post-apocalyptic story, not just a bunch of critters attacking you. Want to participate in a game of Russian Roulette? Find a pathway through a deadly anomaly to find a rare relic? Defend an automated rail transport from raiders? Or end up a victim yourself? All this awaits you, in addition to more classic encounters like fighting bandit scum and haggling with caravan traders.

Encased will be going to Kickstarter September 13th according to this twitter account.

ENCASED 13 сентября выходит на Kickstarter — поэтому завтра мы пишем живые барабаны, духовые и струнные для темы трейлера. Меж тем, stripdown-версия без всего, кроме гитар и барабанов, почему-то звучит как новый сингл Soundgarden. Ставьте на рингтоны! https://t.co/EaMZpUYLMi

— Peter Salnikov (@blessmepadre) September 10, 2018

Translated it reads: Encased September 13 goes to Kickstarter-so tomorrow we write live drums, wind and string for the theme of the trailer. Meanwhile, the Stripdown-version without anything but guitars and drums, for some reason sounds like a new single Soundgarden. Put on the ringtones! https://soundcloud.com/blessmepadre/encased-kickstarter-trailer-theme-teaser-guitars-drums-only-work-in-progress …

A video for Encased shows off some community suggested weapons.

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Encased is turn-based sci-fi post-apocalyptic RPG in development.

The first community update for Encased from Dark Crystal Games.

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To create your own NPC that can appear in Encased RPG proceed to https://cronus.darkcrystalgames.com.

This is our first ever development update. We will talk about game backstory a little bit and how we involve our beloved players into development.

Game Developer: https://darkcrystalgames.com/

Production by: http://blacktower.vc/

Directed by Nastya Nikiforova.

Encased has been announced, plus has a new backstory trailer.

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The announcement of Encased, a sci-fi isometric RPG by Dark Crystal Games

We proudly announce the impending arrival of Encased: an isometric RPG in a sci-fi post-apocalyptic setting. This game tells the story of a disastrous research project inside an anomalous zone – the Dome – built in the middle of a desert by an unknown civilization.

Encased will hit early access in early 2019.

The Game

Encased is an old-school RPG with a turn-based combat system. The story campaign will be approximately 25-30 hours long with significant replay potential. The player will be able to explore the game’s open world and make hard decisions that influence the plot. The world actively reacts to the player’s actions and changes constantly. This also works vice versa, as environmental changes within the game will influence gameplay style.

Story

The events of the game happen under the Dome – an artificial construction of unknown origin that is shaped like a sheer half-sphere with a small aperture at the top. The Dome is indestructible. Technology, items and relics can be extracted from it, but people who enter the Dome cannot leave. Beneath the earth, yet more mystery awaits, as the Dome is just the cap of an enormous complex hidden under the sands. Ancient underground labyrinths contain bountiful artifacts, weapons and artificial intelligence systems that control the whole complex… not to mention lethal traps and curious anomalies that guard these riches.

Research and exploration of the Dome are conducted by staff of the C.R.O.N.U.S. Foundation – an international corporation and a state-within-a-state. To the outside world, little is known about the inner workings of C.R.O.N.U.S. Those that sign up for a life within the Dome do not speak of their experiences, and those managing the Foundation from outside speak even less. Thanks to the bounty extracted from the Dome, C.R.O.N.U.S. have become powerful enough to hold sway over the leaders of the world. Now, the fate of the entire planet rests in the hands of the soldiers, businessmen, scientists and even criminals who comprise their ranks.

However, within the Dome, something is changing. Another power has arisen – something never faced by explorers before. As a direct result of actions performed by the expedition of the player’s character, an intelligent entity has awakened in the depths of the underground complex – an unstable AI nicknamed Maelstrom. Upon breaking loose, it will change the world under the Dome beyond recognition – all connection to the outside world is lost, and the denizens trapped within the Dome become desperate and split into warring factions.

Combat

The combat mechanics of Encased are turn-based and battles have a wide variety of tactical options. The player will be able to target the enemy’s key fighters or the enemy’s support, exhaust the enemy, attack using the environment, use non-combat skills to weaken the foes, and more.

Role-Playing

Experienced players will quickly notice similarities with Fallout and other classic RPGs. This will let the player quickly figure out the role-playing system of the game without reading manuals or failing builds. Layered on top of the familiar, we add our own system of perks and skills, forcing the player to make a complicated and interesting choice every time they gain a new level.

Maelstrom

The unstable AI Maelstrom is one of the unique features of the game. Maelstrom is intelligent, it can interact with the player and even fulfill their wishes (but everything comes at a price, of course). However, Maelstrom is more than just a character: it’s an enigmatic power that destroys the minds of intelligent beings. Its influence is especially potent within the center of the Dome, so wise players will stick near the borders at the beginning of the game. In addition to the above, Maelstrom affects the performance of some skills and perks.

Crime System

When committing crimes against society, the player character receives various penalties and begins to accrue a reputation: from ‘Petty Thief’ to ‘Enemy of the State #1’ or even ‘Threat to Humanity.’ Crime begets punishment. The player character can be fined, imprisoned and even executed. There are options to bribe judges, organize a jailbreak or pass the trial in the ‘Labyrinth of Death’ (needless to say, surviving this is a challenge).

Character Creation Prototype

Although the game isn’t ready to play yet, you can already take a sneak peek at character creation and make a lasting impact on the finished game in the process. Our character creation system includes choosing stats and making a biography for your character. Each and every character created in the Encased character creation prototype will be added to the records of the C.R.O.N.U.S database, leaving a permanent mark on the finished game. The best biographies will also be used as prototypes for C.R.O.N.U.S. employee NPCs.

https://cronus.darkcrystalgames.com/

Encased has been officially announced by Dark Crystal Games.

Even the squabbles of the Silver and Blue wings did not stop us from launching the website and making a small announcement.https://t.co/YvmFFBvLDW

Follow along, there will be more.#gamedev #indiedev #encased #scifi #postapocalyptic #rpg pic.twitter.com/xd7HzLVoue

— Dark Crystal Games (@DarkCrystal_HQ) March 20, 2018

We are glad to announce the video game we have been working on for a plenty of time. Meet Encased – the postapocalyptic single-player tactical RPG with the old-school spirit and a modern design. It features a turn-based combat system and an isometric camera.

The action takes place on the isolated from the other world desert territory covered with a gigantic semi-penetrable dome of mysterious origin. Here lie the ruins of an ancient technologically advanced civilization which are filled with artifacts, traps, and anomalies. After the nuclear war, a corporation researching ancient technologies collapsed, and the remnants of its staff founded a few factions, each one of them having their own vision of the humanity’s future.

Depending on the profession defined by the player during the character creation, some unique dialogue and interaction options appear. Encased is classless – the flexible system of skills and attributes allows making anyone out of your character.

Encased becomes open-world after the prologue and consists of separately loaded areas, with random events that may occur during the translocation.

During the development, we draw our inspiration from such pieces as Fallout 1-2 and “Roadside Picnic“.

Team

Although Encased is the first project for Dark Crystal Games, this is not the first game for our team members. Many of us have a daily experience in the game development and have released a few decent games.

How to follow

It’s best to subscribe to the secret C.R.O.N.U.S. newsletter – there will be really unique materials, classified documents, and demo versions, that you will not see anywhere else. Newsletter http://eepurl.com/dhl8fP. The second best source of data will be our community boards http://forum.darkcrystalgames.com/.

But if you prefer social media – we have plenty.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DarkCrystal_HQ

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darkcrystalhq/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtGcUbYIJMihpiT19swT78g/

VK: https://vk.com/darkcrystalgames (Russian)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darkcrystalgames/

Dark Crystal Games has chosen a working title for their post apocalyptic CRPG. Encased has been listed on IndieDB.

You know, in here is much better than in jail. Yesterday we looted an abandoned warehouse and next couple of months we will feast like kings. I feel great under the Dome, except for one thing: I've written so many letters, pity I can't send them.#gamedev #postapocalyptic #rpg pic.twitter.com/rWaOuNodtz

— Dark Crystal Games (@DarkCrystal_HQ) February 12, 2018

 

Summary

- What: A modern tactical role-playing game about adventures and survival in a special zone left from an ancient race of unknown origin, the spiritual successor of renown isometric RPGs of the early 2000s.

- Title: working title - Encased.

- Status: the end of pre-production.

- When: early access in 2019.

- Who: Dark Crystal Games - indie-studio from St. Petersburg, Russia. Now we have six permanent experienced developers who worked on such games as Divinity: Original Sin (DOSEE and DOS2), Life Is Feudal: Forest Village, Leviathan: The Last Day of The Decade, and also indirectly related to such games as King's Bounty: Legions, Braveland, and others. We are going to build up the backbone of up to ten people, and at the peak attract fifteen-sixteen.

- Why here: to let the world know about us. Communicate. Answer the questions. Get feedback.

External links:

Website - in development, at the moment the most not active resource.

The forum - just started to develop, but it is fully functional and we follow it.

Vkontakte - the most interesting resource for the Russian-speaking part of the community. It is actively updated.

Twitter - very actively updated, and all publications are in English.

Facebook - updated, all publications in English, not so active.