Night Is Coming is a New RTS Focusing on Slavic Myths

Night Is Coming is a new survival RTS game being developed by Wild Forest Studio. This game is inspired by Slavic tales that have floated around the Carpathian mountains for eons. There is a very distinct story arc to this game. Players will be settling, building, and constantly moving to new regions to find and vanquish a growing evil. This story isn’t merely about “survival,” but rather saving the world. All of the standard RTS and survival tropes are present here. However, this game does put its own spin on things. All of the settlers aren’t just faceless NPCs following a player’s bidding. They will be actual characters with their own traits, abilities, and skills. Therefore, it will be up to the player to look after every single person. It’s almost as if every settler is deemed the main protagonist of this game. Hence, they will all need to be treated as such.

With that said, there will also be heroes that can be unlocked. They will come with their own abilities and traits. No doubt they will help turn the tide of battles in a pinch. However, let’s not overlook the fact that there will be enemies of the same caliber. Upgrading and constantly enhancing the settlement will be the key to surviving the constant onslaught of attacks. There will even be times when everything will be torn down and players will need to move and start from scratch. Night Is Coming is a dark, brutal and unforgiving game that will test players to their limits. If looked at from a certain angle, this game is also very much like a ‘Fort Defense‘ title. The major difference between this and other similar titles is the fact that there is actually an end game.

Tools of the Trade

So, essentially, players will be tasking all of the NPCs’ certain jobs. Things like; mining, lumbering, cooking, farming, blacksmithing, and soldiering will be the core focus of every settlement. Players will be able to command groups of people to venture out into the mountains to find resources. Out there, will also be special loot that will be needed for upgrades. Every person will have a “Spirit Meter” associated with them. What this is, is basically a gauge that determines morale. This will help them fight enemies more fiercely and withstand more damage. On the flip side, NPCs will become weak and will even flee from enemies when their “Spirit Meter” is low. Even though there will be monsters to slay, the main foe settlers will face will be the elements. Night Is Coming has a dynamic weather system that drastically changes the overall situation. Hence, players will need to establish proper structures to accommodate the weather accordingly.

One prime example is the season of winter. The cold weather will affect the NPCs in a variety of ways. Not to mention whenever night falls upon the settlement. During winter, nighttime lasts longer and the monsters will be more aggressive. Such creatures as werewolves, night nurses, swamp banshees, and others will attack the settlement in hordes. Every horde will have a “Baron” leading the charge. Once they are slain, then players have pretty much won the battle. When it is time to move on, players will be free to take different paths. The thing is that every path yields sundry rewards. The more difficult the road, the better the rewards will be. Night Is Coming will have a little bit of mercy on players. Depending on how they want to play. Of course, taking the easier path will yield weaker rewards. On top of that, the enemies will be more confident and will attack players at a more constant rate.

Slavic Secrets

There will also be a little bit of survival game features in Night Is Coming. The settlers will need to sleep, eat, stay warm, take medicine, and stay active. There will be meters associated with every character that shows their status. Things like health, comfort, and mental stability will be some of the needs that players will have to overlook. Buildings will operate the same way. Thermal insulation, capacity, protection, and wear-out speed are all factors to consider. Hence, players will need to maintain and upkeep the structures within the settlement. Building defense mechanisms will also be an element. Erecting fences, sniper towers, gates, and players will also be able to assign patrol patterns for soldiers. When it is time to battle, players can summon special heroes in they can control manually. They can also be used to explore the inner depths of the woods to find special resources.

Even though Night Is Coming is still a long way off from release, the Pre-Alpha build does seem to show some potential. It offers a very pragmatic way to play an RTS that is seldom seen these days. Players will need to build their settlement, piece by piece, through time-lapsed animations. Of course, the effectiveness and speed can be enhanced whenever the settlers are taken care of. This game rewards players for being disciplined and competent toward the settlement they are overseeing. This isn’t a static title. This adventure will be very organic and everchanging regarding the seasons, weather, and structural integrity of the buildings. Not to mention the characters, themselves. There is a lot to chew on with this game. There is a level of depth and strategic nuance in this game to please any hardcore RTS fan.

Winter Is Coming

So far, Night Is Coming is scheduled to be released later this year. No word on whether or not it is going to be delayed. It appears to be on track, as of right now. This RTS does have some interesting ideas behind it. Even if it isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, the features are still a step in the right direction toward innovation. Night Is Coming will be available for PC sometime later this year. Hopefully, there won’t be any setbacks in the development and players will be able to dive into this Slavic adventure this winter.