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A very late October newsletter – but for a good reason! As I’m sure many of you are aware, we’ve finally announced the release date for early access – December 1st. As the media guy who isn’t directly involved in development of the game, I’ve been holding off on the newsletter since I was well aware that the guys were planning on an imminent announcement. And now that has happened! So I no longer have any excuses for procrastination.

So, yes! December 1st, 2017, is when we’ll be unleashing our little game about little ants upon the not-so-little world. Being an early access title it won’t be feature-complete, but we’re taking a very specific approach to the early access model. We’re doing our best to release the game in polished, fit-for-purpose chunks rather than releasing glitchy messes that we expect the community to dissect for us. We’ve been really lucky in that we have an honestly lovely group of beta testers – from our Kickstarter campaign – who have been extraordinarily dedicated and helpful. They’ve helped us shape the game into what we hope will be an eminently playable yet challenging RTS.

On to the fun stuff.

Micro?!?

Although complex micro skills are not the focus of Empires of the Undergrowth, it’s perfectly possible with a little practice and some planning to micro with the best of them. Here’s a pretty simple maneuver – let’s call it the “formic flank” – using pheromone markers to get round the back of these devil’s coach horse beetles that have been let loose in our formicarium. Getting a good surround on them from both the front and the back traps them, and the game’s up for the invaders.

As a nice bonus, there’s also the victory screen at the end!

Level Previews

It’s been ages since we had a GIF. Everyone loves a good GIF, right?

A little taster of the levels will be given before you play them by short videos showing a little bit of them. This one showing a horde of ladybirds (or ladybugs) enjoying a little aphid snack is rather pleasing to look at. We’ll also use these short videos to show how a particular mechanic works.

Has Science Gone Too Far?

The scientists have been studying a unique polymorphic species – Formica ereptor – for a while now. They’re a fascinating artificial species, capable of exhibiting the traits of many natural ones. It may soon be time to push them to their limits.

Lurking in the Darkness

These Formica fusca ants have a problem. Lurking in the dark of their nest site is Segestria florentina, a funnel web spider. They have tripwires radiating from their funnel-shaped webs and can feel the slightest vibration. Any ant that gets too close will be snatched away in the blink of an eye.

Attack of the Killer Mole Crickets

The queen is in imminent danger! Unfortunately for her, the nest site she’s chosen is infested with omnivorous mole crickets. They’ve had their fill of roots for the day, and are now on the hunt for protein-rich invertebrates. Such as ants.

In Empires of the Undergrowth, some levels have a “challenge” mode, where you can replay them with a special twist for more rewards. In this case, the first two levels can be replayed with the threat of mole crickets invading.

Special thanks to JeZardin, the Kickstarter backer who added the mole cricket to the game as part of their reward tier. It is a fine addition to the Undergrowth!