Blog 413: The Equipment of Y4

In any sword-and-shield driven map, there is a lot of emphasis on cool weaponry. Let’s take a look at some of the fun things you’ll be able to dress up your All-Purpose Assault Mech with in Project Y4…

The Basic Set

Cheap and cheerful, you begin the game with the most simple, unadorned weapons and blast shields. Some basic set items come in a variety of colours!

The most basic undercarriage item, shown here, is the Extended Magazine that increases your artillery shell capacity.

The Slightly Above Basic Set

These are better items that are still relatively standard. Up front are Electro Blades, capable of discharging an EMP into targets; much better looking when you see all that crackling electricity in motion. The shields are Ammo Pack Shields, that increase your artillery shell capacity (at the cost of protection).

The undercarriage here is the Repair Drone Bay, which allows you to repair yourself (or, indeed, an ally) on the move.

The Projector Set

Since this project has made force-fields a part of the RDZ Industries mythos, it’s only right that they get applied to the AP-AM. You’ve probably noticed this about me by now — I take the kernel of something and run with it until you can’t stand the sight of it. Welcome to the party!

While the Projector Blades and Projector Shields do nothing more than give better damage/reduction, the Projector Manufactory on the undercarriage is capable of deploying an 8×8 force field blockade that no enemies can pass — perfect for stopping attacks down a particular path when you’re trying to defend a location, funneling them together to put them at the mercy of your artillery cannons.

On the subject of artillery, Barrier was originally going to be a shell mod, so every cannon shot dropped one… But I felt that would be just a little bit over-powered (or under-powered, if it did no damage but dropped a barrier).

The Fun Set

Rival company HoverCon are attempting to capitalise on the chaos at Facility EY24, and they’ve brought in their own experimental bladed machine to combat the mighty AP-AM. Take them out, and you can steal their machine’s Saw Blades for yourself.

And as previously mentioned in these Y4 development entries, the Dazzle Shields confuse enemies’ targeting systems, giving you a chance to completely avoid attacks.

Shell Mods

There are three different shell mods (so far), on top of the no mod high explosive blast.

• EMP shells: trade some damage for stunning over a wider area.
• Gas shells: drop a lingering cloud of caustic gas.
• Cryo shells: snap-freeze everything in the radius, making it vulnerable to shattering, and slow anyone that comes close until the region warms up again.

Of Course…

… this isn’t the final line-up. I fully intend to add a lot more items, especially ones with funny effects. Maybe an acid-splash blade that does damage over time, a tarry blade that clogs up motors and slows enemies down… Then there are plenty more things lined up for the undercarriage; EMP shockwave, Pheonix Fire laser auto-turret…

Rest assured: Project Y4 will not skimp on exciting options to dress up your mech!