DevTracker

[Grummz]

Hi Giga,

You have a direct line to me. We can have a call anytime. I tried to message you on Discord after I read this but either I am unfriended or blocked again. Send me a text and we can arrange a time.

 

[Ronyn]

Greetings Reapers,

As mentioned in the recent Chief Chat, Grummz has asked to see your barbecue pictures! Whoever posts the one he likes best will receive a prize! What's the prize? We will find out soon enough!

So post them below, and may it be your meat that guides the way to victory!

 

[Ronyn]

This month’s Monthly Patron skin is about Russel, a man and his ride. He’s got a job to do, and we wrote a little short story to go along with it. This is part 1. Next month’s skin will feature part 2 of the story!

If you are interested in Russel, who pairs well with last month’s mount, you can become a Monthly Patron for Em-8ER on our website which includes access to Em-8ER game dev demos!

We also have a Memorial Day Sale of 25% off on select skins in the general store, as well as all Newcomer and M3 packs and upgrades through June 4!


Better Angels, Part 1

“You sure you want to do this?”

The comment didn’t merit an answer, and so I gave none. The kid didn’t know what he was talking about, anyway. Kids never do.

He worried at his lower lip and stared at me when he thought I couldn’t see him. I wished he wouldn’t. The kid was sweet. That sweetness would get him killed. The only things that kept you alive out here were your instincts and your trigger finger. The kid had little either.

“Stop it.”

He flinched like I’d hit him. Weak.

“Stop what?” He said, pretending not to know.

“Tapping your foot. You’re throwing off my sights.”

The kid stopped tapping, and I went back to staring through the sights of my rifle. I didn’t want to use the damn thing, but the job required precision. Not my strong suit, but I would manage.

The reticle of my sights slid back into focus onto a steel door poking out of the side of a bunker buried in the side of a hunk of solidified lava. No security that I could see. Not even a sentry prowling around the perimeter. Strange, for a target so valuable.

“You sure this is the place?” I asked, though I knew the answer already.

“Yeah, yeah, man. I saw them bring it through here last week.”

“And you kept watch like I told you to?”

I wasn’t looking at him, but the kid’s nervousness seeped through his pores like sweat. “Yeah, yeah. They didn’t move it, man. It’s in there.”

I grunted and frowned through my sights. They built the bunker into an air pocket formed by red-hot magma meeting the frozen air of the surface. The magma flash froze into a half dome shape. EM8-ER’s unique nature allowed for extreme variations in temperatures, making things like this common.

Assuming the kid was reliable, which I didn’t, and if I assumed the target was in there, I wasn’t, the lack of security was alarming. On my right, Swayer picked up some of my unease. He nudged my shoulder, as if to reassure me.

Absently, I stroked the horse’s flank. Swayer was about the only thing on this godforsaken planet that I could rely on. He was getting on in years, but he still did the job better than any of those new models could. I had the benchmarks to prove it. I lowered my rifle and gazed across the hellscape in front of me. Maybe two hundred yards between us and the door. Simple work for Swayer, even if that two hundred yards comprised molten rock and treacherous ice. Though I’d have to replace his feet after the job was done.

Didn’t matter. When the money hits, I’d be able to buy all the parts I could ever want. And a real mechanic to install them. Swayer would be good as new.

Out of my pocket, I drew out a small plastic card and handed it to the kid. “Alright, you’ve done your work. Get back home. Keep that card safe. I won’t give you a new one if you lose it.” The kid took the card and slipped it into a pocket. When he moved, his shirt pulled tight against his body, exposing the outline of ribs.

He’s half starved. Damn kid’s going to die if he doesn’t eat more.

He stared up at me with hollowed out eyes.

I took another card out of my pocket and handed it to him. “Take this. Eat. Eat more than you’ve ever eaten in your life.”

He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then the second card vanished with the first. “Thanks. Listen, are you sure? Like really sure? Them things are dangerous. Alien. I’ve heard stories. A lot of people have died.”

I looked down at the kid. He didn’t say it, but I knew his mother had been one of them. Orphanages on EM8-ER are not kind places. They can’t afford to be. I knew it better than anyone.

If I was honest with myself, he had a point. Doing this job wasn’t smart. I knew it when I took it. Stealing the remains of alien monsters from a Gatestrider morgue was not my typical job. A year ago, even six months ago, I would’ve passed on it without a second thought.

I glanced at Swayer. Once upon a time he’d been shiny and new, top of the line, with hell-colored eyes, and a shiny black exoskeleton. Now one of those eyes sat dark in its socket, and if he still moved quickly enough, he did it with a limp. He hadn’t been so beat up back then. Neither of us had.

“I’m sure, kid. Now get out of here.”

He nodded at me, opened his mouth as if to speak, but then turned away and dashed off back toward his hab. I didn’t watch him go.

“Shouldn’t have given him the extra credits.” I muttered to myself, “He’ll be dead in weeks.” Swayer was silent, as he always was, but he nudged my shoulder again. Right. Eye on the prize.

I turned back toward the target, and as I did, a sudden roar of sound crashed down around me. I spun around and looked up just in time to see a small, sleek ship flash overhead, moving low and fast enough to nearly blow me over.

The ship came to a hover above the bunker. A small hatch opened up in the bottom, and a lone figure dropped to the ground. From here, the newcomers' movements looked strangely fluid and powerful. I swung my rifle up and examined the newcomer through my site.

I noted details mechanically. Female, long blond hair, a brand new light frame painted to blend in with the lava bed. A pair of pistols hung low on her thighs, and she moved with practiced ease. The frame seemed to be part of her. She dashed over to the door and began fiddling with something that I couldn’t see.

“Annabelle.” I growled. I knew her, of course. By reputation and personally. The single biggest thorn in my side, always trying to muscle in on my jobs, and always looking for an advantage.

Swayer stamped his feet, irritated. She’d tried to steal him once, and in the process, caused severe damage to several of his systems. I still owed her for that.

She finished what she was doing, and the bunker door began sliding up. As soon as it did, alarms blared through the air, nearly deafening even from this far away.

I slung my rifle onto my back and climbed onto Swayer’s back. The horse moved uneasily, sensing my turmoil. No time to do a last check of my gear, no time to think. She was going after the target.

I kicked my heels, and Swayer lurched into motion, building up speed.

My eyes never left the target.







Come back next month and read part two of Better Angels!

 

[Ronyn]

EM-8ER PATRON SUBSCRIPTION F. A. Q.

1 - Q: Can we pay with PayPal?

Spoiler

A: We cannot accept PayPal for the subscriptions, at this time.

2 - Q: Are subscription rewards retroactive? For example, if someone subscribes after two months, will they still receive the monthly rewards from the previous months? Especially the skins.

Spoiler

A: NO. However, the skins are NOT exclusive. Once the month they are offered in ends, they are vaulted and return in the game sometime AFTER launch as RARE items at the in-game shop.

3 - Q: If I'm already a M3 or Newcomer backer, should I get a subscription too?

Spoiler

A: The Newcomer Backer Packs are a one time purchase with exclusive perks and completely separate from the subscription.

The subscription is a completely optional reoccurring program. To see what's included, check out the full list at the bottom of this post.

4 - Q: If I buy the subscription and then unsubscribe, will I get to keep the skin? I really just want the skin.

Spoiler

A: Yes, you get to keep the skins from the months you were subscribed.

5 - Q: The monthly subscriptions - will they continue through Kickstarter, Alpha, Beta, and Launch? Or is there a cutoff?

Spoiler

A: Grummz is currently considering the options of what can be done with the monthly subscription after Kickstarter. Whether it will continue, change, or be gone entirely is still being looked at.

DIRECT LINK TO SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: https://my.em8er.com/perks/campaign/7
FORUM THREAD: https://forums.em8er.com/threads/em8er-subscriptions-live.1465/#post-45539


SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS
================
- Em-8er Patron Subscription costs are:
^ per 1 month $7.95 USD
^ per 3 months $21.95 USD
^ per 6 months $42.95 USD
^ per year $79.95 USD
- Created by the Em-8ER Dev Team.
- Subscription is hosted directly on my.em8er.com; NO 3rd party sites.

- The Subscription will include:
+ Each month, receive a custom skin - a weapon, a character, an omniframe, a THMPR, a pet, OR even a mount skin!
+ Includes access to prior dev test builds one release behind backers to preview changes.
+ A series of novels; chapter by chapter. They will be in .mobi and .pdf formats.
+ The work-in-progress of the tabletop game rules; chapter by chapter.
+ Access to private forums to give feedback on the book, the tabletop, and the game.
+ Access to the Vision Book, which will be updated over time during development of the game.

Does NOT include any items from backer packs - custom skins, copy of the final game, alpha, or beta access.

 

[Ronyn]

It’s Christmas in Em-8er, so yes, it’s the time.
For me to bring you a holiday rhyme.

We know Grummz has the vision for Em-8ers true mission.
We have the best devs with the skill sets to bring it to fruition.

The community team handles our members with care.
Cause without every one of you, none of us would be here.

This year’s been a wild one, for team em-8er and friends.
Building foundations, new features, and waifu’s without end.

We’ve seen new pet’s, a space truck and mecha designs.
A new landscape, where the ground breaks, and lets us inside.

The art pass is on full blast and will blow you away.
We will blitz you all with the visuals in the upcoming days.

When it comes to the Kickstarter, I’m sure we will have victory.
I don’t need a crystal ball I just look at our history.

Every milestone we laid out, you blew so far beyond.
Em-8er is inevitable, that you can count on.

We set goals out in front of you, and each one did you own.
In fact due to our sub numbers, our mech options have grown.

The light frame is the fastest and most agile combatant.
Dual power fists, that never miss, if that’s how you build it.

The heavy frame gets the biggest most powerful guns.
And a great shield you can glide on or guard your loved ones.

The medium you’ve played and love it already.
It’s got just the right balance between force and tenacity.

But it’s about more than a game, or time at a screen.
What’s most special about Em-8er, is that we all believe.

Your generosity this year has been inspiring truly.
Sharing good vibes, through these hard times, has meant so very much to me.
On behalf of team Em-8er, may your holidays be bright.
Merry Christmas to all. And to all… A DEEPSTRYKE!