Underworld Ascendant: The Consequence of Ecology

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Whatever that thing is, it isn't Prince Humperdinck post-To the Pain.

OtherSide Entertainment have posted another update to the Underworld: Ascendant Kickstarter page, which discusses the ecology at work within the Stygian Abyss.

The Underworld will have a working ecology. This will include a food chain and pyramid…

…this just goes on without the player interference. There is a matrix of eat or be eaten that has been going on in the Underworld for, well, forever. And, without any outside interference it could go on indefinitely.

But, enter the player. Talk about a monkey wrench! Players will be able to affect, change and mold the ecology in ways not seen before in games. Whether the player does this intentionally or by accident, he will be able to see the effect of his actions in his environment almost immediately.

For example, our hero helps build a dam for the dwarves. Seems innocent enough, with the well-intentioned outcome of creating a water supply for their farms and forges. But, downriver this has the effect of drying out the riverbed which kills off the plant life in the surrounding cavern system. This in turn reduces the food source for the local herbivores who move away in search of a replacement. Their predators, who are not so capable of moving their home, begin to starve and resort to raiding a nearby elf village looking for sustenance (and maybe eating a few elves in the process).

Actions, well-meaning or not, all have consequences.

If the above sounds at all familiar, it should; what is being described is very similar to the Artificial Life Engine that was designed for, but ultimately cut from, Ultima Online.

The Kickstarter update goes on to describe various categories of creatures within the Abyss, listing examples of predators and prey within this ecology. However, OtherSide are careful to note that nothing is final as yet:

…the reality is all we have talked about is the way our world works on a very basic level. What happens to an ecosystem when we add in magic? Where do undead fit in the food chain? Do rotworms like to eat the walking dead? Have some monsters figured out that animated skeletons will only attack what they are told to and use them as early warning systems? Do some creatures use magic, or magic like abilities for locomotion, hunting, camouflage or as lures. Is magic a food?

Is magic a food? Will there be a creature that stalks the Abyss, seeking to feast on those characters who are attuned to the magical arts, but who will not even notice (or, at least, will entirely ignore) the passage of fighters and rogues? There’s a fun — or terrifying; I suppose it depends on your play style — thought.

Oh, also: If you backed Underworld on Kickstarter, check your email:

Last week the backerkit survey was sent out to all our Kickstarter backers. It is important that everyone fills out this survey so that we have your proper shipping address and email, as well as the answers to important questions regarding your order. If you have not filled out the survey yet, please take the time to do so soon! And, if you haven’t received your survey please check your email spam filter as it may be sitting in there. If not, contact us directly at support@otherside-e.com.