SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada - Closed Beta Test Guide
Hello Drifters! You have been chosen to join the Closed Beta Test for SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada!
In this Sci-fi PvPvE extraction shooter, players will rise from the underground to a surface world infested with hostile Enders, toxic rains, and enemy players as you fight for resources. With your trusted Magus partner at your side, pilot a CRADLECOFFIN to collect resources and find out what caused the fall of the underground haven Amasia.
The goal of the game is to scavenge or hunt other players for resources to bring safely back to base!
*Screenshots are in development and may not reflect final CBT experience.
STARTING OUT
- Gameplay Loop
- Magus Customization
BASE
- Base Functions
- Taking Requests
- Remodel
- CRADLECOFFIN Customization
FIELD BASICS
- Resource Gathering
- Hazards
- Bailing Out / Losing Your Magus
- Safe Returns
UPGRADING THE BASE
- Base Remodeling
- Crafting
STARTING OUT
Gameplay Loop
Sortie
Scavenge Resources and Collectibles
Return to Base and Upgrade
Sortie
Magus Creation
You can customize your AI partner as you like, from their appearance to their support abilities to match your playstyle!
- Two Magus Body Types are available in the CBT, but more will be available at launch. Each has a distinct personality, communication style, and base appearance.
- Once you’ve chosen their look, you can choose from 4 Systems. Each System offers a different ability and perks in the field, but may have their own drawback. Ex: Anti-Ender Types are capable of dealing more damage against Enders, but have a more limited range in scanning for AO Crystals.
Your Magus serves as additional eyes and ears on the surface, reporting about nearby enemies, goods, and pinning nearby AO Crystal excavation sites on the map.
TIP! Choose the appearance and support type of your Magus carefully, because it's locked in once confirmed!
BASE
The Base is where you can sign up for Requests, upgrade and craft equipment, customize your Magus outfits, and more. As you Remodel and update the facilities, you can generate more resources and upgrade the functionality of everything at your disposal.
Taking Requests
On the base, you can take requests that net you money and other rewards. Be sure to check the Requests section before you head out on sorties so you can maximize your earnings.
CRADLECOFFIN Customization
Don’t limit yourself to the preset CRADLECOFFIN parts! Modifying the Arms, Body, and Legs of your Coffin will affect stats like Agility, Durability, Mobility, and more. Plus, they may have different bonuses, such as reduced fall damage. All these stats will change how your mecha moves and operates on the surface, so mix and match the parts to optimize your CRADLECOFFIN for the mission at hand.
Of course, you’ll also need weapons to defend yourself! From Assault Rifles to Railguns, and even Grenade Launchers, there’s a near-limitless array of weapons within each category for you to equip. Get creative when you equip your set of two weapons – will you dual-wield Grenade Launchers and rain down chaos, or keep it close quarters with Submachine Guns and Assault Rifles?
TIP! Changing parts also affects the mecha’s Total Strength, which determines how much loot you can carry.
FIELD BASICS
Resource Gathering
After arriving at the field, you should always start by checking your map on where you are and get your Magus to check your surroundings. There could be an AO Crystal – or enemy – right under your nose.
Magus can scan the vicinity of your location; you should do this to know where to find resources!
Doing so will lead you to the most important resource in SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada, the AO Crystals!
AO crystals are the main resource of energy in this world, highly valued and your ticket to Base improvements and better goodies.
There are other resources than AO crystals that you can get through opening cases or looting from other players. Grab as much as you can to craft coveted items. You might also find Collectibles, which will shine the light of truth on what happened to Amasia!
Hazards
Where loot abound, so too does danger. Some enemies to look out for in the game:
- Enders – deformed creatures that roam freely. From packs of Chaser Enders to flying Gazer Enders, and more, you’ll need to keep a head on a swivel for these enemies that may be easy to take down when alone, but can easily overwhelm you in larger numbers.
- Bandit Coffins – Gun-toting CRADLECOFFINS bent on destroying you. Take them down and loot them for parts!
- Other Players – Though you can form groups with other players, there’s no guarantee that they’ll play nice when loot appears. Your Magus will inform you if another player has killed before, but you should proceed with caution.
You can communicate with other players, but who truly knows what they’re thinking?
- Environment/Mecha Conditions
o Exposure to toxic rain will lower your resistance and eventually affect health with continued exposure.
o Battery – Every foray is limited by your battery life. Get out before this reaches zero, or you lose everything!
o Weight – When the weight of your loot exceeds your strength, you’ll overheat faster with any boosted movements. Drop weight or else risk getting overtaken by the numerous enemies of the surface.
When all hope is lost: Bailout
If you’re caught on the losing end of a firefight or you’re otherwise on the edge of death, you have the option to do an Emergency Escape. You’ll return back to base with your Magus intact, but at the cost of your CRADLECOFFIN and all the loot you’ve collected in the sortie.
TIP! If you don’t have any backup CRADLECOFFIN equipment before your next sortie, you will be provided base model parts and weapon when you choose to return to the surface again.
Losing Your Magus
If you don’t make an Emergency Exit and are killed in a sortie, you’ll lose your loot, CRADLECOFFIN – and your Magus! You will need to wait for the Magus to return to you, or – in the case of being looted by another player – you’ll need to pay a ransom to get the Magus back!
Magus are essential to your kit. Without your Magus, you won’t have access to a HUD mini-map, nor will you get updates on nearby threats or AO Crystal excavation points. If you manage to successfully return from a sortie without a Magus, you also won’t receive feedback after missions.
Safe Returns
Say you’ve optimized your CRADLECOFFIN, survived the hazards of the surface, and gotten all the loot and AO Crystals you can carry with your Magus intact. Now you need to return to your base, but it’s not so simple.
You can only get back to the base using return elevators at certain points in the map. Every time a player uses one of these, it will be locked for use for a short time.
If you’re lucky enough to get to a functioning elevator, a countdown will start, and the heart-stopping action continues. Now you’ll need to defend yourself against whatever may come until you’re safely on the elevator and back underground.
TIP! Lay out mines and other traps before you summon the elevator, to help keep enemies at bay.
If you manage to survive long enough to get onto the elevator, you’ll return to your base with all the riches you’ve worked for.
Magus Review
After coming back safely, you will have a review session of your sortie together with your Magus. Depending on your past sorties and performances, the details of these reviews will also change. Use these review sessions as opportunities to recalibrate how you approach things, or revel in moments of victory.
UPGRADING THE BASE
Remodeling the Base gives you access to more features and options for future sorties. Be sure to check what you can remodel when you come back from sorties! From increased loot production to Magus outfit customization and more, remodeling the many rooms of the base will improve the quality of life for you.
- Production Space – Allows you to craft items, weapons, and repair CRADLECOFFIN
- Pit Space – Construct CRADLECOFFINS, increases item space, and receive supply drops
- Living Space – Updates Magus capabilities, wardrobe, and more
Note: In the Closed Beta Test, room remodeling is capped only to the first level of improvement.
Crafting
Your equipment can mean the difference between success and failure in your sortie. Remodel the required areas in the Production Space so you can begin to craft loadouts to use in sorties. Eventually you can create a stockpile of serviceable weapons and CRADLECOFFIN parts to use as backup, should you lose everything in a fight.
TIP! Bookmark the rooms you want to remodel and equipment you want to craft next. In the field, your Magus will point out when a required crafting material is nearby so you can pick it up and get improving.
Remodel the rooms in order of what’s important to you and how you play, so you can optimize the base how you see fit.
And there you have it, Drifters! We hope your foray to the surface is successful. Survive the surface, collect your loot, and return to base safely so you can upgrade your way to domination and unveil the truth of Amasia!
Enjoy the Closed Beta, and keep an eye out for more updates on the game at our Twitter
