Tag Mode and The Infected: All the Gooey Details

[{"content":{"poster":["file:\/\/KohXnOqLgHRWOO5n"],"source":["file:\/\/LAxCE7oMOHp299z6"],"title":"Tagatha All Along","subtitle":"Powered by NotebookLM","description":"Audio summary of the blog post below"},"id":"e1aac0a1-32a2-4ba3-998d-4b79ab7bce91","isHidden":false,"type":"audioBlock"},{"content":{"text":" There's so much we're excited about for Among Us 3D , but one thing is clear: you all LOVE the new Tag Mode and its slime-spewing antagonist, The Infected. Consider this your deep dive into the new mode as we explain all things Tag, the Crewmate powers, how we designed The Infected, and tips straight from the developers that made the mode! "},"id":"1d94423c-9736-4330-84e9-83fb93643872","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"location":"web","url":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Uxnw01582Bk","video":[],"poster":[],"caption":"","autoplay":"false","muted":"true","loop":"false","controls":"true","preload":"auto"},"id":"43e2f9a5-fd27-4396-832a-6f7a3c8a0e8c","isHidden":false,"type":"videoBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"What is Tag Mode?","customid":""},"id":"9b5bddee-1295-4478-a889-91a130aa5a0d","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" Throw the social deduction out the airlock. In Tag Mode, the Emergency Meeting button has been rendered inoperable, and it's a non-stop barrage of action as one team of Crewmates tries to complete all of their tasks before being overwhelmed by The Infected invading their map. To make matters worse, each time The Infected grabs a Crewmate, it turns them into one of the creatures, adding to their ranks until the Crewmates are all goo-ified. Don't worry, Beans! Each time you complete a task, you're given a powerup to help stave off this interstellar infection and stay safe for a few more precious seconds. This fun new twist on Among Us gameplay is now a permanent part of the experience. Similar to classic mode, Custom Lobby Settings allow for a wide range of customization options to keep things fun including the number of tasks needed to win, number of Infected, ability to change the speed and cooldown on The Infected, and vision. Experiment and see what works best for you and your crew. A low vision experience can up the horror elements of the game, while upping the speed can lead to more frenetic fun. "},"id":"cf0331a9-e741-455f-bbfb-67c8097f8031","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"location":"kirby","image":["file:\/\/x2D350CVLbfzYCRt"],"src":"","alt":"","caption":"\"The powers are YOURS\"","link":"","ratio":"","crop":"false"},"id":"f0d3ee19-a3e1-4330-99dd-ee3aff8413a7","isHidden":false,"type":"imageBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"Let Our Powers Combine","customid":""},"id":"fa05fa89-172c-42ef-bf3b-13c193c4e4ae","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" You can spot all of the powers in the trailer , but here's exactly what each Tag Mode powerup can do: "},"id":"5da66129-2bfc-4c2f-a288-f1e32994a492","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"text":" Vanish - completely disappear from all players. Perfect for when you're cornered and have no other means of escape Vent - Use any vent to get across Polus Point or Skeld II to less infected areas Protect - Chivalry isn't dead. Protect your fellow Bean by giving them a shield that is able to withstand one Infected attack Scan - See exactly where every Infected is on the map so you can move accordingly to your next task Zap - All that electricity you turn back on goes to good use, frying an Infected and rendering them unable to use their attack for a brief period (they can still move, however, so keep running) "},"id":"271bfa5b-7f39-4cef-8dad-438ae7b28b69","isHidden":false,"type":"listBlock"},{"content":{"location":"kirby","image":["file:\/\/tcMBqF8AIeYm6t5q"],"src":"","alt":"","caption":"","link":"","ratio":"","crop":"false"},"id":"529065b9-bfe0-4df7-9ad7-1cd3119f4495","isHidden":false,"type":"imageBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"Tag Mode In-Depth","customid":""},"id":"cf062f73-d651-419f-b8a1-6717b82978bf","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" But we couldn't end this blog just explaining stuff. We wanted to go into the how and the why! So we bugged some Devs until they told us all the cool stuff we wanted to know about Tag Mode (seriously, thanks for the help). John B., design director, shared that a lot of thought went into the development of this specific mode over all of the other types of gameplay that could have been added. \"Tag is trying to solve for the common player and streamer frustration of 'I\u2019m dead and I can\u2019t do anything,'\" John shared. No longer do players feel cut out of the greater narrative of the game once they die. Instead, they are instantly added to the enemy team and can now track down and devour the same players they were helping just a moment ago. So much of Among Us is highly social gameplay, and that can get tiring over long play sessions. Tag Mode is a player's opportunity to shut that part of their brain off and just focus on doing tasks or hunting down Crewmates as quickly as possible. It's great for a social battery recharge between regular mode play. And, for players who don't like social deduction games at all, this is an easy way to jump in and experience the fun of Among Us ' art and gameplay without all the lying and yelling (one of the Devs goals was to make sure this mode was fun even if all the mics are off). "},"id":"d00d8377-ac9a-453f-9b3d-3355cd457423","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"location":"web","url":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/NYaSrHVXCmE","video":[],"poster":[],"caption":"","autoplay":"false","muted":"true","loop":"false","controls":"true","preload":"auto"},"id":"465ab99a-060b-469a-9378-11df82a24e72","isHidden":false,"type":"videoBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"Designing The Infected","customid":""},"id":"a2b134c3-737d-434d-a867-fd6f3a2ea102","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" How about the iconic look of The Infected itself? Tyler D., senior artist, was a key member of the team that got The Infected to its final form. Early mockups of the infected were more slug-like, but it soon became apparent how integral it was to have those squishy footsteps in Tag Mode, so the legs became an important overall design choice. John B. added that the Unleashed Impostor from Hide n Seek in Among Us was the basis for The Infected. But, the first of The Infected concepts had much more potty humor added. Unfortunately, those initially funny burps became less so each playthrough. The final design evolved into the much more menacing creature, and something the community could take and apply their own humor to. Tyler's favorite part of creating The Infected was the custom \"drippy shader\" (you can see it in the gifs in the gallery below) used to make The Infected look and work great both on PC and VR. His team developed the shader giving The Infected its slime-covered look without adding a huge number of textures\/shaders so it could be used without introducing performance issues. The goopy end product was the perfect final result. Two more quick facts for our die-hard fans: Internally, the team calls the creature Tagatha; because it's tag, a recent comic book TV show had put the name in everyone's minds, and as a subtle reference to Agatha from our game Until You Fall . In fact, I've had to stop myself from typing Tagatha into multiple blogs and social media posts. And no, the Zomburrito is not related to The Infected in any way. The Infected in Tag Mode appear to have arrived on the ship from deep space, while the Zomburrito is the clear result of improper food handling practices (first in, first out ALWAYS). "},"id":"96c9efc1-4ee3-4669-81d7-006b48096d9a","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"images":["file:\/\/l6xZjxolgB2dmB4O","file:\/\/L3JQaSz0Dj2opL0Q","file:\/\/HeBoVdLpEnR2Ng9O","file:\/\/rjZ0EjZbqCI9MGWX","file:\/\/vPtbunOaF0VSIGW2","file:\/\/vx5WvQhPQ5ReTtAr","file:\/\/RcGgSdnEF37YJJK8","file:\/\/tNXxlvV0scNZQZ6c","file:\/\/gHTJNzMoEGWhLhTn","file:\/\/8aMpqHzDDq26SX80"],"caption":"Early inspirations, renderings, textures and art of The Infected from Schell Games","ratio":"","crop":"false","gallerytype":"carousel"},"id":"3fa31b46-cbfb-4413-a70a-222a33810392","isHidden":false,"type":"galleryBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"Tag Mode Tips","customid":""},"id":"a3ef1829-8f11-4af4-8f8d-1a3f5d66c6d4","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" No one knows this game better than our developers and QA team, so your reward for reading this far are some tips straight from them on how to be the best Tag Mode player in your friend group at launch. Here is what they had to say: "},"id":"1c617e11-f33d-4743-9432-d03b4636c809","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"text":" The Infected have a cooldown when they infect a Crewmate. If you see an infected, there is a small chance you may be able to run right past them. All vents are connected in Tag Mode, so you can cover a lot of distance with it and really confuse people, making vent an extremely useful power-up. Scan's best attribute is that the arrow indicated which direction The Infected are facing, which lets you be sneaky and find risky but rewarding paths to take. Play how you enjoy playing. Want to use your time as an Infected to jumpscare people? Go for it! Tag Mode is fun no matter what. It can be a ton of fun to walk instead of always running as The Infected. You will move silently, which is especially helpful if you creep up to blind corners as people come around them. And finally: don't sweat getting tagged! As long as you're not tagged last, you'll probably win most games you play. "},"id":"67213284-7f50-4c24-b350-5aa77a033fec","isHidden":false,"type":"listBlock"}]