Dev Log: First Encounter with the Level 10 Spectrium Boss

We’ve just completed a major development milestone and an intense internal testing session—and we couldn’t wait to share the experience. The team took on the newly implemented Level 10 Spectrium Boss, designed as the foundation for co-op play and raid-style battles. Spoiler: this boss pulls no punches.

Built for Co-op. Engineered for Pain.

This boss is not your average AI punching bag. For this first trial, we focused on two key systems:

1. Dynamic Threat Targeting – The boss doesn’t just attack the nearest player—it chooses its target based on perceived threat. High-level, high-damage players beware: it’s coming for you.
2. Wave-Based Assaults – At any point, the boss can deploy waves of Spectrium Centurions and Fighters to deal with threats, shifting pressure dynamically throughout the fight.

These systems lay the groundwork for future raid content, where coordination and team composition will be essential to survival.

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Dev Team vs. Spectrium: The First Test

Four of us jumped into the fray, each with different motherships, attack drones, and levels of experience:

• Two of us were level-appropriate.
• Two were overpowered veterans.
• No official raid HUD or party tools—just raw gameplay.

Our initial strategy was to divide and conquer, using our more agile mothership to lure the boss and its attack waves away from the heavy hitters.

It didn’t work.

The boss ignored our lower-level players and locked onto the high-level threats, forcing us to adapt on the fly. Every time we tried to split its attention, it reassessed the battlefield and refocused on whoever was the greatest danger at that moment.

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A Hard-Fought Victory

Despite the boss’s brutal efficiency and adaptive AI, our experience imbalance gave us just enough edge. After a chaotic, pulse-pounding battle—and with three of us taking critical damage and nearly destroyed—we finally took it down.

Victory felt earned. It was messy, unpredictable, and full of "oh no" moments—exactly what we want our raid content to deliver.

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What We Learned

• Threat-based targeting makes combat far more dynamic and challenging.
• Wave-based attacks add a layer of chaos that forces constant strategic shifts.
• Lack of a co-op HUD made coordination difficult—this is now a priority.
• Even with an unbalanced team, survival wasn’t guaranteed—and we love that.

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Next Steps

• Implement a party/raid HUD to improve team coordination.
• Expand the wave logic with new attack patterns and enemy types.
• Balance boss damage output and health for different team compositions.
• Begin tuning loot and reward systems for raid encounters.

This was only the beginning. We’re laying the foundation for epic, co-op raid battles that demand teamwork, strategy, and adaptability.

Stay ready, Captains—the galaxy isn’t getting any safer.

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