Cyber Knights: Flashpoint News

Knights and Backers,

With the end of May, the start of summer is just around the corner and we’re excited that it comes with some big news on the Matrix Mk2 stretch goal. The alpha phase has continued at a great pace and we’re very happy with the feedback we’re getting and all the ways the game is improving daily. With 15 alpha updates under our belt, thousands of Knights have cruised the streets of New Boston in the early version of the game and really, we’re just getting started.

And a last-minute reminder: if you haven’t already seen it in Discord or from our Twitter or Facebook posts, we’re raffling off a Cyber Knights poster, featuring some of our favorite character concept art!



We’ll ship this 18” x 24” poster anywhere in the continental U.S., just join our Discord and enter to win. It’s the last day to enter, so act quick!

Now, on to this month’s progress update!


[h2]Hacking the Matrix Mk2[/h2]
Last week, we released the Matrix Mk2 system to the alpha team in update v0.6.1. This major milestone completes our second biggest Stretch Goal for the Kickstarter project -- introducing a Hacker class and allowing Hackers to infiltrate networks in mission maps to gain key control over the map including security devices, doors and the alarm level. And these server hosts are also gleaming with valuable data and secrets -- from blueprints (used in the future release of crafting) to straight paydata (value with your Contacts) to the Loot Manifest (revealing the contents of all loot boxes in the facility).

In addition, Hackers can run hacking-only missions from the Safehouse which will allow them to steal valuable paydata, or hack to gain pre-heist advantages like the facility’s loot manifest or a forged security key.

For now, all of our efforts have focused on the game design, balance and integration of the Matrix into the larger game. The UI is clunky but serviceable but it isn’t inspiring at the moment -- something we’re working on over the summer as it punches up into isometric 3D and gets some glitz, shine and polish.


[h2]Backer-Only Studio Chat[/h2]
To celebrate and share the Matrix Mk2 release, we’re holding a Backer-only Studio Chat on Thursday June 2, 2022 at 9pm EDT. Studio Chats are our version of a Reddit AMA -- post your questions in advance and we'll answer them live that evening! Cory and I will be chatting in a voice channel on our Discord to answer your questions, showing off the Matrix Mk2 and hanging out and talking about hacking, its challenges and inspirations or anything Trese Brothers.

If you’re able join us, the voice channel will open shortly before 9:00 pm Eastern. The Studio Chat will run about 1 hour and will be recorded so we will post a link in a future Kickstarter update.

If you have a question you’d like answered during the chat, post it in the #backers channel on our Discord beforehand (start it with “studio chat q:” please, and feel free to add react emojis to other questions you like).

Hope to see you there!


[h2]Late to the Alpha?[/h2]
If you haven’t joined in yet but backed at the Alpha Tier ($60 or higher), let us know! Reach out to us here on Kickstarter or in our Discord (type max!addrole after joining if you included your Discord username in the Kickstarter survey, or DM @Liviana for help getting set up).


[h2]Reward and Stretch Goal Progress[/h2]
For completeness, we include the progress bar infographic in each and every update. The big news for this month’s progress update is that the Matrix Mk2 stretch goal and the major addition of the hacking layer to the game is now complete and available to all alpha players.

If you have any questions about rewards or stretch goals, check out the graphic or reach out to us.

We’re back from the PAX Rising indie showcase at PAX East, where we had a pleasure to meet a number of you in-person and show off an exciting heist demo. Thanks for stopping by, checking out the game you’ve funded or in some cases, stomping the demo with your alpha know-how :D



We’ve been ripping along, adding content, maps and wrapping up implementation of the game’s systems throughout April. Let’s get into this status update!


[h2]Check Out Latest Studio Chat[/h2]
We just held another live Q&A Studio Chat on our Discord, sharing our experiences, funny stories and demo tales from PAX East, plus answering hard hitting questions like “coffee or tea” lol --

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Thank you to everyone who joined us during the Studio Chat and we hope that everyone enjoys the recording. We will be doing more Studio Chats in the future, so keep an eye out for the announcements.


[h2]PAX Feedback & Results[/h2]
Cyber Knights: Flashpoint did really well on the show floor. The art style and clear turn-based tactics vibes caught a lot of attention. Our demo stations were going non-stop, with over 250 players playing through the demo. It was a great chance to watch so many players who have never heard of the game give it a try (and sharpen our how we describe it to get people interested).
If you’d like to hear for yourself and see some of the demo, check out this interview we did (and give the video a thumbs up / leave a comment to help more people see it):

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
We’ve come back from PAX riding on a huge wave of energy, and have dived right back into development and story writing -- we have so much more to show you all, and every month we’re getting closer to bringing the full game to you.


[h2]Soon: Hacking![/h2]
The next phase for the Alpha was delayed a bit to get the demo ready, but alpha players are benefiting from the work done on that demo. Both in behind-the-scenes improvements on camera work and animation debugging, and on cool new mission objectives (like rescues and squad member rendezvous) we hadn’t planned to add until later. And we’re back at our desks now working away toward the next big addition to the alpha builds: hacking.

If you haven’t joined in yet but backed at the Alpha Tier ($60 or higher), let us know! Reach out to us here on Kickstarter or in our Discord (type max!addrole after joining if you included your Discord username in the Kickstarter survey, or DM @Liviana for help getting set up).


[h2]Wrapped Naming Surveys[/h2]
The final naming survey went out last week, bringing the total to 5 surveys and over 50 names for backers who pledged at the Ultra Edition or higher. A final reminder email will go out soon with a link to all the surveys. They will stay open for the foreseeable future if you haven’t had your chance to add your names yet.

While we couldn’t use every name that was submitted, we wanted to highlight some hilarious and clever submissions that cracked out team up
Drones:

• 4 Whom the VTOLs
  

Corp Names:

• Death & Taxes (funeral home/lawyer/accountant, surprisingly successful)
  

Security Devices:

• WHACKSpoetic's DictAttack Algorhythm
  
• Big Red Button
  
• Fr8Train
  

Explosives:

• BECAUSE (we have no plan)
  
• A Dubious-looking baseball with fuse
  

Tech Devices:

• Optimal technically attuned device-ma-bob
  
• Neo Pocket-Pets (interactive audio of hunds/cats. Audio bluffing tool.)
  

Healing Items:

• Delicious Life Juice - 100 % vegan
  
• GoodVibes Defibrillator Mk V
  

Sniper Rifles:

• Ma Bell AT&T Special, for when you need to reach out and touch someone.
  

Swords:

• Slashy Mc Slashface
  
• Ol' Pokey
  

Shotguns:

• Rock'Em Sock'Em
  
• Guy-B-Gone Double Barrel
  

ARs:

• PerappaTheBrappa
  
• Woodpecker (rat-ta-tat)
  

Code Names:

• Justin Case
  

[h2]Reward and Stretch Goal Progress[/h2]
For completeness, we have included the progress bar infographic in this update. The Naming Reward is now complete and next up is Encoding Your Legend. It is always exciting to see motion on this multi-year delivery plan!

If you have any questions about rewards or stretch goals, check out the graphic or reach out to us.

We're thrilled to be headed back to PAX this year, selected by the PAX team for a featured spot in the PAX Rising Showcase.

Even if you're not going to PAX, this means more in store for you, including a new studio chat in Discord next week, and a giveaway of one of these awesome Cyber Knights posters:



Follow @TreseBrothers on twitter for some sights from the show, or the new Cyber Knights instagram for even more!

[h2]What we have in store for you...[/h2]

Your Knight has been captured! 😬 You'll get to choose from three versions of the Vanguard in a tense rescue and extraction mission.



We're looking forward to seeing all the ways players make it through (or crash and burn) this heist -- if they get all squad members (you'll be up to 3 by the end) out alive, and which of them will be needing emergency cyber-surgery by the end. The alpha crew has already provided some great feedback, and we're hoping PAX will be the perfect place to get the game in front of a whole new set of strategy RPG fans.

We'll also have at least two more chances for you to win a Cyber Knights poster, plus a photo opportunity you've already been asking for without even knowing it.

Going to be there? Find us in the PAX Rising section, booth #13091:



Have a great weekend, Knights!

It has been a busy 3 months since we launched the alpha in January. With 5 Phases and 12 updates under our belt, hundreds of Knights have tested out these early versions of the game. We’re getting daily input, suggestions and bug reports and are working constantly to improve Flashpoint.
Now, on to this month’s progress update!


[h2]Public Studio Chat[/h2]
We are excited to announce that we will be doing a public “Studio Chat” Tuesday, April 5th, 2022 at 9pm EDT. Studio Chats are our version of a Reddit AMA -- post your questions in advance and we'll answer them live that evening! Cory and I will be chatting in a voice channel on our Discord to answer your questions, hang out and talk about CKF, STF and all things Trese Brothers.

If you’re able join us, the voice channel will open shortly before 9:00 pm Eastern. The Studio Chat will run about 1 hour and will be recorded so we will post a link in a future Kickstarter update.

If you have a question you’d like answered during the chat, post it in the #studio_chat channel on our Discord beforehand (start it with “studio chat q:” please, and feel free to add react emojis to other questions you like).

Hope to see you there!


[h2]PAX Rising Showcase at PAX East[/h2]
Speaking of “hope to see you there!” -- we’re going to PAX East 2022! We are thrilled to announce that we’re one of 12 indie games being featured in the PAX Rising Showcase at PAX East this April. We’re very excited to be back at PAX again. It’s been too long!

We'll be in the PAX Rising booth and you can come and play the demo any day of the show. Come hang out, we can't wait to see you there. You can learn more about the PAX Rising Showcase and all of the games that will be a part of it at http://www.paxeast22.com/Rising


[h2]Alpha Phase 5[/h2]
Over 3 months, we’ve cranked through 5 major phases of the alpha -- initial gameplay, training your mercs, buying and modding weapons, death and recruiting and finally with Phase 5 we added a new class the Cybersword. We’ve received hundreds of in-game bug reports and thousands of pieces of feedback from the community of players.

If you haven’t joined in yet but backed at the Alpha Tier ($60 or higher), let us know! Reach out to us here, on Kickstarter or on our Discord (type max!addrole after joining if you included your Discord username in the Kickstarter survey, or DM @Liviana for help getting set up).


[h2]Matrix Mk2 Prototype[/h2]
As we approach Alpha Phase 6, we have completed the first Matrix Mk2 prototype. This prototype hits a number of our key goals for Matrix Mk2:

• Digital Battleground -- a completely new tactical challenge awaits your hacker in the matrix. Terminals across the RL map lead to small and large computer hosts, tasked with everything from controlling a door to storing trade secrets. Your hacker must load up their programs to scan, search, slice through quantum nodes, override security and battle potentially deadly IC to find the target -- priceless paydata, control over security systems, doors or even the AI’s Alarm system.
  
• Extensive Hacker Build Options -- your hacker will be building out a deck, hand-picking programs, installing cyberware add-ons and training on a class tree that compliments and improves their use of entire families of programs. Mix programs and class training to build a hyper-aggro hacker who smashes enemy IC or an ultra stealth hacker who ghosts through quantum nodes unseen. Decks are linked in loadouts, allowing multiple decks per hacker and multiple hackers per team.
  
• Multi-turn hacks -- Hackers may slice into a terminal and hack across the Matrix while their meat body sleeps. If the hack is hard enough it will take multiple turns so it is up to the team to keep the hacker safe by distracting or fending off security in a gunfight. Your Soldier may be screaming, “Jack out now -- We can’t hold them!” but does the slumped hacker even really hear him?
  

The UI is clunky and you have to know exactly what you are doing to get through it right now, but that is rapidly improving as we approach Phase 6 of the alpha, which will be the debut of the fully operational Matrix Mk2 system!


[h2]Ultra Edition: Naming Surveys[/h2]
For those backers who pledged at the Ultra Edition or higher, you’ve been receiving emails including surveys to add your names to the game. While we initially thought we’d source 10 names from each backer, we’ve increased our ambitions to 50 names by breaking it out into 5 surveys focusing on a wider range of name types, such as characters, codenames, drones, dogs, cats, weapons, items of different types, locations and more. We’ve sent 3 of 5 surveys so far and will wrap this reward up in a few weeks.

[h2]Reward and Stretch Goal Progress[/h2]
For completeness, we have included the progress bar infographic in this update. The Matrix Mk2 Prototype is now complete and the Naming Reward is on-going and will soon be wrapped up. Always exciting to see motion on this multi-year delivery plan!

If you have any questions about rewards or stretch goals, check out the graphic or reach out to us.

Backers and Friends,

While we continue on pace with the alpha, we’re skipping a detailed breakdown of progress this month to instead focus on something much more important…

[h2]Help Us Support Ukraine[/h2]
My brother Cory and I have worked closely with amazing partners in Ukraine to dream, design and create the art of Cyber Knights: Flashpoint over the past 3 years. Over that time, our partnership has grown to friendship as we spent countless hours working with these wonderful and talented people.

The entire Trese Brothers team is heartsick and worried to see the invasion and wanton destruction of their country – missile strikes hitting hospitals, apartment buildings, even kindergarten schools. We are scared for our friends, their families and their children. They need our prayers, our monetary support and our voices raised in solidarity.

Their country and thousands of refugees already need food, water, shelter and medical supplies. We hope you will join us in giving to some organizations trying to ease the suffering in Ukraine.

Here are a few options:
Ukraine Direct Relief Project HOPE Kyiv Independent

Thank you,
Trese Brothers Team