Ready or Not News

Thank you for joining us for the 73rd edition of our Ready or Not development briefing, May 10th, 2024!

This week we’ll be showing some work on new AI target detection systems that make engagements feel more fair in situations where the player is partially obscured from Suspect/Civilian AI line of sight.

We have two new specific types of target detection checks under development that are meant to meet this goal of improved fairness: “dynamic visibility blockers” that make thick CS gas clouds obscure your location from AI, and “AI detection cone checks” that make you less likely to be detected between small cracks or when mostly-obscured by cover at longer distances.

We also want to highlight that this is Mental Health Awareness month and contextualize the new videos on the topic that are releasing on our YouTube channel. In this newsletter you’ll find some additional development philosophy regarding the inception of our existing SWAT AI mental health system in-game for Commander Mode.

These development briefings serve to keep you in the loop about parts of our ongoing support for Ready or Not, however the briefings do not encompass everything that we’re working on at a given moment. Please keep in mind that everything in this development briefing is work in progress and subject to change.

Vol. 73 Development Briefing Summary Points: (not a changelog)

• AI Target Detection Changes
  
  • New dynamic visibility blockers that cause thick CS gas clouds to block effective AI target acquisition
    
    • AI fires at target’s last known position
  • AI accuracy is now reduced per meter of CS gas thickness
  • New target detection “cone” checks help prevent AI from acquiring targets through unintended tiny cracks, small gaps from a distance, and acquiring peaking players from a distance or at difficult corner angles

• May is Mental Health Awareness Month
  
  • New thematically relevant videos releasing on the VOID YouTube channel to help bring awareness to mental health concepts present in the game
    • First video is titled “PTSD”
  • Game design insights for the inception of the SWAT AI mental health feature in Commander Mode; simply surviving is not always enough.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]AI Target Detection Changes[/h2]

Both “dynamic visibility blockers” and “target detection cone checks” are WIP mechanics intended to make it more difficult for the AI to acquire the player as a target in certain challenging circumstances.

These mechanics supplement our existing static visibility blocking volumes already manually placed in maps by the Level Design team. You can can learn more about those visibility blocking volumes in our Vol. 61 Development Briefing.

The “dynamic visibility blockers” for CS gas build upon the concept of static visibility blockers, making a new form that can emerge and dissipate during active gameplay. These new dynamic visibility blockers can also penalize AI accuracy corresponding to each meter of CS gas thickness.

Meanwhile, “target detection cone checks” help static visibility blockers by preventing edge-case issues where enemies might see through tiny cracks in things like door hinges, small gaps from a distance, or odd corners.


[h3]Clouded Vision [/h3]
CS Gas Dynamic Visibility Blockers

Suspect AI will no longer be able to easily see the player through a CS gas cloud once it has spread to be thick enough. This takes advantage of our gradual CS gas propagation system which requires time for gas to reach full potential area coverage.

In our current testing this means that Suspect AI will only recognize your last known position once CS gas has reached its full intensity. If they continue to engage the player they fire upon their last known position through the gas with reduced accuracy instead of actively tracking them.

In the video below you can see the green boxes indicate the gradual propagation of the gas. The yellow line between the player and suspect shows the line of sight between the two. Once the volume of gas becomes thick enough the suspect’s target detection ability becomes blocked by it, represented by the yellow line between the two turning blue.

(Video below: The blue line shows that the thick CS gas cloud is now blocking the AI’s vision)
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
(Video below: AI accuracy is reduced for every meter of CS gas that exists between them and their target)
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Peek-a-Boo [/h3]
Target Detection Cone Checks

Our system for target detection uses 4 trace locations on different parts of the players body that draw invisible lines to each AI on a given map. These 4 trace locations are: the top of the player’s head, the bottom of the player’s head, the lower left arm, and the lower right arm.

(Image below: 4 red lines on the debug interface indicate failed target detection traces to each of the 4 possible trace locations on a player. [Note: this image uses the new "cone" based system explained later])
These traces connect to every AI in the level. If both traces of a pair make it directly to an AI’s 'eyes' within its field of vision without hitting map geometry, or any manually placed visibility blocking volumes, then that AI is able to acquire the player as a target.


Old "Parallel" System:

In the previous target detection system, a pair of parallel traces ran from each trace location with a small offset between them. The fact that these two lines were simply parallel, with no angle deviation between them, ultimately caused issues.

The old system worked well in conjunction with visibility blocking volumes manually placed throughout the level; these static volumes prevented AI from seeing through things like tiny fence gaps or thick foliage.

Unfortunately, this system had a few key downsides in edge-cases.

Firstly, players could be acquired through small gaps in map geometry that would feel fair and logical if the AI was standing right nearby the gap, but unfair if the AI was standing a further distance away where this gap would make up a much smaller fraction of their field of view.

Secondly, there were sometimes issues where the offsets between traces could collapse to miniscule values, resulting in effectively only a single trace being required for an AI to detect a player. This meant that the AI could sometimes see through tiny gaps where visibility blocking volumes were missing, or where only a sliver of the player was visible.


New "Cone" System:

Our new system elegantly solves these problems by implementing several pairs of diverging traces that begin with an increased offset. Each pair of traces run to one of the four trace locations on the player's character, forming the edges of horizontal 2D "cones." Both lines of a cone from a given trace location must be successfully completed for an AI to consider a player visible.

(Image below: The player is not acquired as a target; only one line of the cone from the bottom head trace location is successfully completed. [Note: The debug overlay does not show both trace lines of a pair unless one was successful])

Therefore, this “cone” solution prevents enemies from being able to acquire the player through unintended tiny gaps, small gaps from a distance, and harder to acquire when peaking corners (especially at distance or at odd angles).

(Images below: A simplified debug interface view showing only the player’s top of head trace location line pair forming its 2d horizontal cone. At close range the player can be acquired as a target through a gap this size, but at long range the player is not detected as a target.) (GIF below: The Suspect AI acquires the player as a target once a pair of trace lines from player has succesfully connected to the Suspect AI’s field of view. [Note: The AI has further delays or inaccuracies for when it actually begins engaging, and it may decide not to engage at all.])


[hr][/hr]
[h2]May is Mental Health Awareness Month [/h2]

Over the next few weeks, we’re bringing attention to Mental Health Awareness month by uploading videos which explore various concepts of mental health related to the themes present in Ready or Not.

(Video below: The first of these videos, titled “PTSD”)
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Mental health is an aspect of the game that we wanted included in some way for a while, eventually finding its place in Commander Mode for SWAT AI. Our intention was to highlight the traumatic events that occur within the world of Ready or Not and the toll that these sorts of scenarios take not only physically, but also mentally. In the process it is meant to help make your team members feel more human.

From a dedicated game design perspective, the goal was to explore a meta game loop that reinforced the rules of Ready or Not in a way that wasn’t overly restrictive, while also reflecting the gravity with which we wanted players to think of these scenarios.

As this SWAT team you are meant to apprehend suspects, rescue civilians, preserve lives, and ultimately defuse the situation. The scenarios presented are already traumatic enough, but if on top of that if you aren’t fulfilling those goals... your team’s purpose becomes distorted and twisted. Neglecting to care for the mental wellbeing of those involved or otherwise fulfilling your mission to properly defuse situations would eventually cause enough dissonance that valuable members would leave your squad.

Simply surviving is not always enough.




We are continuing to tweak the WIP AI target detection changes mentioned in this newsletter and hope to be able to expand their concepts to even more areas of the game. Each variable can be fine-tuned in order to help us find the best balance to integrate with our existing game systems.

The improvements to CS gas via dynamic visibility blockers should make your engagements feel more fair and make less lethal options more attractive to control situations and sight lines, particularly on maps with open spaces.

Target detection cone checks will supplement the visibility blockers already placed in levels to help ensure engagements occur in ways that feel fair to the player. On missions that have large amounts of props combined with vast sight lines, like Greased Palms, it should help make situations where you are shot at feel more understandable without requiring map-specific tweaks or overly neutering AI combat abilities.

Lastly, we hope you are all taking good care of yourselves and each other. Mental Health Awareness month is an appropriate reminder to learn more about yourself, others, and how to best address the challenges in your own life. Don't be afraid to call on support.

This concludes our 73rd development briefing, thank you again for joining us. Be sure to fall in next time for more development news!



Follow Ready or Not on Steam here.
Our other links: Discord, X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook.

[h3]Stack up and clear out. VOID Interactive [/h3]

Ready or Not developer Void Interactive has confirmed that it suffered a significant hack that saw at least some of the game's source code stolen, but said that no data relating to Ready or Not players or its own staff was taken...
Read more.

If you've been waiting to pull the trigger and finally bring law to the lawless streets of Los Suenos, then now is your chance!

During the Steam FPS Fest, Ready or Not will available for 33% off

Get out there and do your job, officer. Protect. Serve. Survive.

Thank you for joining us for 72nd edition of our Ready or Not development briefing, April 12th, 2024!

Today we're doing an early overview discussion of how our first piece of Downloadable Content, “Home Invasion”, will work and as well as provide a bit of initial info regarding its contents.

We want to have an accessible approach to our paid DLC, release a free game update parallel to Home Invasion to create a broader 'Home Invasion Release,' and expand upon our in-game narrative in a nuanced, impactful manner.

DLC content is just one component of our ongoing support for Ready or Not. We have many bugfixes and free content updates in the pipeline.

These development briefings serve to keep you in the loop about parts of our ongoing support for Ready or Not, however the briefings do not encompass everything that we’re working on at a given moment.Please keep in mind that everything in this development briefing is work in progress and subject to change.

Vol. 72 Development Briefing Summary Points: (not a changelog)

• Free general game update launching parallel to the paid Home Invasion DLC, bringing forward some planned Quality of Life improvements and features
  
• DLC maps are available to be played at full quality by everyone in multiplayer matchmaking as long as their lobby host owns the DLC
  
• To be properly revealed at a later date for the Home Invasion DLC:
  • 3 new maps
    
  • 2 new weapons
• The Home Invasion mission narrative will provide continuity with the base game, yet also provide a nuanced experience that will take you away from the stark darkness of criminal ring activity to a much broader spectrum of disturbing grey.

[h2]An Accessible Approach to DLC [/h2]

A core continuous sentiment from us at VOID is how we want to avoid splitting our multiplayer playerbase across DLC content. Our DLC content should therefore be as accessible as possible, regardless of whether someone owns the DLC.

For multiplayer, this means allowing DLC maps to be played in multiplayer matchmaking at full quality by anyone regardless of DLC ownership as long as the lobby's host owns the relevant DLC. Years ago previously in one of our Frequently Asked Questions there was speculation about having the free multiplayer version be lower resolution in some respect, but we have decided against that.

As previously mentioned in our Vol.68 briefing: we will release additional bugfixes for the base game during the same timeframe that DLC content is being released. Furthermore, all our planned DLC will come with free new base game weapons, a DLC-exclusive player outfit, and new maps. Last but not least, DLC 1 is of course free for Supporter Edition owners per our original plans.

Home Invasion in particular will come with 3 new maps following a new narrative premise and 2 new weapons.

We hope that by making the DLC weapons free and allowing easy free access to DLC maps via host in multiplayer you will all still be able to enjoy the effects of each DLC launch, regardless of whether you specifically own it.


[h2]Simultaneous Free Game Update [/h2]

“Home Invasion” has become more than just a DLC release, it is now going to be accompanied by a parallel free update for the base game as well.

This means we’ll be adding some features and improvements aside from just bug fixes that should release as part of this broad “Home Invasion Release.” The feature list should consist primarily of Quality of Life improvements.

To provide some development context on how this is possible, our different departments are developing future releases at the same time as the Home Invasion Release— including new general content updates and DLC.

This process aims to expand our scope of active development beyond whatever immediate content is upcoming; making use of the natural development bandwidth that opens when projects are be passed from department to department. Our new Lead Producer who we’re welcoming on board will assist us greatly in coordinating these sorts of processes.

For an example in a nutshell:

Once the Level Design Team passes newly developed Home Invasion levels to the Art Team, the Level Design Team can begin partial work on other new levels in the time between any subsequent necessary Level Design-related changes to the Home Invasion levels.

Meanwhile as our Engineering Team (consisting of different programming specialties) and other departments wait for a level to reach them, they are already working on bugfixes, improvements, and additions in other areas and for future updates.


[h2]Nuanced Narrative Continuity [/h2]

The criminal conspiracies in our existing mission narrative run deep and abhorrently dark. Although that is an unfortunate reality of Los Sueños, our Home Invasion narrative will take you away from the stark darkness of those criminal rings to a much broader spectrum of disturbing grey.

In this new narrative a disaster strikes, and every day people are left to pick up the pieces or use them as a weapon of opportunity. Complicated interests and self-preservation are driving forces in this liminal space with people across walks of life seeking any means to an end.

We understand the emotional impact and reflection that existing missions like Ends of the Earth evoke with our players regarding their activities within the game world. The three new maps included in the Home Invasion DLC will carry that torch forward into the labyrinthine world that is Los Sueños.




Our intention with paid DLC, including Home Invasion, is to provide ongoing support for RoN that can benefit everyone regardless of whether they own the relevant DLC.

With a parallel free game update for the Home Invasion Release, 2 new weapons, and easy free multiplayer access to the 3 new DLC maps via lobby hosts we are showing examples of how we want to achieve our intentions.

The disturbing grey area of our Home Invasion narrative meanwhile represents our desire to branch out and evolve on our mission content.

This concludes our 72nd development briefing, thank you again for joining us. Be sure to fall in next time for more development news!



Follow Ready or Not on Steam here.
Our other links: Discord, X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook.

[h3]Stack up and clear out.
VOID Interactive [/h3]

Thank you for joining us for the 71st edition of our development briefing, March 29th, 2024!

This week we’ll look at our new dynamic dialogue-related systems for AI which will give us more flexibility and nuance for storytelling, as well as showcase some of the recent work on our lip sync system.

These development briefings serve to keep you in the loop about parts of our ongoing support for Ready or Not, although they do not encompass everything that we’re working on at a given moment. Please keep in mind that everything in this development briefing is work in progress and subject to change.

Vol.71 Development Briefing Summary Points: (not a changelog)

• Dynamic Dialogue System
  • Allows for easily creatable dialogue strings between multiple characters
    
  • Intricate level of customization
    
  • Complements existing reaction voice line system
    
  • New dialogue being written and recorded
• Lip Sync System
  • Video showcase of the recent early implementation of our lip sync system

[h2]Dynamic Dialogue [/h2]

When you and your SWAT AI officers are moving through missions you may have noticed their penchant for verbally reacting to their environments. With a few notable exceptions, these reactions are generally single one-liner style voice lines prompted by moving through invisible spaces that we call “reaction volumes.”

What we are working on now is a supplemental new, more streamlined and nuanced dialogue system that will allow for easily creatable dynamic dialogue strings between characters on a large scale. These interactions can be triggered by invisible spaces called “dialogue volumes.”

A great beauty of this new system is the extreme ease and depth with which the dialogue parameters can be customized by any developer working on a level.

How and when dialogue is triggered, the number of participants or voice lines involved, how dialogue audio is emitted, and granular elements of dialogue content are all among the variables we can adjust.

For the dialogue volumes themselves we can tweak the trigger delay, which specific characters can trigger the volume (i.e. SWAT, the player, civilians, suspects), and which characters must be present to trigger a particular dialogue.

To avoid repetition, we can also specify whether a dialogue is supposed to be repeated as well as give certain dialogue strings or lines a random chance of occurring in the first place.

The dialogue voice line emitter can be attached to practically anything, which opens up a lot of avenues. This also means that static environmental characters like those in the Station can easily have dialogue as well.

(Image below: Examples of some static character scenes around the Station that may benefit from this system)

The content of the lines for each participant in a dialogue string can be set to play a specific voice line, or a randomized voice line that corresponds to a given situation. The given order of each voice line and which character says it are also conveniently specifiable. If a character isn’t present or required for a dialogue, then their line can be specifically left out from the dialogue string.

We have more dialogue on the way being written and recorded that should be able to plug right into this setup too.

All together, these feature configurations harmonize to create a dynamic character-rich atmosphere that complements our existing reaction voice line system.


[h2]In Sync [/h2]

The lip sync animation system that was mentioned in our previous development briefing has undergone a facelift during implementation which we're ready to show off.

After plenty of tweaking to get out of the prototype phase, the lip movements generated by our system are progressing nicely and pairing with some additional facial animations.

Still, the feature is in its early stages, pending work on improved animation integration for head and eye tracking movements relative to in-game objects. In its completed state it will serve as a nice level of polish to our dialogue system and voice lines.

(Video below: SWAT officer model making callouts with the WIP lip sync system, utilizing alert and angry voice lines)

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



As you can see, our longer-term AI enhancements are not just limited to behavior but also cover improved storytelling and immersion across the game.

These new systems are potentially applicable to both current content and future content.

This concludes our 71st development briefing. Be sure to tune in next time for more development news!

Special thanks to Zack for his photos and brilliant work on the new dialogue system, and to Alex and killowatt for their work and footage on this high fidelity lip sync system.



Make sure you follow Ready or Not on Steam here.
Our other links: Discord, X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook.

[h3]Stack up and clear out.
VOID Interactive [/h3]