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Vol. 32 Ready or Not Development Update

Attention Officers,

Welcome to the 32nd edition of our biweekly development update! This time around we're going to explore elements of environmental storytelling in the game, breathing life and adding detail to the world of Ready or Not.

Los Suenos is a city in decline. Widespread poverty and homelessness, skyrocketing crime rates, and a lack of municipal support are just some of the issues facing the local population. There is an aura of desperation and hopelessness across the city, and the symptoms and results of this can be found throughout the game's levels.

Without further ado, let's explore the everyday realities of Los Suenans....

[h2]A Stagnant, Halted Place[/h2]

The 4U gas station has been hit hard by Los Suenos' woes. The city officials' refusal to budge on wage increases has led to a now 40 week long strike by sanitation workers. Garbage is piling up in the streets, and its nauseating stench lingers wherever you go.

Above: They've stopped trying to maintain it. Why bother?

Above: Trash ends up wherever there's space. No one's paid to pick it up.

As if things weren't bad enough, a robbery gone wrong turns into a hostage situation inside the gas station. An armed civilian tried to put a stop to things early, but being a hero doesn't always pan out.

Above: He should have known better. Luck wasn't on his side; in this city, is it ever?

Above: A failure to eject at the worst possible time.

It's no surprise people are driven to crime. With the worn down DeBanco security services protesting for safer working conditions amidst a string of robberies, there's no one to transport money for the banks. No one to refill the ATMs.

Above: We can't even access the money that we have. What the hell can we do?

Above: Just a machine that mocks us. What's it good for?

Throughout Los Suenos, you'll be able to see broader signs of the city's struggles through its media outlets. Whether it's over radio, TV broadcasts, or newspaper publications, everyone's looking for answers that no one seems to have. A series of magazines in the game's levels help to flesh out this story.

Above: A little bit of history for one of America's most storied, and now downtrodden cities.

Above: Trouble across the border. Tensions boiling over. Who's going to fix this?

Above: Even the affluent are starting to feel the pain. The rats spread like a plague.

This is just a taste of what you can expect from Ready or Not's environmental storytelling, as we strive to make the world come alive and include as much detail as we can in every level to contribute to the world that we've built. You'll see more and more added with continued updates to the game, so be on the lookout!

[h2]Conclusion[/h2]

This concludes our 32nd biweekly newsletter, focusing on the various story beats located in the game's levels. Please tune in next time for even more development news, and keep an eye out on our social media!

If you'd like to help us test new content on the Supporter exclusive experimental branch, provide us with your game feedback, and keep up with all the activity and play testing events occurring within the Ready or Not Alpha, you can become a Supporter at www.voidinteractive.net or at our Steam store page.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1144200/Ready_or_Not/

Keep your feet on the ground.
Community Management Department


Status Report on the Next Content Update

[h3]To the Ready or Not Community,[/h3]

We are excited to get the new content update in your hands as it is our biggest one yet! At this time, we're putting the finishing touches on the bevy of new mechanics being added into the game so that they're fully playable and testable for our community. As soon as it’s ready, we will be deploying the update to our experimental testing branch for Supporters to experience and help us find any major issues before public release.

It's been a long wait, but we're ready and excited to share some of what you can expect this month. Our team has put together a 6 minute video showing off the overhaul to the game's A.I., specifically new suspect behaviors and the built-from-scratch cover system they utilize. We are confident that these new mechanics will add significant depth and replayability to Ready or Not.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Keep your feet on the ground.
Void Interactive

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Community Art Contest

Attention Officers!

Today we’ll be revealing the winners of the first Ready or Not Art contest! All three of these winners were chosen via a combination of Staff and Community vote, and for their adherence to the theme , the keys that these three users will be receiving are well deserved.

[h2]Third place: The Rock [/h2]

The third place piece, brought to us by The Rock illustrates something that has happened to every Los Suenos SWAT officer at least once, being rushed by a very much self assured suspect and erased before you can properly respond.


[hr][/hr]
[h2]Second place: Moto[/h2]

Second place, brought to us by Moto, brings a much more meme-y take on the danger of approaching suspects while unprepared. Sometimes when approached by a Terminator suspect, the only chance for survival is to retreat from the situation and regroup.


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[h2]First place: Etnad[/h2]

First place, populated by Etnad, brings us a piece that nails the theme of the contest right on the head. It depicts a moment of happiness in between the bursts of violence and stress that being a LEO entails, as well as all the staple characters that you can find around the station. The light sprinkling of easter eggs and the technical skill on show really pushes Etnads piece over the edge.


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We’re glad that our first of such an event gathered so many applicants, a whopping 44 entries, stepped up to show off their artistic skills to the rest of the server. Being the first of many such contests we plan to run, we hope that the community will continue to put their best foot forward as we roll out more of these events.

If you'd like to join future contests, join our Discord!

https://discord.com/invite/readyornot

Keep your feet on the ground and pen in your hand.
Void Interactive.

Vol. 31 Ready or Not Development Update

Attention Officers,

Welcome to the 31st edition of our biweekly newsletter!! This time around we'll be taking a deeper look at Club, Valley, and Penthouse, all three of which have progressed significantly in recent weeks.
[h2]The NEON Night Club
[/h2]

Pulsing lights and pounding music, strong drinks and intoxicating vibes. The promise of something more within. A crowded dance floor left vacant and streaked with blood. Pain and chaos. Bring an end to it.

Above: Death and destruction in a place of joy and respite.
[hr][/hr]
[h2]The Valley of the Dolls
[/h2]

A poolside party under the warm rays of the Los Suenos sun. A birthday and all the presents money can buy. A dark secret waiting for you to bring it to the light.

Above: Decadence and excess.

Above: The entrance and bar, respectively. These folks are living the life.

Above: An abstract art gallery and a themed sitting room, in the Penthouse. What else do you need?
[hr][/hr]
[h2]Conclusion
[/h2]

This concludes our 31st biweekly briefing, showcasing Club and Valley as they get closer to their final forms. Please tune in next time for even more development news, and keep an eye out on our social media!

If you'd like to help us test new content on the Supporter exclusive experimental branch, provide us with your game feedback, and keep up with all the activity and playtesting events occurring within the Ready or Not Alpha, you can become a Supporter at www.voidinteractive.net or at our Steam store page.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1144200/Ready_or_Not/

Keep your feet on the ground.
Community Management Team


Community Content Exhibit Vol. 1

Welcome to the first in our series of monthly newsletters, dedicated entirely to community creations and contributions to Ready or Not! This month, we’re focusing on popular, well made, and unique mods to take your gameplay to the next level. Let us know if you’ve already experienced one of these in the comments!

[h2]Community Spotlight – Mods of the Month[/h2]
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[h3]1.) In-Game Menu by TheRareKiwi[/h3]

For many players this will be one of the first mods they download, and often the first they are recommended. The simply named ‘In-game menu’ offers users more granular control over their lobbies in both single and multiplayer. The mods feature set includes a proto-server browser, user limit changes, a map selector, and even a simple mod management and identification interface, to see what mods you have loaded at any given time.



[h3]2.) The Fairfax Residence Remake by bmatthew9342[/h3]

The Fairfax Residence is a map that features many veterans of the Tactical Police Action genre. It’s a faithful remake of the old SWAT 4 map, and faithfully maintains both game’s high level of environmental storytelling. Most present is the slow feeling of dread from the compact map, the well decorated environment, and its sparse use of NPCs.



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[h3]3.) Old Wenderly Psych Hospital by WasabiParty[/h3]

Old Wenderly’s claustrophobic corridors, and high density of both civilians and suspects, lend themselves very well to the short, furious firefights that test all players' target acquisition and identification skills. The only downside to the map is the lack of decoration, but given the map's size combined with how hectic the action tends to be, it’s very easy to overlook its missing flair.



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Editors Choice

[h3]4.) ODST RONMOD by Sierra107[/h3]

I really think the name of this mod speaks for itself! Though given the in-universe talents of the ODSTs and the incongruity of placing them in a reasonably modern space, it doesn’t mean that Absiv didn’t hit it out of the park with a modern version of the ODST battle suit and aesthetic. The cherry on top of this mod, is that HoltDT also contributes voices that sound like they’ve been passed between helmet comms, as well as two weapons provided by Unselles! The headliner is the venerable M90 pump shotgun, whose sheer imposing presence makes it an absolute joy to use. The other is the MK50 Sidekick from Halo Infinite, whose replacement of the USP is quite a fitting choice.

All round it’s a wonderful package, with more tweaks and firearms on the way!

https://www.nexusmods.com/readyornot/mods/896

Addendum
I have miscredited several creators in the above post, this has been fixed:

Both Unselles and HoltDT have authorised ODSTRoNMOD to utilise two mods separately uploaded on Nexusmods - these mods are;
*.357 Bonanza, M90, and MK50 by Unselles
*Trauma Team style voices for SWAT by HoltDT
*ODST Armor designed by https://www.artstation.com/abisv





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[h3]Closing[/h3]

Going forwards, we can’t WAIT to see what else the community brings to the table as we update the game and to give modders more functionality to play with and improve their own works.

Outside of our highlight posts you can find more wonderful content here:
https://discord.gg/TjyfbXTU28 or https://www.nexusmods.com/readyornot/

Don’t forget to share your mods with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and join our modding community on Discord.

TOC, signing off.