Ready or Not News

Welcome to our 80th Ready or Not Development briefing, November 22nd, 2024!

Hope you’re all doing well today, we have some in-depth info to share about game design philosophy around player flexibility and a few details around the upcoming DLC 2 launch, it being free for Supporter Edition owners, a future free content update for everyone next year, and our prototype merchandise line’s launch.

You can already grab our prototype first-release merch line on our official website here. We’ll have a more extensive and fleshed out second line of merch coming later.

Note: 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 the content in our development briefings may still be a work in progress and subject to change.


[h2]DLC 2 Free for Supporter Edition Owners [/h2]

Our second DLC, Dark Waters, is in view with more info to be on feed shortly.
[Image below: "SWAT, this is Air Support on call, you have eyes in the sky."]

In Dark Waters, each mission takes place in a Maritime setting, where your team will take on an expansion of their responsibilities along the Los Suenos coastline in partnership with the California Offshore Air and Sea Team organization (C.O.A.S.T).

On launch, the Dark Waters DLC will be available for free by default to Supporter Edition owners in their Steam Library, similar to DLC 1.

Other than expressing our continued gratitude to these early supporters of Ready or Not, DLC 2 is being made free in part as a recognition of the DLC Weapon Packs that did not come to fruition—a result in part of how we decided to include new DLC-related weapons as free for everyone.

One thing to be aware of is that we will be concluding the otherwise unused Supporter Alpha playtesting Steam branch due to its outdated purposes and unintended issues it is causing for players still using it.

This playtesting Steam branch was first made as a good faith continuation of the pre-Steam Early Access Alpha testing perk for Supporter Edition owners. It offered brief periods of testing prior to updates since the Steam Early Access launch was in some way a transitionary Alpha/Beta stage. However, that style of playtesting perk is no longer supported after 1.0, long after our Alpha stage.

Also, it turns out a number of players still had their game set to that outdated branch, unaware of the fact that it was outdated and that it could interfere with their ability to match-make with players who are on the normal branch of the game. With all of this in mind, we are going to be officially making that outdated Alpha branch unavailable.


[h2]Philosophy towards Player Flexibility [/h2]

As keen-eyed officers among you may have noticed, several of the features we’re going to be adding with the update surrounding Dark Waters (i.e. arrest canceling, multiple headgear equipped at once) and others that are planned for future updates follow a certain theme of somewhat increased player flexibility.

In recent months we deliberately made a slight shift in our game design philosophy focus, moving away from surface level balancing of loadouts and customization and instead focusing on enhancing player flexibility. Our goal with this is to empower players to make more meaningful choices and offer richer customization options, affecting weapons, quality of life features, and gear.

Part of supporting our game entails a certain degree of evolution, something that is benefited by increased development bandwidth that we have now compared to when we were implementing tons of other features in the past.

[h3]Weapon Flexibility [/h3]

Quality gunplay has always been a key element of Ready or Not’s development with three key pillars being customization fantasy, gun utility, and feel. Where things don't feel realistic it is generally a design choice made because it doesn't feel 'right' or 'fun' for the game.

We realized it isn't very fun, engaging, or realistic to force players to make a decision between different attachments for balancing sake. This is a major part of why we’re planning on implementing multiple rail attachments to be used at once, i.e. a flashlight and IR sight equipped together. This is something we wanted to include in DLC 2 but were not able to properly fit it in.

Meanwhile, you can look forward to a few fresh up-caliber upgrades to your weaponry with Dark Waters.

[h3]Gear Flexibility [/h3]

The changes in gear flexibility applies to the headgear changes showcased in the last dev briefing, Vol. 79. For example, forcing players to pick between whether to take NVGs or a gas mask ultimately seemed unnecessarily limiting more than fun or realistic, including the cosmetic benefits of the flexibility to customize your gear to that degree. It looks cool to wear the two together.

[h3]Quality of Life Flexibility [/h3]

Our moreso quality of life focused flexibility changes, such as adding arrest canceling, are not intended to change the deliberate pacing of the gameplay in a major way but rather to reduce circumstances where the game might lock you into something you realistically no longer want to do. Although you can now cancel your arrest, you still have to quickly re-orient and decide how to deal with the immediate threat that may be facing you. Keeping your area safe and secure before going in for arrests is still the ideal option.


[h2]Future Free Content Update[/h2]

Although many of our recent content updates have released next to a paid DLC, this is of course not the plan for all updates going forward. Our next content update is planned for next year and will be free for everyone. Expect more details regarding this update in the new year!


[h2]First Line of Prototype Merchandise [/h2]

Once again, on our website you can find t-shirts, hats, and a hoodie with RoN branding and designs.

We have many other types of merch and designs that we're planning for our second line, however you can get your hands on this prototype first line now! By buying this line of merch you also help us gauge what sort of sizes and quantities we should plan to have readily available in the future.

[Image below: One of the t-shirts from our first-line merch]




Player flexibility is an area we’d like to continue to explore in the future, and something you can look forward to enjoying with our second DLC, Dark Waters. To our Supporter Edition owners, thank you again for your dedication to the early state of the game and we are happy to offer the Dark Waters DLC for free for those of you. We have no shortage of juicy info that is going to be put out in the coming weeks and in the free content update for everyone that's next year.

This concludes our 80th development briefing, thank you 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, Spotify.

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

Attention Officers!

Today we'll be explaining more about the mapping competition.

[h2]Mapping Contest 2.0[/h2]

Unlike our first contest where our contestants had the freedom to make whatever their heart desired, the idea this time around would be the create a map that's directly based on an existing map either past or present.

From gutting an existing map and completely remodeling it in your image, tweaking it however you see fit or reviving a old map or version of a map with your own twist on it. That being said, the amount of effort taken in the remodel will be taken into consideration. For example, a siege on a freshly repaired and remodeled post-meth head infested Twisted Nerve would be judged much more favorably than Port Hokan with with just a change of weather.

Maps that do not meet a minimum threshold of effort [i.e. just increasing the amount of AI on an otherwise stock RON map] will not be considered as valid entries.

No matter the option a mapper chooses, the maps themselves can be either ripped from the game and modified or reproduced from ripped assets but the core idea is that the maps must be based on an old or current VOID Map.

For the ease of use, all past maps and blockouts are free game for the competition.

[hr][/hr]
As with the last competition, there will be a cash payout for our winners with more prize support coming as we secure it.

First Place: $3,000 USD
Second Place: $2,000 USD
Third Place: $1,000 USD

[hr][/hr]

Further contest rules and submission guidelines are available on our Discord, as well as a continually updated FAQ section. Any questions not addressed there or here are free to be directed to my DMs on Discord or in the comments following this post here.

We can't wait to see what our extremely talented modding scene brings to bear this time.

Keep your feet on the ground.
VOID Interactive

Welcome to our expanded iteration of our community newsletters! Just as with the legacy editions of the community newsletters, we’ll look at a variety of mods from newsletter to newsletter, but we will also include a deeper look into community content including streamers, videos, shorts, and art!

Before we start the newsletter, I wanted to thank all 16,000 of you for responding to our sentiment survey! The massive amount of feedback you provided will give us insight to help improve Ready or Not as we go into the future!

Now, moving onto business, we’re announcing our second mapping contest! There will be a follow up news post this Monday with a far more in-depth explanation about the contest and the theme. For now, a topline detail is we’ll be bringing to bare a 6,000$ prize pool for three lucky mappers or teams of mappers.



Keeping up the tone for the letter, here’s a look at recent maps produced by some of the most talented mappers that our community can bring to the table. All three that we’ll be featuring here are produced by mappers with a venerable histories as RoN Modders.

As usual, the mods are not presented in any particular meaningful order, they’re simply numbered for the sake of organization and conversation.

[h3]1. Office Offensive by DecoyMoth [/h3]

Playing to their strengths, DecoyMoth has made yet another beautifully constructed map that forces players into incredibly tight spaces, challenging either the communication of even the most experienced team or the most veteran lone operative. A prime example of a simple concept done exceptionally, it stands out among much more complex layouts and projects.



Nexus Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/readyornot/mods/4698

[h3]2. Hell comes to the Hills by Delta [/h3]

Coming from a modder whose diligence has helped many a mapper break in or take their modding to the next level, Delta delivers a map that they documented the construction on their YouTube channel. You can check it out to learn everything you could want to know about the map or give you an excellent starting point for your own mapping journey!

Provenance aside, the excellent atmosphere combined with the immaculate presentation features an open layout that’s both what one would expect in a realistic high-end home and one that presents danger to teams that linger in one space for too long.



Nexus Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/readyornot/mods/3072
Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeMpdkJrX_CGU-kIZJz4nbZ8KMNNWhWz3

[h3]3. A Florida Man – A Trailer In Darkness by StentheAwesome[/h3]

Taking the notorious reputation of the infamous ‘Florida Man’ and turning it up to 11, StentheAwesome flexes his technical expertise by including features not often seen to this degree in modded maps, such as the ability to move members of your team to the opposite side of the map for double-entry, the ability to enter through windows, making excellent use of the games sound system. and much more.

The map layout itself is also nothing to shake a stick at, presenting a dangerously open approach with cramped, cluttered quarters and a dangerously cluttered back yard if any of the suspects manage to retreat.



Nexus Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/readyornot/mods/983

—

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

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

Keep your feet on the ground.
VOID Interactive

Welcome to the 79th edition of our Ready or Not Development Briefing, October 25th, 2024!

This week we’ll be covering the short-term delay of DLC #2 along with a visual preview of the new levels and some features that will be included with its release.

DLC #2 is now expected to release during the Winter time frame instead of Autumn.

The timeline shift for DLC #1 ultimately ended up affecting DLC #2’s timeline, an effect which was amplified by the number of features we are aiming to include in the DLC #2 release.

In this dev briefing we're showing 3 previously unannounced DLC #2 levels, and feature prototypes that are continuations (with a few bonuses!) from the Vol. 78 dev briefing: Suspect Squad Behavior, Suspect Loadouts, SWAT Visual Identification, improvements allowing multiple headgear/facewear gear to be worn at once, and updated NVG overlays.

Note: 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 the content in our development briefings may still be a work in progress and subject to change.


[h2]Updated DLC #2 Release Time Frame [/h2]

Fortunately, many of the DLC 2 features are already well under their way in implementation. There is an additional demand on Quality Assurance and feature implementation into the new levels that is accounted for as well.

Speaking of which, our 3 new levels for DLC2 are progressing well but still need more time in the oven. ‘Blockout’ versions of the levels were playtested and iterated upon over the past months, with each level now entering its final stages of art pass inclusions.

Features and weapons meanwhile are mostly undergoing their animation stages, with core programming already largely complete and features exiting prototype stages.

Akin to DLC #1, all of the new weapons and many of the features in DLC #2 will be accessible to all players regardless of DLC ownership (because some features could be level-dependent). Playing the new DLC #2 missions in multiplayer is free as long as the host owns the DLC. An exclusive cosmetic outfit set will be included for DLC owners, like before-- and this one will have a very specific theme.

[h2]DLC #2 Levels Preview [/h2]

Without giving away too much yet, here’s a peak at the 3 new missions coming in DLC 2:

[h3]Mission 1[/h3]
(Image below: An oil rig looms in an overcast sky)
[h3]Mission 2[/h3]
(Image below: A once-manicured tropical paradise now lost— overgrown)
[h3]Mission 3[/h3]
(Image below: A buffet awaits within a luxurious lounge)

[h2]DLC #2 Features Sample Preview [/h2]

Here's an exciting sample of the features that are planned to be included with DLC #2! Some other features we will wait to disclose closer to release.

[h3]GPNVGs/NVGs Overlay Improvements [/h3]

The GPNVGs (a.k.a. ‘quad nods’ or quad tube nightvision goggles) and binocular NVGs in-game will now have an improved first-person overlay. The GPNVG change is complete with an increased real-world FOV and a dynamic imitation of how the images between each peripheral tube would be digitally stitched together, with slight distortion.

The dark vignetted tube outline now shifts according to your movements, resembling the NVGs hanging out in front of your character’s eyes. Simultaneously, your camera’s view is slightly adjusted forward and FOV tightened to represent the perspective out of the NVG tubes.

Can’t aim as well without canting your weapon anymore― a substantial touch to these visual changes is the added blurring to nearby obstacles and your weapon’s optics/ironsights while NVGs are enabled. NVG-compatible holosight optics like the Holosight EXPS3 will help you mitigate this though!

(Video Below: The new GPNVG and binocular NVG overlay)
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Headgear Changes [/h3]

We have altered the system for how headgear and facewear to improve the versatility of gameplay choices. For example, you will be able to equip NVGs and a gas mask at the same time, or even combine helmet + NVGs + flash goggles + ballistic mask.

(Video below: Headgear system changes)
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Suspect Loadouts [/h3]

The video below shows some of the new suspect loadout behaviors: Usage of flashlight attachments and switching to secondary weapon at will. Not shown, but in implementation, is switching to melee and addition of weapon optics.

(The weapon the suspect is using is a dev test weapon, so the magazine is missing and some animations may not be normal)

(Video below: Suspect loadout feature showing flashlight usage and switching to a holstered secondary weapon at will)
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]SWAT Team Identification [/h3]

For those of you who enjoy ultra-realism or cinematic playstyles with HUD elements turned off, the addition of glowing nameplates on officers’ backs will be a welcome quality of life improvement.

(Image below: A line of officers with nameplates on the back of their plate carriers)

[h3]Suspect Squad Behavior [/h3]

Below is a preview of the suspect squad behaviors for DLC #2, "rallying" and "regrouping." Rallying is used as an offensive measure, while regrouping is used to retreat from danger.

(GIF Below: Suspect rally behavior preview, showing suspects rally toward an ally in need of backup) (GIF Below: Suspect regroup behavior preview, showing a suspect retreating to find another ally)

[h3]Hesitation Animation Variations [/h3]

(Video below: A compilation of some of the new, more subtle and slow hesitation animations that we are implementing into gameplay)
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



With Winter as our new time frame goal for DLC #2, we are working across the team to deliver the best update to you that we can.

Thank you all for the incredible game feedback that you provided in our recent Community Sentiment Survey! We're poring over the data for internal use in the coming week.

Last but not least, Steam has moved a major sale for games, including RoN to next week with the Scream Fest. If you want to get the game or some new friends onboarded, that will be the time! There was some temporary mix up that caused the sale on other games and ours to launch this week. It was not intended to be a trick, but hopefully it served as a treat!

This concludes our 79th development briefing, thank you 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]

Attention Officers!

In our continued effort to polish and grow Ready or Not into the cornerstone game that it's meant to be, we'd like to hear what you think!

Below is a link to a survey for all of you to gauge how we've been doing and how you want us to proceed, for your troubles we're offering up some Logitech gear that we've come into for those that fill out our survey.

https://forms.gle/HYHym978SKw3Paui6