Welcome back, Marauders.
Welcome to our Fifth Dev Blog! Excavation was definitely our most controversial update since the “Health” patch, but we feel we are turning the corner and applying your feedback at a reasonable rate. But the Excavation update marked an end of an era. We will moving from massive quarterly updates to smaller incremental changes, to add depth at a faster rate, in order to prevent stale and repetitive gameplay. That being said, we have a lot to cover so “Let’s crack straight into it”.
If you prefer to watch and listen to today's live stream for your Dev Blog, here's the YouTube video recording! (Video might be a little crunchy while HD is finishing its render!)
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[h2]Regular Updates[/h2]
As shown in the previous graphic, we will be aiming to do a patch every 2 weeks with the 8th week patch being classed as a new feature update, then we rinse and repeat. Obviously there will be trial and error with this new cadence so please bear with us while we get it up and running!
So why are we doing this? A couple of major reasons;
1. Our current updates are so large we see them being lost in their own noise, and can easily be broken up into meaningful patches within their own right. This means there's not too much dropping at once, and we can test and implement feedback at a more manageable scale.
2. Provide a faster cycle so players have something regular and consistent to look forward to. This helps us by also supplying the community with more news, more frequently.
The goal is not just pushing a “hardcore” element, but to add depth. I know we have all become comfortable in the games current gameplay loop, but it's time for a change. It may seem confusing at first but your patience is appreciated, and I’m sure we will all be happy where we land in only a few months time.
[h2]Once more, unto the Breach…[/h2]
The first patch in this new cadence is one focusing on giving breachers a much needed buff. Development on Marauders will always be a push and pull, now that the breachers have experienced a nerf (Frigate Hull Health Damage Multiplier) we want to provide them a buff in the way of new solutions that give the game more of that depth we’ve been talking about. We are pleased to reveal that new pod types are on their way including the “Marauder Pod” which has small weaponry that can be used to shoot and damage a frigate before you start your breach! Let the dogfighting commence!
Alongside this, we will include “Breach Protection” which stuns enemy players next to a breach point (and give them a little nudge) with hopes that it also clears the way of any pesky mines. We will also work to prioritise a safer breach point rather than being entirely random, which will be for breach raid locations and ships.
[h2]Phone Home[/h2]
Another example of providing depth in the next update, is the inclusion of “Gate Transmitters”. Providing the ability to call the exit Space gate at any time during a raid. It will take a few patches to get the balancing right, but we see it as a item that's not necessarily common but easy to learn it’s location. For example, possibly finding it in a radar tower’s salvage.
Outside this, balancing on the Space gate default arrival timer will be an ongoing battle, but the team here at SIG are more interested in providing players with new solutions to combat our mechanics, rather than nerfing existing ones into oblivion…. We want extracting to feel rewarding whether you found loot or not. This is our goal going forward.
[h2]Double 20[/h2]
Dart Ammo was just introduced in the last update, so we will be building a library of weapons that can use it! Currently we only have the SPP-1 Pistol, but in only a matter of days you will have your hands on the deadly APS, a 20 round capacity, low fire rate, high damage output assault rifle. It will benefit from the highest bleed chance in the game so make sure you poke around those vaults!
[h2]Planet Killer Base[/h2]
Progress on our new map is moving along swiftly. The scale is impressive, but still manages to keep some of that claustrophobic immersion we have all come accustomed to in Marauders. The map will be dropping in one of our feature updates before the end of the year, currently slated for September/October… Only a matter of weeks.
[h2]Quick Rebalance[/h2]
So as previously mentioned this new regular update pace will aim to repair frustrations over disbalanced weapons and armour. A good example of this is the rise of the Bren… A weapon that we felt was always hated in terms of it’s obscure size and wonky sight. It went through a much needed buff with it’s new attachments, but once again probably went too far and now we need to play with it’s spawn chance, drum mag capacity and fire rate. However, we would like to side on increasing rarity over super nerfing. That being said, we are revamping our analytics and feedback loop so we can catch these outliers in moderate time.
[h2]Raider Mode (Solos)[/h2]
Now that the new matchmaker is stable, we can proceed to talk about our solo only functionality. We wanted to add another feature first, rather than straight up the same game with just solo crews (which proved to be a strange experience internally). Raider mode will be another game type, in which you and 5 other solos will masquerade as low life raiders, assigned a random loadout and starting inside a raid location, with hopes of making it to the escape pods.
We see this as a shorter session tension reliever, and a easier/onboarding experience. More importantly, it is a way for players that are struggling with their stash to get some extra loot before they set off into their next space adventure. Obviously it will need to be balanced to not take away from the mainstead crew mode of Marauders, but we are already excited for its potential.
We are still experimenting with it, so the feature won’t be ready for a few more weeks. Depending on it’s reception we may still create a solo only crew matchmaker, or focus on the Raider mode instead. So watch this space… (Ceeg disapproves of this joke)
[h2]Cheater Wave[/h2]
It’s normally advised to not directly address cheaters, without just promising that you are just tackling it/banning them, for the players that are affected we will always make sure to take action as fast as we can with new methods and tactics, but with our game it feels a little unique. I think it’s worth a deeper discussion.
We have noticed as of late that they appear in somewhat organised waves, not for unfair advantages but to cause trouble. I’m not interested in generated hate or wild theories, and maybe I’m wrong giving it attention, but it’s important to note since they seem to have no urge to play the game naturally or even “level up”.
It feels as if they want to cause damage to the player base through drawing negative attention, like reviews for example. In no way shape or form am I trying to influence how players review the game, but it I feel they seem to greatly dissipate after they have done their task (or we have banned them enough times).
Also want to be honest in the fact that we just enjoy making the game for our players. There is no point in holding ill will, even for the cheaters. I don’t know them as people and we take no pleasure in banning, I'm just more devastated for the players that are affected, and want to do everything in our power to remedy it. Rather than the default “F1! Cheaters”, we are trying to analyse and understand…Maybe one day they will reach out, wouldn’t that be something… You know where to find me!
Sorry for the long rant, but we aren’t going anywhere, we remain very passionate, and we are very grateful for everyone that plays and helped us with reports.
So here’s a thank you! Supply drops to all our players in the gift menu.
[h2]Merchandise Store[/h2]
More Merch has hit the store so don’t forget to check it out, our new “F1” mug is flying off the shelves and is our current top seller! With every major update we will be adding more cool swag, so keep your eyes peeled Marauders!
[h2]Bonus Experiment: Mining[/h2]
It’s almost time to get your pickaxes ready (or claim them off a poor dead miner..) and get to work! Very soon you will see Nickel deposits around the Mining Frigate and Asteroid Mine. Don't forget to process it into much needed scrap. Who knows, you could get lucky with a more precious metal…
This experiment is already fully functional and ready to go in an upcoming patch! Marauders has survival in its DNA, so we hope you agree it fits right at home.
[h2]Any last words?[/h2]
Feedback has been thick and fast on the Excavation Update, and we are not blind to your concerns. We hope players are satisfied with our quick response to healing times, and with what we have showcased today in the Dev Blog! Exciting changes are coming and we do appreciate your trust in Marauders, even if it may feel like we are “rocking the boat” (or frigate). It will only benefit the game in the long run, and we want to use early access to its full potential and see what sticks and what doesn't but as you can see in the graphic, what our intentions really are, if we go too far we will correct it.
To explain some of our recent changes; our average survival rate “Pre-Excavation update” for all players was rising above 60%. This may seem like an oversimplification, but games like ours live off a solid challenge, with some of our competitors having a base survival rate around 30%. Obviously that's very low, but being closer to a 50% survival rate is a better target, and we need to introduce changes to break it apart and understand the metric better. Too hard can be bad. But too easy is just plain boring.
Hope you enjoyed this Dev Blog, and we hope to see you very soon for another patch!
- The SIG team.
