Hello everyone!
Welcome to another dev blog. We’re going to cover some of the latest Patreon updates, and give a sneak peek at what is to come.
[h2] Vendor [/h2]
We brought back the vendor after giving it a complete rework and visual overhaul. Items are all tagged meaning the players have the ability to sort, filter, and directly search for items they want to purchase. Limited stock for each item is a mechanic we decided to implement for version 1.0 of the vendor and will be tweaked as the economy becomes balanced. On the right hand side, we’ve added a visual cart showing all items similar to online sites. Visuals are still a work in progress, so please consider this a version 1 of the vendor. Some other QOL features with the vendor include visual indicators for purchases that exceed available funds, and a static price for all items in the meantime. Keep a lookout for the vendor as eventually a black market will open up allowing for the purchase of extremely rare items as the game’s content evolves!
[h2] Quarry Pt. 2 [/h2]
The first part of Quarry was released to our Patrons and we have to say its’ a major upgrade to the public demo map. We’re pushing our environments to the limit while still adhering to our target minimum specs in terms of hardware. Now, part 2 of quarry is well underway and includes the heart of the map: the quarry itself. Large amounts of verticality in a smaller space will force players to take risks when crossing as they will be seen from all angles in case enemies approach. Surrounding areas will also be close quarters combat focused with more of an industrial, and less of a natural local environment.
[h2] Weapon Revisions [/h2]
We replaced the old AKM with a more modern and practical AK-74M. The new weapon was modeled and animated fully in-house and sets the standard for all weapons to come. Since its initial release to Patrons, it has been reworked and its animations were upgraded to fit our vision. Furthermore our arsenal has been expanded with a new pistol: The Sig Sauer P320. The P320 will have many attachments designed for more personal or quiet encounters.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h2] QoL improvements [/h2]
Many Quality of Life improvements added here are more behind the scenes edits but show in gameplay. Performance has drastically improved on the Quarry map since its initial push (and even more so from when we play-tested it internally). We’ve also tweaked AI visibility in regards to foliage. This is something we didn't have to consider on the previous demo map due to none of the objects being see-through. (For those that thought of the vehicle windows, we’re working on that!)
[h3] Improved Hit Feedback [/h3]
Based on the feedback we gathered from our Patreon supporters in regards to the 'Hit feedback', we recognized the need for enhancements. As a result, we redesigned the damage effect in an effort to make it less frustrating, while still engaging and immersive. We switched from a standard vignette to a more grainy and flinch-like effect. On top of visuals, we’ve added another vocal audio queue of the player being hit. We feel that this combination not only corrects the issues our supporters were having, but also enhances combat immersion as a whole. As always we want to hear your feedback on this and we will continue to tweak as needed! We are also aware that currently there is no way to heal, and therefore no way to remove the effect when the player’s hp is low. We’re currently working on a fix for this. For now, the implementation of healing will be simple but the mechanic is required and we acknowledge that. Over time, we will be expanding the system to include different types of damage and healing.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h3] Weapon Handling and movement speed[/h3]
Weapon sway has been dramatically improved. Weapons now feel heavier, and more realistic compared to before. If you pay close attention when you play, you’ll notice the spring action of the weapons when they reset to their neutral state. This implementation worked extremely well with making the gun re-seat into a comfortable position, which we feel is the cherry on top in regards to realism for weapon handling.
We’ve also tweaked our movement speed to better reflect realism.
[h3] Added Foliage Interaction [/h3]
This was a direct request from one of our patrons and we couldn’t agree more that it was a great idea. Quarry’s foliage is one of the many things that bring it to life. Therefore, being able to see the foliage be pushed aside when traversing the dense tropics was huge for immersion. Thank you for the request, and we hope you like the implementation!
[h2] What’s next? [/h2]
To reiterate, we plan on adding a basic healing system to complete the cycle of taking damage, and regenerating health. We are also going to be releasing the new sections of quarry as soon as they are ready.
For the new stuff we haven't talked about yet we have awesome news for those that have been asking for more content. We’re going to be lifting the shroud on our mission system and some of our gameplay loop!
The game has 2 major mission categories: Contracts and Challenges. Contracts can be seen as primary objectives and have different difficulty levels. If playing as a team, the team leader decides the primary objective for the entire group. Challenges are “side missions” that can be selected individually and can be completed across several raids, independent of any contract. There will be 8 Contract types, split up into 4 tiers. As always, we would rather show than tell, so stay tuned for more info on this.
