Announcement of the next dev milestone
Hello Survivors,
This is Ray, the director of The Midnight Walkers.
We began development in early August last year, conducted our first closed alpha test in May of this year, and recently ran our first public alpha test.
We received far more applicants for testing than expected—over ten times our initial estimate of 2,000. I want to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your incredible interest in The Midnight Walkers.
The alpha test was certainly full of ups and downs. Given the short development period and our desire to showcase as much as possible, there were several areas that fell short and unforeseen issues that impacted some players, resulting in the loss of precious time and items.
Despite these challenges, your patience and willingness to enjoy the game were invaluable, and we deeply appreciate it.
As we mentioned, we aim not to rely on "early access" as a shield but instead to improve and strengthen as many aspects of the game as possible from the start.
The unsatisfactory experiences from this test will be transformed into special and enjoyable gameplay that truly rewards you.
Our focus in this test was to verify and monitor the technical aspects and gameplay routines.
The key focuses for our next development milestone are as follows:
[h2]1. Enhancing Core Fun and Unique Features of The Midnight Walkers[/h2]
Currently, Liberty Grand Center is composed of 8 floors, but we plan to expand it to over 20 floors. The development team has already built up to the 14th floor, and we are considering options for matchmaking through floor rotation or defining floor ranges while maintaining the current 8-floor rotation.
With the increase in floors, players can expect to experience various themes such as fitness clubs, spas, and casinos, allowing for more diverse gameplay environments. We are focused on crafting detailed gameplay experiences on each floor.
We also plan to improve the overall combat experience. Initially, due to rapid development, we missed several opportunities to revamp the combat system. Now, we aim to enhance the thrill of combat by redesigning attack motions and solidifying the unique characteristics of each weapon, providing more engaging offense and defense interactions.
Of course, zombies will play a central role in these improvements. We are upgrading AI patterns to create more satisfying combat encounters with zombies, and new zombie types will be introduced. These include zombies that spit tumor-like projectiles from a distance and others that target players' lower bodies by moving without their lower halves.
Based on our monitoring from this test, we will also improve UX to provide a more convenient experience, while focusing on a UI design that highlights the unique characteristics of The Midnight Walkers.
[h2]2. Balance[/h2]
While class distinctions are important, creating realistic combat situations is our priority, and we will now pay closer attention to fine-tuning each class. Active skills and perks will continue to be added to each class, with new abilities that will solidify each class’s unique traits.
We are moving from a phase focused on feature development to one centered on gameplay, so for the next test, we plan to conduct extensive PVE and PVP testing within the development team to create even more enjoyable combat experiences.
[h2]3. Reinforcing the Game Cycle[/h2]
The next test will be longer than a week, so we will work on enhancing the gameplay life cycle to ensure lasting enjoyment throughout the testing period.
This process will involve improvements to the crafting system, and, if resources permit, the introduction of a mission (Quest) system.
[h2]4. Technical Improvements and User-Friendly UX[/h2]
For the next test, we plan to implement a more precise anti-cheat system, build upon data gathered from this test, and make structural adjustments to provide a more stable server environment.
While it was challenging to test alongside everyone over the five-day period, the development team and I had a great time. We felt a range of emotions throughout the process.
Our team will now take time to reorganize and focus on development for the next test. We will continue to share the development process and communicate openly, as we have until now.
Thank you again to all testers who participated in the first alpha test of The Midnight Walkers!
Sincerely,
Director Ray and the One-Way Ticket Studio Development Team
This is Ray, the director of The Midnight Walkers.
We began development in early August last year, conducted our first closed alpha test in May of this year, and recently ran our first public alpha test.
We received far more applicants for testing than expected—over ten times our initial estimate of 2,000. I want to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your incredible interest in The Midnight Walkers.
The alpha test was certainly full of ups and downs. Given the short development period and our desire to showcase as much as possible, there were several areas that fell short and unforeseen issues that impacted some players, resulting in the loss of precious time and items.
Despite these challenges, your patience and willingness to enjoy the game were invaluable, and we deeply appreciate it.
As we mentioned, we aim not to rely on "early access" as a shield but instead to improve and strengthen as many aspects of the game as possible from the start.
The unsatisfactory experiences from this test will be transformed into special and enjoyable gameplay that truly rewards you.
Our focus in this test was to verify and monitor the technical aspects and gameplay routines.
The key focuses for our next development milestone are as follows:
[h2]1. Enhancing Core Fun and Unique Features of The Midnight Walkers[/h2]
Currently, Liberty Grand Center is composed of 8 floors, but we plan to expand it to over 20 floors. The development team has already built up to the 14th floor, and we are considering options for matchmaking through floor rotation or defining floor ranges while maintaining the current 8-floor rotation.
With the increase in floors, players can expect to experience various themes such as fitness clubs, spas, and casinos, allowing for more diverse gameplay environments. We are focused on crafting detailed gameplay experiences on each floor.
We also plan to improve the overall combat experience. Initially, due to rapid development, we missed several opportunities to revamp the combat system. Now, we aim to enhance the thrill of combat by redesigning attack motions and solidifying the unique characteristics of each weapon, providing more engaging offense and defense interactions.
Of course, zombies will play a central role in these improvements. We are upgrading AI patterns to create more satisfying combat encounters with zombies, and new zombie types will be introduced. These include zombies that spit tumor-like projectiles from a distance and others that target players' lower bodies by moving without their lower halves.
Based on our monitoring from this test, we will also improve UX to provide a more convenient experience, while focusing on a UI design that highlights the unique characteristics of The Midnight Walkers.
[h2]2. Balance[/h2]
While class distinctions are important, creating realistic combat situations is our priority, and we will now pay closer attention to fine-tuning each class. Active skills and perks will continue to be added to each class, with new abilities that will solidify each class’s unique traits.
We are moving from a phase focused on feature development to one centered on gameplay, so for the next test, we plan to conduct extensive PVE and PVP testing within the development team to create even more enjoyable combat experiences.
[h2]3. Reinforcing the Game Cycle[/h2]
The next test will be longer than a week, so we will work on enhancing the gameplay life cycle to ensure lasting enjoyment throughout the testing period.
This process will involve improvements to the crafting system, and, if resources permit, the introduction of a mission (Quest) system.
[h2]4. Technical Improvements and User-Friendly UX[/h2]
For the next test, we plan to implement a more precise anti-cheat system, build upon data gathered from this test, and make structural adjustments to provide a more stable server environment.
While it was challenging to test alongside everyone over the five-day period, the development team and I had a great time. We felt a range of emotions throughout the process.
Our team will now take time to reorganize and focus on development for the next test. We will continue to share the development process and communicate openly, as we have until now.
Thank you again to all testers who participated in the first alpha test of The Midnight Walkers!
Sincerely,
Director Ray and the One-Way Ticket Studio Development Team