We’ve seen a lot of speculation about the game and realized that in part that is because we haven’t made our stance clear enough as the developers of this project, and realized that it would be useful to provide a more strategic overview of how we are intending to approach Early Access for NMRiH2, and how we are evaluating the launch and your reaction to it.
We released in Early Access because this was the best phase of our production to start getting feedback during ongoing development, in order to meaningfully sculpt the core of the game with you as fans, rather than pretend to engage in that process by releasing a nearly completed and "sealed" product.
We've been upfront about 1.0 being targeted for next year, and we have several major themed updates planned throughout the Early Access period that will provide natural "check-in" points on our progress. We are confident that both fans of the original No More Room in Hell game, but also those without this background, will be excited about what we have in store for you leading to 1.0, so please join us whenever along the journey makes sense for you!
What we’re doing here with the Early Access release is genuinely opening our production process to you as a community and engaging in the process of creating this game together. We see this as a method to get better at making games as a studio, with the hopes of engaging the open support of our community earlier in the process for our future games.
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Here are some things we have heard you say your dream of No More Room in Hell 2 deserves to be, and our responses.
[h3]You want: a stable core experience[/h3]
For those of you who have just joined: we've been committed to weekly hotfixes since launch (see the already-shipped
Hotfix 1 &
Hotfix 2), with more coming (Hotfix 3 next week!), and a larger update towards the end of November - and of course many further updates through Early Access and beyond.
We have also rolled out a
series of server optimization initiatives to improve the live health of the game -- with the majority of players now playing in optimal matchmaking conditions.
[h3]You want: more urban settings[/h3]
Power Plant, the first map in Early Access, is a rural map that focuses on the fear of the unknown, and the sense of discovery in an ocean of darkness. Environments set in cities and towns are of course, equally if not more so iconic to zombie cinema - which NMRiH1 captured so well with its many maps added over years post-launch.
Future maps are planned to hit suburban & urban environments. Each map will have a very different scenario and feel to its objectives. The second map is well underway already, and we look forward to revealing it as soon as it’s ready to show.
[h3]You want: a commitment to immersion and groundedness[/h3]
It’s our goal for NMRiH2 to present a world that feels like you just stepped out of your door and are witnessing zombie hell on earth.
We are confirming that future zombie types will be based in cinematic realism, like firefighters, policemen or former soldiers.
We also know many players want a more immersive UI / HUD experience in-game. Custom UI is coming in November, allowing you to create a “minimal HUD” and be fully immersed and grounded in the game world without objective markers and so on -- or to simply customize to your liking.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
These are just a few examples of how we’re going to continue to fulfill our commitment to a grounded and immersive zombie experience.
[h3]You want: more game content & replayability[/h3]
We’ve heard your comments about lack of content as well as replayability concerns with the existing Power Plant map and wanted to clarify how this situation will play out over the course of Early Access.
To best serve our production process, ultimately the goal of this first map was to prove out the core of the game play loop, the core of the type of co-op experience we wanted to create. It is our full intention to add dynamic layers of variation, different scenarios like different endings, on top of that and now we have your guidance on where to go with those improvements.
So you can expect this process to repeat such that when something like a new map comes out, it will come in its base form and then get replayable dynamic layers in a series of updates, all while another new map is coming out about to undergo the same process. While other more “standalone” features like weapons, zombie types, player tools, UX and balance & tuning improvements will be sprinkled in at each update.
View our roadmap to see what’s in store currently.
[h3]You want: to feel like a desperate survivor[/h3]
The player fantasy that we looked to hit, and have now heard reinforced that players are looking for, is one that feels desperate, real people who are dealing with an active emergency. Civil Recovery Corps Responders are essentially those who were tough and capable enough to have survived the events of NMRiH1, who now return to help a citizens’ militia.
We have heard the voices who are eager for us to reinforce the vulnerability, bleaker tones and elements of the first game, to hone down on the true horror experience of a zombie apocalypse. This aligns with our own goals for the game and we’ve prioritized further pushes in this direction.
For example, we have ongoing work to reduce ammunition across the map, making each bullet count even more. And future visual and audio aesthetics will lean into the vulnerable flavor of CRC Responders.
Infection is also in active development. Players can expect it to include franchise hallmarks - like sacrificing yourself for the greater good of your team - while also creating compelling new social dynamics inspired by zombie cinema… like the act of keeping your own infection a secret.
[h3]You want: to play it your way[/h3]
We are monitoring everyone’s feedback on having more agency over how to play and enjoy the game the way they like to, such as: making it easier to play with friends, having more accessible options to leave a match without being punished, being able to play at your own speed, and similar thoughts.
This resonates with our team, and we see how it's a top want in the community - so we’re working figuring out the best ways to bring those options to the game and will get back to you soon.
We are also working on more game modes and would love your thoughts so keep those suggestions coming!
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Thanks for telling us what matters - we can’t wait to show you what our studio can do with this game from these foundations. We are thrilled for the opportunity to make an epic interactive monument to zombie cinema together.
Onto another hotfix next week, with our first full update also around the corner in November!