Driveloop: Survivors News

Driveloop Playtest opens this weekend!

Hello everybody!

We’re excited to announce that the Driveloop Playtest is kicking off this weekend! 🚗💥
Here’s everything you need to know about how it will work and what to expect:

[h2]How the Playtest Works[/h2]

A percentage of applicants will be granted access to this weekend’s playtest.
If you’re selected, you’ll keep access for all upcoming playtests.
Playtest sessions will run on weekends, starting Fridays at 00:00 GMT+1 and ending on Sundays at 23:59 GMT+1.
Playtests will continue for 2-3 weekends, so even if you’re not selected right away, there will be more chances to join!

[h2]Disclaimer: Game State[/h2]
Driveloop is currently in a very early stage of development. This playtest is designed to share the game’s core experience and gather valuable feedback. Here’s what to expect:

Limited content and incomplete features.
Bugs, balancing issues, and placeholder assets.
A strong focus on perfecting the core gameplay loop.

Your input will play a huge role in helping us refine and improve Driveloop.

[h2]Want Extra Chances to Join?[/h2]
Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/YjGATbJeg9
Being active in the community gives you extra chances to win keys and connects you with other players and the devs. Share your feedback, talk about your experiences, and help us shape the future of Driveloop!

Thank you for your support, and we can’t wait to see you on the battlefield! 🚗💨

Driveloop Playtest applications are now open!

Hello everybody!

We’re thrilled to announce that applications for the Driveloop Playtest are now open! This is your chance to experience the chaos early and help us polish the game to perfection. 🚗💥

[h2]How to Apply[/h2]
To apply, just hit the "Request Access" button on the: Driveloop's Steam page.
Also, join our Discord server to increase your chances of getting access to the playtests! It’s the best place to provide feedback, chat with the devs, and stay connected: https://discord.gg/YjGATbJeg9.

[h2]What to Expect[/h2]

Super early access to the game before the demo is done.
An opportunity to provide feedback and help shape Driveloop. We want to develop Driveloop with the community at the core.
Sneak peeks at new features and updates.
Unbalanced features and gameplay, as we are closing up the core of the game.
Very little amount of content. Our main focus right now is to achieve a solid and fun gameplay loop.

[h2]Important Notes[/h2]

Playtest access will be granted gradually, so don’t worry if you’re not selected immediately.
As we expand the testing pool, more players will get a chance to join.

Let us know in the comments if you have any questions!

We can’t wait to see you drifting, ramming, and blasting through waves of steampunk chaos.

Stay tuned for updates and get ready to hit the road! 🚗💨

Driveloop is a mental mixture of Mad Max and Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors and Mad Max vehicular combat you say? Sign me up doc! Driveloop was announced recently and it looks delicious.

Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2024/11/driveloop-is-a-mental-mixture-of-mad-max-and-vampire-survivors

Development update and new Trailer

Hello everyone again! This last month has been intense and absolutely crazy (like every month, honestly haha). Here's a summary of the updates:

Development Updates

New Enemies and Improvements:

Added new enemies like the Tesla Spider, Clawguard, and an early iteration of a giant robotic Scorpion boss with unique animations and behaviors.
Attack animations implemented for all enemies.
Improved LODs for several enemies to enhance performance.
Added VFX for electric explosions, green fire (chemical explosions with area damage), and molotov projectiles.
Fixed numerous bugs, such as cars flying when colliding with objects or getting stuck in props.

New Mechanics and Adjustments:

Implemented the crew member pickup mechanic, resolving bugs related to double pickups.
Bosses now have 10x more health, but their damage has been reduced to balance combat.
Explosive objects now leave persistent damage zones upon impact.
The ramming shield (yellow bar above health) has been reworked. For now, it prevents slowing down when hitting enemies, allowing players to dodge attacks. However, it feels unclear and might become a spare part in the future.

Improved Maps:

Paris map received visual upgrades, with new decorative elements like sign textures and additional vegetation.
Desert map optimized with collision and navmesh fixes. Players can now drive under the Brandenburg Gate.

UI and Gameplay:

Improved visibility of minimap icons, including off-screen markers.
Adjusted the logic for abilities and balanced stats.
Enhanced crew member pickups, making them larger, more appealing, and easier to collect.

Events and Marketing

Talk&Play in Berlin: Showcased Driveloop at this physical event, receiving great feedback from developers and players.

DevGAMM Steam Fest: Participated for 10 days in this digital event, gaining visibility and a few wishlists.

Upcoming Events:

Confirmed attendance at Bullet Heaven Fest and the BIG Conference in Bilbao (both in December). Hoping to gather feedback and wishlist growth.

Marketing Progress:

Our marketing agency has contacted over 600 media outlets for the official game announcement.
We have finished a long and more cinematic trailertrailer (around 1 min)! Check it out at the end of the post.
Updated the Steam page with new images and text: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3183730/Driveloop/. More improvements (better gifs, a new trailer, polished translations) are planned for January.

Next Steps

Addressing feedback from Talk&Play ahead of the BIG Conference in Bilbao.
Launching the closed beta on Steam after the Bilbao event, avoiding manual build distribution.
Post-BIG, dedicating a month to finalize remaining features (e.g., outgame progression like an item shop) and adding more content.

New Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD6tH7icpeg

Steam gifs:

Thank you for your continuous support! We’re super excited for you to try the beta and can’t wait to see everyone enjoying the game!

Our first devlog is here!

[h3]Hello everyone![/h3] We're excited to share our development progress with you and give a glimpse of what we're working on. Check out our first devlog post. We hope you find it interesting!

Maps, pickups, and area damage

- Desert map completed: now finished, with a harmful area at the edges that penalizes leaving the combat zone.
- Paris map: almost done, it's looking amazing!
- Crew member pickups: you need to stay in the area for a second to add them to the car.
- Area damage: now explosives and fallen enemies leave dangerous zones on the ground that cause damage.

Crew members, UI, and improvements

- Crew Member Arthur improved: now throws Molotov cocktails, creating fire where they hit.
- Minimap generated: it still needs to be integrated into the UI.
- Player/vehicle stats: handling, armor, dodge, critical damage, bounce, bullet penetration, and even life-steal.
- Cheats: added an option to change the camera perspective, ideal for photos and testing.
- Suspension and car control improvements: it's feeling better and better!

UI improvements and new sounds

- Optimized UI: remaining ammo, reloading in weapon icons and crew icons.
- Manual reload: now you can reload whenever you want, without waiting for the magazine to empty.
- New sounds: reload, area damage, fire effects, etc.
- Flickering fixed! The issue with the upgrade text has finally been resolved.

Events, marketing, and more

- We have applied to several digital fairs, with some in-person awards. Fingers crossed!
- The marketing company is almost ready; we expect to close the deal this week.
- We tweaked the capsule image so it’s not as dull (the good one is on the way).

Next steps

- We’ve almost finished the alpha phase as planned, with just a few things left. Now we will focus on the next month to finish the remaining features and content, aiming to make a playable build for testing. It’s highly likely that in a month we’ll start testing and closed betas, so stay tuned because the next update will be packed!

A few cool pics to make the waiting easier

[h2]Thanks for reading and see you on the next update![/h2]