Roadmap Update - January 2024
Hello Riftbreakers!
With the holiday season firmly behind us, it is time to outline EXOR Studios' plans for the year 2024. We have plenty of exciting things scheduled for this year, including some of the biggest updates we have ever developed. This article will tell you what we plan to release in the coming months and the extent of changes you can expect. But first, let’s take a look at the freshly updated 2024 Riftbreaker Roadmap.
[h2]WORLD EXPANSION III[/h2]
The first major release in 2024 will be the World Expansion III. Just like in the case of Metal Terror and Into the Dark in the prior years, WE III is going to consist of two parts: a free content update for all our players and an optional, paid DLC with a new Story Campaign branch. Here is all the information we can give you about the update at this point.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2506610/The_Riftbreaker_World_Expansion_III/
World Expansion III update will introduce an entirely new biome for you to explore: the Swamp. While swamps on Earth are rather uninviting and gloomy most of the time, Galatean Swamps are rich, colorful, and teeming with life. The unique creatures inhabiting these lands display adaptations never seen before in other Galatean species. The plant life is extraordinary as well, with several new species, including aggressive, predatory plants capable of attacking everything that moves. However, fungi are the true rulers of this land, as can be seen in the artwork we prepared for this biome.
You will get the chance to discover the Swamp together with Ashley and Mr. Riggs in the brand-new Story Campaign DLC. Over the course of its several missions, you will get to know what led to the discovery of this biome. Ashley will face a new kind of challenge as she discovers that the Swamp is just a shadow of its former self. Our heroes are going to restore the natural beauty and peace to this place. You will also get to experience an all-new mission variant, taking place on a map that expands further as you complete your objectives.
All our players will be able to explore the Swamp in the new Survival Mode map, which will arrive as a free content update. However, the update is not just a new map. In fact, it is a massive upgrade and a rework of many game systems you had issues with. All of the following aspects of the game will receive an upgrade, which will be free for everyone to enjoy as a part of World Expansion III.
Exploring the new biome means more opportunities for research, and that can only mean one thing - shiny new technologies for you to develop and use! You will be able to craft plenty of gear pieces to adapt your mech to the threats of the Swamps. Your base will get a makeover as well, as we’re adding several types of defensive towers into the mix. You’ll also get an opportunity to improve your economy as we introduce new ways to power your base and utilize the resources you’ve gathered.
However, in order to fit all of these new tech items into our research tree, we needed to implement a radical rework. There was simply no room left to add any more nodes, and we were not happy with the legibility of our system in the first place. This is why World Expansion III will mark the release of our brand-new research tree. Instead of three tabs separating the research categories, the new system will feature only one large and scrollable tree. We are working on making the new tech tree as easy to use as possible, which is a great challenge, given its size. However, it is a necessary step to move forward. We will try to make the transition as smooth as possible. And that is just the first of the many reworks we’re planning.
We are experimenting with associating resource costs to individual research items. In the early stages, these costs will be symbolic at best. We do not want to hinder your progress by putting prohibitive price tags on basic technologies. However, more advanced and non-mandatory tech upgrades will require you to save up a bit of cash. We want you to be more mindful of the research and make conscious decisions about the research priorities during your campaigns. This approach will also give you a reason to build up a stronger economy and expand your outposts beyond the bare necessities. As we said, though, this is an experiment and we will see whether it makes it beyond the prototype phase.
Another area of the game that is going to see significant changes with the release of World Expansion III is the balance of weapons. The majority of Superior and Extreme quality weapons show significant balance problems. They are either overpowered, making them a must-have choice, or severely underpowered, rendering them useless against late-game enemies. We will try to fix this situation by flattening their power level a little bit. We will reduce the number of special properties that weapons receive during crafting. While it will slightly reduce the DPS of Superior and Extreme quality weapons, you will be able to add special properties later with the use of the revamped mod system.
Weapon Mods in The Riftbreaker were previously divided into two distinct categories: property enablers and property bonuses. If you had a +1 Piercing Mod, you could only use it in a weapon that had the piercing property, or you had to first insert a mod that enabled piercing for that item. The system was confusing and caused your mod collection to grow to an unreasonable size. After WE III update, all mods will enable their corresponding property on a weapon, saving you a mod slot in a weapon that was previously blocked by an enabler.
This simplification will make the system more welcoming and easily understandable. Mods will also be grouped in the inventory by type, reducing the size of the list significantly. We will also change the inventory screen to let you clearly see all the stats and properties of your guns and upgrades. The redesigned layout will allow you to check all the important stats at a glance and easily compare two items in your inventory.
The loot system is getting a major overhaul as well. Previously, we followed the logic of “a wild animal can’t drop a minigun for you.” We now realize it was an unnecessary limitation and did not reward you enough for dealing with increasingly difficult attack waves. With the new system in place, not only will you get the chance to find powerful weapons in the wild (sometimes beyond the level you’ve researched). You will also get more chances to find rewards scattered across the map in miniature versions of bioanomalies you already know. We hope to give you an incentive to explore each map and allow you more chances to find something exciting and useful.
[h2]EXPANDED STORY CAMPAIGN[/h2]
All of the features and changes above are under development already. We’re introducing these reworks to lay the foundation for the endgame expansion, another free content update we are planning to release this year. We want to give you an optional goal to strive for after you have finished the Story Campaign mode. This part is not in the works yet (not everything, at least), but the refresh of the elements we mentioned before will give us a good start. Please bear in mind that the following are our plans, and they are subject to change as we make progress toward the release of the endgame update (or updates - with so many things getting reworked, it might turn out to be impossible to release it all at once).
The core of the endgame update is the ability to generate additional, randomized missions on the Orbital Scanner screen. You will be able to choose the biome you want to explore further and play an additional mission taking place on a new map. These maps will sometimes utilize a brand-new type of map tile we call “encounter tiles.” Encounter tiles feature unique spots that will serve as the main point of the mission. They will vary in purpose and character, giving the additional missions an aura of mystery and encouraging you to explore the secrets of the planet.
Another problem we would like to solve with the endgame update is outpost attacks. In the current version of the game, once you set up your outpost and leave the map, nothing can ever happen to that base unless you come back. It is not what we originally intended, and we would love to change that in a future update. Our plan is to allow outposts to be attacked when you’re not around. You will receive a warning about an incoming horde drawing near one of your bases. If you choose to ignore the danger, your remote base will get destroyed or severely damaged. However, you will have a couple of minutes to travel there and help defend your facilities. Hopefully, this will make the game more dynamic and exciting in the long run.
We would also like to add more variety to the sub-objectives you receive while on your missions. There are only a couple of them in the game at the moment: destroy a nest, hunt down a boss creature, or clear an infestation of acidic yeast. We’ve had more objectives planned and prototyped but simply did not have time to flesh them out before the release of the game. Now, with much more experience, knowledge, and your suggestions pouring in for years, we believe we can finally make this system worthwhile and less repetitive than it is currently.
Completing the activities in the endgame will bring you closer to an all-new alternate ending to the game. The details of this will remain a secret for now. All we can say is that it will require you to stay on Galatea 37 a little bit longer than expected, but with your help, the planet may yet become the second home for humanity.
[h2]CO-OP MULTIPLAYER[/h2]
The final thing on our roadmap for 2024 is the Co-Op Multiplayer. As you know, we have been working on this for a long time and even started a closed beta program a couple of months ago. While the beta tests were limited to PVP only, they have provided us with heaps of much-needed data to improve the game's netcode. The progress we managed to achieve in the past couple of months, thanks to your help, has been significant. We have been able to complete a Survival Mode mission in co-op on stream for the first time! Here’s the full, unedited VOD from that stream:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
As you can see, while things are far from perfect, we have made considerable progress. We’re able to consistently clear Survival runs. Now, it’s only a matter of getting the performance to an acceptable level. Once we do that, we think that we are going to be able to expand our closed beta from Deathmatch to full Co-Op. From that point onwards, we will start introducing multiplayer-centric changes, like adjustments to the difficulty level, more interaction options between the players, additional challenges, and more. If you want to be a part of this, make sure to sign up for the closed beta here:
[h3]https://bit.ly/rb-multi-beta[/h3]
We do not have any estimates when it comes to the release date. Our progress has been quick lately, and it feels like, for the first time, we can finally see the end in sight. Still, we can’t predict what challenges lie ahead and prefer to be flexible. We will keep you informed throughout the year. The closed beta will receive updates frequently, and we will keep collecting data from your runs to see where our game is lacking. We will invite more and more people to test with us and stream live gameplay on a regular basis. If there is anything we can do to improve communication with you on the multiplayer front - please let us know.
So that’s it - our roadmap for 2024. If everything goes according to our plans, by the end of the year, The Riftbreaker is going to be almost a completely new experience. We’re always eager to hear your suggestions and learn what we can improve, so join us at www.discord.gg/exorstudios to let us know what you think!
This is going to be a good year!
EXOR Studios
With the holiday season firmly behind us, it is time to outline EXOR Studios' plans for the year 2024. We have plenty of exciting things scheduled for this year, including some of the biggest updates we have ever developed. This article will tell you what we plan to release in the coming months and the extent of changes you can expect. But first, let’s take a look at the freshly updated 2024 Riftbreaker Roadmap.
[h2]WORLD EXPANSION III[/h2]
The first major release in 2024 will be the World Expansion III. Just like in the case of Metal Terror and Into the Dark in the prior years, WE III is going to consist of two parts: a free content update for all our players and an optional, paid DLC with a new Story Campaign branch. Here is all the information we can give you about the update at this point.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2506610/The_Riftbreaker_World_Expansion_III/
World Expansion III update will introduce an entirely new biome for you to explore: the Swamp. While swamps on Earth are rather uninviting and gloomy most of the time, Galatean Swamps are rich, colorful, and teeming with life. The unique creatures inhabiting these lands display adaptations never seen before in other Galatean species. The plant life is extraordinary as well, with several new species, including aggressive, predatory plants capable of attacking everything that moves. However, fungi are the true rulers of this land, as can be seen in the artwork we prepared for this biome.
You will get the chance to discover the Swamp together with Ashley and Mr. Riggs in the brand-new Story Campaign DLC. Over the course of its several missions, you will get to know what led to the discovery of this biome. Ashley will face a new kind of challenge as she discovers that the Swamp is just a shadow of its former self. Our heroes are going to restore the natural beauty and peace to this place. You will also get to experience an all-new mission variant, taking place on a map that expands further as you complete your objectives.
All our players will be able to explore the Swamp in the new Survival Mode map, which will arrive as a free content update. However, the update is not just a new map. In fact, it is a massive upgrade and a rework of many game systems you had issues with. All of the following aspects of the game will receive an upgrade, which will be free for everyone to enjoy as a part of World Expansion III.
Exploring the new biome means more opportunities for research, and that can only mean one thing - shiny new technologies for you to develop and use! You will be able to craft plenty of gear pieces to adapt your mech to the threats of the Swamps. Your base will get a makeover as well, as we’re adding several types of defensive towers into the mix. You’ll also get an opportunity to improve your economy as we introduce new ways to power your base and utilize the resources you’ve gathered.
However, in order to fit all of these new tech items into our research tree, we needed to implement a radical rework. There was simply no room left to add any more nodes, and we were not happy with the legibility of our system in the first place. This is why World Expansion III will mark the release of our brand-new research tree. Instead of three tabs separating the research categories, the new system will feature only one large and scrollable tree. We are working on making the new tech tree as easy to use as possible, which is a great challenge, given its size. However, it is a necessary step to move forward. We will try to make the transition as smooth as possible. And that is just the first of the many reworks we’re planning.
We are experimenting with associating resource costs to individual research items. In the early stages, these costs will be symbolic at best. We do not want to hinder your progress by putting prohibitive price tags on basic technologies. However, more advanced and non-mandatory tech upgrades will require you to save up a bit of cash. We want you to be more mindful of the research and make conscious decisions about the research priorities during your campaigns. This approach will also give you a reason to build up a stronger economy and expand your outposts beyond the bare necessities. As we said, though, this is an experiment and we will see whether it makes it beyond the prototype phase.
Another area of the game that is going to see significant changes with the release of World Expansion III is the balance of weapons. The majority of Superior and Extreme quality weapons show significant balance problems. They are either overpowered, making them a must-have choice, or severely underpowered, rendering them useless against late-game enemies. We will try to fix this situation by flattening their power level a little bit. We will reduce the number of special properties that weapons receive during crafting. While it will slightly reduce the DPS of Superior and Extreme quality weapons, you will be able to add special properties later with the use of the revamped mod system.
Weapon Mods in The Riftbreaker were previously divided into two distinct categories: property enablers and property bonuses. If you had a +1 Piercing Mod, you could only use it in a weapon that had the piercing property, or you had to first insert a mod that enabled piercing for that item. The system was confusing and caused your mod collection to grow to an unreasonable size. After WE III update, all mods will enable their corresponding property on a weapon, saving you a mod slot in a weapon that was previously blocked by an enabler.
This simplification will make the system more welcoming and easily understandable. Mods will also be grouped in the inventory by type, reducing the size of the list significantly. We will also change the inventory screen to let you clearly see all the stats and properties of your guns and upgrades. The redesigned layout will allow you to check all the important stats at a glance and easily compare two items in your inventory.
The loot system is getting a major overhaul as well. Previously, we followed the logic of “a wild animal can’t drop a minigun for you.” We now realize it was an unnecessary limitation and did not reward you enough for dealing with increasingly difficult attack waves. With the new system in place, not only will you get the chance to find powerful weapons in the wild (sometimes beyond the level you’ve researched). You will also get more chances to find rewards scattered across the map in miniature versions of bioanomalies you already know. We hope to give you an incentive to explore each map and allow you more chances to find something exciting and useful.
[h2]EXPANDED STORY CAMPAIGN[/h2]
All of the features and changes above are under development already. We’re introducing these reworks to lay the foundation for the endgame expansion, another free content update we are planning to release this year. We want to give you an optional goal to strive for after you have finished the Story Campaign mode. This part is not in the works yet (not everything, at least), but the refresh of the elements we mentioned before will give us a good start. Please bear in mind that the following are our plans, and they are subject to change as we make progress toward the release of the endgame update (or updates - with so many things getting reworked, it might turn out to be impossible to release it all at once).
The core of the endgame update is the ability to generate additional, randomized missions on the Orbital Scanner screen. You will be able to choose the biome you want to explore further and play an additional mission taking place on a new map. These maps will sometimes utilize a brand-new type of map tile we call “encounter tiles.” Encounter tiles feature unique spots that will serve as the main point of the mission. They will vary in purpose and character, giving the additional missions an aura of mystery and encouraging you to explore the secrets of the planet.
Another problem we would like to solve with the endgame update is outpost attacks. In the current version of the game, once you set up your outpost and leave the map, nothing can ever happen to that base unless you come back. It is not what we originally intended, and we would love to change that in a future update. Our plan is to allow outposts to be attacked when you’re not around. You will receive a warning about an incoming horde drawing near one of your bases. If you choose to ignore the danger, your remote base will get destroyed or severely damaged. However, you will have a couple of minutes to travel there and help defend your facilities. Hopefully, this will make the game more dynamic and exciting in the long run.
We would also like to add more variety to the sub-objectives you receive while on your missions. There are only a couple of them in the game at the moment: destroy a nest, hunt down a boss creature, or clear an infestation of acidic yeast. We’ve had more objectives planned and prototyped but simply did not have time to flesh them out before the release of the game. Now, with much more experience, knowledge, and your suggestions pouring in for years, we believe we can finally make this system worthwhile and less repetitive than it is currently.
Completing the activities in the endgame will bring you closer to an all-new alternate ending to the game. The details of this will remain a secret for now. All we can say is that it will require you to stay on Galatea 37 a little bit longer than expected, but with your help, the planet may yet become the second home for humanity.
[h2]CO-OP MULTIPLAYER[/h2]
The final thing on our roadmap for 2024 is the Co-Op Multiplayer. As you know, we have been working on this for a long time and even started a closed beta program a couple of months ago. While the beta tests were limited to PVP only, they have provided us with heaps of much-needed data to improve the game's netcode. The progress we managed to achieve in the past couple of months, thanks to your help, has been significant. We have been able to complete a Survival Mode mission in co-op on stream for the first time! Here’s the full, unedited VOD from that stream:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
As you can see, while things are far from perfect, we have made considerable progress. We’re able to consistently clear Survival runs. Now, it’s only a matter of getting the performance to an acceptable level. Once we do that, we think that we are going to be able to expand our closed beta from Deathmatch to full Co-Op. From that point onwards, we will start introducing multiplayer-centric changes, like adjustments to the difficulty level, more interaction options between the players, additional challenges, and more. If you want to be a part of this, make sure to sign up for the closed beta here:
[h3]https://bit.ly/rb-multi-beta[/h3]
We do not have any estimates when it comes to the release date. Our progress has been quick lately, and it feels like, for the first time, we can finally see the end in sight. Still, we can’t predict what challenges lie ahead and prefer to be flexible. We will keep you informed throughout the year. The closed beta will receive updates frequently, and we will keep collecting data from your runs to see where our game is lacking. We will invite more and more people to test with us and stream live gameplay on a regular basis. If there is anything we can do to improve communication with you on the multiplayer front - please let us know.
So that’s it - our roadmap for 2024. If everything goes according to our plans, by the end of the year, The Riftbreaker is going to be almost a completely new experience. We’re always eager to hear your suggestions and learn what we can improve, so join us at www.discord.gg/exorstudios to let us know what you think!
This is going to be a good year!
EXOR Studios
Steam doesn't always want to zoom in after clicking on the image. You can find the original submission link right here:
Click on any of the images to view them in a larger window. Alternatively, you can find the original submission link right here:
Click the image to view it in a larger window. Alternatively, you can find the original submission link right here:
Building a giant base beneath the surface of the planet is a challenge, but try that while repelling relentless attacks from hordes of aliens!
Our screenshot contest asked you to put those assets to good use. Here's a great example by acideiffel!
Any ideas for new seasonal events in the Riftbreaker?
The closed PVP test will evolve into a co-op test over time.
The main prizes in the modding contest went to Frognik and WirawanMYT. Congratulations once again!
We told you that we started testing our networking by playing PVP and that it happened by complete accident. You understood that and accepted our reasoning. It goes to show how far you can go when you actually take the time to talk to your fans.
The lessons we learned while developing Metal Terror allowed us to manage our resources better in the case of Into the Dark. We like how this expansion turned out.
One of the first drafts of the cave excavation mechanic vs the final product. Showing off work-in-progress allowed us to gat your feedback early and make necessary changes ahead of release. Thank you!
All of our articles about co-op were smash hits, despite being difficult content-wise.
The base building in swamps is going to pose a challenge because of the limited dry land. However, you will be able to utilize a lot of liquids to generate power for your outposts!
Creatures that can traverse liquids might be a strategic disadvantage. But look at those water ripples!
While we don't have the images for the reworks mentioned above, we do have some new artwork prepared for World Expansion III. Enjoy!
The new loot caches are smaller and not protected as heavily, but will still surprise you with fountains of sweet loot.
A wall of Krocoon Ultras is not a problem with the new QUAD DAMAGE power well, which gives you, well, quad damage for 60 seconds (WIP, changes pending)
Another great example - Loot Chance Boost power well, turning regular canoptrix into loot pinatas!
The new inventory screen will make it easier to directly compare the items you have equipped with those in your inventory
The mods are now grouped by type, making it a lot easier to scroll through the list. This is not the end of improvements when it comes to mod system.
Switching to the self-emplyed indie lifestyle was a giant leap of faith. In the end it was worth it, but we earned a couple of grey hairs along the way.
You need a lot of time to test your game properly. Luckily, when you're independent, you can decide a lot of deadlines for yourself. If you miss with you shot, though, everything can explode, just like the base in the gif above.
No story here. Just a gif to break the wall of text :)
Mr. Riggs wanted to get heard, too. Perhaps he should start a podcast?
You need to be able to adapt to difficulties and bad conditions, even if it means coding on a 19-inch CRT monitor.
Next goal: online co-op. We will get there, we promise you that. Our beta tests have proven very vauable so far.
Our trophy cabinet. The road to each one of these memorabilia took a lot of work and taught us a great deal. We hope to learn even more along the way!