Resolve Release Date

05 Jan 2024Developer post

Looking into 2024!

Happy New Year! It is now a year since Resolve was first announced on Steam, and since then a lot has happened. It has been a wild year that saw the announcement, breaking, remaking and rebirth of Resolve in a very short amount of time. Today I would like to do a quick round-up a

Happy New Year!

It is now a year since Resolve was first announced on Steam, and since then a lot has happened. It has been a wild year that saw the announcement, breaking, remaking and rebirth of Resolve in a very short amount of time.

Today I would like to do a quick round-up and status of 2023, and layout the plan for what 2024 is going to bring.

Looking back at 2023

When we set out to remake the game back in March we observed a fundamental issue that's very common in the genre:

You have a team and teammates, but you rarely interact with or care about who is on your team.

Since then we have been dead-set on finding an answer to this problem, and formulated a main design objective:

We had a strong basis and a lot of experience from the first tests and have throughout 2023 completely redesigned the game into something we are very excited to share with you in 2024!

Here are a few highlights of all the work that has been done in 2023:

Created a new gamemode with dynamic objectives that is easy to learn.
Created a system for dynamic team creation that make players value their teammates and brings the genre in a new fresh direction.
Moved to an alternate history setting that opens new options for gameplay design.
Experimented with item scavenging and a simple inventory system to make your life matter and increase tension - No more endless deploy-die-repeat. Further testing is required so stay tuned for that.
Redesigned gunplay to be more grounded with weapon-specific characteristics and recoil.
Refactored the entire codebase and all assets for optimisation.
Implemented first vehicle with modular armament and compartmentalized damage model.
Brought the game from concept to a complete playable build.

Current Status

The status now is that we have a complete proof of concept of the game that has been tested with a limited group of people so we can ensure a high quality experience before you get to play.

It was an equally nerve-wracking and exhilarating experience to see people play the new Resolve for the first time. And I feel very confident about where we are going after seeing all our ideas in action.

All-in-all It looks like we are on track to accomplish our main design objective to create a game about meaningful teamwork that feels truly unique and where every match plays out differently.

2024 Testing roadmap

In order to continue development we now need to see how it plays with many more players. Therefore we are aiming to begin experimental playtesting again as soon as possible using the ⁠#tester-sign-up list in the Discord.

The objective of experimental testing is to refine the game concept to be ready for Kickstarter. When the Kickstarter is launched we will limit playtesting to Backers only.

There are still many parts of the design and setting that are unsettled, but this means your feedback and input will make a big difference moving forward. We will also be looking to expand the team now that the concept and direction is starting to settle in, so feel free to reach out anytime.

Test map progress

For the Kickstarter proof of concept we have been focusing on one map - a fortified island North of Sicily. This environment is very easy to change and adapt based on feedback, and helps us decide what to look for when scouting for new locations.

Here are a few screenshots for you while we get the open testing ready for you to experience yourself:

The internal testing has helped refine the ruleset and mechanics as well as iterating the map to play better, have more distinct landmarks, covered routes and visual clarity. This makes the map a great focused experience for the Kickstarter.

Can’t wait to play with you in 2024!

It is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting year! And thank you all for your patience and understanding as we ripped Resolve apart to create something new.

Original post

08 Sep 2023Developer post

DEV BRIEF 02 - New Map & Gamemode

In todays Dev Brief we will give an outline of the new gamemode we are introducing in Resolve. Last weeks brief left a lof of questions, so I hope this will give you some of the answers as we continue building Resolve. Therefore this brief is longer than usual and provides a lot

In todays Dev Brief we will give an outline of the new gamemode we are introducing in Resolve.

Last weeks brief left a lof of questions, so I hope this will give you some of the answers as we continue building Resolve. Therefore this brief is longer than usual and provides a lot of information on the new mode and our thoughts behind implementing the new mechanics. So take your time and ask questions if you have any and we can give you the information you want.

First I will go into our thought-process behind making the mode, and then there will be much more details, and at the end is a scenario of how it could all play out.

As always Resolve is a work in progress, everything is subject to change and we want to build the game with your inputs.

NEW TESTING MAP

There is a lot of new stuff to show, and one of them is a new map we will be using for the upcoming tests. The details of the map is too much to fit in this brief, so we will get into all that another day.

NEW GAMEMODE
We are keeping everything we have built up to the tests back in March, and now we are adding a new layer on top to create more interesting fights and matches. As always it is still subject to change, but here we present our intended direction.

In the mode you will be fighting for control over freshwater, which becomes the center for your tactical and strategic decision-making.

Group up
You will start out without a team or a squad, and have to interact with other people to group up and secure a water source on the map.

Secure Water
Having water enables you to establish a team, so you can coordinate your attack and defense, and secure additional sources.

Fight for dominance
The goal of the game is to fight for dominance of the map, secure your supplylines against raiding teams and fill your water supply.

This game mode has been created to address the shortcomings that were identified during the playtests. Most noticeably the lack of reason to communicate, endless meatgrind and repetitive matches. The main goal is to create a very engaging experience that the other mode could not:

Create more unpredictability.
Each game becomes a story of camaraderie with your group.
Create a sense of progression throughout a match, more than just capturing points.
Every game should play out differently.
Clear and tangible objectives.
Simple gameplay ruleset that is easy to expand.

To do this we have left the Conquest-style point capture game mode, and haved moved to a ressource-based system, where the most important ressource for your team to control is Water.

Water was decided as the main resource in this game mode, since it is immediately recognisable as something that requires collecting, transport and storage. It could have been fuel, but we may implement that with a different system in the future. We want to explore more game modes that are not necessarily based on water as well.

Water is the main objective in the game mode.
First team to fill their water storage wins.
Controlling water allows you to establish teams and spawn points.
Water is required to spawn.
You can steal water from other teams.
If you run out of water, your team is disbanded.

Water can be secured at Wind Pumps that are scattered around the map.
You enter the map without a squad or team, and have to group up with other people to find water.
When you have found water, you will be able to establish a team.

CREATING A TEAM

When you have secured water to establish a team, the game becomes all about building and maintaining an army, while asserting control and fending off attackers.
There is limited base building mechanics in the game currently, and this can be expanded based on your feedback. We also intend you or your clan to be able to customise the appearance of the faction to your preference.

When you establish a team, you pick a faction.
The faction determines the classes and loadouts you have available.
A team can have multiple squads.
We intend clans to be able to use their insignias.

GAMEPLAY SCENARIO
In the game mode there will be a clear progression as the fighting and battle develops. Teams will be established and demolished, rivalries will form, and we hope the fights will be tense and brutal.

The game starts with a randomised setup that dictates favourable areas of the map that you can decide to take control of early or avoid.

The amount of water available on the map scales with player count.
And the location of the water pumps is random each game.

Early Game

In the early game, people will be grouping up and taking control of water sources on the map to establish teams. They will fight or avoid each other as each team gathers information and figure out their strategy.

Mid Game

In the mid game you will have to fight for control of the map, and defend your watersupply against the enemy. All while building momentum, locking down the map and making sure you can sustain the pressure till the end. Or you can be an annoying pest and harass on your own.

End Game

In the endgame grievances have formed and smaller teams may focus their attention on disrupting the dominating power on the map. A large team needs to control more water to sustain itself, and is easily overextended.

We hope these mechanics create an interesting dynamic of risk and reward. At this stage we can only guess how it will play out with a large playercount, and can’t wait to see it in action!

Until next time
This is just the outline what we intend with the mode, we have many ideas on how to expand it, and are keen to hear your thoughts and ideas.

As always we are available in the discord to answer any question you may have. We will be testing this new map and mode with you as soon as we are done internal testing, in order to get your feedback, so we can create the best experience possible.

Thank you for reading!

Original post

01 Sep 2023Developer post

DEV BRIEF 01 - From the Ashes

With the change of direction, the game remains a tactical shooter with a focus on team-dynamics. We are changing the setting to allow new ideas, modes and situations. Over the next weeks we will go into more detail on the specific game mechanics and modes. This week, it is all ab

With the change of direction, the game remains a tactical shooter with a focus on team-dynamics. We are changing the setting to allow new ideas, modes and situations.

Over the next weeks we will go into more detail on the specific game mechanics and modes. This week, it is all about giving a first look at the new world you will explore.

Once the world was drowned in flame
Violence has left the planet scarred and broken. The old empires have crumbled leaving their armies fragmented with no allegience.

Now, years later, a new fight emerges. Not for continents but for survival. New regional powers are rising and small armed groups form to clash over scarce resources, unsure who is friend or foe.

You are a soldier wearing a uniform that has lost its meaning and now you must find new purpose. Kill again or share the spoils - it’s up to you.

Grounded and Gritty
In reimagining this world it was important to make an immersive setting, while keeping it open to create new and exciting environments and situations. The armament you will use is grounded in the early 20th century, and is expanded with makeshift modifications and later tech. This is done to create a natural progression in the options you have available in your fight.

High Stakes and Tension
In Resolve you will carve your own path with a high amount of freedom and tension. You will be fighting for resources and collaborating your way from strangers with sticks to a well equipped and coordinated army. All in the context of a a new unpredictable gamemode that revolves around intuitive, rewarding and purposeful teamwork.

An Engine for Emergent Encounters
We want every engagement to be meaningful, and create clear context and intention for what you are doing, while making every game a unique story of your climb to power or fall. In Resolve you communicate to achieve tangible goals that are intuitive and engaging, and your most important decision is what face to show when you encounter other people.

Next week we will go into details on what exactly you will be fighting for in the main gamemode.

Original post

31 Aug 2023Developer post

DEV BRIEF 00 - RESOLVE Is Dead

First off, thank you immensely for your patience these last couple of months! I am incredibly excited to finally make this post about what has been going on behind the scenes and what is going to happen now. What happened? I will cut straight to the point. After the open playtest

First off, thank you immensely for your patience these last couple of months! I am incredibly excited to finally make this post about what has been going on behind the scenes and what is going to happen now.

What happened?
I will cut straight to the point. After the open playtest events back in March there were a few things that became clear to me in addition to the expected technical issues of an experimental pre-alpha. Even though we had spent more than a year conceiving, iterating and implementing mechanics and features, the core of the game felt very close to games we have all played for thousands of hours already.

We had focused on optimizing the game for competitive balance and lost sight of the heart of the game: Having fun with a random group of complete strangers.

At that point I knew we had to take Resolve off the radar and take the time to reimagine the game into something new, exciting and fresh. Rethink what a large-scale team game that relies on communication looks like, and break the chains that held the project down.

This meant the direction of Resolve had to change and I wanted to build on everything we had learned so far to take the game to a new level.

Why is it taking so long?
Throughout this project I have always used the word ‘we’ when referring to the development team. But the truth is that while everyone in the Dev team has brought something to the table that has shaped the project, I am making 99.9% of the work on my own. But I would rather redo all that than simply adding new paint to a game that already exists.

Until March I had been saving money with a diet of lentils, and at this point I am pretty much living on water and bread to pull off this final stretch without bringing in outside interests and maintain creative control. And now I am incredibly excited to finally reveal the new direction and get the engine roaring once again!

Tomorrow we will reveal the new direction!
Recently we have been assisted by people with a lot of experience from working on Gates of Hell and Burning Lands, and tomorrow we will announce the new direction with more details to follow. and I can’t wait for you to see it!

While some people will inevitably be disappointed that the game is not what they were expecting, I hope you will cleanse your mind and take part in this journey, as we build Resolve from the ashes of what came before!

Original post

Updates & announcements

Looking into 2024!

Happy New Year!

Looking back at 2023

Current Status

2024 Testing roadmap

Test map progress

Can’t wait to play with you in 2024!

DEV BRIEF 02 - New Map & Gamemode

DEV BRIEF 01 - From the Ashes

DEV BRIEF 00 - RESOLVE Is Dead