Primordialog - 9.29.21
Has it really been over half a year since our last Primordialog? … Yes, it has. This is something that must change, it will change… maybe.
When I first started writing these, I did not expect a 7-month gap between issues, but that is what happened. Thankfully there is quite a bit I can cover in this current issue, including the drastic reworking of NEX:OS and what to expect moving forward over the next few months. But first I want to reiterate what the Primordialog is.
A Clear Focus
The Primordialog, first and foremost is my way to directly communicate what is happening involving the development of NEX:OS. This will act as a semi-technical breakdown of the changes and challenges with developing a game like this. Primordialogs will also go over any feedback and concerns players have with NEX:OS and the direction of Primordial Games. While there will be some changes to the structure over time, and even a new writer at some points, the Primordialogs will always be from the Studio as a whole and encompass what we are striving to create. A Game centered around its community and players.
With that all said this Primordialog will focus on what has changed from the last playtest from back in January. This article will also touch on some of the changes and improvements coming in the next playtest and hopefully first Preview build, speaking of.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/855830/NEXOS_Colosseum/
That’s right, you can now register for the NEX:OS playtest! This is something that has been live for some time, but I would like to remind players that this option is available. While I am unable to give a time frame for the second playtest, I will say we are aiming to have it by the end of the year. More information will be made available as a better picture comes into focus. But with that out of the way let's start with just what we have been up to this last 7 months.
Start from Scratch
I will admit the heading of this section is a tad bit deceiving as we have not totally started from scratch, but it’s not too far off. In the original play tested version, much of the code used was based on the Unreal Shooter example, all-be-it heavily modified. After reviewing the feedback and going over what we wanted NEX:OS to be vs what the existing code provided we had to scrap almost everything, key word – almost. Some of the core code remains intact as it works wonderfully, but there are also parts that do not fit our needs. One of the first changes was the creation of a new core Character and Controller class, one that can be used to hold vital information for communicating with our back-end services to manage player inventories and loadouts. Doing this will also allow for a better control over how different game modes respond including setting up separate sandbox tuning for PvP (Casual and Comp) and PvE.
Most of the current rework came down to how the Player Controller, Character and State all communicates and works. While the refactoring is still ongoing much of the needed groundwork has been laid. With a game like NEX:OS, heavily relying on a back-end system to manage a player, we have had to think not only about how these client systems work, but also how the server and Back-End Service handles these. While the final solution is still in a W.I.P state, it is coming to a point where we can start thinking about initial inventories and what will be provided in the first public playtest.
Another issue that cropped up during our test was issues with game flow, and communication with said Back-End Services. Again, the main issue came down to the duct-tape and superglue hotwiring done to get the system working. While a solution for that issue is being explored, the general concept remains the same, scrap all but what works flawlessly and rewrite everything else. Ultimately Matchmaking and game flow will be something that can only be reliably tested with more players, but a final solution is in the works.
Related to this starting from scratch topic, of course is weapons… and boy do we have a bit to talk about with weapons.
Guns, Lots of guns
And here we come to another Crux of the reworks within NEX:OS, weapons. This system has by far the largest change from the previous test, swapping the entire method of their management and creation. Originally each weapon was hand made and hard coded into the game however, this did not allow for the full realization of the weapons system. Now the Weapons system, in addition to Armor and Abilities systems, will be Data Drive and not hard coded. What does this mean in layman’s terms? Spreadsheets, basically all our Weapons, Armor, and Abilities are managed by spreadsheets. Now the question, why?
During the first test there were only 4 weapons, and by extension 4 classes or files, one for each gun. The issue comes in when you add more weapons, at current we have 20 planned weapons for the next test. Now add in Armor and Abilities, having dozens, if not hundreds of individual weapons, armor, and ability files to change and manage becomes a big problem. This also allows for better balancing and fine tuning of weapons either individually or across what we are calling ‘Platforms’.
Platforms are what we are calling specific weapon archetypes and hold the Min-Max values for weapons stats. By using Platforms, we can adjust weapons at a much larger scale with more fine tuned tweaks to specific stats. With these we can also create multiple weapons that handle differently from each other while also filling specified roles within the sandbox. As you can see we are still working on more platforms and weapons, but needless to say we do have a ton in the works.
Continuing on this theme of platforms and Weapon, let's also go over the weapon types and how they work in the World of NEX:OS. Types are another way we classify weapons based on how they work along with Platforms, and will eventually influence Platforms as well.
- Assault Rifles - Fully automatic weapons with moderate rates of fire and damage. These are mainly meant for mid range engagements.
- Burst Rifles - Burst fire precision weapons, these have slightly higher damage than Assault Rifles and a generally meant for mid to long range
- Marksman Rifles - Single fire precision weapons, higher base damage than Assault and Burst Rifles, but a much lower fire rate. These are intended for use at longer ranges.
- Hand Cannons - These are high impact, precision revolvers that are meant for close to mid range engagements and do relatively high damage.
- SMG - These automatic weapons have extremely high rates of fire with low damage. Meant for close range.
- Sniper Rifle - Single fire, long range precision weapons. High damage with higher precision multipliers.
- Shotgun - Single fire or automatic, very high damage at close range, fires a single slug or twelve ‘pellets’.
- Particle Rifle - Charge weapons that fire projectiles, either one or multiple bolts. Medium range and high damage.
- Railgun - Charging weapons that fire an instance trace, these are a cross between snipers and particle rifles.
- Rocket Launchers - Single fire weapons that usually only hold 1 – 4 rounds per reload. Heavy weapons for heavy damage.
- Grenade Launchers - This technically has two categories, Heavy and Light launchers. While their overall damage is lower than Rockets, their higher capacity more than makes up for it.
- Swords - Our current catchall for Melee weapons. These are weapons that do not require ammo and instead have a recharging meter, each successful swing costs energy that will recharge over time. Swords will drastically change how you play NEX:OS. More on these weapons in a later Primordialog
- Handguns & Micro SMG - Both of these belong to the Sidearm category, infinite ammo weapons that do little damage.
Weapons not only have Types that they belong to, but they also have Elements, Ammo Type, and Slots. For Ammo Types we have:
- Primary
- Special
- Heavy
- Sidearm
These ammo types do not determine slots, they simply determine how much ammo a given weapon starts with in different modes, as well as ammo pickups found during gameplay. Primary will always start at 100%, Special at ~20% – 40%, and heavy will start in the range of ~0%-10% or total reserves. This calculation will also affect when swapping weapons from your inventory to loadout, for example if you have 5% of a special total reserves and you switch to another special you will only get 5% of that weapons total reserves. Sidearms are the odd one out, they will always have infinite ammo so players always have an available weapon.
Slots are a bit different, players will have 4 weapons slots; a Primary, Secondary, Heavy, and Sidearm slot to equip weapons to. Primary and Secondary slots are rather interchangeable and can hold either Primary or Special weapons, including elemental weapons, while Heavy and Sidearm slots are locked to their respective ammo types. Of course things can change, and the relation between slots and ammo types might be changed or even removed altogether, but for the foreseeable future this is the intended goal.
Finally we have the aforementioned Element type, we will cover that a bit later, but needless to say Elements can drastically change how a weapon functions in the game. Not only can elemental weapons do bonus damage to shields, they can have additional effects on players and other types on enemies.
Armor Time!
Armor, another thing going through some big changes these last few months. While the final version is far from completion I can talk about its intentions and goals.
During this upcoming playtest players may only have access to a single armor set per class, though there are some ideas to allow some customization. Armor in NEX:OS is meant to be an expression of the player and an extension of you. While we are planning to have a Character creator for face and body, most interactions with the world and other players will be done in armor thus it’s your main form of expression. First off, NEX:OS will have a full Transmog system in place, and while we might not be able to have it ready for the next Playtest or even Launch, it is our goal to have a full and free transmog system implemented by the start of Awakening.
Now, why is armor important, other than looking cool what does it do for me? First off, all armor will augment the players stats that they can spec into with their class builds. Each piece of armor will have stat bonuses that are added to the player character, stats that will affect everything from movement speed to ability damage/cooldowns. We will go over Stats more in the Abilities section. Finally, like Weapons, each piece of armor will have a selection of Perks as Mods/Runes that can be used to upgrade a set of armor. Honestly the Armor system is still being worked on and iterated, but we can leave you with one last bit on info, the types of armor:
- Helmet
- Arms
- Torso
- Legs
- Class Ornament
As a final note, Armor is still being developed as class specific, though we will talk more about that later. Now, for the core of NEX:OS, the space magic.
Space Magic, elements, and Stats
Space Magic
The abilities wielded by players go by many names, depending on who you ask. At its core the power wielded by the Centurions comes from one thing, they are what we callAdepts and thus Unbound. Unbound are beings who are not limited by the laws of reality, they are quite literally unbound. They set the rules, reality is bound to their rules and actions… within reason. But these abilities are taxing on the physical body and soul, so sometimes other tools are needed. At present players will have access to 7 abilities to play and experiment with.
- Tactical - A quick deploying ability, generally meant as a utility to be used to aid yourself or your battlegroup
- Grenades - Throwables that, generally, explode and deal damage in an area
- Melee - You punch/stab stuff… enough said
- Singularity - Our equivalent to an Ultimate or Super ability, the peak of a Centurions power, the penultimate reshaping of reality or the bending of its fundamental forces.
- Jump - You can double jump, ore even use a jetpack
- Momentum Drives - A special class base movement ability that augments sprint and jumping
- Mobility Packs - A passive ability that kicks in after sprinting a short time.
While we are a ways off from getting a FULL ability system working, we are getting close to having a functional system in-game. Players will be able to fully customize their abilities individually, they will not be locked by a Subclass, Singularity, or element. While we are still refining the system Abilities will be individually equipped along with modifiers that affect how they work, and your character's base stats and the abilities Element. While we are still working on the final form this system will take, our goal is to ensure that player choice and freedom is the focus. Now let’s move on to Elements and their impact.
Elements
Elements are a key part with so much of NEX:OS, they have a hand in everything from Abilities to Weapons. At their core we want Elements to affect gameplay as much as abilities do, so with that in mind each element has unique properties, ways it can affect players and the world. Now, since each element will have unique properties, let's get into each one.
- Force: The standard base element in NEX:OS and the default for abilities.
- Electron: An element based on electricity, or the Electro-Magnetic forces of the universe. Electrons main status effects focus on stunning, affecting ability cooldowns, and ability activation. Electron will also affect HUDs and shields the most out of all the abilities.
- Neutron: Neutron, the equivalent to the Nuclear forces or more aptly, Neutron will act like fire and radiation. The main effect of this element is causing DoT to players and creating areas that will be unsafe to be in for prolonged periods.
- Graviton: The gravitational force this one will be focused on suppression and draining players. Graviton will mainly be used to slow players, weaken them, and drain their ability and Health/Shield energy.
While there will be more diversity to how elements will affect gameplay, we are still working on that system. We are currently working on a 3-status system: a stacking status effect, a full-stack or ability triggered effect, and a death or applied status effect, though this is still in the drafting stage. Our goal is to make your Element choice with Weapons and Abilities just as important as building your class and loadout. In the end, Elements are set to be more than the color of your bullets, or type of explosion, they should be an active and dynamic part of the sandbox.
Stats
Stats are the next major overhaul to NEX:OS, as they are also a new addition. Stats are meant to be a controllable way for you to customize and further build out you character. Currently we are working with three types of key stat types: Power Stats (aka Level), Character/Armor Stats, and Weapon Stats. While this system is still being iterated on, we have identified the key pillars we want to aim for.
Power stats are split into three main categories, Level (Power), Combat Rating (Attack), and Armor Class (Defense). While these names are still in the works, we do have the main goal for this in mind. Now, three ‘level stats’ might be a lot to manage, but by splitting these it will allow more flexibility with special modes that either limit your Attack or Defense while also allowing for more dynamic leveling down the line. While we are still fine tuning this system and its implementation, like most things on this list, we are nearing its final vision.
- Level (Power) - This is the main level that a player will increase through XP and will be the main limiter in a player’s options of activity. Level will be the core balancer, affecting the max level of gear a player can equip, though it will not affect Attack or Defense power modifiers. For enemies, this is the stat your Attack and Defense power goes up against to determine damage bonus/reduction.
- Combat Rating (Attack) - This is the total offensive power you bring to the fight, a combined average of all your weapons Attack Power. This will affect how much damage you deal to an enemy, either increasing or decreasing depending on your CR vs their level. – This will not be active in PvP
- Armor Class (Defense) - This is the total defensive power your armor provides you, a combined average of all your armors Defense Power. This will affect how much damage you take from enemies, either increasing or decreasing depending on your AC vs their level. – This will not be active in PvP
Character/Armor Stats are the next major part with the stats system as a whole. These determine several things that a player can do, from your Health total, to how high you can jump. When it comes to stats, we are aiming to allow the player to build their character how they want. Do you want a maxed-out strength that and one hit melee almost anything? Done. Want a high jumping speed demon? You got it. Constant Grenades to play a living artillery piece? Fire at will. The point is that your Stats will have tangible effects on your individual gameplay. These stats will come from both your class and your armors randomly rolled stats.
- Constitution - This is the main Health Stat, controlling from total health, to regen speed. Secondary effects is how much damage you take from weapon damage and how much your player flinches when getting hit.
- Dexterity - This stat affects your base movement speed, Sprint Speed, and jump height. This stat also affects how much damage you take from falling, and how high you can fall before taking said damage, this also decreases Physics related damage.
- Strength - This stat mainly affects how much damage your melee does and how fast it recharges
- Wisdom - This stat affects your Tactical abilities recharge rate and effectiveness
- Intelligence - This stat Mainly focuses on your characters Grenades recharge rate and strength.
Now, you may have noticed that there is no stat tied to your Singularity ability, that is because Singularity cooldowns and damages are fixed, and mainly affected through your class build. But not to worry, using Armor perks and attachments you can still improve the cooldown and power of your Singularity.
Finally, we come to weapon stats, the final thing with stats that the player will see. Now I do want to stress that with weapons there are ‘hidden stats’ that players will not see, these are mostly done for two reasons. First for what we call intangibles, or things that do not directly affect the weapons performance. Secondly for things such as Platforms, or the Min-Max values of a given platform of weapons. Currently the plan is for weapons to have fixed stat rolls unlike armor, however that might be something we experiment as time goes on. Also, weapon stats are split into four main categories: Universal, Instant-Hit, Projectile, and Melee as some types of weapons have stats unique to them.
- Impact - The amount of Damage the weapon deals on direct impacts
- Blast Radius - How big of an explosion this weapon makes
- Durability - How much energy is lost when blocking
- Charge Rate - How Fast this weapon charges
- Range - How far/Fast this weapon shoots
- Stability - The amount of Recoil this weapon has
- Handling - How fast it is to draw, stow, or aim this weapon
- Reload - How fast you can reload this weapon
- Magazine - How many round you can fire before having to reload
- Rate of Fire - How fast the weapon fires
At the end of the day, there are many more stats and things we want to talk about with Space Magic, and Elements but at this time that is all we can share. Now, something you may ask, what’s the point of this if there is nothing to play on. Well, let's now move onto the Worlds section or…
Space Stations, Planets, and Asteroids
One of the biggest things that we have been working on is maps… and while the most recent new map went and died, I can go over what our goals for maps are and a sneak peek at something we are cooking up.
For Maps in the PvP space, they are almost as important and the actual weapons, abilities, and Balancing. Maps dictate the flow of the game, from tight quarters to long sniper ranges maps need to have a variety of these to allow diverse play. NEX:OS will focus on a wide variety of maps, from small to large, allowing for a variety of play and modes. While currently there is not much to show, or event talk about we are working hard on this aspect of the title. Now, I can go over the different maps we are working on.
- Temple
- This will be an objective focused Mid-Range Map.
- Lunar Mine
- A large open map, meant for total mayhem
- Lab 13
- A close quarters map set in an abandoned lab
Now, there is one other thing we want to show you, but first please understand that this is extremely early in its development. One of the main play-space for player to explore and gather in NEX:OS will be the VCP New Horizons, the first Social Space for NEX:OS. Now while we are not ready to go into details of this space, I can share some screenshots from our WIP version being made by Lydan.
Now, I can't stress how much these are Work In Progress, but we hope to share more soon.
Closing Time
And now for the closing of this Article. It took much longer to write than I thought, but here it is. While this is just a small fraction of the work being done here on NEX:OS, it encompasses a fair picture of the major workload. Over the next three months I hope to share more with everyone including your first look at the first three classes.
One thing that I must stress, is that at the end of the Day, this is a passion project. This is not my, or anyone's full time job at the moment, no matter how much I would love it to. Currently I am the only programmer working on this, and we only have Lydan working on Art and Levels at the moment, and Yogz running the community. We are all passionate about what we are building, and see what it can be in the future, even with some of the short term pains. With that being said, Primordial Games is growing. If you see anything you like and want to be a part of this, we are always looking for people to join us in this journey.
Until next time, May the Ancestral Stars watch over and guide you all.
