Good day Survivors!
We gathered your questions about Endzone 2 from Discord and Steam in the context of this Q&A, and now it's time to share the answers.
Today, we’re diving into Part 1 of our Q&A, with Part 2 coming next Thursday.
In this Part 1, we will be answering 6 questions, while Part 2 will contain 5.
No more waiting—let’s get straight to the answers!
Q1: The Elephant in the Room: Appeasing the Mixed Reviewers?
- What are some of the ideas the devs are all considering to appease or at a minimum, regain player interest enough to offset the mixed reviews that results in new positive ones?
From: c0mad0r
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A: Of course, we noticed the mixed reviews and gave it a lot of thought. First and foremost, we initially have disappointed many EZ1 veterans with our new approach, that cannot be dismissed.
So since our first playtest, we have tried to get closer to EZ1 again. For example, we have worked significantly on the diversity of our settler simulation and have incorporated various ideas from our players based on their feedback to close the gap between EZ1 and EZ2. The latter includes, for example, visual improvements to our buildings as well as removing new mechanics that didn't make any sense, like our settlement branches.
We also plan to bring back familiar mechanics that will be reminiscent of EZ1, but will also be reinterpreted within the capabilities of EZ2. This includes, for example, the topic of radiation, which we want to revise in Early Access.
At the core, however, we are trying to stay true to our original vision and hope that with the pending updates we can convince our players at last! 🙂
Q2: If everything goes according to plan, what would you like to introduce in Endzone 2 until the end of 2025?
From: StarlordDrax
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A: What we have communicated so far is an Early Access period of 1 year. This means that we plan to leave Early Access in mid-2025.
Until then we will release the Education/Bulletin Board Update, as well as 2 other major updates. One of the last two major updates will probably deal with a revision of the radiation system as well as further challenges and the other will probably bring raiders back into the game. Still, these two updates are always subject to change!
In between, we will continue with our regular updates, which are intended to further improve the game, especially in terms of usability and stability. What comes after we leave Early Access depends heavily on the success of the full release and the feedback from our players. 😌
Q3: How far ahead are the content updates planned into the Roadmaps?
- Do you have the pair of patches (fixes+content) all planned out for the whole of Early Access? Or is it fluid depending on what bubbles up from majority sentiment?
- If there are major pain points or wishlisted features that players bring up, is that woven into the roadmap or things are gonna get reshuffled?
From: ellacharmed
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A: Of course, we have our own vision of where the journey should go, not least because of the predecessor Endzone - A world apart.
However, we constantly try to compare our ideas with player feedback and are happy to respond to new opportunities that arise as a result. Fortunately, the feedback often coincides with our own vision. Another reason for our flexible approach to player feedback is that Endzone 2 is fundamentally different from its predecessor. Early Access is therefore also an important tool for understanding whether we are on the right path. And as we all know this has already paid off... 🙂
Q4: What development strategy will you choose for the game after its release?
- Will you work on Endzone 2 for many years, constantly releasing various patches and DLCs, or will you develop Endzone 3?
From: }{руm
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A: We are currently focusing entirely on the Early Access.
What will happen after depends heavily on the success of the full release, but of course we would like to continue developing Endzone 2 for as long as possible.
Looking at the current numbers, we are behind our expectations, but we are doing our best to make the game a success.
Q5: In Endzone1 there was a DLC - Distant Places that was released. [...] Are you planning to introduce something similar in order to unlock unique buildings and recipes along with lore and lovely NPCs... and maybe crazy dangerous missions in more distant lands??
- My other question is: What about other people that were saved (Endzone1)?? Are we going to meet other Factions?? Will Raiders come back to wreak havoc on us?
From: BloodFire
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A: We naturally draw on many ideas from Endzone 1 and its DLCs. Prosperity, in particular, was something we had in mind for Endzone 2 right from the start. The progress towards cement, glass and a technological advanced civilization in general can already be found in Endzone 2. However, we can't pursue all ideas from EZ1. Narrative areas outside of the usual map, such as in Distant Places, are not yet part of our plans, even though we loved the stories. Maybe we'll find other ways to tell exciting stories in the future.
Regarding raiders, we are very keen to bring them back to Endzone 2 during Early Access. Besides traders, which already exist in the game, these are the only two types of factions we currently have planned.
Q6: Name a couple of ideas that you would really like to implement, but there is no way to add them to the game.
From: }{руm
When it comes to what we want but will never be able to build in, that's a difficult question...
In Endzone 2 there will probably never be a first person mode in which you can move through your settlements. Grid-less construction will also not be possible in the foreseeable future.
But you have to keep some of your ambitions open for future projects anyway... 😉