Hello Survivors,
It has been a while since we last spoke with you following the Close Alpha Test.
The update was delayed due to post-test wrap-up and internal reviews, and we sincerely appreciate your patience.
In this Dev Talk, we would like to share our reflections on the Close Alpha Test, as well as our plans and our direction moving forward.
First and foremost, we would like to sincerely thank everyone who participated in the Close Alpha Test and spent their time enjoying the game.
Thanks to your support and encouragement, our development team feels more motivated than ever to continue pushing forward.
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all of you who took part in the test.
1. Reflections on the Close Alpha Test
Our previous Pre-Alpha test was developed with the single goal of creating a game that can be tested as soon as possible, and the build itself was completed in roughly 11 months. Thus, it was difficult to properly layer full-fledged systems and features on top.
As a result, after the Pre-Alpha test, we made the decision to rebuild the entire game from the ground up.
The Alpha version you played during the Close Alpha Test is mostly a new build, developed over the course of approximately two and a half years.
The primary goal of this Alpha was to fully realize the core gameplay that we could only imagine during the Pre-Alpha phase.
In our desire to include as much as possible, development continued right up until the day before the Close Alpha Test began.
As a result, some elements remained unstable or insufficiently polished. Despite this, we are truly grateful that you embraced and enjoyed the many different situations and experiences that could unfold in NAKWON.
Thanks to your encouragement, we are now ready to prepare for the next step.
2. Feedback
Through the Close Alpha Test, we received a wide range of both positive and negative feedback.
We plan to improve on the aspects that felt lacking, while further strengthening the elements players found enjoyable.
For this Alpha version, development focused primarily on verifying whether each feature functioned properly.
Given the limited timeframe, there were areas where overall quality could not be polished to the level we intended.
As a result, we plan to improve overall quality across player and Infected (zombie) animations, as well as sound design throughout the game.
e.g. A feature that allows the character’s head to turn naturally based on the player’s viewing direction.
Please note that this is a work-in-progress, and the final implementation may differ.
We also plan to overhaul the tutorial and add a dedicated training area to help players adapt more easily during the early stages of the game, and practice the combat system.
In addition, we are planning to introduce various quality-of-life features.
We plan to display key details, such as expiration dates and item categories, directly on item icons, alongside features like automatic storage management to reduce repetitive inconvenience during the gameplay.
Until now, we focused heavily on showcasing core gameplay, which meant many details could not receive adequate attention.
As we move on, we plan to take the time to refine and polish these areas.
3. Expanding the Core Experience
We believe it is difficult to answer the question, “What makes NAKWON fun?” with a single definition.
If we had to describe it in one sentence, it would be the enjoyment that comes from living alongside other people. Since everyone approaches life differently, those experiences naturally vary.
That is why our next goal is to add depth to each of those different ways of living.
First, to deepen individual goals, we plan to add various types of quests.
Quests with time limits (measured in in-game days), or quests with meaningful choices, can create far more diverse experiences than before.
For example, there may be NPC quests where you must risk half of your stored food to achieve a goal within five days, or quests where the final reward changes depending on how many times a certain action is performed over three days.
Second, we will significantly improve the housing feature.
To expand the fun of customizing your shelter, we plan to add features such as wall-mounted installations, customization of interior elements (flooring, wallpaper, ceilings), and the ability to change your expedition gears such as backpacks and carriers.
Third, we are preparing to diversify the expedition by introducing a wider variety of environments.
In addition to the two existing maps in the Jongno area, we are currently preparing two new maps.
One of them is a shopping mall area.
Our goal is for new maps to go beyond being visually different, and instead offer a fundamentally different gameplay.
As such, the shopping mall map is being designed around vertically connected spaces, unlike our existing maps.
We aim to deliver experiences such as a massive central plaza spanning from the 1st to the 4th or 5th floors, and large marts connected on the basement floors. This will allow players to see others moving through the space at a glance.
Furthermore, we are preparing unique settings and Aberrant Infected that fit naturally within the shopping mall map.
e.g. In-development screenshots of the shopping mall area currently under development.
As these are taken from a work-in-progress build, the final version may differ.
4. Other Updates
In addition to the systems mentioned above, we are also developing features that are not yet ready to be fully revealed, including PvE-focused expedition modes, social stats such as personality or reputation, new skills, and additional quality-of-life features.
We will share more details on these as they become ready.
If the Close Alpha Test marked the completion of the game’s foundation, the road ahead focuses on building content and adding meaningful depth to it.
We firmly believe that it is important to present the game only once it has sufficient content to sustain long-term play.
As much as you continue to wait for us, we are committed to repaying that patience with a better and more enjoyable game.
The entire development team is doing our utmost to make that happen.
As always, we greatly appreciate your attention to NAKWON.
We look forward to speaking with you again soon.