The first Playtest session for Airship 2: Kingdoms Ablaze begins in just a couple of weeks, with the first batch of keys or test qualifications going out to participants on 18 August or August 21st.
If you have not signed up yet, head over to the Playtest form on our website, you can receive a key via email on August 18th:
https://www.revolution-industry.com/kingdomsablaze
Or apply for the test on the Steam page and you can receive test qualifications on August 21st:
View game page
Before we begin, we think it is important to talk about what is actually in the game right now, set the right expectations for this first version, and establish a common understanding of how Playtesting will work throughout development.
The Foundation
We started building Kingdoms Ablaze with a future in mind where everyone can participate in expanding the game and its content. Because of that, we have spent a significant part of development up to this point making sure the game is highly moddable.
Using Unity’s Addressable Asset architecture, Kingdoms Ablaze is designed to load additional assets and scripts added to its content pool. We have also created our own mod packaging tool that allows creators to package their work, upload it, and share it through Steam Workshop.
This foundation will be available from the very beginning of the first Playtest. We have already opened the Steam Workshop section for Kingdoms Ablaze, so Playtest participants will be able to experiment with the system and share their creations right away.
For us, modding is not something we want to bolt onto the game after release. We want it to be part of the foundation we build the game upon.
The Stretch
The first Playtest is also where we begin testing how far the underlying systems can be pushed. For this version, we have put together features specifically intended to stretch hardware demand and simulation scale. There are intentionally very few safety limits in place.
The first thing you will find is Demo Battle, a premade engagement between two sides consisting of three fleets. This scenario is designed to demonstrate interactions between multiple friendly and hostile fleets at the same time, with a considerably larger number of ships participating in battle than was possible in Airship: Kingdoms Adrift.
The second is the Ship Compendium. Here you will find several familiar ships from Kingdoms Adrift and be able to refit them into your own ship Templates. You can place ship parts and weapons, create your own loadouts, and then bring those Templates into custom battles to test them.
For players, this is where we would especially like to hear your thoughts about the current combat system. Combat is one of the core pillars of Kingdoms Ablaze, and this early Playtest gives us an opportunity to understand what already feels good, what feels unclear, and what needs further work before the rest of the game is built around it.
For modders, think of this first version as a battleground for your creations. You can experiment with changing or adding things such as the skybox, battle area, ships, weapons, and other game content. We would also like to hear where the modding workflow feels easy, where it feels difficult, and what tools or documentation would make creating content for Kingdoms Ablaze easier.
The Playtest
The purpose of the Playtest program is to make sure our vision for Kingdoms Ablaze remains grounded in the involvement of the community.
We already have a strong vision for what the final game should become. The Playtest is not about designing the game by committee, but about making sure that the systems we build toward that vision are understandable, enjoyable, and work well for the people who will eventually play them.
Throughout development, the team will maintain a dedicated Steam Playtest app that functions much like the beta branch of a released game. We are aiming to update the stable Playtest branch nearly every week, while the unstable branch may receive builds almost daily as our CI/CD build system is connected directly to it.
That means things will change frequently. Systems may be incomplete. Content may disappear and return in a different form. Performance may fluctuate. Saves may occasionally become incompatible. Some builds may simply break.
That is part of what this Playtest exists for. We strongly believe that creating a great game requires many things, including friends who are willing to test, share feedback, experiment with systems, break things, and help nudge us in the right direction throughout development.
At the same time, we will continue communicating our vision clearly and remain committed to seeing that vision through. If that sounds like something you would like to be part of, fill out the Playtest form on our website or apply for access through the Steam page. Playtest keys will normally be distributed once or twice each month, with the first batch going out for our first session on 18 August, while test access applied for through Steam will be available on August 21st.
https://www.revolution-industry.com/kingdomsablaze
See you out there, Skyfarers!
The Revolution Industry Team