Everyone!
We keep reading your feedback on War Robots: The Skirmish — and honestly we’re floored. None of us expected the response to be that astounding.
After such reception and so many “full game when?” threads we thought: maybe we should actually turn The Skirmish into a full-blown game?
So with this idea we went to Kickstarter. The campaign will start November 13th, and while we're making final preparations, here are some preliminary details to set you on rails.
Q: In short: what War Robots VR is?
A: If you played War Robots before, then you already have a good idea what it is: team-based PvP online multiplayer shooter with giant robots, each with its own set of strengths and abilities.
Change some things here and there (more on that below), adapt everything for PC virtual reality — and you’ll get War Robots VR.
Q: Why not make a story-based game? The Skirmish was a single player experience after all.
A: The answer is easy: online multiplayer is something we’re simply better at. We tried many ideas before, we stepped on many rakes — and we learned a ton. We know what works online and what doesn’t. Having that experience, we firmly believe we can do a good job creating a full-fledged PC/console multiplayer game.
To make a single player experience you need to take a very different approach. And while we’d love to try ourselves at telling epic stories, at this point we decided to focus at something where we are confident that we can deliver.
Q: Will War Robots VR be free-to-play?
A: The current plan is to sell it for a fixed price. This is the only way we can ensure that all in-game content is available for you and everyone is playing on the same field. We’re still discussing visual unlocks (think Overwatch model), but pay-to-be-stronger elements are 100% out of question. Skill and teamwork is the only thing that can set you apart from everyone.
How much? We haven't settled on the price yet, but Kickstarter backers will receive a full copy of the game for a $25 pledge.
Q: Why Kickstarter?
A: After many years working on War Robots we’re basically putting ourselves to the test. From the dawn of time Pixonic is working on mobile games. We formed an independent team within the company to build War Robots VR based on completely different values.
Comparing to mobile industry, expectations are different for PC and especially VR titles. After the experiment that was The Skirmish we are confident that we can make that transition and make a great game for big platforms.
Now, to get greenlit and continue working on War Robots VR our team has to prove that project like this is something people truly need. And this is where we need your support.
Q: What’s going to happen with original War Robots?
A: War Robots VR and War Robots are set to coexist. War Robots VR isn’t a direct successor to the original game, but a different take on the franchise. For example, in VR we’re rethinking what our robots are capable of. What sets Carnage apart from everyone? What is so special about Bulgasari? For VR we rebuild and rebalance them so in the end there are less robots, but each has an unique purpose and playstyle.
Mobile War Robots is pretty much THE game that allowed us to be here, so our “Team A” is still 100% committed to the project. If Kickstarter campaign succeeds, we’ll be hiring additional staff to help us with VR development without taking resources from our main team.
Q: Will WR VR be playable without VR headset?
A: Yes. In headset-less mode some hijinks are possible, as we strive to optimize everything for virtual reality experience first and foremost. However, if you don’t want to invest into VR gear, the game will be absolutely playable for you.
Q: What VR gear War Robots VR will support?
A: Our primary focus — HTC Vive and Oculus Rift (or Steam VR in general).
PlayStation VR support is also a possibility, but at this point we’re adding it as a stretch goal on Kickstarter. If we reach it, then you will definitely see War Robots VR in PSN someday.
Q: How are you going to stand against existing mecha franchises?
A: We’re going for a very different gameplay dynamic. Between, say, BattleTech and Gundam, War Robots firmly holds a middle ground.
On one side, we aim to preserve the (relative) realism of the first. There are many variables to keep track of if you want to show great results: robot stats and abilities, safe windows when you can counterattack, landscape complexities and so on.
But at the same time, we won’t make you dive too deep into simulator-y details like heat management. War Robots is not about those. In War Robots you experience how it feels to be inside the most powerful human-made thing on the Earth without having to dive too deep into nitty-gritty.
You can try The Skirmish to get a better idea how War Robots VR will feel in general, but take into account that full game will be balanced differently. For example, there will be no unlimited ammo — no way. Reload and cooldowns are all important mechanics in War Robots, and playing around those is what separates great players from just good ones.
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Hope we covered all the basics. On November 13th, once Kickstarter campaign goes live, there is going to be more details. But feel free to post you WR VR-related questions here, we will be happy to answer!