So the game works now. We managed to stabilize the backend and optimize our database, and everything has been running smoothly for the last week. We’re still doing changes and improvements, especially to accommodate private servers (more below!) without overloading the systems again. We’ll continue to work on it on the side while preparing our next large content update.
New content update on the way
With that update, you can expect a brand new Walker - Mollusc. It’s a small Walker that might not look like much at first, but it’s the first kind of a vehicle with a closed cabin that you could use to store chests or crafting stations, and even build Steering Levers to control your Walker from safety, while sacrificing visibility.
We will also be adding new varieties of maps for you to explore and conquer, overhauls to creature behaviors, and lots of other things. The Sun will also start obliterating oases, so get ready to travel East if you want to survive. In addition to that, it might be a good idea to look up occasionally, in case a giant rock is falling in the sky. When they collide with Earth, they create craters rich in iron and other minerals required for the most advanced technologies known to Nomads. Expeditions to craters might be the most dangerous events to date, so if you’re not sure you’re ready for them, it might be best to buy metals from more hardy Nomads until you’re prepared.
We’re hard at work on the update right now and will keep you posted with more information about it next week.
On the zerging problem
In addition to preparing the large patch, we’re looking into the most reported issue so far - zerging, kill on sight, whatever you want to call it. Obviously, we’ve noticed how some clans choose to treat interactions with small groups and solos, hunting them down for a little loot or just fun. We believe a major cause for this behavior was the lack of high-tier clan interactions, locked in Hard maps until recently. Now that clans have access to claiming, we see that the interactions between clans and small groups/solos slowly get less hostile over time.
Since players inside a claim bring harvesting and trading bonuses only if they’re safe and unharmed, it encourages getting rid of pirates and not killing peaceful farmers and traders. Also, as clan wars over territories start to emerge, the targets shift, and attacking random nomads for some wood and fiber becomes unimportant.
But that’s not enough.
While we expect the interactions to become less randomly hostile with more and more clans transitioning from being looters to a “vassal” role, passively gaining wealth while fighting wars against other clans, we want to continue working towards encouraging clans to protect small groups and solo players. So far, we’ve designed the game to have really fun large-scale combat and that’s where we want it to shine for those large clans.
We’re currently collecting feedback and brainstorming ideas on how to iterate on an environment that’s fun to play in for everyone - be it large or small clans, groups or solo players. If you have suggestions on this, we’d love to see them on our forums or Discord!
As mentioned above, we’re also working on improving stability for when we launch private servers, which will be very soon. You’ll be able to own your own separate realm to play on together with friends or any other players if you decide to make it public. We’ll be announcing private servers going live as soon as we have a definitive date set. At first, you’ll be able to get your own realm set up with Nitrado, but we’ll also be working on adding more solutions for hosting later on.
Meanwhile, we’ve been releasing smaller patches and hotfixes, tweaking some things and getting rid of annoying bugs you’ve reported. We’ll continue doing so in-between larger content updates to make sure the game runs as smoothly as possible, but we wouldn’t be able to do it without your help. Thanks to everyone who reports issues, we’re able to quickly get rid of them and improve the game. If something is broken or even mildly annoying, please let us know and we’ll do our best to fix it!