Hello everyone, welcome to another development roadmap, this time covering all that would come in 2021. Without further ado, here is the graphical and short version of what you can expect to come in the future. We won't list any dates this time around due to how we're shifting to around 13-15 weeks development cycle per patch (12-14 weeks for updates development + 1 week for hot fixing after release). Also, we'll be separating them into two-parters, one about the main features of each update, and the other about additional contents that we'll be adding to each update if we do have time to work on it during the update.
0.6.0 (New Year's Update pending January 2021)
- Repeatable missions mode: Challenge modes
- Rework mission select UI
- New armor parts
- New weapon parts
- New enemies and behavior improvements
0.7.0 (Update pending April)
- Accessories part
- A lot of accessories part
- No new armor set, but did we mention a lot of accessories part?
0.8.0 (Update pending July)
- Energy Launchers rework
- New armor parts
- New Bullet Launcher parts
Additional and unplanned content updates on each patch
- More close combat weapon parts
- More ranged weapon parts
- More enemies
First, let's talk about the 0.6.0 and the 0.7.0 update. We will be first, working on various repeatable mission modes and tackle the accessories system next. Reasons are that both personally and through feedbacks, we agree that the depth of our gameplay is still too shallow, and with each patch update, players were only able to have fun with new missions for a few days before they get back to grinding and waiting another few months before they get something new to play with. So, we wanted to put something out that players could enjoy during the update development period and these planned repeatable missions fit the job well.
With that said, we will announce that we are going to stop working on new story missions for the whole of 2021 to fully focus on everything else. Story missions have always been a crucial and large amount of work for us. Honestly, we used at least a few weeks to work on each Story mission, crafting their levels, working on each asset used, and creating a short cutscene for each. We'll be cutting that down so more time can be used to work on something else, something much bigger, and something much more exciting.
So what are the repeatable missions? Frankly, they will be special missions just like Hunting Grounds, but each will have a special ruleset. Many of the factors will also be randomly generated with an algorithm (what was the word? procedural generation?) so each time players enter into the same missions, they will be facing different enemies, thus, an experience that always evolves. We have planned for quite a few types of them as well and we expect that there will be at least one enjoyable mission for everyone and we promise to make it challenging where you can have competitions with each other. We will also be working on improving enemies' attack patterns and their behaviors as well.
Also! There has been a lot of feedback on how the mission select screen is difficult to navigate with no clear distinct separation of Story Missions and Hunting Grounds, misunderstandings were had and progress was blocked for some players. For that, we will be reworking the whole mission select menu and provide mission categories to improve player Quality of Life. We are also working to improve our mission editor tool. Reasons are that we aim to create something much more than the simple large room or corridors level design with simple tasks for future missions, be it stories, hunting grounds, or challenge missions, and if we do have time, we will return to work on the older missions themselves. This is also another reason we decided to stop working on story missions for now and we hope you can all understand.
Onwards from there, we will be working on Accessory parts in the 0.7.0 update. Accessory parts, for those who are wondering what are they and how will they work. They are basically 3D decals, small parts that can be attached to each armor part themselves. See the [IMAGE] below for clarification. Each armor and weapon parts will be able to have a few accessory parts attached to them and players will be able to enhance their customization to another level. Thinking of adding small vents or thrusters to an armor? Accessory parts will provide that option to you.
Accessory parts are a very large system that will require a lot to make it work properly, thus we think that we should dedicate a whole patch cycle to perfect it as best as we can instead of putting it somewhere in between other systems. Working on it for a whole patch cycle will allow us to provide a lot of accessory parts on the first release so that they may be used to fill in all the customization desires that have been there for players since 0.1.0. It is also a system that we deem as second-most important after we can create more depth in the gameplay department and we have decided to push them in 0.7.0. We hope that accessories, when multiplied by the number of armors that we can push out in each patch, will be satisfying enough to play with and allow players to create something that truly matches their aesthetic tastes.
0.7.0 is done, now let's talk about 0.8.0. The 0.8.0 update will be all about reworking Energy Launchers to what we said in our AMA video as well as creating more firing methods for Bullet Launchers. If you haven't watched the AMA yet, let me remind you what we planned to do for their rework.
Currently, there is only one type of launcher which are automated drones that attack the same target as the player. After their first release, we've come to realize that this inactive style of equipment might not be to everyone's taste. We have been planning their rework for months, many months indeed but to work on them would be like creating new weapons in themselves to make them different enough than before while still retaining their identity (and difference to bullet launchers which are like AoE bombardment skills).
As we have worked on core features (challenge missions and gameplay stuff) in 0.6.0 and core contents (accessories) in 0.7.0, the 0.8.0 has been decided to be the reworking update. We will be moving the current Energy Launchers into an automatic drone (pending name) category while creating various new firing methods such as Beam Cannons, Drones that are one button press and deplete all ammo, things like that. Again, we planned to work on lots of them so that each one is different enough to be shown nicely in the photography mode, and thus it will take the whole patch cycle to finish it. However, we also do plan to work on some new Bullet Launchers at the same time so they can be of the same level with more firing methods such as straight firing with no lock-on and such.
Now... let's answer some questions that many of you might have
Where along the line are dual-wielding ranged weapons?
Frankly, we don't know. As we have answered in our AMA, to work on dual ranged weapons will require us some time due to how much it can affect the gameplay itself. Things like ammo counts, targeting, animations, all must be worked on to make dual-wielding ranged weapons a possibility, and considering the time we have, we cannot decide currently when are we going to work on it. They will come, but not soon.
Where is Multiplayer?
With this new roadmap, we should be able to start working on it by mid-2021 and finish it by the end of the year. We don't know if we're going to release PvE or PvP first or maybe we would release both of them simultaneously, very unsure but we will try to finish it by the end of 2021.
Shield with ranged weapons, at least in the photography mode?
They will need us to rework the whole ranged weapons and a whole lot more balancing to make it fully functional so we don't want to say if we're going to do them yet. For photography mode, just continue using the use of the exploit. Ok real talk, if we do have the time to work on them then we will do it. It will require us to set up poses and correction systems for them to work (like 2H shooters not being able to equip one and whatnot) so we have not done it yet. Pray that our single 3D artist will be available to work on everything.
Greatswords and other new close combat stances
While we are committed to making them, weapons like greatswords, whips, flails, and other things that required new stances, they will require a lot of time to work on so we are very unsure of when will they be available. We do plan to put more animations, stances, weapon parts, etc. into every update, but we do not know how much we can do nor we know which parts will come first (thing 0.5.0 claws that came as a result of extra time we had).