Update: We are still in the process of preparing the Core Redesign Release. We are have run into a few issues and are still putting on finishing touches. We will ship the release as soon as these issues are resolved. Thank you.
Note: The Core Redesign Release has not yet been released.
Gameplay changes and improvements
This post focuses on general gameplay changes coming with the Core Redesign Release and when we are planning on launching the Core Redesign Release. In addition to the areas discussed in prior posts and areas that will be explored in future posts, there are several keyways in which we are changing the game and its gameplay largely based off community feedback.
We have completely overhauled and replaced the original map. The game’s map is now designed to be more interesting to navigate and be more conducive to creating interesting skirmishes and scenarios. Canyons are steeper and require more finesse to navigate. Obstacles require more complex problem solving to get around. Non-player characters (NPC)s wander up and down pathways where predators and bandits lay in wait. Exploration as a top tier gameplay element and challenge was in mind with the design of the new map.
Across the map camps of bandits and outlaws periodically form. These camps can be cleared out for loot and bounty prizes. These same outlaws attack the player and civilian NPCs as they wander the canyons and valleys of the map. As described in the post on NPC behavioral changes, these outlaws will enter standoffs and will wait to come out guns blazing until tensions flare or the player acts.
The construct of playing as a U.S. Marshal is being removed in favor of allowing the player more freedom in how they choose their path. Robbing of town folks and cowboys will be allowed at the players own risk. A character selection system is being introduced to allow the player to choose from several characters. The characters pictured below are only some of the characters that the player can choose from. To spend money gained through the clearing of outlaws, robbing, and trading the player will be able to upgrade parts of a home ranch.
The survival elements of the game are also being revamped. Food and water consumption are no longer mandatory but are required for the replenishing and maintenance of the player’s health. Going long stretches without food or water will lower the player’s resistance to damage and increase the player’s risk of dying in combat. The player cannot die, however, from starvation or thirst.
When is the release launching?
We feel that the Core Redesign Release is particularly important. The objective of the Core Redesign Release is to solve many of the bugs, low-level issues, and limitations that originally plagued the project. To this end the Core Redesign Release is an entire rewrite of the game’s code. Pretty much all systems, including animation, physics, input, character movement, NPC planning, the audio system interface, and rendering have been replaced or heavily overhauled.
The new game code is a huge improvement over the code present in the old release and allows for improvements in all areas of the project. In addition to replacing the entire game’s code we have also overhauled or replaced most of the game’s assets (models, artwork, textures, etc).
We want there to be as few bugs and as much polish as we can practically get into this release. Changing engine features are allowing us to decrease the code’s complexity and increase the stability of this release. A new set of engine changes being released shortly will remove several low-level bugs and increase the quality of the release. To this end, we are shifting our release target to the end of January 2021 with the release tentatively planned to arrive in the last week of January.
