Pre-Release Content and Images
Please understand that the material discussed herein is part of the unreleased CORE Release Update and does not reflect the current version of the game that is now available on the Steam store. The CORE Release Update is a complete overall of the existing game and has not been released at this date. We appreciate your patience and continued interest.
Changes to Gameplay
The game’s gameplay has received a significant overhaul. In the current version of the game, the goal is survival where the player must secure resources to maintain their health, nutrition levels, hydration, etc. This will be eliminated. In the CORE Release Update, food and drink will only affect health level and gameplay will be driven by a faction-based scoring system.
New factions have been created to represent the struggle of life on the frontier. Players will be part of the pioneers looking to settle the area known as the Homesteader faction. Peaceful Native Americans, trappers, other frontiersman, and livestock are also part of this faction. This faction, a rival ranching faction, two outlaw factions, a hostile Native American faction, and multiple wildlife factions (bears, wolves, etc.) will all compete to be the last surviving faction.
Factions earn or lose score based on Faction Missions. These missions will be spawned by rival factions and require the player to complete a task or series of tasks. If the player successfully completes the mission the Homesteader (player) faction gains score and the rival faction loses score; however, if the player fails to complete the mission (or dies while attempting to complete the mission) that rival faction gains score. Random missions also will exist on the map. These do not contribute to the score of any faction but will offer the player with higher personal rewards than a faction mission. The player shall look on the map for available missions and select one to activate the mission. Only active missions may be completed.
Changes to the Map
The new map features a more consistent environment with the desert being eliminated. The map still has diversity in the terrain and plants with flat areas and grasslands transitioning into hills, small mountains, and canyons; further, greater detail has been added to the ground texture and within each map area. We are hoping that this will create a more realistic feel.
Changes to Character Assets
Since our last blog post, we have made modifications to our character models. We have added more realistic hair and facial hair and made some changes to outfits as well. We have also incorporated cloth physics on certain clothing and hairs. Players will now be able to choose from several faces, outfits, hairstyles and hats, and be able to select gender and skin tone.
Changes to Weapons Artwork
We have reworked the weapon artwork and created several variants of repeaters including a Model 60, Model 66, Model 73, and Model 76 to name a few. More weapons are in the pipeline.
Changes to Core Systems
We have rebuilt all systems from the ground up to be more performant. As many gameplay systems as possible run on multiple threads. World streaming / loader, physics, networking, ballistics, movement, etc. all run in jobs. This release ships running a full client server architecture to allow for co-op in a later release.