Greetings and welcome to our 80th development update for Ready or Not, dated November 22nd, 2024!
We trust you’re all doing well. Today, we have some comprehensive insights to share about our game design philosophy, particularly focusing on player adaptability, along with details on the upcoming DLC 2 release. This DLC will be complimentary for Supporter Edition owners. Additionally, we have a future free content update planned for everyone next year, and we’re excited to introduce our new line of prototype merchandise.
You can purchase our initial prototype merchandise from our official site here. A more expanded and detailed second line will be available in the future.
Note: These updates are intended to keep you informed about elements of our ongoing support for Ready or Not, but they do not cover everything we’re working on at any moment. Please be aware that the content mentioned here may still be under development and subject to change.
Our second DLC, Dark Waters, is on the horizon, with more details coming soon.
[Image below: “SWAT, this is Air Support on call, you have eyes in the sky.”]
In Dark Waters, every mission unfolds in a maritime environment, with your team tackling extended duties along the Los Suenos coast in collaboration with the California Offshore Air and Sea Team organization (C.O.A.S.T).
At launch, the Dark Waters DLC will automatically become available for free to Supporter Edition owners in their Steam Library, similar to DLC 1.
This gesture is not only a token of gratitude to the early backers of Ready or Not, but it also acknowledges the DLC Weapon Packs that did not materialize—partly due to our decision to make new DLC-related weapons accessible to all at no cost.
We also intend to discontinue the outdated Supporter Alpha playtesting Steam branch, as it is causing unforeseen issues for players who still use it.
This branch was initially created as an extension of the pre-Steam Early Access Alpha testing benefit for Supporter Edition holders. It allowed for short testing phases before updates because the Steam Early Access launch marked a transitionary Alpha/Beta phase. However, this type of playtesting perk is no longer maintained post-1.0, after we’ve progressed beyond the Alpha stage.
Moreover, it appears some players unknowingly remained on this outdated branch, not realizing its obsolescence and potential to disrupt matchmaking with those using the standard game branch. Given these factors, we’re officially making the outdated Alpha branch inaccessible.
Attentive officers among you might have noticed that several features being added with the Dark Waters update (such as canceling arrests and wearing multiple headgear at once) and others slated for future updates, emphasize enhanced player adaptability.
Recently, we intentionally shifted our game design philosophy, moving away from merely balancing loadouts and customization, and instead enhancing player flexibility. Our objective is to enable players to make significant choices and provide enriched customization options, impacting weapons, quality-of-life features, and gear.
Supporting our game involves a certain level of evolution, which is now feasible due to increased development resources compared to when we were implementing numerous other features in the past.
Quality gunplay has always been a cornerstone of Ready or Not’s development, with three main pillars being customization fantasy, weapon utility, and feel. Where realism clashes with gameplay, design choices are made based on what feels ‘right’ or ‘fun’.
We realized it’s neither enjoyable, engaging nor realistic to compel players to choose between different attachments for balancing reasons. This is why we’re planning to allow multiple rail attachments to be equipped at once, such as a flashlight and an IR sight. This was intended for inclusion in DLC 2 but could not be properly integrated.
Meanwhile, look forward to some new high-caliber upgrades for your arsenal with Dark Waters.
Changes to gear adaptability pertain to the headgear updates highlighted in our last dev briefing, Vol. 79. For instance, forcing players to choose between NVGs or a gas mask seemed unnecessarily restrictive rather than fun or realistic, including the aesthetic advantages of having the flexibility to customize your equipment to that degree. It certainly enhances the visual appeal to wear both.
Our quality of life-focused adaptability changes, like implementing arrest canceling, aim not to significantly alter gameplay pacing, but rather to minimize situations where players might be locked into an unwanted action. While you can now cancel an arrest, you must still quickly reassess and decide how to handle any immediate threat. Securing your surroundings before making arrests remains the optimal strategy.
While many recent updates have coincided with paid DLC releases, this is not the direction for all future updates. Our next content update, scheduled for next year, will be free for everyone. More information about this update will be shared in the new year!
Once again, on our website you can find t-shirts, hats, and hoodies featuring RoN branding and designs.
We have numerous other merchandise types and designs planned for our second line, but you can acquire items from this prototype first line now! Purchasing this merchandise helps us determine the sizes and quantities we should stock in the future.
[Image below: One of the t-shirts from our first-line merchandise]
Enhancing player flexibility is an area we intend to further explore, and it’s something to look forward to with our second DLC, Dark Waters. To our Supporter Edition holders, we extend our sincere thanks for your commitment during the early stages of the game, and we are delighted to offer Dark Waters to you at no cost. We have plenty of exciting information to unveil in the coming weeks and in the free content update for everyone next year.
This wraps up our 80th development briefing. Thank you for visiting. Be sure to join us next time for more development updates!
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