Battle Ready
Battle Ready is dead
Since release the game yielded 37 sold copies, and exactly 0 matches were played in that time because no more than one or two players were ever online at any given time. 25 of those copies were refunded for that reason, and I encourage the rest to do the same.
I would have loved to make the game free to play, but servers aren't cheap. Doing that would have required far greater financial investment into cosmetic items, and it wasn't an option. Changing the price now is not an option either. It's not going to make a massive difference, and it's not allowed this early after release anyway.
I could have focused on a different game mode, but it's 1,5 years too late for that. The general feedback about the game mode during testing was positive, but the sales speak for themselves.
I probably should have dedicated more resources to marketing, but my budget was stretched way beyond what I was comfortable with already. It was an ambitious project, and I knew it wouldn't be the next CoD. I would have been happy with just partially covering my expenses.
Now that the release weekend is pretty much behind us, I don't see any reason for the sales of a dead game to suddenly spike. Reviving it would require hundreds of new players to appear out of nowhere within a short timespan, and I don't see that happening. I'll be shutting down the servers, and won't be continuing with development.
It's been a journey and a rollercoaster, but Battle Ready is no more.
Battle Ready: Early Access and beyond
Battle Ready introduces to the world a new way to play battle royale. No waiting, no parachuting, no looting. Straight into the action. Players spawn in random locations around the map with their preferred loadout, and fight their way to be the last one standing. Available as a Solo and a Trio mode, I call it Mini Royale. Whether you are a hardcore battle royale fan or you don't play it at all, whether you play fast or take it easy. Mini Royale has something for everyone.
What's in store for the future?
My main priority is fixing bugs and issues that are found, but I have big plans for the content as well.
Groundwork has been laid for at least three more maps, which will be released throughout the year. Stay tuned for teasers of the next map coming in the next few weeks!
A rework of some animations will happen at some point in the coming months, which will greatly improve the weapon handling visuals.
I will also tackle the weapons themselves. Updated visual models, new weapons, new attachment types, and certainly more sights, scopes, attachments, and gear.
Characters will see some work as well. Apart from the aforementioned animations, more cosmetic items and customization options will be added.
Although not available during the initial release, the Deathmatch game mode is a lot of fun and was extensively used during testing. Eventually, it will make its appearance as either a special game mode during certain weeks, or perhaps permanently.
I am always open to suggestions and ideas from the community, and the game will evolve with the community in mind.
Thank you for your interest in Battle Ready, I hope you will have lots of fun playing!
Michael AKA WolfTangoFox
Introducing Mini Royale
We call it Mini Royale. It captures the intensity of the Battle Royale end-game, and it's all about action. No looting, no waiting. Straight into the battle.
Every match will pose a different challenge. Fighting enemies to make your way to safety in the bright sun, the dead of night, or a foggy morning - it's up to you to pick the right gear and the right strategy.
At launch, Mini Royale will be available as a Solo and a Trio mode. Whether you are a lone wolf or a team player, there is a mode for you.
Stay tuned for gameplay footage and release date announcement coming very soon!
Maps
At launch, only one 1x1km map will be available. We have laid the groundwork for several more maps and they will be released in the months following the initial Early Access release. All maps will be undergoing changes as the result of community feedback.
Future game modes
We have plans for a potential search-and-destroy based game mode, that will be designed and developed together with the community. Expanding the classic game mode to a much larger area will add a great deal of depth and possibilities.
January 2022 development update
The last several weeks saw much progress, and the core game is largely finished.
Testing has identified some minor bugs, as well as additional avenues for improvement, and working on those things would take up another week or so. In the end, it's all about making the game as good as it can possibly be.
I will also be doing some work on the animation side of things, getting the hand movement and transitions between various actions smoother.
Performance has been a cause of bother in the last week, but issues have been identified and fixed, with additional work to be done over the coming days to make sure the game runs as good as possible.
Over the weekend I have also evaluated the current state of Unreal Engine 5 using the latest daily builds. While I'm very excited about it, I'm not ready to embrace it just yet. That will likely have to wait until UE5's official release (likely after Battle Ready is released in Early Access). At that point Unreal Engine 5 will bring improved lighting, anti-aliasing, and additional features that will aid in further development.
In the next few weeks we should be in full scale testing, and gameplay footage will finally be shared! I can't wait!
Thanks for being here and for your continued interest in Battle Ready! I also have a couple shots for you to enjoy that have been taken a few days ago during a play test!
Regards,
Michael "WolfTangoFox"
December 2021 development update
I am happy to report that the last few weeks saw much progress in many areas, and things are moving along nicely. Unfortunately, November suffered from various delays due to issues unrelated to the development process, but we are back on track. In my October update I was hopeful to have some gameplay footage for you in December, but due to these delays that did not happen. Along the line it was also decided to postpone gameplay release of any kind before certain other elements of the game are finished and we can present a more complete experience.
I'm including a few more shots of the first map with this update. Environmental lighting and atmosphere have undergone a big improvement recently and (hopefully) it shows.
But it's a shooter game, I hear you say. Indeed it is. Those of you that have joined our Discord would have seen a few bits and pieces of weapon mechanics not long ago, albeit very brief and very specific. I can't wait to finally show you some proper gameplay. It won't be too long now!
So, how much is left to be done? A few small mechanics of the first game mode (more details on the game modes in a later update, together with gameplay footage), a few polishing touches on the weapon handling and other animations (it is a shooter, after all), a spectating system (some core features to support it already exist and it won't take long), some menus and UI elements, and a load of small polish items that will be easy to go through once the rest is finished.
I won't be giving any specific timelines or deadlines in this update, as they are often hard to predict. Especially considering the fact that I am the sole primary developer and most of these items are my responsibility.
Having said that, I am setting the bar quite high, and I am in no way contempt with releasing anything short of an exciting, visually and mechanically appealing game. It is an achievable goal, and we are getting very close.
Until next time,
Regards,
Michael "WolfTangoFox"