Thank you for joining us for the 70th edition of our Ready or Not Development Briefing, March 15th, 2024.
This week we’ll be covering work that’s being done regarding animation as well as an outline of our community feedback integration process.
In other news, the Steam Spring Sale has just recently sprung, so you can now get Ready or Not at 33% off from now until this March 21st!
Please keep in mind that everything in this development briefing is work in progress and subject to change.
Vol.70 Development Briefingsummary points: (not a changelog)
We are building out our own comprehensive animation library filled with animations and movesets for future potential additions. WIP examples below:
Tased character collapsing animation
New ‘heavy’ animation movesets for suspects with light machine guns
5 animation loops for perimeter NPC patrol officers
Higher fidelity shield animation movesets
Lip sync animation system being implemented for increased immersion
Outline of our community feedback integration process with four main stages:
1) Player feedback on social media platforms
2) Initial internal documentation of community feedback, organized and centralized
3) Directors/leads assessing and delegating tasks to address community feedback
4) The creation of development tickets for tasks to be fulfilled and implemented
Animation:
Our animation team has been working hard at building a motion library and fleshing out a lip sync system for voice lines, including heaps of animations that can be mixed, matched, and modified according to our needs post 1.0.
Motion Library
Formed from the motion capture and other animation work we’ve done, our RoN motion library is massive and comprehensive in a way that will help take the game to another level. The library is filled with animations and ‘movesets,’ a.k.a. numerous strings of interrelated animations, that serve as a foundation for potential future additions.
Keep in mind that there are many steps that must occur before each of the motion library’s WIP contents can be properly implemented into the game itself.
Some WIP pieces included in this motion library are additional taser reaction animations, perimeter officer animations, higher fidelity animation movesets for shields, and a ‘heavy’ moveset that could be applied to suspects with light machine guns.
The new taser reaction animations in our motion library span several different outcomes when a character is tased, notably including instances where the target physically falls over. We have 5 variations falling forward and 5 variations falling backward for these scenarios alone where the target falls over. We plan for these collapsing reaction animations to simulate physics once they are falling to allow for appropriate environmental collisions.
(GIF Below: 2 of the 10 WIP potential variations for the collapsing taser reaction animation, showing falling forward and backward)
Seeing patrol officer NPCs maintaining a perimeter for your team can enhance immersion and worldbuilding. Therefore, we currently have five new dedicated loops of animations in the library that are intended for NPC perimeter police officers to use. A combination of these loops timed at different intervals would provide for a livelier police perimeter.
Our updated shield movesets in the library offer a high-fidelity representation of movement across many actions and directions. One thing to be aware of is that the speed of movement for these animations is adjustable within the game engine in order to fit gameplay. This means situations where the motion capture actor moves too fast, for example, will be adjusted to an appropriate speed.
Last but not least from these examples, the new heavy animation moveset would entail different walking gaits and ways of moving about the world that more appropriately reflect the heavy weaponry a suspect may be using. This sort of application would be primarily noticeable in levels like Brisa Cove or Neon Tomb where suspects often wield LMGs.
Lip Sync System
We are working on implementing a proper lip sync system so that voice lines from characters in the game will match with corresponding facial movements. This system, like many other of our animations showcased here, serves to increase your immersion into the game world. Currently we’re transferring the lip sync animation system onto in-game models and adapting them to look more natural.
Community Feedback Integration Process:
Our community feedback integration process is ongoing following 1.0! For transparency and in response to community interest on the topic, in this section we’ll outline how it functions at a formal level.
The feedback integration process follows a linear path along 4 main stages. The process goes through 1) player feedback on social media platforms; 2) initial internal documentation; 3) directors/leads assessing and delegating tasks to address community feedback; and then 4) the creation of development tickets for tasks to be fulfilled.
1) The first stage is feedback gathering, which is done across various social media platforms in locations such as YouTube, Reddit, Steam, and our official Discord server, among others. The Official RoN Discord server’s feedback forum channel is one of the most effective ways for us to keep track of feedback. This is because it is searchable pure feedback in one place, with each post inherently formatted via required categorical tags, titles, and body content.
2) Feedback is then organized onto an internal document where it is assigned a general estimate of community sentiment prevalence, general date of initial prevalence, category (e.g. AI, UI/UX, Level Design), title, and description, among other factors. Prevalence is an important factor but not the singular guide of feedback applicability or substance, as some feedback might simply not be suggested as often as others.
3)Directors and departmental leads then discuss the feedback on the documentation to determine how it can be best addressed, and how the tasks should be delegated.
4) For the fourth and final step, the departmental leads most associated with the feedback assign specific tasks to relevant developers in their departments/themselves, working to address the feedback through implementing game changes.
Conclusion:
Aside from continued bug fixing and optimization of the game referenced in the past couple development briefings, the work in progress on the animation additions mentioned here will hopefully add to your in-game experience.
The community feedback integration process outlined will also continue to aid us in identifying key opportunities to better meet player expectations. You may in fact recognize taser collapsing reaction animations, improved perimeter officer set pieces, and more realistic/fair elements of suspect movement with the heavy movesets among some of the community feedback we've received on animation.
Once again, the Steam Spring Sale has also begun, so you can now get Ready or Not at 33% off from now until this March 21st!
This concludes our 70th development briefing. Be sure to tune in next time for more development news!
Find the latest improvements and bug fixes for Ready or Not Version 1.04.
If you have any further bug reports or feedback please visit the respective appropriate channels on our Official Ready or Not Discord (https://discord.gg/readyornot)
PSA: Unreal Engine 4-based games patch all of a game's files when installing a new update through Steam. If you see the game taking a long amount of time to update due to file size (relative to the initial update download size), this is why. For example, an update may be a 1gb download and then have to patch ~50gb of RoN's existing game files.
Bug Fixes:
Resolved crash primarily relevant to RTX 4000 series cards regarding issue with "DXGI_Error_Device_Hung"
Resolved inconsistencies with Commander Mode traits applying incorrectly
Find the latest improvements and bug fixes in our ongoing series of hotfix rollouts for 1.0 below:
If you have any further bug reports or feedback please visit the respective appropriate channels on our Official Ready or Not Discord (https://discord.gg/readyornot)We've implemented general optimizations to enhance the overall game stability and performance. Additionally, we've made backend enhancements to ensure a smoother gaming experience for all players. Hotfix #4 also builds upon the object shadows optimization changes in Hotfix #3, resulting in even better overall performance for lighting.
Bug Fixes:
Fixed broken decals & missing textures on Streamer
Improved draw distance of assets across all levels
Improvements:
Enhanced dynamic lighting performance across all levels via shadow utilization per object
Improved LOD (level-of-details) of assets across the whole game
Optimized lighting volumetrics and shadows on Farm
General performance optimizations across the LSPD station
Reduced reflections and fixed environment visibility from shield glass
Thank you for joining us for the 68th edition of our biweekly development briefing, February 16th, 2024! We had a momentary pause between this one and our last edition.
This week we’re thrilled to bring you our public Ready or Not Roadmap for 2024, highlighting future milestone developments to the game! Although we’re unveiling this roadmap to solely cover 2024, we have many more plans that we’re charting further out.
Please do keep in mind that the content we’ll show and discuss as part of this roadmap is still subject to change. Game development is a fluid process, especially for a small indie team like us with this level of a project, so certain priorities and timelines may shift based on necessity.
Vol.68 Development Briefing summary points: (not a changelog)
Ongoing 1.0 bugfixing/patches for Winter 2024 with Hotfix #4 arriving shortly.
Both DLC 1 and the 1.1 update are planned for Spring 2024.
DLC 1, currently named "Home Invasion," will be free for Supporter Edition owners, as originally intended.
DLC 2 is planned for Summer 2024.
The 1.2 update is planned for Fall 2024. <*> All of these DLCs are planned to come with free new weapons for the base game, one DLC-exclusive player outfit, and new maps. <*> DLCs will also be accompanied by bugfixes for the base game. <*> Updates 1.1 and 1.2 will include additions, improvements, and bugfixes to the game.
The 2024 RoN Public Roadmap:
As many of you may know, we have intentionally refrained from sharing public roadmaps in the past. Instead, we chose to operate on our own private internal roadmaps that were best suited for fluctuating development schedules during Early Access.
However, now that we’re past 1.0, we can speak more assuredly about public timelines and milestones.
This roadmap highlights the larger milestones on the horizon rather than projecting every possible patch that may occur.
We used due diligence to account for as many seen and unseen variables as we could in the creation process of this public roadmap, but keep in mind that things are still subject to change.
Without any further ado, here’s our graphic laying out the 2024 RoN public roadmap! :
(Image below: The 2024 RoN Roadmap. Note: All DLCs come with free new weapons for the base game and one DLC-exclusive player outfit. *Disclaimer: All dates and names are subject to change) As for Downloadable Content, our DLCs are both planned to be released with additional bugfixes to the core game, including the Roadmap footnote’s aforementioned free new weapons for everyone added to the base game. Each of these DLCs will also include additional new maps.
Meanwhile, the core purpose of updates 1.1 and 1.2 is to deliver further additions, improvements, and bugfixes to the game.
During Winter 2024 we've been focusing on delivering ongoing bugfixes and improvements for 1.0, with Hotfix #4 arriving shortly.
In Spring 2024 we aim to deliver both DLC 1 and the 1.1 update to the game. DLC 1 currently has the name "Home Invasion" and will be accompanied with bug fixes. This first DLC will be free for Supporter Edition owners of the game, as was originally intended.
Summer 2024 is the planned time for the launch of DLC 2, accompanied with bugfixes.
Last but not least, Ready or Not's 1.2 update with its additions, improvements, and bug fixes are slated for Fall 2024.
We’ll share more specifics about the DLCs and these updates at later dates!
Conclusion
This 2024 RoN Roadmap brings with it four milestones: updates 1.1 and 1.2 as well as DLC 1 and 2. Although the nature of development means the names and timing of these milestones may not fully permanent, the roadmap provides a good outline for the game’s direction in 2024.
Thank you for taking this journey with us through 2024 and beyond!
This concludes our 68th development briefing. Be sure to tune in next time for more development news!
Find the latest improvements and bug fixes in our ongoing series of hotfix rollouts for 1.0 below:
If you have any further bug reports or feedback please visit the respective appropriate channels on our Official Ready or Not Discord (https://discord.gg/readyornot)
Bug Fixes:
Removed duplicate Beachfront briefing
Adjusted visibility blockers on Ridgeline, Penthouse, Valley and Importer
Fixed a bug that soft-locked the game when changing the language outside of the main menu
Fixed an issue with the loadout/customization menu that caused the game to crash when opened at the last second before the mission starts loading
Fixed a stack-up error that caused SWAT AI to be unable to move and clear when a door is opened toward them
Fixed a bug that prevented SWAT AI from autonomously completing all objectives and finishing the mission after the player dies in practice mode
Fixed an audio trigger in the tutorial that started too soon, resulting in players trying to complete the optiwand task on the wrong door
Fixed an unintentional interaction that allowed completion of the “Due Process” achievement without using C2
Fixed an issue that led to unintended AI behaviour, where Suspect AI was reopening fire at their last target after faking a suicide attempt
Fixed various lighting & art bugs across missions
Fixed an input error that caused players to stay in crouch position when approaching suspect/civilian or evidence while in crouch position and releasing input during a restrain or evidence animation
Fixed a customization bug that caused watches under long sleeved shirts to still appear in first person view
Fixed an issue that brought up the replay menu when pressing the slash button during missions
Fixed a startup issue that resulted in subtitles being reset to default instead of the one that was set during the previous game session
Resolved an issue that made weapons appear not to zoom in with the entire scene when ADS zoom is enabled while holding down ADS
Fixed missing ADS zoom when using the MP5A2 with a holographic sight
Fixed a bug in which additional taser ammunition was not granted when using an additional taser slot
Fixed an issue that caused the tablet to get stuck on the screen when opened before a gun is drawn for the first time
Fixed a bug that sometimes caused the game to crash when the Faction Manager and modded maps tried to interact in the background
Fixed a bug that squared the headshot damage against players only when the helmet was already destroyed
Fixed a bug on Gas & Streamer that sometimes made dropped weapons fall through the floor
Fixed a bug that allowed SWAT AI to kill suspects by shooting them in the head with beanbags
Fixed a bug that prevented SWAT AI from moving in and clearing through the container doors in the Port auction room
Fixed an animation bug for the taser that utilized the wrong reload animation while aiming, allowing it to fire again faster than intended
Fixed an issue that allowed prolonged engagements between suspects and SWAT AI through walls, without requiring line of sight
Fixed a bug on Club which caused bullets to not go through railings
Fixed a command issue that caused the “Deploy Shield” command not to work when ordered through team command
Fixed a bug where the “Open Door” command was not working when a team is stacked up on the same door already
Fixed a bug that made opening doors look stuttery when spectating someone far away from own corpse
Fixed a bug that caused Supporter Edition verification codes to not appear anymore in the options menu
Fixed a bug that allowed killed suspects with destroyed heads to still be restrainable
Fixed a bug that prevented Trailers from picking up ragdolled suspects & civilians
Fixed a bug that made SWAT AI unnecessarily avoid player aim during a “Move to” command, causing the command to be interrupted
Fixed a visual bug that caused snapping to occur when SWAT AI is pulling their NVG down
Fixed a bug that prevented modded content additions from being discovered by the asset manager
Removed any related SWAT voicelines that are referring to themselves as the high ground callsign
Fixed an audio bug that resulted in music not playing for clients in multiplayer
Fixed ammo types not meant to be accessible by players appearing in the loadout menu
Fixed an issue that caused the bounce light setting to always appear as disabled
Various audio fixes across most levels
Improvements:
Added a new setting option to “enable/disable” the replay feature. The default setting is set to “disabled”, which also may improve the game’s performance
Added a new option in the graphics settings to disable Per Object shadows. Disabling this may improve performance. The lowest graphics preset will have this setting disabled by default.
Added several outstanding VO files for Penthouse
Added several new icons in the loadout customization menu
Adjusted reflectiveness of ballistic shield glass, making it easier to see through in most lighting conditions
Added DLSS “auto” and “ultra quality” options
Fixed DLSS quality options not being set correctly
Upgraded DLSS implementation from 3.1.0a to 3.5.2a
Upgraded FidelityFX Super Resolution 2 from 2.1.2. to 2.2.1
Added various audio enhancements, improvements and fixes across all available missions
Balance:
Revamped the way Suspect AI accuracy is calculated and rebalanced it, resulting in a fairer experience across all levels (Note: changes to the accuracy calculation will break AI mods)
Adjusted stress system usage on Penthouse and Sins
Increased maximum surrender time for Suspect AI before considering leaving surrender state to take action (Also prevents suspects from considering leaving surrender state after witnessing another suspect being killed, or while surrounded by multiple SWAT officers)
Decreased Suspect AI damage when shooting through walls
Decreased smoke opacity of CS Gas to allow players to see through it more easily
Slightly increased movement speed of SWAT AI when moving on slopes
Increased passive stress loss in commander mode
Decreased stress gained from player death in commander mode
Decreased Taser magazine count per slot from 4 to 3
Thank you for joining us for the 67th Edition of our biweekly development briefing, now returning from a holiday break!
Today we'll be taking a retrospective look at some frequently asked questions over the past few weeks following the 1.0 update. These questions will cover hotfixes, Suspect AI, the existing suspect/civilian “Stress” and “Morale” system, equipment, animations, and more.
We hope you have had a great time with your friends and with the game over these past weeks, and we have been keeping our eyes on how things are going!
Hotfix #2 is out the door as of yesterday and it is just part of many hotfixes and further gameplay improvements that we want to release as soon as possible. As mentioned in our Hotfix #2 patch notes, we are on the way towards Hotfixes #3 and #4 as well as any other fixes that may occur in-between.
We will be specifically focusing on performance and gameplay balancing among other areas in upcoming hotfixes.
One thing we want to quickly touch on, though, is that our team is not yet at full working capacity following our holiday break. In the meantime, we are continually gaining momentum to make progress on necessary fixes.
We're sorry that this hotfix process may be taking longer than expected but rest assured that we are committed to delivering them.
1.0 required countless high-priority systems and features to be put together, with each department focusing on their own particular workflows to get each critical component of the game prepared.
However, now that Ready or Not has reached 1.0 and all your wonderful hands, it’s time to more holistically parse how the game is functioning for our broader audience, adjust our internal workflow to reexamine its parts and find the best ways to address changes that could be made.
We are diligently aware of your valuable feedback and bug reports across our platforms in this process and are striving to meet them as effectively as possible.
To consolidate your input for best visibility for the development team please direct any feedback or bug reports you have to our Discord’s respective feedback or bug report channels (https://discord.gg/readyornot).
1.0 in Review FAQ
What should we expect now that 1.0 is out the door?
Expect continued support for Ready or Not and its bright future as we explore ways to enhance your experience even further with future updates and expansion. On our short list is improving game balance, performance, and existing features such as Suspect AI. We’re still aiming to provide a public roadmap to allow an accessible long-term perspective on what our future plans will look like.
What is the status on the current hotfixes?
Due to the complexities of returning to work after the break we are focused on building momentum to get hotfixes out as soon as possible. We have internal timelines that we are using, but these timelines are fluid to address issues as they pop up.
How can I improve my performance, and what development is being done regarding it?
We are working on a variety of fixes to improve performance and reduce stuttering. Fortunately, for the time being there are a wide variety of recommendations and workarounds for any performance issues you may encounter. Using the crash reporter to delete mod data is one way to prevent outdated files from affecting performance which can be accessed by going to \steamapps\common\Ready Or Not\Engine\Binaries\Win64 then run CrashReporter.exe. Also using DX11 for old hardware/DX12 for newer hardware are two of the most helpful basic tips for performance issues. Our Discord server has a large compilation of common technical issues and workarounds in the pinned messages of #tech-support.
Is further work being done on Suspect reaction time and game sense? When should Suspect AI be able to detect me?
Yes, we are working to address these systems to make the process fairer and more enjoyable for the player. Suspect AI aim, reaction, and game sense can sometimes be too fast or accurate for what should be expected. Currently, auditory sources are a large factor of whether Suspect AI can determine your location and how they may react to you.
Why is the taser in the tactical slot rather than being a secondary?
The taser was moved to the tactical slot to address a growing desire from players to carry a lethal sidearm and a taser at the same time. By making it a tactical slot item, we improved the flexibility of less lethal options.
My SWAT AI switch to lethal force (i.e. pistol) when I am trying to get an S-rank on a less-lethal playthrough. Is there anything that can be done about this?
The granular control you have over your officers’ loadouts lets you remove lethal options, including ammunition, which can help circumvent unintended situations where they use lethal force for those of you striving for the coveted S-ranks. Furthermore, features to further facilitate less-lethal playthroughs may be expanded upon, such as potentially making less-lethal options like the TPL also available in the secondary slot in a future hotfix. Programming quirks may need to be sorted out for other less-lethal items such as the taser’s simultaneous compatibility in tactical/secondary slots, however.
Are Suspect AI intended to be able to shoot through walls?
To a degree yes, partly to prevent players from too easily shooting suspects through walls and to give Suspect AI further tactical flexibility, they are indeed intended to be able to fire through walls. However, we are seeing instances where their estimation player tracking appears too precise or their proclivity for engaging through walls is perceived as too much.
What is the system of Suspect/Civilian “Stress” and “Morale” and how does it affect my gameplay (e.g. with grenades)?
“Stress” and “morale” in the context of suspects/civilians are mechanics that work together and sometimes against each other as you progress through each mission. ‘Stress,’ when it refers to suspects/civs, is how agitated they are during a mission. Gunfire, killing people, using grenades, and loud dynamic entries that nearby civ/suspect AI perceive are examples that increase suspect/civ stress level and make them more agitated. When stress for suspects/civs is high, they are more likely to be evasive, suspicious, attack you without hesitating, and less likely to comply with orders. “Morale” is a suspect/civilian’s willingness to surrender. The lower the morale, the more willing they are to surrender. Careful usage of less lethal weapons, grenades, and calls for compliance can lower suspect/civilian morale while reducing the amount of stress gained.
Why do some holographic reticles appear smaller or dimmer than others?
Playing on an ultrawide monitor may currently affect the perceived size or brightness of holographic reticles on some of the weapons. One workaround in the time being may be to lower your game’s FOV, however this is an issue that we will examine further in the future.
What is the current state of Suspect/Civ AI worldbuilding idle animations?
The worldbuilding animations we had in the past still exist, however there is an issue with Suspect AI patrolling that prevents these worldbuilding animations from activating. We are currently exploring a solution.
I'm trying to find the last few civilians in the level, where are they?
One effective way to get locate civilians in this situation is to call for compliance, to which they should often reply with a voiceline. We'll be continuing to monitor feedback on this topic and looking for ways to improve gameplay flow.
How can I create cinematic videos or screenshots of my missions?
The in-game replay viewer provides an excellent way to take cinematic captures of the game.
Conclusion
We hope that this FAQ provides some additional context for your questions following the 1.0 release and over the period of our break.
We are fully focused on your feedback and incorporating it into future hotfixes as soon as possible, and we look forward to continuing to dive into development and delivering you the best.
An anticipated public roadmap in the near future will give a further understanding of some more long term exciting plans for the game.
This concludes our 67th development briefing. Be sure to tune in next time for more development news!
Are you a content creator on YouTube or Twitch looking for new games? We've got you covered; Ready or Not has partnered with Lurkit to elevate gameplay! Link up with our Lurkit campaign here.
Find the latest improvements and bug fixes in our ongoing series of hotfix rollouts for 1.0 below:
If you have any further bug reports or feedback please visit the respective appropriate channels on our Official Ready or Not Discord (https://discord.gg/readyornot)
Localisation:
Language improvements for German, French, Korean & Chinese
New available language options for Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish & Turkish
*While hotfix#2 is dedicated to improving existing translations and adding new languages, we want to highlight that localization is not complete. We are entering the stage of live QA, during which all languages will undergo continuous iterations and improvements to enhance quality and provide a better experience across all supported languages over time
Bug Fixes:
Fixed an issue that was preventing AI death animations from playing in certain situations
Fixed an issue that caused SWAT officers to get stuck in an animation loop when attempting to report objectives
Fixed a loading issue that caused game crashes for the host when loading into the station after a mission
Fixed a UI error for both subtitle and UI localization, which picked another language instead of the one being selected
Message from the team:
We have returned from a brief holiday break and are continuing to prioritize enhancing the Ready or Not experience for our dedicated community of players and fans. Currently, our primary focus is on the upcoming releases of hotfixes #3 and #4. These updates are specifically designed to address performance enhancements, fine-tune balance, and tackle any lingering issues related to suspect and SWAT AI. We are committed to Ready or Not and its ongoing development support, fueled by your enthusiasm and feedback. Stay tuned for more exciting updates and upcoming changelogs!
Find the latest improvements and bug fixes in our ongoing series of hotfix rollouts for 1.0 below:
If you have any further bug reports or feedback please visit the respective appropriate channels on our Official Ready or Not Discord (https://discord.gg/readyornot)
General Improvements:
General audio enhancements, tweaks and improvements.
Added a new command exclusively for coop multiplayer to enhance player immersion. Now, players can use the "Negative" command, located in the "Acknowledgement" submenu when aiming at the floor, wall, or empty space.
Improved the Ready up widget in the top left after a mission is selected.
Players can now spectate SWAT AI clearing a level autonomously in practice mode after death.
Bug Fixes:
Fixed various crashes
Fixed SWAT AI sometimes being sorted incorrectly when clearing, causing an officer with a shield to not go first
Fixed overlapping text in the replay viewer list UI
Fixed Maria Lopez’ character model on importer
Fixed loadout presets not properly applying to SWAT AI
Fixed game ending immediately when player dies in practice mode, making it impossible to spectate SWAT AI
Fixed some broken materials/textures on Sins of the Father
Fixed a few issues with cloth simulation
Removed an empty tooltip
Fixed CS Gas affecting AI and players through closed doors
Added some missing customization item preview images
Fixed game not properly pausing when player presses escape in the tutorial
Fixed skinning/weight for one of the gas station suspects
Fixed rare bug causing SWAT AI to surrender
Fixed SWAT AI being unable to search and secure rooms behind closed doors after Bring order to chaos objective has been completed
Fixed human shield civilians freezing in place after being killed/incapacitated
Fixed Commander Mode timers not advancing after player death
Fixed rare instances of gas mask overlay persisting after player death
Fixed simunition gun physics in the tutorial
Fixed hands disappearing for clients when returning to lobby in a multiplayer session
Possible fix for players rarely getting stuck in the healing animation
Fixed third person healing animations not playing
Fixed spawn point selection resetting when player changes their loadout or opens the tablet
Fixed clients copying the host’s customization loadout in multiplayer
Fixed crash reporter save files/mod deletion buttons
Fixed SWAT AI sometimes avoiding player’s aim unnecessarily
Fixed SWAT AI sometimes stopping too early when checking a closet/bed, which made them stop in a doorway
Fixed SWAT AI sometimes getting stuck on a stack up and breach when the door is locked
Fixed missing voiceline for C2 and Launcher command
Fixed rare instances of players being able to arrest AI from the front
Fixed suspect AI continuously blind firing when in cover
Possible fix for suspect AI aiming directly at a target’s head after not seeing them for a while
Fixed “Deploy Shield” command being visible even if the officer has no shield
Fixed a few issues with SWAT AI during autonomous mode
Fixed SWAT AI unable to continue with a breach if a door happens to block a stack up point
Fixed game not ending after SWAT AI autonomously cleared the level
Fixed snappy AI motion when surrendering due to them focusing on a player
Possible fix for SWAT van intro showing incorrect customization for clients in multiplayer
Fixed animation related issues for suspect/civilian AI fleeing from, or being stunned by, gas
Thank you for joining us for our 66th biweekly development briefing, December 15th, 2023!
We appreciate all of you who took part in the tremendous operation that was our 1.0 launch earlier this week. If you haven't had a chance to participate yet, we hope you will soon.
In this development briefing we'll be taking a brief look at what led up to 1.0, the 1.0 launch, and our post-launch preliminary plans regarding hotfixes, feedback, and an anticipated high-level public roadmap that will be out after the holiday break.
Expect the usual hotfixes for urgent issues that popped up during the launch. We will be addressing bug fixes and performance issues along the way as we keep an eye out for additional feedback.
We’ve got your back.
In the case that you are unfortunately experiencing technical issues after installing 1.0, please try subsequently resetting mods and performing a clean reinstall of the game, as well as validating your game files.
Furthermore, as already stated in the form before: if you're a qualifying Supporter Edition owner (purchased through VOID website before Dec. 25th, 2021), your in-game credits will continued to be added on a rolling basis. There is no hard deadline.
Vol.66 Development Briefing summary points: (not a changelog)
We are committed to prioritizing that 1.0 is functioning at its best first and foremost in the short-term. We are focusing purely on hotfixes for this week.
Hotfixes being urgently prepared for:
Bugs and performance issues
Feedback (e.g. Commander Mode, SWAT AI, ect.)
We reached 52k peak concurrent players on Steam! As well as a variety of other humbling milestones.
Top 5 category on Twitch for 5 hours.
Top 5 seller on Steam across several categories (including top selling, trending & hot releases)
There will be a high-level public roadmap releasing after our holiday break to detail the our plans for RoN's development post-1.0.
Eventual 1.1 update which will be detailed at a later date.
In about a week the development team will be taking a break for the holiday period to recuperate, spend time with loved ones, and celebrate the hard work that's went into delivering the massive 1.0 update.
Pre-Launch
Our team is beyond grateful for all of you who have engaged with and played our game over the past few years. To get to this point of the 1.0 launch is a dream come true for everyone involved and a monumental achievement for us as an indie game studio at VOID Interactive.
Meticulous hours were spent by everyone involved with the development team throughout the past months preparing every detail for you. This includes feature additions, bugfixes, media, and performing dedicated playtesting at an efficient pace while in frequent communication with one another.
We integrated as much feedback as possible within this period, and know that we will continue to do so.
Recently, some of the countless talented modders within our community have also worked to get many mods updated for the launch of 1.0.
1.0 Launch
We have been diligently monitoring the launch of the game from its milestone shattering moments to the feedback, performance reports, and bugs that inevitably arise with a massive influx of players on a new release.
For any issues that have arisen, we are preparing hotfixes for the coming week and implementing internal fixes rapidly. So, don’t worry too much if you are encountering them.
We've loved getting to see players in-game and sharing their moments with 1.0 across various platforms, with a wide variety of wonderful streams and YouTube videos that we were delightfully humbled to see.
This week we hit some incredibly major milestones on 1.0 launch thanks to you all:
- We were graciously honored to be globally featured as a takeover on the Steam store page for 24 hours in recognition of our 1.0 Launch.
- We hit an over 50k all-time player peak on 1.0 launch, over double our 20k peak players that happened when we launched into Early Access.
- On Twitch we were in the Top 5 stream categories by highest concurrent viewers for 5 hours.
- We were in the Top 5 in several Steam categories including top selling, trending & hot releases.
Thank you again for your support and reviews that help bring this game to life and to even more passionate players. We will continue to watch diligently for areas that we can improve even further.
Post-Launch
As mentioned earlier, development on Ready or Not is by no means concluded!
Below we have categorized our initial post-launch priorities into short-term and longer-term.
We have hotfixes for bugs/performance, feedback implementations, and exciting substantial additions in store including a future public high-level roadmap RoN’s continued development and an eventual 1.1 patch.
Following this week and a half of urgent hotfixes/monitoring our development team will be taking a much-deserved long break for the holiday period to recuperate, be with their loved ones, and celebrate the hard work they've done to deliver this massive 1.0 update.
Short-Term:
In the short-term, the following week post-launch is dedicated to hotfixes and the gathering of feedback, bugs, and performance reports. Thank you kindly to everyone who has been submitting these, it is often not until full public updates that certain bugs become visible.
The bug report and feedback report channels on our Official Ready or Not Discord (https://discord.gg/readyornot) are great places to submit yours, however we will be keeping an eye across all our social platforms. The #known-issues channel on the RoN Discord is also an effective place to keep an eye on known bugs as well as workarounds.
We have several hotfixes being prepared with fixes on various different aspects of the game, first prioritizing bugs and performance issues.
We will release these hotfixes after appropriate internal tweaking/testing has been performed to ensure the hotfixes address their intended issues as well as result in minimal conflicts with each other/the game.
There’s currently a multifaceted effort into rooting out performance issues that could be occurring for some players, largely through a variety of techniques that reduce the amounts of draw calls and GPU usage.
We will continue to seek feedback on existing game features such as Commander Mode, Suspect AI, and more to refine the gameplay experience to an even greater extent. While our game is intended to be challenging, we also want to have a balanced experience.
Hotfixes intended to iterate on game balancing topics, such as Suspect AI, are anticipated for the near future as well.
Longer-Term:
A major part of the future is a high-level public roadmap to help you understand our multitude of exciting plans post-Launch.
We aim to have the roadmap sent out to you all after the holiday break.
An eventual substantial 1.1 patch will be just one of the next steps for broader scale updates, which we will have more info on at a later date.
However, we want to emphasize that our current short-term focus is on making sure 1.0 is functioning at its best for everyone.
Conclusion
To see the game finally launch into 1.0 to such widespread reception has been absolutely incredible. We look forward to providing hotfixes over the coming week, as well as an eventual substantial 1.1 update and many future updates to follow.
Keep an eye out for our high-level public roadmap that will provide an overview of the future development process post-1.0 after the holiday break.
To reiterate our post-launch plans: we are committed to prioritizing that 1.0 is functioning at its best first and foremost in the short-term.
Due to the break for our development team during the holiday period there will not be a biweekly development briefing on the 29th of December. Instead, you can look forward to the next expected development briefing in the new year!
This concludes our 66th development briefing. Be sure to tune in next time for more development news!
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