It’s an exciting time for the team as we continue to work on Thunder Tier One, a brand new top-down tactical shooter where players lead an elite task force charged with neutralizing terrorist operatives in fictional Eastern European country Salobia.
Many of you will have gotten your first taste of Thunder Tier One through the Gameplay Preview held in December 2020, and we’re delighted to offer fans a chance to experience two brand new game modes as well as a new campaign mission - and share their valuable feedback!
From Thursday 29 July 11:00 CEST / 02:00 PDT / 18:00 KT until Sunday 1 August 18:00 CEST / 09:00 PDT / 01:00 KST, we will be hosting a Gameplay Preview Bravo where a limited number of players have another opportunity to enter the Thunder Tier One world and see what we have been working on.
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How to join
If you want to request access to the Gameplay Preview Bravo, simply visit our official Steam page. But hurry, spaces are limited and you don’t want to miss out! If you took part in the December preview, you will be granted access automatically.
Game modes
Gameplay Preview Bravo will showcase two brand new game modes where players will have to combine strategic thinking with an array of weapons and accessories to meet the challenging objectives.
Exfil
10-player PVP
A 5v5 mode where the defending team must prevent the attacking team from exfiltrating a package. Each match consists of 10 rounds, with teams switching roles half way through. The first team to win six rounds wins the match.
The attacking team wins the round if the package is successfully exfiltrated or if the defending team are all eliminated. The defending team wins the round if the round timer runs out before the package is exfiltrated or if the attacking team is eliminated.
Domination
4-player coop PVE
Race against the clock to capture a series of checkpoints from enemy AI, disarm explosive devices, and defend against potential counter-attacks. Once an objective is complete, either a checkpoint captured or an explosive device disarmed, a resupply box will become available. Players lose if the timer runs out before all objectives are completed or if they are all eliminated.
New Campaign mission
For the first time fans will be able to play third campaign mission Blue Typhoon, where the Thunder Tier One team finds itself at the heart of enemy territory investigating a new lead.
Blue Typhoon
Salobia is overrun with the dangerous terrorist network wreaking havoc throughout the cities, towns and villages of the once safe country. A lack of stable infrastructure has allowed the group to operate in the shadows, posing a severe threat to every one of the nation’s citizens.
Key evidence suggests that the terrorists are funding their activities by forcing refugees to smuggle contraband into Salobia. The product in question is being transported through the old industrial district, which was almost entirely abandoned when the USSR collapsed.
The Thunder Team is deployed to a scrap yard suspected to be the centre of the criminal activities - as well as harboring both enemy operatives and key evidence. They are required to storm the building to investigate, but must do so strategically as enemy units patrol the area and guard the building’s many entry points.
Updated Campaign missions
Based on community feedback, user interface, AI behaviours, game audio, map visibility, mission balance and more have all been tweaked.
Silver Dew
A high value target is held up in an apartment building being guarded by enemy forces. Outside a roadblock has been set up and there are enemy patrols all throughout the area.
Thunder operatives have to figure out how to get past the patrols, past the roadblock, infiltrate the building, and capture the target. Once they’ve done all that they still need to fight their way out while keeping the HVT safe for long enough for an extraction team to arrive.
Cold Stone
Deep in the mountains, terrorist forces have stockpiled weapons and ammo and are holding a civilian hostage. Enemies patrol the woods that cover the mountain and have guards posted at multiple fortified positions, including a network of caves that run through the mountainside itself.
Thunder operatives must destroy the weapon and ammo caches hidden in these fortified locations, rescue the hostage, and escort them to safety. If you’d like to learn more about Thunder Tier One, head over to our Discord channel and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Livestream Highlights | AI Commands & Behaviour
On our recent dev livestream we’ve discussed changes and improvements to AI commands and behaviour.
Check out the highlights from the stream below!
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Dev Stream - AI commands and behaviour
We're live!
Thunder Tier One - AI improvements
We will be live next Wednesday (16.06) at 8pm CEST talking about the ongoing AI command and behaviour improvements for Thunder Tier One. Mark the date and join us on stream!
We'll be streaming here and on our Twitch channel.
Development Status Update From Creative Director Pawel Smolewski
Our Creative Director Pawel Smolewski delivers a Thunder Tier One development status update.
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Creating Music for Thunder Tier One
Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from? How did you learn to compose?
I’m a music composer from Italy. I live in a region called Marche, near the Adriatic Sea, and I started my musical journey studying harp at the Conservatory in Italy. I then studied composition at Marche Music College with Giovanni Bacalov – a well-known orchestrator. This encounter changed my life as I found my mentor who still to this day guides me in the field of music. Composition is not only technique, but also learning how to express your emotion and your story with music.
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Have you worked on games before?
I composed the music for two games by Big Rock, including “Leafe” a PC VR Coop Game, and two additional games that are yet to be released to the public.
What was your reaction when you were asked to create music for Thunder Tier One?
I was very excited! I thought that the unique style of the game would allow me to explore different approaches to the music. This was an incredible and challenging experience, and the team was supportive and amazingly professional.
And why did you say yes to the challenge?
Firstly, I was honored to work with KRAFTON, Inc. of course.
Secondly, the setting and the type of game really intrigued me, I was keen to explore nineties synth style music which Thunder Tier One allows – I wanted to create a vintage style mixed with the contemporary soundtrack of shooter games.
For this game, it’s important that every stinger, every short loop, immediately reveals the mood, the setting and the type of mission. All of which has to be expressed with a few seconds of music.
What do you like most about the game?
I’d never played a top-down shooter, so it was a new experience for me. The tactical aspect is what I liked the most, particularly in co-op mode, and that is what makes the game difficult. I definitely have some improving to do!
I also appreciate the vintage qualities as they remind me of the anticipation of going home and playing video games after school.
Where did you look for inspiration to create music for Thunder Tier One?
I thoroughly researched the soundtracks to nineties movies. I watched many films, such as Navy Seals, Terminator and G.I. Jane. I don’t recommend doing the same, it’s a rabbit hole!
It was great to rediscover the music of those years, there are so many talented composers. I was also inspired by the beautiful music written for action shooter games. My goal was to understand the key aspects behind film and video game soundtracks, and combine them together.
And how did you mix those two styles?
I started with synthesizers. I created sounds inspired by the Roland D-50, MKS-70,and Yamaha DX7. I didn’t want to go full vintage, but I wanted to create a recognizable sound that players can associate with the game.
Inspired by the modern soundtracks of shooter games, I also decided to use an orchestra. I opted for strings, a cello and of course brass because how can you avoid brass? The orchestra, and especially the cello, balanced the cold tone of the synthesizer. For the solo part I recorded a fantastic cellist. I always prefer to have a “human component” in my music, even if I have an electronic style.
What mood were you aiming for with the music you created for Thunder Tier One?
The nineties war and action movies said two things: honor and sacrifice, so my music had to express those two sentiments. I noticed that this style of music also had a darker and more emotional component – becoming a hero comes at a cost. So I navigated between this heroic and dark sentiment through my pieces.
In the menu music these two parts are balanced and the piece has no real resolution. However, the music during the missions is slightly more heroic. It tells the player that it is time for action.
I also composed brief themes for different missions. It was challenging and exciting, within five seconds you have to find a way to tell the players if it is a stealth mode or if they have to prepare for a deathmatch and a lot of pain!
What music impacts you the most?
Classical and film/game music. In my childhood I listened for hours and hours to this kind of music: it became a true companion. This genre influenced me a lot in my compositions, I think of music as a story to tell – and I can’t wait to help tell Thunder Tier One’s.
Thunder Tier One - Chat with the Developers
Hello operators,
We'll be discussing the current state of Thunder Tier One and answering questions asked by the community!
Join us as we play some missions and discuss what's being done and what's in store for Thunder Tier One
Speedrun Challenge Winners!
Hello operators!
The mission wasn’t simple and we can only imagine the amount of training and attempts you had to endure, but the Speedrun Challenge is complete.
For Silver Dew mission, operators Warlocks are Spoopy, Broadsword, Ashen 1-1 and Verm managed to accomplish all mission objectives in 2m51s. Each of these operators will receive a 200€ Steam Gift card for their services. You can watch the team’s stellar performance here:
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Operators Pnuky, Adik, Silny and Brela are the runners-up for Silver Dew mission for a mere 2 seconds. This team accomplished the objectives for Silver Dew in 2m53s and they’ll win a 50€ gift card each. You can check their performance here:
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Cold Stone brought a different, mountain scenario to play. Operators Ashen 1-1, Verm, Warlocks are Spoopy and Broadsword again excel at their tasks and accomplish the mission objectives in just 1m14s. They will be awarded a 200€ Steam Gift Card each for having beaten the best time to date. Their performance is available here:
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Runners-up for Cold Stone are operators Joiken, P_Pontes, Tweetie and Cauxi, squeezing in all mission objectives in 1m26s. Team members will be awarded 50€ Steam Gift cards each for their impressive performance which is available here:
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Zeus would like to thank all operators for trying and submitting their final results. We hope you enjoyed trying new approaches to the mission maps.
Zeus out
Gameplay Preview Debrief
Hello operators,
Status report on operation Gameplay Preview follows:
Zeus is thankful for your involvement in this operation. A record number of soldiers participated in this mission and, for over 48 hours, experienced Thunder Tier One gameplay that included: two full missions for single-player or co-op gameplay, two maps for Deathmatch, and two maps introducing the Advance and Secure game mode.
We also took this opportunity to increase our arsenal of available weapons and gadgets. The introduction of the M112 Demolition Charges gave players a new way to breach doors and destroy certain objectives. The M18 Claymore added a new tactical component of area denial that proved effective as a defensive measure. The Fiber Optics camera provided valuable information when attempting to breach rooms. The M67 Fragmentation grenades were accompanied by the M18 Smoke grenade and the M84 Stun grenade - these proved useful in a variety of scenarios.
We included the M9 pistol, the Mac-10, the AKS74U, the G3A3 and the Remington 870. The G3A3 is the first DMR to be included in Thunder Tier One. It is a weapon type that is bound to gain relevance in the future when more armor classes are added to the game. We’ve paired these with an increased assortment of attachments, adding the AN-PEQ-2 laser pointer and silencers for several weapons. Some optics attachments were also added, revealing a little bit of what’s in the works.
The preview included a few changes based on user feedback from the previous test. Your feedback continues to be crucial for us. This is why we extended the Gameplay Preview time frame following your requests.
It was a busy weekend with over 35,000 game sessions played and we are very grateful that you chose to spend your time playing our game! Some of you also took on the Speedrun Challenge in competitive frenzy. We will be announcing the winners and awarding the prizes soon.
It was exciting to watch you experiment with different approaches and strategies in order to complete mission objectives. Thunder Tier One is a tactical game and the straightforward and obvious path isn’t always the best option - we want players to feel that their skills and minds are tested.
We have been overwhelmed and humbled by the positive messages and feedback that we received. We’ll now hunker down, and jump back into the development so that we can accomplish all of our mission objectives.
