5 reasons to join the Thunder Tier One Gameplay Preview
From Friday 11 December 5:00 CET - Sunday 13 December 17:00 CET (extended till 14 December 09:00 CET) we are hosting a free-to-play Gameplay Preview on Steam, which will give many in our community the chance to enter the Thunder Tier One world for the first time!
It’s going to be a really exciting weekend, here are 5 reasons you don’t want to miss it!
Unique gameplay bringing unparalleled realism to the top-down genre
Thunder Tier One is one of the most realistic games to enter the top-down shooter marketplace.
This isn’t a game that is based on luck, you can’t just spray at your enemies and hope for the best. To be successful you have to think like a military tactician, pulling on all of your strategic skills to devise the perfect plan to meet your objectives - and then you have to carry out that plan.
And even then, just like in the real world, there is no method that guarantees success, there’s no plan of action that will work the same way every time you execute it. In one scenario a particular weapon may cause 50 damage, and the next time cause as little as five. Its effectiveness is based on many factors, including an opponent's armour, your choice of ammo or the specific trajectory of the bullet. AI enemy forces are also designed to approach battles in many different ways, meaning you could play a mission ten times and have ten different outcomes.
Of course all this makes Thunder Tier One a difficult game to master, but who wants it to be easy? We feel like the harder the task, the higher the sense of accomplishment - and we’re really looking forward to seeing how you all get on this weekend!
Two challenging campaign missions that can be played as a single player or with friends!
Picture the scene: it’s the early nineties in a destabilised nation on the brink of civil war. A dangerous terrorist network is growing in power and influence, sweeping its way through the country. An elite military task force has been called in, its orders are simple: eliminate the threat of terror…
In the Gameplay Preview players will be able to play two campaign missions: Silver Dew and Cold Stone.
Silver Dew sees players land outside an apartment building in a small village within a rural area. Operators must capture a high value target presumed to be hiding in the building, and ideally they need to do it keeping the target alive.
In Cold Stone your orders are to rescue a hostage being held in an enemy base nestled deep within the mountains. It’s a very different map to Silver Dew, you’re out in the open with very little cover. There are many different ways to approach the mission, and many different routes to be discovered. You'll have to use everything at your disposal to find the hostage and exfiltrate them safely.
Both missions are available to play as single player or with up to four friends, enjoy!
A wide range of weapons and gadgets to play with
The Gameplay Preview will provide fans with an abundance of weapons, gadgets and armour to help them meet their objectives - each combination impacting gameplay and progression significantly.
Perhaps you think it’s best to move stealthily, taking care not to raise the enemy alarm. Or maybe going in all guns blazing will be your strategy, overwhelming enemies with sheer force. Whatever your approach, you’ll need to think carefully about how you gear up, as poor preparation could lead you to coming unstuck in the heat of battle.
Brand new PVP game mode ‘Advance and Secure’
Fans are in for a treat as we introduce ‘Advance and Secure’, an intense PVP game mode that best showcases the wide range of tactical approaches that players can use on Thunder Tier One.
It is a team based mode, where two sides will go up against one another and attempt to hold as many control points as possible. Teams start off with a number of tickets, which they will relinquish when they lose control points. One team wins if either the enemy has no more tickets left, time runs out and one team has more tickets, or a team has captured all control points and eliminated opponents.
‘Advance and Secure’ truly values brains and tactical direction, players need to know when to defend, when to flank, when to create cover and when to move on opponents. It’s fun, it’s fast-paced, and it is very demanding.
Opportunities to win prizes
Thunder Tier One is all about planning, trying, and failing… and then planning, trying, and failing again … it is not meant to be easy!
In our last alpha test we had a lot of fun watching players attempt to complete Silver Dew. Some teams took up to three hours, but you could see the joy when they completed the mission - it felt like a win for the whole Thunder Tier One team.
This time round, we want to see how quickly teams can complete both Silver Dew and Cold Stone. There are many different approaches to these missions, and we are looking forward to seeing our community get creative - see if you can surprise us!
Record your team’s attempts on the missions and send us a video of your quickest time. We’ll then review the footage and award prizes to the speediest sides!
How to sign up
Luckily for you guys, signing up to the Thunder Tier One Gameplay Preview could not be easier. Just follow the simple steps below, and we will see you there!!
To celebrate the launch of Thunder Tier One Gameplay Preview, we've decided to run a Speedrun Challenge where you and your friends (or strangers) can team up and compete for prizes. Two fastest teams (per each of the two available maps) will be rewarded. You can submit the video footage of your successful attempt as a reply to the competition post on Twitter, Facebook or post it in our Discord server.
Rules of the Competition
Four human players per team will attempt to accomplish the two campaign missions as fast as possible
Players can change teams during different attempts. Same team can attempt both maps
The missions need to be completed with all objectives reached. Partial completions (eg. HVT dying) won't be considered. Loss of squad members during the mission is acceptable as long as the mission is fully completed
In the event of a tie, the team with less losses/damage suffered wins
Video footage of the speedrun submitted to us needs to show the entire mission and be of adequate quality
Any changes to the game files are grounds for disqualification
Exploiting bugs and glitches is not allowed (though if you do find any, please report them to us)
We may share the videos submitted to us through our SM channels so that others can learn to be as tactical as you and your teammates
All our decisions are final, and no appeals will be accepted
Prizes
1st place gets eight $100 Steam Gift Cards divided equally between the four team members 2nd place gets four $50 Steam Gift Cards divided equally between the four team members Prizes are per mission (total of two missions - Silver Dew and Cold Stone)
We're looking forward to your submissions! Lock and load!
UPDATE: your requests have been heard and the Gameplay Preview is extended till 14 Dec 09:00 CET. Thank you for your continued feedback!
As many of you will know, we are currently working hard on Thunder Tier One, a new top-down tactical shooter where players lead an elite military task force battling terrorist operatives. The game is highly strategic, forcing players to think tactically and make key decisions in real time!
Back in October we launched our first Alpha test, and invited selected streamers to play the game for the first time. We were really pleased with how it went, we enjoyed introducing Thunder Tier One to our community and received valuable feedback.
Now we’re excited to be taking Thunder Tier One a step further, and inviting our wider community to play for the first time by joining the Gameplay Preview taking place from Friday 11 December 5:00 CET - Sunday 13 December 17:00 CET.
We have lots of exciting content for players to enjoy, such as single player mode, co-op game modes ‘Advance and Secure’ and ‘Deathmatch’, and two campaign missions that can be played as single or co-op. You can check out a full outline below:
Game modes
Advance and Secure
Maximum number of players: 8 Single player: no Details: Advance and Secure is a game mode where two teams battle for control of various sectors across the map. Both sides start with a selected number of tickets, they must then capture their opponent’s capture points in order to take a ticket from them. The match concludes when one of the teams has no tickets left.
Deathmatch
Maximum number of players: 8 Single player: no Details: Deathmatch mode allows players to go up against one another in a ‘free for all’ setting across two maps. Players earn points through killing one another, with the game concluding when a player reaches a predetermined number of kills - or when the timed session ends.
Campaign missions
Mission 1: 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 partols, 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.
Mission 2: Cold Stone
Deep in the mountains, terrorist forces have stockpiled weapons and ammo, as well as holding a civilian hostage. Enemies patrol the woods the cover the mountain as well as posting guards at multiple fortified positions, including a network of caves that runs 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.
On top of this, we’ll be inviting players to participate in the speed run challenge for a chance to win prizes. As part of the competition, teams of four will complete campaign missions as quickly as possible and share their videos with the Thunder Tier One team on Discord.
How to join
To join the Thunder Tier One gameplay preview, simply:
For more information on Thunder Tier One, please follow our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages, and join our Discord community.
Devlog #016 - What's next...
Hello operators!
We've been busy incorporating your feedback and suggestions, as well as adding some new content for the upcoming testing phases.
Here are only some of the numerous changes we've implemented based on your feedback:
Decreased grenade equip / throw time
Increased grenade friction
Added UI scale slider
Changed magazine ammo indicator to be more visually consistent
Added auto-reload option
Added additional camera control options
Added firemode preferences option
Improved visibility of loadout screen keybinds
The campaign missions are coming along nicely, which gives us some time to re-test and polish new gear and features that we want you to have access to. The next test phase will also bring you one more mission to complete and provide another map for the deathmatch mode.
We’ll also be introducing a new PvP game mode - Advance and Secure.
In this team-based competitive mode two sides will attempt to capture and hold as many control points as possible. Both teams will start off with a limited number of tickets which will drain based on control points held and number of respawns. Your team wins if either the enemy team has no more tickets left, time runs out and your team has more tickets than the enemy, or your team has captured all the control points (thus denying the enemy the ability to respawn) and then eliminated all the opponents without them recapturing a single point.
Advance and Secure offers diverse types of gameplay that shine a different light on Thunder Tier One’s loadout system and showcases a range of tactical approaches to maps. For example, being fast and mobile will allow your team to outmanoeuvre opponents and capture points quicker, whereas playing slow and sturdy will probably help you defend a position. We can’t wait to watch you adapt to the map and outsmart your opponents using the arsenal at your disposal.
We’ve already teased some of the new additions to the arsenal, like the UMP45 and the G3A3, but here’s a detailed list of what will be made available in the upcoming phase:
Zeus is thankful to all the squad members that signed up, got in their gear, and locked and loaded for our very first Alpha phase. We had 48 hours to evaluate your performance as special forces operators. We watched you attempt to complete mission Silver Dew countless times, and failure is not an option! Extraction of the HVT is paramount, but if the squad fails to accomplish that, eliminating the target is the only other viable option, as he’s too valuable to be allowed to escape.
We kept the options very limited for this first approach; a Winchester 1300 was available for close-quarters encounters, an MP5 for mobile, fast-paced encounters, and an AKM assault rifle and a CAR-15 carbine, for extra firepower and swift cleanup work. Only one mission was available to complete in single-player and co-op, and one map was available for PvP, a free-for-all deathmatch. We also limited your loadout options, keeping muzzle attachments limited to flashlights, keeping silencers and laser sights locked away for this first conflict. The same restrictions were in place for equipment; while you had access to the mandatory medkit, lockpick kit and wire cutters, we intentionally left out other equipment, such as the M112 demolition charge, optic cable, and the M18 Claymore.
Gear options were limited too, with armor, trousers, vests and helmet options severely restricted. We allowed only the Type II armor vest for this first test, but there are several other options that offer increased levels of protection in exchange for mobility and dexterity. Future content will also include night vision goggles, which may help you tackle night missions without revealing yourself.
We refrained from revealing other game modes, as the goal for this first mission was clear to us; get your feedback regarding how the game feels and how we can improve it. We want an immersive, realistic, and challenging tactical experience, but we’re also devoted to making it fun and engaging. We enjoyed our time chilling in deathmatch with you, and we relish the laughs we had streaming our gameplay for you all.
We gathered massive amounts of feedback, as well as all the suggestions, and we’re going through all of them to make sure we deliver on our next alpha test.
Again, thank you all, for the games, frags, suggestions, and for the laughs.
Stay tuned for more information on Thunder Tier One.
Zeus out.
Alpha testing has begun!
Hello operators!
We’re excited, and we hope you are too!
Today we entered into the alpha testing phase, giving members of our Discord community and streamers the opportunity to experience Thunder Tier One for the first time. It is a chance for us to share the game, gain some invaluable insight, and of course have some fun with our community. The alpha test will be running until Saturday October 17 at 18:00 CEST.
As we are still in the early stages of testing, we will be sharing one campaign mission (playable as single or multiplayer coop) and deathmatch mode. However, further game content and features will be playable in future tests - we’ll also be inviting more players to get involved as we progress.
Things are moving quickly and we’ll be sharing more and more of Thunder Tier One with you in the coming months. Thanks for your continued support, and stay tuned to Discord for updates.
Team Thunder Tier One
Thunder Tier One: a tribute to the games I played 20 years ago
Thunder Tier One started as a personal project of mine when I was at Bohemia Interactive, at the time I was working as a Senior Character Animator on ARMA 3. I had been working with Unreal Engine and experimenting with different game mechanics when I arrived at the concept of a top-down game. I found that the mechanics were both challenging and fun at the same time.
I pitched the idea of a top-down shooter to my friends and colleagues Nelson Duarte and Arseniy Smirnov. They were keen to get involved, so we set up a small working group in our free time to bounce ideas off one another. In the early stages, our aim was to develop a prototype of a game that would be a base for future campaigns. We also wanted it to have the potential to be modded by other users. After all, we had come from a modding background and we all worked on a highly moddable game.
Working on a top-down game became a form of challenge. As a team we were experienced in FPP and TPP, this new perspective was fresh and unexplored. It was really interesting to dive into, discovering what works and what doesn’t.
We worked on it for around a year, after work and late into the night, but towards the end of 2016 production slowed down until we eventually stopped. It wasn’t that we didn’t want to continue with the project, far from it, we were working well together and things were really starting to take shape. However, as is often the case in life, we had other matters that required our time. I had accepted a role at PUBG, as Head of Action and Gunplay Unit, and Nelson had to focus his attention on a game he was working on. Between us all, we’d been spinning many plates and we weren’t in a position to give Thunder Tier One the time and energy that we knew it deserved.
So for three years there was nothing, no updates, no work, no new levels… until late 2019. Nelson had finished working on a large project, and suggested picking up where we left off. Of course I wanted to get involved, it didn’t seem right to leave the game unfinished, so I took the decision to pitch Thunder Tier One to Krafton.
The pitch went really well, Krafton said they were impressed by our vision, dedication and passion, and they wanted to help us introduce the game to a wider audience. We were delighted, the team was back together and we now had the support to put all of our energy into Thunder Tier One.
The last year has been very fast-paced, we have grown the team even further and now have a small, full time studio in Portugal - recruiting people that we know we click with both professionally and personally. We’ve brought in Pedro Pinho, who is responsible for in-game and out-game systems, our lead technical and environmental artist Jorge Aguiar, sound designer Lorenzo Salvadori, Ricardo Mota who handles community messaging and supports with testing features, and level designers Ricardo Sousa and Joao Rebelo. We also hooked back up with our lead content artist Michał Flodrowski who had worked on the project with us at the beginning.
Staying true to our indie roots, we still have the founding Thunder Tier One developers involved and wish to keep the team to a small size. We want to make something that resonates well with all of us, to me this is a tribute to the games I used to play 20 years ago.
It seems like a world ago that I first started working on Thunder Tier One, we’ve certainly come a long way, and cannot wait to share the game with all of you.
So watch this space!
Pawel Smolewski
Creative Director and Executive Producer of Thunder Tier One
