Today, we are delighted to share a special announcement for Farlight 84. This announcement will outline our future plans for optimizing gunplay, designing hero skills, and adding exciting new elements to the map. However, do note that some of the thoughts we share today are subject to vigorous play tests, and so may be implemented in a different fashion in the final design, or may not all come to fruition.
With that, let's dive deep into our design thoughts and what to expect from Farlight 84 moving into 2024!
▌Gunplay Design
We've noticed player feedback suggesting that the feel of using firearms in the game seems too similar across the board, prompting you to make very similar weapon choices every single time. This makes us deeply rethink our current weapon framework, and we'd like to share our thoughts with you below.
◇ Current state of 'Assault Rifles'
Take assault rifles as an example. Apart from the AK, the recoil and spread of other guns are nearly non-existent. This makes these guns extremely versatile, effective in both close combat and sniping scenarios.
◇ Current state of 'Submachine Guns' (SMGs)
Submachine guns haven't been as fortunate. They lack a strong presence in the game. Designed for quick close-range engagements, their advantages lie in low recoil and high fire rates. But when assault rifles also exhibit these traits, players seldom opt for submachine guns, which offer a lower cost-benefit ratio.
◇ Current state of 'Sniper Rifles'
This issue extends to sniper rifles as well. In Farlight 84, we aim for a relatively short Time to Kill (TTK) to encourage more intense gunfights. However, our design of sniper rifles hasn't supported this goal, leading to their underutilization. Instead, most players prefer assault rifles with scopes for most combat situations.
◇ Current state of 'Sound Effects'
Farlight 84 is cross-platform between PC and mobile. To accommodate both, we've had to compromise on some high-quality sound effects for impact feedback. Gun sounds are a crucial part of this feedback, but in Farlight 84, they've been too subtle, often overshadowed by the system announcements.
◇ Our Future Plan — 'Diversify Gunplay'
The changes in the AK's shooting parameters and the audio enhancements of some weapons in version 15.1.1, are the first baby steps. Now, the AK feels more realistic, with increased bullet trajectory randomness and a higher recoil cap, aiming to provide a more immersive experience.
We've also updated the sound effects for the AK-77 and Bar-95. The new sounds offer a more realistic soundscape, especially on better equipment, where you'll experience clearer, more impactful feedback.
▌Hero Design
So far, you've generally relied on your hero's active skills and, occasionally, the jetpack. The jetpack, with its cool aerial maneuvers, offers high mobility. However, the combination of hero skills and jetpack usage doesn't always feel right. Let's take a look at the design thought process for this part of the core gameplay.
◇ Current state of 'Hero Skills & Jetpack'
1. Most players entering Farlight 84 weren't utilizing the jetpack effectively.
Players already have two active skills to manage. Adding the jetpack's two movement abilities while managing the skills, while also managing to shoot, often overwhelms new players. They end up randomly pressing whatever lights up, confused about what happened after using a skill, let alone combining them all and coordinating with teammates.
2. The jetpacks happen to indirectly weaken the gunplay experience.
Due to jetpacks' high mobility, we had to compromise on gunplay dynamics from the beginning of Farlight 84's design. Most guns are crafted with the premise of facing enemies flying around with jetpacks, and we HAD to lower the difficulty in weapon handling, advanced prediction, and recoil control skills.
◇ Our Future Plan — 'Better Hero Design'
In our upcoming adjustments, we plan a comprehensive design approach of hero skills and jetpacks. Future battles will involve more head-on confrontations between players, making a deep understanding of hero skills crucial. We also hope that players will find more enjoyment in the seamless integration of skills and weapons, challenging themselves with higher levels of gameplay.
▌Map Design
Apart from optimizing existing heroes, weapons, and the in-game progression system, we're also working on new, fun gameplay elements to the Battle Royale mode in Farlight 84. Let's take a look at what's coming to maps in 2024.
◇ Current state of 'Maps'
So far, the map experience in Farlight 84 has been quite stable, with the ring closing periodically, and players doing the usual: scavenging for supplies and moving to safe zones. Beyond finding resources and opening chests, there haven’t been many clear objectives or opportunities for players to employ proactive strategies.
◇ Our Future Plan — 'New Map Features'
To alter the experience for more excitement, we're designing new map features, including 'mech bosses' in the battle royale maps, spawning at random locations!
Once the 'boss' is defeated, you can take control of it, essentially turning it into a giant vehicle of your own. Imagine the thrill of piloting a mech boss, using its abilities to dominate the battlefield!
These new features are expected to make playing in battle royale more exhilarating, strategic, and full of tactical depth. The addition of this new feature will introduce more variables to the battle, enriching the combat experience and making it more exciting for players.
▌Final Words
The changes and directions discussed today are not final, and we plan to implement these designs gradually over the coming months in 2024. We will provide more detailed update content before each upcoming version through the What's NEXT series.
We hope you'll find more enjoyment and discover new strategies alongside Farlight 84's evolution. We encourage and welcome your honest feedback to help us take the game even further. Stay tuned for more detailed information about the final changes for each respective update once they arrive.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to bringing you an even better Farlight 84 experience!
Have a lovely holiday season <3
Farlight 84 Team
Watch full introduction video on YouTube:
[previewyoutube=B83sIwFmLjY;full][/previewyoutube]
