Attention Officers,
Thank you for joining us for the 62nd edition of our biweekly development briefing, October 20th, 2023!
Today, we want to provide insight on the gameplay-oriented changes that have been made for evidence collection and across many of the existing maps in Ready or Not. The maps we’ll be focusing on are Port, Dealer, and Farm.
These improvements bring our maps further in line with our visions for the game and increase the quality of gameplay substantially. Many maps, where possible, now have more than one spawn location and generally more freedom of movement for you to approach your initial breach.
Throughout this briefing you will see various media that reflect this topic!
Please keep in mind that the development content depicted in this briefing is a work in progress and may be subject to change in the game’s final state.
Significant Evidence Collection Changes:
We want evidence collection to remain an important element of the gameplay, however we also want it to be logical and enjoyable for you as the player rather than tedious. Our game data shows that players would often exit a mission instead of trying to collect the last bit of evidence in a map.
Weapons that suspects drop are still critical pieces of evidence that you need to secure to prevent AI from picking up and using them, this is unchanged. We did make this process more accessible by newly allowing you to enable an option to outline dropped weapons that highlights them when nearby. We hope this prevents you from having to search extensively just to grab the many weapons that drop on each level.
(Image below: A fallen weapon lying just out of reach of an incapacitated suspect, highlighted with a new in-game option)
Most notably though, map-specific developer placed objects previously referred to as evidence are now considered “reportables.” “Hard reportables” are clearly listed as mission objective evidence required for finishing the mission. “Soft reportables” are generally optional, hidden objectives for the player to discover. Reportables get their name by how you simply look at them and report them to TOC.
Reportables are more flexible in usage than the ‘hold f to bag’ style of gameplay that’s used for securing firearms. Reportables do not have to be a small baggable piece of evidence. They allow you to report entire rooms as a form of evidence, high amounts of objects like a row of meth on a shelf, or large objects like computer servers. This greatly opens up our development team’s opportunities for creative storytelling as you move through our maps. Certain reportables could even unlock as you progress through the level, requiring a first one to be discovered before you can connect it to another.
(Image below: A reportable in a server room)
As mentioned, mission objective evidence is also known as a hard reportable: gone are the days of googling where the location of specific hard drives or small laptops are. For gameplay purposes we will provide context clues to hint where you should look for certain mission objective evidence. An example of these implicit context clues is "Find Amos Voll's Office Computer” instead of the vague “"Find Amos Voll's laptop.” Based on this context clue about an “office computer,” you should keep an eye out for office spaces in the map.
An example of a soft reportable would be the Red Room on Valley, which your team was not aware of at the beginning of the mission. Not every map will have soft reportables and we plan to avoid scattering them around needlessly.
An example of an area where we decided not to include soft reportables is the individual piles of bodies on Club.; this new evidence system is intended to decrease tedium of evidence, not increase it. Meanwhile, it opens up many new avenues for storytelling and gameplay flow.
Port:
“Port is receiving an entire gameplay redesign on top of a brand-new level layout and art pass. The goal of the design is to make port one of the most difficult levels within Ready or Not”
– Gruntr
In the old version of Port the focal point was on two concrete buildings that appeared thoroughly abandoned and nestled in a cluster of storage containers that make up the boundaries of the map. These concrete buildings were claustrophobic and multi-layered, with precarious staircases throughout. Although intriguing, it did not evoke the realism of a bustling port that we shifted our focus to.
The updated Port places you mostly outdoors in the middle of a massive industrial shipping district with imposing crate-carrying steel structures lumbering about. Workers that are here in shifts throughout all hours of the day just seem to be another element of the port shipping complex.
“The SWAT team will be thrown into the gauntlet with port, which features a narrow mess of old shipping containers as well as a large expanse that must be traversed before entering the main warehouse.”
(Image below: The central warehouse looms ahead)
Also in this version of Port, we’ve made substantial changes to make it feel like a cumulative experience of some earlier levels. Several of the cases you’ve been exploring in the storyline seem to converge into activities that go on here. Clearing each corner, you are illuminated by splashes of industrial light from towering lampposts above that guide you deeper in.
“...whilst there is alot of industrial lights illuminating the scene— with the nature of it being at night and in the rain, the light itself is very harsh and does not scatter around as much as daylight does, for instance. [Industrial lights] lead to darker shadows as a result, meaning night vision and flashlights might end up being your best friend going into these areas [that aren’t directly lit]."
– MR3D
(Image below: These spots of light will interrogate your every move)
“[players] should feel that wet, cold, miserable wind as they lurk through this foreboding and challenging environment”
– MR3D
Unlike our other maps, this one will throw you into particularly inclement weather conditions precipitated by the stealthy nature of its premise. You are in the middle of one of Los Sueno's worst storms it has ever seen. The torrential rainfall that results further complicates your distant engagements where gaps between shipping containers appear. As you progress through the outdoor maze of this map you will find yourself breaching a variety of smaller buildings, shipping containers, and a central warehouse.
"We still wanted the player to be able to see where they are going, as pitch-black is not friendly for navigation at all, and we don't want the players to feel punished (being at a disadvantage, sure!) for not bringing a flashlight. This is where the overall rain and wetness factor again comes into play, where we can use the reflections of the lights rather than direct illumination to pick out edges and highlights on darker objects [to assist navigation].”
(Image below: A view of the radio tower, a key landmark on the map shown from a backside of the map)
(Image below: A fallen flashlight at the entry of the map shows the way forward.)
So far, the gameplay direction goal of creating one of our most difficult maps yet has come true with our playtesting almost always falling short of a complete mission clear through. However, “the level is balanced in a way where enemies aren't immediately difficult, initially only facing the player with pistols and shotguns until the later stages of the level, where high-caliber weapons become introduced.” It will test every part of your skills, from CQB cornering to faraway firefights. Make sure you kit up your squad appropriately and carefully keep your engagement priority on 'near-to-far.'
Dealer:
“Dealer, on top of receiving a narrative, design, and art update, throws players into a tense, dark environment with a high number of suspects and civilians. Suspects blend in here, with the intent to coerce the SWAT team into gaining information before entering rooms and discerning who is a threat and who is not. There is also an undercover agent on this level, who must be apprehended but will appear as a potential threat if not listened to.”
– Gruntr
(Image below: A view of the Caesar’s Car Dealership’s parking lot on the left and front entrance on the right)
The colorful neon signs of Caesar’s Car Dealership inscribing the night sky lure you towards destructively deadly engagements among its slickly lit parked cars. Where in the previous version of the map the parking lot served as a brief entryway to the building itself, this version gives you the option to enter the lot or take the street to two other entryways. In total, you can currently approach from the parking lot, front entrance, and mechanic garage.
(Image below: A view of the mechanic garage adorned with a mural on the right, which leads into the rear of the parking lot on the left. Up this staircase where we are observing from is one of the main dealership's back entries.)
(Image below: A display room in the heart of the building)
"Whenever the story allows it, this is the type of map we want to create. Players have multiple ways to enter the main building, and that's always good for replayability.”
– Tiša
(Image below: Storefronts line the street with tents of homelessness occupying the sidewalk)
Empty police cars with their lights blaring already barricade this street, punctuated with fresh bullet holes from before your SWAT team arrived. Keep an eye out for any officers down and make sure a next bullet doesn’t take one of you.
(Below: A police car evaded gunfire but encountered a light pole)
It’s your call whether you take on the fleet of parked vehicles first, or risk potential suspects and panicked civilians flanking you as you clear the rest of the dealership building itself. Set at store closing time, armed suspects blend in with the front workers at this largely family business. Practice precise tactics to preserve life and apprehend the suspects connected to this operation’s darker dealings.
Farm:
“Farm contains many secrets and is an onslaught of combat and high-stakes decision making for the LSPD SWAT team. The level primarily consists of tight, CQB-oriented combat arenas with lots of cover and concealment for both the player and threats. We have reintroduced sentry points within this level, making some exterior areas incredibly high risk, but high reward for those looking to quickly dominate [key movement routes] for AI within the map.”
– Gruntr
Many of the new scenes of Farm, without giving away spoilers, are presented already within the previous Vol.61 briefing– so be sure to check out those for reference too.
The previous version of Farm was dominated by a tunnel system that your team could use to make entry into the main compound. Twisting and turning throughout the hillside, you ran into enemies in hallways lined with wine barrels.
(Image below: A scene from the new Farm entry point spawn)
Our updated version of Farm, while still containing a tunnel system, puts more of an emphasis on the above ground nature of the map. You no longer need to enter a tunnel system in order to begin clearing the compound and many of the photos in Vol.61 alluded to this fact. The new rendition of the tunnel system serves instead as a cellar space that you can use to traverse different areas of the map. Be careful, for enemies can also use it to flank you as well.
(Image below: One of the many entryways into the tunnel system)
(Image below: Clearing some of the farm's property)
As mentioned in the quote at the top of this section, the tunnels can be a key part of your team’s strategy to avoid suspects who are posted in lookout positions. While the map is abundant in visual concealment from the climbing vines and garden spaces it is relatively sparse in solid cover that could shield you enemy gunfire. Placement of evidence reportables will lead you to foray through the vegetation and dusty buildings.
(Image below: The slats in the fences may allow you an occasional glimpse of a suspect)
(Image below: A suspect wields a firearm while barely visible through a window)
Conclusion
Our new evidence collection system and updates to pre-existing maps should make your playthroughs more enjoyable and enhance replayability.
These opportunities deliver you a cohesive gameplay experience which interfaces seamlessly with our storyline, all coming together for our anticipated 1.0 release towards the end of this year!
Before we sign off, a little planning:
(Image below: WIP planning on the tactical tablet screen— wait a second... looks like a special entrance... might just be worthy of an award show)
This concludes our 62nd development briefing. Be sure to tune in next time for more development news!
Thank you to Zack for helping take those wonderful photos, and for everyone who provided their insights on these maps.
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.
Make sure you follow Ready or Not on Steam here.
