Attention Officers,
Thank you for joining us for the 74th edition of our Ready or Not development briefing, June 7th, 2024!
This week we'll be covering our completed transition from Unreal Engine 4.27 to the new UE5 and the delay of DLC 1. Throughout this briefing, we’ll outline what specific benefits we expect from UE5.3 as well as how the DLC release and UE5.3 modding scene is affected. Furthermore, we’ll show off some slices of content that you can expect from DLC 1.
The UE5 transition was a longtime project that was in large part diligently handled by close external partners. This extensive preparation has resulted in a relatively seamless final transition, yet there were still some related issues and additional delays that we had to recently overcome. Other general issues including one or two high-priority issues are still not fixed. Aside from that there is some extra DLC 1 work and quality assurance to be completed.
One main high-priority remaining issue is that some of the open-source tools used for modding countless Unreal Engine games, including RoN, are not yet compatible with UE5.3. In the crucial interest of our great modding community we want to avoid launching without modding support. We have several solutions to pursue including a bounty on the tools.
With the UE5 transition complete an official modding Software Development Kit (SDK) is going to happen but it will take time to do right.
Therefore, Officers, we are posting open bounties to support Unreal Engine 5 modding as a whole. Payout will be based on contributions that fix the issues at hand for each tool:
- UE4SS (https://github.com/UE4SS-RE/RE-UE4SS) (Primarily affects map modding)
- UAssetAPI (https://github.com/atenfyr/UAssetAPI) (Primarily affects equipment modding)
- UAssetGUI (https://github.com/atenfyr/UAssetGUI) (Primarily affects equipment modding)
These development briefings serve to keep you in the loop about parts of our ongoing support for Ready or Not, however the briefings do not encompass everything that we’re working on at a given moment. Please keep in mind that everything in this development briefing is work in progress and subject to change.
Vol. 74 Development Briefing Summary Points:
(not a changelog)
- DLC 1 will no longer release during the Spring timeframe, though it is close to completion. It will release as soon as properly viable [list]
- We will be able to provide more info in the coming weeks with the next newsletter as progress on the situation is made
- Vast majority of DLC 1 content is completed [list]
- DLC 1 comes with 3 new weapons (plus effectively a 4th) [list]
- (available to all players regardless of DLC ownership)
- 3 new maps largely completed with glimpses shown [list]
- (available to all players in multiplayer with a lobby host who owns the DLC)
- We have completed a transition for RoN from Unreal Engine 4.27 to Unreal Engine 5.3 [list]
- It was important for efficiency and engine benefits that we complete the engine transition before adding new content to the game [list]
- Not every new UE5 feature will be utilized by RoN, but there is a solid list of immediately noticeable benefits that we’re confident will be included: [list]
- Better PSO integration tools, PSO precaching, DLSS 3.7, FSR 3, and new anti-aliasing methods (TSR).
- We are posting open bounties to update open-source modding tools and support Unreal Engine 5 modding as a whole (Affected tools: UE4SS, UAssetAPI, UAssetGUI) [list]
- RoN will receive official Software Development Kit modding support now that the UE5 transition is complete, but it will take time for the official SDK to be done properly and polished
DLC 1 Delay
We’re sorry to say that DLC 1 and its broader Home Invasion launch will no longer fit into the Spring timeframe.
Unfortunately, our timetables shifted more than we anticipated during our UE5 transition and development process, along with the fresh uncertainty presented by the modding tool dilemma.
The delay also represents an adjustment of our focus towards developing some more core game features and actualizing the new benefits that UE5 can offer.
The vast majority of DLC 1 is already completed. With it will come 3 new weapons (not counting a novel twist that effectively creates a 4th new weapon option). Our three new maps are looking incredible, and we have a few glimpses to share with you all.
Fortunately for the rest of the roadmap, preliminary work is already being done on DLC 2 by our level design/art teams when available, and experimentation on features for the core-game is continuing to progress. UE5 brings hope in the new efficiencies and benefits it brings to our internal development processes. However, we’ll ultimately have to assess later how this DLC 1 delay affects timing on other roadmap goals.
(Image below: [DLC 1] A battered building hangs in a state of disrepair. Its decrepit hallways echo with the murmurs of those with nowhere else to go.)
(Image below: [DLC 1] A sun-drenched neighborhood crumbling close to its end.)
(Image below: [DLC 1] A grand estate sits atop the valley.)
A New Engine for Future-Proofed Content
Upgrading our game engine to Unreal Engine 5 prior to launching DLC ended up being imperative to most efficiently future-proof new content and reap benefits from the updated engine. Specifically, the current version we’re on is UE5.3.
As stated earlier, our external partners handled the majority of the transition, allowing us to focus on developing 1.0 and new content until the final stage of the UE5 transition was ready.
Although Ready or Not is not positioned to use every new or flashy feature UE5 has to offer, there is a solid list of easily noticeable benefits that we’re confident we should be able to take advantage of. A few of these potential benefits are better PSO integration tools, PSO precaching, DLSS 3.7, FSR 3, and new anti-aliasing methods (TSR). We're already seeing positive results in gameplay from many of these features.
Better PSO integration tools means that we should have an easier time implementing PSO caching for each map/level in the future, which would reduces loading times and in-game stutters.
PSO Precaching is an automatic approach to PSO caching that could help cut down on load times and stutters even further. This technique contrasts with traditional PSO caching which may require you to load a level first before you can benefit.
Nvidia’s DLSS 3.7 offers improvements over the DLSS 3.5 currently in the game to enhance performance and visual fidelity simultaneously for RTX cards.
Meanwhile AMD’s FSR 3 suite offers similar features for all graphics cards, able to replace the FSR 2.1 in-game now.
TSR (Temportan Super Resolution) is a new anti-aliasing method that comes with UE5 that which improve anti-aliasing graphical quality substantially, especially during movement.
Conclusion
Even though DLC 1 is nearing completion it is not expected within the Spring timeframe anymore; we aim to release it as soon as properly viable. More info should be offered during the coming weeks with the next newsletter as progress on the situation is made.
Our completed UE5 transition will future-proof development while providing you all some useful features, but we still have some things to address including the recently outdated Unreal Engine modding tools.
Once again we recognize that an official polished SDK, which we always wanted for RoN, would be an ideal modding solution. The SDK is going to happen as a next step since the UE5 transition is complete, but getting it right will take some time. Until then we hope this solution is beneficial for the entire Unreal Engine 5 modding community. Keep an eye on the respective Github pages for more info.
This concludes our 74th development briefing, thank you again for joining us. Be sure to fall in next time for more development news!
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