Ready Or Not (Elite SWAT Team)

[Asid]

Volume #54 Ready or Not Development Update
Thu, 15 June 2023



The Sin and the Stance

Attention Officers,


Welcome to the 54th edition of our biweekly newsletter! This week we’ll be talking about our upcoming map, Sins of the Father, our new Devlog that will be dropping monthly alongside our newsletters starting next month!


The First Sin

Taking place after the attempted assassination of a US Lawmaker by a group of disenfranchised Veterans, Sins of the Father brings the team to an devilishly opulent penthouse suite packed to the brim with some of the toughest hostiles that the LSPD has come up against yet. This a very dangerous proposition when the LSPDs past victories include a squad of well equipped ex-military veterans, a large complex filled with deadly paramilitaries, and an incredibly well-entrenched ex-USIA officer.


Above: The long halls offer little cover from very aggressive hostiles, make good use of shields and doorways.


The Sinners

The capabilities of the hostiles contained within Sins will show from their rock solid morale, meaning the bodyguards will be some of the hardest suspects in the game to peacefully restrain, requiring the entire team to carefully clear, contain, and cuff each suspect with great care. This combined with their powerful weapons and individual uniforms purposefully selected to resemble the civilians within the map means Sin will be a tough nut to crack.


Above: The golden inlays, furniture, and decorations betray a level of wealth only attainable by either the incredibly lucky or the incredibly dirty.

Currently, to add an ever deeper layer of challenge, we are experimenting with giving the AI on Sin the ability to deploy non-lethal throwables. The exact same types that the LSPD bring to bear on particularly ornery suspects when the need arises, adding yet another sound that a team will need to carefully listen out for.

Though there is a silver lining to the increased capabilities of the hostiles, their conventional training means that they will not hide under beds or in closets and will not crawl through the available through-fares on the map, freeing any responding officer to direct their attention elsewhere.


Video Devlogs

Starting next month we will also be aiming to release monthly video dev logs detailing subjects that would be poorly served by a static newsletter or vastly improved via a video format. The coming video will mainly feature information relating to the mocap for all the characters in Ready or Not with the intended release date being July 17th.


Above: Our mocap artist Aaron starting the session with a T-pose for the first set of new mocap shoots.

In addition to the monthly Devlog videos that will be uploaded to our YouTube channel, we will also be delivering more news about the state of the Supporter Edition going into the future, and a much more clear picture of the future of the game that our team has worked so hard to build and our community has worked so hard to nurture.

—

Conclusion

This concludes our 54th briefing. Be sure to tune in next time for more development news!

If you’d like to help us test new content during playtesting periods on the Supporter exclusive experimental branch, provide us with your game feedback, and keep up with the Supporter community; you can become a supporter at www.voidinteractive.net or at our Steam store page.

Are you a content creator on youtube or twitch looking for new games? We got you covered; Ready or Not has partnered with Lurkit to elevate gameplay! Make sure to follow us here.
https://www.lurkit.com/games/ready-or-not


Keep your feet on the ground.
VOID Interactive

[Asid]

Volume #55 Ready or Not Development Update
Fri, 7 July 2023



To Stream or not to Stream

Welcome to the 55th edition of our biweekly newsletter! In this post, we will synergize with our recent cinematic trailer, "Streamer", and showcase the in-game environment that our officers should expect.




Introduction

Michael, also known as Milky Toes in the online world, is a vibrant character who’s eagerly embraced the latest internet trend to make a name for himself. Shining his unruly and toxic personality in multiple aspects of his day-to-day life, he seldom stops to consider the consequences of his actions.

Shortly into one of his streams, a prank call was placed by his live audience; SWAT made haste to breach and secure the apartment complex. What they discovered was not only the disturbance created by Michael’s arguments with his mother but an awaiting truth that will hopefully be solved with time.


Above: The apartment exterior, presented through a floral aesthetic.


To Stream or not to Stream

While this may seem like a typical day for everyone, Michael’s group rarely shies away from his place. Even if the combat expertise may not be the same as the level of a professional, his friends would do anything to protect the active operations happening behind closed doors.


Above: A colorful bedroom depicting the main area of what looks to be the streaming activity.

The situation revolves around expecting the unexpected. The deployed squad will have to meticulously inspect every corner and potential hiding spots to ensure nothing is missed in the operation. Every encounter can be critical; sometimes, even a basic perspective can turn into a wide-ranging investigation.


Above: TOC to entry team. Proceed with caution.


Conclusion

This concludes our 55th briefing. Be sure to tune in next time for more development news!

If you’d like to help us test new content during playtesting periods on the Supporter exclusive experimental branch, provide us with your game feedback, and keep up with the Supporter community; you can become a supporter at www.voidinteractive.net or at our Steam store page.

Are you a content creator on YouTube or Twitch looking for new games? We got you covered; Ready or Not has officially partnered with Lurkit to elevate gameplay! Make sure to follow us here: https://www.lurkit.com/games/ready-or-not


Over and out,
VOID Interactive

[Asid]

Volume #56 Ready or Not Development Update
Fri, 21 July 2023



Let your imagination flow

Welcome to the 56th edition of our biweekly newsletter! Today, it's time for a deep dive into one of the most essential aspects of development: concept art. We will explore a general approach to the creation of these styles for our tactical shooter, Ready or Not. By following the post, we will understand different levels of importance, together with exciting behind-the-scenes graphics.

In some instances, we are joined by one of the many remarkable artists and personalities here at VOID Interactive, Ropolio!


Introduction

Before checking behind the curtains, we must understand exactly what concept art is. To put it simply, it represents the visual design generation of an item, character, or even area that does not yet exist. This automatically creates a story that is able to flourish into something that players are able to personally experience in several projects, including those connected to the gaming industry.

Take a look at the following selection of outfits that precisely represent the Los Suenos Police Department’s progression when it comes to the vast imagination of the artists.



Above: Modular designs for detectives in the police department, or on the scene.


The history and connection to RON

Many of us are no strangers to the classics that owe their existence to this very practice. From iconic titles like Legend of Zelda and Grand Theft Auto, to mesmerizing adventures like Ori and the Blind Forest, all games have historical significance in gaming concept art. It represents an indispensable stage in video game pre-production, breathing life into imaginative worlds and laying the foundation for the experiences that await players.

It’s the same for Ready or Not, where everything must match the immersive environment, whether that be the equipment of the SWAT units, colors, or the next room that may require a tactical breach. The team at VOID Interactive is constantly working hard to bring these ideas to reality, and by using reference points, it can create an arsenal of goals for the project.

Our Police Station rework is a prime example of what thorough early analysis can offer players when they first step into this well-built structure. Together with other design departments, it can easily be said that concept art has the ability to transform into something memorable in the long run.


Above: The memorial area where the shrine can be seen through player navigation.


Giving life to Streamer and Michael

As discussed earlier, reference points play an important role in laying the groundwork for pre-production assets. Looking at our recent cinematic trailer and biweekly newsletter #55, we can easily inspect topics regarding Michael, also known as Milky Toes on the internet.

"Along with photobashing for clothing, I've been integrating artificial intelligence to speed up my workflow, specifically for faces and clothing folds. It helps create a likeness without using a real human's face. When talking about my main inspiration, I researched different youtubers and streamers to assist me in finalizing the necessary looks that created Michael."

━ 🎨 Ropolio

Even with Ready or Not being his first gaming project, Ropolio's talent and attention to detail allow him to dodge obstacles while providing intuitive visions for the project. Combining this with the strengths of other developers, the team can reach its designated goals much more smoothly.


Above: Early preview of the problematic individual himself, Michael Williams.


Extras

Before concluding our showcase, we are happy to show even more ambitious foundations to the community.

A quick look at the Debanco guards, a security group armed with non-lethal equipment such as pepper sprays and tasers, ready to defend their armored trucks from any perceived threat.



Armed with powerful weaponry and still representing style, Senator Forment's bodyguards are no beginners in the art of primary and secondary weapon combinations.



Last but not least, an early yet mysterious preview of the new farm.







Conclusion

This concludes our 56th briefing. Be sure to tune in next time for more development news!

If you’d like to help us test new content during playtesting periods on the Supporter exclusive experimental branch, provide us with your game feedback, and keep up with the Supporter community; you can become a supporter at www.voidinteractive.net or at our Steam store page.


Over and out,
VOID Interactive

[Asid]

Volume #57 Ready or Not Development Update
Fri, 4 August 2023



It's almost time to show off your style
Welcome to the 57th edition of our biweekly newsletter! Today, we will share one of our community's highly requested topics, the upcoming customization in Ready or Not.

Remember that the following is an early preview of our customization system, and everything that the players see here will look entirely different later. This will incorporate the community's involvement at various stages rather than just during the final touches.



Introduction

The VOID Interactive team constantly uses their brushes and canvases to expand the clothing combinations so you can distinguish yourself easily when approaching the dangerous streets of Los Sueños.

Mery.G (Gerard), an ambitious character artist at VOID, will be joining different parts of our news to share more information about the process.


Presentation: Gloves

Kicking off with a practical but essential clothing piece for SWAT members, the players can choose from a long list of gloves through an available UI. We understand that aesthetics play an important role in an immersive game such as Ready or Not, so you will have the freedom to add or switch parts for your character while combining your favorite colors.

After talking to Gerard, he decided to dive a bit into his key references that make all these assets possible.

"When I started getting into the whole 3D creation realm, I started making content for a competition called 'Make ArmA not War.' The premise was simple: just create content. The better I got at it, the more I realized how simple and fun it is to be able to just replicate things you see or have used in real life, and that just stuck with me. I love anything art, painting, or music, so this is my way of expressing and enjoying myself, and I'm happy we have people excited about and enjoying the things we've released. Also, I love collaborating and working with others and, when possible, helping or teaching them, as I feel like I always learn something new from everyone I meet."



━ 🎨 Mery.G

Above: Multiple images representing some of the many skins when talking about gloves.

Read on: https://steamcommunity.com/games/1144200/announcements/detail/3651908241709893273

[Asid]

Volume #58 - Ready or Not Development Update
Fri, 25 August 2023



Calling all units,

Welcome to the 58th edition of our biweekly newsletter! Today, we will introduce yet another highly anticipated feature, the upcoming Suspect AI in Ready or Not.

Please note that what is presented is a work in progress, and final results may look or play differently from what this newsletter represents.


Introduction

Our AI Design team is always looking for ways to enhance the gameplay loop, making the game feel even more realistic and challenging. Today’s newsletter will discuss the Suspect AI systems and how we aim to throw a spanner in your perfectly laid-out plans.

Join us as we speak about the suspect AI system and how our AI Designer, Bradley, tackles the challenge of making suspects behave more naturally toward player actions.




The Gameplay Loop

At its core, Ready or Not thrives on immersing players in a realistic, challenging, tactical first-person shooter environment. However, this comes with challenges:

‘How do we make the gameplay loop feel stable and challenging while still remaining fair?’

The answer to this is quite complex, and to properly immerse the player, we are exploring many ways that AI can interact and react to certain situations.




Suspect AI: Freedom of Movement

Many FPS games with enemy AI may set an 'optimal' combat distance when fighting the player. This makes AI (AKA ‘actors’) in those games have potentially undesirable behaviors on some levels, such as leaving rooms with the player at awkward moments.

In Ready or Not, though, we strive to give our AI freedom to improvise and re-approach situations and face players with the challenge of controlling that chaos.

"Something I think [Ready or Not] has an advantage over others in that department is we're able to embrace chaos. In traditional shooters, linear ones anyway, when level designers place down actors in a scene, it's generally with the intention that they work within the area they're placed in. In RoN, we only care about this in precombat, where we keep them constrained to the general area they spawn in.

Once the AI is alert, their interaction with the area will dictate how fights feel. So, for instance, in the Agency map, it's not uncommon to have more drawn-out intense gunfights in the lobby due to it having multiple interconnecting entrances and covers for the AI to attack from. Conversely, if you push into the hallway past it, they often duck into one of the rooms to flank you or wait for you since they can't find a good spot to take cover. Honestly, I really like that I can lean more into "chaos" in the game."

However, Bradley also describes the following new system intended to address crowded or empty AI spawn areas, allowing for an optimal gameplay flow on each given level:

"One thing we did recently is add a spawn grouping system. This will allow us to ensure specific parts of the map don't get too crowded or possibly too empty by setting a min/max desired number of characters to spawn within a certain group. This lets me do stuff like set a bunch of possible spawns in an area, then limit the group's max number to like 2 guys. So there could be ten possible spawns, but we won't have to worry about 10 guys in there."

See Below: Neutral AI moving in a set area before player interaction




Suspect AI: Decision-Making

“Suspects have unfortunately been seen as targets you have to stun or kill because they'll inevitably shoot at you once they become aware.”

One of the challenges we are tackling is to ensure that suspects behave more naturally. Based on player actions, we want to ensure that the suspects will act accordingly. You blow a door open; some suspects will act surprised and cower, and others may hold their ground. This aims to reinvigorate scenarios; players will never know what to expect when tackling obstacles.

Below: AI surrenders after being stunned.




Use of Force

In line with the above and some other scenarios, a suspect might not act aggressively. Based on what a player does, suspects may choose several actions, including surrendering, cowering, retreating, grouping, and, of course, showing aggression (to name a few).

But what happens when a suspect simply does not open fire? In moments like these, you have to consider the Use of Force Continuum - shooting a non-hostile suspect will have consequences. Proceed with the utmost caution and attempt to de-escalate using less-lethal methods. Though, of course, some situations cannot always be avoided.

“You shouldn't be shooting suspects who haven't shown aggression. So situations where a suspect does not open fire can potentially be more stressful - who knows if other suspects are on the way while you're trying to get him to comply!”

Below: AI Fake Surrender GIF







Conclusion

This concludes our 58th briefing. Be sure to tune in next time for more development news!

Are you a content creator on YouTube or Twitch looking for new games? We have you covered; Ready or Not has officially partnered with Lurkit to elevate gameplay! Make sure to follow us here:
https://www.lurkit.com/games/ready-or-not

Over and out,
VOID Interactive

[Asid]

Vol. 59 - Ready or Not Development Update
Fri, 8 September 2023



Motion Capture


Attention Officers,

Welcome to the 59th edition of our biweekly newsletter, September 8th, 2023! Have your heads on a swivel, because today we'll be taking a look at brand new motion capture from a recent major multi-week motion capture shoot. For this mission the team made a wonderful visit to our friends at Bohemia Interactive and their mocap facilities. Our development team here at VOID is thrilled so far with the results of this marathon of studio time, and we're sure you will be too!


Ambition Through Animation

Some major reasons for this specific motion capture session are the expansive scope in which we want to take our game and the high fidelity variety of animations we wish to include, all with the consistent direction of law enforcement operators. Our expectations are best met by the affordances of optical motion capture, with subsequent attentive tweaking to suit cinematics or gameplay.

This is a massive team effort, and the VOID Animation Team will be giving a more in-depth look into the entire process throughout this newsletter for what this brand new haul of animation data contains, and what it means going forward. This is not our first time working with motion capture so we already knew quite early what we wanted to achieve. To ensure the highest quality we had both cinematic and gameplay animators at the mocap stage to oversee the entire shoot.

Glimpses of just a slice of content from the past weeks of mocap are presented throughout below!


Dramatic Cinematics and Tactical Realism

“Trained [operators] performing what they have been doing naturally in their jobs, on stage, [...] to make the entire experience more authentic and immersive"

This new motion capture data will be represented via compelling cutscenes, gameplay animations, and future trailers that will help bring Ready or Not's gripping storyline to life.

Among 6 dedicated individuals who simultaneously donned their mocap suits for this shoot were several law enforcement professional stunt people with up to decades of Close Quarters Combat career experience, including tactical team leadership.

In close collaboration with our VOID developers we aimed to act out scenarios that are grounded in tactical realism and fit for integration into the game. The combination of trained stunts and CQB experience also meant we had a unique opportunity to capture dynamic animations that will see a wide range of potential use. It was especially a game changer and a humble learning experience to be able to “consult with [the operators] directly on stage, learning everything regarding CQB and SWAT tactics” during the shoot.

Video below: A tactical team climbing into an overwatch position.




With improved tactics shining in mocap performance for SWAT operators comes revamped arrest animations, allowing you to safely secure subjects with confidence using 20 variations of trained officers making arrests. It goes without saying that all of their other movements as well were recorded and will find places across countless areas of SWAT portrayal in-game.

Also in the expected changes are improved variations between animation types such as Suspect AI fake surrenders, melee, hostage taking, and more.

Video below: Suspects engaging in bladed combat.




Read on... https://steamcommunity.com/games/1144200/announcements/detail/3650785607759028052

[Asid]

Vol.60 - Ready or Not Development Briefing - Special PSA
Fri, 22 September 2023



Special PSA Regarding RoN's Ongoing Development Process


Attention Officers,

Thank you for joining us for the 60th edition of our biweekly development briefing, September 22, 2023!

Today, we have some important details to cover in the form of a Public Service Announcement regarding the game's ongoing development process, and technical reasons for a lack of public build updates as our many departments work effectively towards delivering you all the 1.0 version of the game. In this process we will describe avoiding development crunch, maintaining efficiency, and a technical perspective that represents the challenges our currently rapid and all-enveloping development progress presents for releasing incremental public updates.

It's all about forward momentum rather than perpetual Early Access, and we will see this project through to meet you all at its many future successes and a mature, complete stage. We are incredibly pleased with the progress we’ve made so far, and although we're sorry about the absence of recent incremental public build updates, we appreciate you all continuing to stick with us so that these exciting game changes can be released together once 1.0 eventually arrives.

(Note: The term “incremental update” refers to a public build that is released as an update in-between major milestone development versions of the game. These public builds contrast with development builds of the game, which are not yet released)


As we discuss examples that illustrate this development topic, you will also find substantial new work-in-progress content throughout this briefing!


All-Enveloping Development Progress and You


Ideally, we'd love to provide you, our playerbase, with as many public builds to play as possible. However,due to our current progress there are currently interconnected and nseparable challenges with doing this based on our status of a rapid, all-enveloping game development focus over this period in preparation for the 1.0 release.

Examples of some such interconnected challenges that result from this progress are outlined in the section below; the main point is that we are in extremely rapid development of many different interdependent systems across the game, and to ship an incremental update would require effectively halting, reverting, and synchronizing fragments of our forward progress at a critical moment winding up to the larger 1.0 release.


An All-Enveloping Example

In this hypothetical example, let's say we plan to release a public build as an incremental update that contains the new level, Coyote, for you all to play.

As previously mentioned, we've been working on every single aspect of the game— from revamped SWAT AI (to be showcased at a later date!) to extensive UI/UX overhauls/additions. They're not compartmentalized into any "group" where we can just cleanly export them to a public build in isolation from the rest of the development build features.

This means that at this stage of development from a technical perspective, adding the new Coyote level would require us to also add all these other features in some form:

- First of all, we need to provide you with our new AI spawn system and AI improvements. This means a lot of polishing, subsequently taking time away from our current pre-content 'lock' focus and therefore delaying full release. This sort of content-lock roadblock taking away from our current development priorities is a trend for all the remaining bullet points below.

- ("Pre-Content lock” refers to a point in time where we solidify existing features, stop adding new ones, and polish them for a new release).

(Image below: A slice of Coyote’s current WIP version)



Read on: https://steamcommunity.com/games/1144200/announcements/detail/6843838379406308520

[Asid]

Vol.61 - Ready or Not Development Briefing
Fri, 6 October 2023



Police Trailer Units, Less Lethal QOL Overhauls, Blocking Volumes, Farm Level Overhaul, and VFX improvements


Attention Officers,

Thank you for joining us for the 61st edition of our biweekly development briefing, October 6, 2023!

Today, we have a Situation Report via a variety of subtopics that provide a wide view of the game’s current development. Included in this format we hope to show you some of the more nitty gritty details of our development process.

This briefing's subtopics include police “trailer” units, Quality of Life (QOL) improvements to less lethal equipment, level blocking volumes, level overhauls on Farm, and VFX improvements/optimizations.


Furthermore, we are excited to say that we are on track for an expected 1.0 release towards the end of this year based on the incredible pace of our team’s development throughout these past months!

Thank you for all of your continued patience, along with your considerate reception of our recent PSA in Vol.60, regarding still ongoing technical limitations presented by incremental public build updates at this stage. Quality takes time, and we’re fortunate to have had the opportunity and support to continue to use our time efficiently over these months.

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.

In this briefing you will also see media that illustrates several of these areas of development below!


Police "Trailer" Units

"This is Entry Team to TOC. Suspect secure."

"TOC to Entry Team. Roger that, proceed with caution, trailers incoming."


These above in-game radio communications finally come to life with the new addition of a physical police "trailer" AI unit that's intended to increase immersion at the end of a mission.


The name “trailer” refers to the fact that these units safely ‘trail’ behind the actions of the tactical team, avoiding tactical interference while providing auxiliary support. Reminiscent of real SWAT procedures, our police trailer units arrive to physically extract secured civilians and suspects to safety after you clear a level, removing them from the scene.

Although in previous testing we had trailers extract subjects during the active scene, it resulted in some rare but awkward occasions where active suspects would incidentally encounter trailer units.

Therefore, in the current state once all civilians/suspects are detained and/or tragically deceased, trailers come in and manage "the level after your SWAT team's actions, [carrying] detained/deceased civilians/suspects and collecting bagged evidence to take back to the bearcat [vehicle].” As a result, “you can actually see them doing their job and walking back to the bearcat, rather than being something that happens off-screen.”


Less Lethal QOL Improvements

We have made numerous quality of life improvements for less lethal equipment by realistically rationalizing the unique niches they fill and the in-game tactics they’re involved in. This is particularly emphasized by our more nuanced approach to the usage of CS gas, the VKS pepperball launcher, and pepper spray
to make them more distinct and realistic.

CS Gas
from a technical perspective used to perform similarly to flashbangs, statically stunning individuals within its area of effect for a period of time. However, we have changed them to operate more appropriately as area denial equipment.

To achieve this CS gas clouds last longer (~30–45 seconds), no longer emit audio that alerts suspects, and serve to primarily flush out subjects from dangerous areas. The previous form of CS gas also used a tick-based damage system which was unoptimized, where this new system avoids that issue. Lastly, our improved gas logic system allows CS gas to work through 'rat holes' in walls and around corners to a certain extent. This is done by drawing a path from the grenade to the target and then determining whether the target is in range.

With the VKS pepperball launcher
you can expect a major change to its ammunition function and a tactical usage change to indirect fire instead of direct fire. The updated OC-balls, referring to oleoresin capsicum (pepper resin) inside of them, are less effective upon direct impact but instead leave small OC powder clouds that last for ~20–25 seconds at an impact. NPCs and players that walk through these clouds are affected by them, allowing you to lay down less lethal suppressive fire or flush out AI in a precise manner.

We found that pepper spray
was sometimes too powerful for use against armed suspects in combat contexts. Now, instead of a full stun, suspects who are affected with pepper spray will cover their eyes, experience an accuracy reduction, and have a morale drop. In this blinded state they are still capable of shooting the player up close.

The player’s response to any chemical agents is now less extreme under current changes:


“Instead of turning the screen red and taking player control by making the camera sway all over, it only makes the screen red/blurs the screen as if with tear filled eyes, and the player character makes audible coughing sounds”
that alerts suspects as an aggressive noise.


VFX Improvements/Optimization

At the same time while we’re making improvements to the fidelity of visual effects, we are also optimizing our related systems so that they run as efficiently as possible. Among just a few the VFX improvements we’ve worked on are muzzle flare, explosive effects (including increased performance for C2 breaching), new vehicles, and increased granularity of our existing vehicle destruction plus optimization.

For optimization we are generally trying to reduce the number of "draw-calls." Draw-calls are what occurs when your computer performs instructions to render (draw) a given graphical element and how to render it.

(Video below: Updated effects for muzzle flare, [new]
oxygen tank explosion, optimized C2 explosion, and the updated CS Gas effect which has improved performance as well)

Keep in mind that due to in-engine performance demand of development tools overhead this footage capture is at a decreased resolution, and that development build performance is generally worse than in a shipping (meaning eventually intended for public) build.




Read on: https://steamcommunity.com/games/1144200/announcements/detail/3710460111434346510

[Asid]

Vol.62 - Ready or Not Development Briefing
Fri, 20 October 2023



Gameplay Changes for Many Maps

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)



Read on: https://steamcommunity.com/games/1144200/announcements/detail/5555811415915054408

[Asid]

Vol.63 - Ready or Not Development Briefing
Fri, 3 November 2023



Commander Mode and Narrative

Attention Officers,

Thank you for joining us for the 63rd edition of our biweekly development briefing, November 3rd, 2023!

Today, we want to go in-depth on what you can expect from the game's campaign mode and narrative. The main focal point of these changes is what's known as "Commander Mode,"
the name of our new campaign mode that brings with it countless new immersive features. In Los Sueños, how you enter the ‘fatal funnel’ of each door will seal your fate and that of those around you.

Some of the elements from Commander Mode that we will cover are the progressive mission unlocks, permadeath, roster system, behavioral traits, officer therapy, and HQ expansion/functionality.


In the second section of this briefing, we will also detail progress on our narrative techniques such as briefing messages, 'on-call' officers, interactive audio device storytelling, novel tools for storytelling such as modular vehicle license plates, and the accompaniment of auxiliary in-game organizations.


Throughout this briefing you will see media that portrays the various topics we discuss!


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.


Vol.63 Development Briefing summary points:

(not a changelog)

    Missions for Single Player unlock one after another in order of completion
    Single Player playthroughs will have permadeath for each of your officers
    In Ironman mode, your save will be deleted if you die
    There will be a large amount of unique behavioral traits for the officers in your long potential roster which will each impact the gameplay style of your team
    Mission conduct outcome will affect the mental health of your officers, unbearable levels of stress causing them to quit or worse
    Over 5 new areas in the station with revamped existing areas such as the firing range and shoot house
    At least one unique briefing per mission that can take various formats, along with the extensive role that your tactical tablet plays for most mission information
    30-40 new interactable audio narrative devices added to the game.
    Modular license plates on vehicles that allow us to easily customize all aspects of them during development to fit the sort of characters in each mission
    A description of some of the federal law enforcement organizations present in the narrative, including DETE (Drug Enforcement Tactical Element), FISA (Federal Investigation and Security Agency), the Marshals, and the Park Service.
    Teaser conclusion


Take Command

In the boots of David “Judge” Beaumont you are the Commander of the LSPD's SWAT Team. This is by no means a figurehead role in-game for Commander Mode. It is up to you to compose your team from a long dynamic roster, pick your plans, give orders, keep your teammates (as well as yourself) alive and healthy in mind and body, and conduct your missions with integrity.

All three of major systems detailed in sections below: permadeath, officer traits, and mental health interplay to provide an additional layer of tension to your team’s success and conduct in a mission.

In Commander Mode your mission score is meaningful, and the specific conduct used to achieve the score will lead to a subsequent long-term impact on your team, positive or negative. If you arrest all suspects but kill a civilian, expect detrimental repercussions on your team’s stress levels.


High Stakes Progress

The extreme state of systematic disrepair in Los Sueños has left everyone at risk. The dangerous nature of your encounters will spiral the further you go. Lives taken is further violence, and it's your duty to uphold what dignity you can for future prosperity by defusing hostile situations that are too far out of hand.

Unnecessarily escalating these missions makes them more unpredictable and turbulent for all involved. This escalation will often provoke suspects and civilians to resort to more drastic measures in missions.

Each successful completion of a given mission will unlock the next one in succession for Single Player. The story of Los Sueños and the trials that you will face unveil themselves to you in each mission as you come across them.

Officer permadeath for all single player playthroughs means your team members won't get a second chance. Our new SWAT AI has an exceptional increase in their survivability and tactical effectiveness, but it's up to you to make sure the specific tactics you order are sound in each unique decision in-game. If a SWAT Officer dies there will also be a negative impact on your team’s mental health.

“Ironman mode” even makes your own survival imperative or you risk the deletion of your save when you, as the commander, die.

(Image below: A save slot for Commander Mode with the Iron Man option shown)


Read on: https://steamcommunity.com/games/1144200/announcements/detail/3801661174266563081

[Asid]

Vol.64 - Ready or Not Development Briefing
Fri, 17 November 2023



SWAT AI Overhaul


Attention Officers,

Thank you for joining us for the 64th edition of our biweekly development briefing, November 17th, 2023!

Today our newly overhauled SWAT AI teammates
make their proper debut as an advanced and intuitive critical feature to the game.

With this development on SWAT AI we’ve made a major step towards continuing our vision for what Ready or Not
can be— a quintessential tactical shooter with a central focus on PvE that’s worthy of a SWAT experience.

Let us walk you through an overview of the vast new capabilities
this SWAT AI system will provide, including huge improvements and additions
for formations, stacking, breaching, clearing, callouts, and securing.


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.


Vol.64 Development Briefing summary points:

(not a changelog)

- 4 different fall-in formations for SWAT AI, including single file, double file, diamond, and wedge
- SWAT AI can adjust their formation based on the obstacles around them
- Ability to micromanage how your officers stack up, including left, right, split, and swapping positions of specific officers
- SWAT AI can automatically adjust their positioning in a stack according to the room layout or their equipment
- SWAT AI have voice callouts for open doorways, suspect actions, and more
- Vastly improved, realistic clearing tactics for SWAT AI that incorporates many techniques such as dynamic and limited penetration clearing
- Improved SWAT AI usage of less-lethal weapons against suspects
- SWAT AI automatically secures and reports civilians and suspects or DOAs
- SWAT AI automatically secures evidence and has more commands to make evidence collection much more streamlined
- SWAT AI can use the door ram and grenade launchers for breaching
- SWAT AI automatically swaps to their secondary weapon when out of primary weapon ammo, and can fire in semi-auto to conserve ammo when appropriate
- Improved grenade deployment accuracy for SWAT AI
- Teaser conclusion


Falling In

Your SWAT AI teammates can now fall into specific formations
, allowing you to fine-tune your officers' movement through a given tactical environment. These 4 fall-in formations are described as single file, double file, diamond, and wedge. When ordering your SWAT members to Hold a position they will properly maintain the formation they were in.

(Image below: The new fall in command menu)


In all of these formations your SWAT AI will strive to maintain their respective angles to create a broad scan of their surroundings with minimal redundant overlap.

Officers in the back of a formation will pull rear security to ensure your flanks are covered.

They will automatically adjust their formation in order to logically accommodate the space they’re in, for example switching from double file to single file or fluidly navigating obstacles.

(GIF below: SWAT AI automatically shifting from double file to single file formation to account for obstacles)



Single file is useful for extremely claustrophobic spaces such as a tunnel. Officers in the middle of the formation will watch left/right. Single file exposes a minimal number of officers to forward facing threats but entails less forward coverage.

(GIF below: SWAT AI in single file cover their angles while moving through a cellar)



Read on: https://steamcommunity.com/games/1144200/announcements/detail/3835439444392378670

[Asid]

Vol.65 - Ready or Not Development Briefing
Fri, 1 December 2023



New Weapons and Ammunition Rework

Attention Officers,

Thank you for joining us for the 65th edition of our biweekly development briefing, December 1st, 2023!

Today we are going to go over some of the great work that’s gone into new weapons that have been added to the game, including the MCX rifle, LVAR rifle, F90 rifle, Supernova shotgun, UMP-9 SMG, TLE 1911, and the TPL less-lethal launcher.


Redone weapon models, covered after, are the breaching shotgun which is now an 870MCS, the M45A1 pistol, UMP45 SMG, and the MPX SMG.


Throughout we'll show and discuss much of the new gunshot and foley (handling) audio that has been added with most of the weapons above.

Lastly, we’ll take a look at re-worked ammunition values and penetration system. Revealed in this section is new training ammunition for use in training areas only, with a corresponding custom training MK18 rifle and G19 pistol.


Also, as you may have noticed from our post from on X yesterday, you can expect a big announcement from us at The Game Awards this December 7th!


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.


Vol.65 Development Briefing summary points: (not a changelog)

—
New weapons:
- MCX rifle
- LVAR rifle
- F90 rifle
- Supernova shotgun
- UMP9 SMG
- TLE 1911 pistol
- TPL Less-Lethal launcher
—
Redone weapon models:
- 870MCS Breaching Shotgun
- UMP45 SMG
- M45A1 pistol
- MPX SMG
—
Weapon audio matches the furniture of a weapon (how it is constructed, such as stocks and rails). E.g. the MCX and LVAR have different foley audio since they’re constructed of different components despite being on the same MCX platform.
—
Reworked realistic ammunition values, including new tissue damage, armor penetration, cover penetration, spalling, and ricochet values. Engine blocks of vehicles now block ammo as a reflection of the detailed rework to cover penetration.
—
(For use in Training Areas only) New training ammo for the new designated blue furnished training MK18 and Glock19 models.
- New Training MK18 rifle (Blue) (Training areas only)
- New Training G19 pistol (Blue) (Training areas only)


New Weapons and Audio:

The new weapons listed below are the MCX, LVAR, F90, TLE 1911, UMP9,mand TPL Pepperball Launcher.


As always, our audio design team has been hard at work crafting the most impactful authentic muzzle reports and foley possible. We have also made a major audio pass to distant gunshots across the board.

The videos below feature weapon audio and the new models alike to give you an idea of what your arsenal will look and sound like.


MCX:

In game description: “Highly popular with modern police tactical units all over the world, the MCX
platform [could be considered as] slowly taking over the AR15 in terms of modularity, performance, and customization.”

“The MCX chambered in 5.56x45mm shares a similar resemblance to the one used by the CTSFO (the UK’s Counter Terrorist police unit), featuring an 11.5” barrel, a collapsing/telescoping stock, a custom charging handle, and a keymod handguard outfitted with side and lower rail sections for use with accessories. This rifle build was in the style of a traditional MCX, more alike the ones from the 1st generation.”


The MCX’s fantastic modularity is represented by the LVAR weapon we will discuss next.

(Image below: An in-game replay photo of the new MCX during a magazine check)


(Video below: Some audio of firing the new MCX indoors and outdoors)

[Asid]

Our SWAT AI Dev Vlog is on the VOID YouTube channel!
Tue, 12 December 2023

A feast for the eyes at what's been cooking right around the corner for 1.0 release, Dec. 13th!

Our exact 1.0 Launch time for Dec. 13th will be announced later today, for now, make sure you check out the beautifully in-depth video detailing more about SWAT AI that's posted on our YouTube channel!

[Asid]

Ready or Not - We're Live at 1.0 Launch
Wed, 13 December 2023



1.0 update is available now


Update 1.0 for Ready or Not - LIVE NOW

Event Started Wed, 13 December 2023

[Asid]

Vol.67 - Ready or Not Development Briefing
Fri, 19 January 2024



1.0 in Review FAQ

Attention Officers,

Thank you for joining us for the 67th Edition of our biweekly development briefing, now returning from a holiday break!

Today we'll be taking a retrospective look at some frequently asked questions over the past few weeks following the 1.0 update. These questions will cover hotfixes, Suspect AI, the existing suspect/civilian “Stress” and “Morale” system, equipment, animations, and more.


We hope you have had a great time with your friends and with the game over these past weeks, and we have been keeping our eyes on how things are going!

Hotfix #2 is out the door as of yesterday and it is just part of many hotfixes and further gameplay improvements that we want to release as soon as possible. As mentioned in our Hotfix #2 patch notes, we are on the way towards Hotfixes #3 and #4
as well as any other fixes that may occur in-between.

We will be specifically focusing on performance and gameplay balancing among other areas in upcoming hotfixes.


One thing we want to quickly touch on, though, is that our team is not yet at full working capacity following our holiday break. In the meantime, we are continually gaining momentum to make progress on necessary fixes.

We're sorry that this hotfix process may be taking longer than expected but rest assured that we are committed to delivering them.

1.0 required countless high-priority systems and features to be put together, with each department focusing on their own particular workflows to get each critical component of the game prepared.

However, now that Ready or Not has reached 1.0 and all your wonderful hands, it’s time to more holistically parse how the game is functioning for our broader audience, adjust our internal workflow to reexamine its parts and find the best ways to address changes that could be made.

We are diligently aware of your valuable feedback and bug reports across our platforms in this process and are striving to meet them as effectively as possible.

To consolidate your input for best visibility for the development team please direct any feedback or bug reports you have to our Discord’s respective feedback or bug report channels (https://discord.gg/readyornot).

Read on: https://steamcommunity.com/games/1144200/announcements/detail/3970553140547184115