Hello, and welcome to the second Development Blog of Lancer 2!
It has been a while since the first Development Blog. While this was not intended, it was a result of the start of the school year along with a focus on roleplay systems rather than gameplay system. Nonetheless, we have an assortment of features bundled up to show off, so let’s get right into it.
Functional Televisions
We now have televisions that actually function, with sound, images, and even light emitting! They feature only a small handful of ‘channels’ at the moment, but in the future we plan to expand their functionality by introducing more channels or even allowing the Global Authority to use them for broadcasts, shows, and more. We are also considering allowing business or organization advertisements on them, but that’s more of an In-Character thing that will have to come to fruition first.
Prone Mod
A long-requested feature, the prone mod is finally on the server, with support for all faction models, including citizens and Civil Protection. This addition will add a new realm of movement to the server, introducing more hiding spots, movement options, etc.
New map vents
The map now features a few more vent entrances and exits as we try to make it more dynamic and accessible, and open up unique roleplay opportunities for hiding, escape routes, and more. This goes hand-in-hand with the latest addition of the Prone Mod. Additional vents and areas like these will be added in future map updates.
Quiz Improvements
Following some issues a couple of people had with the quiz, it now includes a couple of helpful links at the top, with the purpose of hopefully reducing the amount of re-join wait times and encourage people to learn more about the server in order to successfully pass the quiz. More links may be added as they become relevant.
Item Containers
Some items can now act as containers, able to hold items, with the ability to be opened from the inventory, the world, and even when worn. Some items also explode if they are shot while ammunition is inside. In the future, more items may be given this functionality, such as rations, bags, and more, in order to expand on the realm of possibilities and make interactions with certain items more immersive.
Note that this feature has been temporarily been disabled in order to fix a game-breaking bug relating to Clockwork inventories – expect it to be back in the not-so-distant future!
Civil Protection Suit Modules
The Civil Protection faction has received a major content update. Taking inspiration from titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Civil Protection uniforms now fit better into the sci-fi & technologically advanced nature of City 8 with a plethora of new additions showcased above. Uniforms now act as ‘frameworks’ capable of receiving several upgrades that are earned by redeeming Sterilized Credits. These upgrades increase the unit’s effectiveness in the field and allows for tactical advantage in crucial situations.
More upgrades are likely to be added in the future as seen fit.
Conclusion
We are slowly moving through our To-Do list, inching closer and closer to an Open Beta stage. While progress has been slower than ideal, there has definitely been progress nonetheless, and we have no intention of stopping any time soon.
I would like to take this opportunity and remind everyone that, as explained in our previous news post, Closed Beta Whitelist Applications are open. In order to test our systems and ensure we have a game that is worth your time, we need dedicated members of the community (you!) to step up and play, to help us refine and make something worth playing. If you are interested, you may submit an application here: https://forms.gle/DL8kKkQJMPEYLn8h6.
In addition, I would like to remind everyone that we are currently looking for new faces to join our Administration Team. If you are interested and believe you have what it takes, please reach out to our Administrative Manager, NIXeighteen, on Discord.
Finally, similar to the Administration Team, we are currently looking for more people to join the Event Team. We have a plethora of ideas to spice up the roleplay but little time or hands to run them. If you have experience with that sort of thing and are interested in helping out, please reach out to Aspect on Discord.
See you on the next post!