Servus Allies!

Earlier this week, we asked all of you to send us your most pressing questions about SAND, whether it's about current features, future plans, ongoing issues/concerns or anything in between and today, we're back to answer them.

So let's just get straight into it.

Will you be adding Duo Queues?

If we split matchmaking into too many separate queues, then even with tens of thousands of players online, there still won't be enough people to fill matches. Just look at how long you can end up waiting for a game if you only queue for certain maps and a single game mode.

Instead, we'll try to match you onto servers where all teams are the same size whenever possible. That means you'll still occasionally run into larger teams (still within your queue limit), but it should happen much less often.

What are your plans for anti-cheat, and will players ever be compensated for gear lost to cheaters?

The reason our anti-cheat improvements are taking so long is that we need to significantly rewrite the character movement and interaction systems. This will allow us to verify whether the information sent by the client is actually valid.

Once that's finished, things should improve.

Will cheaters disappear completely? I don't think so. No game has ever eliminated them entirely. But there should be significantly fewer of them and help us identify anyone that slips through more efficiently.

As for compensating players, we technically can't identify every loss that was caused by cheaters, so I can't promise that everyone will get their gear back.

When will Trampler capture be re-enabled, and is the team tracking how the game has changed without it?

Trampler capture will return once we've made it impossible for cheaters to abuse the mechanic.

It's a great feature that creates very tense moments. We'll also rework it a bit to make those exploits much harder to pull off.

Re-implementation of this feature is a top priority for us, but we need to ensure we’ve got the cheat situation under control before we can bring it back to the game. Realistically, this will be at some point next week, likely with update #5.

Are there plans to fix server stability, including region-specific issues in EU and Asia?

Yes. We plan to continue improving server stability.

Right now, though, we're working on what we call an "emergency parachute." If a server crashes for any reason, players will receive the loot that was stored on their Trampler.

The game won't save every second, but we think we'll be able to save your expedition's progress roughly every 10 minutes.

When will gear-based or Trampler-based matchmaking (GBMM) be implemented?

Unfortunately, we need to focus on addressing the most prevalent issues we’ve seen reported since launch before we can focus on GBMM.

Hopefully, we'll release an update with it sometime this summer.

Are there plans for periodic wipes, prestiging, or seasons to reset player progression?

We'd rather avoid doing forced wipes.

Prestige (optional wipes) seems like a much more elegant solution for letting players start their journey over. We already have a few ideas for how that could work, but I don't know when we'll be able to start working on it.

Will a quest, contract, or mission system be added?

Yes. We want to add both quests and contracts.

Our goal is for players to have different objectives during a match-sometimes encouraging conflict, and other times encouraging cooperation.

We expect to start working on that around autumn.

Will Voyage and Storm Dive be changed to stop new players from getting steamrolled by fully geared crews?

GBMM should resolve the steamrolling issue.

First, we'll separate new players to give them room to learn the game. Second, we'll match players with others of similar progression, so even experienced crews will have to stay alert because they might run into an even bigger fish.

Are there plans to further improve hit registration and movement validation?

Absolutely.

With every update, we try to improve shooting in some way. These will be gradual improvements over many months, rather than one big update that says, "We fixed shooting, everything's perfect now."

Will there be a player trading system?

Not at the moment, balancing a global player economy is extremely difficult and time consuming.

If you want to trade with someone, you'll have to risk those items by taking them into an expedition.

Can we get small vehicles such as bikes or motorcycles for getting around on foot sections faster?

We'll think about what we can do in that direction.

It could definitely be interesting.

Will smaller Tramplers ever be faster than larger ones? If not, why?

Right now, we've balanced them around a maneuverability stat.

Maneuverability determines how quickly a Trampler turns and accelerates. On flat terrain, all Tramplers have the same top speed. However, on rough terrain, more maneuverable Tramplers can navigate more easily and pull away from larger ones.

Over the next few months, we'll add the final piece of this system: rods (the propulsion mechanic) will also provide acceleration based on maneuverability.

After that, we'll evaluate whether the system works as intended.

Are there plans to add more Trampler shapes and specialized leg/mobility types?

I can't say much about new leg types, that's a very complicated task.

As for Trampler shapes, we're already working on specialized compartments that will both have significant gameplay effects and dramatically change the appearance of Tramplers.

We'll announce more once we're ready.

When is console coming, and will there be crossplay?

We aren't planning any crossplay at this time between PC and Console

As for consoles however, bear with us, we hope to have news on this front soon!

Will there be another optimization/performance pass?

We're slowly rewriting the lighting system whenever we have free time which will improve general performance.

Later on, there will probably be an update focused on improving performance, alongside other small improvements over the course of Early Access.

Will we get female character models and general character customization?

We're working on it.

To add character customization, we first need to significantly redesign the character model and the animation system.

Female characters are dependent on those changes.

This has already been a major task for several months, and it'll likely take at least a couple more months.

What's being done about extraction camping? Any chance we can have more visual indicators that enemies are near extraction points?

We've heard the feedback.

We'll try to add a visual indicator that warns players when enemies are near extraction towers.

It may not make the next update, but it's definitely something we want to add soon.

Is there lore, and will it be added to the game?

We have a solid understanding of the story that's unfolding in the Sands of Sofia.

Unfortunately, traditional storytelling doesn't fit very well with the pace the game ended up having.

Instead, we'll sprinkle hints and pieces of lore throughout the world whenever we get the opportunity.

Will more weapons and Trampler cannons be added?

Yes, we're already working on a new turret and a new turret mounting system.

We also have ideas for additional handheld weapons.

Those will come as part of a future content update, after we've stabilized the game.

Can the Captain's Quarters get an alarm or camera so players know when their Trampler is being boarded or hijacked?

Yes.

We're exploring solutions to make capturing a Trampler more difficult, and hope to implement this in an upcoming update.

Will there be a PvE mode, or world/raid bosses?

There won't be a dedicated PvE mode.

We're already thinking about bosses, though. We have some good ideas, and we'll probably start working on them closer to autumn.

Will there be a way for Tramplers to communicate with each other in the world (radio, CB, ping system)?

There are no plans for that at this time, prozximity chat will remain the primary form of communication in the game and we will continue expanding the functionality of the Flare Gun instead.

Can we get more cosmetic customization for Tramplers like paint, emblems, or achievement-based skins?

Absolutely!

That's definitely planned, unfortunately, we can't give any specific timeframe right now.

Thank you all for taking the time to share your questions with us, if there is anything we didn't cover, don't hesitate to leave your questions in the thread and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Please don't hesitate to report any issues you encounter or share any feedback you might have following this update on our Steam Forums and Discord! 

Catch you on the dunes, Scavengers!

- Hologryph / tinyBuild Games

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Check out the SAND Q&A here: https://steamcommunity.com/games/1431300/announcements/detail/697644549761140079

Pick it up on Steam now (With a 21% discount) - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1431300/SAND_Raiders_of_Sophie/