Why Early Access?
On the one hand, we're a small independent team, and some features we'd like to see in the final version of the game will take more time to produce, and early access helps support us while we continue development. On the other hand, we know this game genre is all about player creativity and player choice, so it makes sense to integrate community feedback into our development to ensure we’re building an adaptable experience supporting different playstyles. So Early Access makes sense for us, and we’re excited to make a few detours to adjust for community priorities and player needs!
What is the current state of the game?
The Early Access version will feature the following content which aims to provide a well-rounded experience offering many hours of replayability:
A major biome across two islands, with multiple sub-biomes, each with different resources, enemy variants, and potentially environmental hazards
Enhanced movement modes and various melee weapons and bows with select elemental weapon enhancements
The first tiers of armor, tools, and structural kits
Most crafting facilities, although they won’t be fully upgradable until later releases.
Inventory system, including backpack, gear slots, equip hot bar, and chests.
Progression guideposts with minimal narrative.
Puzzles and challenges to earn recipes & upgrades and propel you further into the world.
How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?
Our goal is to balance an integration of community feedback and a commitment to our game vision. As we continue to work towards our final release goals, we will actively be seeking feedback on the game mechanics and whether they provide the intended value to our players. Join our Discord to participate in the conversation and help us improve the game for everyone!
How will I submit suggestions or report bugs?
We will share the link to officially submit feedback at the time of launch. Besides our official tracking method, we'll also open up discussion forums in Discord for more immediate support from our team or other players where applicable. More info will come soon.
Will the price change when the game leaves Early Access?
Yes. The initial entry price aims to reward early-adopters for taking a risk with our game before it is finished. As we roll-out significant updates, please anticipate scaled pricing. Of course, we’re also committed to notifying our community and backers in advance of changes to give everyone time to consider the present price.
Can we have dedicated servers?
Going into early access, players will be able host listen servers for four players. We hope to extend the option to set up dedicated servers later in early access, but this will not be available at launch.
Player-hosted/listen server means to specify that the servers require the host to be an active player. You can set a server to private/unlisted or public (plus password protected, if preferred). For private/unlisted servers, you can join by share-code (and hopefully a couple other methods that we're still testing implementation). Public servers will show up on the join server list.
As for a total of 4 players - we're testing and optimizing our game for up to 4 players, so this is the number we recommend. You can technically push the number higher in the settings, but mileage may vary, and players should expect unexpected problems.
What survival elements should we expect?
You will need to hunt and collect resources to advance in Dawn Of Defiance. This will involve a need to eat, but players will not die of starvation; consumable recipes serve as means to heal and buff your player to take on tough challenges. Similarly, environmental effects like wetness and heat may slow your advancement, but never kill you. Your tools, armor, and structures are subject to damage.
Will there be character customization?
Releasing into Early Access, we will not have any character customization. Ideally, this would be high on our early access priorities, namely the female player model which has been in development but still needs a lot more work. She’s pitiful, I fear.
Is the map procedurally-generated?
Our map is not procedurally generated but crafted by our team. We want locations to be memorable, so we’re building islands with unique points of interest and landmarks. At early access launch, we’ll have two islands to explore, and we hope to deliver map expansions ahead of a 1.0 release.
Will there be NPCs?
As our game is not narratively-focused, there will only be 1 NPC at launch with minimal dialogue for the purposes of guiding the player character and supplying new objectives.
What kind of abilities will the player have?
At present, our player abilities are enhanced movement modes, gained separately, including:
Glide – Hover, elevate, and gently drift to the ground from any height
Dash – A boost of speed, can be used in the air
Hardfall – Withstand falls from a great distance and damage opponents on impact.
While our players earn their abilities through supernatural means, they are still mortal heroes grounded by stamina and gravity. The player character cannot fly indefinitely, but they can use their abilities as traversal tools. Besides the movement modes, players may encounter weapon enhancements like elemental and poison arrows.
How does gameplay address multiplayer?
Chest Rewards and quest objectives will be server-side, meaning discovering and unlocking a sword recipe will unlock it for your full server party. Likewise, the main “golden path” objectives will be treated communally, so players will want to work together to progress. The key here is that rewards are shared and never blocked by a single player, so you won’t fall behind or miss out. The spawn system will also account for multiple players to address respawn rates, and general game difficulty can be adjusted in the server settings.
Will there be mod support or a creative game mode?
At launch, we will not have mod support. We would love to add this during early access.
For now, there is not a toggleable creative mode, but using the built-in server settings, including permission to use cheats, you can achieve a pseudo-creative mode. We will provide some cheat codes to the community at launch for this purpose.
Can I get a key?
If you’re a content creator looking for a game key or other collaborative opportunities, please submit a request here: sbx.gg/dawnofdefiance
Is there controller support?
We will support Xbox and Playstation controllers. Currently, our store pages may list us as “partial controller support,” as opposed to “full controller support.” This is because we currently do not offer a virtual keyboard which is required for the “full support” label. We will not be adding the virtual keyboard in time for early access launch.