Hello there little buttercups,
Here is a quick update on our progression, as we approach our first Alpha releases. In the last few weeks we have been making sure everything is working well before letting you guys have your hands on Fray. We want to make sure that the version you will play will be as bug free and stable as possible, so we are taking the time necessary time to go over every feature before letting the dogs out. So far, things are going well although creating an online game from scratch can be a pretty daunting task, we have identified most major issues and are working as hard as possible to have everything ready for you guys.
We would like to have a pre-order alpha release in November and we are aiming for the full release in Q1 2012. The Alpha will have most of the game functionalities, 2 corporations (AROS and Cronacorp), the Paris environment (3 different maps), all classes, stances and most of the weapon arsenal. This will allow us to fine tune the gameplay with your feedback while adding the missing functionalities (game modes, maps and weapons), in so creating the best experience for you, the players.
The pre-order Alpha will come with a buy one, get one free deal, so that for the price of one game, you get a free copy to give away and play the game with a friend or family, and should be available on Desura and fray-game.com this November. The website is also getting a complete overhaul, with community tools (Forum, Chat, etc) and will be linked to the game account to visualize stats, ladders, etc.
We will be releasing a video trailer when we announce the date for the Alpha start, where you will get an overview of the Paris environment and some of the gameplay features, we will then be releasing gameplay videos explaining the different principles behind Fray.
Until then, please enjoy these new screenshots of the Paris map, with all the environmental props in place for the level design and all the nifty shaders Robert and Isabelle have been working on. This should be pretty close to what you might expect from the Alpha release, but we are expecting things to look and feel much smoother once Unity issues it's 3.5 update, as it will add and fix a lot of issues we have had the last few months (occlusion culling, lightmapping and multi-processor support...)
Also Max's Aros Heavy Armor design carrying the HF Rodriguez, a massive hand cannon available for the Assault class. I suggest you open them in full resolution to see the details. Enjoy!
Half expected a "whoosh" to happen as the barrels went by in that video. Good times.
Sure like the art so far!