1/13/17 Q&A on Reddit

[Bellanova 116]

Following are the questions that Asylum team answered on Reddit for a Q&A this past week.

_Angpresc0

I wanted to know if you would get a check you have to deposit at the bank (which could be stolen), or if it would be sent straight to the bank.

Payment from careers and jobs will often go into your bank account directly. If you meet with someone in person and exchange money for goods, you're going to have to have it on hand. That's a bit more risky as you could be robbed.
There are many cases where it'll go on-hand though. For example, if you're selling drugs to a drug dealer walking the streets they're not going to give you a direct deposit and accept your debit card. In most cases of illegal money you'll have it on hand. If you're very much wanted, you might find you can't even access your bank account without informing the police of your whereabouts, so you'll find "alternative" banking for the notorious.

 

_Sophie2772

Will there be proper in game proximity voice? As in, the louder I talk the further my voice travels in game.

Yes, and your voice will be obstructed by objects. We've had this working in-game for about a year now where we can control how much an object dampens sound based on its material and thickness. So if you're behind a door and someone's talking it'll be quiet and muffled, but if that door is opened it'll be nice and audible. There's also microphones and loudspeakers to really get your voice out there.

 

_Roxbury27

What level of control/customization can we expect from private servers? What will be the process of obtaining a private server?

Private servers are rented from an Identity approved partner. There will be servers on every continent of the world. We cannot release the binaries to the public as a server like Identity's is quite complex behind the scenes; it's not a simple dedicated server like most games.

You'll have a lot of control, enough to change the game experience considerably. Career whitelisting/rank control, loot drop, damage systems, and the list goes on.

We want the community servers to be where Identity shines. A lot of people will play on official servers because they're official, but nothing beats a dedicated community putting their love into their own world.

Will private servers actually cost something to rent?

There will be a cost, but it'll be reasonable. It's more to cover the hardware expenses as Identity servers are far more robust and complex than most games.

 

_EiskalteCola

What do you think is the most challenging subject in your game?

From a design perspective, having simple and elegant systems to control bad player behavior was one of the biggest challenges and I think we nailed it. For the player, I would imagine it would be any high-end crimes. Crime is profitable but also difficult and risky; if you fail, you're going to lose very expensive things when the cops confiscate them. Also, if you're robbing a bank for example, the police will likely be responding with SWAT which isn't going to be easy to handle.

 

_Ajever01

Is the Town Square module still on track for a Q1 2017 release? Will jail/prison time only be counted if the player is logged in? Or can they get 1 hour of jail time, log out for that hour and log back in to be free again?

The Town Square is still on track for Q1, but it's tight! We have a lot of work to do and everything's still as we scheduled it.

Jail time will only be counted when logged in. If you log out with 10 minutes on your sentence, it'll be there waiting for you when you return.

We've had a ton of debates about that, and we don't want to make prison feel like an actual punishment, because technically crime is encouraged through gameplay mechanics in Identity. But we've hopefully solved it by giving prisoners a lot to do to stay entertained while confined.

 

 

Martin_M_

Private security in the game - Will that be a thing?

Security isn't one of the designated careers, but Identity is made to be open-ended. We want the players to have the tools to do what they want even if it's not something we coded for, and security would be a good example of this. People will want protection, no doubt. Some of this will be falling on the police force automatically, too.

 

 

_{MikeArubaaaaa}

I noticed in the "Identity Insider: Housing" video that you can see outside your window.

The exterior scenery does change based on location.

Will the "scenery" change depending on your apartment and it's position? Also can you see inside apartments/houses from outside?

You will however not see activity outside, such as other players. This is because in order to maximize the network activity and get as many players on as possible, when you enter your house/apartment you're going into another "instance." We have some tricks to make that feel pretty seamless, though. This is the only way it can be done when you consider how much is going on inside a single apartment; you've got people running around, using storage, watching TV, and even just the placement of furniture and wall customization.

 

_{VegarHenriksen}

Will there be climate changes depending on the season? Snow in the winter that affects driving, walking, etc.

There won't be any climate or season changes in Identity, but we do want to celebrate holidays with their respected decorations. Things like, an easter egg hunt on easter, fireworks on the 4th of July (for the US), and christmas lights peppering trees and buildings.

 

_{SteveisBuscemi}

Will there be a system in place for players to start up small businesses and then build them up to the point that they could have multiple stores open across the island and have something like Walmart or another major store running as a massive business empire?

Short answer, yes. Players can lease storefronts around the world. These can be themed based on what it is you're selling and then you fill up the stock yourself. For example, if you find people love your clothing designs you can sell them individually to start, but that's a lot of work. Opening a store gets you more exposure as people drive by and now people can just walk in and check out your clothing store as though it was any other NPC store. We expect prime locations near city centers to become very valuable, but there's also an internet site that will help you find products anywhere.

 

_HansomVann

What can we expect to see in the talent tree?

It's been a long time now since the Kickstarter overview trailer, and this idea has undergone a few changes since we first mentioned it. But the important thing to note about talents is that we don't want to include any learnable skill or talent that will give a player PVP advantage over new players who just entered the game. Everyone should be on the same level playing field no matter how long they've spent in Identity. Still, there has to be a sense of progression, and what you do earn needs to feel worthwhile.

 

_KoshaBear

How big do you estimate the full file size to be when the game is complete and what is the number at the current point in time?

The landmass is expected to be about 225 km2, and that's roughly the size it is already as first we create the terrain and then slowly populate it. This is one of those tasks that is enormous and ongoing as we're always getting new props completed from the art guys.

Also, what ideas did you have for dealing with the issue of RDM outside of the "safe areas"?

There are a lot of mechanics in place for handling RDM, and they're done in a manor that should feel pretty intuitive. That said, they can be disabled entirely on private servers if you trust your community. We've developed what we call the "stress system" which you'll find at a medium setting on official servers.

By default on official servers, you're going to have low stress. This determines how much damage you'll take from gunfire and other players in general; however, some actions or even locations can add or remove stress, and we've set it up in a way that discourages unwanted behavior.

For example, if someone came to me and pulled a gun on me my stress level would rise quickly. This makes me vulnerable. I could try to run but he might shoot me in the back and it's going to hurt. Alternatively, I can put my hands up and surrender. If I surrender my stress level drops, but I can't move and he can rob me. I had the choice to run with risk, or surrender and spare my life at the cost of my cash on hand.

The above is one example of how the stress system works, but it's designed to cover all sorts of situations.

 

_MaxMaxx31

As I'm living in France, is there different official servers locations planned?

We will have official servers in Europe and I'm expecting several community servers hosted directly inside France.

Is there some sort of mechanism giving us the ability to switch servers location without losing stuff/character, or do you bind a user/persona to a server?

As it stands right now, servers fall into two categories: private and hive. A hive server, like the official servers, share character data but not vehicles, houses and other local things. There's a timer preventing you from moving quickly (~15 mins) between the hived servers. Then there's private servers, which are their own instance in every right.

Regarding renting servers, will we be able to select the location?

You can choose the location of private servers, and France will be an option for you.

Do you intend to use famous cloud providers? Or gaming specialized providers or custom solution?

You'll rent servers through partnered game hosting services.

Is there some sort of internationalisation planned?

• The Identity client will be localized for most major languages, although Town Square may be only English to start.

•  

 

Jake8811

Can you physically build up your character to look more fit/stronger using sliders or other mechanics?

Player characters in Identity will all have the same muscle/fat physique, at least by the time the game launches. We really want to add bodyweight, and visible muscle growth but we ran into a problem with the way our clothing is created in Identity. We may have been able to do morph targets, but as it is now, it would mean having to create multiple 3D models for each and every piece of clothing in Identity, which really means the time it would take to create 3 different pieces of clothing would be spent making the same piece of clothing 3 different times to fit each body type.

Will you be adding character models that are taller and shorter?

With a bigger budget, we'd definitely want to add this level of detail to the game, so it may have to wait until after launch when funding makes that available to us.

You will however be able to customize the entire array of facial features for your character, including tattoos, jewelry, and piercings.

Will there be a large variety of cars available to the players?

We'd love to have a huge variety in vehicles, and will constantly be adding more even after release. Vehicles take a lot of work for the team though as we have very high fidelity which you don't see in other games. For example, you can wear your seatbelt, use your turn signals, windshield wipers, lower your side windows, and so on.

If so, what type of cars can we expect to see? More pedestrian, everyday cars? Or will it be mostly expensive performance and expensive vehicles?

You're going to see, for the most part, pedestrian vehicles. Identity is all about immersion. While exotic cars will exist they're going to be extremely rare as they're extremely expensive. This is one of the things we hated to see in games like Grand Theft Auto; when everyone is driving an exotic Italian super-car, yours doesn't feel all too special.

 

 

_Jonexys

Can you use the toilet or shower?

You can but you don't need to.

Can you open the kitchen cabinets?

While kitchen cabinets don't swing open physically, they can be used as specialized storage, only holding certain types of inventory items. We may still animate the cabinet doors in some way though, even if they just crack open to show they are being accessed, for the sake of immersion.

Can you use kitchen tools and appliances?

Certain appliances in the kitchen are use-able or even required for cooking (i.e. oven, microwave) but most countertop objects are simply meant to be aesthetic decoration.

Is there doorbell or knocking system?

Of course!

 

_{Grand_Paladin}

So if I'm playing with a friend and i invite them into my house/apartment will they be able to customize it with me like put stuff down but with things out of their inventory?

They can do this if you've given them access to do it. There are several access levels in your home, so that you can have your friends help out or even hire an interior decorator. There can only be as many co-owners as there are bedrooms in the home though.

Are there beach houses?

Of course! Turtle Beach is a notable town right on the water. Even Roseport has waterfront, but it's not as beachy.

Will there be any DLC for the game?

We have no plans for traditional DLCs. Identity will be extended for all players.

Will there be an annual purge?

Not on official servers. It's funny how often this has been asked, though!

 

 

_Devonor

How will the themes work for renting out the concert hall?

This is a feature we've had a lot of fun planning. We're really interested in the potential that exists here for talented players to get their names out into the community, even beyond Identity. It would be incredible if a video posted to Youtube of someone singing on stage in Identity managed to jump start their professional singing career in real life. I hope they invite us to their first performance!

The way concert halls will work in Identity is that a player will be required to visit a fixed location on the map (the concert hall). There is a default theme pre-installed, so they can explore the hall before talking to an NPC for rental options. The NPC will ask them what theme they'd like to choose, and whether the hall will be for private entertainment, or open to the public.

How many orchestral instruments will be available for the classical theme in particular?

There are a few different instruments for players to play with in Identity, but using them effectively with a mouse and keyboard is likely to pose a challenge, we imagine. It may still be better off to provide background music using virtual audio cable, especially since a lot of music has license fees we'd likely not be able to afford!

 

 

_RPG14

How is the day cycle?

The day/night cycle in Identity is much faster than real-time. At the moment, it's set to 3 hours daylight; 1 hour nights.

How long is one season?

There aren't seasons in Identity, but we do plan to celebrate holidays with appropriate decorations scattered around the world.

Will be there loading screen while playing?

Most of the world, and transitions between exteriors and interiors in Identity is seamless, but some buildings do have loading screens for performance reasons. The cinema is one such example. The movie screen is performance heavy for instance, so we don't want players walking past the building to have to load and render that data if they don't plan on watching it. Or for that matter, we don't want the people in the theater to have worse performance because they are loading data from people walking/driving past the building outside.

Are there any plans for natural disasters?

We definitely want to include natural disasters in some way, but we aren't yet certain how we want to go about it. We've had a lot of fun and laughs discussing how we can mess with the game population using hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, but some things just seem like they could get a little too out-of-hand, so we don't want to commit, or make any promises until we're more sure about this idea down the road.

 

 

_{Zan_H}

What are your thoughts on oatmeal cookies?

Very good cookies, but only without raisins.

I actually just made oatmeal cookies a couple weeks ago. I ate so many, I think I gained about 5 lbs. just eating them alone. -Motown

 

_{RedankulousTV}

How many people are actually making the game right now?

We have 3 full-time salary employees as well as 9 freelancers, some of which also work dedicated to Identity. We outsource most of the art to our freelancers which then goes through art direction to keep everything properly styled.

 

 

_Raffen48

How in depth will weapon customisation be?

Weapon customization is quite detailed. Some weapons have more room for changes than others of course, but things like stocks, grips, sights and even paint/finish can be customized.

How in depth are the weapon actions?

Weapon actions are one of those things that don't work well in video games, mostly because no matter what you have in the game you're still firing with a mouse, and it will feel counter-intuitive making it overly-complicated. For example, if you have a double action pistol and pull the trigger, your mouse click is all the same no matter if the hammer is back or forward so we need to design around the peripherals people are using to play. Weapon jams are something you can encounter.

Will weapons ever jam and require stripping for maintenance?

Our weapon physics are incredibly advanced and was one of the first systems completed long ago. We can create magazines of any size which hold physically accurate ammo. Caliber and even type (hollow point, FMJ, etc) have an effect on trajectory. Our programmer on the weapon physics read a lot of papers to get proper formulas, and they function off the same math used by real-world forensics. A bullet fired in Identity will travel almost identically to the same being fired in the real world, even when it comes down to things like stopping power versus penetration.

 

_{TheOriginalJape}

What is in game prison like?

Identity's prison is very much a game within a game. As a prisoner, you can join one of three prison factions and battle for territory, or just hang out in the recreational room and chat and interact with other prisoners while you wait out your time.

Is it like real prison with guards, rec time, shiving, and keeping a tight grip on the soap?

You'll be able to craft a crude shank and attack others, or attempt a prison escape as a group that the police will be forced to respond too from across the map.

There are no player prison guards though. The decision for that was mostly just because we couldn't find a way to keep it engaging and fun. We don't want people to be forced to sit and watch other players.

For those in prison however, when they've served their time, they may simply exit the prison through a series of corridors that only they have access too, or if they just have a lengthy prison sentence, they can request a trial which will notify random players across the map to report for jury duty, in which case they will plead their case, and have their fate decided on by a vote whether to be released early, or spend the rest of their time behind bars.

How does the drug manufacturing and trafficking work?

In the outside world, there are a number of drug manufacturing processes, including the production of meth, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. Each has its own unique crafting process. For instance, in order to cook meth, which is the highest paying and most valuable drug in Identity, it will require the player to purchase a mobile RV, convert it into a meth lab, and then steal all of the ingredients from across the map in certain factory locations. They'll then have to spend time cooking the meth through a series of time-based processes that determine the quality of the product before finally selling it to an NPC drug dealer for a big payout (or you can consume it if you feel like cutting into your hard-earned profits).

 

 

_{DestinyMaker101}

Will users be able to reach 60fps?

We hope you'll be able to reach 60fps in Identity, but our response may be a bit biased!

When can we expect more videos from you guys showcasing the game?

Our next video should show off actual gunplay in Identity, so we think it will really satisfy those who are interested in the more darker side of Identity.

 

 

_{FlebortManigleo}

Can I have a pupper?

You can! At first pets will be restricted to homes but we'll look into expanding this post release.

 

 

_{WalleyWorld29}

I know you talked about police, but will their be military personnel?

There is not military in Identity, only police. There is SWAT, though. Given that there's only one nation, a military would be quite bored.

Will you be able to have a group of friends that can live in the same house?

You can have friends in your home. You can have as many co-owners as there are bedrooms in the house. For example, if you have a two-bedroom apartment you can have one friend using it as their home with you.

How does owning a company work?

You can own stores or even entire corporations. For information on the corporations available, click here.

 

 

_{E_Games}

Can we store our product or weapons or money inside the house?

Not only can you store your items in your home, but there are even special containers meant for certain item types, like the weapons you ask about. You can place a weapon rack on your wall and hang your favorites for all to see.

I imagine a lot of.. less than savory.. people will build armories in their houses.

 

 

_{Sharvy_Frost}

Will you have controller support added?

We do. I've done a little play-testing using an Xbox One controller myself.

 

 

_FreeKilleRGR

What will the price of the game when it releases?

Currently, you can pre-order, or pledge early for Identity for as low as $15 (without beta access) or $30 (with beta access) from our website @ identityrpg.com - however, we expect the price of the game to jump up to about $45 when it hits steam, as steam takes a pretty large chunk of income from each sale.

Will there be realistic payments for the jobs?

Expect Identity's currency to be realistic in value, so your pay will also be realistic. A pair of shoes may cost about $40, and a decent car around $30,000. A lot of games reward players with such high numbers in currency and damage though because there seems to be a psychological attracting to larger numbers, so we can understand why games do it but it won't be that way in Identity.

Will the items take up physical space inside the car?

Items will take up physical space inside the trunk of a car. When a player accesses the trunk, there is a 2D grid placement system in which each item takes up a number of squares on the grid depending on its shape and size. The largest items will not fit inside the trunk of a small car, so a big semi-truck with a trailer may be necessary.

Will there be real life cars in the game or unlicensed cars like in GTA V?

There won't be real-world cars or brands in Identity. We can't afford the license fees to include real brands in our game, and we're almost certain these companies would not want their brands associated with vehicle damage, or some of the criminal and illegal elements also featured in the game.

Will there be any AI cops or enemies?

There won't be AI cops out in the game environment, driving police vehicles, or paroling streets. If there are any, they will simply stand behind a desk at the station recruiting new player officers or providing information.

Will I be able to raid other players’ houses?

You will not be able to raid another player's house, or enter their house without their permission. We want player homes to be your personal space, safe from any outside influence. Players are going to put a lot of effort customizing their homes, and we don't want to jeopardize or disturb the work they put into it.

Will there be a report system?

RDM/VDM isn't an enforced rule on official servers, but there will be a tool for reporting these actions on private servers who create rules for these actions. Instead, on Official servers, we have a stress system in place to discourage random attacks or griefing.

Will there be an in-game recording system?

There won't be an in-game video recording tool, but you can use 3rd party video recording software like OBS, Fraps, or Shadowplay.

Will there be a casino?

There will be casinos in Identity, but they are not player owned.

Will there be micro transactions for things other than cosmetic items?

Micro-transactions exist for cosmetics, some vehicles, and some apartments, and will be claimable across all servers (hopefully including private servers). We will not sell weapons.

Can you compare the driving to another game so we kinda know how driving will be like?

Expect driving in Identity to be realistic, much like Grand Theft Auto IV, not V. Players won't be able to survive crazy stunt jumps in Identity, and enough damage could disable your vehicle. Unfortunately however, we cannot easily do a damage model like you might expect to see in BeamNG. Damage has to be networked across the server, and we feel transmitting that much damage data could hurt performance.

Will you be able to shoot while inside a vehicle?

You won't be able to shoot from inside your vehicle. We want to discourage random acts of violence for the sake of roleplay.

Will there be rebel items like armored vehicles, helicopters, or jets?

There won't be any armored vehicles in Identity, apart from maybe SWAT trucks. We don't want to give anyone a PVP advantage based on vehicle armor. Aircraft are also not present in Identity, as it is important to us that players do not skip over potential encounters they may have gotten into while driving, and of course because we don't want the world to feel smaller by flying quickly from point A to point B.

 

Thank you everyone!

Our work-day is drawing to a close, but we'll try to keep revisiting this thread to respond to more questions! Although our responses may come slower than they have been as we pop in individually to answer questions from here on out.

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/IdentityMMO/comments/5nqgo0/official_qa_with_asylum_entertainment_devs_behind/?sort=old

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JamesLuck01 1,531]

4 hours ago, Devonor said:

Following are the questions that Asylum team answered on Reddit for a Q&A this past week.

_Angpresc0

I wanted to know if you would get a check you have to deposit at the bank (which could be stolen), or if it would be sent straight to the bank.

Payment from careers and jobs will often go into your bank account directly. If you meet with someone in person and exchange money for goods, you're going to have to have it on hand. That's a bit more risky as you could be robbed.
There are many cases where it'll go on-hand though. For example, if you're selling drugs to a drug dealer walking the streets they're not going to give you a direct deposit and accept your debit card. In most cases of illegal money you'll have it on hand. If you're very much wanted, you might find you can't even access your bank account without informing the police of your whereabouts, so you'll find "alternative" banking for the notorious.

 

_Sophie2772

Will there be proper in game proximity voice? As in, the louder I talk the further my voice travels in game.

Yes, and your voice will be obstructed by objects. We've had this working in-game for about a year now where we can control how much an object dampens sound based on its material and thickness. So if you're behind a door and someone's talking it'll be quiet and muffled, but if that door is opened it'll be nice and audible. There's also microphones and loudspeakers to really get your voice out there.

 

_Roxbury27

What level of control/customization can we expect from private servers? What will be the process of obtaining a private server?

Private servers are rented from an Identity approved partner. There will be servers on every continent of the world. We cannot release the binaries to the public as a server like Identity's is quite complex behind the scenes; it's not a simple dedicated server like most games.

You'll have a lot of control, enough to change the game experience considerably. Career whitelisting/rank control, loot drop, damage systems, and the list goes on.

We want the community servers to be where Identity shines. A lot of people will play on official servers because they're official, but nothing beats a dedicated community putting their love into their own world.

Will private servers actually cost something to rent?

There will be a cost, but it'll be reasonable. It's more to cover the hardware expenses as Identity servers are far more robust and complex than most games.

 

_EiskalteCola

What do you think is the most challenging subject in your game?

From a design perspective, having simple and elegant systems to control bad player behavior was one of the biggest challenges and I think we nailed it. For the player, I would imagine it would be any high-end crimes. Crime is profitable but also difficult and risky; if you fail, you're going to lose very expensive things when the cops confiscate them. Also, if you're robbing a bank for example, the police will likely be responding with SWAT which isn't going to be easy to handle.

 

_Ajever01

Is the Town Square module still on track for a Q1 2017 release? Will jail/prison time only be counted if the player is logged in? Or can they get 1 hour of jail time, log out for that hour and log back in to be free again?

The Town Square is still on track for Q1, but it's tight! We have a lot of work to do and everything's still as we scheduled it.

Jail time will only be counted when logged in. If you log out with 10 minutes on your sentence, it'll be there waiting for you when you return.

We've had a ton of debates about that, and we don't want to make prison feel like an actual punishment, because technically crime is encouraged through gameplay mechanics in Identity. But we've hopefully solved it by giving prisoners a lot to do to stay entertained while confined.

 

 

Martin_M_

Private security in the game - Will that be a thing?

Security isn't one of the designated careers, but Identity is made to be open-ended. We want the players to have the tools to do what they want even if it's not something we coded for, and security would be a good example of this. People will want protection, no doubt. Some of this will be falling on the police force automatically, too.

 

 

_{MikeArubaaaaa}

I noticed in the "Identity Insider: Housing" video that you can see outside your window.

The exterior scenery does change based on location.

Will the "scenery" change depending on your apartment and it's position? Also can you see inside apartments/houses from outside?

You will however not see activity outside, such as other players. This is because in order to maximize the network activity and get as many players on as possible, when you enter your house/apartment you're going into another "instance." We have some tricks to make that feel pretty seamless, though. This is the only way it can be done when you consider how much is going on inside a single apartment; you've got people running around, using storage, watching TV, and even just the placement of furniture and wall customization.

 

_{VegarHenriksen}

Will there be climate changes depending on the season? Snow in the winter that affects driving, walking, etc.

There won't be any climate or season changes in Identity, but we do want to celebrate holidays with their respected decorations. Things like, an easter egg hunt on easter, fireworks on the 4th of July (for the US), and christmas lights peppering trees and buildings.

 

_{SteveisBuscemi}

Will there be a system in place for players to start up small businesses and then build them up to the point that they could have multiple stores open across the island and have something like Walmart or another major store running as a massive business empire?

Short answer, yes. Players can lease storefronts around the world. These can be themed based on what it is you're selling and then you fill up the stock yourself. For example, if you find people love your clothing designs you can sell them individually to start, but that's a lot of work. Opening a store gets you more exposure as people drive by and now people can just walk in and check out your clothing store as though it was any other NPC store. We expect prime locations near city centers to become very valuable, but there's also an internet site that will help you find products anywhere.

 

_HansomVann

What can we expect to see in the talent tree?

It's been a long time now since the Kickstarter overview trailer, and this idea has undergone a few changes since we first mentioned it. But the important thing to note about talents is that we don't want to include any learnable skill or talent that will give a player PVP advantage over new players who just entered the game. Everyone should be on the same level playing field no matter how long they've spent in Identity. Still, there has to be a sense of progression, and what you do earn needs to feel worthwhile.

 

_KoshaBear

How big do you estimate the full file size to be when the game is complete and what is the number at the current point in time?

The landmass is expected to be about 225 km2, and that's roughly the size it is already as first we create the terrain and then slowly populate it. This is one of those tasks that is enormous and ongoing as we're always getting new props completed from the art guys.

Also, what ideas did you have for dealing with the issue of RDM outside of the "safe areas"?

There are a lot of mechanics in place for handling RDM, and they're done in a manor that should feel pretty intuitive. That said, they can be disabled entirely on private servers if you trust your community. We've developed what we call the "stress system" which you'll find at a medium setting on official servers.

By default on official servers, you're going to have low stress. This determines how much damage you'll take from gunfire and other players in general; however, some actions or even locations can add or remove stress, and we've set it up in a way that discourages unwanted behavior.

For example, if someone came to me and pulled a gun on me my stress level would rise quickly. This makes me vulnerable. I could try to run but he might shoot me in the back and it's going to hurt. Alternatively, I can put my hands up and surrender. If I surrender my stress level drops, but I can't move and he can rob me. I had the choice to run with risk, or surrender and spare my life at the cost of my cash on hand.

The above is one example of how the stress system works, but it's designed to cover all sorts of situations.

 

_MaxMaxx31

As I'm living in France, is there different official servers locations planned?

We will have official servers in Europe and I'm expecting several community servers hosted directly inside France.

Is there some sort of mechanism giving us the ability to switch servers location without losing stuff/character, or do you bind a user/persona to a server?

As it stands right now, servers fall into two categories: private and hive. A hive server, like the official servers, share character data but not vehicles, houses and other local things. There's a timer preventing you from moving quickly (~15 mins) between the hived servers. Then there's private servers, which are their own instance in every right.

Regarding renting servers, will we be able to select the location?

You can choose the location of private servers, and France will be an option for you.

Do you intend to use famous cloud providers? Or gaming specialized providers or custom solution?

You'll rent servers through partnered game hosting services.

Is there some sort of internationalisation planned?

• The Identity client will be localized for most major languages, although Town Square may be only English to start.

•  

 

Jake8811

Can you physically build up your character to look more fit/stronger using sliders or other mechanics?

Player characters in Identity will all have the same muscle/fat physique, at least by the time the game launches. We really want to add bodyweight, and visible muscle growth but we ran into a problem with the way our clothing is created in Identity. We may have been able to do morph targets, but as it is now, it would mean having to create multiple 3D models for each and every piece of clothing in Identity, which really means the time it would take to create 3 different pieces of clothing would be spent making the same piece of clothing 3 different times to fit each body type.

Will you be adding character models that are taller and shorter?

With a bigger budget, we'd definitely want to add this level of detail to the game, so it may have to wait until after launch when funding makes that available to us.

You will however be able to customize the entire array of facial features for your character, including tattoos, jewelry, and piercings.

 

Will there be a large variety of cars available to the players?

We'd love to have a huge variety in vehicles, and will constantly be adding more even after release. Vehicles take a lot of work for the team though as we have very high fidelity which you don't see in other games. For example, you can wear your seatbelt, use your turn signals, windshield wipers, lower your side windows, and so on.

If so, what type of cars can we expect to see? More pedestrian, everyday cars? Or will it be mostly expensive performance and expensive vehicles?

You're going to see, for the most part, pedestrian vehicles. Identity is all about immersion. While exotic cars will exist they're going to be extremely rare as they're extremely expensive. This is one of the things we hated to see in games like Grand Theft Auto; when everyone is driving an exotic Italian super-car, yours doesn't feel all too special.

 

 

_Jonexys

Can you use the toilet or shower?

You can but you don't need to.

Can you open the kitchen cabinets?

While kitchen cabinets don't swing open physically, they can be used as specialized storage, only holding certain types of inventory items. We may still animate the cabinet doors in some way though, even if they just crack open to show they are being accessed, for the sake of immersion.

Can you use kitchen tools and appliances?

Certain appliances in the kitchen are use-able or even required for cooking (i.e. oven, microwave) but most countertop objects are simply meant to be aesthetic decoration.

Is there doorbell or knocking system?

Of course!

 

_{Grand_Paladin}

So if I'm playing with a friend and i invite them into my house/apartment will they be able to customize it with me like put stuff down but with things out of their inventory?

They can do this if you've given them access to do it. There are several access levels in your home, so that you can have your friends help out or even hire an interior decorator. There can only be as many co-owners as there are bedrooms in the home though.

Are there beach houses?

Of course! Turtle Beach is a notable town right on the water. Even Roseport has waterfront, but it's not as beachy.

Will there be any DLC for the game?

We have no plans for traditional DLCs. Identity will be extended for all players.

Will there be an annual purge?

Not on official servers. It's funny how often this has been asked, though!

 

 

_Devonor

How will the themes work for renting out the concert hall?

This is a feature we've had a lot of fun planning. We're really interested in the potential that exists here for talented players to get their names out into the community, even beyond Identity. It would be incredible if a video posted to Youtube of someone singing on stage in Identity managed to jump start their professional singing career in real life. I hope they invite us to their first performance!

The way concert halls will work in Identity is that a player will be required to visit a fixed location on the map (the concert hall). There is a default theme pre-installed, so they can explore the hall before talking to an NPC for rental options. The NPC will ask them what theme they'd like to choose, and whether the hall will be for private entertainment, or open to the public.

How many orchestral instruments will be available for the classical theme in particular?

There are a few different instruments for players to play with in Identity, but using them effectively with a mouse and keyboard is likely to pose a challenge, we imagine. It may still be better off to provide background music using virtual audio cable, especially since a lot of music has license fees we'd likely not be able to afford!

 

 

_RPG14

How is the day cycle?

The day/night cycle in Identity is much faster than real-time. At the moment, it's set to 3 hours daylight; 1 hour nights.

How long is one season?

There aren't seasons in Identity, but we do plan to celebrate holidays with appropriate decorations scattered around the world.

Will be there loading screen while playing?

Most of the world, and transitions between exteriors and interiors in Identity is seamless, but some buildings do have loading screens for performance reasons. The cinema is one such example. The movie screen is performance heavy for instance, so we don't want players walking past the building to have to load and render that data if they don't plan on watching it. Or for that matter, we don't want the people in the theater to have worse performance because they are loading data from people walking/driving past the building outside.

Are there any plans for natural disasters?

We definitely want to include natural disasters in some way, but we aren't yet certain how we want to go about it. We've had a lot of fun and laughs discussing how we can mess with the game population using hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, but some things just seem like they could get a little too out-of-hand, so we don't want to commit, or make any promises until we're more sure about this idea down the road.

 

 

_{Zan_H}

What are your thoughts on oatmeal cookies?

Very good cookies, but only without raisins.

I actually just made oatmeal cookies a couple weeks ago. I ate so many, I think I gained about 5 lbs. just eating them alone. -Motown

 

_{RedankulousTV}

How many people are actually making the game right now?

We have 3 full-time salary employees as well as 9 freelancers, some of which also work dedicated to Identity. We outsource most of the art to our freelancers which then goes through art direction to keep everything properly styled.

 

 

_Raffen48

How in depth will weapon customisation be?

Weapon customization is quite detailed. Some weapons have more room for changes than others of course, but things like stocks, grips, sights and even paint/finish can be customized.

How in depth are the weapon actions?

Weapon actions are one of those things that don't work well in video games, mostly because no matter what you have in the game you're still firing with a mouse, and it will feel counter-intuitive making it overly-complicated. For example, if you have a double action pistol and pull the trigger, your mouse click is all the same no matter if the hammer is back or forward so we need to design around the peripherals people are using to play. Weapon jams are something you can encounter.

Will weapons ever jam and require stripping for maintenance?

Our weapon physics are incredibly advanced and was one of the first systems completed long ago. We can create magazines of any size which hold physically accurate ammo. Caliber and even type (hollow point, FMJ, etc) have an effect on trajectory. Our programmer on the weapon physics read a lot of papers to get proper formulas, and they function off the same math used by real-world forensics. A bullet fired in Identity will travel almost identically to the same being fired in the real world, even when it comes down to things like stopping power versus penetration.

 

_{TheOriginalJape}

What is in game prison like?

Identity's prison is very much a game within a game. As a prisoner, you can join one of three prison factions and battle for territory, or just hang out in the recreational room and chat and interact with other prisoners while you wait out your time.

Is it like real prison with guards, rec time, shiving, and keeping a tight grip on the soap?

You'll be able to craft a crude shank and attack others, or attempt a prison escape as a group that the police will be forced to respond too from across the map.

There are no player prison guards though. The decision for that was mostly just because we couldn't find a way to keep it engaging and fun. We don't want people to be forced to sit and watch other players.

For those in prison however, when they've served their time, they may simply exit the prison through a series of corridors that only they have access too, or if they just have a lengthy prison sentence, they can request a trial which will notify random players across the map to report for jury duty, in which case they will plead their case, and have their fate decided on by a vote whether to be released early, or spend the rest of their time behind bars.

How does the drug manufacturing and trafficking work?

In the outside world, there are a number of drug manufacturing processes, including the production of meth, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. Each has its own unique crafting process. For instance, in order to cook meth, which is the highest paying and most valuable drug in Identity, it will require the player to purchase a mobile RV, convert it into a meth lab, and then steal all of the ingredients from across the map in certain factory locations. They'll then have to spend time cooking the meth through a series of time-based processes that determine the quality of the product before finally selling it to an NPC drug dealer for a big payout (or you can consume it if you feel like cutting into your hard-earned profits).

 

 

_{DestinyMaker101}

Will users be able to reach 60fps?

We hope you'll be able to reach 60fps in Identity, but our response may be a bit biased!

When can we expect more videos from you guys showcasing the game?

Our next video should show off actual gunplay in Identity, so we think it will really satisfy those who are interested in the more darker side of Identity.

 

 

_{FlebortManigleo}

Can I have a pupper?

You can! At first pets will be restricted to homes but we'll look into expanding this post release.

 

 

_{WalleyWorld29}

I know you talked about police, but will their be military personnel?

There is not military in Identity, only police. There is SWAT, though. Given that there's only one nation, a military would be quite bored.

Will you be able to have a group of friends that can live in the same house?

You can have friends in your home. You can have as many co-owners as there are bedrooms in the house. For example, if you have a two-bedroom apartment you can have one friend using it as their home with you.

How does owning a company work?

You can own stores or even entire corporations. For information on the corporations available, click here.

 

 

_{E_Games}

Can we store our product or weapons or money inside the house?

Not only can you store your items in your home, but there are even special containers meant for certain item types, like the weapons you ask about. You can place a weapon rack on your wall and hang your favorites for all to see.

I imagine a lot of.. less than savory.. people will build armories in their houses.

 

 

_{Sharvy_Frost}

Will you have controller support added?

We do. I've done a little play-testing using an Xbox One controller myself.

 

 

_FreeKilleRGR

What will the price of the game when it releases?

Currently, you can pre-order, or pledge early for Identity for as low as $15 (without beta access) or $30 (with beta access) from our website @ identityrpg.com - however, we expect the price of the game to jump up to about $45 when it hits steam, as steam takes a pretty large chunk of income from each sale.

Will there be realistic payments for the jobs?

Expect Identity's currency to be realistic in value, so your pay will also be realistic. A pair of shoes may cost about $40, and a decent car around $30,000. A lot of games reward players with such high numbers in currency and damage though because there seems to be a psychological attracting to larger numbers, so we can understand why games do it but it won't be that way in Identity.

Will the items take up physical space inside the car?

Items will take up physical space inside the trunk of a car. When a player accesses the trunk, there is a 2D grid placement system in which each item takes up a number of squares on the grid depending on its shape and size. The largest items will not fit inside the trunk of a small car, so a big semi-truck with a trailer may be necessary.

Will there be real life cars in the game or unlicensed cars like in GTA V?

There won't be real-world cars or brands in Identity. We can't afford the license fees to include real brands in our game, and we're almost certain these companies would not want their brands associated with vehicle damage, or some of the criminal and illegal elements also featured in the game.

Will there be any AI cops or enemies?

There won't be AI cops out in the game environment, driving police vehicles, or paroling streets. If there are any, they will simply stand behind a desk at the station recruiting new player officers or providing information.

Will I be able to raid other players’ houses?

You will not be able to raid another player's house, or enter their house without their permission. We want player homes to be your personal space, safe from any outside influence. Players are going to put a lot of effort customizing their homes, and we don't want to jeopardize or disturb the work they put into it.

Will there be a report system?

RDM/VDM isn't an enforced rule on official servers, but there will be a tool for reporting these actions on private servers who create rules for these actions. Instead, on Official servers, we have a stress system in place to discourage random attacks or griefing.

Will there be an in-game recording system?

There won't be an in-game video recording tool, but you can use 3rd party video recording software like OBS, Fraps, or Shadowplay.

Will there be a casino?

There will be casinos in Identity, but they are not player owned.

Will there be micro transactions for things other than cosmetic items?

Micro-transactions exist for cosmetics, some vehicles, and some apartments, and will be claimable across all servers (hopefully including private servers). We will not sell weapons.

Can you compare the driving to another game so we kinda know how driving will be like?

Expect driving in Identity to be realistic, much like Grand Theft Auto IV, not V. Players won't be able to survive crazy stunt jumps in Identity, and enough damage could disable your vehicle. Unfortunately however, we cannot easily do a damage model like you might expect to see in BeamNG. Damage has to be networked across the server, and we feel transmitting that much damage data could hurt performance.

Will you be able to shoot while inside a vehicle?

You won't be able to shoot from inside your vehicle. We want to discourage random acts of violence for the sake of roleplay.

Will there be rebel items like armored vehicles, helicopters, or jets?

There won't be any armored vehicles in Identity, apart from maybe SWAT trucks. We don't want to give anyone a PVP advantage based on vehicle armor. Aircraft are also not present in Identity, as it is important to us that players do not skip over potential encounters they may have gotten into while driving, and of course because we don't want the world to feel smaller by flying quickly from point A to point B.

 

 

 

Thank you everyone!

Our work-day is drawing to a close, but we'll try to keep revisiting this thread to respond to more questions! Although our responses may come slower than they have been as we pop in individually to answer questions from here on out.

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/IdentityMMO/comments/5nqgo0/official_qa_with_asylum_entertainment_devs_behind/?sort=old

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I already added some to the FAQ Extended.