Sept. 29, 2022

Q&A Session - Sep 2022. Transcript

What extra content will be released in full release (the public release of Shatterline)?

The main goal right now as Early Access is to polish the game and iterate it with feedback from the players. There are no exact details on extra content, but you won’t be disappointed.

What was the reasoning behind the slide changes?

The intention was to add an anti-spam to sliding, but not to slow it down. We will discuss the changes internally and bring feedback to the design team.
Note: As of 2:21 AM PST, the server maintenance has began to address the crashes and to revert the slide-nerf changes. The developers will continue to look for better ways to prevent spamming for sliding.

Why is it not possible to add custom lobbies before full release?

This is difficult because all rewards need to be removed to prevent abuse, which is technically more difficult than it may seem. There is a lot to do for custom lobbies to be possible, so they won’t come before launch.

Why have the DMRs not been nerfed?

We have nerfed DMRs. It wasn’t mentioned in the first version of the release notes due to an error, but the notes were updated and DMRs have been nerfed but we will continously monitoring if it needs further nerf.

“Server 09-25” error is still a thing. Is there any update on this error?

The source of the problem was identified, it will require us to rewrite some part of the netcode to ensure that it is stable and it’s still actively being worked on. But we don’t have an ETA on when this will be fixed.

I’ve seen footage of maps that aren’t available. Are they not live or were they removed?

You will see them soon! We’re still finishing optimizations for these maps. The maps will appears as events first once it is ready for the game, and later to be added in the full rotation as more missions released.

Are more characters a high or low priority?

We will expand the set of characters, and are currently working on prototypes. We don’t know when they will appear yet, most likely not before full release as it would take longer compared to the other kind of contents normally, in terms of cosmetics, character arcs, etc.

Are you going to open applications for like Discord staff or content creator programs?

We are going to have both creator and volunteer applications. This is being worked on right now. It will hopefully appear in the next couple of weeks, once the threshold and privacy stuff is worked out and we will have to work on what we can offer to these people.

Is there any plan on having a load-out system in Expedition?

The point of Expedition is to get everything at random, maybe as a permanent perk but don’t expect such perk in the near future. In PvP and PvE, you will be able to level up and load out your weapons.

Are there plans on “theater mode game replays”? With free cameras for example.

Not in the near future. If we see many demands, maybe. However, we are going to add an option to remove the HUD in the near future.

Are there plans to change max weapon levels to allow gaining more XP?

We had a prestige system in mind, but those plans changed due to many circumstances. If it is demanded, we can try to reconsider in the future, but right now it’s not in the plans.

Will we receive an ‘unstuck’ button if we get stuck?

We don’t know, maybe a ‘death button’ option, but that has to be considered and discussed since this could also be abused.

When the game comes to console, will you change aim assist values?

We will continue to work on aim assist and will be continuously looking at the feedback from the players if it needs any further changes.

Is hitreg still being worked on?

We try to do our best to keep players with similar ping together to avoid poor hitreg. It is continuously being looked at.

Do you have plans on adding LMGs?

Currently not. But we will see about it in the future. But you will probably be able to find a similar weapon in Expedition in the future.

Are stats or rank planned before release, so we can test it?

We won’t be able to add ranked or a stat page before the full release. We will do our best to do so after the release. We’re still looking for the right game modes and rules for Ranked Mode.

Are reward issues being looked at?

We will check on the reward issues.

Do you have plans to add more bosses?

Yes, we are going to have more bosses. There will be at least 1 new encounter boss in Expedition before full release and we will be working on the some final bosses later but no specific details.

Are there any plans to separate balances between PvP and PvE?

Two balances means double the work, so most likely not. But specific stat balance changes, for example operatives, are being discussed. We won’t be changing on how the weapons feel between modes.

Will progress in Early Access stay with us when the game launches?

Yes, all of the the progression will stay with you.

Will there be an item shop for skins?

Yes, the shop will get a rework, and then we will add more cosmetics to it.

Can Shatterline be played on Linux?

The majority of related Linux problems will probably be fixed soon under Proton. Native Linux support is not possible.

How did you come up with the name “Shatterline”?

It took us more than 2 years of discussing before we stuck with this name. The first name was Shellguard, but not the entire team liked it. Crystal Lust was another name, but that’s already the name of an online female performer. The name Shatterline stuck with the team.

Will you add a feature where you see your party members in your main menu?

We don’t think that’s something we will be working on. It won’t work with the current UI design.

Will there be a clan system? Including clan wars, scoreboards, levels, rewards, etc.

The definition of “Clan” varies per player. We are still trying to work out the scope of this feature and what we really need. It’s in discussion, there are design concepts already, but we’re still gathering information. One day, but no other promises.

Will there be more difficulties in PvE, with higher rewards?

Yes, we currently are working on a prototype for more difficult Expedition and will internally playtesting it. It’ll first appear as an event to gather data. Then, if people like it, maybe it will become a permanent mode.

Minimizing and alt-tabbing from the game causes a crash. Any update on that bug?

Minimizing crashes are a known and common bug. We are working on it, we don’t know when it’s getting fixed, but it is being worked on. For now, we recommend playing the game in Borderless.

Will there be a rejoin feature?

It is available, but not enabled on all game modes. It doesn’t make sense to do it in PvP with such short matches, but it is possible in PvE and Expedition.

Will we be able to get more blueprints out of PvP?

More diverse tasks for PvP are being discussed, but a regular grind hasn’t been figured out yet. We may give higher rewards for bigger PvP tasks at some point. Example: Play 5 or 10 matches for some blueprints.

Will you implement a quick emote feature? With messages such as “help”, “don’t rez” and “thanks!”

We are thinking about this. Not before the official launch, but with enough requests, we will try to do it.

Reload cancellation, is that being considered?

Reload cancel doesn’t work in PvE as there are situations where you’ll have to reload from the scratch again. The reload already doesn’t restart from scratch but continues where it was left off. This feels like a good compromise and suits Shatterline.

Are there roadmaps for future PvE content and for after the full release?

Plans for the nearest month will be shared soon. As for the long-term, a roadmap is being formed too, but still uncertain. Roadmaps are always changing on what the players are asking for, so do understand that it is subject to change.

Are you going to add emblems and/or calling cards? Maybe through challenges or as a reward for grinding.

That is something that is in progress. You will be able to purchase random difficult challenges that have bigger rewards.

Controller balance feels off, what is the status on this?

Controller balance is constantly being worked on. Player feedback on controller balance is key, so please continue giving feedback.

What qualifications will there be for the content creator program?

This depends on who applies. We don’t just focus on scale, but also on motivation. But details are still being discussed.

How large is Frag Lab, as a team?

The team consists of a little more than 200 people. Which sounds like a lot, but it’s still way smaller than big studios. We do not have as many resources, but our team is very cool and professional. Most of the members are still in Ukraine but some team members have moved to another country and work from there.

What are your plans regarding cosmetics? How often do you plan to add events or seasonal cosmetics?

It will mostly be around the season pass principle. We will also try to support big events, like Halloween and New Year, other events are in discussion but there will indeed be such content.

What is your aim for Expedition in terms of stats? Difficulty? Length?

We want a win-rate of around 10%. Right now the win-rate is around 20%, which is too high. Statistically the average is 35 minutes. The plan is to add more co-op-focused encounters to add difficulty, and AI enemies are being looked at and checked for difficulty. Rules of Expedition are also being looked at, to make things a little harder. A harder version called Extreme Expedition is also being worked on, and will again first come as event game mode to check data.

What other PvE modes do you guys have planned?

We are going to have more story missions, added regularly. These will have harder variations as well, with higher rewards. We may also add shorter PvE missions at some point, more co-op based and less difficult.

Are you planning on adding a preview feature for cosmetics?

We are thinking about 3D previews, and will continue to discuss it.

Will the game be added to tracker websites like tracker.gg?

We do not know, it has not been discussed but most likely no.

Is it possible to add names to areas of the map?

In the near future, there will be a top-down view of all the maps, and we will consider adding names to areas on those maps as well.

In the shooting range, is it possible to add damage numbers?

There will not be numbers, but there will be healthbars.

Is competitive going to be a main focus?

We like to see competitiveness in our game, but it depends on the community. If the community asks for more competitive stuff, then we will deliver it.

Will there be tournaments for Shatterline?

If we see demand, we will support what is needed for it.

Have you considered nerfing Malva and her instant healing?

She has been slightly nerfed in R66 by removing session score and ultimate score for self-healing, but we are aware that she is powerful. We are keeping an eye on her.

What are your plans for skill-based matchmaking (sbmm), in both competitive and casual game modes?

We have semi-skill-based matchmaking around win/lose ratio. This system combined with ping, game modes you played recently, and team balance creates a matchmaking that works quite fine for Shatterline right now. For competitive game modes, there will probably be a league or ELO rating system, but that is still being discussed. There will be no SBMM in casual game modes.

Is the visual recoil intentional? Are you planning on changing it?

Yes, it is intentional but we will think on how we can improve it.

Sometimes the game freezes at start-up and during the first game, are you aware of this issue?

Yes, we are aware of this issue and are working on it.

Will 2v2 be added?

A: We will consider it, but not soon.

Are you going to add emotes?

Yes, emotes are being planned, we want to add them but we don’t have an estimated time for when they will arrive yet. Win poses will come first, everything else later.

Are there plans for crosshair customization?

We have discussed it, but it won’t come anytime soon. Far after the full release, possibly.

Any plans to change the radar system? So it only reveals you when you shoot for example.

We don’t have plans to change the radar system right now, but we will take a look at the feedback on how to improve the minimap system.

Could some developers check in on competitive player gameplay, so they can see how these players treat the game?

We will check in on competitive players and approach some of them.

Are more Escort maps going to be added?

We will have an event for a new Escort map in a few days! (Later mentioned that this is on the 30th of September)

Is Orbit’s drone going to be changed for PvE, since it’s useless right now?

We are discussing on how to improve abilities that have more use in only some game modes. For example, maybe Orbit’s drone will increase the damage its scanned enemies scans take.

When will Shatterline come to console?

We are working hard to get the console version done around the full release. Due to technical reasons, PlayStation will come first.

How will the previously mentioned short PvE missions work?

It will work similar to Strikes in Destiny missions. There will be a playlist that matches you into random mission from that playlist.

Is there anything you can do with the hidden red beavers?

These are very secret easter eggs, but they don’t do anything. But, we are looking to further rewarding for exploration in Expedition soon.

Will Episodes be added as permanent modes?

PvE missions take a long time and are difficult to make. We hope to release a new episode every now and then up until full release, then at the full release all episodes will be available permanently as a separate entry. Then future PvE episodes will first come as events, and later on be added to the always-available list.
Writer’s note: A new episode will be coming out next month, it’ll be called Hecatomb.

What is the focus for PvP? Casual or ranked?

We’re still figuring out which game modes to make the competitive modes. We are testing what game mode works best, so that’s still being looked at. For casual players, there will be new PvP events every now and then, to see what works, what could become permanent, what needs work, etc. Feedback is very important in this.

Are there plans for Red Lake to come back?

It will come back before the full release, but other PvE missions will come first, and then they will all be permanently available around the full release.

Are there any plans for kill streaks?

We may try to come up with some kind of event game mode in which it may work, but there are no real plans for it and shouldn’t be difficult to prototype.

Will aiming while jumping be possible at some point?

We see this request a lot, and will continue to research it. But right now we don’t want to add it. Adding shooting while jumping will make everyone spam jumps, and we don’t want that in our game.

What is the status on an FOV slider?

Technical issues prevent adding an FOV slider, but it is still being worked on.

Will there be an in-game report function?

There already is!

Will there be support for stretched display resolutions, such as 4:3 or 5:4?

According to the Steam statistics, there are very few users who played in such resolutions, so it won’t come in the nearest future. This will also requires precious time and resources that can be used for other important matters.

Are you going to add the possibility to use skins on all weapons, even all modifications?

It’s possible to use skins on Legendary modifications already. Using weapon skins while having modification buffs is being discussed, but we don’t know when that comes.

Will the Battle Pass always be 3 months long? More cosmetics for characters?

For now it will stay as it is, there are no plans to change this. But adjustments will be made if necessary. The biggest bottleneck for us right now is that our team isn’t huge and the content for the Battlepass takes time to develop. The shorter the Battlepass is, the less content it will have and more pressure will be on the team. It will be discussed but it won’t happen right now.

Are store cosmetics going to include exclusive skins that you won’t get anywhere else?

Yes, there will be cosmetics exclusively to the store. Maybe at some point it will also include stuff from older seasons, but not right after the season ends of course.

Are there any plans for a dedicated sprint button?

We have tested this before, and 99% of the time you would be using this button, this game is pretty fast and having walk stance is mostly not needed. We have tried different variation of combining sprint and walk for 2 years and people don’t use it often, so we don’t think it will be necessary for Shatterline. How it is now fits the game best.

How will future weapons and tiers be added?

We don’t know how we’ll add new weapons specifically. We haven’t discussed that enough yet.

Recording programs block the game from starting up. Will this be fixed?

We will pass this info on, it will be looked at.

In-game chat, any ETA?

We’re working on it. The in-game chat system has to be made from scratch so we’re currently working on another solution. There’s no ETA yet.

Will there be a player list when loading into a match? So you can see each other’s names and banners.

We are working on some username customizations, but this remains uncertain. A player list also won’t fully work because lobbies are still being filled when the match starts.

Will your Steam username always be your Shatterline name?

Yes. We will most likely not be able to change it, as that has to do with Steam as well.

What are your priorities on map development? In terms of community-made maps, will we be able to make our own maps?

This is not on our list. We will consider parts of it in the future, after launch, but it is very difficult. Map creation especially, but community-made skins and other cosmetics maybe.

Expedition perk plans? Are you going in the direction of builds, or just random stuff?

We are looking to expand the perks, and are also looking at combinations and builds towards specific weapon types. But the community does a great job at creating new builds too.

What is the team’s (Fraglab) balance philosophy?

We want every weapon to be viable in its own way, and we want all weapons to have a somewhat equal time-to-kill.

About hackers: CS:GO has a system called Overwatch, where the community is able to check hacker reports and help out this way. Is this an interesting idea to you?

It’s a good idea, and in line with our approach. This takes a lot of effort, but we will discuss it.

What do you think about a contract system for modifications? Like in Valorant.

We are discussing things around modification gain, but we have no concrete information right now. We currently only have a couple modifications (18 as of right now), so it will be difficult to do such things with a limited amount of modifications.

Will there be a weapon trade system between players in Expedition?

Most likely not, because it would make Expedition too easy. We can maybe try to add a perk for that but nothing concrete about that for now.

Will competitive game modes have spectator modes? Clans? Is there anything not on the table?

The two nearest things that will happen after full release are custom games for specific teams and scrims and such, and Ranked Mode. After that we will try to work on spectator mode and will see if it’s possible to add in-game tournaments.

Will the server tickrate change?

It will stay 30hz for now. The main reason for this is console requirements, but we will see if it can be changed later. But for now, no idea when or if it can happen.

Is the current aim assist only slow-down? And is it different between PvP and PvE?

Right now it is the same, but it will be different in PvP and PvE later (stronger in PvE). There is no snapping or so, it just dynamically changes sensitivity if you’re aiming at someone.

How exactly does weapon XP work?

Right now, you don’t get XP for maxed weapons. But maybe we will add more levels or obtainable skins or a prestige later, so you can get more XP. But nothing specific on that yet.

Drone hitboxes, are they being looked at?

We will investigate how consistent or inconsistent they are, these hitboxes are not on our radar right now but we will look at them.

Operative balancing, any future changes in mind?

We are constantly looking at operatives and their balances, and discussing changes. No specific ones come to mind right now.

Will you be able to refuse to be revived?

It is being discussed, but we don’t know yet.

Will you allow us to test all weapons in the shooting range, before buying them?

It is technically difficult to do so with attachments, so we’re not sure. But we will discuss if it’s possible to be able to use all the weapons themselves, without attachments.

Will the user level come back or not? To show your progression and how long you have been playing?

The levels already are there, just not shown right now. But it will hopefully come back once stat pages are shown.

How many hidden red beavers are there?

We do not know, the level designers won’t tell us! But we want to expand Expedition exploration in such interactive ways, as previously mentioned.

For modifications, will there be a system that increases rarity chances after getting a lower rarity modification several times?

Legendary modifications have a 20% chance of dropping, so it’s not that rare. You also don’t get duplicates, and there are 18 modifications available, so such a system will not be necessary.

Could you go past operative level 8 to continue getting cosmetics or XP?

Not planned, but we will discuss that.

How about adding PvE enemies into PvP game modes?

We have experimented with PvPvE, and we have a game mode that requires some optimization before it can be shown, but will be added at some point as an event. Other PvP game modes with PvE enemies are difficult from a technical standpoint.

Can you bring in Endless Mode, where we have to survive as long as we can?

We can see if we can make an encounter similar to that in Expedition, but we don’t have a plan on doing a standard endless mode. We felt like exploration elements bring more variety. We constantly do prototypes for new game modes from the level designers and game designers, so we’ll see if we can come up with a good take on this idea.

Will you make bolt sniper ADS quicker and not sway as much?

We want to prevent quick scoping, so this is unlikely. But we will look into it. Maybe we’ll add breath holding but nothing specifics yet.

Is it possible to add a wagering system in PvP, with blueprints?

We love that kind of design, but currently have no tools to implement the such an idea. We also have to consider the downside as well, such as illegal blueprint trade, staged games, etc. This is a difficult matter, but it is being discussed.