Why Early Access?

“ZONERS is a game being predominantly made by just one person (that's me!), and it's important to me that v1.0 and beyond is a polished and complete package. It is my belief that by engaging with players at this stage of development I can iron out any major balance wrinkles and develop the rest of the content to a better standard to the benefit of all involved.

During Early Access this game is for those of you who don't mind dipping their toes into a work in progress project whilst saving a few of their own coins in the process by getting it at a reduced price. As such, you should expect to encounter some bugs. It's possible save data may need to be reset at some point during development as well. Please keep this in mind before making a purchase.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Approximately 18-24 months. For more detailed information check out the latest [Road Map] in the 'Events & Announcements' section of this Steam store page.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“Below is a list of features and content not currently in the current build that I feel the V1.0 version of ZONERS is most likely to have. There are other features, such as online play, which may or may not be possible before v1.0. Please assume for now that there will be no online until it is announced otherwise.

For a breakdown of the Early Access period, please see the [Road Map] in the 'Events & Announcements' section of this Steam store page.

Please note, that it is entirely possible that the things listed here will be taken away or added to during the course of development. These are not promises, but they are genuine goals

• 1 additional unlockable character
  
• Improved AI behaviour and scaling
  
• Additional character VA, move sfx & vfx
  
• Updated intro sequence
  
• Bonus Games - improved bonus games
  
• Museum - Gift Shop: viewable unlock conditions for items to appear in the shop
  
• Museum - Gallery: an as yet undisclosed number of in game trading cards that feature tips, lore & art of many of the game's elements
  
• Museum - Replay Room: A way to view saved match replays

”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The Early Access version of ZONERS currently contains the following as of 01/03/2024:

• 8 playable characters - Fully animated, no VA
  
• 9 playable stages + 2 additional unlockable stages that show up in specific modes - fully animated and with spectators and the ability to play any stage without gimmicks (hazardless) or in one of 3 hazard variants (Alpha, Beta & Gamma)
  
• Match Maker (Versus, Local & Remote Play only) with Time, Score, Zone Breaker, Block Breaker, Defender & Bomb Pass match types & custom match settings in 1v1 & 2v2 modes against Human or CPU opponents
  
• Hologram Training - Complete Basic & Advanced tutorials with ranking system for the latter
  
• Zoners Galactic Cup (arcade) in 4 selectable difficulties with inter-character dialogue, ending art & interactive credits sequence
  
• In game shop (uses in game currency, no mtx) to unlock 64 character colours, 2 stages, 3 free play bonus games, 30+ songs & 8 Ending Paintings
  
• Museum Gallery - View unlocked endings in the Gallery and listen to unlocked music on the Jukebox
  
• Hall of Fame - Stat tracking for a large number of stats
  
• Full Plaza Staff character interactions with unlockable dialogue for each
  
• 46 unlockable Steam Achievements
  
• Tournament Unlock Option - an easy way to temporarily unlock all multiplayer game related content for easy setup at events

”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“Currently the plan is to slightly increase the price of ZONERS as it gets closer to v1.0”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“I will be directly engaging with the community via the Steam Community boards, Reddit, Twitter and Email during development to try and make ZONERS the best it can be.

I cannot possibly include everything everyone wants, but community feedback will always be taken into consideration and may at times be used to direct the course of certain things.

Character balance will of course be an ongoing hot topic in a game like this, and by engaging with players verbally and statistically, I can better ensure a more balanced experience.

Accessibility is particularly important to me so that different kinds of players can experience the casual and competitive spectrums of action in a number of ways. As a long time game player without any major disabilities, it will be necessary to develop these features in conjunction with player feedback to make sure they work as intended and without intruding on the experience or being overly convoluted to setup.”