Why Early Access?

“At Fiveamp, we’re living our dream as game developers because of passionate players like you. Our top priority is to ensure that NIMRODS is not only fun but also deeply satisfying. Early Access plays a crucial role in achieving that goal. By releasing NIMRODS in Early Access, we can gather valuable feedback and player data, helping us fine-tune the game to make it the best experience possible.

From the earliest prototype to today, we’ve always been listening—and we’ll keep listening well after the full release. We believe the best games are shaped by their communities. Imagine spending years on a project, only to discover we missed the mark. That’s the nightmare we’re avoiding, and Early Access is our way of making sure NIMRODS stays on track to become the game you want it to be.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Around a year. Just because we declare our game to be “done” doesn’t mean development will stop, though! Just like most good games have a lengthy and rewarding post-game, we hope that we’ll get our own personal post-game after we release by continuing to develop NIMRODS long into the future!”

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

“The core loop is fully implemented and engaging, but there's still room for so many interesting systems! We want to make sure that our priorities are informed by the needs and interests of the players, meaning that we hesitate to make concrete plans until we’ve gathered information on how you all are receiving the game. Even then, there are a few things we are sure we want to put in:

• More guns
  
• More augments
  
• Another augment slot
  
• A bigger map with more areas
  
• More enemies
  
• More minibosses
  
• More genes
  
• More characters
  
• A higher implicit level cap

Besides new content, we’re hoping to add several new systems to the game. Ideally, these systems will rise up to meet the needs of the players. Do players love planning routes from point-of-interest to point-of-interest? Maybe we’ll make an expanded map and waypoint system. Do players love collecting guns more than selling them? Maybe we need a better inventory management system for the homeship. But either of those systems would be a waste of time if nobody asks for them. We’ll have plenty of time before release to make the game awesome, and we look forward to seeing where your feedback and data will take us!”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Honestly, the game is pretty loaded, I’m sure many people wouldn’t scoff if we actually called this a 1.0 release! The game already has more content than many in this genre:

• 14 gun chassis, most of which sport their own unique mechanics.
  
• 174 augments in 29 different lines. That’s 286,720 final combinations, or 80 over billion combinations in total!
  
• 10 unique rank-and-file enemies with 10 variations each.
  
• 7 unique minibosses.
  
• Two unique bosses.
  
• Four different stores spanning eight different kinds of currency, each found from a different source.
  
• A handcrafted map (no procedural or AI generation!) that’s larger than any other in the genre.
  
• Many types of things for you to find as you explore ranging from ancient defense systems to plants that need to be protected to scavenged technological marvels for you to rebuild and claim as your own.
  
• A “drone” system that lets you play alongside one of your old runs, reborn into a mechanical body!
  
• A customization system for the drone that lets you adjust its AI an abilities to better support you in your runs.
  
• Two characters with a choice of abilities.
  
• A genetic upgrade system that lets you power yourself up in permanent ways between runs.
  
• A drop pod system whereby your upgrades are delivered to you via heavy, upgradable ordinance!
  
• An extensive library of quests to complete and earn rewards for.
  
• Plenty of polish, such as music, sound effects, and visual effects.
  
• Ten hours of content if you rush the main missions. Over a hundred if you want to fully upgrade yourself. Near-infinite if you want to try out all the possible combinations of guns you’ve got access to…
  
• And MORE! (We’re not kidding. There’s some stuff we don’t want to mention here because it will be more fun if you discover it for yourself in game!)

Given all the content we’ve packed into this Early Access, we’re confident that even if we never lift another finger to work on this game (as though anything could keep us from pursuing our dreams!) you will still get your money’s worth from what is in the game right now, at this very moment.”

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

“Very possibly. As we get closer to our full release, we’ll re-evaluate how much content is in the game and what sorts of unique experiences we provide compared to other entries in the genre, and we may determine that a higher price point might be merited. If we make that decision, we'll make sure to let you all know well in advance!”

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

“We want your feedback very badly! Gamers know the difference between a fun game and a boring one, and we want to make sure we’re always moving in the “fun” direction! We want to take constant “pulse checks” to make sure we’re prioritizing the right features, making the game more fun every update, and refining NIMRODS to it’s best possible state!”