Why Early Access?

“Ops is already a fully playable game, but what we envision for the game is so much more than it currently is. As full-time VLA Operators, we are busy enough operating the real VLA and don't have boundless time to devote to developing this game. However, rather than keep it locked away from public view, we think it would be more fun and interesting to share it with the gaming community as it develops. This also gives YOU the opportunity to give us input on it! If we like your ideas, we might very well include them in future versions of the game!”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“At least one year on the lower end. Some games seem to linger in the limbo of endless Early Access, but we don't really see the point of that. At some point in the development cycle, we intend to remove the "Early Access" designation. The point at which this will occur is based on how happy we are with the game, i.e. "Does it include all of the elements we believe are essential to our vision for the game? Does it feel 'done'??". Exactly when this occurs will be based on how much time we can devote to development, which is unknown but probably on the order of a few hours per week on average. Our best estimate is that the Early Access period will last for about 2 to 3 years.”

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

“With the full version, we hope to include a few cool improvements, such as:

• Worldwide leaderboards.
  
• A wider variety of enemies and weapons.
  
• Power-ups that enhance the lethality of the VLA and assist the player in various ways.
  
• More options for difficulty level, graphics settings, control configurations, and any other desired tweakables.
  
• Support for a wider variety of devices and operating systems.
  
• Better performance on legacy hardware.

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What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Fully playable with nine levels. Features about 45 minutes of all original music, a mixture of hand-drawn and AI-generated artwork, two varieties of enemy, and one class of weapon available to the player.”

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

“Yes, the Early Access version is priced a bit lower than the full version is intended to be. This is meant to incentivize early adoption and to reward our valued customers who choose to support us as the game is actively being developed.”

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

“We intend to incorporate as many of the improvement suggestions we receive from the gaming community as possible. Any ideas that fit with our vision for the game may very well be added. Please just keep in mind that we cannot compensate people who submit ideas. Therefore, please only submit original ideas that you don't mind us stealing. We will try, whenever practical, to give credit where credit is due.”