Hello, everyone! justaw0rm here, with a team update in the new year! We have got some big plans for you in 2018, and we would like to take you along a quick sneak peek of what we have been working on. A couple of the folks from the development team have kindly given us a quick summary of some recent progress they’ve made along with some tasty screenshots and a quick description of what they’re working on.

Please note, what we’re sharing is work-in-progress, so it does not represent what the game will look like in its final form. We’re excited for 2018, and we’re so glad you have decided to be a part of this with us! Let us know what you think in the comments down below!

First off, we have a few screenshots created by Tim Bergholz, and he’s meticulously designed the model of a P350 and an M1014. Trust us; you’ll get comfortable using these two when the time comes.



Continuing on the theme of weapons, MzK has done a phenomenal job of animating an MK18 and a sledgehammer.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

When making these animations, I want to make them entertaining to watch for casual players, but also a treat for gun nuts to appreciate. Barrels wobble, optics jiggle, and bolts rotate. I'm getting to work on a lot of different guns in first person games such as the CX-4, DT-11 and other civilian firearms. I want to get these weapons to feel as stable as possible concerning animation, and I know it'll pay off by the time NMRIH2 ships!

nay0r, with some progress on the Palisades Center “mall" map.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

So this past couple of months I began work on our third map, a mall map based of the Palisades Center based just outside of NYC. The map is already taking great shape even after only a short period developing it. I’m super happy with how it’s turning out, and it will be a great addition to have in the game which we sadly lacked in the first game having any kind of mall map In the upcoming months I can’t wait to show even more progress on the map.

Maxx, updating us with progress on the Brooklyn map.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

I've been hard at work on our Brooklyn Map! Since the new year, Louie and I have switched places to liven things up, so I'll be slamming on this map for a while. I've been working on the interiors of some apartment buildings, bringing new life to some of our previously existing buildings. The goal here is to build seamless meshes for the interior which reduce lighting errors and improve performance and then beginning the first pass of placing lights and props to start to build up a feel or "texture" to the world. I've been building props to decorate the exteriors of the buildings to begin grounding them more and bringing a bit more life to some otherwise bare walls! Environment art can be tedious a lot of the time, but when you get to the stage of placing props and decorating a space, it brings back memories of a kid, playing with action figures, living out a story. A map like Brooklyn is a big task, but it can also be some of the most fun you get to have as an environment artist. For that reason, I think this map is going to be an exceptional experience.

Xenon with a quick write-up on the gore mechanics.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

Just a small update in terms of zombies and AI this month from me. So over the holidays and into January, we've started a rough first pass of zombie gore, and things are shaping up nicely! We hope that in the next few months we'll be able to show you the full system functioning in a dev blog with all the fixings of gore, chunks, blood and limbs being blown off those lovable zombies.

Louie, coming in with a quick preview of in-game lighting.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

I went through and made blueprints for all the lights editable from the blueprints using construction script to make it so the important variables can be edited by level designers. These critical variables are the lights intensity and temperature (the scale used in real life for the orange to the blue scale of lights) and Attenuation Radius which is how far the light effects the environment. Using this, I could make sure that every lamp could be set as stationary so that it could affect both dynamic and static objects. Casting dynamic and stationary light. These kinds of lights need not overlap 4 or more times, so the radius is essential for this.

And finally, a treat from thought, a glimpse of the soundtrack to accompany the Brooklyn Heights map.

I highly recommend you put on some headphones, turn down the lights, close your eyes, and give this track a listen.

Click this link to listen now.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

This soundtrack is still a work in progress that is likely to be further changed and played with, but I thought I would share. Imagine entering Brooklyn heights, and as you get deeper into the city, you get a real sense of the sheer loss.

Thanks for joining us for this months team update and we’re looking forward to the next update!

Remember, these are work-in-progress updates so though rough around the edges, you can expect our work to be polished and ready to go when the NMRiH2 is available.

Hello, everyone! justaw0rm here, with a team update in the new year! We have got some big plans for you in 2018, and we would like to take you along a quick sneak peek of what we have been working on. A couple of the folks from the development team have kindly given us a quick summary of some recent progress they’ve made along with some tasty screenshots and a quick description of what they’re working on.

Please note, what we’re sharing is work-in-progress, so it does not represent what the game will look like in its final form. We’re excited for 2018, and we’re so glad you have decided to be a part of this with us! Let us know what you think in the comments down below!

First off, we have a few screenshots created by Tim Bergholz, and he’s meticulously designed the model of a P350 and an M1014. Trust us; you’ll get comfortable using these two when the time comes.



Continuing on the theme of weapons, MzK has done a phenomenal job of animating an MK18 and a sledgehammer.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

When making these animations, I want to make them entertaining to watch for casual players, but also a treat for gun nuts to appreciate. Barrels wobble, optics jiggle, and bolts rotate. I'm getting to work on a lot of different guns in first person games such as the CX-4, DT-11 and other civilian firearms. I want to get these weapons to feel as stable as possible concerning animation, and I know it'll pay off by the time NMRIH2 ships!

nay0r, with some progress on the Palisades Center “mall" map.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

So this past couple of months I began work on our third map, a mall map based of the Palisades Center based just outside of NYC. The map is already taking great shape even after only a short period developing it. I’m super happy with how it’s turning out, and it will be a great addition to have in the game which we sadly lacked in the first game having any kind of mall map In the upcoming months I can’t wait to show even more progress on the map.

Maxx, updating us with progress on the Brooklyn map.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

I've been hard at work on our Brooklyn Map! Since the new year, Louie and I have switched places to liven things up, so I'll be slamming on this map for a while. I've been working on the interiors of some apartment buildings, bringing new life to some of our previously existing buildings. The goal here is to build seamless meshes for the interior which reduce lighting errors and improve performance and then beginning the first pass of placing lights and props to start to build up a feel or "texture" to the world. I've been building props to decorate the exteriors of the buildings to begin grounding them more and bringing a bit more life to some otherwise bare walls! Environment art can be tedious a lot of the time, but when you get to the stage of placing props and decorating a space, it brings back memories of a kid, playing with action figures, living out a story. A map like Brooklyn is a big task, but it can also be some of the most fun you get to have as an environment artist. For that reason, I think this map is going to be an exceptional experience.

Xenon with a quick write-up on the gore mechanics.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

Just a small update in terms of zombies and AI this month from me. So over the holidays and into January, we've started a rough first pass of zombie gore, and things are shaping up nicely! We hope that in the next few months we'll be able to show you the full system functioning in a dev blog with all the fixings of gore, chunks, blood and limbs being blown off those lovable zombies.

Louie, coming in with a quick preview of in-game lighting.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

I went through and made blueprints for all the lights editable from the blueprints using construction script to make it so the important variables can be edited by level designers. These critical variables are the lights intensity and temperature (the scale used in real life for the orange to the blue scale of lights) and Attenuation Radius which is how far the light effects the environment. Using this, I could make sure that every lamp could be set as stationary so that it could affect both dynamic and static objects. Casting dynamic and stationary light. These kinds of lights need not overlap 4 or more times, so the radius is essential for this.

And finally, a treat from thought, a glimpse of the soundtrack to accompany the Brooklyn Heights map.

I highly recommend you put on some headphones, turn down the lights, close your eyes, and give this track a listen.

Click this link to listen now.

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

This soundtrack is still a work in progress that is likely to be further changed and played with, but I thought I would share. Imagine entering Brooklyn heights, and as you get deeper into the city, you get a real sense of the sheer loss.

Thanks for joining us for this months team update and we’re looking forward to the next update!

Remember, these are work-in-progress updates so though rough around the edges, you can expect our work to be polished and ready to go when the NMRiH2 is available.

An update to No More Room in Hell has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart No More Room in Hell. The major changes include:

• Featuring nmo_broadway2, the sequel to the first map
  
  • We thought that we had gotten away from downtown broadway, only for our getaway train to breakdown on the tracks. Those of us that remain went to some apartment building to barricade ourselves in while we figure out what to do to escape this never ending hell. We think we might have seen signs of unlooted supplies to the south so that’s a better place than any to start.
• nmo_suzhou has been added
  
  • The old city of suzhou has seen much in its centuries of existence, but the shambling army of the undead is a first. The city police force made an effort to screen and evacuate the people present in the city. Their efforts were not sufficient and the dead overran the living, packed evacuation centers became slaughterhouses, what few survived resigned themselves to death on their own terms. The evacuation centers by the Grand Canal are now silent... save for the whistling wind and the moans of the dead. Perhaps someone is still out there on the waters. One can only hope they are listening.

The following community made maps are now available. We'd like to thank these people for all their hard work on these maps.

• nmo_boardwalk by Dr Hammer, Demo, and BillionLioe
  
• nmo_quarantine by Coolz
  
• nmo_shelter by Fersigal and Atheist
  
• nmo_underground by Atheist, Extragamer, and Drunk_Steep
  
• nmo_vertigo by Ulreth
  
• nms_camilla by Atheist and Extragamer

• nmo_chinatown has been updated
  
  • Playerclips have been fixed
• nms_flooded has been updated
  
  • Skybox has been adjusted
• Miscellaneous props and textures have been added

An update to No More Room in Hell has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart No More Room in Hell. The major changes include:

• Featuring nmo_broadway2, the sequel to the first map
  
  • We thought that we had gotten away from downtown broadway, only for our getaway train to breakdown on the tracks. Those of us that remain went to some apartment building to barricade ourselves in while we figure out what to do to escape this never ending hell. We think we might have seen signs of unlooted supplies to the south so that’s a better place than any to start.
• nmo_suzhou has been added
  
  • The old city of suzhou has seen much in its centuries of existence, but the shambling army of the undead is a first. The city police force made an effort to screen and evacuate the people present in the city. Their efforts were not sufficient and the dead overran the living, packed evacuation centers became slaughterhouses, what few survived resigned themselves to death on their own terms. The evacuation centers by the Grand Canal are now silent... save for the whistling wind and the moans of the dead. Perhaps someone is still out there on the waters. One can only hope they are listening.

The following community made maps are now available. We'd like to thank these people for all their hard work on these maps.

• nmo_boardwalk by Dr Hammer, Demo, and BillionLioe
  
• nmo_quarantine by Coolz
  
• nmo_shelter by Fersigal and Atheist
  
• nmo_underground by Atheist, Extragamer, and Drunk_Steep
  
• nmo_vertigo by Ulreth
  
• nms_camilla by Atheist and Extragamer

• nmo_chinatown has been updated
  
  • Playerclips have been fixed
• nms_flooded has been updated
  
  • Skybox has been adjusted
• Miscellaneous props and textures have been added

Survivors,

Beta 1.09.7 is now live on our beta branch. This is a map content release. We need help ensuring that the new maps work properly. There are 7 new objective maps and a single new survival map. Additionally, 4 existing maps will need retesting because of minor bug fixes.

If you are interested in testing this release, please check the new hub sub-section:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/224260/discussions/8/2906376154331781988/

We hope to have this update out to the general public in the next week or so. We apologize for the delays and thank you for your patience.

If you need a refresher on the maps coming, please check the previous announcement: http://steamcommunity.com/games/224260/announcements/detail/1458464748904217094

Survivors,

Beta 1.09.7 is now live on our beta branch. This is a map content release. We need help ensuring that the new maps work properly. There are 7 new objective maps and a single new survival map. Additionally, 4 existing maps will need retesting because of minor bug fixes.

If you are interested in testing this release, please check the new hub sub-section:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/224260/discussions/8/2906376154331781988/

We hope to have this update out to the general public in the next week or so. We apologize for the delays and thank you for your patience.

If you need a refresher on the maps coming, please check the previous announcement: http://steamcommunity.com/games/224260/announcements/detail/1458464748904217094

Thank you, everyone, for joining us for another Dev Blog! This time, we'll be talking about Brooklyn Heights - our largest map so far. It's a massive work in progress and everything here is still in development and subject to change, but we think you will appreciate seeing it regardless.

Brooklyn Heights is the northern tip of the Borough at the south end of the Brooklyn Bridge which connects to Manhattan. It's a beautiful, modern, upscale neighborhood in real life that we thought would create a striking juxtaposition when collided with the chaos and terror of a zombie apocalypse. The neighborhood has a breathtaking vista of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge from the Promenade which will allow us to allude to distant turmoil while using the historical brownstones and apartment complexes to tell stories of the final moments of the residents of this once elegant neighborhood.

On a September morning at dawn, Brooklyn Heights was condemned by the zombie pandemic. The aftermath of the recent outbreak can be observed throughout the streets; the formerly bustling neighbourhood has been reduced to chaos as citizens tried to flee and the military tried to maintain order. However, building interiors and underground areas were relatively unscathed as people abandoned their homes.

We want to have a mixture of areas that feel safe, chaotic, damaged, elegant, depressing, and we have so much room to play with on this map. The dichotomy of light and shadow intensify feelings of unease, making it difficult to know what could be lying ahead in the darkness. We want the environment to be dripping with tension. Just from wandering around the world you will see the telltale signs of last moments of the residents, police, and soldiers who once fought to keep this place - their homes - safe and secure.





This map is much larger and more nonlinear than any previous map. There are tons of places to explore and most buildings have at least some interior space. The map includes points of interest such as a courthouse, auto shop, record shop, basketball court, hotel, office building, doctor's office, and a series of large apartment buildings.







We also have underground areas to explore such as a sewer system, and subway.





One major thing we wanted to try and achieve with the Brooklyn map, as our second production map, was expanding our randomization system to go a step further. In NOTLD, our randomization is focused mostly on item and objective spawning, and in Brooklyn, we're adding in another layer of randomization which is randomly spawning interiors. As you can see in the proof of concept example below, we can have a row of brownstone houses and when the map runs, it'll randomize which of those houses gets an interior, and which interior it gets.



The scale of this map will really force players to explore, work together and struggle to stay one step ahead of their living and undead adversaries. Its complex structure, immense verticality, randomized elements and a mix of tight and open spaces create a truly diverse and unique environment in NMRiH2.

Thank you all for reading this Dev Blog and we can’t wait to show you more of Brooklyn Heights as it comes together over the next few months. It’s our most ambitious map to date and is shaping up to be something special. We hope that you’ll come back again for our next Dev Blog and join us on our Facebook and Steam Community pages!

**NOTE** Screenshots of the Brooklyn Heights map are early work-in-progress captures, we expect to share higher quality renders soon as we continue to build out the map within the game engine. Stay tuned!

Thank you, everyone, for joining us for another Dev Blog! This time, we'll be talking about Brooklyn Heights - our largest map so far. It's a massive work in progress and everything here is still in development and subject to change, but we think you will appreciate seeing it regardless.

Brooklyn Heights is the northern tip of the Borough at the south end of the Brooklyn Bridge which connects to Manhattan. It's a beautiful, modern, upscale neighborhood in real life that we thought would create a striking juxtaposition when collided with the chaos and terror of a zombie apocalypse. The neighborhood has a breathtaking vista of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge from the Promenade which will allow us to allude to distant turmoil while using the historical brownstones and apartment complexes to tell stories of the final moments of the residents of this once elegant neighborhood.

On a September morning at dawn, Brooklyn Heights was condemned by the zombie pandemic. The aftermath of the recent outbreak can be observed throughout the streets; the formerly bustling neighbourhood has been reduced to chaos as citizens tried to flee and the military tried to maintain order. However, building interiors and underground areas were relatively unscathed as people abandoned their homes.

We want to have a mixture of areas that feel safe, chaotic, damaged, elegant, depressing, and we have so much room to play with on this map. The dichotomy of light and shadow intensify feelings of unease, making it difficult to know what could be lying ahead in the darkness. We want the environment to be dripping with tension. Just from wandering around the world you will see the telltale signs of last moments of the residents, police, and soldiers who once fought to keep this place - their homes - safe and secure.





This map is much larger and more nonlinear than any previous map. There are tons of places to explore and most buildings have at least some interior space. The map includes points of interest such as a courthouse, auto shop, record shop, basketball court, hotel, office building, doctor's office, and a series of large apartment buildings.







We also have underground areas to explore such as a sewer system, and subway.





One major thing we wanted to try and achieve with the Brooklyn map, as our second production map, was expanding our randomization system to go a step further. In NOTLD, our randomization is focused mostly on item and objective spawning, and in Brooklyn, we're adding in another layer of randomization which is randomly spawning interiors. As you can see in the proof of concept example below, we can have a row of brownstone houses and when the map runs, it'll randomize which of those houses gets an interior, and which interior it gets.



The scale of this map will really force players to explore, work together and struggle to stay one step ahead of their living and undead adversaries. Its complex structure, immense verticality, randomized elements and a mix of tight and open spaces create a truly diverse and unique environment in NMRiH2.

Thank you all for reading this Dev Blog and we can’t wait to show you more of Brooklyn Heights as it comes together over the next few months. It’s our most ambitious map to date and is shaping up to be something special. We hope that you’ll come back again for our next Dev Blog and join us on our Facebook and Steam Community pages!

**NOTE** Screenshots of the Brooklyn Heights map are early work-in-progress captures, we expect to share higher quality renders soon as we continue to build out the map within the game engine. Stay tuned!