Extraction Open Beta

The beginning has ended. Now - we get to work.

It's time! Extraction's Open Beta begins TOMRROW at 12pm EST with an expanded map, re-worked game systems, and the server being open and public for the entire world!

Let's talk about what this beta is, what is isn't, and what is still in flight as we move towards a full release.

The Map

The full map for Extraction is so much more than what you all have played in Beta City, but it's scale has proven to be just... too much for our build team. We went BIG with the full map, and I think that's proven to be a double-edged sword.

The mods and helpers (and new friends, hi Wade!!!) have been filling the world with POI and interaction spots to keep gameplay exciting and not just a walking sim, however we're not quite done yet. We'll start the open beta with a subsection of the map, marked with a pink box for those of you who will be playing with a map mod.

This does also mean though that there are likely (probably) places where we've missed adding spawners or chests, and some spots on the map feel empty. We've been building and playtesting for weeks, but there's only half a dozen of us, so we're likely to miss some things. If you notice during play that certain areas feel underwhelming, PLEASE let us know, and we can continue expanding and filling out the map in time.

If you happen to wander outside of this area, don't worry - the map will tell you! Because this isn't the originally intended border it does mean that some of the edges aren't 100% clear geographically, but it's the best we can do.

As the team keeps building out POI in other areas, we'll expand the playable space over the Open Beta duration. Each expansion will be announced and come with additional other changes.

Airdrops

Airdrops in their current form are just OP. Part of that problem was making them available so cheap when the Loremaster was still selling items, but then again that was partially for testing purposes. Seeing JackCas call out 6 airdrops at a time and having looting them time to a T was pretty eye opening. So, I'm going with the following changes:

• Airdrops will change from a consumable item to a POI on the map. Airdrops can be called in at specific locations in the full map.
• Activating an airdrop location will notify players within a certain radius to encourage challenging for the content of the loot box.
• You will activate an Airdrop with Airdrop Orders which will specify the content of the drop you are requesting. These will replace the existing Airdrop grenades.

Engrams

Engrams in their original form felt insanely unrewarding, which ironically matches the Destiny system they were inspired from. Making them more viable was important as they take up an entire inventory slot when in a raid, and that weight was not balanced by their value. Here's what's changed

• Engrams now contain at least 3 items with a rare chance to roll with additional entries
• Engrams Rarity determines their highest item with one guaranteed item at that rarity, with all subsequent items being of one rarity lower (maximum Rare)
• Additional engrams that focus on specific loot types will be added to the loot pool in the future, once we get some more features for the resource pack to make then visually distinct
• When opening an engram, if you do not have space in your inventory items will be sent to your Postmaster.

Crafting

Iron+ Armors, more weapons, and unique gear or tiered crafting materials will be added after week 2 of the Open Beta. We wanted some time in the "Iron Age" of the game with more players to further calibrate how combat performs with more players.

Other Changes

• Trapped Chests
  • Trapped chests have a chance to spawn mobs when opened for the first time on cooldown. These will spawn between 3-5 mobs for the correct biome of the map within 15 blocks of the player.
• Interactables
  • There's a lot more hiding in the Nexus! Keep an eye on player heads and other blocks that look like they might be interactable... because they probably are!
• Key Items
  • Certain items in the Nexus can only be found in specific places. These key items will play a new sound when found in loot, and drop at Legendary Rarity, but only in specific locations of the map. Key items are usually for trophies, or rare crafting components, but also can come into play in the future for NPC questing.
• Resource Nodes
  • Mineable ores exist around the world that can be broken with the vanilla-appropriate pickaxe. Dropped ores and resources can be refined and traded with people who might still be working on the Emerald Standard instead of trading in shards. No idea who might be into that, but they likely won't be found in Sanctuary
• New items have been added to the loot pool
• Animations have been updated and improved
• All items have received a lore update describing their use and functionality
• Frost Grenades' item has changed
• Extractions now default to 30 minutes (Up from 20)
• Players now receive 5 extraction points (Up from 3)
• Engram unlocking is now 1 minute (down from 1:30)
• Freezing Ticks have been increased (10tps -> 15tps)
• Mobs will no longer burn in sunlight

Expect more updates and deep dives into things as we go into the Open Beta and beyond! See you on stream for the launch!

• Legs