FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
General
On what OS can it be played?
The game is being developed for computers running Windows, macOS and Linux. While support for all these three operating systems is planned to be available on full release.
Will I need a NASA computer to play Outer Ring?
Definitely not! We’re working to keep Outer Ring available on mid & low-range computers.
On what platforms will Outer Ring be available?
For now, it is only available from Steam.
Will Outer Ring be translated into more languages in the future?
Yes.
What languages will be supported?
Outer Ring will be playable in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Polish among others.
Why did you call it “the player driven MMO”?
We’ve called it “The player driven MMO” because community is a very important part of development. They can collaborate on public forums in different languages and affect the development of the game.
Not only that, but in game, systems such as the economy, the creation of cities and the laws will be directly linked to how players interact with the different worlds and systems that make up the game, thus creating a living ecosystem.
We believe in the principle that everything in the game should be influenced by the actions of the player, nothing should ever be static and immutable.
Is Outer Ring based on real history?
No. Outer Ring is based on a dystopian future, based on the eponymous novel Outer Ring Saga.
What kind of game is Outer Ring?
Outer Ring is a sci-fi fantasy MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) currently in development.
Mix old school systems (Ultima Online or Meridian 59) and newer and more diverse concepts brought from games as disparate as Planeside or SMITE to achieve a perfect balance.
We believe that some MMOs have been designed with the goal and desire to appeal to all gamers, all of the time, but this is not our case, we believe the future of MMOs is all about making games, targeting specific gamers niches.
What type of MMO is Outer Ring?
Outer Ring is an action, third-person MMO, based on skills (without levels) and that contains a high social charge.
Lone players will find content to enjoy, but we think Players who want to interact with communities and player-driven economies will find what they are looking for in Outer Ring.
Development and phases
Will there be multiple servers?
No. Everything happens on the same server, except logically the Battle Arenas and the Private Dungeons.
How many other players will be on my server?
It is difficult to venture into such early stages of development how many players will be able to coexist in the Outer Ring.
Games like EVE have inspired us and the idea is that the entire game takes place on a single Global server.
We are working hard on it, and thanks to Unreal Engine 4, Steam and Amazon’s GameLift technology it will be a reality.
Anyone can test it?
Yes. Anyone will be able to test it. From the first phase, we will be present at STEAM.
Does this mean that I can test the entire game from scratch?
No. We are only going to release content when we think it is of sufficient quality to be presented to the community.
The liberalization of content until the first “Final Early Access” with all the final content will be sequential.
Is there an alpha version or some way to test it?
The game launch is sequential and can be tested from the first phase.
How is Outer Ring going to launch?
The launch will be sequential (Incremental Launch).
It is an atypical launch, since the launch phases are structured in a modular way to present players with the different phases of development as complete as possible.
Payments and economics
How does the economy work?
All in-game items can be obtained with INGAME money.
All items in the Auction House and Player Stores have to be priced in both currency types (Premium and INGAME) and the player decides in which currency he wants to pay.
We seek to generate a living economy, in which all types of players have a place.
Does this make Outer Ring a “PAY TO WIN”?
Definitely not. The real economy takes it away from it, since it allows a real economic flow to be generated, not impacted by the development company, but by the players themselves.
The benefits obtained by the Patreon do not make a palpable difference compared to a player without a Patreon.
Keep in mind that almost all cosmetics and absolutely everything that can influence the development of the character can be purchased with the game currency, without any need to spend or buy Premium currency.
Patreon? What’s that about?
Patreon is a non-obligatory monthly subscription planned to be priced around $8 ~ $10 ~ $15 month.
It provides the following perks:
- Discounts on Store items
- Unique cosmetic rewards
- Additional passive skill study slots
- Bonus in real economy exchange.
Do I need to pay monthly fees or at Patreon to play Outer Ring?
No.
If I have bought the game in any of the first phases, will I have to buy it again?
No. If you bought them for example in the first milestone, you will have the game for the ridiculous sum of 4.99 €.
What is a living economy?
The economy in Outer Ring is much more than a game, it is a way of life. Based on examples related to Entropia Universe, we have concluded that there are players who are looking for real economy in a game.
Under this premise, we have come to the conclusion that we will re-buy the Premium coins from everyone who wants to sell them, once the EarlyAcces has been launched in its final version.
Is there an in-game store?
Yes. There will be a cosmetic store (These will in no case improve any player’s characteristics) and a Patreon system.
Does that mean that you will buy back all the premium coins paying 100% of their value?
No. Steam has costs of 30%, to which we must add the corresponding VAT and our percentage of profit, however small it may be, in order to continue working on the game.
We estimate that we will buy back the premium coins (EXOCREDITS) paying between 10% and 30% of their value. We hope that this generates a real economy that impacts not only the game, but the lives of the players themselves.
What will be the final price?
The price will increase in each phase of development. Even so, the final price is to be decided but it will be around 24.99 € ~ 29.99 €.
What price will it have?
Just as the game unfolds sequentially, the price will also vary depending on the state of the game.
The price according to the first phase of development, will be 4.99 €.
Can you exchange in game currency for premium currency?
Yes. There will be a currency exchange where players will be able to put their offers and follow them in real time, just like what happens in the traditional stock exchange.
What business model does Outer Ring follow?
Outer Ring follows a “buy to play” business model. This means that a single initial purchase gives you permanent access to the game, without any content restriction!
On top of that, the game features an Item Store selling cosmetic and an optional Patreon membership.
Game dynamics
Are there any penalties for dying?
Yes. Death penalties:
If you die in the battle arena: You do not return to the resurrection pod, as you are subject to the specific rules of the battle arena.
If you die in a PVE Dungeon: You go back to the last POD resurrection where you have bodies, penalizing the durability of the equipment.
If you die in OpenWorld: Deaths in a maximum security zone have no penalty except to return to the resurrection POD where you have bodies.
The deeper you go into the danger zone, the harder the penalty is, and you may lose your entire un-equipped inventory.
In all cases you return to the R-POD where you have bodies, in case you have no bodies, you will be sent to the Home Lab.
How to resuscitate if I die in the Outer Ring?
To resuscitate you need to have bodies in a resurrection POD.
If you haven’t saved a copy of you in the Open World, you will be reborn in the lab (from the beginning of the game), which will force you to go through the hangar… and “jump” back into the world. Thus, penalizing death.
If you have saved copies of your body in an Open World Resurrection POD, you will be reborn there. Resurrection PODs have charges, once they are exhausted you will have to pay again (In game or Premium currency) to save your DNA for 5 more bodies.
There will be Resurrection Pods, public (managed by NPC) in the main city.
In all other cities and areas the Resurrection Pods will be managed by players, prices may vary.
What types of weapons can we use in the Outer Ring?
Of all kinds, both ranged and melee weapons, each with advantages and disadvantages.
Exist armors in the Outer Ring?
Yes. Combinable between them, with more than 10 possible pieces to exchange and with very different characteristics to adapt your character to your play style.
The armor in the game can provide 3 types of defense. Physical, Thermal and Kinetic but for simplicity let’s focus on just 2; Physics and Thermal.
The player’s “life” is composed of the sum of his own life + the physical armor + the thermal armor. All pieces have an amount they can cover and they wear out when they receive hits. To recover the defense they provide, they must be fixed.
If we were to represent this… it would be like in Diablo type games, which use the ball of life and this one has a protection layer of magic shield. Although in Outer Ring the approach differs in some respects.
All weapons do physical and thermal damage, and also affect life on all impacts. Armor only serves to remove much of the damage. They have a small recovery rate that activates after a period of time without receiving hits.
Weapons have a % of damage to each armor (physical and thermal) and a % of penetration. There are weapons that may not have a damage type or no penetration.
For example a common gun does 90% physical damage + 9% thermal + 1% direct penetration.
This means that a shot with 100 damage will do:
- 90 damage to the physical armor
- 9 damage to thermal armor
- 1 direct damage to life
In case you don’t have armor of some kind it will directly affect your life.
Using the example above but without physical armor:
- 0 damage to physical armor
- 9 damage to thermal armor
- 91 direct damage to life
The armatures can have different recovery rates, these rates are activated after a period of time without receiving damage (both the rate and the recovery time can vary depending on the type of armor)
Despite the recovery rate, the armor does not recover 100% of its effectiveness if not repaired.
This offers a wide range of possibilities, which allows us to equip ourselves for each situation in a much more optimal way.
This system also opens a wide range of possibilities for the weapons and their different combinations when equipping them.
What is the DNA system?
You can try to get DNA from all living things in Outer Ring.
When you take DNA out with the DNA gun, you get samples of higher or lower quality.
These samples serve to improve our knowledge of the Bestiary or in some cases, to create Pets or generate personal improvements based on “animal” DNA.
We can travel from planet to planet?
Yes. We can travel from planet to planet through space, free as a scuba bird. But we won’t start developing this part until we are really deep into the early access.
Camera and controls of the game?
Outer Ring uses an 3rd person camera attached to the player’s shoulder.
The keyboard and mouse are used for movement and to perform most interactions, including attacking and interacting with items and other creatures.
Keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys are available for skill casting and opening / closing different game menus.
Will there be in-game voice chat?
Yes. In bars, public places and the social hub.
It can also be activated manually when you are part of a guild, group, or a raid.
Will there be classes in Outer Ring?
No. Players can progress how they want. Players can create builds customized to their preference through our Weapon Skill Mastery System and Our Skill Pasive Progression System.
Will I be able to play alone?
If by “alone” you mean “offline”, the answer is negative – you’ll need internet connection to play Outer Ring.
If you mean “solo”, the answer is yes – you won’t be forced to be part of a guilds, a party or a faction.
However, Outer Ring is a sandbox, interactions with other players will happen, and are generally encouraged by game mechanics.
Outer Ring has factions?
Yes. Three very different factions with unique characteristics, advantages and handicap.
Outer Ring has guilds?
Yes.
eSports
What will these Battle Arena be like?
We will have very diverse Battle Arenas ranging from a massive 200 player Free for All, to Team Battles (4vs4, 12vs12, 50vs50, Guild vs Guild), Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, Monster Bass or even MOBA.
Will the different eSport that make up part of the game be launched as standalone games?
No. Arcade Machines, Battle Arenas, and the Card Game are only accessible from within Outer Ring.
Can these Battle Arenas be taken as an eSport?
Yes. There will be official Outer Ring Arena tournaments.
What do I gain from playing Battle Arena?
You help us test systems and calibrate them … but if that is not enough and the fun by itself does not fill you (or greed can …)
All these battle arenas will have a Leader Board.
The best players of the week will receive succulent prizes.
In addition, there are normal or training arenas and arenas with fee registration (The winning team will keep 70% of the prize pool, the remaining 30% accumulates to be distributed among the best three players/guilds/squads of the week)
Will all the Battle Arena be available from the start?
No. We’ll implement them gradually. From the beginning you will be able to enjoy three different battle arenas with their respective game modes.
In eSports the latency of the network is very important, how will a good latency be maintained?
All in game games are launched on exclusive instanced servers taking into account the location of the players to ensure optimal latency.
Is outer ring just another “GANKBOX”?
Not. We’ve always felt that sandbox MMOs discourage some players who don’t appreciate hostile interactions.
Because of this, we have designed the world with different rings of protection, generating from safe areas without any possibility of PVP to very dangerous areas with PVP and severe death penalties.
In addition to all those who enjoy the PVP, but do not want to take risks, there is a system of Battle Arenas.
Accessories
Are there pets in the Outer Ring?
Yes. Of two types Aesthetic or Functional. Aesthetics will only follow our character. The functional ones have predefined AI (Healer, Tank, Rogue,). These will follow our character and perform the actions that are allowed.
What pets can we have?
Biological and bots.
Will there be crafting?
Yes. But it is in very early stages of concept.
Will there be housing?
Yes. You can buy or rent homes. And not only that, players will also be able to run businesses such as bars, game rooms, grocery stores, Resurrection pods or weapon stores among many other things.
Can we have spaceships?
Of course!!! What would be a deep space game without our own spaceships! It is in our plans, but is not a priority right now since we are focused on the development of the Main base, the first planet and all the main game systems.
Are there ground vehicles in the Outer Ring?
Yes! They are not a priority right now, but we definitely want to include them as part of the PvP ground combat and arenas” In the future, each faction will have easily differentiated vehicles.
Mini-games
What mini-games can we find?
From arcade machines, to billiards, darts and even some based-on cards or collectibles.
Are these mini-games for one player only?
No. Some of them are for one player but have leaderboard. Others are directly multiplayer and others can be played in both modes.
