[2023] Roadmap and Progression 2.0 Development Preview #9 | 02/05/23

A lil somethin somethin: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Welcome, back we've got some news for you!

Any information and images are Work In Progress (WIP) and may change drastically before releasing




With Progression 2.0 on the horizon, we thought it was a good time to share how this update will be released, as it's split into several parts.

We're releasing Progression 2.0 in this way so that players can experience the new Equipment and
leveling system sooner instead of waiting around for an extra six months.

We know that there's still a reasonable amount of time between now and the update, we're working hard on releasing this as soon as possible, but we also have some additional big news to share in the coming months...


As you can see, the first part of the update will include all of the new Equipment Tiers (which increases our equipment total from twenty to a whopping sixty!), the prestige and new leveling system, and some evidence overhauls. This will create a huge shake-up in how the game feels, as well as reward players for leveling, instead of just a number increasing infinitely.

Once Part One is released, we'll be moving swiftly on to reworking our Photo Rewards system, adding new Tasks, Optional Objectives, and adding new ways to earn money in each contract; Video and Sound evidence*.

Lastly, the third part of Progression 2.0 will add the long-awaited new character models (with customization), replacing player animations, as well as a complete overhaul of the CCTV system in the Truck, allowing you to navigate through placed cameras and location cameras much easier!

*more information on that to come in a later Development Preview



While evaluating our Evidence Types to see what we could improve, we found that 'Freezing Temperatures' was another Evidence that needed a glow-up.

'Freezing Temperatures' had several issues of its own;

• Temperatures weren't synced across games, resulting in different players seeing Cold Breath at different times.
  
• The Thermometer had become a redundant piece of Equipment, outside of some very niche situations
  
• Finding Freezing Temperatures was completely passive, there was no gameplay involved outside of noticing a particle effect

Just like our green glowing friend, 'Freezing Temperatures' has also been completely overhauled.

Firstly, Cold Breath didn't make much sense contextually, to remedy this; Cold Breath particles will now appear at around 5-7 degrees Celsius and below. This makes Cold Breath make much more sense, as well as increasing immersion throughout contracts.

For example, if it's snowing and the fuse box starts off, you'll find Cold Breath instantly everywhere, even in the Truck! Alternatively, if the fuse box is on, so that the house is nice and toasty, you'll find Cold Breath appearing only in rooms where the ghost has been long enough to drop their temperature.

So how do we find 'Freezing Temperatures' Evidence? That's where the Thermometer comes in.

Firstly, the Thermometer is now Starter Equipment, meaning you'll get a free one in every contract.

Secondly, you'll need to take your Thermometer into rooms where you've found Cold Breath, and check if the temperature is zero (Celsius) or below!

Thirdly, room temperatures are now synced across players, no longer will one player see Cold Breath before another, and you'll get much more consistent readings on your Thermometers when checking in a group.

Lastly, Equipment Tiers give you different ways of checking 'Freezing Temperatures' and help you to find the ghost room:

Tier I is an old house-Thermometer, ripped straight off of your Investigator's living room wall. This Thermometer has a slow sample rate, meaning you'll have to wait longer to get an accurate reading. You may want to bring one in and check back on it later in the contract.



Tier II looks the same as the one currently in the game, however, the way you use it differs. Instead of turning it on and getting a reading every two seconds, you now have to hold the Use button to scan for temperatures. This makes running around and checking each room's temp much faster than Tier I, alongside this, scanning manually feels much more responsive, instead of updating constantly and not knowing if it's accurate or not.



Tier III is a straight upgrade to Tier II, completing temperature scans at double the speed of its predecessor. Additionally, this more modern Thermometer is more accurate with each reading, allowing players to quickly and efficiently scan rooms to find the ghost or to get 'Freezing Temperatures' ticked off in the Journal.



That's it for Development Preview #9. We'll catch you with some more teasers soon!

If you experience any issues or want to give feedback, please join the official Phasmophobia Discord: https://discord.gg/phasmophobia

Thanks,
The Kinetic Games Team