Hi everyone,
I've been thinking about where to take Ninja.io from here. The result is a 2020 roadmap with some key features and changes.
The current Ninja.io website is outdated and inconvenient. It is in the process of being completely redesigned. Player registration, login, profiles and customization pages will be moved to a menu that can be accessed directly inside the game client. This has several advantages: - The game will no longer have to reload between leaving / joining servers. - Speed: everything will be accessible without the need to navigate to & load different pages. - Partner-friendly: the current website is not partner-friendly in the sense that in its current format it is difficult to publish and share on partner websites. The new design will remove this problem. A new API is being developed and the game will no longer be tightly integrated with the website. This will allow for future releases on platforms outside the browser, such as steam and mobile app stores.
New character customizations will become available. The customizations can be divided in roughly 4 categories: - Weapon mods: weapon camo, silencers, scopes... - Clothing / attire: capes, ammo belts, hats, boots... - Looks / appearance: hair style / color, body shape... - Auras & effects: alternaves to energy orb, particle emitters...
These customizations will be purely aesthetic. Additionally, players will have the ability to create multiple characters with their account.
A new ranking system is being created. The new system will be more fair and less susceptible to abuse. It will allow for continued level growth while also keeping track of the skill & ability of players relative to other players. The old high score listing will be archived when the new system goes live. It will remain available on a separate page but will no longer be updated.
New social features will be implemented. This includes the following: - A more convenient way to add friends, including the ability to add friend in-game. - Cross-server chat with friends. - Chat lobby: a public lobby will open where registered players can chat with other players. - Clan support: players will be able to create their own clan and join other clans. Clans can have their own banner. - The ability to mute other players. - New character animations.
Supporters of the game will be able to play ad-free and get access to some additional features. The exact details will be made available at a later time. This might also include an ability to buy points that can be spent on customizations. Many customizations will remain available for free, but they will cost points which can be earned by playing the game. Ninja.io will not become pay2win.
New worlds and items will be added periodically, as they have been over the past year. World / map design is one aspect where the game could really benefic from community input. While the Ninja.io world editor is not user friendly at all, I do intend to make it available on the new Ninja.io website so people can create their own map designs. The editor will be made available along with a user manual. A new / revised editor will be released at some future point.
Most of these features are scheduled to be released over the next 10 weeks. The game will then enter beta stage, which I expect to last for the remainder of the year.
As always, questions and suggestions are welcome!
Join the Ninja.io discord or email dev@ninja.io
Thanks and have fun!