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In a recent 4Gamer interview, NC Vice President and BigFire Games CEO James Bae discussed the feedback from the pre-alpha test of Cinder City, an open-world MMO tactical shooter powered by Unreal Engine 5. Following a 7,000-player pre-alpha in North America, an upcoming alpha test is scheduled for December, expanding regions to North America, Europe, and Asia.
Bae reported that shooting mechanics, sound design, and the narrative received positive praise, but acknowledged that the difficulty setting was a failure and drew heavy criticism. Bae admitted that developer skill makes balancing tricky, noting that skilled groups cleared testing areas quickly while casual players struggled at the start.
To address balancing, Bae stated that outdoor areas and early zones will have lowered difficulty, while instances like dungeons and buildings will allow players to choose difficulty levels with corresponding rewards. Bae also highlighted the use of a custom-built server for AI NPCs designed to react smoothly without breaking player immersion.
The December alpha test will feature Japanese language support and a Japanese tester recruitment phase, with regional servers planned to ensure optimal ping times. Bae expressed hesitation regarding cross-play with consoles due to live-service update scheduling hurdles, though gamepad support will be included.
