Developers Continue To Answer Your Questions!
Our commitment to answering your queries continues with the next batch of questions that you submitted over the last week. Take a look!
General Questions
Why are there just 3 servers (Europe, Eastern Europe and North America) and which is the best to pick if I am in Asia?
In Active Matter, each “cluster” server region actually represents multiple data-center locations. We currently maintain three main clusters (Europe, Eastern Europe, North America). Over time we’ll streamline cluster choices so that the game automatically connects you to the lowest-ping servers without manual selection.
Aside from the automatic crash-report upload, is there any additional information we can provide to help you debug game crashes?
In most cases, the crash reports usually give us everything we need. However, if you ever find a reliable way to reproduce it 100% of the time, then fill a bug report including those steps in your bug report so we can track it down faster!
Gameplay Questions
Why can’t all players spawn at once in Raids (or have a delayed start) to prevent spawn-killing?
Load-in times vary greatly between rigs and networks - some players can be ready in 15 seconds, others may take several minutes. We can’t know in advance whether they will even load at all, and when. We don’t want to force all players to wait for the slowest loader, holding a Raid open indefinitely.
Instead, we’re significantly refining the spawn system to avoid those edge-case situations which you express concerns about without introducing long, forced waits.
What will you do to combat extract campers? They are becoming more common, for example in Shegolskoe where people will run up to the big extract on the floating land in the sky and sit there all game sniping at you.
“Campers” can just be called “snipers” – snipers are part of the PvP aspect of the game (and you can play Isolated Raids if you don’t like PvP!). The main way the game balances different tactics is through the danger of the zone, and the zone mechanic is designed to push players out of static positions over time. We’re evaluating how long a position remains “safe” (since the zone is not supposed to be a safe place to remain still), and may tweak those timers to discourage endless safe camping without removing the tactic entirely.
The incentive to take suppressors is already huge, in order to avoid alerting monsters and other players. Are they viewed by developers as the best thing to use, or will you introduce some balance changes to them?
Yes - we’re planning to add suppressor durability so that they wear out over time, reflecting real-world maintenance costs and trade-offs.
Have you considered a PvE mode where players can meet and cooperate rather than shoot on sight?
We’re planning Raids based around co-op play for larger numbers of players but can’t share details yet - stay tuned!
The Future Maker requirement is 30,000 - will that threshold change after full release or on different platforms? Is the wipe number flexible or final?
Whether that threshold will change remains unknown. The Agency is shrouded in dark secrets - or perhaps it’s simply an over-bureaucratic organization with arcane internal procedures. Maybe it’s just how the Monolith interacts with reality, meaning any adjustments will ultimately depend on reality itself, which can evolve over time.
Monsters Questions
Is it a design choice to make monsters - especially Flowermen - feel like bullet sponges? You often feel like you have to mag-dump into them.
Flowermen in particular are envisioned as thick, wooden constructs covered with plant armor, more akin to dense trees or shrubbery than flesh. Their high HP reflects that toughness, as it’s difficult to destroy a bush or tree with bullets.
Monsters currently feel like they have no inertia, no weight and can instantly strafe 180°. Is any monster movement rework planned?
Yes - Flowermen will probably get more inertia. We rolled out an initial inertia tweak for Flowermen last Friday and will continue refining monster movement so they feel more grounded.
Is there any plan to reduce the number of monsters you can be fighting at once? It’s overwhelming to fight Distorted, Flowermen, etc., all together.
That depends on how many monsters awake around you. Monster density is often driven by their ability to sense others, which we tune every update (the last change was on Friday). We’ll keep adjusting it to smooth out difficulty spikes.
Conversely, do you plan to increase monster difficulty or add deeper behaviors?
Absolutely. We’re working on new behaviors, attack patterns, and monster variety to enrich encounters and raise the overall challenge.
Ball Lightning often phases through buildings and explodes underneath players. Will you adjust them?
We’ve already adjusted some of their mechanics to reduce the frequency of these cases. Do let us know how it feels.
How will upcoming “Raid Bosses” work in PvP? Will they appear on the map for everyone, locked to a specific location, or roam the map?
"Raid Bosses" are oversized or elite monster variants. Some would only be found in specific Raid locations, some patrol designated zones, and others roam more freely. You’ll need to locate them through exploration or intel.
Will there be more ways to defeat Statues besides grenades (which you appear to need a lot of on Military Base: Silent Observers)? It feels odd that heavy melee weapons don’t affect them.
Grenades won’t be the only way in fact - armor-piercing rounds will damage them too. We are also planning improvements in their damage model.
New Features & Future Plans
Will there be solo/duo/trio raids or matchmaking so solos don’t face full squads?
We’ve heard from the Agency that, in the future, there will be Raids specifically designated for solo players, duos, and squads (as well as other configurations)! This means that, rather than separate matchmaking queues, you’ll be able to enter Raids limited to your group size.
Note, however, that anyone can still team up during these Raids. Solo-designated Raids won’t fundamentally alter the open-ended nature of encounters - you may still meet or cooperate with others in-game.
Do the developers see solo play as unbalanced in terms of difficulty or rewards? If so, what are your thoughts on addressing it?
When you are playing regular Raids, you can never know for sure whether other players are alone, grouped up before entering a Raid (a "squad"), or if they only group up during the Raid itself (the latter of which is not something we can know before the Raid begins either). This is the cruel reality – and why we intend to keep it so rewarding to kill squads!
Besides, you can always play solo Isolated Raids!
What’s the plan for Isolated Raids and their loot, since many players want to focus on them and have unlimited runs?
Isolated Raids are our dedicated true PvE mode, and the best part of them is that they share stash, and progression. You get all the benefits of PvE in the same core game.
In fact, Premium and Elite Edition owners have the opportunity to participate in a test (subject to change) of unlimited solo Isolated Raids.
Body Sleeves feel unbalanced - the "Hunter" Body Sleeve seems to always be the best, while starter Sleeves are too bright or weak. Will you improve them? Will we also see a return to more professional or realistic Sleeves like from the Closed Beta in future?
Yes. We will be reworking Body Sleeve stats, armor values, slot layouts, as well as color options so more choices are viable and visually appealing. We also plan to restore some of those professional-style sleeves in a future update, as we also liked them.
Will you add a tutorial for learning AI enemy behavior? The difficulty curve can be steep for new players.
Probably not. Part of Active Matter’s design is learning the hard way through repeated play or by teaming up with more experienced friends.
You've mentioned earlier that you have no further plans to monetize the game. Could you please clarify your monetization strategy?
We’ve seen a wide range of questions on this topic - some players want more things to purchase, others expressed concern that we’ll monetize features we’ve already ruled out, and some even ask for a free-to-play version (for which we already offered a trial version). However, we currently have no plans to monetize the game beyond cosmetic customization and different game editions.
Do you plan on having underground tunnels and metro stations as part of future map additions to the game?
Yes - expanding into underground networks like tunnels and metro systems is intended!
When you zoom out the map as far as you can, you'll see that each Raid takes place on a single large map. Since all raids take place on the same map, but only in a certain area, will we see an open-world mod? Or are there plans for larger maps?
Yes - we’re exploring larger map implementations for future updates. A full open world is not planned yet.
Do you plan to further change Nexus battles or their rewards, such as adding new objectives?
Yes. We’re designing new Nexus objectives and tweaking rewards (as we did recently) to improve replay value and engagement. Also, we’re also moving toward a system where player factions vie for control of the Nexus.
Will Active Matter support Linux in the future?
For now, Linux isn’t planned due to anti-cheat technical constraints and its lower demand. However, we are targeting Steam Deck compatibility, so it’s possible.
That’s it for this time - but it’s not the last! Our plan is to release some more Q&As, so if your question didn't make it into this Q&A, don't worry! We may answer it next time.