Greetings from all four of us at Lunar Rooster. Early access isn’t far off now! On the 14th of June you will finally be able to buy Sky Noon on Steam and keep it forever. We are super excited to get it out to you all and see what you can do. A huge thanks to everybody who participated in the beta tests and community discussions for helping to shape Sky Noon into the best experience it can be, but we aren’t finished yet! We read everything you say and are always making improvements, which only gets easier the more you share with us.
Now we want to share what you’ll get with the early access release of Sky Noon. What you see below is a preview of the maps, game modes and other features that you will get to start playing with immediately on release. Next week’s blog will feature a road map of our post release plans, including what we may be adding over the course of early access and which features will be expanded upon. For now, here is what’s in Sky Noon:
Game Modes
- Free for All (FFA)
Max 8 players – Everybody fights one another to find a single winner. First person to reach 10 eliminations wins. - Team Deathmatch (TDM)
Max 4v4 – Two teams standoff with eliminations being the only way to victory. First team to 30 eliminations wins - King of the Hill (KOTH)
Max 4v4 – Two teams must contest and take control of 5 hills to win. The hill will move each time one is captured. - Cart
Max 4v4 – Two teams must fight over a minecart with the goal being to blow up the base of the enemy team. The cart can be moved along the tracks by shooting at it. Along the way are track changers which allow you to change the direction of each track intersection. First to blow up 3 doors or the team that destroyed the most in 10 minutes wins
Time Trial
It is just you and your grapple hook, a true test of your grappling skills and speed. Race solo against the clock, travelling through every checkpoint as fast as you can. At early access launch there will be several different trials varying in length and difficulty hosted on our playable maps. Compete against your friends and the world to score the best time on the leaderboards, and attempt to earn the bronze, silver and gold medals by beating the par times.
Maps
Saloon
A section of land that was mined out long ago is now the best place to go for a cool glass of water after a tough day. Those who prefer the rustic country life gather here, far from the nearest town in semi-isolation. With plenty of water in reserve and lots of business, it’s no wonder the factions want to take control. This place is said to be among the first lands to be raised from below many years before.
Towers
A series of tall silos are under strict guard by the Minutemen. They contain the grain and water that feed the Minutemen controlled towns and peoples, one of many such containment sites throughout the sky. Control of these areas is vital for the long term success of larger settlements.
Hightown
This town has been so greatly distorted and changed by the raising from below that it is barely recognisable. Now named “Hightown,” the small community lives huddled together in the few buildings that haven’t been lost. Constant bickering between the Cartel and Minutemen over control of this town has prevented greater expansion, with most people opting to leave and found their own floating lands.
Homestead
A lone hermit lives in his house under an arch, having had his land brought up into the sky against his will. Efforts to remove him from his old home are futile, so the factions fight on for the land while he remains inside. The silo full of grain and mostly intact barn are too valuable to leave under the control of an uncooperative old prospector.
Bridge
A highly contested symmetrical zone, with the Minutemen and Cartel separated by a mere wooden bridge. A relatively new set of floating islands that is constantly changing, this land has yet to be properly settled and won’t be until a winner is determined. (Note that this map is still undergoing changes and may look different upon release)
Supports the Cart game mode.
Mesa
An intersection of the great sky railroad that has long since fallen into disrepair and segmented. This land would be a great prize for those who are able to take control, so long as they have the resources to repair and reconnect the distant sections of the railroad. The Cartel and Minutemen have dug in to this symmetrical mesa and neither have plans of leaving.
Supports the Cart game mode.
Whirlwind
This zone is highly volatile as a result of the contained tornado at the centre. It was an experiment conducted in an effort to quickly and efficiently harvest water from the nearby clouds, but it proved to be too dangerous. Now the Minutemen and Cartel fight over it, seeing its potential and foolishly thinking they can control it better than the other side can. Don’t get caught in the tornado.
Supports the Cart game mode.
Character Customisation
Choose between two characters, Jaz or Steve (doesn’t affect gameplay), and dress them up with cosmetics that can be unlocked through playing Sky Noon. Fully customise your ideal cowboy or cowgirl, allowing you to mix and match a selection of hats, face accessories, shirts and pants.
See you next week
That’s a preview of our major features upon early access release of Sky Noon. Stay tuned for next week as we will be discussing a road map of our post release plans, including potential new maps, our plans to expand customisation, weapons and more. Thanks for reading!