Streets of Rogue 2 FAQ

[Madguy]

Hi everyone,

With this FAQ, I’ll try to consolidate the answers to your most burning Streets of Rogue 2 questions to one location!

When’s it coming out?
The current official release date is “2024”. That’s all I can say for now!

What platforms will the game be released on?
Initially, the game will be released on PC, Mac and Linux. At some point later, the game will be released on Xbox, Playstation and Switch consoles.

How is this game different from the first one?
First and foremost, the game isn’t so much a rogue-lite as it is a procedurally generated open-world game. Structurally, it’s completely different. Rather than progressing level-to-level and starting you from scratch when you die, the game operates as an open world where your character becomes more powerful in a variety of ways as you progress. Activities that you can engage in are much more varied. The game also includes a number of other additions, ranging from cars to animals to diagonal walls. My hope is that SOR2 will not "replace" the original game, but rather it will be different enough that they can coexist and scratch different itches that you may be having.

I liked the short-form game structure of the original. Will I still enjoy this?
While "runs" will be significantly longer than in SOR1, I want the game to retain a breezy feel. Ideally you should be able to hop in, make some progress and have a few fun/cool/interesting experiences, and leave satisfied. One of my initial inspirations for doing an open world game was actually Sid Meier's Pirates, an OG of the genre where the pace is quick, runs are generally under 10 hours (sometimes much less), and repeat playthroughs are all but a certainty. But I also want to leave things open for people to spend a lot of time in a playthrough if they want to. I imagine that mutators could help players to tailor the experience to their liking.

How much emphasis is being placed on the new survival/crafting/building/farming elements?
In keeping with the "play how you want" theme of the original game, it's not necessary to engage with every single system in order to have a successful playthrough. For example, you might be able to obtain a number of craftable items by purchasing or stealing them. Or, you might be able to purchase a home or sleep in hotels rather than build your own lodging. Any survival elements will be light by default, though I will likely create mutators that factor them more heavily into the gameplay.

Will the game be Early Access? How will that all work?
The game will initially release into Early Access. EA was extremely beneficial to the development of SOR1, so it makes sense to go that route again. My hope is that the EA period will last around 1 to 2.5 years. That may seem like a large window, but game development is unpredictable! It’s entirely possible that the game will be polished and feature-complete enough at the 1-year mark that I’ll be ready to call it 1.0, after which I’d continue to add content and improvements. Then again, that’s what I assumed about the original game, and its EA period was a little over 2 years. SOR1 had consistent bi-weekly updates for the duration of its EA period. This proved to be a little strenuous for me, so I may switch to doing updates every 3 weeks instead for the sequel.

Will there be an alpha test prior to the game’s Early Access release?
It’s possible, but I can’t say anything for sure just yet.

What’s the game’s plot? How is this connected to the original game?
The primary "win state" of the game is to become the President, though other win states will likely be introduced as well. You start the game “fresh off the boat” in a new country, and the path that you take is completely up to you. I will likely also allow for alternate starting scenarios. There is no direct connection to the events of SOR1, though the game takes place in the same universe. And I may just straight-up change pieces of lore from SOR1 if I feel it better fits the new game. Essentially, SOR2 is very much its own unique thing.

What are the system requirements? Can this still run on my potato?
System requirements are slightly higher than the original game. Officially, the game requires 8 GB of RAM as opposed to the original’s 4 GB. But, it should generally run fine on most older machines, provided you’re not putting the game through anything super-strenuous (i.e. having four players drive quickly through dense cities at opposite ends of the game world). While Windows 7 isn't officially supported, there's a good chance the game will still run on it.

Will the game have Steam Deck support?
The original SOR got classified as "Playable" on Steam Deck, and I expect the same to happen with SOR2. The requirements to become "Verified" for SOR1 were actually pretty tricky to implement, and frankly wouldn't have made a difference for the vast majority of Steam Deck users, so I opted against it for the time being. I may end up finding the time to fulfill all these requirements for SOR2, but at the very least you should expect to be able to play the game on Steam Deck without issue.

Will the game have workshop and mod support?
Yes, though I can't say at this point whether it will be there at the start of Early Access, or the exact form it will take. I'd really like for the game to be more modder-friendly than the original SOR, but it may not be a priority for a bit unless there's a strong enough demand for it.

Will Streets of Rogue 1 still get updates?
SOR1 will continue to receive bug/balance/quality-of-life updates.

How many players does the game support?
Locally, the game supports four players split-screen. Online, the game also supports four players, though I might add support for extra players at some point in development.

Who’s working on it?
As with the first game, I (Matt D) am handling all of the design and programming. Most of the art is being created by Thomas “Cyangmou” Feichtmeir, with Czarek Łuczyński helping on cars and other tasks. The soundtrack is being created by Megan McDuffee. Officially speaking, other planned roles have yet to be filled, but I should have more to say about this soon. Regarding the absence of the original game’s composer, sadly a contract-related issue (unrelated to me or tinyBuild) prevented him from coming onboard this time around.

Which character classes will be returning from the original game?
As many as I can cram in there.

Since the game has farming and crafting, will it also have fishing?
Possibly but I haven't figured out exactly how this will work yet. I'm sort of against adding minigames. I'm open to suggestions.

How much will it cost?
I haven’t had this discussion with my publisher yet. If I had to make an educated guess based on the current indie games market, it will likely release into Early Access at $19.99 or $24.99 USD. For those who remember, the original game launched into EA at $14.99 back in 2017. By comparison, SOR2 will have lots more content, polish, and overall value.

Will there be a GOG version?
I can't 100% confirm at this point, but it's very likely, as the original game was on GOG.

What’s the best way to get updates?
I’ve been posting details on the game in recent SOR1 news updates. You can also follow me on Twitter.

How can I support development?
Wishlist and tell your friends!

Can I read emails this time?
That's under wraps!

Matt
@madguy90

[That Old Jake Guy]

The hype is real! Will we be able to build our own faction in this one?

[chrismmv]

i am losing my mind over this

[anduril38]

So excited for this!

[Ak1ra]

This is so beautiful, I've been looking at this for 5 hours

[Trox]

Dude the initial screenshots looks so good, I am looking forward to this.

[Lily White, Herald of Spring]

cant wait :D

[Pheather]

Will there be a dedicated server option?

[LA MORENA]

Looks amazing! I can't wait to have pigs in my house. Will there be a playable animal character?

[TTV_MikeyBeaverGames]

Cannot Wait For This To Come Out! i already have a blast with SoR1! will definitively stream this when it comes out!

[horactix]

will there be fishing

[Cursed Localizer]

Technical question for the dev.
How will translations be handled in the sequel? Still .csv files or maybe you'll move to .json .yaml or .xml files?

[Atak]

Loved SoR. Please make the sequel as mechanically rich as you can. A non-related example that comes to my mind is Disgaea 5. You can go into "chara world" to buff your chars. You can go into items' "item world" to buff items. You can breed item perks like Pokemon. You can equip your squad mates as weapons and combine them?!

Now if a linear JRPG can do this, I know you can make this one much more special! Best of Luck...

[Super Alpha T-posing Yoshi]

Hype

[Svenny]

I can't wait for 2023!!! I'm already liking what I'm seeing from the screenshots! Keep up the good work, Matt!

[Glaust]

Lets go! This is going to be fantastic!