We are Phoenix Labs, makers of Dauntless. AMA!

What features are going to separate your game from similar games in the genre like Monster Hunter? -- /u/OldSchoolRPGs

The most obvious element is that Dauntless will be on PC. This means full HD & glorious 4K resolution, streamlined matchmaking, streaming, and an even wider audience of slayers to play with due to the pervasiveness of PC gaming.

Being free to play means that we’ll also be able to add content (behemoths, weapons, story, quests, etc.) at a steady pace to keep the game fresh and exciting without needing to wait for a yearly release cycle. Free to play also means that people will be able to invite their friends to experience this genre without the risk. We hope this means the genre will only grow!

Aside from logistical elements, the islands that you explore in Dauntless are not segmented; they are one big, completely explorable map without loading zones. Working with a modern engine like Unreal also allows us to do some really crazy, exciting things with behemoths in terms of their abilities and scale.

Philosophically, we want to get players in and playing as quickly as possible. When we’ve tried to introduce our friends to this genre in the past we often hear that needing to spend hours wading through gathering missions is discouraging. We want slayers fighting deadly, huge behemoths as quickly as possible and really keep the focus on slaying their way to the top. This isn’t to say that we don’t love the sweet grind that is looting and crafting — expect to invest hours if you want top-tier gear.

Aside from logistical elements, the islands that you explore in Dauntless are not segmented; they are one big, completely explorable map without loading zones. Working with a modern engine like Unreal also allows us to do some really crazy, exciting things with behemoths in terms of their abilities and scale.

One of the few things I disliked about the MH series was the segmented maps, especially when it came to finding the monster and just the annoyance of the load times.

The one thing it did give those was a safety net for when you're low HP so you could heal up if necessary. I assume there's nothing like that in Dauntless then, correct? If you move far enough away from the Behemoth will they unaggro from you?

The behemoths will flee if they take enough damage and will not re-agro until you re-engage.

But lets say you have a group of 4 and 1 is as low health. Is there a distance he can move away so that the Behemoth won't aggro anymore?

If not, I can even think of stuations where 1 player aggros them and then runs around the map with the Behemoth chasing them, and thus the players, run constantly around just to troll them.

Or like, if there's no aggro range, what if your friend is AFK at the starting area and you engage the Behemoth on the other side of the map. Is there a chance they will suddenly start charging the AFK player if they haven't even moved?

In MH it would aggro everyone in the map no matter what, but they could drop aggro by leaving that part of the map. Whats the situation like in Dauntless?

The agro range differs over time. It's not this simple -- only one way to find out: Join us in Beta.

Behemoths are truly formidable!

How do you plan to keep old content relevant for veteran players? In a years time, will expert slayers still have a reason to hunt the earliest behemoths? -- /u/auramancer1247

Absolutely. The behemoth that you decide to slay is just one element of any hunt. Slayers who invest a lot of time into the game will find features like modifiers, challenges, and quests that inspire them to “revisit” every behemoth in the game.

The question inside your question is how do we keep every encounter challenging. Skill is a cornerstone of Dauntless — we want to push every slayer to their limits. And we don’t want the thrill of that challenge to let up at any point during progression.

Additionally, there’s also the social element. We’ll curve encounters based upon the number of slayers in a party, and slayers who are further along can always don lower-tier sets to relive past encounters alongside less experienced players.

Will there be different weather effects (e.g. rain, snow, day/night cycles) to be experienced throughout the hunts, and if there are weather effects, is there any development in mind that they affect how behemoths and slayers fight, and/or how resource certain resources may be acquired - or will weather be purely for environmental aesthetics? -- /u/Tsutsayosdi

The Shattered Isles is a diverse and exciting place to explore. Different islands will have different climates (biomes) and weather will factor into this. You’ll also see islands in a whole new light based upon the in-game time of day (pun intended).

As far as weather impacting gameplay we think that this would be awesome. After playing BotW we’re inspired by how rich and imaginative interaction between systems can bring a world to life. For now, we’re working to really nail down getting biomes working and making behemoth encounters fun — but this is something we’re excited to explore in the future.

Will you include a shaved, completely, head options for male characters? You'd be surprised how often it isn't a thing

Can confirm maximum aerodynamic potential.

Since the islands aren't procedurally generated is there a set number of islands you're looking to create for launch or perhaps a Plot-and-parcel system to prevent islands from being stagnant? -- /u/Yote224

We are able to create islands that are of high quality, interesting to explore, and great for slaying on pretty quickly. We’ll be talking about how we pull this off at a later date (It’s really damn cool), but suffice to say that we’ll have great variety when it comes to islands.

Part of the lore of our world is that the islands shift and move with time. The island that you’ve been looking at out on the horizon might not be there when next you look. This means that slayers can look forward to exploring new islands on a regular basis.

what is the ranged weapon? -- /u/HowDenKing

For those unacquainted with Dauntless, we’ve announced the sword, axe, chain blades, and hammer (that has a blunderbuss built in!). We’ve also announced that we will have a ranged weapon at launch.

We’re still working on what the weapon is, although we have it boiled down to a few possibilities. But, we’re not quite ready to talk about what they are yet. What we can say is that the ranged weapon will be a really active, exciting option for slayers. We never want slayers to sit on the periphery of a fight or just stand by and avoid danger; every fight should be a visceral experience. To this end, the Ranged Weapon will have distanced attacks, but also require slayers to get up-close and personal for maximum effect.

Will Dauntless have in-game events that pop up at a certain time of the day? Thanks for reading/answering!

yes

Will there be any other creatures on the islands? Fodder to keep you busy on the way to the behemoth? Maybe some materials for crafting can only be collected off the smaller creatures

Yes! They don't call it Ramsgate for nothing ;D

Will there be any kind of robust replay system for hunts? I'd love to be able to move the camera around and record my hunts with my friends with colour/timing/speed effects. This would also be great if I could directly export a reply to social media!

When we slay a behemoth, will we be able to get a screenshot of that moment? Either manually or automatically? Some kill shots are quite entertaining!

This is a feature that we think would be awesome. It's not out of the realm of possibility, but it would be something that we would want to do well if we do it. That means that it would probably need to come later.

Great idea on the screenshots, too.

How far into alpha do you plan to invite people from the EU?

As soon as the Alpha servers are stable we will widen the net. Until the whole world falls under our shadow MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH...

Ahem.

Most games of this genre fall short in one aspect when it comes to hunting: Impact and the sense of weight.

What precautions are you taking to make the heavier set weapons feel like they are, indeed, heavy weapons?

100% right.

First, here's a blog that our combat designer speaks about this very thing in: https://playdauntless.com/an-early-look-at-combat-in-dauntless/

Things like hit-stun, sound effects, animation, and the weapons themselves all go into this. And, of course, the secret ingredient is community feedback!

How good are the selection of beards going to be in character customisation?

We would say we have a solid beard choice-level. Maybe not best-in-class, but still quite nice.

Do you see Dauntless' business model clashing with the gameplay ideals of a title like Monster Hunter? Will spending money ever circumvent the necessity to grind for materials? How does the free-to-play model affect the game design for character progression?

First and foremost -- we are against pay to win and against pay for power.

The cornerstone of Dauntless is forging your own legend. If you see someone holding a weapon or wearing armour -- they earned it. They earned that legend.

To this end, we're also very interested in community feedback. The integrity of skill and progression is key. If we ever see or hear that it is being compromised, nothing is off the table (including the removal of any purchasable item) to resolve that issue.

How important Eggplants will be in the game ? Crucial for founder pack buying :)

Critical.

Hey guys, thanks for the AMA! I'm looking forward to your work.

You've mentioned that Dauntless works on a "classless" system with unique abilities coming from the weapons. Can you expand on this system? As a player who really enjoys being unique, what kind of variance can we expect when it comes to type and quantity of weapons, as well as, race/character creation?

Sure! You don't have a level in Dauntless. Your abilities and capabilities are based upon what you have equipped and have crafted.

So, if you're into variety the cool thing about Dauntless is that it's not just surface level. If you see someone wearing badass armour then you know that they can also do badass things!

Additionally, we will be offering a great level of detail in our character creator.

you said you boiled the options for the ranged weapon down, so now comes the important question, is the Harpbow one of those options???

http://imgur.com/wHoL9xr

Will the Chain Blades be more like the Dual Blades from Monster Hunter or the Kusarigama from Toukiden?

They're a cross between the Dual Blades and that sweet high-flying Ninja Gaiden Flying Ryu goodness.

Wil players be able to stick to one weapon type that they like. Or will they be more encouraged to use different weapon types?

If you want to use one weapon type for the whole game, that's cool by us! It may not always be easy or advantageous, but if you're committed then we're excited.

Can behemoths sense you by other means than just line of sight? Is there any stealth involved or rewarded for sneaking up on a behemoth?

Interesting idea! We're experimenting with mechanics. Would be interesting to deal with behemoths that use other senses.

Besides cosmetics what is something that will differentiate me end game from other slayers? In other games you have locked classes and usually some massive time sink levels or specializations that can give you a "place" in a group. With Dauntless having swap I'm and out weapons will there be a risk of end game just being a bunch of people with all the top tier equipment?

You will be able to transmog your gear meaning that you can replace an items looks without replacing its stats. You can mix and match to your heart's content.

Hey there, based on tech demos and gameplay videos, most of the characters have looked the same. So my question is much character customization will there be in Dauntless and what kinds? Excited as a Canadian to play a mmo from a Canadian studio! Cheers!

Cheers here, too!

From the start of the game, you will be able to customize your slayer. We are working on details that we think will really make it so that you identify with your character. To your point, our current demos haven't showed a lot of this, but that is only because they are early :)

Hey guys, really excited to get my hands on the game (Founder reporting in)! Everything I've seen so far has been impressive.

My question is that with obvious inspirations from other famous games like the Monster Hunter franchise, are there certain things that you are hoping to achieve/create/include that are absent from those other popular titles?

Thanks for doing this AMA!

Thank you for being a Founder! We appreciate the support <3

As far as what we want to achieve, here's a quick list:

• Airships!
• Vibrant streaming community
• Adding new content (behemoths, weapons, etc.) over time to keep the game fresh with free new content on a consistent basis.

Will there be a Ping Communication system? Seen in games such as Portal 2, Dota 2, League of Legends and the such. Pings like "Danger!/Run Away" or "Look Here" and "On my way"? I think it would be good addition for quick communication among players.

This is something that we are experimenting with. Teamwork makes the dream work.

Phoenix Labs, which gaming magazines do you read?

Game Informer

Will Dauntless be on steam? :o would be great and easy to see which friends actually play it.

Not currently planned, but never say never.

Can I invite my friends to the closed beta if I bought a founder's pack?

That's not currently planned, but we can think about it.

Will your character customization have beards?

I neeeeeeeed it.

Beards confirmed

1. Something key to Monster Hunter has been the combo/crafting systems. Making poison steaks, paintballs, heat and cold drinks, Pre-game food for buffs. Do you have any plans for things like this in Dauntless? If so could you give some examples?

2. Another thing I am interested in is do you have plans for things like traps and bombs? It’s always a great feeling to trap a difficult monster right before it dies or lure a monster towards a trap of bombs. Is this something we might see as well?

1 - Yes! You will be able to craft items that will help you on your journeys, both durable and consumable. E.g., health potions, attack buff potions, defense rings, etc.

2 - Traps and bombs confirmed. We are tweaking them to ensure that they are fun and not OP.

Will you be able to trade consumables with one another? I know that trading is something you guys want to avoid (at least in regards to equipment), but it could be really helpful if someone willing to craft consumables for their party could distribute them.

Alternatives would include things like being able to craft a group-wide consumable distributor ala World of Warcraft where the crafter puts something down for the rest of the party to use (like with food buffs).

There will be no trading in Dauntless. This is mostly to enforce the idea that if you see someone wearing something -- they earned it.

1. Can you give us the expected month of the release of closed beta.
2. What are some current plans for the crafting system
3. Co-op Tourneys? A possibility?
4. Is the game going to be grindy? For example, clear this behemoth 3+ times to get a scale which forges an armor which helps you clear the next behemoth etc.
   
5. Elemental armor. Is it happening? Can I Embody a lightning dragon if im wearing its armor, with lightning coursing through my sword?
6. Is their one late game armor that stands above the rest, or are you going to be able to choose the best type of armor for the situation at hand?
7. Can you share some experiences and challenges that stemmed from leaving studios like Riot and Blizzard, and things you learned from them? And Lastly, thank you for doing this AMA.

Can you give us the expected month of the release of closed beta.

The Closed Beta will be in Q3 of 2017. We cannot specify a month yet because it is contingent upon the build being stable which will be proved out during Alpha.

What are some current plans for the crafting system

You can read our first post on this topic here. Above and beyond that, what we can say is that we know that crafting is going to be a core part of the game and very important to both the longevity and vibrancy of gameplay. We will be releasing details as they become available!

Co-op Tourneys? A possibility?

Cool! Yes!

Is the game going to be grindy? For example, clear this behemoth 3+ times to get a scale which forges an armor which helps you clear the next behemoth etc.

There will be some grind to the game, but a good grind. Like, the kind that we love in games like Monster Hunter, Diablo, WoW, etc. We will be working closely with the community to ensure the grind is enjoyable and not a chore.

Elemental armor. Is it happening? Can I Embody a lightning dragon if im wearing its armor, with lightning coursing through my sword?

We are currently prototyping and working on armour abilities. We want you to feel like you are the embodiment of the behemoth!

Is their one late game armor that stands above the rest, or are you going to be able to choose the best type of armor for the situation at hand?

You know what's great? Racing games. You know what's not great? When there's only one viable car for competitive play :( We also don't want that to be the case for Dauntless. There will be many viable ways to be awesome.

Can you share some experiences and challenges that stemmed from leaving studios like Riot and Blizzard, and things you learned from them? And Lastly, thank you for doing this AMA.

Wow. That's a tough one. There are so many lessons that we have learned. What we do know is that community is key -- which is why we are here today!

After the game release, are you planning to add events with rare monsters and weapons? And special events like xmas, halloween...? TY

Definitely. We will be looking to really nail down the core of the game and make sure that's smooth. As soon as we're solid, you'd better believe we'll have some fun and creative events!

Will Dauntless get Destructible environments?

This is not currently being planned, but never say never!

The most important thing for us is nailing down what makes the game fun and solid for slayers. Once that's perfect we'll look into it ;)

This is definitely something that we would love to do!

I hope it makes it one day. And on that day, trees won't save us from Pangar rolls.

Everyone loves pancake day

Can you send a video of you typing like a madman during this AMA?

http://imgur.com/a/dJ2xD

(love u stern)

Phoenix Labs, why aren't you located in Phoenix AZ USA?

Too hot.

Hey, guys! thanks for making this AmA!

I was wondering if you could give us any more detail on the ranged weapon you guys have been working on? I'd love to hear about what you guys are considering and came up with.

Great question! So great, in fact, that the /r/Dauntless community already asked, too <3

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/67r17j/we_are_phoenix_labs_makers_of_dauntless_ama/dgsjhjv/

What are your favorite kpop groups and/or songs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzC4hFK5P3g

Praise to the clean hand.

Will there be end game content such as raids?

There won't be raids per se but we will have content for "end-level" slayers

How will armor be split up? Are we talking just Helmets/tops/bottoms as constructables. Perhaps, gloves, boots, overcoats, pauldrons? Are there any negatives associated with the armor; be that in a give & take fashion or otherwise?

Currently:

Helm, Body, Arms, Legs.

Currently no negatives with armour, and we will allow for transmog

Is Ramsgate also a floating island? Or are these islands in an odd orbit centralized around some kind of planet? Ultimately what I'm getting at is, if a slayer were to be knocked off an island would they go splat or drift into nothingness?

Ramsgate is on its own little set of floating islands.

The Shattered Isles is a collection of islands with different cities and peoples. Ramsgate is at the edge of the frontier -- a bulwark against everything that goes bump in the sky.

Do you have any social features in place that will encourage Slayers to hunt with new people/make new friends?

Will there be any kind of mentoring system in place or benefits for veteran players to help newer players out?

Definitely! Slayers that play together stay together!

We're toying with things to incentivize teamplay (without punishing anyone that wants to go solo). Also, we're working to make guilds a great way to play together!

We will also be looking for ways to help experienced players looking to "sherpa" other players find a way to connect.

As a super short-haired woman IRL who is always tired of long hairstyles as the only option in character customization...will there be Pixie-cut or short Mohawk style options for female characters?

You better believe it! Self-expression is an important element of the game and we want you to be able to make a slayer that you love being.

One thing that's always seem to fall short (or is completely missing) in games that have clear Monster Hunter inspirations are the interactions with Environments, whether that be the way that players interact (climbing, gathering, fishing, shortcuts, etc.) or the way monsters interact (leaving zones in surprising ways, using the environment for advantages/new moves, breaking parts of the map that provide support, create new areas by smashing through obstacles, etc.) with it.

Will Dauntless feature systems that allow the characters to interact with the environment beyond combat or have monsters that use the environment in ways that may even surprise players that have hunted it before?

As we move into Beta, the most important thing for us is to nail combat and make sure that it's fun. At the same time, we need to make sure that the islands that we're making are fun to hunt on.

Once we've got that nailed down we will begin exploring different ways that slayers and behemoths can interact with their environment.

is there going to be a voice chat system for parties?

i would also like to know if you will need to build an entirely new set of armour if you want to try a ranged weapon (like in monster hunter)?

We are working on voice chat! It really makes the game that much more fun.

You will not have to rebuild armour to accommodate weapons

Hello! I wanted to ask if it was possible to gift founders packs? I would love to pick one up for my brothers birthday in a week!

It is not possible at this time. We're looking into it -- but it will not be ready in a week. You can give your brother a gift card and the do your brotherly duty and tell him that he will get a wedgie if he does't use it for Dauntless.

Phoenix Labs, you are independent, but would you liked to be bought by a bigger and older company or merged?

We will only settle for the oldest.

Kongō Gumi -- you know what to do.

what are the limits on how risque or lore breaking cosmetics can be?

We don't want to go too silly, but we also want to let slayers express themselves. Expect to see a few eyebrow-raising items, but nothing that will totally break immersion.

You mentioned airships earlier in the comments, do you guys have any plans for guild/player housing or anything of the sort at the moment?

We really want to nail down the core elements of the game first, but this is something that we will explore once we feel the core of the game is solid.

When will be the next set of invites to the Alpha be? and roughly how many people do you expect to be adding in the next wave and the waves after that?

Tomorrow morning.

How many people signed up for the alpha?

We're not mentioning numbers, but we are very happy with the response.

Will the min specs be tuned following tech Alpha results ?

Yes

Phoenix Labs, do you have beakers and bunsen burners in your lab?

We use them to make science coffee.

Phoenix, labs what are your favorite beers?

Yes.

I'll take that as every beer.

Yes, please.

Phoenix Labs, which TV shows and movies do you get inspiration from towards your games characters and landscape development?

Indiana Jones meets Predator meets Tangled

Hiya~! I have a few topics I'd like to ask about:

1) Will you implement large monster battles, similarly to Lao, Jhen Mohran and friends? If yes, after reading that you are planning to add airships, could there be some monster fights fully in the air? :O (Maybe underwater too? no hate pls, lmao)

2) Since you are inspired by Monster Hunter, I assume there's gonna be an Armor Skills system similar to it. What kind of improvements/changes do you plan to make over the MH's own system?

3) Will there be crossovers with other (indie) games? Personally, I'd love me some Shovel Knight armor :D

Cheers,

Esch

1) We're really into this idea. That being said, we want to nail down the core of the game first. Once four-player combat feels GREAT we will look into this.

2) There will be Amour (Sic) Skills/Abilities. We're looking to incorporate a wide variety, clear crafting system, and improved visual effects

3) We met Yacht Club at PAX South. They're nice!

As a big fan of Monster Hunter, I loved the village quest hunt and the guilds hunt and the fact that they were separate, can we expect the same in Dauntless? Don't want to ask a question that was already answered, but I can't seem to find an answer.

There will be different factions within Ramsgate that will have varied motivations and desires. We're excited for you to meet them!

Phoenix Labs, how many months did it take to plan, design and develop Dautnless?

Phoenix Labs has existed for three years. We've been working on Dauntless for most of that.

Phoenix Labs, which ages is the game best for?

13+

Phoenix Labs, how much time will it take a Customer/user to complete the game?

Now this is an interesting question.

The short answer is hundreds of hours. But, we'll also continue to add more content on a consistent basis. So, really you can never ever finish it.

Phoenix Labs, what type of music will in the game?

Cris Velasco is making something truly amazing and breathtaking for us. You're gonna love it.

What do you think about a Voice Chat for better communication?

We're working with Discord on something to this end!

Phoenix Labs, how often do you make trips to USA for fun and business? And where do you usually go in the USA?

We've been down quite a bit lately. LA, San Fran, San Antonio, Minneapolis, Portland, Boston.

Any new footage?

Not just yet!

Phoenix Labs, how many different characters can a player play as in Dauntless?

Currently, the plan is one -- which you can alter and customize to your desires.

Will there be any type of Pets/Companions?

Not at launch, but it's something that we're looking into!

Phoenix Labs, what are your favorite video games of all time?

Let's be clear here.

Super Mario Sunshine is the best Super Mario game.

That's not what you asked, but that's what the fight we had decided.

When will 21:9 support come?

Glorious 4K+ widescreen confirmed

Phoenix Labs, how did you come up with the name"Dauntless" for the game?

There is a moment in some of our favorite games and art where you're just one person standing against a huge monster or onslaught. In that moment you have to decide whether or not you're going to run or become a hero.

You have to decide to become Dauntless.

Phoenix Labs, how many energy drinks Do you all go through during a day at work?

A LOT SEND MORE

Any chance that you guys will stream updates or community events/showcasing in the near pre/post-launch future?

Yes! Sounds like fun.

Are there any suggestions from the community that you've grown fond of? If so, mind sharing which?

First, let's talk about how amazing the fan art we get is. So inspiring!

It's hard to pick any one thing. But every suggestion we get does let us know that there's an excited and passionate community out there. And that keeps us going!

Add me on League?

Rocket League? yes.

How do you feel about iwass99x huge load of unrelevant questions?

We love everyone the same.

Hello, i was wondering how important guilds are, like will they have stuff locked behind them such as crafting elements or specific missions or will you be able to play the game guildless or in a small guild of say 2 or 3 people without being at a disadvantage to large guilds with lots of members who can farm up resource much easier for guild unlocks?

We don't want to lock content behind guilds, but they will have cool stuff that is unique to social gameplay

Will there be support aspects such as all-party healing potions? I know this game will be classless but I'm only asking if there are aspects such as these.

One of the rules of combat in Dauntless is that everyone pulls their weight. We don't want anyone standing on the periphery or holding back. We want every fight to be visceral. That being said, being a badass is different to every person. If supporting your team is your ideal we will have ways that you can "spec" into that with items and weapons.

Yesssssssss I really love supporting I'm so happy to hear this!

Awesome!

Phoenix Labs, do you all watch E-Gaming matches? Got any favorite teams and players?

TSM

Will there be Fishing and Other gathering tasks... that I love?

There will be material gathering, but dedicated mechanics for gathering are still TBD

Phoenix Labs, what ways do you plan to market and advertise Dauntless to customers? Do you plan to use Facebook, twitter, Instagram, word of math, YouTube ads, Facebook ads, Reddit ads, or better ideas than these?

Word of math. Our current plan is to becoming irrationally desirable.

When will we be able to stream the game?

Streaming will be available during the Founder's Alpha

Any plans to implement a mini-game (Monster hunter had Arm wrestling, PSO had soccer, etc) for Ramsgate? (on page 4 of a list of suggestions for possibilities.)

Giant in-city soccer ball confirmed.

...>.> wait, for real?

Nothing as firm as PSO, but there is a ball you can kick around Ramsgate.

1) Cupcakes or muffins?

2) Will there be Behemoth hoodies and Owlbear plushies?

Chocolate chocolate-chip muffins

We are working on merch! Shrike plushies are frequently requested and we hear that ;)

What's your plan regarding storage in dauntless? will we have an unlimited amount of storage space from the get-go, or will we have to expand our storage through either paid or in-game means?

We're still deciding how we will handle this. A lot of it has to do with what we see players doing during Alpha/Beta tests.

• Have you thought about a tutorial for the game yet to help new players? Will it be more to the style of Dark Souls or will there be more hand holding?

• Will we be able to use the enviroment or lay traps to help us fight Behemoths?

• With gear progression are you looking at a linear progression with clear best in slot gear or will it be balanced to allow players to use the gear they like the most?

• Looking at endgame, will the player be done after aquiring 'their' best in slot items or are you planning on an enhancement system allowing the player to give more stats to an item, similar to Dark Souls or Diablo 3?

• Once the game has been out and people reached their goals, what are your plans to keep 'Veteran' players interested. Will there be special events/fights that are targeted at high skill/geared players?

1) We are working on an experience that will gently guide you into the Shattered Isles and help you become the best slayer you can be!

2) We are working on traps. And if you become a behemoth psychology expert you can trick them into moving into areas that are beneficial for you.

3) Gear progression is as linear or as tree-like as you want to make it. It really depends on what you want to focus on. There are a lot of overlapping gear options.

4) We're still thinking about this, but it's more likely that what you craft will have these properties innately

5) https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/67r17j/we_are_phoenix_labs_makers_of_dauntless_ama/dgsjgic/

What makes this game unique to set it apart from other games?

Great question! So great, in fact, that someone from /r/Dauntless asked earlier this week <3

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/67r17j/we_are_phoenix_labs_makers_of_dauntless_ama/dgsji77/

Let us know if you have any other questions!

Will we get different playable races in the future or only Humans? Are there any rewards for participating in the Alpha / Beta? Thanks, already got the founders pack. Sooo hyped! <3

In the Shattered Isles, humanity is its own thing. You can look forward to learning more about the different cultures and islands that make up the world.

what's the ranged weapon?

<3 https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/67r17j/we_are_phoenix_labs_makers_of_dauntless_ama/dgsjhjv/

Phoenix Labs, you say Vancouver is beautiful but offer no evidence, why is this?

Too beautiful. Breaks all cameras.

Hi, what is the FOUNDER'S BANNER? and what's the max number of players in Co-op?

All slayers will have access to a banner that will be able to customize with elements that they will unlock as they progress.

The Founder's Banner emote that is found in the Founder's Pack is a specific animation that will make placing the banner look that much cooler.

Currently, the cap is 4.

1) In the convention Demos there has been only one map and only the behemoth you're fighting is on that map. I've been told that there are definitely plans for more maps and more creatures than just the behemoths to make the maps seem more alive - Is there an update to that answer though? Maybe some concept areas or critter creatures that could be shared? :)

2) Will maps have multiple areas with different scenery to move through similar to Monster Hunter?

3) When can I stream the game? Will Founder Alpha have an NDA as I assume Tech Alpha does?

4) Will you have a Polearm at launch? pretty pls?

Love you guys. Keep up the good work. Can't wait to stream and hope I get to see you foiks again soon!

1) We already have many more behemoths and islands that have been made since last you played. And we will continue to add more for years to come!

2) Islands won't have loading zones, but will have a variety that makes them feel worth exploring

3) Founder's Alpha will permit streaming

4) Actual image of Spears: http://imgur.com/a/VOUFT

You're such a troll <3

Can't wait to see the new stuff! Exploration of areas is always one of my favorite things. Make sure to add lots of easter eggs for us to find :)

Sounds good!

<3 klok

Phoenix Labs, do you all have any pets?

Dogs, cats, hedgehogs, bunnies, bats, children.

Phoenix Labs, did you forget to attach the cool round Green icon/avatar with the video game controller in it next to your AMA posting?

RIP us

Phoenix Labs, how often are you on Reddit and what are your favorite subreddits?

Our community manager is a long-time Redditor (7 years) and frequents /r/dauntless (of course), /r/YoutubeHaiku, /r/Mealtimevideos, and /r/enlightenedbirdmen (SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE)

Is there or will there ever be a "punching" based weapon like fists or gauntlets?

We are looking forward to adding more weapons as Dauntless progresses. Nothing is off limits and Gauntlets sound cool!

How will the transmogrify system work with weapon sizes, hit boxes, and unique abilities or is it exclusive to armor?

Transmog will not affect hitboxes, etc. Weapon systems have been specifically designed from day one to accommodate this.

I was curious about guild progression and what could be in store for that. Social zones for guilds or spaces to upgrade or show off cool loot? Maybe airships for guilds or other possibilities?

This is a request that we have heard from day one and that we definitely resonate with. There is someone on our team who will not shut up about Suikoden (Ian) and demands that we add something to this end. It would be wrong to deny him, so we are looking it.

That being said, we will always look to nail the landing on the core of the game -- combat, behemoths, crafting, social -- before we add newer more ambitious features. So, stay tuned!

Given that Transmogrification has been confirmed. 1.I would like to know if the Armors (or parts of) will have "unique" changes (i.e. Skins) in the future?

1. Do the drop ships have a name. or are we just going to call them Airships and each will have their own name given to them by their "captain." Or will it be one universal charter ship for slayers?

2. Any chance we will get more back story on Kat Sorrel and her team?

1) We are really lucky to have designers and artists who possess a great attention to detail. Yes :)

2) That is a really cool idea!

3) Definitely. Our story writer is working on something as we speak...