There are several reasons for this; one of the things we learned from Beta was that players don’t like to micromanage (this is an FPS, after all), and sticking options all over the place isn’t always the best idea, especially with expiration notices. However, we recently implemented a patch that added more purchase options for the 5th slot weapons as a convenience to the Premium slot users.

As you may know, we began tinkering with the audio fairly early on in Beta, replacing old sounds and voice samples. As Beta went on, we decided that new audio samples weren’t enough; we wanted to make it more immersive, and this required the use of a more versatile engine. This is when we switched to XACT. Unfortunately, it caused quite a few problems for the users, and we reverted back to MILES shortly after commercial launch.

We are committed to patching with newly developed content on a regular basis, and we also plan to keep running tournaments and in-game events. This kind of service can’t be provided on a single “full game” price, so we went with a membership plan.

The next content patch should be out in less than a month, and will include at least one new map. We’re also planning on revising the current set of maps (reworking the visuals, making the gameplay more fluid, etc), which should be refreshing for the users.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to release a mapping tool. However, we’ll be opening up a mapping forum soon where the players can talk to our level designer as he develops his maps. This gives them the opportunity to put forth ideas for maps they’d like to see, ask questions, and give input on maps as they’re being developed.

We actually held one some time ago, but players are always welcome to come up with mapping ideas! We have a forum section we call “S&I” (Suggestions and Ideas), where players can submit their designs, images, and artwork – anything they’d like to see created for War Rock.

By “second installment,” you mean a sequel? I think that for now, we have enough on our plate to work with on the current War Rock. There’s a ton of features and ideas we’re gradually working in, and there will be more Episodes. However, if there’s enough demand, I’m sure that there could be an all-new War Rock II in the future…

One of our concerns has always been balancing F2P and Premium services – keeping the game fun and fair for F2P while giving Premium enough incentives to make it worthwhile. We believe that the ability to lock and have a private room is a pretty personal feature – one that isn’t absolutely integral to being able to play the game and have a great time, so we chose to make it a Premium feature.

We’re still tinkering with that idea. The problem is that we can’t allow non-official server hosts, so the closest you could get would be to have a single player be the “host” and stream content from our servers. It’s certainly not impossible, but it’s hard to say if or when it will be developed. We do however have a new basic training mode in development, and that should give players a quick jumpstart into the game.

Actually, Free2Play members can play on all the currently available maps (including Premium maps like Alberon). Since they’re not limited in what maps they can play, we felt that actually selecting the map for personal room creation was a reasonable feature to pass on to Premium users.

Yes, we’ll definitely be doing that again! We also have ideas for more seasonal touches (for instance, maybe something like Pumpkins for grenades at Halloween) and we really look forward to having more fun-oriented updates for all the players to enjoy.