First Degree: Kettlefield - New Open-World Game (WIP)

BigBetterBuilder · October 17, 2021, 3:30am

(Follow this topic for constant updates)

Recent Development Updates

Hey, I’m @BigBetterBuilder. Recently I’ve founded B3 Studios, and the studio’s debut game title is approaching completion. Today I’d like to announce our new game-breaking title, First Degree: Kettlefield.

(Beta Screenshot)

First Degree: Kettlefield (FD: KF), is the first game in the First Degree series. Kettlefield is an urban city, a great place to make your dreams come true. From a large host for many headquarters for major brands to tall and beautiful skyscrapers unlike any other, Kettlefield can be a wonderful place to live. But in recent years due to a catastrophic recession, and terrorist attacks throughout the city, the crime rates have risen over thirty-five percent. And dozens of criminal bases have been hidden around the city, and law enforcement is struggling to keep up.

As the player, you may start as a normal citizen working normal jobs. But you have the choice to commit crimes, or you can apply to the Kettlefield Police Department to fight them. No matter what career path you choose, you can potentially become a wealthy and respected individual. The choice is yours!

FD: KF features amazing shooting mechanics, making every shot feel as powerful to the shooter as it is to the victim. With every action feeling like you’ve done something of large meaning, from robbing a grocery store to arresting a criminal. Though the crazy life is something of thrill and excitement, laying low as a normal citizen is just as eventful. Whether you’re shopping for groceries, or buying a new family car, there’s always something to do in Kettlefield. You can even partake in normal jobs, from delivering people’s food to collecting garbage.

Features/Info (Not all features listed will be present in the final game)

Weapons

Glock - semi-auto; a basic but overall good gun.
Shotgun - semi-auto; a very powerful and satisfying gun to kill the people you pity with.
Micro-Uzi - automatic; a ‘rapid-firing killing machine’ that will gun down your enemies in seconds.
Sniper - semi-auto; a one-shot instakill scoped sniper.
Double Barrel Shotgun - semi-auto; a very powerful double-fire shotgun.

Locations

Bank of Freedom - a beautifully designed bank; can be robbed, you can also purchase money with
TA-DA Supermarket - a nice supermarket; can be robbed, you can purchase goods such as pizza, juice, etc.
Train Stations - use to wait and catch a train to take you to the next stop
Gewels Jewelry Stores - a gorgeous luxury store with jewelry; can be robbed
Police Department H.Q. - a headquarters for all Kettlefield police officers; spawn for all police officers
Burger Hoarders - a fast-food burger joint; hosts jobs, can purchase burgers to eat
Military Air Base - an airport guarded by police officers and soldiers, can be entered but difficult
…more listed soon

Vehicles

Sedan - a basic car, gets the job done I guess
Freedom Van - the “Free Candy” van if you know what I mean…
Pickup Truck - a nice 4x4, but not very fast
Sports Car - a sleek and fast car, but a bit pricey
Police Car - a nice and fast car, has a loud and sometimes annoying siren, for cops only
Delivery Van - like the Freedom Van but with exaggerated physics, only for food delivery missions
Plane - a small beautiful plane that produces an amazing trail when flown
Moving Truck - A small-but-quick moving truck, owned by HAUL-A Rentals

Companies

Burger Hoarders Corp. - a fast-food chain that specializes in cheeseburgers
J.K Records - a critically acclaimed record label, with artists like Lil Man
Bank of Freedom Inc. - a banking corporation
TA-DA Stores Inc. - a local supermarket chain
KFT - a transportation company run by the Kettlefield board
HAUL-A - a truck rental company
…more listed soon

Screenshots (Some screenshots were taken in outdated builds of FD:KF)

As you will see, the game is set to feature full inverse kinematics for all players.

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(Beta Screenshot)
Screen Shot 2021-10-17 at 8.09.36 AM1920×929 76.6 KB

(Beta Screenshot)

RobloxScreenShot20211017_0839599131920×1080 154 KB

(Beta Screenshot)

RobloxScreenShot20211017_0843459071920×1080 168 KB

(Beta Screenshot)

If you have any thoughts or questions, feel free to reply to this topic.

Lightning_Game27 · October 17, 2021, 10:17pm

Like the idea of the game! Hope to see it released soon!

Gruetfal · November 24, 2021, 9:58pm

Looks great so far. Although, I’m just curious as to how you made the game logo. Looks very good!

BigBetterBuilder · November 24, 2021, 11:37pm

I designed the logo in Photopea, it’s like a web-based free version of Photoshop.

BigBetterBuilder · December 29, 2024, 6:17pm

Hey, BigBetterBuilder here.

I’m proud to announce that after three years and one permit, I’m still not finished developing Kettlefield.

Okay, but for real—three years is a long time. And in that time, my game development skills have grown exponentially. However, developing a game of this scale is still far from an easy part-time effort (especially for one developer).

On the bright side, I’ve made significant progress recently, and I’d like to share my updates on this topic. I’ll aim to post consistently, with updates appearing no less than weekly and occasionally as often as daily. And in order to keep things clean, the first update will be within this reply.

Here’s the first update:

Update: 2024-12-29T05:00:00Z

These past few days, I’ve put a lot of emphasis on the basic mechanics of the game: driving, and shooting. Especially considering it’s been so long, and I haven’t finished them.

Adjustments to Vehicle Tuning

I’ll start off with the cars, they’re the Roblox free assets. By default—they make no sense. The sedan would go 0-60mph in like two seconds. But, they’ve been adjusted to drive more realistically.

Introducing Vehicle Customization

Players can now drive into a garage (like in Jailbreak or GTA V customs), and customize the color of their vehicle’s body. This doesn’t just work for cars, but even helicopters

I plan to add more customization options in the future (rims, paint material, engine, brakes, suspension, etc).

Demonstration

Revamped Weapon System

All weapons have been overhauled, since my last attempt at making them didn’t go too well. Now they’re more fluid, less buggy, and more fun to use overall.

Also, players can now purchase, equip, and save weapons using DataStores.

More weapons will be added in the future.

Demonstration

Other notes

These past few months have been incredible for this project. What was once an abandoned project has transformed into something with immense potential. Next week, I’ll make some adjustments to the game map, and finish the bank robbery system (which is sick btw, I’ll drop some screenshots of that soon.)

Anyways thank you for reading this lengthy post, more from me very soon!

BigBetterBuilder · May 20, 2025, 5:16am

Update: 2025-05-20T04:00:00Z

Over the past five months, I’ve been fully focused on shaping the core mechanics and world of Kettlefield, and I’m excited to say that solid progress is being made.

Structures

Since this project has been in the works for a while, the map still holds plenty of structures built years ago. But that’s changing—renovations are well underway, and new buildings are being added with fresh attention to detail. There’s still a long road ahead, with dozens (maybe even hundreds) more structures to create, but I’m aiming to make world-building a major focus this summer.

Renovated Structures

Bank of Freedom and Vault (on Huont Street)
Burger Hoarders (on Main Street)
Kettlefield Police Department (KFPD) HQ
Grayve Regional Hospital
Huont Mini Market

Brand New Structures

Haul-A Headquarters
Ellman’s Department Store
Screne Cinema Theater
Kettlefield Government Block
Baldwin Tower (contains renovated Burger Hoarders)
Bank Of Freedom Headquarters
JREC Record Store at Howes Square Plaza
Apartments inside KFT “GR8” Housing Buildings

Upcoming Constructions

Mail Offices and Distribution Centers
Kettlefield College Campus
West Kettlefield Entertainment District (the island on the left-hand side of the game map)
Downtown Housing
Suburban Housing
General Downtown Buildings
Renovated Ideit’s Motors Car Dealership
…much more

Game Mechanics/Features

A good open-world map sets the stage, but a great one invites players to push its boundaries with their imagination—and that’s exactly the kind of experience I’m building with Kettlefield.

From delivering food and packages around town to robbing nearly any establishment you come across, the world is designed to feel alive, reactive, and full of possibilities. You’ll be able to catch a film at the local theater, blow up gas stations, shop at malls and convenience stores, and even order items from your in-game home computer—then have them delivered straight to your doorstep.

These aren’t just ideas on a wishlist either. Food delivery and movie theaters are already being finalized and polished, giving a strong foundation for the rest of these systems to follow. The goal is to create a world that doesn’t just look the part but feels interactive, dynamic, and personal.

‘Screne Cinema’ Movie Theater

The movie theater is one of the most dynamic locations in Kettlefield, featuring mini-films on multiple screens, a working concession stand, and a playable arcade. Tickets are required—sneak in without one, and you might find the police on your tail. Like many businesses in the game, the theater can also be robbed, including the cash register at concessions, adding another layer of interactivity and risk.

Early run-throughs of the theater experience have been very promising. The films are created in Moon Animator and converted to run in-game using real assets. This cost-effective and performance-friendly approach allows multiple screenings to run smoothly at once without sacrificing immersion.

Film Animation Test:

Theater Screen Test:

Bank Of Freedom

The Bank of Freedom is an important spot in Kettlefield. Around the city, you’ll find ATMs that let you quickly check your money or use it when you need to. Whether you’re buying something or paying for a service, ATMs help you handle it fast without going into the bank.

You can also rob the bank if you’re looking for a quicker (and riskier) way to make money. It’s not the hardest place to hit, but it’s not easy either. If you plan it right and move fast, you might just walk away with a nice payout. It’s one of many places in Kettlefield that support both everyday life and more dangerous choices.

The bank has been neglected for some time, but has become a large priority of mine. At around 70% completion, the robbery system and interior need to be more polished.

Shooting and NPCS

It’s honestly ridiculous how long it’s taken me to make a good weapon system — like, years. You’d think I was trying to build a real firearm with how many times I rewrote this thing. But finally, after endless rewiring and re-scripting, the system works—and it works well. For a game like Kettlefield, where freedom and chaos are part of the fun, having reliable weapons is admittedly a must.

But what’s a good gun without someone to point it at? NPCs are a huge part of bringing the city to life, and I’ve spent a lot of time making sure they feel believable. Now, they don’t just stand around like mannequins — they actually react when you aim a weapon at them. Some get scared and run, some might freeze, others might even fire back. It’s little things like that that make the world feel more alive — and also, way more fun to mess with.

Other Miscellaneous Changes

Immersion goes beyond just polished mechanics — it’s built on attention to detail. Kettlefield aims to deliver that kind of depth, with small touches and world elements that help transform a basic game map into a living, breathing city where players can truly lose themselves.

One of the core pillars of that immersion is the fictional brands and companies scattered throughout the world. From signage and branded delivery vans to storefronts and billboard ads, these elements make the city feel authentic and alive. They’re not just background decoration — they help sell the idea that Kettlefield is a place with its own culture, economy, and identity.

For over four years, the Kettlefield map lacked a clear direction — it was more of a patchwork than a planned city. But that changed late last year. The map now has a finalized layout and a much stronger sense of purpose. Instead of being a scattered collection of areas, Kettlefield is now organized by distinct neighborhoods, industries, and terrain types, including industrial zones, commercial areas, entertainment districts, and residential communities.

The images below show the evolution of the map in three major stages:

The first image represents the original layout used from 2020-2024.
The second image shows the early rework phase, where the layout and roads were still largely based on the original.
The third image showcases the near-final version, featuring a fully updated map design with revamped roads and a more intentional city structure.

Conclusion

This game has immense potential, and I’ll be sharing a full roadmap to its completion or beta release very soon. Any support for this project is greatly appreciated. Kettlefield is a long-running passion project of mine, and I genuinely hope it can deliver a fun, immersive, and exciting experience to players in the near future. Thanks for reading!

eatabler0ck · May 20, 2025, 12:39pm

These billboards are pretty wild . Appreciate the humor though.

That being said, what would be the audience for this game, 13-16 or 17+?

BigBetterBuilder · May 20, 2025, 1:48pm

(thx for the compliment goat)

The target demographic is ages 15+. I don’t think an “Anorexia? Get Lipo” advertisement is appropriate for younger ages lmao.

BigBetterBuilder · May 21, 2025, 12:09pm

Update: 2025-05-21T04:00:00Z

Yesterday, I quickly put together a polished system for purchasing and selling property.

Here’s a quick demo:

I’m at the stage of polishing and finishing all the core mechanics of the game, and actually implementing them into Kettlefield.

BigBetterBuilder · May 23, 2025, 1:09pm

Update: 2025-05-23T04:00:00Z

Another day, another property update.

There was actually an attempt at making a system like this for Kettlefield years ago—and it super sucked. The house models in particular were rough.

So here’s a look at the renovated small house model. Shoutout to @EndorsedModel for inspiration and some assets.

Left: Previous; Right: Updated

I’ve added a simple system for customizing homes—nothing fancy yet, but it gets the job done. The home will also reset back to the original design once it’s sold. Shoutout to @Brambes230605 for the color picker module used.

Here’s an updated look at the property system:

The next steps for property will be:

Adding default furniture
Furniture customization
Functioning household appliances

This system has been fun to work on, and I expect that it’ll be finished within the next two weeks.

BigBetterBuilder · May 26, 2025, 4:29pm

posting an update today but i wanted to share this essential gameplay mechanic first (this was days ago)

BigBetterBuilder · May 29, 2025, 2:12am

Update: 2025-05-28T04:00:00Z

Home Improvement

In a push to make houses in Kettlefield customizable and interactive, the following features has been added to the property system:

Customizable floors
Different rugs
Improved ProximityPrompts
New interactive appliances and furniture

Watch the video attached to see these features demonstrated.

BigBetterBuilder · June 11, 2025, 11:07pm

Update: 2025-06-11T04:00:00Z

ACTION MENUS!!!

i’ve added new action menus to kettlefield! these menus are triggered through certain ProximityPrompts. here’s an example of them being used to show the inventory of a refrigerator:

i want to utilize these more, and make submenu functionality too. that way, action menus won’t get overcrowded with buttons.

Updated hotbar / toolbar

the previous video also showcases the new hotbar! it supports stacks, so you can hold sizable quantities of items at once. this can be good to serve refreshments to guests, or for storing tools required to complete a heist.

New mission / j*b menu

i wanted to develop a uniform ui style for the game, as well as find a way to integrate a system for finding jobs and missions around kettlefield! i wanted to do it in a way that felt simple but intuitive. hence, we get the mission menu.

it’s not complete and i want to make some adjustments to it, but the overall layout seems good. any feedback is highly appreciated, i’m looking for ways to improve the body of the menu. one adjustment i want is making the icons for menu items colored, but i’d love to hear any additional suggestions!

that’s all for now, i’ll post more updates soon!

BigBetterBuilder · June 12, 2025, 4:13pm

Okay, so I’ve finished the overall design of the mission menu:

It’s pretty basic at the moment; I still need to add more. But this fits well into my plan.

My primary objective is to complete functioning systems, the important systems to be specific. But these systems will be made quickly to accelerate development, with more specific systems and functions being added afterwards. This can help give me a rough estimate of a beta release.

For instance, the bare-bones housing system is being wrapped up now. And since all that’s left is some extra functionality, the next step is to begin working on the next essential system. So now, it’s jobs and missions.

WizulousThe2nd · June 13, 2025, 9:19pm

Look forward to playing this game, I’m getting GTA and ERLC vibes, but seems like there will be way more things to do than ERLC. Are you adding first responder jobs as well? (Police, Fire, EMS)

BigBetterBuilder · June 14, 2025, 1:06am

Thanks! ERLC and GTA (especially IV) are definitely some inspirations.

As to adding first responder jobs, there are currently only police jobs. The original scope of the game was supposed to be a Jailbreak-esque game, but I knew Kettlefield’s map demanded more features. So, a police system has been implemented for some time! I’ll make sure to provide some clips and photos showcasing that.

Although I’ve considered adding other first-responder jobs, I haven’t gotten around to it yet. But EMS and fire department jobs sound very fun.

For some specifics on the current features for police, they can:

Arrest players/criminals
Spawn at a dedicated police headquarters
Wear uniform
Earn bounties (similar to Jailbreak or similar games) from more wanted arrests
Get paid per arrest, and receive bonuses based on performance
Receive alerts for robberies and other crimes

Hope this helps!

BigBetterBuilder · June 14, 2025, 9:41pm

CUTSCENE !!

Now when you begin a job, you’ll get an interview before being accepted and working. Here’s a test of the original animation versus the functioning result.

Just as a heads up, this is very unfinished. Adjustments will be made.

Original animation:

In-Game Test:

BigBetterBuilder · June 17, 2025, 7:06pm

J*BS

This morning, I completed the fundamentals for working jobs. I decided to work on the supermarket stocker job first. Here’s a look (it’s cool):

BigBetterBuilder · June 21, 2025, 3:22pm

Building Update

Today, I focused on revamping the TADA Supermarket in downtown Kettlefield. This is because a revamped supermarket is needed to hold the new stocker job, and the old supermarket looked like dookie butt. It was actually one of the oldest buildings in the game, going untouched since late 2021.

Here’s an unfinished look at the supermarket’s new exterior and interior:

Left: Previous (2021); Right: Updated (2025)

Below is the interior

Skyline Update

The skyline and city of Kettlefield is shaping out nicely, and is looking modern for the first time. Even the view from northern Kettlefield looks great, and some more building will be underway throughout the summer.

BigBetterBuilder · July 20, 2025, 5:28am

Here’s a flowchart for how players spawn in the game. I need something like this to prioritize tasks effectively lmao.