5 August

Development Blog #20

Work on update 0.9 is going full blast. The purpose of this developer diary is to acquaint you a little more thoroughly with the latest version of the game.

In today's post:
1) A little about the update
2) Temporary unit shop
3) Trenches
4) New vehicle models announced
5) Future developments


1) We’ve been hard at work on the latest version and wanted to show you the fruits of our labors as soon as possible. You might have some comments, or you might be looking for flaws in this version. We ask that you take a knowledgeable approach to the situation and tell us about any issues you find. We appreciate all your reports of errors and/or bugs. Help us make the game better!

2) Update 0.9 introduces a full campaign for the “Axis” countries. However, the historical chronicles and missions available in the deluxe and strategic editions of the game will not be available yet when the new version is released.

3) Many players would like to know whether or not their progress will be reset when the new economy is introduced.
Our answer: no. There will not be a wipe.
Why?
We feel like it’s important to save your progress and observe how the new economic model works during various stages of progress in the game.
If you still want to start the game over again, we can reset any base of your choosing. For example, you could save your progress for the Allies, but wipe the USSR.
To reset one or all of your bases, email us at support@blitzkrieg.com and enter “wipe” in the subject line. You’ll need to attach two screenshots to the message: one of your base and one of the leaderboard.

We’re planning to do a full wipe when the game launches. Until then, we aren't going to make these sorts of undertakings mandatory.

4) Since we’re only launching an “Axis” campaign, we expect that the vast majority of players are going to want to play as that faction. We’re temporarily disabling the ban on attacking members of your own coalition (the priority will still be on attacking members of the opposite coalition).


We’ve already mentioned several time that we're going to introduce a new economy to the game.
Because of this, we had to think about how to transfer your progress from the old system to the new one.
In the beginning you will be given a certain number of units. You will earn new squads and vehicles by winning battles. You will be able to purchase units similar to those that can be won in battle at the shop. The shop will only be available for a limited time. Your progress will be transferred into a special currency. You can spend this currency on units, fortifications, and barricades.


You’ve been asking for them!
You’ve been waiting for them!
And your cries have been heard by our team! :)

In update 0.9 you will be able to entrench vehicles just like in the previous games in the series, as well as dig trenches. The introduction of this mechanic will significantly impact combat tactics: you will now be able to prepare to meet the enemy.

You will only be able to use the new commands in battle (in the future you will also be able to give similar orders at the base).

Entrenching vehicles
Once a unit receives your orders, it will take up a firing position. It will dig a trench around itself or place sand bags in front of itself and to the sides. Carrying out this order reduces the damage the vehicle will take, but, needless to say, it will also prevent it from moving.

Entrenching infantry
The new system allows you to dig a trench wherever you want. All infantry units other than snipers can dig trenches. Trenches are made of segments between which soldiers can move freely.
If your units are in a trench, their dodge chance is increased, and their damage from AoE attacks is reduced.
If you manage to kill all the enemy soldiers in a trench, your units can occupy the trench and fight from there.

Here’s a screenshot of a trench during peacetime (men chatting, snacking and hanging out with women — everything’s normal) and one that’s expecting an enemy attack.




We are proud to announce that the roster of units has been almost doubled. In this edition we will show you another new tank and two news SPGs that will be entering the game. In upcoming updates all the vehicles available in PvE will become available in PvP one way or another. For example, if you get the Maus as a reward for completing a mission, you will be able to deploy it both in the campaign and in multiplayer.

The stars of today’s announcement are:

KW-2


Wespe


M10 Wolverine



Ivan Loktinov, Programmer
“When the code doesn't work the way you expected...”



Danil Dvoryaninov, Junior Producer
The update schedule for our project reminds me of the Wheel of Samsara. The karma you earned in the last version determines the number of bugs in the next one. I’m doing my best to lead a just work life and break the sinful cycle of rebirth!



Vadim Yakovlev, Lead Quality Assurance Specialist
Here’s an illustration of how bugs jump from one programmer to another:




In this section we review the most frequently encountered questions/complaints/suggestions and tell you which aspects of the project we're still working on.

1) Tutorial/manual
We often see requests for an in-game tutorial. We haven’t been ignoring this feedback. The project is still in development. Things are changing all the time. However, the tutorial needs to be exact and practical, so it won’t appear until close to launch.
As soon as the primary goals relating to gameplay, balance, and economy have been met, we’ll start working on it.

2) Saving your game
We are planning to add an option to save your game.
It will only be available in historical missions.
We’re doing this so you can pick up from where you left off when playing long missions.
This option will be introduced in upcoming updates.

3) Lobby
You will be able to create private games soon. You will not earn rewards for winning these battles.
You will be able to partner up with your friends in the lobbies and predetermine the outcome of the battle together. You will earn units and vehicles for winning matchmaking games with your friends. The units that can only be obtained by beating the campaign will not be among these rewards.

4) Transferring crews
In upcoming versions of the game you will be able to transfer your crews from one vehicle (tank, SPG) to another.
For example, let’s say that during the first phase of the war you have a tank that you used to complete all the missions from this time period and have saved up some experience (it's linked to the crew).
If you transfer the crew to a vehicle in the second time period, the soldiers will lose a little experience (they’ll have to get used to the new vehicle). Transferring an old crew to tanks in the next time period is better than going into battle with green recruits. The old war dogs will show their worth on the battlefield.

5) Upgrades
In upcoming updates you will gain access to upgrades (they’re linked to historical periods). As a spec ops commander, you work with the most advanced tech that the regular army doesn't have access to.
When you get an upgrade, it is applied to all the vehicles it can be used with.
For example, let’s say you get reinforced tank treads. This upgrade will be instantly applied to tanks and SPG’s.

See you in the next blog!

29 July

Development Blog #19

After they came back from vacation, the team continues to work arduously on Update 0.9. It will contain many innovations that we are going to introduce to you gradually.
Today, as the title suggests, we will tell you about the historical campaign and side missions: how they are structured and connected. Let’s go!


The next game update will contain a full-blown campaign for the Axis countries. You can play as any faction. But you will have to play the campaign for Germany.

You can read about the historical campaign and the new economy system in one of the previous episodes of the Developer Diaries.

The PvE aspect of the game in Update 0.9 will represent your progress.
All missions have been carefully selected and are connected to each other so as to best visibly present progression from one era of the war to another. It was important for us to show the player’s progress as a commander from the beginning of the war to its very end.

Each of these periods will have several missions. To complete each of them successfully, you will need a certain fleet of units which you can collect by completing side missions and participating in PvP battles. Corresponding vehicles are assigned to each time period. As consequence, the rewards that you can receive for completing missions in a given period are strictly tied to historical realities.

Remember that if you play PvP, for example, for the Soviet Union, you will get Soviet units as a reward. But if you play historical missions for Germany, you can use them: when you are in combat, all units from other faction armies will be converted to German ones.


Let’s look at side missions in more detail: they will appear on the globe as you progress in the campaign, but, more importantly, completing them is not obligatory and does cause any progression through the eras. You will be able to complete them again at any time. Still, keep in mind that if you reach the end of the war but want to play a mission from the first era, your fleet of units will change to correspond to 1939-41. This system also applies to PvP.

Our team has done their best to make sure side missions are interesting to complete and enjoyable to replay.
Different conditions will be generated in every mission.
For example, one of your objectives will be to find and destroy a partisan camp. Its location will be different every time. This means that completing this mission will require a different approach every time. We are also planning to add different difficulty levels for such missions.


A new commander trust system awaits you. It will allow you to receive new forces or update existing ones.
If you want to get those bonuses, you need to be effective on the battlefield and attain victories. If you do well, the commander will take note of your accomplishments leading to success in his maneuvers and give you different incentives as time goes by. Thus, you will be able to strengthen the forces subordinate to you.

Depending on the game mode you choose, the model of the trust system will change.
Campaign missions will not let you change your commander, so you will only earn trust points with them. This decision has historical grounds. Battle will feature the actual commander who took part in it in reality.
When you are in PvP, you are given a choice. You can earn trust points for the commander that you have chosen.


Dmitry Zubachev, 2D/UI Artist
I’ve got a lot of work, it’s hot on all fronts. That’s why I kit out with tea, sharp styluses, armed to squeeze Photoshop dry.



Andrey Zaytsev, Junior Map Designer
My brain is all loaded up with the preparation of side missions. We have a great deal of work ahead of us... And we’re really short of hands.




Today we are going to discuss Comrade Coelian’s question (from the official forums for our project). Coelian asks if the game will include a mission for the Soviet Union in 1944.

Our answer to this very interesting and important question?
The announcement of the Warsaw mission.

The mission’s historical background is as follows:
Army Groups Centre and North were defeated during Operation Bagration in the summer of 1944. The Soviet troops had reached the borders of Germany and Warsaw. But by the end of the operation the premature Polish uprising started. The Soviet troops were already exhausted and were not able to continue the offensive. Their rear forces stayed far behind. Nevertheless, desperate attempts were made to help the insurgent Poles.

In this mission you will have to break through the German forces and get in touch with the insurgents. Your main objective is to find and provide a way out for the commanders of Armia Ludowa (the People’s Army).


In our next entry we’ll tell you in more detail about the new economy system, the updated UI, changes to the base, and the enlarged fleet of units.

What do you think, which units will be added to the game? :)
P.S. To keep the excitement going and give you a little extra to discuss, we have this screenshot to offer - a new tank: