Here comes a new content update! Introducing 3 new maps, regiment prestige mechanics, new soldier ranks, the long-awaited Guard DLC uniforms and much more. Holdfast continues to expand and improve thanks to the community’s ongoing support.

So shoulder your musket and sit by the fire while you take a read of what is coming to Holdfast: Nations At War this Holiday season! Don’t forget to clean the chimneys and prepare a cup of hot milk and cookies for the ‘man in red’ to drink though.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/589290/Holdfast_Nations_At_War/



Expanding upon the game’s regiment registry system, regiments are now able to prestige should they reach the new rank limit of 70. It will be possible to prestige your regiments through 3 additional ranks once you have obtained that level.

Of course, as fitting for the time, there will be a special way to recognise regiments that manage to achieve such heights in the form of shiny new decoration around your regiments banner both in the registry and in-game. You can take a look at these decorations below.

Additionally, the curve for collective experience required has changed, this may mean your regiment’s level has also been altered but the experience gathered has remained the same. Be sure to capitalise on these new features and changes as Holdfast official servers will boast an increased XP weekend starting Thursday the 31st of December 2020 and running until Monday 4th of January 2021.

Congratulations to the [45e], BB and KRA for reaching the maximum legacy regiment rank. Let’s kick this new year off with a bang!

Regiment Banners - Level 1, Level 50 & Level 70


Regiment Banners - Prestige Rank 1, 2 & 3


It is not just the regiments who will be able to showcase their brilliance with new decoration, the individual soldier rank limit has also been increased from 50 to 75! To go with this change a set of brand new medals have been introduced for dedicated fellows to achieve and showcase their hard work in all its glory.

Correspondingly, all of the soldier rank medals have been redesigned and altered to fit the new design of the new - Valour Medal.

Bronze Medals - Soldier Rank 5, 10 & 15


Silver Medals - Soldier Rank 20, 25 & 30


Gold Medals - Soldier Rank 35, 40 & 45


Decorated Medals - Soldier Rank 50, 55 & 60


Valour Medals - Soldier Rank 65, 70 & 75


Stand tall for the guard! Charge onwards with the most-revered Imperial Old Guard for the French Empire, the British Empire’s Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, the Kingdom of Prussia’s Zweites Garde Regiment zu Fuss or the Russian Empire’s Leib-Gvardii Litovskii Polk.

There will never be any content outside that of purely cosmetic items packaged in a DLC. As we’ve previously promised, it doesn’t and never will impact gameplay.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1489800/Holdfast_Nations_At_War__Regiments_of_the_Guard/

Through these DLCs we can continue supporting 'Holdfast: Nations At War' while remaining totally independent and not privy to any external influences. It’s been like that since the founding of the team and we plan on keeping it that way.

It'll also help us fund damn exciting future projects which stay true to Holdfast and everything that makes it brilliant!

Regiments of the Guard DLC Uniform Unlocks
● Unlock the French Empire's 1er Grenadiers de la Garde Impériale uniform.



● Unlock the British Empire's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards uniform.



● Unlock the Kingdom of Prussia's Zweites Garde Regiment zu Fuss uniform.



● Unlock the Russian Empire's Leib-Gvardii Litovskii Polk uniform.



Of course, we couldn’t just introduce the new prestige system, soldier ranks and dashing guard uniforms without also featuring some new battlefields to enjoy these new features to the fullest!
This update sees one new Army Siege map created by Storey; Fort Al-Farid and two new Army Battlefield maps by Harper; Glacier and Port Nile added to the game and playable now on official game servers.

Fort Al-Farid
Fort Al-Farid is a desert fortification and spiritual successor to recently added map Fort Darial that is a favourite among many players. Al-Farid puts attacks up against not only a formidable stronghold but also the blazing sun and heat of the desert. Refill your canteens in the sparse oases and clear any sand jamming your musket, as breaching this fort will be a sweltering task.



Glacier
In contrast to the sweltering heats found on Fort Al-Farid, Glacier is a cold, frozen battlefield that sees players battling over a small port town that has had its port frozen over. Tread carefully on the port's ice as at any moment it could be struck by a cannonball plunging you into the hyperthermic temperatures of the deep. Rankers who prefer the safety of land can find refuge from the blistering cold winds in a repurposed cave that overlooks the town. Be sure to take your musket with you however, as this will certainly be a point of contest for both armies as they seek shelter.



Port Nile
Unlike the frozen port of Glacier, Port Nile is a warm, tropical and rich city port that provides an urban battlefield experience that has yet to be seen in Holdfast: Nations At War. The narrow streets of this port and market city places infantrymen in close-quarter engagements that require quick thinking and flanking via ladders, rooftops and alleyways to gain victory. The multiple sections of the city, that vary in height, will put soldiers used to fighting in open fields to the test.



With the success of the Battlefield Forger contest and the rise in the Holdfast: Nations At War modding community this update also includes the ability for community servers featuring modifications that alter the typical gameplay experience to be featured alongside official game servers on the lobby browser.

The featured status will be awarded for a limited time to well managed and put together servers that offer new experiences for players who may perhaps wish to try their hand on them.

We hope this will encourage community servers to strive to create new game modes and experiences with the Holdfast SDK tools and server configurations for all to enjoy. It is only fitting we feature those who put back into the game with their own unique take.



Should these new additions to community servers inspire you to get involved in the modding community please do not hesitate in acquiring the artisan role in the official Discord. This will give you access to various text channels dedicated to modding Holdfast: Nations At War.

To acquire this role simply visit the #getting-started modding channel and press the reaction emoji below the post. This will assign you the artisan role and give you access to all available modding community channels.



If you have yet to join the official Discord why not do so now? It is your central hub for all things Holdfast, not just modding but a plethora of channels dedicated to event and game announcements, regiment recruitment, game support, suggestions, history discussion and more. Click below to join today!

http://discord.gg/holdfastgame








Here’s a list of all the changes, additions and bug fixes you’ll find in this update.





Changelog 61 - Game Version 1.11.7660.25581

New Features

● Regiment Prestige! Expanding upon the game’s regiment registry system, regiments are now able to prestige should they reach the new rank limit of 70.
» Decorative banners will be awarded to those that achieve this feat.

● Soldier Ranks! Valour. It is not just the regiments who will be able to showcase their brilliance with new decoration, the individual soldier rank limit has also been increased from 50 to 75.
» Soldier rank medals have been redesigned to fit the new valour medals.

● Regiment of the Guard DLC. Stand tall for the guard! The Regiments of the Guard DLC unlocks 4 unique uniforms for the Guard class.
» Unlock the British Empire's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards uniform.
» Unlock the French Empire's 1er Grenadiers de la Garde Impériale uniform.
» Unlock the Kingdom of Prussia's Zweites Garde Regiment zu Fuss uniform.
» Unlock the Russian Empire's Leib-Gvardii Litovskii Polk uniform.
» Regiments of the Guard DLC - Store Page

● 3 New Maps! Battlefields. Glacier, Fort Al-Farid and Port Nile all of which offer different styles of play. Check them out on the Army Front official game servers.
» Input the following commands per map rotation to host these maps on your community server map_name fortalfarid, glacier and portnile.

● Featured Servers. With the success of the Battlefield Forger contest this update also includes the ability for community servers to be featured alongside official game servers.
» Featured status will be awarded to well managed and put together servers that offer new experiences for players who may perhaps wish to try their hand on them.

● Regiment Registry Medals. Introduced a system allowing us to reward regiments with medals.
» More about this in the coming year, stay tuned!


Seasonal Event

● It's a jolly time of the year! Christmas trees, murderous snowball cannonballs, festive piano tunes and totally legitimate reindeer will be present.
» You can toggle off festive events through the game’s settings.

● Most fitting to the season, the main menu is now extra chilly.


Gameplay

● Reduced the score gathered through kills with officer pistols.

● Indicators exposing the location of surviving players on the minimap will show once reinforcements run out on the Army Battlefield game mode.


Quality of Life

● Bans, kicks, slays, mutes and PMs will now show in the game’s admin-specific chat. It’ll surely help make the administration of events just a little bit easier.

● Server administrators are now provided with the functionality to mute individuals that are affiliated with one particular faction while having others still able to speak.
» Input the following commands to make use of this new function.
»» rc set voiceChatEnabled false - Disables VoIP for all teams.
»» rc set voiceChatEnabled true - Enables VoIP for all teams.
»» rc set voiceChatEnabled Attacking - Allow only the attackers to communicate through VoiP.
»» rc set voiceChatEnabled Defending - Allow only the defenders to community through VoIp.

● Particle effects that are shown when a player is getting healed by a Surgeon are now more visible.

● Introduced more map loading tips detailing blocking, the use of the carpenter class as well as regiment recruitment.


Holdfast SDK

● Terrains using the Microsplat shader in the Holdfast SDK can now feature snow accumulation.


Bug Fixes

● Solved an issue with floating objects on Marquette.

● Solved an issue with one of the fires next to the broken cannon on Autumn Watch.

● Solved an issue where sometimes the carriable Rocket Launcher would get stuck on the bridge in Heartmound.

● Solve an issue with black moving dots showing on certain props. Especially on buildings.

● Solved an issue on certain objects contributing towards added points on the Army Conquest game mode.

● Solved an issue where the loser was sometimes shown as the winner in the top bar.

● Solved an issue where if you are killed whilst attempting to respawn with a different class, you would still respawn with your previous selection.

● Solved an issue where the 92nd Highland Officer was unable to equip a sword and a lantern at the same time.

● Solved an issue where sometimes other players wouldn’t show the reloading animation.

● Solved an issue where the ‘rc remove ships’ command didn’t update the top bar detailing ships and their damage correctly when the ship despawns.

● Solved an issue where you would receive additional experience for standing in line even if you damage a friendly player.

● Solved an issue which resulted in mouse sensitivity changing when going to aiming whilst crouching then standing.

● Solved an issue where sometimes a ghost strike could be issued when holding a spyglass, instrument or other carriable objects.

● Solved an issue where the crouch to stab timer didn’t trigger correctly when meleeing with rapid crouching inputs.

● Solved an issue where audio was missing from the launch screen where the Anvil Game Studios logo shows.


ATTN: Server Hosts

● You will be unable to see servers in the lobby unless you update your game servers to the latest update - Game Version 1.11.


The whole team at Anvil Game Studios would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has continued supporting us throughout what has been a challenging year for everyone. Without you, none of this is possible.

We hope that we have brought you a glimmer of joy for this year and we look forward to the start of the new year and what is to come.

Once again we thank you and until next time, may good health be yours.





- Anvil Game Studios

Refleax, Rycon, Dreas, Wrexial, Walki, Cameron, Jackson, Rejenorst, Harper & Storey

Everyone here at Anvil Game Studios would like to say a big congratulations to everybody who participated in the first-ever Holdfast: Nations At War mapping contest. Members of the modding community both new and old showed great passion, creativeness and support for others throughout the duration of this contest. It was truly admirable!

Over the course of the month that the contest was running we received a massive 24 entries into the competition which made whittling them down to a top three rather challenging indeed. They were all brilliant in their own unique ways.


77th Ed’s Prussian Hills

Judging commenced on the night of the 15th of November 2020 and lasted a good number of hours as Refleax, Rycon, Harper and Storey took their time analysing each map one by one in all their creativity. Despite each map showing their brilliance in their own way, the top 3 had to be given the highest honours.

So without delay here are our Battlefield Forger winners!



1st place is awarded to
Willy - Aspern

This countryside battlefield really stood out to us as it incorporated all aspects of Holdfast: Nations At War within one map. It’s rolling hills, fields of wheat and beautifully designed village lent itself brilliantly in making a hybrid urban and rural battlefield. We look forward to seeing this officially added into the game.





2nd place is awarded to
Davwado - Port City

The clear amount of effort put into this battlefield, with its custom sewer system and detailed village, was deserving enough to be within the top 3. The streets of this Napoleonic port city really immersed us within the world as we explored hidden alleyways, sewers and marched along the cobble. We can’t wait to see how this battlefield will play out on the official server.





3rd place is awarded to
Amblco - Lyster Countryside

The dense forests of Lyster Countryside provided a unique battlefield experience unmatched by any other entity. The aesthetic of this entry was one of the lush thick trees that surrounded a well-designed village overlooking a celestial river which was more than deserving of a top 3 position. Well done!



Congratulations to our winners! Those who did not win however please do not be disheartened as the #forger-submission channel will remain up within the modding section of the official Discord to commemorate this great contest and all its participants.

You will also find below a list of all the participants and their submissions.

Though we could not award prizes to everyone we’d like to take some time to acknowledge just a small portion of the many battlefields that came very close to the top 3 winners.

Uber Juice's - Hills Of Havoc was one such map that came incredibly close to a top 3 position. Its attention to detail and unique ideas all came together to make a wonderful representation of a Napoleonic era siege that would truly be a battle for the ages.



Another submission that came close to the top 3 was Cody’s - Blood Lake. This small twin hilltop battlefield was a front runner for the top 3 from the moment we loaded into this clever battlefield. The use of varying heights, defensive positions and rocky paths leading to the top of the hills provided a fun and fast past battlefield experience.



And a special honourable mention to all the other participants who took part in making some glorious battlefields.

Father Merrin’s - The Hidden Cove & Boyne Valley
PizzaIsDelight’s - Danube River Siege & Balaklava
Kiri(s)Chomping’s - Cossacks’ Raid
Alan’s - Lake Fort
Spammy McJunkMail’s - Plainfields
GDE Skyold’s - Vanoise Heights & The Forgotten Woods
BigMamba’s - Grassy Plains & Snowy Plains
Monkey_Nipples’s - City Siege & Silver Hills
Bastelork’s - Road to Verdun
Ed’s - Prussian Hills
Alatriste’s / Carlosdeb’s - Cadiz
Battle Rifle Assembler’s - Fenrir
FrostyBrew’s - Twin Peaks
Metal Face’s - Telnice

Now the contest has concluded the AGS art department will commence work on incorporating the 1st and 2nd place battlefields into the game officially in the coming year. This will, of course, require changes to some of these battlefields ensuring optimal performance and gameplay.

During this time we invite everyone who took part, or perhaps didn’t have the chance to take part, to continue making battlefields and pushing the modding boundaries for Holdfast: Nations At War so we can continue to expand this brilliant side of the community.


GDE Skyold’s Forgotten Woods

Once more we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone or took part and helped out throughout the contest. It was a great first contest. Be sure to keep an eye out for future competitions...

Should this contest inspire you to get involved in the modding community please do not hesitate in acquiring the artisan role in the official Discord which will give you access to various text channels dedicated to modding Holdfast: Nations At War.

To acquire this role simply visit the #getting-started modding channel and press the reaction emoji below the post. This will assign you the artisan role and give you access to all available modding community channels



If you have yet to join the official Discord why not do so now? It is your central hub for all things Holdfast, not just modding but a plethora of channels dedicated to event and game announcements, regiment recruitment, game support, suggestions, historical discussion and more. Click below to join today!

http://discord.gg/holdfastgame


Until next time, may good health be yours.





- Anvil Game Studios

Refleax, Rycon, Dreas, Wrexial, Walki, Cameron, Jackson, Rejenorst, Harper & Storey

Douse the Jack-o'-lanterns and flee for your lives as this Halloween Holdfast: Nations at War’s battlefields are joined by a new foe… With a daunting crow beaked mask and the power to spread disease, the Plague Doctor class variant will briefly be available to play this Halloween.

To further celebrate this spooky season, Holdfast: Nations At War will be 40% off for the remainder of Steam’s Halloween Sale!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/589290/

If the terrifying thought of a Plague Doctor chasing you down isn’t enough to scare you away, have a read of what else is to come in this update below.



A new Surgeon class variant, the Plague Doctor will be playable in-game over the Halloween period by those who wish to scare unsuspecting infantrymen on the field of battle.

Skilled in alchemy, this doctor has the ability to spread disease to those unfortunate enough to be caught in his path. Whispers of these ghost-like figures with deadly powers haunting the battlefield have long been used to scare the fresh recruits. Those whispers are now coming to life...



In addition to the Plague Doctor class variant, players being healed by Surgeons will display a new particle emission to indicate they’re being healed.



With sightings of evil ever-increasing, superstition has called for all the lanterns to be replaced by ghoulishly carved pumpkins in an attempt to scare him away… Simply equip your lantern as a lantern carrying class and bathe the world around you in a glow of pumpkin glory!

Eager pianists will also find special Halloween styled piano music that can be played on the pianos should anyone find facing the battlefield too gruesome this Halloween.



New colour blind options with support for multiple colour blind modes and official support for Linux-based game servers have been introduced to the game.

Support for Protanopia, Deuteranopia & Tritanopia types of colour blindness can be toggled through the game’s video settings and will hopefully be a welcomed addition for those who need it.

Linux servers are also being made available to providers officially after stability testing has been concluded. Join the Official Holdfast Discord and visit the #server-owners text channel to gather support should you require it. You’ll also find a setup guide on the Wiki to get you started.

Wiki Server Hosting - Linux



Two whole weeks have now passed since the Battlefield Forger contest first commenced. Already we have received some pretty creative entries into the competition and have seen plenty of splendid works in progress soon to be entered.

If you have not started on your battlefield yet there’s still plenty of time as you have until November 9th to finalise your submission. Should you already have submitted your battlefield and want to make changes and update your submission that is perfectly acceptable and you’ll be able to do so until November 9th when the entry period closes.

To clear up some questions that have been asked over the last couple of weeks here is a brief FAQ about the contest.

Can my map be larger than 500 x 500?

If you’re creating a Naval battlefield then a playable area larger than 500 x 500 is acceptable. However if you’re creating a land battlefield please keep to the set 500 x 500 playable area (This does not include background terrain, try not to exceed 1000 x 1000 for this though).

Can I use custom models?

Provided that you own a transferable license for the model, you created the model yourself and the model is up to a high quality standard similar to what is seen in Holdfast currently then you may use custom models. If you’re unsure if you own a transferable license for the model it’s best if you do not include it.

Want to participate? Take a read of the previous blog post that details everything you need to know about the contest. Keep being creative. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Blog Post - Battlefield Forger Contest

Cliff Tower by Leopard


If you haven’t done so already, do join us on Discord. It’s a great way to stay in touch with everything that goes on in Holdfast and perhaps join one of the many game clans by looking at the #regiment-registry channel while you’re at it.

http://discord.gg/holdfastgame










Changelog 60 - Game Version 1.10.7597.18857

Halloween Event

● With a daunting crow beaked mask and the power to spread disease, the Plague Doctor class variant will briefly be available to play this Halloween.

● Lanterns are replaced by ghoulishly carved pumpkins in an attempt to scare him away.

● Special Halloween styled piano music.


Quality of Life

● Players getting healed will now emit a particle effect informing them that another player is replenishing their health.

● Introduced colour blind modes for those that require it.
» Protanopia
» Deuteranopia
» Tritanopia


Linux Servers

● Providers now have access to Linux-based game servers after stability tests where concluded.
» You can find a setup guide detailing their installation on the Wiki.
» Wiki Server Hosting - Linux


Bug Fixes

● Solved an issue with spawns breaking due to forward positions.

● Solved an issue with neck pieces floating when using cannons.

● Solved an instance where your uniform would sometimes appear darkened when spawning with modded characters.


Look forward to what more we have in store for Holdfast: Nations At War. Until next time, may good health be yours.





- Anvil Game Studios

Refleax, Rycon, Dreas, Wrexial, Walki, Cameron, Jackson, Rejenorst, Harper & Storey

Artisans! Dust off your workbenches and clean your brushes as Holdfast: Nations At War’s Battlefield Forger contest begins today. Whether you’re well experienced with the SDK tools or not, we invite everyone to get involved and be creative.

Since the release of the Holdfast: Nations At War SDK tools back in May we’ve seen some fantastic player-made battlefields appear on the Holdfast workshop. From rolling hills and formidable defences to fiery volcanoes and fantasy realms, this side of our great community has shown to hold some real talent.

Ayer Forest By AMBLCO


Cliff Tower by Leopard


Now that fellows have had time to dip their toes in the SDK tools we’ve seen fit to host the Battlefield Forger contest for all of the community to partake in. This contest will invite you to create a new battlefield for Holdfast: Nations At War in your own vision! With first and second place having their battlefields officially added into the game along with other prizes for runners up.

Be sure to keep reading as there are a few guidelines you’ll need to follow should you wish to enter the contest.

If you’re reading this then the Battlefield Forger contest is already underway. So don’t hesitate and get involved!

The contest commenced on the 9th of October 2020 and will run respectively until the 9th of November 2020, with the winner/s being announced on the 16th of November 2020. That’s a whole month to put brush to terrain and create a new battlefield for Holdfast.

Please take a read of the contest guidelines laid out below to ensure your submission will be accepted into the contest. Should you fail to follow these guidelines you will be disqualified from the contest.



Contest Prizes
● 1st Place - Battlefield is officially added to the game, a copy of Holdfast: Nations At War - Collectors Edition along with another copy of Holdfast: Nations At War to share with your friends.
● 2nd Place - Battlefield is officially added to the game along with an additional copy of Holdfast: Nations At War to share with your friends.
● 3rd Place - A copy of Holdfast: Nations At War to share with your friends.

Contest Participation Guidelines
● You will be given until November 9th 2020 to submit your battlefield.
● You may submit a maximum of 2 battlefields to the contest.
● Your battlefields must be playable upon submission and well optimised (test before you submit).
● You may only use the in-game objects found within the SDK tool.
» Custom assets may be considered only if they are of quality and you own the copyright to them.
● You may use any ground textures you desire as they may be replaced should you win.
● You may choose any official gamemode for your map to be played on.
● You may freely work in groups should you desire.
● Your design should appropriately mimic general themes of battlefields officially in the game.
● Aim to create a well-balanced battlefield fitting to a specific gamemode.
● Your map must be a maximum of 500 x 500 in size.

Should you be new to the world of map-making or need some extra experience and tips don’t hesitate to check out the Holdfast: Nations At War SDK guide. It includes an over 100 page document detailing the use of the SDK tools along with some short informative video tutorials for those who want to get started quickly.

Take your time, there's no need to rush.

Holdfast Wiki - SDK User Guide



Obtaining the artisan role in the official Holdfast Discord is a requirement for entering the competition as it’ll allow you to submit your battlefield to the contest seamlessly. To acquire this role simply visit the #getting-started modding channel and press the reaction emoji below the post. This will assign you the artisan role and give you access to all available modding community channels including the #forger-submission channel.

Once your battlefield has been created you’ll need to submit your map via the #forger-submission channel. Be sure to include a workshop link to the battlefield and one or two images that show your battlefield in all its glory.

You may submit a maximum of two battlefields and once submitted your work is done. All you need to do from here is await judging to commence.

http://discord.gg/holdfastgame



Once submissions have ended the judging will commence! For a glorious competition such as this, we of course need as equally reputable fellows to judge it.

Introducing Refleax, the Producer of Holdfast: Nations At War; Rycon, the Lead Artist for the game; Harper, creator of Aunby Valley and Lamarsh Fen amongst other battlefields and last but not least Storey, the newest member of the team and creator of the most recent battlefields introduced into the game.




So what are you waiting for? Load up the SDK tools and get crafting the future of Holdfast battlefields! Should you get stuck along the way do not fear as there’s plenty of good fellows in the official Discord server who will be more than willing to assist you along the way.

If you have any questions or queries in regards to the Battlefield Forger contest don’t hesitate to privately message Harper#0410, the host of this contest, via Discord who will be ready to answer any question you should have.

We’re very excited to see what you come up with and as always, may good health be yours.





- Anvil Game Studios

Refleax, Rycon, Dreas, Wrexial, Walki, Cameron, Jackson, Rejenorst, Harper & Storey

It’s been an incredible ride during these past few days thanks to your incredible show of support! After reaching yet another all-time player peak with over 2,800 concurrent individuals, the time is ripe to continue expanding the game in different regions. Join us as Holdfast: Nations At War launches official servers in Australia.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/589290/

Connect to either one of the Anvil Game Studios Official or Community servers in the region to get going. Gather experience whilst playing on an official server to better your soldier’s rank! You will be reward with medals as you progress.

Anvil Game Studios Official Servers
● Anvil Game Studios Official AUS1 - Army Front
● Anvil Game Studios Official AUS2 - Naval Warfront
● Anvil Game Studios Official AUS3 - Melee Arena



Looking for a good bunch of fellows to play with? Hop in the Holdfast (Oceanic) Discord. Enlist in a regiment and stand shoulder to shoulder as you partake in one of Holdfast’s glorious spectacles! Linebattle events where everyone is encouraged to stay true and play in formations relevant to the Napoleonic Era are organised by this community every week.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Join - Holdfast (Oceanic) Community Discord!



Rest assured that we’re doing our best to host servers in other regions complimenting that of Europe, the United States, China and now Australia.

Once again we thank you and until next time, may good health be yours.





- Anvil Game Studios

Refleax, Rycon, Dreas, Wrexial, Walki, Cameron, Jackson, Rejenorst, Harper & Storey

Unlike our previous posts, this won't be a lengthy one. Rather than waiting for the next major release, we thought it best to go ahead with this hotfix in order to solve an issue affecting a small subset of players equipped with specific AMD GPUs being unable to launch the game.

You don't have to apply this 1.7 MB patch to your community server as this client-side hotfix is backwards compatible with Version 1.9.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/589290/

If you haven’t done so already, do join us on Discord. It’s a great way to stay in touch with everything that goes on in Holdfast and perhaps join one of the many game clans by looking at the #regiment-registry channel while you’re at it.

http://discord.gg/holdfastgame











Changelog 59 - Game Version 1.9.7562.22270


Bug Fixes

● Solved an issue causing a small subset of players equipped with specific AMD GPUs being unable to launch the game.


Until next time, may good health be yours.





- Anvil Game Studios

Refleax, Rycon, Dreas, Wrexial, Walki, Cameron, Jackson, Rejenorst, Harper & Storey

Right after the release of the recent major update bringing with it 8 new battlefields, roleplay gestures and a whole slew of content to dive into, we’ll be pushing another featuring multiple bug fixes along with changes targeting gameplay balance.

It’s been a delight welcoming all the new fellows joining the ranks of this much-beloved community. Thank you for your great show of support! Rest assured that you will be seeing more from us in future updates.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/589290/

If you haven’t done so already, do join us on Discord. It’s a great way to stay in touch with everything that goes on in Holdfast and perhaps join one of the many game clans by looking at the #regiment-registry channel while you’re at it.

http://discord.gg/holdfastgame











Changelog 58 - Game Version 1.9.7559.27288


Cavalry Units

● Solved an issue where sprinting while on horseback was no longer working as intended.

● Solved an issue when striking with a sword while on horseback having an increased delay.

● Solved an issue which results in some strikes with a sword while on horseback to miss its target if you’d hit your own horse and the enemy at the same time.

● Players will now find it slightly easier to block an incoming strike from a player on horseback.


Infantry Units

● Solved an issue with the French Polish ‘Vistula’ Legion Line Infantry and Infantry Officer having a head that is smaller and therefore not particularly fitting on their shoulders. Don’t you worry, they were still sufficiently capable in the battlefield albeit this one minor mishap.

● Adjusted the claymore to better fit in the Scottish Infantry Officer’s hands.


Surgeons

● Surgeons are no longer able to heal themselves or others whilst under water.

● Surgeons are no longer able to heal themselves or others whilst carrying any object.


Drowning

● You will now take more damage the longer you stay underwater.


Naval Warfront

● Solved an issue which sometimes results in only rowboats spawning for the invaders during the Coastal Siege game mode.


Roleplay Gestures

● You may now continue to chat while doing roleplay gestures.


Game Load

● Optimised the instantiating of audio during map load to slightly improve map load times.


Game Levels

● Updated the loading screen for Grassy Plains 4 (L), Grassy Plains 5 (L) & Island Plains 1 (L).

● Solved an issue with spawns on Sacred Valley being inverted on the Army Battlefield game mode.

● Reduced the number of cavalry units on Sacred Valley to 2 per faction.

● Changed one of the rocket launchers present on Sacred Valley to face outwards and included a wooden platform indicative of where it respawns should it be destroyed.

● Solved an issue with the water texture on Sacred Valley.

● Solved an issue with one of the rocks missing faces on Autumn Watch.

● Removed cavalry units from being playable on Autumn Watch.

● Improved performance on Autumn Watch.

● Re-adjusted the conquest capture points on Autumn Watch.

● Solved an issue with players being able to fire their weapon while standing on certain rocks present in Fort Darial.

● Solved an issue with the A and B capture points on Fort Darial being inverted.

● Performed some minor optimisations on Fort Darial.

● Solved an issue where you can swim inside the cave on Marquette even though no water was visible.

● Placed more ammo boxes for artillery pieces on Marquette.

● Included some more furniture inside the houses on Marquette. However, the good majority of this furniture has been turned into firewood to combat the harsh winter.

● Sealed the well on Marquette so players can no longer get stuck inside it.

● Solved an issue with spawn points on Marquette.

● Solved multiple client-side and server-side exceptions on maps.


Server Administration

● Restructured the output of the rc shiplist and rc playerlist command and included additional functionality to them.
» rc shiplist now shows the ship names alongside their IDs.
» rc playerlist not-ingame can now be used to display a list of individuals that are connected to the server but didn’t spawn. Use this to remove players that are not partaking in an event and simply staying in freeflight or spectate.


Map Rotations

● Sacred Valley is now playable on the Official Army Front servers.

● You will now find newer maps introduced in Version 1.8 appearing more frequently on the Army Front rotation.

● Increased reinforcements for the defenders by 15 on all siege maps with the exception of Fort Darial.

● Increased reinforcements for the defenders by 60 on Fort Darial.


Until next time, may good health be yours.





- Anvil Game Studios

Refleax, Rycon, Dreas, Wrexial, Walki, Cameron, Jackson, Rejenorst, Harper & Storey

Assemble your infantrymen and advance your cannons as Holdfast: Nations At War adds eight new battlefields to commence fire in volleys, siege formidable fortifications or charge for King and country on! Lead others into the fray as a Scottish Officer in the new High-Command DLC and so much more.

Gather the game for a price less than that of a few quality teas as Holdfast: Nations At War embarks on a two-week long sale in celebration of this release. We look forward to welcoming plenty of new good fellows within the much-beloved community.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/589290/Holdfast_Nations_At_War/

Come ready yourself for battle on these new grounds by taking a look at what each battlefield has to offer.



Take your fight into snow-covered towns, engage in fierce close-quarters combat in the streets of Heartmound, topple fortified positions with artillery pieces or stand shoulder to shoulder on plains maps during organised play.

There’s plenty to look out for in these new battlegrounds.

Autumn Watch
The rolling hills and valleys that have carved their way through this small farming and mill town prove for interesting grounds to fight on. Separated by a valley river, Autumn Watch puts enemies against enemies in gruelling battles over important river crossings, useful mortar dugouts and well-covering ruins.

When fighting in this land ensure your men remain alert as the verticality differences caused by the valleys and hills will surely lend their hand in causing death from above and below…



Heartmound
Fighting on the streets of the once peaceful, now garrisoned, church town of Heartmound offers an engaging battlefield to conquer. Surrounded by a small ivy-covered brick wall a holy ground can be found. The town's church makes for the centrepiece of the battlefield and will undoubtedly see its grounds spoiled through the acts of muskets and powder.

Coordination and timed assaults against the many holdouts found in and around the town will be the key to victory on this battlefield.



Marquette
This old cold market town will see as many bodies fall as snowflakes do settling on its ground, either from the sharp shot of a rifleman from across open plains yonder or the silent death of hyperthermia from the freezing lakes that surround.

Though Marquette may not have the same rolling hills and valleys of the other battlefields, plenty of cover still remains, put to use the tall stretching wheatfields as cover or progress forward clearing the compounds and barns one by one.



Sacred Valley
The ancient valley running through this battlefield has laid eyes upon many iterations of the ‘war machine’ but perhaps none as powerful as that of musketry! Sacred Valley sits two opposing villages either side of a stone bridge holding them apart, infantrymen must be prepared to give their life for a greater cause.

Should attempts to cross the central bridge falter, additional flanking routes can be found adjacent to towns providing a flanking opportunity if used correctly.



Fort Darial
This imposing fortress city, with its overlooking keep and impressive defences, has been host to many a great siege throughout its time. Long have the solid stone walls of Fort Darial held enemies at bay.

Sight the cannons and brace yourself to follow the snaking cobbled path up into what will indeed be a long but always progressive fight through the many layers this fortress presents you.

Almost every wall and defence that protects this city can succumb to the strike of a solid round shot from a trained artilleryman. Utilising these gaps in the wall will be key to capturing this snow-covered city.



Grassy Plains 4 & 5 (L)
In contrast to the other battlefields, the open fields and hills that roll through Grass Plains 4 & 5 make for a wonderful display of line battling.

You should do well to not be tricked by the simplistic yet beautiful nature of these battlefields. Though the endless green hills are a pretty sight, they quickly turn to strategic ambushing and flanking positions when used correctly against the enemy.





Island Plains 1 (L)
The exposed weathered seafront and calm inshore grassland of this battlefield culminate to a unique fighting experience that sees soldiers marching across soggy shoreline one moment and trudging up muddy hills the next

The islands that have been carved into existence over time through the estuary make for perfect vantage points to fire off desperate volleys in attempts to turn the tide of battle.



Muster up the men and order hails of devastating musket volley fire! Courageously lead others into the fray with the French Empire’s Polish Vistula Legion, the Prussian Kingdom’s Lützow Friekorps or the Russian Empire’s Interior Guard Battalion officers in High Command.

Honouring one of the most valiant of Scottish officers sporting the rather gentlemanly monicker of Music C***, we proudly announce that the beautifully tailored 92nd Gordon Highlanders officer uniform is now available in the very same High Command DLC. Leading those good kilt-wearing fellows can finally be done in proper style.

One will find no Scottish officer ill-equipped to lead a charge. When battling with this unit, you will spawn with a sword unique to these highlanders - The 1798 Pattern Claymore.

Video - Give Em' Steel, Lads!

Content present in Holdfast: Nations At War DLCs is purely cosmetic. It doesn’t and never will impact gameplay. Your kind generosity will be put to good use and bring this genre of musket warfare games which all of us are fond of in the limelight.

The High Command DLC unlocks 4 unique uniforms for the Infantry Officer class and the 1798 Pattern Claymore.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1415510/Holdfast_Nations_At_War__High_Command

High Command DLC Uniform Unlocks
● Unlock the British Empire’s 92nd Gordon Highlanders uniform.



● Unlock the 1798 Pattern Claymore for the British Empire’s 92nd Gordon Highlanders.



● Unlock the French Empire’s Polish Vistula Legion uniform.



● Unlock the Kingdom of Prussia’s Lützow Friekorps uniform.



● Unlock the Russian Empire’s Interior Guard Battalion uniform.



Having some slight troubles navigating on horseback? You’ll be glad to hear that movement has undergone a significant redesign providing those fellows on a saddle with better control of the direction they want to steer towards.

Remember that you’re still, after all, riding a mighty beast! Be sure to be wary when navigating through restrictive places.

Be sure to check out the change log for the entire list of fixes additions revolving around cavalry units.



We’ll be adding more to your available arsenal of roleplay gestures in this update! Rest on your laurels as the battle ensues, order a glorious charge with your sword held forwards, taunt your enemies or in a fit of rage go full berserk pushing your adversaries into a cowardly retreat.

Sit


Charge


Taunt


Warcry


Thanks to a community-wide effort, Holdfast: Nations At War has now been made available in 5 additional languages. Existing translations have also been revised correcting multiple grammatical errors.

It is always a delight to see the community grow and albeit supporting the game in another language is no simple feat, it will surely be worth the effort. Our sincere and heartfelt thanks go to all those individuals who partook in all of this.

If you’re wanting to give us a helping hand with translating the game into Thai or Vietnamese, feel free to reach out on Discord.

New Languages
● Danish
» Pedersen

● Greek (Including Greek fonts)
» Fantastic & Kim Chi Choo

● Romanian (Including Romanian fonts)
» Lannes & Alexaroth

● Swedish
» Wilmer, Ingvarsson, Mehdi & Desert-Fox

● Turkish
» VectorScope & Omerhaybo

Revised Translations
● Simplified & Traditional Chinese
» Colonel-Kyle, GBOY21, 随缘, Yrstar & Kamoeth

● Czech
» Svatda & Fainey

● Dutch
» Wordsmith, Plastie, Xeha & VergerNL

● French
» Persess, Ric le Rouge, Ragnar & Skyold

● German
» Friedrich, Matsooo, Carmino, Gabellinski, Husar, Edward Braddock, Bastelork & Lucrime

● Italian
» Barba Rossa, Andrea, Aranos92, Meschia & Jack Aubrey

● Korean
» SNG

● Polish
» Samowar

● Portuguese - Brazil
» Tatic & Rex

● Russian
» Paul, Yav4ik & Bashy

● Spanish
» OGNrazer, Fischer, Loii, Arsen & Rayzax



Sound the salute as a widely known long-standing member of the community has enlisted with the crew as a Level Designer. Join us in giving this most talented fellow - STOREY the warmest of welcomes! You can already see some of his work in this major update release.

He’ll be working hand in hand with Rycon, our Lead 3D Artist to bring you more battlefields with unique style and gameplay. Most certainly look forward to what he has in store for Holdfast.



Looking for a good bunch of fellows to play with? Do join our Discord. Linebattle events where players are encouraged to play in formations relevant to the Napoleonic era are hosted by the community through the week. Discord is also a great place to stay in touch with the game’s development.

If you’re a fellow in the ranks of a regiment, go declare your enlistment. Through this, you can gather access to the ‘Barracks’ where clan specific discussion ensues. We look forward to seeing you there!

http://discord.gg/holdfastgame








There’s more to look out for in this release. Check out the changelog for all the details.





Changelog 57 - Game Version 1.8.7557.25731

New Features

● 8 New Maps! Take your fight into snow-covered towns, engage in fierce close-quarters combat in the streets of Heartmound, topple fortified positions with artillery pieces or stand shoulder to shoulder on plains maps during organised play.
» Autumn Watch
» Heartmound
» Marquette
» Sacred Valley
» Fort Darial
» Grassy Plains 4 (L)
» Grassy Plains 5 (L)
» Island Plains 1 (L)

● Input the following command per map rotation to host any of these maps on your community servers.
» map_name autumnwatch
» map_name heartmound
» map_name marquette
» map_name sacredvalley
» map_name fortdarial
» map_name grassyplainsiv
» map_name grassyplainsv
» map_name islandplains

● 4 New Officers! High Command DLC. Unlock four new Infantry Officers uniforms for each of the existing factions in the High Command DLC. You can access the Steam Store page to unlock these uniforms directly through the game. Content present in Holdfast: Nations At War Game DLCs is purely cosmetic. It doesn’t and never will impact gameplay.
» Unlock the British Empire’s 92nd Gordon Highlanders uniform.
» Unlock the Claymore for the British Empire’s 92nd Gordon Highlanders. This weapon is a cosmetic override for the officer’s sword.
» Unlock the French Empire’s Polish Vistula Legion uniform.
» Unlock the Kingdom of Prussia’s Lützow Friekorps uniform.
» Unlock the Russian Empire’s Interior Guard Battalion uniform.

● Players can toggle off the claymore cosmetic override should they wish to do so by deselecting ‘High Command Weapon Skin’ through the game’s settings.

● Roleplay Gestures. Charge! We’ll be adding more to your available arsenal of roleplay gestures in this update! Rest on your laurels as the battle ensues, order a glorious charge with your sword held forwards, taunt your enemies or in a fit of rage go full berserk pushing your adversaries into a cowardly retreat.
» Check out the full selection of roleplay gestures by pressing the ‘V’ key and clicking on the pictogram.


Game Translation

● Localisation. 5 New Languages. Thanks to a community-wide effort, Holdfast: Nations At War has now been made available in 5 additional languages.
» Danish
» Greek (Including Greek fonts)
» Romanian (Including Romanian fonts)
» Swedish
» Turkish

● Existing translations have also been revised correcting multiple grammatical errors.
» Simplified & Traditional Chinese
» Czech
» Dutch
» French
» German
» Italian
» Korean
» Polish
» Portuguese - Brazil
» Russian
» Spanish


Gameplay - Cavalry Units

● Movement has undergone a significant redesign providing those fellows on a saddle with better control of the direction they want to steer towards.
» Remember that you’re still, after all, riding a mighty beast. Be sure to be wary when navigating through restrictive places.

● Solved an issue which sometimes caused players to get stuck holding a strike when feinting to another strike direction while on horseback.

● Striking with your sword at an environment object whilst on horseback will now properly play an animation showing the melee weapon retracting back. Same will occur when two cavalrymen swords clash with one another.

● Solved an instance which caused players to end up facing the wrong direction if they got kicked and immediately mounted a horse.


Gameplay - Melee Combat

● Increased the speed at which players can feint from one strike direction to another for all weapons.

● Solved multiple instances where players could issue a ghost or lightning strikes with a melee weapon.

● Solved an issue which caused musket down stabs to have a wider hit detection not reflective of the actual strike animation. It only occurred when players were stricken from up close and facing a particular direction.


Gameplay - Forward Positions

● You will no longer benefit from spawn protection immunity when spawning on forward positions placed by Infantry Officers.

● The attacking faction is now allowed to place forward positions in limited numbers when the Army Siege game mode is in play with the exception of Fort Salettes.

● Introduced additional functionality allowing server administrators to define which team to disable the ‘Reinforce’ ability for.
» Input the following command per map rotation to host any of these maps on your community servers: class_system_orders_reinforce true, false, attacking or defending.
» Where ‘true’ allows the ability to be used by both teams, ‘false’ allows the ability to be used by none of the team, ‘attacking’ to be used only by the attackers and ’defending' to be used only by the defenders.

● Reinforcements for the defending faction on specific Army Siege maps have also been increased due to the above addition.

● Solved issues with forward positions on Desert Ruins.

● Added punctuation to the message received when an officer cannot place a forward position due to them being too close to a base spawn.


Gameplay - Player Controller

● You will no longer go to a standing position when switching between weapons while crouching.

● Solved an instance where players could spawn outside the map on Fort Winston when selecting to spawn on a forward position.


Regiment Registry

● Players will now receive a notification encouraging them to join the regiment’s Discord upon enlisting with a regiment through the regiment registry. Make sure to correctly set a link to your Discord directly through the registry if you haven’t done so already!
» First navigate to view your regiment, then select ‘Manage’ and input a link to your Discord in the ‘Edit Discord Connection’ field.
» Ensure that the invite link you input does not expire and can be granted to an unlimited number of users.


Achievements

● Reduced the requirement to obtain the Ranker achievement to 100 players.


Naval Warfront

● Server administrators are now able to select a pre-set name a naval vessel spawns with through the ‘spawn_ships’ command.
» Input the following command per map rotation to define a pre-set name: spawn_ships <shiptype> <number> <faction> <color> <nameindex>

● The ‘rc spawnships’ command now returns the name and ship ID to the console making it easier to use the rc removeShips <ship ID> command.

● The ‘rc spawnships’ command will now refuse to spawn ships on the defender’s side when the Coastal Siege game mode instead of assigning them to the attackers.


Holdfast SDK

● Server administrators can now opt to disallow players from spawning with the base selection of uniforms and only allow that of modded ones. Should you want to create a scenario stretching outside that of the Napoleonic era, this has now been made possible.
» Input the following command per map rotation to disallow players from spawning with the base selection of uniforms: exclusive_modded_uniforms true


Quality of Life

● You are now provided with the options to play the game in ‘Borderless Fullscreen’ mode in addition to the previously supported ‘Fullscreen’ and ‘Windowed’ modes.
» Switch between these different screen modes through the game’s video settings.

● You will no longer have the ‘Escape’ menu show stopping your character from moving if you ‘ALT+TAB’ the game.

● You can now access the game’s configuration file by going to ‘Settings’ then ‘Game’ and eventually selecting the ‘Open’ button next to the ‘Config File’ option.

● Reduced the cooldown for roleplay gestures from 8 to 2 seconds.

● Players that disband a regiment will now receive a warning stating that they will be unable to create or enlist in another regiment for 7 days upon doing so.


Game Load

● Optimisations targeting a specific subset of hardware will see map loading times reduced.


Graphical & Bug Fixes

● Solved an issue with the ‘Present Arms’ roleplay gestures not looping correctly.

● Solved an issue with golden borders for banners not showing correctly when a regiment reaches Rank 50.

● Solved an issue with the shacko’s colour appearing incorrect on the French ‘85eme Regiment d’Infanterie’ Line Infantry unit.

● Solved an issue where if you spawn with the blue uniform variant of the French sailor, you would spawn with that of the red one.

● You are no longer able to build Rocket Stacks whilst playing as the defenders on Fort Schwarz and the Army Siege game mode is in play.

● You are no longer able to build Rocket Stacks on Fort Christina and the Army Siege game mode is in play.

● You are no longer able to build Rocket Stacks on Fort Salettes and Canyon.

● Improved the loading screen for Lamarsh Fen.


Once again, we thank you and until next time, may good health be yours.





- Anvil Game Studios

Refleax, Rycon, Dreas, Wrexial, Walki, Cameron, Jackson, Rejenorst, Harper & Storey

Holdfast: Nations At War has been updated! Shortly after the release of the recently introduced major content update bringing with it a whole slew of gameplay-focused additions, we’ll be pushing forward bug fixes amongst other features targeting quality of life much requested by the community.

Come have a read of our blog post for all changes involving the regiment registry, forward positions, melee combat, crouching transitions and more.


Looking for a good bunch of fellows to play with? Do join our Discord. Linebattle events where players are encouraged to play in formations relevant to the Napoleonic era are hosted by the community through the week. Discord is also a great place to stay in touch with the game’s development. Feedback is always greatly welcomed.

If you’re a fellow in the ranks of a regiment, go declare your enlistment. Through this, you can gather access to the ‘Field Camp’ where clan specific discussion ensues. We look forward to seeing you there!

http://discord.gg/holdfastgame








Take a look at the changelog for all the details.





Changelog 56 - Game Version 1.7.7501.29734


Forward Positions

● Infantry Officers are now disallowed from placing forward positions nearby base spawns.
» Players that attempt to do so will receive a message informing them of the fact.

● Infantry Officers are now duly informed when their forward position runs out of reinforcements or gets destroyed.

● You should now find it easier to hit forward positions with melee weapons. Their hitbox has been slightly increased.

● Forward positions are now destroyed on death rather than when the Infantry Officer respawns.

● You can no longer place forward positions while jumping or falling.

● You can no longer place forward positions while mounted on horseback.

● Solved an issue where the player’s camera could sometimes clip with forward positions.

● Solved an issue which was causing the ‘Reinforce’ ability cooldown to carry over and persist between rounds.

● Solved an issue which sometimes caused a forward position to get immediately destroyed after the ability was used.

● Reinforce order is now being greyed out in the spawn menu if the abilities’ use is restricted through the server configuration file.


Regiment Registry & Banners

● Introduced additional functionality allowing players to search for a member within the registry. You’ll also find the same feature present in the recruit’s panel to accept or deny new applicants.

● Members of the same regiment can now display one another’s Steam profile to stay in touch with one another.

● Regiment leaders and moderators can now view a prospective applicant’s Steam profile in the recruits panel.

● Slightly adjusted the positions for in-game banners and player names.

● Performed multiple optimisations for a smoother experience when navigating through the Regiment Registry.

● Solved an issue which was causing regiment to no longer function if the regiment changed their tag.

● Solved an issue which sometimes caused regimental banners not to display in the game.

● Solved an issue which sometimes caused the ‘Leaders’ column in the Regiment Browser to remain stuck in a loading state after closing the Regiment View.

● Solved an issue which caused regiments having over 100 enlisted from showing history and player names within the Regiment Registry.

● Solved an issue which caused regiments in the registry to no longer function if all ranks were removed.

● You are now required to input a minimum number of characters in the regiment name and tag fields prior to registering your regiment.

● Solved an issue which caused the recruit panel to no longer function if there were new recruits waiting to be accepted and a regiment changed their tag.

● Solved an issue which caused the recruit panel to no longer function if a player with an invalid Steam profile submitted an application to a regiment.

● Introduced further instruction informing leaders and moderators of a specific regiment how to troubleshoot issues when messages related to insufficient permissions are displayed.

● Included ‘Greece’ to the list of available regions selectable through the Regiment Registry.

● Removed multiple logs being outputted for debugging purposes related to the banner system from the F2 console.


Game Chat

● Regiments now have a dedicated channel to communicate in whilst playing the game.
» All > Team > Class > Regiment > Recruit > Admin

● Harmonised the colours of all the class-specific chat channels.

● Renamed the ‘Skirmishers’ chat channel to ‘Skirmish’.

● Infantry Officers are no longer able to see the class-specific ‘Cavalry’ chat.


Bayonet Attaching & Detaching

● Solved an issue where other players could sometimes be seen repeating the attaching or detaching animation.

● Solved an issue where other players could sometimes be seen striking with a musket without a bayonet attached.

● Solved an issue with playing gestures then attaching or detaching a bayonet. This would cause the bayonet to display outside its intended position.

● Removed multiple logs being outputted for debugging purposes related to the bayonet attaching and detaching mechanic from the F2 console.


Kicking & Knockbacks

● Solved an issue where players kicked while abord naval vessels resulted in them being castaway a distance afar. Wilson!!

● Solved an issue which sometimes caused a player to get kicked a shorter distance than intended.

● Reduced instances for an issue which was sometimes causing a player to not get knock-backed after they got kicked and where colliding with another.

● Solved an issue which occurred when a player was kicked whilst carrying an object. The carriable object would be dropped to the ground while another remains in the player’s hands.

● Solved an issue where a player kept viewing the spyglass after they got kicked.

● Solved an issue with kills through kicks being represented with an incorrect icon in the death screen.


Melee Combat & Controller

● Players are now able to more quickly switch between combat and shoulder arm stances.

● Players are now provided with more leeway to drag an attack after releasing or holding a strike.

● Solved an instance which was at times causing players to get stuck holding a strike.

● Solved an instance where sometimes a strike dealt twice the intended damage.

● Solved an issue which sometimes prevented players from going into melee mode if they found themselves killed whilst holding a strike then respawned.

● You can now kick whilst equipping a 2H Axe or Sledgehammer.

● Solved an issue with the 2H Axe idle animation stance.

● Solved an issue where the 2H Axe running animations were not displaying as intended.

● Slightly reduced movement speed for when holding or releasing a strike whilst wielding a sword.

● Slightly increased the melee strike release timer for swords. This allows some more leeway to determine and block the attack.


Shooting & Firearms

● Players are now able to more quickly go in and out of the crouching stance.

● Slightly increased the range of kill-shots by auxiliary pistols.

● Solved an issue which was somethings causing other players to be seen firing their musket before the aiming animation fully completes.

● Solved an issue which very rarely caused a player to load a blank round resulting in a non-lethal shot from a firearm.

● Solved an issue which sometimes caused players to get stuck while reloading a firearm.

● Solved an issue with the firearm trajectories command outputting an error when switching the round.


Cavalry Units

● Solved issues related to sound for cavalry units and their movement.

● Solved an occurrence which was causing horses to de-spawn when a player from the enemy team mounts them.

● Solved an issue where allied faction players could kill a horse that you’ve captured from the enemies’ team using a swivel gun while mounting it.


Roleplay Gestures

● Solved an issue which allowed players to play a gesture while interacting with cannons, ladders, the ship’s wheel amongst others.

● Solved an issue which allowed players to play gestures while equipping an un-intended weapon.

● Players are now displayed with information as to why they are unable to play a gesture when they hover on the pictogram.
» Must Be Standing
» On Cooldown
» Gesture Already Playing


Achievements

● Solved an issue with the ‘Gifted Surgeon’ achievement.

● Reworded the ‘Strike’ achievement.


Custom Server Panel

● Default server address has been set to ‘localhost’ in the custom server panel.


Map Related

● Attackers on Fort Salettes whilst the Army Siege game mode is in play will now find an additional position to spawn on in limited numbers.

● Solved an issue with twice the sappers appearing atop one another in the main menu scene.

● Line Infantrymen in the main menu scene now have their arms shouldered upright and proper. Same goes for the Flag Bearer’s stance.

● Solved an issue with floating bushes on Snowy Plains 1.

● Solved an issue where players could get stuck behind one of the houses on Aunby Valley.

● Solved an issue which allowed players to spawn atop the bathhouse on Desert Ruins.

● Solved an issue which allowed players to spawn atop one of the barns on Dutch Canals.

● Solved an issue with one of the ladders on Desert Ruins.

● Solved an issue with one of the ruin models missing faces on Aunby Valley.

● Solved an issue with warning appearing on Tahir Desert.

● Solved an issue which allowed players to go underneath one of the bridges on Fort Salettes.

● Solved an issue with one of the capture points on Fort Christina appearing disconnected from the ground.

● Reduced the spacing between ladders on the ramp leading to Fort Salettes when playing on the Army Siege game mode.

● Solved an issue with one of the ladders on Sharpton appearing disconnected from the ground.

● Solved an issue with players being able to hide within one of the ruin models on Fort Schwarz.


Holdfast SDK

● Solved an issue with interaction door restrictions on modded maps.


Graphical

● Solved an issue with the Prussian Hussar’s cap display a white border.

● Solved an issue with the Depth of Field post-processing effect blurring our player nameplates and banners.

● Solved an issue which disabled impactful particle effects such as that of fires when the player is using the lower graphical settings.

● Beautified the area behind the dam on Aunby Valley.

● Reduced the brightness of the yellow guardhouse.


Once again, we thank you for your support and until next time, may good health be yours.





- Anvil Game Studios

Refleax, Rycon, Dreas, Wrexial, Walki, Cameron, Jackson, Rejenorst & Harper

Holdfast as one of the largest content updates to date has just been released! March with your arms shouldered alongside other fellows in the ranks, salute officers or proclaim your surrender through roleplay gestures, a regimental registry for in-game clans to thrive and proposer, call for reinforcements allowing others to spawn on your location, detachable bayonets and so much more.

Celebrating this release, you can gather Holdfast: Nations At War at 50% Off for the remaining duration of Steam’s Summer Sale. Help us spread the word around about the sale to bring this growing genre of Musket Warfare games that we all love in the limelight. We want to continue strengthening the following behind the game as it grows and develops.


https://store.steampowered.com/app/589290

There’s plenty to go through in this major content update release! Hang in there for a short while longer as we contain our excitement before letting you know of all the details.




Shoulder your arms and march onwards with musket in hand! Napoleonic formations are a glorious sight to behold and now more so than ever with this latest addition. A new set of animations will hold your musket upright and proper when in firing mode.

Consisting of well over 70 new animations and amendments to existing ones for the character to walk, run and transition through different stances more soldierly, it was certainly quite the substantial task to behold. Nevertheless, it was damn well worth the effort.

Shoulder Arms - March




Shoulder Arms - Run




Many requests were received from those within the community wanting to look better whilst playing as one of the most popular support roles - The Flag Bearer class. We, of course, couldn’t agree more. As you parade your faction’s colours to bolster morale in the ranks, your flag will be held upright in true Napoleonic fashion.

Flag Stances



Attention! Present your arms and await further orders, salute those in high-command to pay your respects, proclaim your surrender and cower for your precious life or simply point in the enemies’ general direction. Check out the full selection of roleplay gestures by pressing the ‘V’ key and clicking on the pictogram.

Officer Salute


Infantry Salute


Present Arms


Surrender


Point



Envisioned as a concept going as far back as the budding early days of Holdfast’s creation is finally coming to life! Providing a space for in-game clans to organise, thrive and prosper the Regimental Registry is a feature long-awaited by many.

Come to the release of this update, you’ll be able to establish your very own regiment within the game, customise its ranking structure, promote or demote enlisted based on the ranking structure you designate, assign moderators to help you manage new applicants, customise your very own regiment banner, transfer its ownership, raise its rank through a total of 50 levels in a group-wide effort and more!



You may surely wonder how involving it is to get started so let’s start getting into some of the details. Forming your very own regiment couldn’t get any simpler! Locate the ‘Regiment Registry’ from the main menu, select the ‘Create Regiment’ button, fill the form and you’re good to go.

Creator Basics
Here are a few things you’ll be needing to create a regiment. Start by defining your regiment’s affiliation and take up the fight for the British Empire, French Empire, Kingdom of Prussia, Russian Empire or any other nation then select the region your regiment is to be located in. This will help potential new applicants browsing the registry to find one with a matching time zone.

Searching for new recruits? Set the ‘Recruitment’ status to open. If it is to be a group amongst your peers, set this to closed. You’ll then be needing to define a name and tag to be used by your desired regiments. A tag must be unique and cannot be similar to that of another regiment.

Then write a description to let others know what your regiment stands for. Carefully think this through! We also highly recommend that you input a link to your Discord to stay in touch with those in the regiment or let others know where they can reach out.



Ranking Structure
Proceed to designate a ranking structure that suits best your regiment. Leaders and moderators will be able to promote or demote others through these ranks.



Regiment Banner
Utilise a massive selection of backgrounds and symbols to create your very own regimental banner. You can access the editor by pressing on the ‘Edit Banner’ button.



Representing your regiment and all of its deeds, the unique custom banner you design through the editor will show on every enlisted member in your regiment. Besides sporting a banner similar to one another, members of the same regiment will also display in green whilst playing the game.



Finish it all up by selecting the ‘Submit’ button to submit your regiment to the registry.

Management
Should you wish to make amendments to any of the above after creating your regiment, you can freely do so by clicking on the ‘Manage’ button visible only to you, the leader of the new up and coming regiment.



If you put in the effort, the regiment will steadily see a rise in numbers and as it grows you may want to start thinking about shifting some of the responsibilities to those other dedicated few. Select the ‘Grant Privileges’ button to provide moderator privileges to any of the enlisted. They will be able to help you accept new recruits, promote or demote others.



Transferring the ownership of the regiment can be actioned through the same panel. By selecting the ‘Transfer Ownership’ button you will be provided with a list of moderators to handover the regiment revoking your privileges as a leader over to another individual of your choosing.

There can only be one Regiment Leader and they have total control and ownership of the regiment.



If the regiment comes to an unfortunate end, as the owner of the regiment you are also provided with the option to disband it. Regiments that are disbanded will disappear from the registry after a few days.



Regiment Rank
Prepare to embark on a competitive stand-off between game clans! Collaborate and assemble in a group-wide effort for those fellows in your regiment to rise through a total of 50 ranks. Regiments that rank higher than others will be displayed at the top of the registry.



Those dedicated few that manage to make their way to all 50 ranks will be rewarded with a prestigious golden banner distinguishing them from the rest. Score gathered by an enlisted based on how well they did during a match on any of the official Army Front, Naval Warfront or Linebattle Event servers will contribute towards this great effort.




In dire need of reinforcements? Call for those in the rank and file to spawn on your forward position. Coming to this update Infantry Officers have been provided with a new ‘Reinforce’ ability ordering Line Infantry, Grenadier and Guard units to come to their aid changing the dynamics of the battlefield.

One should carefully evaluate their surroundings when doing so however as these forward positions are destructible by both cannon, explosives and melee weapons. You will also find that the number of units that can spawn is limited in number. Getting overrun won’t be a pretty sight.

Infantry Officers advanced in their leadership skills are sure to strategically use forward positions as a means to capture and hold key stronghold positions pivotal to achieving victory.

New Ability
● Reinforce - Call for infantrymen to bolster your ranks when in dire need of reinforcements. A forward position will be placed on your location enabling Line Infantry, Grenadier and Guard units to spawn on it.

Forward Position




Pressing the ‘M’ key will now open the spawn menu. This menu will now be seeing more use outside that of selecting or changing to another class. It’s definitely bound to come in handy.


At a distance, a shout from an overzealous officer ensues throwing everyone into a charge! Holdfast: Nations At War has always been missing something dear to make these decisive moments ever more brilliant but this can be said no longer.

Musket-wielding classes are now equipped with a new ability allowing them to attach and detach bayonets. Detaching your bayonet will gather you a 5% in firearm accuracy at the cost of limiting your melee capabilities with the weapon. Try not to get caught without it if things get up close and personal.

New Ability
● Bayonet Handling - Drilled in the handling of bayonets. Charge with a bayonet equipped and make use of your trusty musket as a makeshift spear in melee combat or detach it from your weapon to gather a 5% increase in firearm accuracy.

Press the ‘T’ key to attach or detach your bayonet when equipping a musket.

Detach Bayonet


Attach Bayonet



Take up arms and march with the Regiments of the Line for Emperor or King! Enlist with the British Empire’s Loyal Lusitanian Legion, the Prussian Kingdom’s 11th Regiment of Reserves, the Russian Empire’s Pavlovsk Fusilier or the French Empire’s Bavarian Fusiliers.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1324000

Content present in Holdfast: Nations At War DLCs is purely cosmetical. It doesn’t and never will impact gameplay. Your kind generosity will be put to good use and bring this genre of musket warfare games which all of us are fond of in the limelight.

The Regiments of the Line DLC unlocks 4 unique uniforms for the Line Infantry class.

ROTL DLC Uniform Unlocks
● Unlock the British Empire's Loyal Lusitanian Legion uniform.



● Unlock the French Empire's 6th ‘Herzog Wilhelm’ Bavarian Fusiliers uniform.



● Unlock the Kingdom of Prussia's 11th Reserve Regiment uniform.



● Unlock the Russian Empire's Pavlovsk Fusiliers uniform.




Ever found yourself in a right pickle healing wartime injury but couldn’t do the same for yours? In this release, we’ll be introducing yet another ability for the Surgeon class. Surgeons are now provided with the option to heal themselves using the ‘Bandage’ ability.

There’s a 1-minute cooldown being applied in between uses so be sure that you play your cards well.

New Ability
● Bandage - Experienced in healing wartime injuries. You can utilise the same knowledge to bandage your own by pressing the 'Q' key.

Surgeon Bandage



Not quite into developing quick work of your enemy using conventional weaponry? A good old-fashioned brawl might just be the thing you’re looking for and things will be taken up a notch come to this update. Kicks rather than being instant on button press will require both precision and careful timing to land but should you be successful in doing so, your enemy will be stunned and knocked back a few paces.

There are plenty more changes coming to the melee combat system in this update. You can check out all that we’ve been up to in the changelog.

Madness!



Aunby Valley makes its way into the game uniquely combining many beloved aspects of other battlefields featured in the game. Inspired by the valleys of South Wales, a large river runs down the middle of this map, only to be held back by a giant dam that will see many a fallen infantryman atop it.

At the base of the dam, two opposing sapper houses can be found and garrisoned to control the main crossing point of the valley. Should the enemy overwhelm you there, plenty of other crossing points leading to caves and ruins can be alternatively utilised as strategic flanking points.

Verticality is an important feature of this battlefield and those who use it to their advantage can expect great victories upon this land. With river crossings, buildings, caves, ruins and a giant dam you can be sure to experience every aspect of Holdfast: Nations At War in all its glory!

Aunby Valley











Looking for a good bunch of fellows to play with? Do join our Discord. Linebattle events where players are encouraged to play in formations relevant to the Napoleonic era are hosted by the community through the week. Discord is also a great place to stay in touch with the game’s development. Feedback is always greatly welcomed.

If you’re a fellow in the ranks of a regiment, go declare your enlistment. Through this, you can gather access to the ‘Field Camp’ where clan specific discussion ensues. We look forward to seeing you there!

http://discord.gg/holdfastgame







There’s plenty more to look out for in this major update! Additions focused towards gameplay balance, the recently introduced Holdfast SDK, quality of life improvements, bug fixes and more.

Take a look at the changelog for all the details.





Changelog 55 - Game Version 1.6.7489.31280


New Features

● Shoulder Arms! Marching Onwards. Shoulder your arms and march onwards with musket in hand! Napoleonic formations are a glorious sight to behold and now more so due to this latest addition.
» A new set of animations will hold your musket upright and proper when in firing mode.
» Flags can be held upright in true Napoleonic fashion.

● Roleplay Gestures! Drills & Salutes. Present your arms and await further orders, salute those in high-command to pay your respects, proclaim your surrender and cower for your precious life or point in the enemies' general direction.
» Check out the full selection of roleplay gestures by pressing the ‘V’ key and clicking on the pictogram.

● Regiment Registry! Providing a space for in-game clans to organise, thrive and prosper the Regimental Registry is a feature long-awaited by many.
» A Regiment Registry allowing players to easily find and locate a regiment to join.
» Ability to establish your very own regiment with the game.
» Ability to customise the regiment’s ranking structure.
» Ability to promote or demote enlisted based on the ranking structure you designate.
» Ability to kick enlisted out of the regiment.
» Ability to assign enlisted moderator privileges and help you manage new applicants.
» Ability to transfer the regiment’s ownership.
» Ability to define a description for your regiment. Let others know what you stand for.
» Ability to disband the regiment should it come to an unfortunate end.
» Ability to customise your very own regiment banner.

● Regiment Banners. Utilise a massive selection of backgrounds and symbols to create your very own regimental banner.
» Representing your regiment and all of its deeds, the unique custom banner you design through the editor will show on every enlisted member in your regiment.
» Members of the same regiment will also display in green whilst playing the game.

● Regiment Standing. Raise your regiment through a total of 50 levels in a group-wide effort and be rewarded for it. Score gathered by an enlisted based on how well they did during a match on any of the official Army Front, Naval Warfront or Linebattle Event servers will contribute towards this great effort.
» You will be rewarded with a prestigious golden banner distinguishing your regiment from the rest.
» Regiments that rank higher than others will be displayed at the top of the registry.

● Reinforce! Forward Positions. Call for those in the rank and file to spawn on your forward position. A new ‘Reinforce’ ability enables Line Infantry, Grenadier and Guard units to come to your aid changing the dynamics of the battlefield.
» Players that can spawn on a forward position are limited in number.
» Forward positions are destructible by melee, cannon and explosives.
» Forward positions will be destroyed if the Infantry Officer meets their demise.
» Input the following command per map rotation to enable or disable the use of this ability: class_system_orders_reinforce true
» Input the following command per map rotation to define a limit for the number of players that can spawn on a particular forward position: class_system_orders_reinforce_limit 25
» Input the following command per map rotation to change the cooldown of this ability: class_system_orders_reinforce_cooldown 240

● Bayonettss! Attaching & Detaching. Musket-wielding classes are now equipped with a new ability allowing them to attach and detach bayonets. Detaching your bayonet will gather you a 5% in firearm accuracy at the cost of limiting your melee capabilities with the weapon.
» Press the ‘T’ key to attach or detach your bayonet when equipping a musket.
» Input the following command per map rotation to define if players should start with their bayonet attached or detached by default: start_bayonet_attached true or false

● 4 New Units! Regiments of the Line DLC. Unlock four new Line Infantry uniforms for each of the existing factions in the Regiments of the Line DLC. You can access the Steam Store page to unlock these uniforms directly through the game. Content present in Holdfast: Nations At War Game DLCs is purely cosmetical. It doesn’t and never will impact gameplay.
» Unlock the British Empire's Loyal Lusitanian Legion uniform.
» Unlock the French Empire's 6th ‘Herzog Wilhelm’ Bavarian Fusiliers uniform.
» Unlock the Kingdom of Prussia's 11th Reserve Regiment uniform.
» Unlock the Russian Empire's Pavlovsk Fusiliers uniform.

● Surgeon Bandage! Healing Oneself. Surgeons are now provided with the option to heal themselves using the ‘Bandage’ ability. There’s a 1-minute cooldown being applied in between uses so be sure that you play your cards well.
» A new UI whilst playing with the Surgeon class will show alerting you of the uses and cooldowns for both the Bandage and Medicine abilities.

● A New Map! Aunby Valley. Inspired by the valleys of South Wales, a large river runs down the middle of this map, only to be held back by a giant dam that will see many a fallen infantryman atop it.
» Input the following command per map rotation to play this map on your community server: map_name aunbyvalley


Quality of Life

● You are now able to access the Spawn Menu by pressing the ‘M’ key.

● Reorganised the key bindings menu for easier access.

● Capturable points which no players can spawn on by default will no longer show in the Spawn Menu.

● Introduced additional tips informing players on the use of the newly introduced abilities.


Gameplay - Musket Combat

● Redesigned the secondary strike mechanics to rebalance the meta.
» Changed the shoving animations to feature a kick instead. It allows players to better distinguish between primary and secondary attacks while improving consistency.
» Secondary attacks will now knock-back a player if the aggressor successfully lands their hit.
» Secondary attacks now have a windup allowing players time to evade the knock-back.
» Secondary attacks can now be dragged slightly providing for greater fluidity during play.
» Secondary attack kills now show a unique boot icon in the kill log.
» You can now Spartan a poor fellow off an elevated position rewarding you with the kill.
» Players will instantly face their demise if the knock-back throws them into an anti-infantry spike.
» Damage for secondary attacks increased from 5 to 10 and from 2 to 5 if the Resilient trait is in effect.

● Your movement speed no longer gets slightly reduced whilst blocking with a musket.

● Solved an issue which enabled players to rotate quicker than intended after releasing their strike. Relative to their framerate, they would be able to rotate faster than others providing them with an advantage during competitive play.

● Improved the accuracy of player positions whilst rotating. Rotating player movement is now more in sync with the server. Latency, however, will still cause inconsistencies.

● Solved an issue that allowed players to pitch down and up quicker than intended when in melee combat mode.

● Solved an instance which allowed a player to skip the melee hold release state resulting in an invisible strike.

● Solved multiple instances which affected melee swing and block direction detection on different screen resolutions.

● Solved an issue which sometimes enabled two striking players to damage each other at the same time.

● Solved multiple inconsistencies with block grace timers.

● Readjusted the damage duration of the musket when doing an up strike.


Gameplay - Sword Combat

● Your movement speed no longer gets slightly reduced whilst blocking with a sword.

● Players wielding a sword now move slightly hastier than those equipping a musket when holding a strike or striking. It provides them with a better chance to close distances when facing those equipped with longer reach weaponry.

● Solved an issue which sometimes prevented a sword strike from hitting a player based on their field of view.

● Solved an issue with sword strikes having a significant hit delay.


Gameplay - Artillery

● Cannons will now recoil through Sapper defences and destroy them. You will no longer be able to utilise them as a mean to prevent a cannon from recoiling.


Gameplay - Sappers

● Sapper built Ammo Boxes and Rockets Stacks can now be shot at and destroyed by firearms. It’ll prevent players from using these objects to block entry points.


Gameplay - Army Conquest

● You are no longer able to spawn on capturable positions in the Army Conquest game mode. Utilise the Infantry Officer’s ‘Reinforce’ ability decisively to capture, hold or retake key positions.
» Input the following command per map rotation to once again allow players to spawn on capturable spawn points: Wiki - Class Limit Overrides


Holdfast SDK

● Introduced additional documentation covering the modification of flags and characters.

● Creators can now find an example on how to set up the Melee Arena game mode in the land scene.

● Solved an issue which prevented doors from functioning as intended when playing on the Melee Arena game mode.

● Solved an issue with the ammo boxes placeable through the Holdfast SDK being slightly elevated.

● Solved an issue in the Holdfast SDK with the character fingers in the ‘Create Screenshot Scene’ appearing incorrectly. We have also improved the lighting in the scene enabling you to take more beautiful shots of your modded uniforms.

● Creators now have a new set of un-destructible doors to make use of specifically designed for the Melee Arena game mode.
» Look for ‘MeleeArena_Door’ in the SDK.

● Solved multiple issues with farm walls and modular siege walls not properly switching through the different destruction stages.

● Solved an issue with one of the destruction stages on the siege gatehouse switching textures.

● Solved multiple issues where players could pass through some of the destructible stages on modular siege walls.

● Changed the default image for uploaded modifications visible in the Steam Workshop.

● Solved an issue which was sometimes causing issues when loading multiple mods containing flags.

● Solved an issue with Coastal Siege spawn points in the Holdfast SDK naval scene.


Graphical Additions

● Significantly improved the quality of all face textures in the game.

● Improved the quality of all uniform textures to bring out more detail.


General Bug Fixes

● Solved an issue which enabled players to go atop the windmill’s second floor.

● Solved another issue with rockets dealing less damage than intended in the Hardcore Game Type.

● Solved an issue where players were unable to sit on one of the chairs present on Fort Pierre.

● Solved an issue with the French Marine missing a greyed-out image in the spawn menu when the class slots become full.

● Solved an issue where players could get stuck behind one of the carts present on Sharpton.

● Solved an issue with some of the Russian Cuirassier faces being incorrectly skinned.

● Solved an instance which caused horse reins to appear visually detached.


It’s been an outright blast developing this update! We do certainly hope that you enjoy all that this major content update has to offer as much as we will. Our heartfelt thanks go to all those good folks in the community. Your constant support, feedback and enthusiasm make us want to strive for better.

Once again, we thank you and until next time, may good health be yours.





- Anvil Game Studios

Refleax, Rycon, Dreas, Wrexial, Walki, Cameron, Jackson, Rejenorst & Harper