(Showcase of the current state of the game)

Hi and welcome to the 18th development blog post for Unleash!

First off, we have decided to cut down the time we spend on writing this blog so that it is now bi-monthly, rather than weekly. This frees up more time for what we enjoy doing the most: game development!

In the past two weeks we have decided to postpone our Early Access release (more on that below), we have been crunching hard on improving all the graphics for the game, and have had time for a myriad of other improvements, including a considerable improvement of the game’s AI bots.

As mentioned in this announcement, we felt that we needed to postpone our planned Early Access release on the 6th of February. The truth is that we welcomed a few new faces in our office - including a new art director - and this naturally and necessarily resulted in a major graphical overhaul.


(The new logo rework has been through several iterations already, and the design is still not finalized)

We began the work on upgrading menus, logos and in-game graphics as soon as possible and have been crunching hard to try to make the deadline. However, in the end we simply were not able to achieve our ambitions with the time available. Instead of releasing a rushed, semi-complete build with an inconsistent visual identity, we felt it better and more responsible to hold back the release until we can complete the graphics work and make an appropriate launch trailer. Stay tuned for an update on the new release date!

The new menus are finally pretty much done! There are still some small bugs that need squishing and more testing is needed to ensure a stable, consistent experience, but we’re almost ready to close that chapter for now. We are however planning to do at least one more overhaul eventually, placing greater emphasis on user flow and user experience. We’re hoping for user feedback on this topic to make it the best it can be!


(The main menu intro)

The new main menu front page sets the tone for the rest of the UI; the green color scheme is consistent throughout the menus. The ‘Play Now’ button expands without changing pages, providing a quicker path to play. Orange flares highlight the buttons when hovering with the mouse to make it clear what is interactable and what is not.


(Scoreboards menu)

The scoreboards follow the same color palette and style, showing 10 results per page and split into the two game modes currently provided: Line Tower Wars and Tower Defense. One’s own entry, if one such exists, is always placed at the bottom so it is quick and easy to compare one’s own standing with the rest of the scoreboard. As previously, each Tower Defense scenario has its own scoreboard.


(Loadouts editor menu)

The loadouts editor has been reworked as well. However, we have not gone through replacing all the monster icons yet, so they still exist in the old format. We will get there eventually, since the ‘old’ buttons currently seem out of place in the new menu look.


(Create menu)

The create menu can be used to create a game of both game modes, as well as sandbox and tutorial games. Blue boxes signify non-interactable elements, and green boxes signify interactable elements, such as buttons, input fields and toggles.


(Lobby menu)

The lobby generally shows the same functionality as previously, but now in a simpler and more clean style, following the general style for the new menus. Additionally, the lobby finally has a countdown with sound, after the host has clicked ‘Start’, thus providing all players with an alert that the game is starting.

We are working hard on improving the in-game graphics. Pretty much every aspect of the graphics are being improved; from towers to monsters, to effects and the HUD. A range of towers have received new models and textures to lift the graphical quality and provide a more consistent visual look. Additionally, we wanted to make each tower more iconic and unique so as to minimize the confusion of not knowing two towers apart from each other.


(The towers that have so far received a visual upgrade in the form of new textures and in some cases new 3D modelsl)

The effects that the towers use to display their attack, e.g. streams of flames and frost and so on, are also being reworked. This process involves quite a bit of experimentation to achieve a look that is both impressive alone, but also works when there are rows upon rows of towers firing at the same time. So far, the Freezer, Diesel, Flamethrower and Frost Cannon towers have received new ‘attack’ effects.


(The towers that have so far received new 'attacking' VFX)

A perhaps little known fact about DeSync Studios is that it was born out of ‘Apex Game Tools’, which specialized in developing AI tools for other game developers. Thus, some of us have been working with and specialized in AI development for years prior to starting development of Unleash. We still have high ambitions for the AI in Unleash and we have a vision of a future where the community can contribute to the AI development in Unleash through various modding features. For now, however, we have resorted to improving the current Utility AI-based AI bots that the game currently provides.

The way that the AI builds is based on what we call ‘Structure Configurations’. They are basically a set of instructions for building a limited set of rows of towers, mostly consisting of walls that may later be replaced dynamically by towers. Previously, these structure configurations were hard-coded and written by hand, which was a lengthy and error-prone process. Now, the AI loads its list of available structure configurations dynamically based on .json files. The configurations can easily be saved by using specific development console commands that we have made. Basically, this means that it is much easier and faster for us to expand upon the set of possible configurations that the AI can choose to build.


(The AI bots can build from a more varied selection of ‘structure configurations’)

Additionally, our ‘Mr. Think’ AI bot, which evaluates the game state and acts accordingly, has been upgraded to be more responsible defensively. This makes it harder to defeat and provides a greater challenge, even for us developers! Mr. Think will build more configurations up-front and be better at responding to specific damage type threats. There are still many improvements that we want to make in time on the AI front, as there are still some obvious shortcomings. Furthermore, we would like to make a truly ‘brutal’ AI at some point which can be challenging to even very experienced players of Unleash.

Even though we reluctantly felt the need to postpone our Early Access release, it may in the end work out for the better. It gives us more time to complete the graphical overhaul and improve upon the game further, which ultimately means a more polished and stable game when we do finally release! Already now we are almost done reworking the menus, we have started a major rework of in-game graphics, we are redesigning the game’s logo and we have had time to carry out some AI improvements that we have had on our to-do list for a while.

Get in contact with us through Discord, or any of our other social media channels. You can find all of them through our website. Also, you can watch our internal gameplay sessions over at Twitch.

And remember… Monsters never come alone.

*** IMPROVEMENTS ***

- (Return to Base Air Movement) Summary window is no longer displayed when computer is playing.
- (Air Defense movement) Air units can only defend on Regions that contain allied units or an allied structure. This prevents potential exploit strategies where planes are used just to prevent the opponent from moving forward.
- (Air defense movement) It is no longer possible to place air units in defense in regions that do not contain allied land or naval units.
- (Air movement) Aerial units located into aircraft carriers can now automatically get out of the ships to intercept enemy air units (CAP).
- (Air movement) Anti-aircraft units now only inflict panics to moving units (except in land or naval battles where they act normally).
- (Air movement) If an air stack enters a region containing enemy air interceptors and enemy AA units, both quick battles take place, starting with AA units shooting at the incoming stack.
- (Air movement) When an air stack enters a region that contains land anti-air units + air interceptors, now two battles actually happen : first the AA units shoot at the moving stack (and can only inflict panics). Then, a quick dogfight opposes moving units and the enemy air interceptors.

- (Battle) During a Land or Naval battle, aerial units that have potential targets but are inside a structure/aircraft carrier now automatically participate in the battle.
- (Battle) In Land and Sea Battles, Air Units are now only affected by combat factor modifiers that make sense for them (terrain and entrenchment of the enemy, cards, but not leaders).
- (Battle) Removed confusing battle messages about Leader Loss.
- (Battle) Units retreating in battle will now choose to retreat in an adjacent region prior to retreating in a fortress (unless scenario states otherwise).

- (Breakthrough) Air units can now be allowed to accompany breakthrough.

- (Cards) Accelerated dice rolls triggered by some cards (e.g. « Focus operation » in the Six Days scenario).
- (Cards) AI now plays its cards in a smarter and less predictable way, especially during pursuits.
- (Cards) Improved cards behaviour when they are played by the AI.
- (Cards) Increased snap distance between the card moved by the user and the card play zone.
- (Cards) Some scenarios now allow to keep all cards puchased in hand, even if there are more cards than the limit set in the scenario (usually 5). In this case, discard is only done at the end of the Draw Cards game phase.

- (Gameplay) Added support for submarine and hidden units in Sea domain.
- (Gameplay) Units with the corresponding property can now attack while keeping their camouflage.
- (Hidden units) Hidden units are no more anonymous when they enter a region with no enemy units but with an enemy structure.

- (Hidden units) Hidden units are now using a half-transparent counter and image.
- (Hidden units) Modified unit discovery rules : now each land stack and each air/sea unit can only perform a single discovery test for each region during a movement phase.
- (Hidden units)It is now possible to perform a discovery test just by moving a stack inside its region. Previously, getting out of the region then coming back was required to do the test.

- (Movement) For units that are not allowed to move because of a card effect, movement points are displayed as a red ‘’-‘’ character instead of a red ‘’0’’, to avoid confusion with units that are allowed to move but have no move points left. 
- (Movements) Dropping a parachute unit on a region will cost it all its movement points allocation.
- (Movements) Parachute units can join an allied unit in battle (even without leader), reciprocally an allied unit/stack can join a parachute unit in battle.
- (Movements) Parachute units can now embark air transport units and be dropped on a land region (enemy or friendly).

- (Naval battle) Air units and submarines can now pursue routed units.
- (Naval battle) Anti-aircraft values of naval units do not benefit from battle modifiers when targeting air units.
- (Naval battle) If one of the opponents only have air units, the short range battle is automatically chosen.
- (Naval battle) Maneuver test dices are now hidden to accelerate the pace of naval battles.
- (Naval battle) Planes loaded in attacked aircraft carriers now automatically participate to the battle.

- (Performances) Improved memory management when user goes back to main menu.

- (Purchase) The game now prevents the player from buying more cards or replacements than available.
- (Purchase) The purchase toolbar now displays the number of cards and replacements that can be bought.

- (Saves) The state of the game is now auto-saved when the user returns to the main menu or quits the app.

- (UI) Added a small explosion when an air stack is destroyed during an aerial battle.
- (UI) Aerial battle details are now more understandable, with an indication of the type of battle (dogfight or agains anti-air units). Battles with no hits or panics are not displayed as a victory for the defender anymore, since the attacker is able to continue its mission in this situation.
- (UI) The Information Window now indicates that a unit is able to follow a breakthrough.


[/b] *** FIXES ***[/b]

- (Return to Base Air Movement) Fixed bug where all units of an air stack would return to the same base, even if they came from different locations.
- (Return to Base Air Movement) Fixed movement of air units returning to an aircraft carrier in the case the carrier is not in its origin region.
- (Return to Base Air Movement) Game was sometimes stucked when air units had nowhere to come back (attached structure conquered by enemy for example). They will now try to find another airport within move range or die if no suitable airport has been found.

- (Air movement) Ensured that air units that have panicked cannot move again during the same move phase.
- (Air movement) Fixed multiple cases where the game could hand during air movements.
- (Air Movement) Fixed air units in panic not returning to their base after an interception.
- (Air movement) Fixed air AI not able to fly from moving aircraft carrier.
- (Air movement) Fixed bug where moving air units would always be intercepted by opposing air units : the interception dice test was not called properly.
- (Air movement) Fixed movement of stacks returning to their base after a panic or loss during a battle.
- (Air movement) Fixed rules that determine if a Land/Sea battle should be started after an air stack reaches its final destination.
- (Defensive air movement) Fixed a bug that allowed to send an air stack to a region containing enemy AA units.

- (Air battle) Fixed bug where an air stack with all combat units in panic was not automatically routed.

- (Audio) Fixed missing sound for units doing railroad movements.

- (Battle) Fixed bug where the losing stack could not retreat because the retreat region was difficult and the stack had too much units. Now, extra units are eliminated, starting with units with lowest morale.

- (Cards) Current nations that belong to each player are now saved and correctly initialized when loading a save.
- (Cards) Fixed a bug that cause cause the freeze after playing a card with the effect to reveal hidden enemy units.
- (Cards) Fixed bug caused by cards trying to teleport bunker units (such as "Rokossovski Advance" in Berlin 1945). Now those bunkers are destroyed instead.
- (Cards) Fixed bug that deactivated the zoom on active cards just after loading a saved game.
- (Cards) Fixed bug were a card could heal a wounded leader, although this is not allowed by the game rules.
- (Cards) Fixed crash caused by some cards that have an effect on sieges (such as "Hannibal Rhodos" in Hamilkar 264). The effect of those cards on a structure is now canceled if the side of the structure changes.

- (Cards/Saves) Fixed issue that allowed to play cards after loading a saved game, although the save had been made after playing cards. E.g. this bug allowed to play cards anytime during a movement phase, which is somewhat cheating.

- (Conquest) Fixed crash that could occur when a structure containing units was conquered by an enemy.

- (Disband) Fixed bug where disbanding units located in a structure or a transporter would create "zombie" units.

- (Disband) Fixed bug where re-opening the stack viewer just after disbanding would still show the units that had been disbanded. Now the stack viewer is not closed by disbanding, and the disbanded units are correctly removed from it.

- (Hidden units) : Fixed a recon test error where revealing a unit automatically created a battle, even if units engaged in battle were unable to hit themselves
- (Hidden units) Fixed bug where a hidden stack could automatically take a region after loading a save.
- (Hidden units) Fixed bug where hidden units discovered by an enemy stack were still hidden after reloading the game from a save.
- (Hidden units) Fixed bug where un-hiding a stack in an empty region would not capture it. Now It is not possible to hide the stack again just after capturing it.

- (Localization) Added missing translation for movements that start a blockade.
- (Localization) Added some missing translation for some Unit Action buttons (Camouflage, Entrenchement).

- (Maintenance) Fixed a bug where game would not allow to continue in maintenance phase, in the case were no money was available to pay for air or sea units.

- (Mouvement) Fixed an issue where a defending stack immobilized by a Card could not retreat, resulting in the attacker and defender stacks staying in the region after the battle.
- (Movement) Fixed bug where landed paratroopers could only move by one region on each turn, regardless of their actual Move Points.
- (Movement) Fixed message when a hidden stack makes an internal move in a region. Previously, the movement message incorrectly stated that the stack was going to conquer the region.
- (Movement) Fixed position of some messages displayed when planning unit moves.
- (Movements) No battle were created when the recon test was valid on a region with hidden units.
- (Movements) Unit stacks from computer no longer finishes their move on / under player unit stack.
- (Land Movement) Units going out from structure on a region with difficult terrain were not able to move, even if the unit count was below the limit.
- (Naval Movement) Battle was not possible on a Sea region with income when the region was from the side of the player.

- (Naval battle) Fixed a bug where a naval battle was not started after an air battle, whereas the moving air units were able to attack a sea stack.
- (Land Battle) Fixed bug where an air stack alone could conquer a region by defeating a land stack.

- (Recon test) Fixed bug where hidden units made recon test when moving into another region (recon test can only be made by units without camouflage).

- (Reinforcements) Fixed bug where reinforcement units were not delivered if they were supposed to replace a target unit located inside a unit transporter.

- (Replacements) Fixed bug that allowed to purchase a replacement for wounded leaders.

- (Retreat) Fixed bug with retreat of defending air stacks.

- (Stack Viewer) Fixed bug where the "Entrench" button was not correctly displayed when the stack was already entrenched.
- (Stack Viewer) Fixed bug where units unloaded from a transport unit could still be displayed as beeing loaded.

- (UI) Fixed bug that hid part of aerial battles from the battles summary window.
- (UI) Long unit names were sometimes not fully displayed.
- (Unit delivery) Fixed issue where loading a save made after unit purchase and before delivery would cause the units not to be delivered.
- (Unit loading) Fixed bug that allowed to load units in any transport air unit anywhere on the map. Now only helicopters are able to load units outside of airports.

- (Unit loading) Fixed bug where units were not loaded correcty in their transport units in the case where several transporters were available.

- (Units) Fixed bug where Units initially entrenched at the start of a scenario would always be entrenched right after loading this scenario from a save.

Quite a good list already... and we're still improving the game ːsteamhappyː

*** IMPROVEMENTS ***

- (Return to Base Air Movement) Summary window is no longer displayed when computer is playing.
- (Air Defense movement) Air units can only defend on Regions that contain allied units or an allied structure. This prevents potential exploit strategies where planes are used just to prevent the opponent from moving forward.
- (Air defense movement) It is no longer possible to place air units in defense in regions that do not contain allied land or naval units.
- (Air movement) Aerial units located into aircraft carriers can now automatically get out of the ships to intercept enemy air units (CAP).
- (Air movement) Anti-aircraft units now only inflict panics to moving units (except in land or naval battles where they act normally).
- (Air movement) If an air stack enters a region containing enemy air interceptors and enemy AA units, both quick battles take place, starting with AA units shooting at the incoming stack.
- (Air movement) When an air stack enters a region that contains land anti-air units + air interceptors, now two battles actually happen : first the AA units shoot at the moving stack (and can only inflict panics). Then, a quick dogfight opposes moving units and the enemy air interceptors.

- (Battle) During a Land or Naval battle, aerial units that have potential targets but are inside a structure/aircraft carrier now automatically participate in the battle.
- (Battle) In Land and Sea Battles, Air Units are now only affected by combat factor modifiers that make sense for them (terrain and entrenchment of the enemy, cards, but not leaders).
- (Battle) Removed confusing battle messages about Leader Loss.
- (Battle) Units retreating in battle will now choose to retreat in an adjacent region prior to retreating in a fortress (unless scenario states otherwise).

- (Breakthrough) Air units can now be allowed to accompany breakthrough.

- (Cards) Accelerated dice rolls triggered by some cards (e.g. « Focus operation » in the Six Days scenario).
- (Cards) AI now plays its cards in a smarter and less predictable way, especially during pursuits.
- (Cards) Improved cards behaviour when they are played by the AI.
- (Cards) Increased snap distance between the card moved by the user and the card play zone.
- (Cards) Some scenarios now allow to keep all cards puchased in hand, even if there are more cards than the limit set in the scenario (usually 5). In this case, discard is only done at the end of the Draw Cards game phase.

- (Gameplay) Added support for submarine and hidden units in Sea domain.
- (Gameplay) Units with the corresponding property can now attack while keeping their camouflage.
- (Hidden units) Hidden units are no more anonymous when they enter a region with no enemy units but with an enemy structure.

- (Hidden units) Hidden units are now using a half-transparent counter and image.
- (Hidden units) Modified unit discovery rules : now each land stack and each air/sea unit can only perform a single discovery test for each region during a movement phase.
- (Hidden units)It is now possible to perform a discovery test just by moving a stack inside its region. Previously, getting out of the region then coming back was required to do the test.

- (Movement) For units that are not allowed to move because of a card effect, movement points are displayed as a red ‘’-‘’ character instead of a red ‘’0’’, to avoid confusion with units that are allowed to move but have no move points left. 
- (Movements) Dropping a parachute unit on a region will cost it all its movement points allocation.
- (Movements) Parachute units can join an allied unit in battle (even without leader), reciprocally an allied unit/stack can join a parachute unit in battle.
- (Movements) Parachute units can now embark air transport units and be dropped on a land region (enemy or friendly).

- (Naval battle) Air units and submarines can now pursue routed units.
- (Naval battle) Anti-aircraft values of naval units do not benefit from battle modifiers when targeting air units.
- (Naval battle) If one of the opponents only have air units, the short range battle is automatically chosen.
- (Naval battle) Maneuver test dices are now hidden to accelerate the pace of naval battles.
- (Naval battle) Planes loaded in attacked aircraft carriers now automatically participate to the battle.

- (Performances) Improved memory management when user goes back to main menu.

- (Purchase) The game now prevents the player from buying more cards or replacements than available.
- (Purchase) The purchase toolbar now displays the number of cards and replacements that can be bought.

- (Saves) The state of the game is now auto-saved when the user returns to the main menu or quits the app.

- (UI) Added a small explosion when an air stack is destroyed during an aerial battle.
- (UI) Aerial battle details are now more understandable, with an indication of the type of battle (dogfight or agains anti-air units). Battles with no hits or panics are not displayed as a victory for the defender anymore, since the attacker is able to continue its mission in this situation.
- (UI) The Information Window now indicates that a unit is able to follow a breakthrough.


[/b] *** FIXES ***[/b]

- (Return to Base Air Movement) Fixed bug where all units of an air stack would return to the same base, even if they came from different locations.
- (Return to Base Air Movement) Fixed movement of air units returning to an aircraft carrier in the case the carrier is not in its origin region.
- (Return to Base Air Movement) Game was sometimes stucked when air units had nowhere to come back (attached structure conquered by enemy for example). They will now try to find another airport within move range or die if no suitable airport has been found.

- (Air movement) Ensured that air units that have panicked cannot move again during the same move phase.
- (Air movement) Fixed multiple cases where the game could hand during air movements.
- (Air Movement) Fixed air units in panic not returning to their base after an interception.
- (Air movement) Fixed air AI not able to fly from moving aircraft carrier.
- (Air movement) Fixed bug where moving air units would always be intercepted by opposing air units : the interception dice test was not called properly.
- (Air movement) Fixed movement of stacks returning to their base after a panic or loss during a battle.
- (Air movement) Fixed rules that determine if a Land/Sea battle should be started after an air stack reaches its final destination.
- (Defensive air movement) Fixed a bug that allowed to send an air stack to a region containing enemy AA units.

- (Air battle) Fixed bug where an air stack with all combat units in panic was not automatically routed.

- (Audio) Fixed missing sound for units doing railroad movements.

- (Battle) Fixed bug where the losing stack could not retreat because the retreat region was difficult and the stack had too much units. Now, extra units are eliminated, starting with units with lowest morale.

- (Cards) Current nations that belong to each player are now saved and correctly initialized when loading a save.
- (Cards) Fixed a bug that cause cause the freeze after playing a card with the effect to reveal hidden enemy units.
- (Cards) Fixed bug caused by cards trying to teleport bunker units (such as "Rokossovski Advance" in Berlin 1945). Now those bunkers are destroyed instead.
- (Cards) Fixed bug that deactivated the zoom on active cards just after loading a saved game.
- (Cards) Fixed bug were a card could heal a wounded leader, although this is not allowed by the game rules.
- (Cards) Fixed crash caused by some cards that have an effect on sieges (such as "Hannibal Rhodos" in Hamilkar 264). The effect of those cards on a structure is now canceled if the side of the structure changes.

- (Cards/Saves) Fixed issue that allowed to play cards after loading a saved game, although the save had been made after playing cards. E.g. this bug allowed to play cards anytime during a movement phase, which is somewhat cheating.

- (Conquest) Fixed crash that could occur when a structure containing units was conquered by an enemy.

- (Disband) Fixed bug where disbanding units located in a structure or a transporter would create "zombie" units.

- (Disband) Fixed bug where re-opening the stack viewer just after disbanding would still show the units that had been disbanded. Now the stack viewer is not closed by disbanding, and the disbanded units are correctly removed from it.

- (Hidden units) : Fixed a recon test error where revealing a unit automatically created a battle, even if units engaged in battle were unable to hit themselves
- (Hidden units) Fixed bug where a hidden stack could automatically take a region after loading a save.
- (Hidden units) Fixed bug where hidden units discovered by an enemy stack were still hidden after reloading the game from a save.
- (Hidden units) Fixed bug where un-hiding a stack in an empty region would not capture it. Now It is not possible to hide the stack again just after capturing it.

- (Localization) Added missing translation for movements that start a blockade.
- (Localization) Added some missing translation for some Unit Action buttons (Camouflage, Entrenchement).

- (Maintenance) Fixed a bug where game would not allow to continue in maintenance phase, in the case were no money was available to pay for air or sea units.

- (Mouvement) Fixed an issue where a defending stack immobilized by a Card could not retreat, resulting in the attacker and defender stacks staying in the region after the battle.
- (Movement) Fixed bug where landed paratroopers could only move by one region on each turn, regardless of their actual Move Points.
- (Movement) Fixed message when a hidden stack makes an internal move in a region. Previously, the movement message incorrectly stated that the stack was going to conquer the region.
- (Movement) Fixed position of some messages displayed when planning unit moves.
- (Movements) No battle were created when the recon test was valid on a region with hidden units.
- (Movements) Unit stacks from computer no longer finishes their move on / under player unit stack.
- (Land Movement) Units going out from structure on a region with difficult terrain were not able to move, even if the unit count was below the limit.
- (Naval Movement) Battle was not possible on a Sea region with income when the region was from the side of the player.

- (Naval battle) Fixed a bug where a naval battle was not started after an air battle, whereas the moving air units were able to attack a sea stack.
- (Land Battle) Fixed bug where an air stack alone could conquer a region by defeating a land stack.

- (Recon test) Fixed bug where hidden units made recon test when moving into another region (recon test can only be made by units without camouflage).

- (Reinforcements) Fixed bug where reinforcement units were not delivered if they were supposed to replace a target unit located inside a unit transporter.

- (Replacements) Fixed bug that allowed to purchase a replacement for wounded leaders.

- (Retreat) Fixed bug with retreat of defending air stacks.

- (Stack Viewer) Fixed bug where the "Entrench" button was not correctly displayed when the stack was already entrenched.
- (Stack Viewer) Fixed bug where units unloaded from a transport unit could still be displayed as beeing loaded.

- (UI) Fixed bug that hid part of aerial battles from the battles summary window.
- (UI) Long unit names were sometimes not fully displayed.
- (Unit delivery) Fixed issue where loading a save made after unit purchase and before delivery would cause the units not to be delivered.
- (Unit loading) Fixed bug that allowed to load units in any transport air unit anywhere on the map. Now only helicopters are able to load units outside of airports.

- (Unit loading) Fixed bug where units were not loaded correcty in their transport units in the case where several transporters were available.

- (Units) Fixed bug where Units initially entrenched at the start of a scenario would always be entrenched right after loading this scenario from a save.

Quite a good list already... and we're still improving the game ːsteamhappyː

I fixed the error that appeared when loading a project containing a "contrast" filter. Now everything is all right. Please update the application.
Update 492.2 kb (very small)

I fixed the error that appeared when loading a project containing a "contrast" filter. Now everything is all right. Please update the application.
Update 492.2 kb (very small)

French battleships are almost here and it's time to tell you about their in-game specifications—their strengths, weaknesses, secrets, and combat tactics.
It's difficult to give a definite characteristic to the French battleships' branch, because the changes between Tiers III to V have more of an evolutionary nature—we see an increase in displacement, caliber, and the number of primary armament turrets. Tier VI battleship Normandie is quite unusual compared to the previous ships in the branch—it has fewer primary armament turrets, but more guns in each of them. Up to Tier VIII, the gameplay will seem fairly normal to all battleship enthusiasts, but then the availability of the Engine Boost consumable and an atypical number of guns, combined with decent secondary armament range, will incite players to create new tactical approaches and ways to cooperate with their team.
The branch's flagship—France—stands out from its counterparts, because it has only two primary armament turrets. However, their quick reload and the speed characteristics of the ship (it's the fastest one among all Tier X battleships) will allow you to look at your favorite ship type from a different perspective. Vive la France!




The first battleship in the French branch is a fairly typical dreadnought with all the advantages and shortcomings this ship type implies. You have 6 primary armament turrets with two 305-mm guns in each of them. With weapons like this you have good possibilities to push through a flank, while the armor, which is 250 mm thick in some places, is capable of sustaining powerful hits if you don't turn your side to the enemy. If you do, an accurate salvo from enemy battleships can cause some serious damage to your citadel. This ship's primary targets are cruisers and battleships. Available consumables—Damage Control Party and Repair Party.




Tier IV continues the tradition of classic dreadnoughts at low tiers. This ship has more guns than Turenne and their location is more convenient—only two of them are on the sides, which allows you to fire a broadside salvo of 10 shells. At the same time, it's protected by the same armor as its predecessor in the branch and can sustain massive shelling if you angle the hull correctly. It's even more important to maintain this angle, because you can fire six guns at once from your bow. The threats remain the same—surprise attacks from destroyers and concentrated fire on your sides. This ship's primary targets are cruisers and battleships. Available consumables—Damage Control Party and Repair Party.




The dreadnought at Tier V has an increased caliber of 340 mm and can now fire all its guns from both sides. The turrets' rotation angle allows you to punish enemies with a 10-gun salvo, without the need to turn your side and expose the citadel. At the same time, the tactics remain typical of battleships—distracting enemy fire, dealing damage, and pushing through flanks. This ship's primary targets are cruisers and battleships. Available consumables—Damage Control Party and Repair Party.




The Tier VI battleship is significantly different from the previous ships in the branch. It has only three turrets, but each of them has four guns mounted. As a result, you have a salvo of 12 shells. Considering their decent firing range, they pose a serious threat. At the same time, the caliber of 340 mm can seem insufficient, and you'll need some assistance with AA defense from your allies. The ship has good speed and maneuverability for its tier, which allows you to successfully evade enemy attacks if you put some effort in. Priority targets in battle—cruisers with their sides exposed, which guarantees them a quick trip back to port, and destroyers who should be afraid of your powerful salvos. The main engagement distance is average. Available consumables—Damage Control Party and Repair Party.




The uniqueness of the French Tier VII battleship lies in its four primary armament turrets with four guns each, which provides the biggest number of shells per salvo of this tier. Meanwhile the caliber is the same—340 mm. The ship has better AA defense compared to Normandie and a decent maximum speed of 27 knots. At the same time, its survivability reserve in both configurations is unenviable—it can have 10,000 or fewer hit points than its counterparts. The main objective in battle is the hunt for cruisers, but don't miss out on an opportunity to fire a salvo at a battleship exposing its side. The main engagement distance is average. Available consumables—Damage Control Party and Repair Party.




After Tier VII it might seem like Richelieu is not that efficient—it has only two four-gun turrets. However, her guns are installed on the bow, which allows you to concentrate your fire potential in one direction and the caliber grows to 380 mm. Coupled with good ballistic properties and armor penetration, they allow the ship to be efficient at both long and medium range. The maximum speed is insignificantly inferior to Bismarck, who holds the record for this tier. This shortcoming is easily compensated for by the Engine Boost consumable, which is a unique feature for battleships. It increases your speed and gives you the ability to quickly switch flanks. Cruisers and battleships are your primary targets. Due to the turrets’ location, the ship needs to keep its bow turned towards the enemy, and penetrating it is quite problematic for adversaries from both the same and higher tiers. In a close quarters engagement, you can rely on your secondary armament, which has a range that can challenge the famous secondary armament of German battleships. Available consumables—Damage Control Party, Repair Party, Engine Boost, and a Catapult Fighter/Spotting Aircraft for Hull A.




Three turrets with four guns each grant the battleship a 12-shell salvo, while the majority of battleships on this tier can fire only 9 per salvo. Apart from this, the base range of its secondary armament is 7.5 km, which helps in close quarters engagements. Alsace has an unusual consumable for a battleship—Engine Boost—and can accelerate to quite a high speed compared to its counterparts of the tier (30.4 knots by default, 32.8 knots with Engine Boost). She lags behind only Iowa by this parameter. A combination of primary and secondary armament and consumables like this allows the ship to be efficient at any distance, but still her most comfortable range is medium and long. Cruisers and battleships are your targets in battle. Available consumables—Damage Control Party, Repair Party, Engine Boost, and a Catapult Fighter/Spotting Aircraft.




The top ship in the branch has only two primary armament turrets with four guns each—a setup that we're already accustomed to. However, the reload time of these guns is very unusual for top-tier battleships—24 seconds, while the base speed of 30 knots coupled with Engine Boost allows it to accelerate to 32.4 knots. Specifications like this make France the fastest battleship at Tier X and allow it to appear in the most unexpected spots of the map. In addition, its shells have good muzzle velocity and ballistics. The base range of the secondary armament is 8 km, which allows it to repel daring destroyers, while good AA defense can fend off air groups from any carrier. Medium and long range is the most convenient in battle. Cruisers and battleships are your main targets. Available consumables—Damage Control Party, Repair Party, and Engine Boost.

French battleships are almost here and it's time to tell you about their in-game specifications—their strengths, weaknesses, secrets, and combat tactics.
It's difficult to give a definite characteristic to the French battleships' branch, because the changes between Tiers III to V have more of an evolutionary nature—we see an increase in displacement, caliber, and the number of primary armament turrets. Tier VI battleship Normandie is quite unusual compared to the previous ships in the branch—it has fewer primary armament turrets, but more guns in each of them. Up to Tier VIII, the gameplay will seem fairly normal to all battleship enthusiasts, but then the availability of the Engine Boost consumable and an atypical number of guns, combined with decent secondary armament range, will incite players to create new tactical approaches and ways to cooperate with their team.
The branch's flagship—France—stands out from its counterparts, because it has only two primary armament turrets. However, their quick reload and the speed characteristics of the ship (it's the fastest one among all Tier X battleships) will allow you to look at your favorite ship type from a different perspective. Vive la France!




The first battleship in the French branch is a fairly typical dreadnought with all the advantages and shortcomings this ship type implies. You have 6 primary armament turrets with two 305-mm guns in each of them. With weapons like this you have good possibilities to push through a flank, while the armor, which is 250 mm thick in some places, is capable of sustaining powerful hits if you don't turn your side to the enemy. If you do, an accurate salvo from enemy battleships can cause some serious damage to your citadel. This ship's primary targets are cruisers and battleships. Available consumables—Damage Control Party and Repair Party.




Tier IV continues the tradition of classic dreadnoughts at low tiers. This ship has more guns than Turenne and their location is more convenient—only two of them are on the sides, which allows you to fire a broadside salvo of 10 shells. At the same time, it's protected by the same armor as its predecessor in the branch and can sustain massive shelling if you angle the hull correctly. It's even more important to maintain this angle, because you can fire six guns at once from your bow. The threats remain the same—surprise attacks from destroyers and concentrated fire on your sides. This ship's primary targets are cruisers and battleships. Available consumables—Damage Control Party and Repair Party.




The dreadnought at Tier V has an increased caliber of 340 mm and can now fire all its guns from both sides. The turrets' rotation angle allows you to punish enemies with a 10-gun salvo, without the need to turn your side and expose the citadel. At the same time, the tactics remain typical of battleships—distracting enemy fire, dealing damage, and pushing through flanks. This ship's primary targets are cruisers and battleships. Available consumables—Damage Control Party and Repair Party.




The Tier VI battleship is significantly different from the previous ships in the branch. It has only three turrets, but each of them has four guns mounted. As a result, you have a salvo of 12 shells. Considering their decent firing range, they pose a serious threat. At the same time, the caliber of 340 mm can seem insufficient, and you'll need some assistance with AA defense from your allies. The ship has good speed and maneuverability for its tier, which allows you to successfully evade enemy attacks if you put some effort in. Priority targets in battle—cruisers with their sides exposed, which guarantees them a quick trip back to port, and destroyers who should be afraid of your powerful salvos. The main engagement distance is average. Available consumables—Damage Control Party and Repair Party.




The uniqueness of the French Tier VII battleship lies in its four primary armament turrets with four guns each, which provides the biggest number of shells per salvo of this tier. Meanwhile the caliber is the same—340 mm. The ship has better AA defense compared to Normandie and a decent maximum speed of 27 knots. At the same time, its survivability reserve in both configurations is unenviable—it can have 10,000 or fewer hit points than its counterparts. The main objective in battle is the hunt for cruisers, but don't miss out on an opportunity to fire a salvo at a battleship exposing its side. The main engagement distance is average. Available consumables—Damage Control Party and Repair Party.




After Tier VII it might seem like Richelieu is not that efficient—it has only two four-gun turrets. However, her guns are installed on the bow, which allows you to concentrate your fire potential in one direction and the caliber grows to 380 mm. Coupled with good ballistic properties and armor penetration, they allow the ship to be efficient at both long and medium range. The maximum speed is insignificantly inferior to Bismarck, who holds the record for this tier. This shortcoming is easily compensated for by the Engine Boost consumable, which is a unique feature for battleships. It increases your speed and gives you the ability to quickly switch flanks. Cruisers and battleships are your primary targets. Due to the turrets’ location, the ship needs to keep its bow turned towards the enemy, and penetrating it is quite problematic for adversaries from both the same and higher tiers. In a close quarters engagement, you can rely on your secondary armament, which has a range that can challenge the famous secondary armament of German battleships. Available consumables—Damage Control Party, Repair Party, Engine Boost, and a Catapult Fighter/Spotting Aircraft for Hull A.




Three turrets with four guns each grant the battleship a 12-shell salvo, while the majority of battleships on this tier can fire only 9 per salvo. Apart from this, the base range of its secondary armament is 7.5 km, which helps in close quarters engagements. Alsace has an unusual consumable for a battleship—Engine Boost—and can accelerate to quite a high speed compared to its counterparts of the tier (30.4 knots by default, 32.8 knots with Engine Boost). She lags behind only Iowa by this parameter. A combination of primary and secondary armament and consumables like this allows the ship to be efficient at any distance, but still her most comfortable range is medium and long. Cruisers and battleships are your targets in battle. Available consumables—Damage Control Party, Repair Party, Engine Boost, and a Catapult Fighter/Spotting Aircraft.




The top ship in the branch has only two primary armament turrets with four guns each—a setup that we're already accustomed to. However, the reload time of these guns is very unusual for top-tier battleships—24 seconds, while the base speed of 30 knots coupled with Engine Boost allows it to accelerate to 32.4 knots. Specifications like this make France the fastest battleship at Tier X and allow it to appear in the most unexpected spots of the map. In addition, its shells have good muzzle velocity and ballistics. The base range of the secondary armament is 8 km, which allows it to repel daring destroyers, while good AA defense can fend off air groups from any carrier. Medium and long range is the most convenient in battle. Cruisers and battleships are your main targets. Available consumables—Damage Control Party, Repair Party, and Engine Boost.

Alicia’s new Character Cards are tailored with team play and survivability in mind, gaining extra advantage by giving close support to other Raiders and retaliating after being harmed.

- Elation : Alicia’s double-jump flotation lasts longer if she has another Raider.
nearby.
- Support : Alicia reloads faster when she is near another team member.
- Arrogance : Alicia strikes harder and delivers more damage if she is close
to another Raider.
- Escape : Double-jump flotation lasts longer if Alicia has just being hit.
- Elusive : Alicia recovers health if she double-jumps right after being hit.

Alicia’s new Character Cards are tailored with team play and survivability in mind, gaining extra advantage by giving close support to other Raiders and retaliating after being harmed.

- Elation : Alicia’s double-jump flotation lasts longer if she has another Raider.
nearby.
- Support : Alicia reloads faster when she is near another team member.
- Arrogance : Alicia strikes harder and delivers more damage if she is close
to another Raider.
- Escape : Double-jump flotation lasts longer if Alicia has just being hit.
- Elusive : Alicia recovers health if she double-jumps right after being hit.

Greetings Captains,

On Tuesday, February 13th, we will be upgrading our databases to improve our ability to detect spatial anomalies. This upgrade will begin at 9:00am ET, / 2:00pm UTC. While the impact on gameplay should be minimal, it could result in a 5 minute period of increased latency or errors over the next 3 hours.


Thank you for playing!

The STAR TREK TIMELINES Team