Welcome to our one hundred twelfth development status update.




Stage 5 is now Stage 1 and Stage 2 is now Stage 4…. But one step at a time - we need to lighten things up a bit on what we are currently working on and what is coming up. The last few months have not been easy for us, we've had to stop updating the game a bit now and then to take a deeper breath and focus on development and further patches - and we have a lot of that. As a result, we need to change the scope of what we planned and reorganize it a bit. We've also switched to a new version of the Unity engine, a switch which has not been without its slight setbacks that we've had to fix. As you probably know, we are working at full speed on two of our games - Tank Mechanic Simulator and Tank Squad. From January this year, we are preparing a major update to TMS, numbered 1.4.0, which will include a new Stage 1 and part of Stage 5, along with the release of the second DLC#2 with Shermans tanks.



All new Sherman tanks are currently under heavy QA tests. We are going to release this DLC#2 with patch 1.4.0 as mentioned above. The Steam Store page will be available soon.

New tanks:

• M4A1 Sherman (Early production)
  
• M4 Sherman (Mid production)
  
• M4A2 Sherman (Late production)
  
• M4A3E2 Jumbo
  
• T34 Calliope

New engines:

• Wright Continental R-975-C1 (Early, Mid, Calliope)
  
• General Motors 6046 (Late, M10)
  
• Ford GAA (E8, Jumbo)

New gearboxes:

• Spicer Synchro Mesh Gearbox

Additionally, each vehicle contains packs of new museum stands, posters, ammunition, and achievements.



We need to push this a bit further in time. We’ve got working tools that allow us to configure, pack and upload custom vehicles to the Steam workshop but still finalization seems to be the harder part. We would like to share all documentation needed to understand the processes to fully configure and set up required bits and aspects related - that can be a tank or any vehicle with you.

Once again, let us know if you would be interested in testing out the tools before we release them publicly anywhere soon, write to us at community@degenerals.com.

Full change log will come with an update announcement.

What will be included:

• We switch Unity version from 2018 to 2021 as part of preparation for the new console update.
  
• New vehicle - M10 Wolverine (rework from Roadmap Stage 1)
  
• New vehicle - M4A3E8 Sherman (rework from Roadmap Stage 1)
  
• New posters & refreshed museum stands for reworked tanks
  
• Improved Camera Controls (from Roadmap Stage 5)
  
• Performance optimization - Occlusion Culling option
  
• Performance optimization - FPS boost in paint room while interacting with a tank
  
• Periscopes refresh options
  
• Bug fixes to reported issues

We present a new system that can significantly increase in-game performance without compromising on quality. Game engines, like Unity, by default process all objects which are located inside the player's field of view, even if they are invisible on screen. Let's take a situation when a player looks at the tank - processor and graphics card render all tank elements, but indeed every time we only see some of them, because most of them are covered by others. Our in-house GPU-Based Occlusion Culling uses the DirectX earlydepthstencil attribute to accurately determine which objects are visible on the screen in real-time, allowing it to cull objects that are not visible. It works for both static and dynamic geometry. This results in reducing the rendering load (decreasing the number of Draw Calls) and smoother gameplay. Dynamic Occlusion Culling will be available in the next update, so remember to check settings!



From 1.4.0 under game settings you will be able to change refresh time for Render Texture that is used to simulate periscopes inside tanks. From realtime refreshing (that required better PC) to more optimised forms to support a bit older GPUs.


Thanks for all the support and have a good weekend.
DeGenerals

OMDB update 02.03.2023.
- N2 - M2 taxiways fixed. Previously not connected.
- Taxiway J3 added, previously J.
- Taxiway W1 fixed. Previously not connected.
- RWY12L exits at M7A & M9 fixed.”
- RWY30L at K9 fixed.
- All runway thresholds fixed (landing on the numbers issue). Touchdown zones are accurate and further - down the runway.
- Weatherlook.csv file updated

Greetings Troopers,

today we are releasing a new update for the beta:

v2.3.6 - a7436a1af - Beta

Features

* Savegames - Add savegame support for Steam Workshop and local scenarios.
* Workshop - New workshop screen in the main menu to subscribe and launch workshop scenarios
* Editor - Added support for custom story characters in a scenario, see Template_Triggers_Attacking for an example
* Editor - Added rescaling of decorations and updated tool help text

Improvements

* Decoration previews - Improved the decoration preview rendering in the editor, most decorations have a previews now
* Control groups - simplified the new controls groups to a single default. Units can be added to multiple control groups using Alt+x or Shift+Alt+x
* Polished editor UI in various places
* Various fixes for the editor and the campaign in preparation of the release

Hello puzzle/strategy fans!

The journey to launch is nearly done! We have been hard at work squashing bugs left and right and polishing Backbeat and now we're in the home stretch. The full version of Backbeat will launch on Steam in two weeks on March 16th!



The last few months we've gone through the game and taken note of all the little places we can make things smoother and more engaging, and internally we're just finishing up testing on a slew of features that will be ready on day one:

* SteamOS / Steam Deck support
* mouse controls
* performance optimisations
* dialogue flow adjustments

These are just a few of the many small updates we're adding right now so get those fingers ready. A lot of these improvements are the direct result from your kind feedback in our Steam forums, so a big thanks goes out to our demo players.



The melodies of Backbeat are just too good to put down. We can't get them our of our heads! And so we've collaborated with our composer the amazing Pete Fraser to add a arranged soundtrack to the Steam page which will also be live on March 16th.



We're on the road right now exhibiting at DevGAMM in Gdańsk, Poland, so we'll sign off for the moment but see you again on launch day in two weeks.

Stay funky!
/David & the Backbeat Team

Greetings Exiles,

The release of Age of Sorcery — Chapter 3 approaches swiftly! On March 14 you will prevent a cataclysmic ritual, brave a new boss-dungeon, experience a full journey system overhaul, new Bazaar and Battle Pass cosmetics, and a brand-new feature: Golem Shaping.

Today, we will dive into how you can craft your very own golem to follow you on your adventures. These followers are highly customizable - invaluable gatherers of resources and powerful warriors in battle.


The powerful sorcerer, Mek-Kamoses, has received a vision and has charged you with collecting a mysterious new resource for his ritual: Blood Crystals. When the ancient Giant Kings fell, it is said their blood seeped into the earth, where it remained for aeons, spreading beneath the world through ever-flowing rivers of molten rock.

After eons, the blood has cooled and hardened into crystals. At long last, it rises from the depths, charged with forces potent enough to animate the land itself. Seek out and slay these new creatures to tear the crystals from their bodies.



Mek-Kamoses is not the only one who can use them. Speak to Master Carver Huang who stands close to Mek-Kamoses at his spire (or Camp of the Castaways on Isle of Siptah) to take your first step into the mystical art of Golem Shaping.


Once you have spoken to Huang, you will be able to craft the Golem Workbench and the Guardian Assembly Station. Opening the assembly station will present you with a number of slots, each representing a part of your golem’s body.

That’s where the workbench comes in. Craft your golem parts there and then fit them into the appropriate slot in the assembly station. There are six parts to a golem: a head, a torso and a pair of legs and arms, but you don’t necessarily need all of them to animate your golem. A headless, armless golem is completely possible, although significantly less useful in battle.



The material you choose for each of these parts has a huge impact on the golem itself. The most basic golem can be crafted with stone while the most powerful golem is pure blood crystal. All golem parts, even those of stone, require some blood crystals to craft. More powerful and specialized golem parts can be found as loot throughout the game, while a few recipes can be acquired with knowledge points and crafted. Some parts are even sold by Master Carver Huang for blood crystals, although his stock is always changing.

To give your golem a weapon, it must be crafted together with the arm in the workbench, fusing them together. Depending on how you want to put your golem to use, you’ll want to equip it with the appropriate weapon type. For example, equip it with the scythe or sickle to make it efficient at gathering plants, or a maul for minerals. Some weapons are good for both gathering and fighting, such as an axe, which chops limbs and trees with equal efficiency.


Your golem may lack a soul, but it can pack a punch. By default, your golem will follow and defend you, using whatever weapon you have given it. To order it to collect a certain material, place that material in its inventory, and if that material exists within a certain area, and it has the required tool equipped, your golem will autonomously begin to harvest it.

Deep customization comes into play with special body slots. Craft the Lightning Rod Guardian Head and watch as your golem harnesses the power of lightning storms to destroy your enemies. Or make the Lotus Burner Guardian Torso to provide a buff around your golem depending on the lotus you burn in it.



Your golem can also be coated in either brimstone or tar in the construction phase. Both golems will fight enemies normally but in addition, a brimstone golem will choke enemies that hit it with a gaseous cloud, while a tar golem will create pools of tar on the ground that can be ignited. Throw a fire orb at a golem surrounded by enemies, then watch it stride out of a pile of bodies.

An important aspect of Golem Shaping is that Golems cannot be healed, and damage they take over time will eventually and irreversibly break it down. Golem Shaping is a craft that you will return to again, crafting new combinations of Golems each time.

To offset this, a Golems’ hard skin can occasionally deflect attacks, completely avoiding damage, and unlocking Authority perks that provide or improve healing of other followers will further improve your Golem’s sturdiness in this regard.

As you adventure through the Exiled Lands, collect new golem parts and craft new upgraded golems. Combine the parts you find and explore a wealth of combinations. Only one golem can fight for you at a time (or two with the authority perk), but you can create an army standing by for your selection.

We hope the idea of having your own customized golem companion is as exciting to you as it is to us. Watching your own creation stomp wordlessly into a group of enemies certainly pleases the sinister sorcerer in the back of our minds.

Age of Sorcery — Chapter 3 releases March 14.

See you then, Exiles.

Greetings Snipers,

The Sniper Fury Universe is expanding evermore!

We're happy to announce the first edition of our comic strip, 'The Countdown', is available now to download, for free.

• Follow along on a string of new missions
  
• Discover new allies as well as new foes
  
• Visit Tex in Cellstrike Headquarters

Enjoy and stay tuned for more from the S.F.U!



Get it as DLC from the Steam page, or download it from our website and subscribe to get more freebies & news: https://gmlft.co/sniper-fury-comics-countdown

Oli One: Sneak In will be released soon!

After a period of 18 months, from small ideas to the most complicated missions, helped by Artificial Intelligence, Oli One: Sneak In is a pleasant game!

Now the game is ready to be downloaded and played!

Have fun!

Hello everyone,
The Thaumaturge developed by Fool’s Theory published by 11 bit studios is an isometric, story-rich RPG with a unique take on turn-based combat, character development features, and investigation mechanics, facing you with morally ambiguous choices – set in 1905 Warsaw teeming with mysterious powers and strange ethereal beings called Salutors.

📕Watch the Gameplay Reveal:


📕Watch the Announcement Trailer:


📕Add The Thaumaturge to your wishlist! Learn more and don’t miss future updates:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1684350/The_Thaumaturge/

Take care,
Fool’s Theory and 11 bit studios

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Follow The Thaumaturge:
📕Discord
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• Game optimization of the starting level
  
• Changes have been made to the balance of Faith and Axes
  
• Added option in settings - Vegetation