Everyone gets +15% Move Speed & +35% EXP this weekend!

Our latest Anti-Cheat Status Update for March 2023 is here, bringing the latest updates on anti-cheat and more.


For an overview on bans, we bring our latest BattlEye and Data Ban numbers, including data for the last 6 months.




We've addressed a number of cheats since our last Anti-Cheat Status Update which are listed below.

• Instant kill while in Prep Phase
• Code insertion via Ban Ticker
• Add/Remove score points
• Team chat accessed by cheater on opposing team
• Flores drone can be teleported

As well addressing new cheats, we've also been making constant updates to ensure that hacks that we're currently detecting remain detectable, protecting players.


We're aware that cheats have been used in order to misuse the Privacy Mode feature, and we're working hard to make sure this is not the case.

Since our last update we've:

- Addressed a cheat enabling the additional numbers to be removed from nicknames
- Addressed a cheat enabling the user to change their nickname multiple times during a match

What's Next?

We are aware of and currently looking into an exploit being used to discover a player's real username when they've got Privacy Mode enabled. We'll share more on this in a future update.


Input spoofing has long been an issue on console, and we've been hearing your feedback throughout Siege's life so far. With Mousetrap we're taking action to create and foster a fair and competitive environment for console players.

How Will Mousetrap Work?

When a player is detected using an input spoofer, a penalty will be activated adding latency to their inputs which will also build up over time. The goal here is to remove the advantage that mouse and keyboard users on consoles are getting over controller players. If a player receiving the penalty starts using a controller instead, the input latency penalty will gradually be removed.

This experimental solution has been quietly in development for some time, and we're excited to have this released in Y8S1.2. Work on this feature will also proceed after its release as we continue to fine tune the system.

For more information, check our dedicated blog post.

Welcome to our 48th Development Status. You can see what we were working on in two weeks!


Another panzer from the family of German medium tanks. Not many changes between the F2 version. The right visor from the front of the turret has been removed, as well as the visors from the turret sides.

A rack for carrying spare road wheels on the left wing and hooks for attaching seven track links to the top plate at the front of the fuselage has been added.


We created a system designed specifically for our game that enhances the player's experience when submerged in water. Our technique features a special post-processing graphics effect that simulates the feeling of being underwater. The effect alters the visuals of the game, with the ability to add a color tint, a blur, and distorted sounds, making the player feel as if they're truly underwater. The deeper the player stays submerged, the more intense the effect becomes.




In the last two weeks, we designed a tutorial for Tank Squad consisting of two parts: repair station and battle. The tutorial aims to teach players only the essential mechanics and functions of the game, keeping it minimalistic and basic without unnecessary distractions. Tutorials are typically tedious, and players wish to complete them as soon as possible; therefore, we have designed them to be short and user-friendly. Players will learn additional cool mechanics as they progress through each mission. If a player wants to learn a specific mechanic in detail or remind themselves about it, there will be a menu with visual and text descriptions of each mechanic.

The repair station tutorial comprises nine steps:

• Movement
  
• Headquarters interaction
  
• Spawning a tank
  
• Checking the tank's status
  
• Repairing the tank
  
• Using the crane to place the engine in the tank
  
• Using the wrench to fix broken parts
  
• Placing the missing part
  
• Starting the mission

The battle tutorial consists of eleven steps:

• Battle map menu
  
• Tank controls
  
• Tank movement
  
• Terrain surfaces
  
• Destructible environment
  
• Airstrikes
  
• Repairs in battle
  
• Shooting
  
• Conquering objectives
  
• Destroying objectives
  
• Calling artillery

Completing the tutorial will take around 10-15 minutes.

Thank you and have a good one!
DeGenerals

Hello venturous gamers!

How are you doing these last few days? Hopefully not too bad, wherever you are. ♥

Many of you have now played our demo, thank you for that. We have gathered a ton of valuable feedback and suggestions from all of you. It's great! Naturally, the development is still ongoing, with features and changes being integrated regularly.

Today we'll take a quick look at one important aspect of any RPG: the damage types. We'll also go over a new feature we are currently working on that was not in the demo build: patient attention. But first, a little announcement.


We revealed it moments ago during the Future Game Show, Wantless will enter Early Access this fall. We are very grateful for the screen time the event offered. It was a great opportunity to gain visibility. As you would expect, the future success of Wantless depends in a large part on our ability to spread the word. So the word is now out: Early Access is just a few months away!

By the way, have you seen our first look trailer?






As mentionned earlier, now is as good a time as any to talk about damage types. In Wantless, there are currently four damage types: fear, pain, pure, and grief. Each enemy has different resistances to different damage types. Resistances are often associated with enemy types and their home mind realm. As an example, a Wretch, one of the first enemies you'll encounter, is resistant to Pain, but weak against Fear damage.



Each damage type is now associated with 2 Afflictions. Afflictions are Damage over Time effects that conditionally inflict damage on their target:

Oppress: deals damage to the target every time the caster uses an Action Point.
Hyper-empathy: replays a % of the damage taken by the caster on the target.

Wound: deals damage every time the target moves, even through forced movement.
Fragilize: deals damage every time the target takes damage (damage other than the one dealt through fragilize, that is).

Abase: deals damage to the target when its turn starts.
Intoxicate: deals damage to the target when its turn starts, and stacks limitlessly.

Pure damage is special, it is only dealt through special effects, pierces shields, and usually meets very little resistance.

We’ve formalized Hit damage resistance and Affliction resistance, which are base resistances that apply to all non-pure damage, before the damage-type resistances are taken into account.

We are currently at work on our talent system, the Mind Tree. Our aim is to offer the player a real choice as to what type of damage they want to favour in their builds, or which afflictions they want to develop.



For instance, Violence essentially increases all hit damage and hit damage resistance everytime any pain damage is inflicted by any entity, friend or foe. We're aiming for each damage type to have their own philosophy and effects beyond the traditional resistances and weaknesses.

Whatever build you're going for, you should feel the importance of your decisions. This is a rather big topic we'll cover more extensively at a later date!




The patient's subconscious is now unaware of your presence when the transposition begins, which gives you the Concealed effect. While Concealed, enemies will completely ignore you and either idle, walk around aimlessly or cast skills on each other.

This is a new feature that was not implemented in the demo. It is meant to give you the opportunity to reposition, use buffs, heal, or open the fight by taking out a priority target you might otherwise not have reached as easily.

Remaining Concealed, however, requires that you thread silently: using too much AP in a single turn, targeting an enemy with any harmful effect, or getting too close to an enemy, will all reveal you!

Here is an early preview of how it works:



Hopefully it gives you an idea of what we're aiming for.

We are also at work on several new ideas, including some that were inspired directly by your feedback. So stay tuned! We're eager to show you more of what we're up to next time!



If you want, we encourage you to wishlist Wantless on Steam.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1807090/Wantless/




To stay up to date with our latest news or engage with other like-minded Transposers, be sure to join our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or simply head over to our Discord server. We have also set up a community section over on Reddit.

Thanks for reading!

Speak to you soon.

News Tower is participating in the Future Games Show 2023.

The Future Games Show is one of the industry’s flagship gaming showcases and is rapidly building a reputation as one of the best ways to discover new games!
We are very thrilled and proud to feature our game there among other exciting titles!

We felt this was the perfect time for us to give you an update on how the game has been evolving, what we have been working on and developing since 2021!

• Jan-Maarten - Creative Director
  
• Maxime - Game Designer
  
• Iris - Illustrator & Graphic Designer
  
• Louis - Brand Manager

Stay tuned to meet the rest of the team in a later episode!! :D




Jan-Maarten
-
In 2018 I came upon an article about the New York Times newspaper production in 1941. It had a series of pictures showing every department from Newsroom to Printroom.



Filled with awesome analog machines and oozing with a sense of nostalgic craft.
Coming from an art school background I always had an affinity for letterpressing and movable type.



I have always been a big history enthusiast and when a Newspaper Tycoon first came to mind, the 1930s seemed like a perfect fit. It’s a really interesting decade because it was in constant uproar by a global economic and political crisis that ultimately led to the second world war.
Prohibition, Famous Mobsters, Hollywood Golden Years, the rise of Jazz, the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl... It felt that for a tycoon game, where stories are the main resource, this decade would never be short of providing Interesting material.
And New York City just felt like a natural central point to base the News Tower in.




Jan-Maarten
-
A Tycoon game consists of hundreds of little systems coming together. This means that it took a really long time to create somewhat of a working prototype. That made it really hard to judge if we were working on something great or not. For lots of game devs it's always tricky to know if you are making the right choices but for a tycoon game, for a long time you're just in the dark. Having a core idea that everybody is enthusiastic and feels good about really helps to keep things going. Nowadays it's just really hard to change any system when it's connected and depending on so many other elements. Just accept that half of the time the project doesn’t run and you're in for lots of rewrites. It's a marathon but a fulfilling one at it.

Maxime
-
The most complicated design aspect of a tycoon is the risk of accumulating too many mechanics to give life to an autonomous and coherent "ecosystem". This genre-specific systemic density can turn into an overflow of information, phases or resources. Because of this density, the balancing work is much more demanding than in any other game genre.




Jan-Maarten
-
It's always tricky to say what's innovative about your own project. But we do feel that we're
adding new interesting elements to an established Tycoon landscape.
News Tower has very rounded play phases: Report, Process and Print. Which makes it ideal for shorter 15/30 min play sessions to more casually go through the game if that fits your playstyle. Where the Process Phase is the more known tycoon element of building and managing and there is lots of that. Report and Print bring new unique mechanics to the genre.

Choosing what stories to report on and assigning the right reporters alters the news item resource composition. Do you go for Hot-topics and gain lots of new readers or abide by some influential outside party's hidden agenda. We want the player to feel like their choices matter and really put them in the publisher seat.



Players can arrange their Newspaper to their own liking. This visual element really brings the newspaper to life and shows the choices a player made earlier. For instance, when you've sent a photographer to the news location, that article will show a photo. The headlines also reflect the story paths you chose.



FREE PRO TIPS HERE ⬇
Make sure you leave room for one of those juicy ads. Because staying profitable is one of those golden Tycoon rules that everybody understands.




Iris
-
The Key Art needs to reflect the game ambiance and to be attractive at the same time.
Here, the New York's 1930s period and the journalism theme are the main focus.
The architecture, with the skyline, the roof water reservoir, the iconic Empire State Building or the characters wearing old-fashioned clothes and using old technologies, are all elements who are here to give you a narrative context and suggest the gameplay thematics.

⬇ Here you can see a before/after of the Key Art, highlighting the many changes ⬇






Iris
-
First, the development team gave me a brief with some suggestions about the graphic content and the atmosphere. With their notes, I've made some quick sketches trying different compositions, character types and logo placement.
Then, we started to identify what is important to keep, which size the elements should be to deliver a clear message. They selected one drawing and from there I made a new version using the game graphic style and color palette.
I draw everything in Illustrator. We started to move elements again, as colors changed all the image balance. A key art needs to be understandable no matter the size, even in a really small format. To achieve this, we simplified some elements. For exemple, initially, the tower was open, showing the environment in which most of the game happens. We realizes that closing it allows you to focus more on the environment as a whole, not being frustrated by the little details you struggle to see.
When we were sastisfied, the final step started. The entire game visuals are made with vectors. To create something that fits the game and at the same time brings an element of surprise and newness, I've used vectorial art as a background for a digital painting with warmer organic lights and textures you won't find in game.




Iris
-
It's a really important part, the creator's vision of the game needs to be highlighted in the key art. In a way, it's a quick static trailer, giving you the desire to see and know more about the game.

Louis
-
We have been working for a while on the new visual identity of News Tower. With the production progressing every day, it was time to update the key art of the game.
The key art is an essential visual for a game - especially for indies! When a game appears on the home page or in your searches, this is the first visual you’ll see. It must show major elements of the game and be recognizable for players!

We felt that some elements were missing for the player to dive properly into our game atmosphere and universe. The tower was already there, but how would a business run without a team? As the 30s news are the game core, it was important for us to accentuate the immersive side of the key art and to add the setting of your future (old) newspaper business: New York!
A touch of the Empire State Building, a bit of old-fashioned clothes and a lot of journalism... and you get this new key art!
I spare you technical marketing terms and the looonnnnggg description of the process to find the perfect result… but don’t worry our graphic designer came out unscathed!

Hey!

New Update is up!

• *Added Hell.
  
• *Added Suicide Island.
  
• *Added Charnel Vodoo NPC.
  
• *Added Rumour NPC to Towns.
  
• *Added New Achievement (Hell).
  
• *Rabies can now be cured with Anti-Parasite.
  
• *Sea Appears less, more chance for other islands to appear.

Have a good one! I might do some QOL Stuff for the next Update and take a break from new content.

Have a good one!

The wait is over and the Deflector experiment is now fully operational. To those of you who have been with us through Early Access - thank you. And to those of you who are first discovering the game - welcome. Both of you can read on to see all the juiciest and most enticing additions to Deflector.




In the full version of Deflector, unlock up to six different bioshells, each with a unique set of weapons, abilities and ways to Deflect projectiles. The Corrupted, the newest bioshell to join Deflector, is an unusual one to say the least, and it’s only by overcoming the new two-stage incarnation of the final boss that you can get him!




A new mode of play perfect for those with a competitive streak! Defend the Hub from approaching bombs while being relentlessly assaulted by viruses both big and small. This mode of play is unlocked by playing Deflector.

Survival Chamber also comes with a global leaderboard, showing your results against every eager participant of the experiment out there! We plan to make use of that leaderboard very soon, so keep an eye out for an announcement.




In this new end game mode, you get to build your own difficulty! Choose to inject each biome with up to five Virus Strains, each resulting in an additional random debuff. This mode is not only a way to keep you on your toes even when you’ve mastered all that the path to the final boss can offer! It’s also tied to the new Proficiency system.

With Proficiency, each bioshell now has a list of five permanent buffs, unlockable through Virus Strains. Feeling particularly confident about your Eradicator boomerang game? Want to show you can really shine as Spark? Challenge the Virus Strains with your favorite bioshells and grow stronger with each level of Virus Strain you have beaten.




Although Deflector is now available in its fully released version, that doesn’t mean work on it is finished for good. We will continue to work hard to balance, update, and keep Deflector a great game to play. You can look below for a full list of changes and tweaks. In the meantime - have a wonderful time in the petri dish, Specimens!

• New bioshell, Corrupted, added to the game with 5 unique bioshell mutations
  
• New final world map added
  
• Final boss now has a second stage
  
• New end game mechanic: “Virus strains”
  
• Proficiency level added to every bioshell
  
• New outfit added for every bioshell
  
• New game mode: “Survival Chamber” with leaderboards
  
• New enemy type: Champions
  
• Character selection screen and UI updated
  
• KarlOS now displays Evolutions at the Collector’s Laboratory
  
• Dialogue UI updated and new dialogues have been added
  
• New sound for UI and dialogues
  
• New room types added (Blood extraction and Nest)
  
• DNA upgrades fully reworked
  
• Added save slots to the game
  
• New music track added to Hollow Hive Apex Virus fight

• Active ability no longer charges from deflecting, but from damaging enemies with your main weapon or deflected projectiles.
  
• Bioshell unlock challenges updated for Spark and Lightfist
  
• DNA is now received at the end of every room rather than drop from enemies
  
• Damage numbers now change color based on type of damage. Enemy health bars are also adjusted based on max health and type of enemy

• Hub healing station base health reduced (30⏩25)

Bioshells
Slasher

• Radial Slash (Deflection) only consumes Rage if it hits an enemy

Gunslinger

• Deflect damage increased (30⏩50)

Lightfist

• Invisible obstacles (like room edges) now count as obstacles for the purpose of inflicting collision damage to enemies you push
  
• Breaking mark damage increased (40⏩50)
  
• Base damage increased (65⏩80)
  
• Active skill hit damage increased (160⏩180)

Spark

• Active ability DPS increased (400⏩450)

Nucleoli

• Jetpack: Now adds 10% increase to your Attack and Deflect damage as long as it's active.
  
• Protective Pond: Now heals you every second while you remain inside it.
  
• Lightning Storm: No longer strikes randomly, but instead targets a certain amount of nearby enemies. The higher the tier, the more bolts will strike.

Neutral Mutations

• Guided projectiles: Number of projectiles increased (6⏩10) and projectile increment per tier increased (1⏩4)
  
• Projectile storm: Base damage increased (80⏩120) and cooldown reduced (3⏩2)
  
• Electrical storm: Base damage increased (90⏩170), gap time between required kills increased. (3s⏩4s)
  
• Impale: Base damage increased (30⏩50)
  
• Death mark: Base damage increased (80⏩100), marked enemies cap increased (4⏩8)
  
• Blossom: Cooldown reduced (5s⏩3s), and damage increment per tier increased (15⏩30)
  
• Hunter’s call: Damage increment per tier increased (4>6)
  
• Deflect burst: Base damage increased (120⏩150), and now marks appear over time, but there can only be on at a time.
  
• Deflecting turret: Base deflects required for activation reduced (8>6) deflects required decrement per tier reduced (2⏩1)
  
• Repulsive wave: Base damage increased (100⏩120), range increased (5⏩8) and rage increment per tier increased (1⏩4)
  
• Bubbles: Base chance of deflecting a bullet increased (10%⏩12%) ,and chance per tier increased (10%⏩15%)
  
• Charged disc: Charge time reduced (4s⏩3s) and base damage increased (120⏩150)
  
• Explosive metabolism: Base damage reduced (300⏩250) and range reduced (8⏩7)
  
• Survival armor: Now activates when close to an Apex or Great virus as well.
  
• Protective deflect: No longer resets when dashing.
  
• Speedrunner: Speed increment increased (20%⏩30%), duration increment per tier increased (1s⏩2s)
  
• Clean zone: Base duration increased (3s⏩4s), and size increment per deflect increased (10⏩12)
  
• Portable medkit: No longer disables after visiting a Safe Point.

Evolutions

• Linked boomerang (Eradicator): Base damage increased (70⏩90)
  
• Explosive boomerang (Eradicator): Deflections required reduced (3⏩2)
  
• Powerful spin (Slasher): Base damage increased (100⏩200)
  
• Explosive bolts (Gunslinger): Bullets now explode as long as you have no dash charges left.
  
• Area shot (Gunslinger): Base damage increased (30⏩40)
  
• Multiple strike (Lightfist): Has been reworked. New effect: “Marking an enemy marks other nearby enemies, and each time you break a mark, it also breaks the mark of up to X other enemies.”
  
• Skillful orbs (Spark): Has been reworked. New effect: ”Increase speed of Extended Orbit and reduce damage taken while using it.”

• Resolved an issue causing Spinning Dash to release more boomerangs than intended.
  
• Resolved an issue causing a visual error with the Triple Sword evolution.

The peninsula of Calderia is about 40,000 km² / 15,400 mi² in size (roughly equivalent to Switzerland). The land is divided into provinces governed by various noble Houses.

Although the interests of the nobility are mostly focused on the main cities of each province, the roads between them are bustling with life: busy crossroads may have thriving villages, and ancient temple ruins may hold secrets to be discovered by those who dare to seek them out. Seaports are a melting pot for sailors, vagabonds, fishermen, bazaars, and traders from faraway lands.

While your family members are on the road, they are bound to encounter the enticing wonders that Calderia has to offer. Depending on their location, they may be treated to a Location Event.



Characters may also pass by each other's cities or meet on the road; be they friends or foes. Sometimes events related to two characters meeting by chance may occur. Sometimes multiple families are invited to spend time in the same place, such as at weddings. In such situations, one is bound to run into new acquaintances or confront sworn enemies. However, if you're harbouring a vendetta, it's not civilized to act on it while being someone else's guest.



As mentioned in our "Diplomacy: Squire, ward, court" Steam News, one of the most powerful diplomatic actions a noble House can take is to send its family members to live in a foreign court as wards, squires, or court members. These family members are by no means forgotten. Things can happen in their lives just as they can with anyone else, but the events they experience will be related to their duties and lives in the other House's court. You will also receive events related to the incidents that revolve around other Houses' characters living in your own court.



Finally, your family members may find their lives boring or unfulfilling. In these rare cases, they might embark on a Character Journey.

A Character Journey is a series of events that the characters undertake of their own volition. While you may not be able to stop them or even control where they go, you'll have a chance to decide what they do in the adventures they encounter. Character Journeys are extremely rare, occurring maybe once in a character's lifetime, but when they do, they're bound to change the character's view of life somehow.




Join our Discord to get involved in the development of Great Houses of Calderia: https://discord.gg/vsxD6n8P8J

- Great Houses of Calderia Team -

Add a map

Hey Polytopians!

The wait is over! We're adding 3 new skins to Polytopia, giving some much-needed love to Xin-xi, Imperius, and Luxidoor!

The Sha-po are a secretive legion of soldiers, saboteurs, and assassins trained in the ways of warfare and subterfuge from the moment they're hatched. They defend the Xin-xi Empire with weapons specially crafted to bring a quick and silent death to anyone who dares to threaten them.


The honor of forging your helmet into a laurel is reserved for the Lirepacci, a group of scholars, philosophers, and magistrates near the top of Imperius society. They’ve entered the war in order to see new lands, study new cultures, and debate for hours about the many, many laws and theories that govern the Imperius.


Yes, loyalty is nice, but you know what really motivates a good soldier? Riches. The gilded Aumux Mercenaries have been serving as the personal army of the Luxidoorian Emperor for many years, as there's no one else who can match their exorbitant demands for gold and precious gems! Ruthless, effective, and more than willing to destroy both their foes and the land in their insatiable, all-consuming greed, leaving little more than what's too small to be useful.


These skins will be released to the public on March 29th at 8amPST (4pmPDT)!

But what if you can't wait that long? Well, you're in luck, because we're also beta testing the skins (and, y'know, normal game changes), and you can head to our Discord to find out how to enter the beta programs on both mobile and Steam.

You can find a changelog for the beta here.

Q: What are skins?
A: They're DLC that change the look of a tribe. They offer no gameplay changes, advantages, or etc, and are purely cosmetic.

Q: Will the other tribes get skins?
A: Yes, they will, but much like the current skins, future skins will be sold in these bundles, and we'll sell more of them in time.

Q: Are the skins free?
A: No, they are not. They will cost $3 on Steam and $.99/each on mobile platforms.

Q: Why do iOS and Android get the skins before Steam?/I'm on the Steam beta and I can't unlock the skins?
A: Well, that's because of the nature of how Android and iOS handle their beta programs, as both allow people to purchase/access the skins ahead of time, for testing purposes. Steam just doesn't work like that, sadly, but thankfully the proper release is only a few days away.