Hello from the dev team! For our forth update of the development process, we will share info with you about visual effects used within the map.
[Environmental Effects] The map is not complete yet with just 3D models. It also needs visual effects such as dust-like particles that float around and lighting effects from objects like lights and vending machines. Lighting effect also needs to be adjusted accordingly to put emphasis on the light source. A single screen will contain multiple visual effects by the time when it is completed.
[Plants] Large plants have animations. By intentionally reducing the number of animation frames, it can make it look less like a 3D model. Although not a plant, the flickering neon sign also stands out doesn't?
[Testing Snow Effects] Snow map effect we made for testing purposes. We made it in case snow started to fall in Tokyo. One benefit of using 3D is that it is easy to add effects later if we decide to do so.
Movements such as particles and blinking lights make the screen more lively, compensating the static nature of the camera view. There are more effects we want to add to the background and we will share more on that as we continue to make the game!
The fire surface that spawns after killing a fire slime now acts as a light source. The Bash Strike skill now stuns an NPC for a short time. This makes Bash Strike more useful. You can combo Bash Strike with a couple sword swings before the NPC recovers from the stun. Calen and Carissa now leave the player's house and map during the evening and return to their homes. This is in preparation for the allowing the player to sleep. All NPCs will return to their homes during the night.
Ready for another peek at the next expansion, Steel Division 2: Men of Steel? Today is not a showcase of new models, but an expanded system directly affecting a host of units in-game: new and updated Traits.
Let’s dig in.
Traits
We have come full circle. One feature of Steel Division 2 was how certain units would have specific Traits that would set them apart and provide bonuses (or drawbacks) on the battlefield. Little details like this dig not only into realistic (and historical) reasons but also influence the way you deploy and order your units around.
Over time, we expanded this list, but you might recognize the Disheartened trait, Radio, or the Tank Buster one. Some traits would just explain the innate abilities of a unit, while others would provide a specific function or characteristic, such as the experience boost of Leader unit or the Disciple trait (to keep those cowardly Disheartened units in line).
With the new Cold War cousin of Steel Division 2, WARNO, we took the Trait system a step further, to differentiate each unit and their role on the battlefield even more. Some of these Traits will find their way back into Steel Division 2: Men of Steel, together with several new ones.
Please note that the following list is not complete and final. We might change certain traits, add or remove unit types, or tweak their mechanics as we see fit.
Traits adapted
We begin with traits that have already been introduced WARNO. These have all been adapted to World War II’s battle conditions in Steel Division 2.
SHOCK This trait will be given to units dedicated and drilled for close combat. They are soldiers excelling in using SMGs, pistols, grenades, explosives, knives, and even entrenching tools if they have to. Units with the Shock trait will inflict more physical damage at very close range, meaning inside city blocks or in forests.
The following units will receive the Shock trait:
Almost all the current SMG squads, such as the Soviet Avtomatchiki, Tankodesantniki, U.S. Assault Groups, various German Stosstruppen, etc.
Assault engineers, such as German Sturmpioniers, Commonwealth Assault Pioneers, Soviet Shturmoviki.
Other units, although not equipped with SMGs or flame-throwing weapons, but still marked for an assault role. This includes Romanian Asalt squads. Formations famous for their hand-to-hand combat skills will also gain this trait, such as the Allied Gurkhas, Maoris, and Goumiers.
SECURITY This particular trait will grant the Good recon optics to regular infantry units, but only when they are stationary. The Security trait is given to typical rear-area security forces whose mission was usually focused on patrolling in quieter sectors. As Steel Division 2 takes place during the summer and early autumn of 1944, this trait will mostly find its way to Axis security units forced to fight on the actual front line more often than not.
Units with the Securit trait:
German Sicherungs, Schupo, Schuma units.
Italian fascist RSI GNR units.
More to come.
TANK RIDERS This trait can also be found in Steel Division 2 more modern cousin, WARNO, where it is known as IFV Infantry. Tank Riders works in pretty much the same way. As a so-called “mirror trait”, to be active, it requires both an infantry unit and vehicle to feature the trait AND stay close to each other. When this condition is met, both units will receive an extra “shield” boost against suppression.
In Steel Division 2, the trait will differentiate those units trained to fight in close cooperation with armor. This includes:
Soviet (and assimilated nations) Tankodesantniki, the most famous of mounted tank riders.
German Begleit units.
A new Western Allied unit, created specifically to use this trait. This is the Canadian Kangaroo Rifles unit from the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. This large infantry unit will be the only one available to be transported by the Kangaroo armored personnel carrier. Both the unit and the transport will feature the Tank Rider trait.
New Traits
The following traits have been newly created for Steel Division 2.
COMMANDO The Commando trait will combine the Shock and Raider traits, but as the cherry on the cake, it will also include a “shield” bonus against suppression. This is much like the new Tank Riders trait, but without needing a vehicle. The Commando trait will only be gifted to a nation’s elite special forces. This ensures they are different enough from more regular paratroopers or light infantry.
A list of those units getting the Commando trait:
Of course, the various British Commando units will be the most obvious recipient.
German Brandenburger and MEK special forces.
American Rangers and O.S.S. troops.
Canadian-American Forcemen units (from the upcoming Devil’s Brigade of the 1st Airborne Task Force).
The Soviet OSNAZ unit.
Polish Cichociemni.
Fascist Italian RSI Decima Mas, part of the upcoming 715. Infanterie-Division.
The Finish Sissi unit.
ARTILLERY LEADER This trait will apply to all existing artillery leader units. It will give artillery pieces the Radio trait when close by, even to those artillery pieces lack one. Artillery Leader will also gain more accuracy within their radio net, reducing suppression.
Steel Division 2: Men of Steel Versus
If you want to do some background reading on Steel Division 2: Men of Steel, be sure to check out our historical highlights, our so-called Versus DevBlogs.
Versus
The Wehrmacht reservist of the 715. Infanterie-Division and the paratroopers of the Allied 1st Airborne Taskforce receive their highlight in our Versus #1 DevBlog.
The Allied commandos of the 1st Special Force Brigade against the Market Garden-active Axis Kampfgruppe von Tettau in Versus #2 DevBlog.
The Finish-Swedish Axis 17. Divisioona and the partisan-infused and mixed Allied Groupement Dody in the Versus #3 DevBlog.
The Axis-Hungarian armored 1. Páncélos Hadosztály and the Soviet-allied Bulgarian Bronirana Brigada get their spotlight in Versus #4 DevBlog.
Aces And if you want to read more about the two new Aces - Allied Sergeant Tommy Prince and Hungarian tank commander Barnabás Kőszeghy - you’ll encounter in Steel Division 2: Men of Steel, look no further and check out this dedicated DevBlog here.
See you on the battlefield
That’s it. We’ll be back with a Steel Division 2 new DevBlog soon!
Be sure to join the Steel Division 2 community on our Steam forums. The latest Steel Division 2 news can also be encountered on our Instagram.
Looking for an online game? Visit the Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!
Hello, fellow drivers! We have another update! Thanks to everyone who helped with the test!
Chris Goleador made this cool clip of new update!
Rain
You can now change rain frequency while starting the drive mode game! Tire friction is low during rain, so drive carefully!
Harbor reworked
Betty reworked the Jeju harbor area Enjoy the new harbor race track!
Lighting and Deco store at the Jeju downtown
New Tire Collision
Tire collision is changed to use full volume instead of just a vertical line
New Bike - Gunthoo
New 30HP Motorcycle is added You can buy it at the Motorcycle dealership in Jeju Downton (North of the Island)
New Bike Handling
Bike handling is overhauled Player input now converts to the bike's leaning angle at high speed
Assisted bike steering for Steering Wheel Device
Following 2 Assist Option is added 1. Use assisted bike steering for steering wheel device (Default On): Steering wheel input now leans the bike instead of rotating the handlebar 2. Assisted bike steering input range (Default 20%): Set how far you need to rotate the steering wheel to lean maximum angle (20% means +-90Degree on 900Degree Wheel)
Horizontal Lock of bike cockpit view camera
You can change the lock rate at the Gameplay Option - 'Bike cockpit camera horizontal lock' (Default 80%)
Active Rollover Protection
With new tire updates, vehicles tend to roll over much more easily, which is more realistic than before. But it could be annoying and too hard, so 'ARP(Active Rollover Protection)' is added It uses a brake on each wheel to stop rolling too hard You can adjust strength from Assist Setting and each Vehicle's Control Panel -> Drive Mode (Strength multiplies) Large vehicles(Semi, Buses, Trailers) have a default value of 100%. Other vehicles have a default value of 0%
Changes
[Cargo] Count spinbox is added to cargo unload UI (Thanks to RC_Dude_17) [Cargo] Trailer's center of gravity heights are re-balanced to be more realistic [Character] Height of first person view in character mode is raised to meet the eye height (Thanks to Kikwik) [Controller] Force Feedback is easy-in when entering a vehicle (Thanks to catb0t) [Delivery] Cargo delivery payments are raised for a few cargo types [Delivery] Farm's Pallet and Box production is separated (Thanks to hitman_2) [UI] Quickbar is moved to the right side to avoid overlapping chat box [Vehicle] Auto rev-matching during downshift is improved [Vehicle] Rolling resistance of snow is reduced [Vehicle] Vehicle's center of gravity heights are re-balanced to be more realistic [Vehicle] Wheel spacer is now unavailable to the bike's wheel (Thanks to majored1) [Vehicle] You can now toggle Soft Rev Limiter at the Control Panel -> Drive Mode [World] Road navigation is added to Pyosun Villages (Thanks to hitman_2)
Bug Fixed
[Autocross] Autocross cone moved by itself by overlap (Thanks to Shazbotacus) [Autocross] Autocross timer reset when hitting the wrong gate (Thanks to Shazbotacus) [Bus] Bus passenger at the terminal has a destination of the current terminal (Thanks to ♪D.J C♂mb1nE♫) [Bus] Bus passenger pays after player changes route (Thanks to catb0t) [Bus] Missing Bus stop interaction (Thanks to the01slayer and SirArgus) [Bus] Passengers don't use the player bus when its condition is 0 [Cargo] Cannot strap furniture (Thanks to Grumps) [Cargo] Trash bag interaction box doesn't remove immediately after pickup (Thanks to Skirakzalus) [Character] Driver's look IK lagging in multiplayer [Controller] FPS drop with Controller (Thanks to ColinM) [Controller] Force feedback disappeared after opening the menu (Thanks to SmallbutDeadly) [Crash] Client crashed while changing bus routes (Thanks to MoistGoat) [Crash] Random client crash with rollback tow vehicles [Crash] Random crash with abandoned rental vehicle (Thanks to catb0t) [Delivery] Pizza/Burger place's ingredient delivery wasn't limited as 30 [Interaction] Cannot pick Pulio's control panel and tow bar (Thanks to catb0t) [Laptime] Bike easy to offtrack at the Olle Speedway (Thanks to Llama) [Multiplayer] Nearby vehicles disappear after hopping into a vehicle in multiplayer (Thanks to 7HC) [Police] Spike strip doesn't cost (Thanks to Paulo Roberto) [Rendering] Bike rendering distance was too short [Sound] Compacty's dumping sounds overflow (Thanks to scailman) [Sound] Money change sound effect too loud with multiple cargo delivery (Thanks to RainbowStarMan) [UI] Bus Passenger interaction has duplicated buttons (Thanks to 8Sh1t) [UI] Cannot scroll route assign list with controller (Thanks to QuerSlider) [UI] Garage part selection automatically deselect in the multiplayer client (Thanks to 8Sh1t) [UI] Harbor misspelling is fixed (Thanks to Mr. Sandman) [UI] Interaction highlight doesn't clear if hop in the vehicle (Thanks to beedly10) [UI] Player nametag randomly not visible (Thanks to catb0t) [UI] Population boost number error (Thanks to Wolfbayne) [Vehicle] AI SV200 has non-yellow skin (Thanks to ScottishChicken) [Vehicle] Bike leaning net-sync lag [Vehicle] Cannot compress garbage (Thanks to EricChen) [Vehicle] CheetahMk1 has duplicated seat location (Thanks to Kush) [Vehicle] Disconnect from the server after reinstalling the Bus license part (Thanks to RainbowStarMan) [Vehicle] Interior light of the trailer is not synced with the tractor (Thanks to Reddington) [Vehicle] Liliput's door doesn't animate when a player is in cockpit view (Thanks to EnormiE) [Vehicle] Mammoth's internal side window doesn't have valid material (Thanks to 8Sh1t) [Vehicle] Player vehicle spawned at the overlapping location explodes into the sky (Thanks to 𝑊𝑜𝑜𝑓𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑓) [Vehicle] Ranch wheel has wrong offset (Thanks to ScottishChicken) [Vehicle] Rolling resistance only applied to forward (Thanks to hitman_2) [Vehicle] Spawned world vehicle didn't spawn after the player abandoned it [Vehicle] Spider's interaction doesn't work correctly (Thanks to Shazbotacus) [Vehicle] Vista doesn't have reverse light (Thanks to EricChen) [Vehicle] World trailer despawn too early after the player leaves it (Thanks to Grumps)
I would like to apologize for taking so long to update this game. I wanted to make a fun game that would be a joyful experience that ended up being riddled with errors and bugs.
With the new framework and team, we can work more effectively to create a fun experience for everyone! For those who have purchased the game, you will not have to spend a dime more! However, new updates will be added to the game, slowly increasing the price. The game will most likely cap out at around $14.99 USD after all the content is added.
But for now please enjoy the 3 Target Experiences we have and some of the stages which will be integrated into the game at a future date!
New Active item - Ammo warp-in. When you use this item a large ammo box teleports nearby. There will always be one in the first room at the start of every run now.
Passive item duplication bug - you probably only saw this if you were playing a lot in the past couple of days, I added this when I added the sneakers. Fixed now.
Some price changes on weapons, esp late game weapons. Raised the prices on some of the very powerful ones.
Have you recently journeyed from Vestige, the home of the death-lord, Murmur? Or perhaps you’ve only just fallen among us?
In any case, you’ve now entered a lightless place where Archfiends conspire to become the new ruler of the Infernal Throne.
Today, beware not of the Archfiends who howl with infernal rage, threatening turmoil and blood, or those who drip with gold or exotic amulets. Reserve your true caution for the one you least expect, the Prince of Lies, for he is the true puppeteer who pulls at the strings of Hell.
His name is whispered in passing, the calculating Archfiend known as…
Belial
The Prince of Lies
The Prince of Lies will be a favourite for those who enjoy deception.
Belial is the master manipulator; he's not interested in head-to-head conflicts, but instead wants to profit from the misery of others. Whether this is by inciting conflict between the other Archfiends, or using his shadowy rituals to steal from them, he always has a plan and an ulterior motive.
Belial's Starting Stats
A Rake In Hell
Belial is a collector of souls, and the trophies of those he’s fooled. A serpent-tongued and Machiavellian figure, Belial prides himself as being a step ahead of everyone else. Known for his strong opposition to both Heaven and Earth, Belial likes nothing more than to promote lawlessness and confusion, perhaps to better manipulate events. For Belial, power is all.
The Children of Belial: Belial's Personal Legion
‘Tenebris’, Belial’s Stronghold
Summoning Belial
Belial was to be the ‘every-demon’ of hell, visually, as the first Archfiend that was created by the art team. We knew he had to be unassuming, a creature who could merge into the shadows, or the crowd of the Conclave, but who had the aires of something far far more potent. It was an opportunity to play straight into classic Baphomet by bringing the goat to the design-board!
Particular care was taken with Belial’s costuming. We wanted powerful, fancy duds for our main manipulator, but didn’t want them to stray too far into high fantasy. A particularly fun touch is the tip of Belial’s tail, which has its own mouth!
More to come here...
Are you ready to conquer Hell with Belial? The Prince of Lies will surely please all ‘Little-fingers’ out there, with his manipulating style and backroom dealing. And of course, we’re excited to release the all-important unique ability in the future … what do you think it could be?
If you've made it this far, thanks for following along. I intend to share more posts like this, detailing the development process as it unfolds and exploring the unique challenges the privilege of re-imagining a cult classic like Solium Infernum for new (and old!) audiences holds.
We're actively entering into our Playtesting era for Solium Infernum, so if you wanted to be part of that, we definitely encourage you to hop in the Discord. More information will come soon there!
P.S. You can support us and our re-imagining of Vic's "diamond in the dark" by Wishlisting Solium Infernum on Steam, if you haven't already. Wishlisting tells the all-great Steam algorithm that people like what they’re seeing and gets us in front of more eyes.
Spell Disk demo version is playable on Steam Deck. We've verified with our Steam Deck. We will make sure the full version of Spell Disk is also compatible with Steam Deck. If you find any issue while playing the game with Steam Deck, please let us know. Thank you.
