Oct 6, 2023

Hearts of Iron IV - PDX Chakerathe

Hello, and welcome back to the last Developer Diary for Arms Against Tyranny!
I’m CreamGene, HOI4’s 2D artist and since I am here, you guessed it, it's time to talk about art!

I once again get an opportunity to talk about what happens on the Art Front during a HOI4 production and I’m excited to share with you some of the things that have been in the works. Both challenging tasks as well as funny ones, of course.

I know I usually showcase the how-to when I do loading screens when I get these opportunities, but I think you can find the two latest descriptions from earlier Dev Diarys to be adequate if you need to know the “how-to-think”. But I’ll show some small step-by-step just because I can.

Loading screen
It started with our Game Designer Bradley, or as you know him as well, Corax, who already had a vision for what he wanted. He wanted two different ones. One of the Finnish Winter War, with Finnish soldiers watching Soviet troops, make their way through the frozen marshlands. And one with the sinking of the Blücher. And I got to choose which one to do.

Of course, I chose explosions because I hate myself that's pretty cool. I drew explosions before, but never like this so I thought it could be a nice challenge… if I could pull it off.

I was provided with reference images of the ship and the place as well as a video clip of the event from the movie The King's Choice. Even if it’s a reenacting of the sinking of Blücher it still is a pretty cool scene to draw inspiration from.
So let's speedrun this demonstration!

3D elements put together! Renders made by our 3D artist @Slurpen_Paradox (because if I can avoid hard surfaces, I will).

Here, the paint-over progress has started. …… trust the process.

After a loop of feedback and paint-overs, it finally starts to look like something more interesting than just a dark blob where it started. Just some more tweaking and adding texture as well as some action and it’ll be done.

And here we are! I hope you’ll enjoy the new loading screen for Arms Against Tyranny!

Here is also the winter-themed one (tho I can’t take credit for it) made for AAT.

[Art made by @the_real_timor]

The Joint Focus Tree

We also wanted to do something new for a Joint Focus Tree when the discussion of a joint Nordics was a must. So now the idea phase starts. How different should it look? How much of different shapes will still make you think “Focus Tree”? Will it look good together as a tree? How do we best portray the different ideologies for each outcome?

So now some thumbnailing of ideas happens as well as the thought “Is just the naming bar enough to change?” The answer is ‘no’. Of course, we wanted to go full out when we had this new idea.

So when we realize that we want to make the actual focus icons mirror the ideologies we have a new question “What would a joint focus tree even look like? What would have to change to make it stand out?”
So I started to make up the shape language for what each ideology would feel like.
It ended with a bunch of experiments that you saw @carloPDX showcase in the Joint Focus icon Dev Diary

Yeah… I didn't feel anything out of these.

We landed on these types of shapes in the end!
The communist one is in line with sharp angles, red and gold, and feeling very industry.
The democratic one with its very simplistic design and a retake on the metallic swan.
And the monarchist one, in Sweden at least, we call the moose the “King of the Forest” so we thought it would be fitting to have a King represent all the Nordics with pompous decoration and gold details.

A small selection of the communist branch icons;

A small selection of the democratic branch icons;

A small selection of the monarchist branch icons;

Portraits

And now I think it's important to show off some of the fancy portraits that have been added for the Nordics!

The amount of art that needs to be done for each DLC varies but something that stays true, and heavy is Portraits and Focuses. These are easy to outsource in bulk and to offload the strain of getting all the art done for each DLC on time, we send these types of art tasks to an outsourcing studio.
We occasionally have to pick up these types of tasks as well in-house but that’s usually when Content Designers realize they need a leader for a last-minute polish task and a path they forgot would do with an actual portrait of the historic person instead of a generic one. Safe to say, it's impossible to plan for every leader there will be for their specific country. I know I wouldn't be able to think of everything beforehand, and that's why I can’t stress enough that to get a successful art-filled launch, communication is key.

So, here is a small selection of historical figures we would like to showcase beforehand!

Focus icons

With the same principle as the portraits for HOI, these are easier to outsource in bulk, and therefore the majority of them, tho far from all, are done through outsourcing.
We usually try to make as much as we can in-house for these but we need to prioritize our workload to fit our schedule the best we can.
We always estimate all our tasks beforehand so whatever we know we can’t manage in-house will be shipped to outsourcing.

And once again, a small selection of some of the nicest looking Focuses for AAT.

3D art

Even if I am not in charge of the 3D art (in fact that's entirely @Slurpen_Paradox’s domain) I will of course show off some of the models that have been made for this DLC

First of all, let’s enjoy some high-definition renders showing some of the models up close:

These guys have dressed up for today's fashion show!

A mix of old and “new” (maybe new is too strong of a word here).

You need to be ready to fight against air and land attacks.

Okay, maybe that’s enough land vehicles for one Dev Diary.

In other news, here are some planes!

..more planes!

Ready to fight against tyranny!

Here are some in-game screenshots showing some of the models in action (using some fun camera angles of course!):

They see me rollin’!

Danish militia models in fighting stance!

These guys are deadly in snowy conditions!

Norway has some ships to defend its coast!

Things are heating up!

Thank you @Slurpen for the 3D renders!

Let's be real, you’ve been waiting, you’ve been scrolling, you’ve been sighing through this DD. Go ahead. Don't be shy. Scroll down some more.

Finally! I would like to present the achievements of Arms Against Tyranny!

Achievements

Sápmi, United by the fire
As Sami, own and control every Sami core.

Norway Jose
As Norway, own and control every Mexican core.

Pinot Noirway
As Norway, own and control the state of Burgogne.

Cheese your fighter
As Norway, with Peder Jarlsberg as coutnry leader, own Telemark, Glouchestershire, Normandy, Lombardia and Holland.

Med Plutonium 2…
As Denmark, nuke Sweden.

Everything is Awesome
As Denmark, get Maximum Welfare Spending after January 1st 1941 without being puppeted or capitulating

The Danelaw
As Denmark, conquer England.

Vinland
As Iceland, conquer Newfoundland.

Brexit
As communist Iceland, make Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland rise up against the United Kingdom.

Two Arms Against Tyranny
As Finland, capitulate the Soviet Union while having a 2 country faction with another Nordic.

Uralic Brothers United!
As Finland, have Hungary, Estonia, Sapmi, Karelia, Mari El, Udmurtia, Komi, Ostyak-Vogulia, Yamalia, and Nenetsia as subjects.

Lone Wolf
As Finland, form Greater Finland and own every core and claim without having ever joined a faction.

No One Crosses the Finnish Line
As Finland, survive until 1944 without losing control of a single core ever.

Danzig Queen
As Sweden, own Danzig.

Caramelldansen
As Sweden, puppet Japan.

The return of the King
As the exiled King of Gotland, retake mainland Sweden.

Satisfactory
Have at least one MIO per category at level 10+.

Cod Wars
As Iceland, capitulate the UK.

The Magic School Bus
With the Per Albin Bus, drive to Cape Town

We all hope that you’ll enjoy the up-and-coming DLC, Arms against Tyranny, and along the way have fun and feel challenged with the new content and achievements we have added, as well as enjoy the latest models and art!

CreamGene

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2183930/Expansion__Hearts_of_Iron_IV_Arms_Against_Tyranny/

Oct 6, 2023

Buddy’s Bulletin: XVIII, October 6th

Friends vs Friends - tdogmedog

Hello Friends,

It's Friday, and you know what that means – the weekend's just around the corner! And guess what else? Wired Wrecks is dropping next Tuesday, October 10th! This is a big deal for us – it's our very first Premium Expansion, and we really hope y’all like it.

For a sneak peek, check out our dear friends Karen and Anton duke it out with the new content right here or on Friends vs Friends' store page.

But let's not forget the real stars of the show – you, our incredible community of supporters. Your valuable feedback and your passionate involvement is what make this possible!

So, save the date, clear your schedule, and get ready to dive into Wired Wrecks next Tuesday. It's a celebration of our shared journey, and we couldn't have done it without your incredible support.

Thank you for being part of our incredible adventure!

Special Shoutouts

We also want to give a major shoutout to our friends at Brainwash Gang, their brand-new trailer for Laika: Aged Through Blood is now here, please take a look below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6ftuCoaa1s

Reveal of the Week

Introducing KlustR Jr.

KlustR Jr. is intelligent and resourceful, yet clumsy and comical. They refab and repair tamagochis, circuit boards, and small robotics from spare parts. They even designed and built their own state-of-the-art prosthetic leg from materials they stole from the lab they grew up in!
But that's not all, they're into some wild stuff too, like messing around with teleportation and time travel experiments.

Say hello to my little friends.... Dither & Banding.

Each round you play with KlustR, you start with their beloved mini turrets, Dither & Banding.
Dither absolutely loooooves dying for you, and Banding HATES it!

Community Spotlight

This is an absolutely sick piece made by Avery! If you like what you see, check out their website here!

Mayor’s Message

Hey folks, it's me. The Mayor of Friendtown.

I can't even begin to tell you how hyped I am for Wired Wrecks releasing next Tuesday! It's gonna be an absolute blast!
I've been trying to set an alarm to remember the big day, but my phone has this strange habit of disassembling itself and misplacing crucial components. Strange, huh?

Anyhoo, please keep an eye out for Wired Wrecks, launching on Tuesday, October 10th!

- The Mayor of Friendtown

Oct 6, 2023

Revisiting the Barathrum Forest

Forsaken Realms: Vahrin's Call - Robin_TitanRoc

Hey again everyone!
Hope you're all doing swell and are getting into the spooky spirit in preparation for Halloween~

Today, we're going to take a bit of a closer look at the Barathrum Forest, the first area you'll explore when you set off on your epic adventure into the unknown.

This area has seen massive amounts of change over the many years the game has been in development.
It's been through countless iterations, some of which completely redesigned the environment and flow of gameplay.

Being the very first area you'll traverse in Vahrin's Call, the tutorial is one of the things here that has changed and evolved a lot over time. To this day, it's still being tweaked and polished as we work on finalising different parts of the game!

And if we were really interested in how much this forest has changed over time, we could go all the way back to 2019 to see what it looked like then. Spoilers, it's completely unrecognisable.

Gifs like these make me appreciate how far the game has come..

Despite all the changes we've made and continue to make to this place, one thing has always remained the same. We always knew we wanted this to be the area that introduces you to the Forsaken Realms universe. It's here, amidst a sea of trees, among the chirping birds, that your adventure will begin!

Oh and, while this location is centered around a tutorial to get you used to the game's controls, it's also there to give you a little taste of what to expect from the rest of the game. So why not explore a little? You never know what you might stumble across!

I can't wait to see you guys explore all of these handcrafted areas that we've spent so much time working on and I hope you'll enjoy what we've done with the world. There's so much to be discovered!

Have a great rest of your week as always, and we'll catch you again next Friday :)

Cheers all!

Oct 6, 2023

Field of Glory II - 3rd Century Crisis Tournament open for sign-ups

Field of Glory II - FremboT3

We are pleased to announce another Field of Glory 2 public tournament, featuring the various crises afflicting the Roman Empire in the 3rd Century AD. This will be played using the normal Field of Glory 2 Multiplayer system and our automated tournament system.

Anyone who has Field of Glory II can enter. You do not need to own any DLCs to enter.

To enter, go to the tournament page here.

The general tournament rules can be found here.

The first round will commence on Tuesday 17th October 2023 at 10.00 am GMT. No further entries can be accepted after the tournament has begun.

Specific tournament rules:

This tournament will involve five rounds. Each round will last 14 days. The battles will be Medium-sized custom battles:

Moesia 250 AD: Roman 197-284 vs Sarmatian 25-375 with Germanic Foot Tribes 105-259 allies. North European Hilly.
Mesopotamia 260 AD: Roman 197-284 vs Sassanid Persian 224-346. Middle-Eastern Agricultural.
Italy 271 AD: Roman 197-284 vs Germanic Foot Tribes 105-259. Mediterranean Agricultural.
Syria 272 AD: Roman 197-284 vs Palmyran 272-273. Middle-Eastern Agricultural.
Gaul 274 AD: Roman 197-284 vs Roman 197-284. North European Agricultural.

Games are paired, so each matchup will be played both ways. Each player will be able to choose his forces using the normal force selection system. In each round, all players will be playing on the same randomly generated map for both games.

First round pairings will be selected randomly, subsequent rounds using the Swiss Chess system. Nobody will play the same opponent in more than one round.

The scoring system is as follows:

If a game runs to the turn limit, each side scores points equal to the enemy % routed at the turn limit. If the game times out, adjustments may be made, depending on how far the game has progressed and who took longer over their turns – see below.
If one army breaks, the victorious player scores 60 points plus the difference between the enemy % routed and his own % routed. The loser scores points equal to the winner's % routed.

Examples:

If Ben defeats Tamas's army, and has inflicted 45% routed on Tamas, and Tamas has inflicted 15% on Ben, Ben will score 60 + (45 – 15) = 90, Tamas will score 15.
However, if Ben defeated Tamas’s army by inflicting 62% routed on Tamas, and Tamas had inflicted 56% routed on Ben, Ben would get 60 + (62 – 56) = 66 points, and Tamas would get 56.
If the game is unfinished (or it reached the turn limit) with Ben inflicting 20% routed on Tamas, and Tamas inflicting 10% routed on Ben, Ben would score 20, and Tamas would score 10. (Provided that between them they have played at least 36 turns in all – see below).

Note that this system rewards aggressive play over desultory skirmishing. If you rout an enemy unit then hide for the rest of the game, both players will get extremely low scores - lower than if they played hard and lost.

Byes:

If an odd number of players sign up for the tournament, one player will get a bye in each round. In the first round this is random. In subsequent rounds it will be the player with the lowest score. The score for a BYE is 75 points for each game.

Round times and timing out:

Each round will last 14 days.

Any battles that are not completed by the end of the round will be timed out. The player who has had the game in his “My Turns” box the longest overall will be the one who is deemed to be timed out. This will not normally incur any penalties, unless insufficient turns have been played: If the timed-out player has played less than 18 turns, his score will be reduced proportionately, and his opponent will be granted (100 - the timed out player's adjusted score) if this value exceeds his current score. (This means he will get the full BYE score unless the timed out player's adjusted score is more than 25).

If the timed-out player has played less than 6 turns, he will not be included in the draw for the next round. This is to prevent someone else’s enjoyment being spoiled by being drawn against someone who has apparently dropped out of the tournament.