Take on tactical space battles in Breachway, now 30% off. Breachway combines deck-building strategy with turn-based combat, letting you customize your ship, manage resources, and face challenging encounters across the galaxy.


https://store.steampowered.com/app/2118810/Breachway/

Hi Pinballers,

We brought you another exciting Weekly Sale with huge titles! Expand your collection with 20% OFF on Williams™ Pinball Volume 8 and 60% OFF on the legendary Indiana Jones™: The Pinball Adventure!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3225380?utm_source=steamnews

Dive into 3 tables of Williams retro goodness of some of the most action-packed tables ever created! Black Knight™ 2000, Banzai Run™ and Earthshaker!™ take you back to the arcades of the 80s for hours of silver ball fun.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/2351802?utm_source=steamnews

Relive iconic scenes from the movies in Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure, the 1993 Williams classic.

That's it for this week, see you on the top of the leaderboards!

Balti

A new era of strategic leadership is here! We are excited to introduce Fiona "Maeve" Porter, a battlefield Hero whose ability to rally troops and enhance mobility makes her a game-changing addition to Supremacy 1914.

Who is Fiona "Maeve" Porter?

Hailing from the Emerald Isle, Maeve is a proud Irish patriot and a master of persuasion and tactical command. With a deep connection to her homeland, she inspires locals to rise in defense of their nation. Her unique abilities make her an essential leader for those looking to strengthen their forces and outmaneuver their opponents.

Maeve's Unique Abilities:

• Call to Arms: Maeve inspires locals to join the fight, deploying infantry over time at the cost of Fish and Money.
• Swift Command: Infantry under her leadership move up to 30% faster in their own territory, allowing for rapid responses and tactical maneuvering.
• Eyes of the Homeland: Her vast network of scouts grants her up to 10% increased view range within friendly provinces, ensuring superior battlefield awareness.

Key Stats and Progression:

• Availability: Unlock Maeve from Day 1
• Call to Arms Cost: 250 Fish & 4000 Money
• Mobilization Time: 20 minutes
• Recovery Time: 60 hours
• Daily Cost: 1200 Money

How to Recruit Fiona "Maeve" Porter?

Maeve will be available through Hero Medals that can be collected through special Operations or obtained in the shop. Don't miss the chance to enlist her and take full advantage of her abilities!
Command with wisdom, move with speed, and dominate the battlefield with Maeve at your side!

See you on the front lines, General!

The Sports Renovations Demo is NOW available on Steam!

Get a head start before Steam Next Fest! Step into abandoned gyms, courts, and stadiums, and bring them back to life! Restore, renovate, and make them shine again ✨🧽

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2230960/Sports_Renovations/

👉 Join the Community on Discord
Don't miss out on any news by joining the official server: https://discord.gg/dnARB3F6qS

We have taken note of your feedback regarding the Rumble for Riches event. In our effort to enhance your experience and facilitate a more rewarding gold acquisition from arena battles, we have implemented the following adjustments to the event conditions:

• Arena victories grant gold, except when the loser is more than 50 ranks or 955 honor behind in the Hall of Fame.

The other event condition remains unchanged: Gold earnings from arena fights are capped at a total of 50 million gold.

Howdy folks! 👋
We want to share something exciting with you all- We’ve received a small amount of funding* to undertake a research project into the power of wholesome gaming, and Paleo Pines in particular, on emotional and mental health, with a focus on neurodiverse/neurodivergent players! This research will be done through online surveys, both quantitative and qualitative.

We want to find out what parts of wholesome/cosy/peaceful gaming really promote relaxation, focus, and other positive emotions, and this research will help us identify which game design elements may contribute to this positive impact to inform future game development, both for Paleo Pines and the wider gaming industry.
This first survey is a short one to gather some broader information, and to collect interest in the next surveys!
Thank you all for participating, and if you have any friends or family who've played Paleo Pines (even just the demo!) and may be interested, please do share this with them! 💚🦖

Participate here: https://forms.gle/FytVnrC8oq2Ehemo9 ✨
This survey will be open until March 4th 2025 🗓
* This research is independently funded, separate from game and merchandise development.

Today, we are happy to take you for another look Under the Hood! This time, we bring you an interview with some of the members of our team who are working on the redefined cargo system for both ETS2 and ATS in the upcoming 1.54 update. So without further delay, we'll let the experts explain what this new system is all about and take you behind the scenes of their work!


As our games continue to expand, the number of cargo types and trailers has grown significantly, making the old system increasingly difficult to manage. To understand why a change was necessary, it helps to look at how the previous system worked.

Until now, what seemed like the game combining a trailer with cargo, such as a piece of machinery, was actually a manually created model, with each trailer-cargo pair stored separately on disk. This approach required an enormous number of unique models, making it harder to add new content efficiently and taking up disk space.

Programmer Simon, also known as 50keda, who worked on this task from the very beginning, explains this in more depth.

"In our world, every cargo must be attached to a trailer in some way. The way cargo is visually linked to the trailer, including the chosen model for loading, is part of what we call the cargo system. This system manages how visual models of cargo are connected to the appropriate trailers, playing a role in the broader economy. As our projects expanded, the number of cargo and trailers increased to the point where the older approach became unsustainable. Managing the growing combinations of trailers and cargo became overwhelming, leading to longer release times and affecting the order in which new cargo and trailers could be integrated," he shares with us.





Smety, our Senior Vehicle Artist explains that this issue has been a growing problem for some time and needed solving. "Things were getting complicated with the arrival of new cargo and a lot of new branded trailers to the game. Each cargo was attached to all trailers of that type, meaning if we had 3 flatbeds, we also needed 3 specific cargo models - and every cargo variant usually has two or three visuals. Plus, we have branded trailers so the combinations were reaching huge numbers. I had the task of reworking the trailers."





Our goal was to simplify the process of connecting new cargo and trailers, eliminating the need to manually manage their combinations, as Simon explains here: "We could achieve this by having the code automatically merge cargo and trailers based on simplified rules, rather than creating separate models for each trailer type. This means that each cargo will define its own model, loading methodology, and lashing method. While this approach may have some initial challenges and might not be perfect at first, it lays the foundation for future expansion and improvement. For example, when loading cargo programmatically - such as a pallet - you will only need to model a single pallet. The code will then determine the correct number of models and position them on the trailer according to the chosen loading methodology."

So the new system's biggest advantage is that it no longer requires our 3D artists to manually create pre-baked trailer-cargo pairs. Instead, it dynamically matches any compatible trailer with any compatible cargo, procedurally decides its placement and generates believable lashing elements which will make the work of our vehicle team much easier.

Our producer, Karel, coordinated the project and played a key role in overseeing its progress, helping to ensure a smooth completion.


Karel - Producer

"When I joined the development team, I was initially just curious about how wooden logs would be handled in the new system, as I was mainly working on a related feature which is the dynamic cargo (un)loading. However, when I realized the massive amount of work required - replacing thousands of combinations of cargoes and trailers with just a few hundred "smart" ones - I took over production responsibilities so Simon could focus primarily on development. This included providing time estimates, planning, tracking progress, getting more 3D graphic vehicle designers and testers involved, scheduling the release, and more. And of course, a huge shoutout to our QA team, who took on the heavy task of testing all combinations and reporting countless issues," Karel shares with us.

Naturally, we also had to rework the cargo models to ensure they function seamlessly with the new system, which automatically pairs cargo with trailers. Matěj, our 3D Graphic Vehicle Designer, took on this task.


Matěj - 3D Graphic Vehicle Designer

"Instead of creating six or more different cargo models, I designed a single version and, when necessary, split it into multiple variants for more diverse cargo - such as two versions of air conditioning units. After finalizing the model, I checked to ensure everything was in order and placed special locators to define how and where the cargo would be secured to the trailer. The system then dynamically distributes the cargo based on its size and weight and the trailer's length. This new approach simplifies the creation of cargo models and allows for greater variety in the game," Matěj tells us.



Petr, another 3D Graphic Vehicle Designer on our team, is working on the same task - and, in his own words, he's enjoying it.


Petr - 3D Graphic Vehicle Designer

"I joined the New Cargo System project between August and September, working alongside Smety and Simon. My primary task - then and now - is converting existing cargo into the new system. It was an exciting shift for me, moving from 3D modelling to actively developing a new game feature, which I found both stimulating and fun," says Petr.





Our programmer, Max, played a key role in integrating the new cargo system into the games' economy, among other tasks, as he explains below.


Max - Programmer

"The main part of my work on the new cargo system was its design and connection to the rest of the game. Automatic placing and lashing of independent cargo models should simplify any modelling work for the future. Recalibrating the economy data ensures it should work with all current cargo and trailer combinations. There are some issues remaining, so we definitely have plans for improvements for the next time," Max says.

This change will significantly boost the work of our vehicle team as it allows them to create even more cargo and trailer combinations as we continue expanding our games. While there may be issues in the first iteration, it's a worthwhile goal to refine the system, as it not only improves efficiency but also saves disk space and memory by eliminating the need to store countless pre-made combinations.

Simon teases that this project may lead to other possibilities for both of our games. "For now, we're focusing on reworking all cargo and trailers to be compatible with the new system while ensuring they look visually believable. That said, the cargo system opens the door to countless possibilities. This project will definitely be integrated with dynamic cargo (un)loading, and we aim to improve the way we calculate how many items can fit on a trailer. Currently, the logic is fairly simple and won't be accurate in every case, but it already showcases the system's potential. With a bit of imagination, this could even lead to some level of player interaction - but we'll see where it takes us."



We hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look into the new cargo system from the point of view of our colleagues who work on it. Make sure to stay connected with us for all future updates by following us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. We'll see you on the road!

Our friends at Pollard Studio are fellow members of the Wired Publishing Family, and today they announced that their first game, KARMA: The Dark World will officially launch on March 27th 2025, exclusively on PlayStation 5 and PC.

They've celebrated this with an EPIC release date announcement trailer focusing on the stunning visuals, surreal environments and emotionally-charged story inspired by cinema’s finest auteurs with shocking twists at every turn, asking the question "When every shadow hides a secret, who can you trust?"

Watch the Into the Mist trailer:


Karma: the Dark world is a first-person cinematic psychological horror title where players will be investigating the deepest secrets of their suspects’ minds.

Set in an alternate timeline where post-war Germany has fallen into a dystopian state, ruled over by the Leviathan Corporation using mass surveillance and mind bending technology - what starts out as another case for Roam Agent Daniel McGovern, sees him uncover a world of deceit and betrayal, where he begins to doubt everything he knows, including his own identity.



Inspired by the works of visionary creators such as David Lynch (Twin Peaks), Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid, Death Stranding), and Christopher Nolan (Inception, Interstellar), and developed in Unreal Engine 5, they'll have a demo coming out before launch that will let you try out your skills as a ROAM agent yourself - but for now, if you loved the psychological themes of Fractured Minds, add KARMA : The Dark World to your wishlist now.

KARMA will be available at launch for $24.99 / €24.99 / £19.99, with a 10% launch discount on PC, PlayStation and an additional 15% off on Steam for players who own any previous Wired Productions title.

KARMA: The Dark World is available for Wishlist now on Steam, PlayStation Store, GOG and Epic Store.


Pollard Twitter | Karma Twitter | Wired Facebook | Wired Twitter | Wired Youtube | Wired Discord | Wired Instagram | Wired Twitch | Wired Reddit | Wired Imgur

https://karmadarkworld.com/leviathan/

As I was starting to write Day 3, the method I was using to translate Bria from her Irish Accent to the regular statement (which is used for translations) was getting messy. So I redid it so I can do a simple bca.add() for each statement. This might cause a little delay in startup, but it has the same speed when playing. Finally, it ensures I do not cause too many dictionary related errors Is (since the method is building that dictionary from a template).


Change a variable to the correct one and it will now play the correct statements.

- Wandering Slime Killer
- Reaper
- Evil Good Geamer

- Ice Ammunition
- Hard Ammunition
- Akimbo
- Shrapnel Ammunition
- Hot Steam Engine

- Translation was changed
- more Information (especially Passives and Buff Towers)

It's time to grind!