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1.17.2 next week
manohun
Member Posts: 158
V1.17.2 Development Notes
The next feature release for WWIIOL is in beta and preparing for release. This release focuses on some of the long term player wishes, new vehicles and some changes to the ground game to heighten the increased battles that have come with our latest changes to the game. We are also working to tweak recent changes for attack objectives that have gone in. While they are testing out nicely, reducing some of the negative aspects of gameplay and improving the ability to find compelling battles, the impetus to move to the system outlined in the Deployment Primer is readily apparent. Now that Attack Objectives have the basic functionality tested out we need to enhance the battle experience and improve upon the ability for players to actively take part in the decision making process that is the heart of running an effective brigade of squads.
Enhanced player visual limit and biasing
This is a long awaited feature and one that we are utterly thrilled to finally be ready to unveil. The recent changes to reduce the size of the front have helped make for some very intense battles and this feature expands on that exponentially. The feeling of taking part in a concentrated force to overcome the enemy is utterly awe inspiring. With our next release youre battlefield experience will be taken to an entirely new level.
In essence weve added three new options to the Settings application that allow players to select visual player biasing to suit their play style and performance level. The low setting will allow players to remain at the level they are now. Medium settings will dramatically increase the visible limit of players and should be more than acceptable for the vast majority of players. The high setting will allow players to add an additional amount of players and further adjust the biasing. These settings are primarily performance based and not dependant on bandwidth though players less than a full 56k will likely not benefit from using the high settings. If youd like some more detail on the system, MO has posted an update regarding it here.
Changes to the attack paradigm
Concentrated battles have been great in this last campaign. In addition to working to get improved methods for allowing players to take part in the prioritizing of objectives we are concentrating on bringing objectives to completion in a more timely matter. The first step in the plan is to adjust a few of the parameters for the battle.
First well be increasing the rate at which troopers are available for depot spawning. This will help promote the ability flank and counterattack with infantry. It also serves to promote attackers to attack from positions of strength and increase the value of captured depots.
Well also be making some changes to the spawn lists for ground vehicles, giving each country more low end vehicles in the starting set. This will serve to increase the maximum number of vehicles that are available through the life time of a campaign, as RDP changes are made to phase in new vehicles, reduce the production costs of current vehicles and increase the overall production quotas of vehicles. This will give countries the ability to effectively increase the number of ground vehicles available by up to 25% over time.
Finally well be adjusting the affects of attrition in the game, to help make each and every spawn more valuable as well as help to bring a conclusion to battles through attrition. Many of our players have suggested over time that increasing the global resupply timer dramatically would work to this effect and while we have always liked the idea we think that recent changes have made this more imperative than ever. We arent going quite as drastic as most of the suggestions but will be upping this incrementally to achieve the desired result of bringing resolution to attacks quicker and more decisively. This should also allow for the quicker redistribution of attack objectives and work to prevent stalled objectives that occur when losses are returning to the span lists for both sides and an equilibrium that is difficult to break begins to appear. Were going to start this change t a modest 30% increase and evaluate further changes as the game plays out.
New tanks for all!
The tanks are finally ready to roll. The Sherman has entered beta and will be undergoing performance testing at the beginning of the week. The Crusader III, PzIVG and the awe inspiring long barreled Stug G are already in beta (and some are available off line) for testing. These vehicles will enter as a new tier of vehicles and will be available for production in game once the M3A3, PzIII H and Crusader II have been deployed.
This set also lays the foundation for work to continue on towards the Tiger set of tanks which is a big milestone for us, and a set Im sure you are eagerly awaiting. Once those vehicles are done (including by then the Fw190, P38 and Spit IX planes) we have many options going forward.
New sounds as well
Sounds in WWIIOL have always been one of the things we are really proud of. Were continuing that tradition by revamping a few of our sounds with this path and we think youll really enjoy what you hear. All the infantry weapons have been gone over and offer a very realistic sound quality. The rifles in particular are incredibly realistic, the cycle sounds are amazing. The Bren and Mg34 each receive incredibly unique sounds. The steady thump of the Bren is utterly distinguishable from the torn linen of the German LMG.
Several tanks have had machine gun and main guns reworked, all too great effect. The anti-aircraft guns as well benefit from enhanced sounds and the 8.8 cm German Flak is truly a terror to hear. We think youll be very impressed with the enhanced realism and immersion these new sounds offer.
New Firebases
The new firebases many of you saw last week in videos and screenshots will be included as well. While they function essentially like the old ones the layout and look has been completely redone. Theyve got an excellent perimeter of barrels and crates, tables and generator trailers that not only add to the atmosphere of being at a forward command post but also provide enhanced cover and concealment to the improved defensive position.
EWS for bombers
EWS messages to all towns have been added for bombers flying within range. An aircraft icon will now be shown at any town or airfield where an enemy bomber has been sighted by the AI observers. These should work to allow for improved tracking of single and formation bombers as they cross the map.
Linear factory output
Were planning to change how factory output is measured with this release. Presently we use a Boolean (on or off) system that makes a factory either producing or not producing. This presents problems in both how the factory state is perceived on the reporting web page as well as heightening or lessening the effects of bombing groups based on the state of the factory.
Moving to a linear format will allow players to impact the factory output more directly. Bombing a factory will now have an immediate effect on its output while at the same time allowing for more consistent reporting and understanding of the status of the factories in a given town. Well also be watching the rebuild times of factories to see if they require change with this implementation.
Reduced infantry red out
Weve made some changes to the infantry pain code to remove the permanence of red screen. Now, when a player reaches his maximum pain threshold, through concussion or other trauma, his screen will go opaque red, as usual, but will now begin to fade where before it would remain red forever. The fade will drop to a light haze, about as fast as the hit screen fades from solid red, giving infantry a better opportunity to survive trauma while still indicating to them visually that they are hurt in a very severe manner.
That covers the majority of features for our next point release. We hope you like what you see and were interested in hearing your comments about this pending release. Ive started a discussion thread herefor you to share your thoughts.
Next week well be ready to talk about whats in development for the 118 series of patches, and talk about the next changes for deployment that are planned for the near future. Until then well see you on the Meuse
Community Q&A
Q: I realize that the deployment is being added in stages as you complete it. When can we expect the sign ups for Brigades to be available?
A: Brigade sign up is arguably the last step in the process. The important next steps are adding ToEs so that each brigade has a physical location on the map. Once that is done well need to redo the objective system to mate up with the brigade, giving them an automated defense objective and adding a method for determining the acting brigade commander from the pool of players signed up for that brigade. This then allows for an on scene commander to be responsible for the placement of the objectives, attack, capture, hold, fallback and resupply, to best meet the plans of the players affiliated to that brigade. There is a fair bit of work involved in that and once that is done, player personas should be ready to join up to brigades. Players not interested in the command or leadership aspects of brigades will likely have the ability to move from brigade to brigade to ge where they are needed most.
Q: The map icons for objectives cover up the icon showing if a city is under attack or not. Can the objective icons be made different for the status of the city it is covering?
A: The explosion seems pretty clear on my front end but my Mac has a pretty sweet resolution =] There is a general need to rework all the icons to be more consistent and clear and well be doing that when we add the next round of map features and a complete rework of the look and feel of the map.
Q: A while back Gophur posted a chart on ranks. Will the new rank structure enter the game any time soon? If not, what would be something that would be a sign it is coming soon?
A: That chart is basically designed with two priorities in mind. One is to provide country appropriate rank names where possible (some branches have less ranks in one country than another and for consistency some of our ranks will be ahistorical). Secondly that table is intended to complement a new mission and scoring system that divides our players into four distinct roles. The soldier, whos role is to learn the game and equipment while advancing to the next level, the NCO who is the primary player group where players earn perks and constitute the seasoned combatants on the field, the leader, who posts and leads missions and is available to take command duty in the absence of the Brigade Commander, preparing him for the opportunities of command, and the command player, whos task it is to work the strategic elements of the game to the benefit of the leaders, NCOs and soldiers that make up the countries player base.
Each of these levels has a separate scoring method for their advancement. Soldiers get scored for the successful use of equipment in defeating the enemy and advance toward NCO. NCOs are also score on the successful use of equipment to defeat enemies but are also more beholden to getting the mission completed. Leaders are officers who post and lead missions and are scored based on their ability to do so while also maintaining a score for the times when they are called to and accept responsibility to command the brigade. That score allows them access to move into the command structure while their leadership score allows them access to lead missions of troops and equipment. Leaders can move between NCO, leadership and command as these scores change over time. Command players are leaders who have scored well and chosen to advance to the strategic layer of the game. These players are responsible for setting factory production rates and supply routes, among other things, to ensure that the troops in their divisions and groups have the equipment they need to be successful. In their time in command these players are beholden to the soldiers, NCOs and leaders in their structure to achieve victory for them. These players come from and return to the leadership pool as they move through command and are scored on the effectiveness of the units they represent.
Needless to say thats a lot of stuff to put in the game and without it, changing ranks has little benefit. I cant really outline what the implementation plan for this is at present but as we near ToEs and brigades this will be high on the list.
Q: Killer mentioned mobile spawning last week, and pictures of the new FB are now out. When mobile spawning comes in, will it supplement the current spawn points, or replace the FBs?
A: I would be a little premature to talk about mobile spawning in detail but the implementation I can foresee would be an augment initially with the possibility of full replacement some time in the future. The tricky part of replacement is that firebases provide a means to allow for ease of travel, but also ensure that spawning behind the lines, as it were, is not the norm. Having free wheeling mobile spawn points would bring a level of chaos, from teleporting forces, that is not consistent with the design for WWIIOL>
Q: I have noticed more Rats in the game, do you have a Rats play day where you all enter the game and play some? I think it is cool to see you guys fighting in the game. You should do it more often.
A: We all play under several different accounts and most of us have dark glasses accounts that allow us to play with some level of anonymity when we desire it. Lately though, we needed to be highly visible in the game to be able to ask questions and gauge the feedback of the player base regarding the recent changes with attack objectives and other features. Being in game, as a rat, is the most productive way to gauge the voice of the nation. And well, playing as a Rat is a pretty gratifying experience.
Q: The intermission between the campaigns was great, are you planning on doing it again after this campaign?
A: Absolutely. We havent decide exactly what to do for the next one but all tanks, or infantry or planes sounds like fun to me. Its probably a great thing to run a poll about.
Q: You are developing new weapons in a new tier. Will there be restrictions in place on when they may enter the field?
A: Yes, these weapons will have the current top tier of tanks as pre-requisites. Vehicle pre-requisites will likely change over time as we add more diverse vehicles from later years, and laterally increase the set. For now though we want them to be a chain of research choices culminating the most advanced weapons available.
Q: How do you determine what priority a future development project will get?
A: We have a huge list in our plan documents. Naturally this is called The Big List and contains the running list of things we want to do next. We sit down and go through that and match it up with what we get from feedback from the players, like Killers top 10 player wishes and other polls, as well as what features we currently have working and their status. From that we devise a 3 patch outline that we use as a target for features. Then we generally get to work on the short set while continuing to evaluate and update the running list. Now while all that sounds well and good, to be honest some of our best things come from what we affectionately refer to as Creature Feep!. Someone has an epiphany about how a new technology might be used or how we could change the way we plan to do something and be able to do it much faster or without technology that we had originally thought. Sometimes these Feeps come from simple mandates like I dont care how you do it, just get depot spawning in the game!. Honestly, those features are some of the most compelling we do.
Q: Where do you see the game in one year?
A: Thats a very timely question =] Im actually about to start our internal dev year in review and look to begin evaluating what we can accomplish next. Off the top of my head, and these are NOT promises Tiger tanks, new mission scoring, deployed units with active commands from the player base, more types of spawning situations, improved graphics engine and terrain, risk and reward systems for point but of vehicles, a personal spawn pool, bazookas, smoother cooler looking infantry with more types of units, a new UI and map, leadership and command tools in game, new ranks and progression from soldier to HC so that every player has the opportunity to take on what ever role he wishes to achieve Wow thats already shaping up to be a busy year and Im pretty sure the markiting guys are getting ready to take the covers off some big stuff planned for 2005.
Q: How is the progress on TOEs?
A: A ToE as a sole entity, a spawn list that is turned on and off at a given location, is all but done but thats not even remotely the hard part. Right now were looking at what level the systems for giving objectives to that ToE and how they are controlled be the players associated with that ToE are going to be implemented. Those are the big tasks and they are still in the works.
_________________
Dana V. Baldwin
"Gophur"
Producer
WWIIOL
The next feature release for WWIIOL is in beta and preparing for release. This release focuses on some of the long term player wishes, new vehicles and some changes to the ground game to heighten the increased battles that have come with our latest changes to the game. We are also working to tweak recent changes for attack objectives that have gone in. While they are testing out nicely, reducing some of the negative aspects of gameplay and improving the ability to find compelling battles, the impetus to move to the system outlined in the Deployment Primer is readily apparent. Now that Attack Objectives have the basic functionality tested out we need to enhance the battle experience and improve upon the ability for players to actively take part in the decision making process that is the heart of running an effective brigade of squads.
Enhanced player visual limit and biasing
This is a long awaited feature and one that we are utterly thrilled to finally be ready to unveil. The recent changes to reduce the size of the front have helped make for some very intense battles and this feature expands on that exponentially. The feeling of taking part in a concentrated force to overcome the enemy is utterly awe inspiring. With our next release youre battlefield experience will be taken to an entirely new level.
In essence weve added three new options to the Settings application that allow players to select visual player biasing to suit their play style and performance level. The low setting will allow players to remain at the level they are now. Medium settings will dramatically increase the visible limit of players and should be more than acceptable for the vast majority of players. The high setting will allow players to add an additional amount of players and further adjust the biasing. These settings are primarily performance based and not dependant on bandwidth though players less than a full 56k will likely not benefit from using the high settings. If youd like some more detail on the system, MO has posted an update regarding it here.
Changes to the attack paradigm
Concentrated battles have been great in this last campaign. In addition to working to get improved methods for allowing players to take part in the prioritizing of objectives we are concentrating on bringing objectives to completion in a more timely matter. The first step in the plan is to adjust a few of the parameters for the battle.
First well be increasing the rate at which troopers are available for depot spawning. This will help promote the ability flank and counterattack with infantry. It also serves to promote attackers to attack from positions of strength and increase the value of captured depots.
Well also be making some changes to the spawn lists for ground vehicles, giving each country more low end vehicles in the starting set. This will serve to increase the maximum number of vehicles that are available through the life time of a campaign, as RDP changes are made to phase in new vehicles, reduce the production costs of current vehicles and increase the overall production quotas of vehicles. This will give countries the ability to effectively increase the number of ground vehicles available by up to 25% over time.
Finally well be adjusting the affects of attrition in the game, to help make each and every spawn more valuable as well as help to bring a conclusion to battles through attrition. Many of our players have suggested over time that increasing the global resupply timer dramatically would work to this effect and while we have always liked the idea we think that recent changes have made this more imperative than ever. We arent going quite as drastic as most of the suggestions but will be upping this incrementally to achieve the desired result of bringing resolution to attacks quicker and more decisively. This should also allow for the quicker redistribution of attack objectives and work to prevent stalled objectives that occur when losses are returning to the span lists for both sides and an equilibrium that is difficult to break begins to appear. Were going to start this change t a modest 30% increase and evaluate further changes as the game plays out.
New tanks for all!
The tanks are finally ready to roll. The Sherman has entered beta and will be undergoing performance testing at the beginning of the week. The Crusader III, PzIVG and the awe inspiring long barreled Stug G are already in beta (and some are available off line) for testing. These vehicles will enter as a new tier of vehicles and will be available for production in game once the M3A3, PzIII H and Crusader II have been deployed.
This set also lays the foundation for work to continue on towards the Tiger set of tanks which is a big milestone for us, and a set Im sure you are eagerly awaiting. Once those vehicles are done (including by then the Fw190, P38 and Spit IX planes) we have many options going forward.
New sounds as well
Sounds in WWIIOL have always been one of the things we are really proud of. Were continuing that tradition by revamping a few of our sounds with this path and we think youll really enjoy what you hear. All the infantry weapons have been gone over and offer a very realistic sound quality. The rifles in particular are incredibly realistic, the cycle sounds are amazing. The Bren and Mg34 each receive incredibly unique sounds. The steady thump of the Bren is utterly distinguishable from the torn linen of the German LMG.
Several tanks have had machine gun and main guns reworked, all too great effect. The anti-aircraft guns as well benefit from enhanced sounds and the 8.8 cm German Flak is truly a terror to hear. We think youll be very impressed with the enhanced realism and immersion these new sounds offer.
New Firebases
The new firebases many of you saw last week in videos and screenshots will be included as well. While they function essentially like the old ones the layout and look has been completely redone. Theyve got an excellent perimeter of barrels and crates, tables and generator trailers that not only add to the atmosphere of being at a forward command post but also provide enhanced cover and concealment to the improved defensive position.
EWS for bombers
EWS messages to all towns have been added for bombers flying within range. An aircraft icon will now be shown at any town or airfield where an enemy bomber has been sighted by the AI observers. These should work to allow for improved tracking of single and formation bombers as they cross the map.
Linear factory output
Were planning to change how factory output is measured with this release. Presently we use a Boolean (on or off) system that makes a factory either producing or not producing. This presents problems in both how the factory state is perceived on the reporting web page as well as heightening or lessening the effects of bombing groups based on the state of the factory.
Moving to a linear format will allow players to impact the factory output more directly. Bombing a factory will now have an immediate effect on its output while at the same time allowing for more consistent reporting and understanding of the status of the factories in a given town. Well also be watching the rebuild times of factories to see if they require change with this implementation.
Reduced infantry red out
Weve made some changes to the infantry pain code to remove the permanence of red screen. Now, when a player reaches his maximum pain threshold, through concussion or other trauma, his screen will go opaque red, as usual, but will now begin to fade where before it would remain red forever. The fade will drop to a light haze, about as fast as the hit screen fades from solid red, giving infantry a better opportunity to survive trauma while still indicating to them visually that they are hurt in a very severe manner.
That covers the majority of features for our next point release. We hope you like what you see and were interested in hearing your comments about this pending release. Ive started a discussion thread herefor you to share your thoughts.
Next week well be ready to talk about whats in development for the 118 series of patches, and talk about the next changes for deployment that are planned for the near future. Until then well see you on the Meuse
Community Q&A
Q: I realize that the deployment is being added in stages as you complete it. When can we expect the sign ups for Brigades to be available?
A: Brigade sign up is arguably the last step in the process. The important next steps are adding ToEs so that each brigade has a physical location on the map. Once that is done well need to redo the objective system to mate up with the brigade, giving them an automated defense objective and adding a method for determining the acting brigade commander from the pool of players signed up for that brigade. This then allows for an on scene commander to be responsible for the placement of the objectives, attack, capture, hold, fallback and resupply, to best meet the plans of the players affiliated to that brigade. There is a fair bit of work involved in that and once that is done, player personas should be ready to join up to brigades. Players not interested in the command or leadership aspects of brigades will likely have the ability to move from brigade to brigade to ge where they are needed most.
Q: The map icons for objectives cover up the icon showing if a city is under attack or not. Can the objective icons be made different for the status of the city it is covering?
A: The explosion seems pretty clear on my front end but my Mac has a pretty sweet resolution =] There is a general need to rework all the icons to be more consistent and clear and well be doing that when we add the next round of map features and a complete rework of the look and feel of the map.
Q: A while back Gophur posted a chart on ranks. Will the new rank structure enter the game any time soon? If not, what would be something that would be a sign it is coming soon?
A: That chart is basically designed with two priorities in mind. One is to provide country appropriate rank names where possible (some branches have less ranks in one country than another and for consistency some of our ranks will be ahistorical). Secondly that table is intended to complement a new mission and scoring system that divides our players into four distinct roles. The soldier, whos role is to learn the game and equipment while advancing to the next level, the NCO who is the primary player group where players earn perks and constitute the seasoned combatants on the field, the leader, who posts and leads missions and is available to take command duty in the absence of the Brigade Commander, preparing him for the opportunities of command, and the command player, whos task it is to work the strategic elements of the game to the benefit of the leaders, NCOs and soldiers that make up the countries player base.
Each of these levels has a separate scoring method for their advancement. Soldiers get scored for the successful use of equipment in defeating the enemy and advance toward NCO. NCOs are also score on the successful use of equipment to defeat enemies but are also more beholden to getting the mission completed. Leaders are officers who post and lead missions and are scored based on their ability to do so while also maintaining a score for the times when they are called to and accept responsibility to command the brigade. That score allows them access to move into the command structure while their leadership score allows them access to lead missions of troops and equipment. Leaders can move between NCO, leadership and command as these scores change over time. Command players are leaders who have scored well and chosen to advance to the strategic layer of the game. These players are responsible for setting factory production rates and supply routes, among other things, to ensure that the troops in their divisions and groups have the equipment they need to be successful. In their time in command these players are beholden to the soldiers, NCOs and leaders in their structure to achieve victory for them. These players come from and return to the leadership pool as they move through command and are scored on the effectiveness of the units they represent.
Needless to say thats a lot of stuff to put in the game and without it, changing ranks has little benefit. I cant really outline what the implementation plan for this is at present but as we near ToEs and brigades this will be high on the list.
Q: Killer mentioned mobile spawning last week, and pictures of the new FB are now out. When mobile spawning comes in, will it supplement the current spawn points, or replace the FBs?
A: I would be a little premature to talk about mobile spawning in detail but the implementation I can foresee would be an augment initially with the possibility of full replacement some time in the future. The tricky part of replacement is that firebases provide a means to allow for ease of travel, but also ensure that spawning behind the lines, as it were, is not the norm. Having free wheeling mobile spawn points would bring a level of chaos, from teleporting forces, that is not consistent with the design for WWIIOL>
Q: I have noticed more Rats in the game, do you have a Rats play day where you all enter the game and play some? I think it is cool to see you guys fighting in the game. You should do it more often.
A: We all play under several different accounts and most of us have dark glasses accounts that allow us to play with some level of anonymity when we desire it. Lately though, we needed to be highly visible in the game to be able to ask questions and gauge the feedback of the player base regarding the recent changes with attack objectives and other features. Being in game, as a rat, is the most productive way to gauge the voice of the nation. And well, playing as a Rat is a pretty gratifying experience.
Q: The intermission between the campaigns was great, are you planning on doing it again after this campaign?
A: Absolutely. We havent decide exactly what to do for the next one but all tanks, or infantry or planes sounds like fun to me. Its probably a great thing to run a poll about.
Q: You are developing new weapons in a new tier. Will there be restrictions in place on when they may enter the field?
A: Yes, these weapons will have the current top tier of tanks as pre-requisites. Vehicle pre-requisites will likely change over time as we add more diverse vehicles from later years, and laterally increase the set. For now though we want them to be a chain of research choices culminating the most advanced weapons available.
Q: How do you determine what priority a future development project will get?
A: We have a huge list in our plan documents. Naturally this is called The Big List and contains the running list of things we want to do next. We sit down and go through that and match it up with what we get from feedback from the players, like Killers top 10 player wishes and other polls, as well as what features we currently have working and their status. From that we devise a 3 patch outline that we use as a target for features. Then we generally get to work on the short set while continuing to evaluate and update the running list. Now while all that sounds well and good, to be honest some of our best things come from what we affectionately refer to as Creature Feep!. Someone has an epiphany about how a new technology might be used or how we could change the way we plan to do something and be able to do it much faster or without technology that we had originally thought. Sometimes these Feeps come from simple mandates like I dont care how you do it, just get depot spawning in the game!. Honestly, those features are some of the most compelling we do.
Q: Where do you see the game in one year?
A: Thats a very timely question =] Im actually about to start our internal dev year in review and look to begin evaluating what we can accomplish next. Off the top of my head, and these are NOT promises Tiger tanks, new mission scoring, deployed units with active commands from the player base, more types of spawning situations, improved graphics engine and terrain, risk and reward systems for point but of vehicles, a personal spawn pool, bazookas, smoother cooler looking infantry with more types of units, a new UI and map, leadership and command tools in game, new ranks and progression from soldier to HC so that every player has the opportunity to take on what ever role he wishes to achieve Wow thats already shaping up to be a busy year and Im pretty sure the markiting guys are getting ready to take the covers off some big stuff planned for 2005.
Q: How is the progress on TOEs?
A: A ToE as a sole entity, a spawn list that is turned on and off at a given location, is all but done but thats not even remotely the hard part. Right now were looking at what level the systems for giving objectives to that ToE and how they are controlled be the players associated with that ToE are going to be implemented. Those are the big tasks and they are still in the works.
_________________
Dana V. Baldwin
"Gophur"
Producer
WWIIOL
The only Hungarian squad in WWII Online
HUN HQ: http://www.wwiionline.hu
