DevBlog 05: Commanders Debriefing
Greetings Commanders,
The number one request submitted via our feedback forms during the technical test and Demo is, more! More please. . . So let’s dive into your feedback.
At this early stage of development we see this as great encouragement. Players want to see more from us and we have lots planned. From new units to game modes, we want to feed this hunger for RTS gaming goodness.
[h2]Our feedback on your feedback[/h2]
Again, a massive thank you to all those who completed the feedback form after playing our recent technical test and Demo. Among all the positivity and excitement for a new RTS game. In order of popularity, here is our response to the top 14 improvements suggested by you:
[h3]1. More game content[/h3]
What has been playable so far has been a test or proof of concept. We will release more units, game modes, army customisation and even a mapmaking tool in due time. Stay tuned!
[h3]2. More players[/h3]
At this early stage, you helped us discover flaws in our matchmaker which prevented it from working as intended and so gave the impression of low player numbers. We’re very grateful to all the RTS fans who have joined us at this stage. Of course we plan for even more players once we have resolved such issues, polished the game further and begun promotional activities as we approach full release.
[h3]3. Remove population cap[/h3]
Many requested that we adjust the population cap in our game, feeling that it is too limiting. We’ve come up with two solutions to address this. Firstly, we’ll be hosting internal tests with higher population caps that will allow us to evaluate how the game plays at a bigger scale. Secondly, we will provide players with the ability to decide on a population cap in the lobbies of non-ranked games. However, players should be aware that setting this number higher will result in poorer performance.
[h3]4. More complex base building[/h3]
Some players believe our game's base building is too simplistic. This was intentionally designed to allow players to focus more on other macro elements of the game such as combat. Although we intended to focus on making the game quick, with a sense of tension, we will find ways to expand our base building inorder to provide more depth to the experience.
[h3]5. Better unit balancing[/h3]
Balancing unit power is the most complex aspect of any RTS game. It can be highly subjective and often leads to an endless buff/nerf cycle. With the limited amount of units available during the tests, balancing is not a priority until the faction rosters are more fleshed out and we have compiled more of your feedback. We will soon be establishing a Discord community council to help guide us on this.
[h3]6. Greater camera controls[/h3]
Many have requested greater control over the camera's functions . We’ll be working on bringing settings that will allow the player to have greater control over how the camera moves around the map.
[h3]7. Game is to derivative of others[/h3]
While we clearly wear our old school RTS influences on our sleeves, we also feel there is no point reinventing the wheel. Successful game development naturally builds on what came before. However, the current state of the game does not contain all that we have planned and especially those game elements that differentiate Crossfire: Legion are yet to be publicly released.
[h3]8. Adjust games pacing[/h3]
We've received reports that the pacing in our game can be tightened up in several phases of the game. We’re working on improving our telemetry so we can get objective measurements on how quickly players are reaching the mid and late stages of the game. We’ll be using this information to make changes to various systems within our game.
[h3]9. Add more tutorialization[/h3]
We will certainly look at ways to make gameplay more intuitive and appealing to a newer generation of RTS players. Firstly, upon full release the game will include a single player narrative driven campaign which will guide players progressively through using different factions and units. We also plan a “Mentorship Program” so that more veteran players can help new players get to grips with the game. This, we hope, will raise the general skill level of the player base for the benefit of all.
[h3]10. Better unit pathfinding[/h3]
We’ve received a lot of reports that the pathing behaviour of units needs to be improved. Even during internal playtest sessions we’ve had several instances where our tactical plans failed to execute due to the shortcomings of our pathfinding system. We’ll be working on ways to improve this functionality by hosting internal playtest sessions where we critically analyse the pathing of units in games such as Starcraft and Command and Conquer. We’ll then compare unit behaviour in those games to ours and see how we can better meet player expectations.
[h3]11. Loading Issues[/h3]
Currently our game suffers from a long load time when the player runs the game for the first time on their machine. This is due to several back-end checks that the game is making for user generated features that are not yet in the system. These will be removed for launch and resolved when we make our User Generated Content tools, like the map maker, available to the players
[h3]12. A.I issues[/h3]
Currently, the A.I. in the game will break when encountering certain edge cases. We plan on collecting these edge cases and fixing them throughout the early access period. Moreover, many players requested that the A.I. be given additional layers of difficulty. This is on the way.
[h3]13. Didn’t know how to add A.I[/h3]
We discovered that the user experience of creating a game against bot was unintuitive and requires revision. We have submitted a fix for our open beta that we hope will resolve these issues.
[h3]14. Resource gathering[/h3]
Players wanted additional automation options for the resource gathering portions of our game. Some players also reported wishing to be able to set limitations on resources themselves in the lobby. We’ll be providing these options later on in our early access campaign.
[h2]Community[/h2]
Crossfire: Legion needs you!
We’re happy to announce application to join that our Discord community council are now open:
Community Council Commanders will get:
You will commit to:
We also have a Fan Kit available with artwork, unit cards, logos and all you content creators need here: https://static.kochmedia.com/yac_sites/crossfire/cfl_fankit.zip
Maintain your communication and surveillance networks by joining us here on:
And here is a reminder of our development progress.
As you can see, we're ploughing on ahead and taking your feedback into consideration and we polish the game before release. Stay tuned for next weeks DevBlog about our Card system and army customisation.
The number one request submitted via our feedback forms during the technical test and Demo is, more! More please. . . So let’s dive into your feedback.
At this early stage of development we see this as great encouragement. Players want to see more from us and we have lots planned. From new units to game modes, we want to feed this hunger for RTS gaming goodness.
[h2]Our feedback on your feedback[/h2]
Again, a massive thank you to all those who completed the feedback form after playing our recent technical test and Demo. Among all the positivity and excitement for a new RTS game. In order of popularity, here is our response to the top 14 improvements suggested by you:
[h3]1. More game content[/h3]
What has been playable so far has been a test or proof of concept. We will release more units, game modes, army customisation and even a mapmaking tool in due time. Stay tuned!
[h3]2. More players[/h3]
At this early stage, you helped us discover flaws in our matchmaker which prevented it from working as intended and so gave the impression of low player numbers. We’re very grateful to all the RTS fans who have joined us at this stage. Of course we plan for even more players once we have resolved such issues, polished the game further and begun promotional activities as we approach full release.
[h3]3. Remove population cap[/h3]
Many requested that we adjust the population cap in our game, feeling that it is too limiting. We’ve come up with two solutions to address this. Firstly, we’ll be hosting internal tests with higher population caps that will allow us to evaluate how the game plays at a bigger scale. Secondly, we will provide players with the ability to decide on a population cap in the lobbies of non-ranked games. However, players should be aware that setting this number higher will result in poorer performance.
[h3]4. More complex base building[/h3]
Some players believe our game's base building is too simplistic. This was intentionally designed to allow players to focus more on other macro elements of the game such as combat. Although we intended to focus on making the game quick, with a sense of tension, we will find ways to expand our base building inorder to provide more depth to the experience.
[h3]5. Better unit balancing[/h3]
Balancing unit power is the most complex aspect of any RTS game. It can be highly subjective and often leads to an endless buff/nerf cycle. With the limited amount of units available during the tests, balancing is not a priority until the faction rosters are more fleshed out and we have compiled more of your feedback. We will soon be establishing a Discord community council to help guide us on this.
[h3]6. Greater camera controls[/h3]
Many have requested greater control over the camera's functions . We’ll be working on bringing settings that will allow the player to have greater control over how the camera moves around the map.
[h3]7. Game is to derivative of others[/h3]
While we clearly wear our old school RTS influences on our sleeves, we also feel there is no point reinventing the wheel. Successful game development naturally builds on what came before. However, the current state of the game does not contain all that we have planned and especially those game elements that differentiate Crossfire: Legion are yet to be publicly released.
[h3]8. Adjust games pacing[/h3]
We've received reports that the pacing in our game can be tightened up in several phases of the game. We’re working on improving our telemetry so we can get objective measurements on how quickly players are reaching the mid and late stages of the game. We’ll be using this information to make changes to various systems within our game.
[h3]9. Add more tutorialization[/h3]
We will certainly look at ways to make gameplay more intuitive and appealing to a newer generation of RTS players. Firstly, upon full release the game will include a single player narrative driven campaign which will guide players progressively through using different factions and units. We also plan a “Mentorship Program” so that more veteran players can help new players get to grips with the game. This, we hope, will raise the general skill level of the player base for the benefit of all.
[h3]10. Better unit pathfinding[/h3]
We’ve received a lot of reports that the pathing behaviour of units needs to be improved. Even during internal playtest sessions we’ve had several instances where our tactical plans failed to execute due to the shortcomings of our pathfinding system. We’ll be working on ways to improve this functionality by hosting internal playtest sessions where we critically analyse the pathing of units in games such as Starcraft and Command and Conquer. We’ll then compare unit behaviour in those games to ours and see how we can better meet player expectations.
[h3]11. Loading Issues[/h3]
Currently our game suffers from a long load time when the player runs the game for the first time on their machine. This is due to several back-end checks that the game is making for user generated features that are not yet in the system. These will be removed for launch and resolved when we make our User Generated Content tools, like the map maker, available to the players
[h3]12. A.I issues[/h3]
Currently, the A.I. in the game will break when encountering certain edge cases. We plan on collecting these edge cases and fixing them throughout the early access period. Moreover, many players requested that the A.I. be given additional layers of difficulty. This is on the way.
[h3]13. Didn’t know how to add A.I[/h3]
We discovered that the user experience of creating a game against bot was unintuitive and requires revision. We have submitted a fix for our open beta that we hope will resolve these issues.
[h3]14. Resource gathering[/h3]
Players wanted additional automation options for the resource gathering portions of our game. Some players also reported wishing to be able to set limitations on resources themselves in the lobby. We’ll be providing these options later on in our early access campaign.
[h2]Community[/h2]
Crossfire: Legion needs you!
We’re happy to announce application to join that our Discord community council are now open:
- Apply by completing the form here: https://dyno.gg/form/8ad9491f
Community Council Commanders will get:
- Direct access to the developers and private test builds
- A chance to play with us on streams
- A unique Discord role
- 1000 internet points with our eternal gratitude
You will commit to:
- Providing detailed feedback, e.g. helping with balance
- Signing an NDA
- Moderation responsibilities
- Being a pillar of the Crossfire: Legion community
We also have a Fan Kit available with artwork, unit cards, logos and all you content creators need here: https://static.kochmedia.com/yac_sites/crossfire/cfl_fankit.zip
Maintain your communication and surveillance networks by joining us here on:
And here is a reminder of our development progress.
As you can see, we're ploughing on ahead and taking your feedback into consideration and we polish the game before release. Stay tuned for next weeks DevBlog about our Card system and army customisation.