Diplomacy is Not an Option News

Good Lords, Fair Ladies!

Today, timed to the start of the gaming expo PAX East in Boston, we are dropping an update. Get ready to face 2 new challenges in the section «Peasants are Xenophobes».

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Cultural divide and Ideological standoff are two maps with cities already built for you. The game’s functionality is partially restricted, you are provided with an arsenal and ready-to-play fortification layouts. Now it’s time for your strategical skills to shine. Efficient utilities use, smart resources allocation and elaborated strategic plan will help you with beating the aggressors who dared to attack your people.

[h3](A little bit) Information on the upcoming updates[/h3]
In the previous post we announced the new Formation management system. There are few more things to be done. You can rest assured this feature is coming to life in April and very soon army management will be brought to the next level.
Moreover, for the past few months we’ve been receiving your feedback on the Sandbox Mode. We are currently still working on its update as we are taking your wishes into account. Thus, the update on the Sandbox Mode will be coming out in May.

We appreciate your patience as well as your impatience with upcoming updates. The work on the game never stops, we consider every feedback you give and it fuels us with more energy that we spend on this game. We thank those who restlessly await for the game development progress and we’re always here to hear your thoughts.

Yours, the Door 407 dev team

Good Lords, Fair Ladies!

Remember us mentioning that the Formation Management toolset is getting an upgrade? Well, today we are ready to tell and even to show you exactly what it is all about.



To begin with, a separate tab will appear in the UI for managing Formations. It gives access to the sort of editor, that allows you to turn your combat tactics literally upside down.


The formation has 9 lines. In the first line, there are icons of troop types from the vanguard, in the ninth - from the rearguard. Basically, the line number determines the positioning priority of your troops within the same formation. By default, Healers from the sixth line will take their place in front of Catapults from the seventh line, but behind Hammerguys from the third. Yet we want the formation management to become another space for experimentation.



The easiest thing you can do is to change the order of the lines. Want your Catapults on the frontline? Pull the slider on the right and drag the line with the Catapults icon to the top of the list. Apart from dragging lines, you'll also get an opportunity to swap lines with each other.



You'll be able to perform similar operations with each troop type separately: swap them with each other or move them to other lines that don't have any limit to the number of troops in them, by the way. So, feel free to mix your troops and lines. But what's the point in changing the place of troop type in the same line, you might ask. Here is an illustrative answer. Let's say you have a squad of Spearmen and Swordsmen.



When several troops are placed in the same row, you may want to use the button that changes the line width.



There are two types of lines: normal and stretched. The stretched one is needed to expand the width of a line of troop types from one row to the maximum value represented in that row. We think this is an extremely useful feature, allowing you to cover war machines with infantry, whose formation is usually narrower due to the smaller size of troops.



We understand that you may need to quickly change the formation settings. There are four presets in the box for this purpose. Not only you can customize each of them individually, but also duplicate the settings of the current formation into another preset for further editing. All edits made to the formation are saved automatically, and your squads will change their combat setup according to the new settings once they receive the next order.



If at some point you get confused with presets, lines, and icons of troop types - don't worry, you can always return the formation to the default settings by pressing the "reset" button.



We really hope that the upcoming improvements, together with the already-known tool for adjusting Formation density and width, will bring the army management to the next level.

Thank you for being with us!

Yours, the Door 407 dev team

Good Lords, Fair Ladies!

The Steam Spring Sale starts today and will last until March 21. Would you be surprised if it didn’t involve Diplomacy is Not an Option? Well, so would we! Our game is at a 20% discount. A good reason to buy it and enjoy playing these mild spring days, don't you agree?

Yours, the Door 407 dev team

Good Lords, Fair Ladies!

In the previous post, we promised to reveal the capital city of Samreignia. The time has come, here it is!


When creating Abberlore, it was important for us to make it look like a real city for people to live in. To reach that goal, we designed an architectural style that echoes the style of the Player's settlement, as the protagonist, Milord, also lives in Samreignia. We built roads (which are purely decorative), planted trees, and placed a fountain. The city is divided into quarters, separated by walls easing the defense of the capital, and complicating the life of those who dare to storm it.


The artisan district. As evidenced by the smoke rising from the chimneys of various manufactories and workshops, it is not the most eco-friendly place in the city. But this is where the famous Samreignian fabric dyes are produced and where the smithies are located, supplying the regular army of His Majesty Ferdinand II with the necessary equipment.


The market district. Here the business pulse of Samreignia beats. The most important trade routes run through Abberlore, thanks to its location next to the delta of a navigable river. Merchants from all over the world, from Inverland to the Gorgoth Empire, gather in the city to offer their wares for sale. After all, it is well-known that the people of the capital are very wealthy and tend to overpay for what they consider exotic.


Here live the above-mentioned very wealthy people. Although they don't feel that way themselves, especially after Ferdinand II raised taxes.


As in real medieval cities, Abberlore's urban plan reflects the class divide of a feudal society. In the previous picture, you could see the houses of ordinary people like artisans and merchants. And this is the district built for the noble families of Samreignia.


The Gem of Abberlore. The Square of the Nine Pilgrims, where the Castle of Ferdinand II stood, stands, and will continue to stand (if no one destroys it). From the balcony you can see in the picture, heralds announce royal decrees and other important news for Samreignians.

It is worth saying that the city is a unique object, meaning its districts will always look the same, no matter the procedural generation of the in-game map with Abberlore.

Thank you for your attention, see you soon!
Yours, the Door 407 dev team

Good Lords and Fair Ladies!

Today we've prepared some news about the new surroundings. This one is called the Abberlore Valley.

It is notable not by cypresses and not even by the soothing color of greenery. The most important thing is the naming. After all, if this valley appears on the mission maps, it means that the city of Abberlore will show up as well. It also means that the protagonist will have a chance to visit the capital of Samreignia.... along with his troops.
In the end, let's say that we planned Abberlore quarterly and came up with a separate architectural style for the city. And you'll get a chance to see it as well as the capital's landmarks in one of the upcoming posts.

We thank you for your attention. See you soon!

Yours, the Door 407 dev team