Tank Squad News

[h2]Dear Tankers,[/h2]

Welcome to our 48th Development Status. You can see what we were working on in two weeks!

[h3]PzKpfw IV Ausf. G[/h3]

Another panzer from the family of German medium tanks. Not many changes between the F2 version. The right visor from the front of the turret has been removed, as well as the visors from the turret sides.

A rack for carrying spare road wheels on the left wing and hooks for attaching seven track links to the top plate at the front of the fuselage has been added.


[h3]Underwater System[/h3]
We created a system designed specifically for our game that enhances the player's experience when submerged in water. Our technique features a special post-processing graphics effect that simulates the feeling of being underwater. The effect alters the visuals of the game, with the ability to add a color tint, a blur, and distorted sounds, making the player feel as if they're truly underwater. The deeper the player stays submerged, the more intense the effect becomes.



[h3]Tutorial[/h3]
In the last two weeks, we designed a tutorial for Tank Squad consisting of two parts: repair station and battle. The tutorial aims to teach players only the essential mechanics and functions of the game, keeping it minimalistic and basic without unnecessary distractions. Tutorials are typically tedious, and players wish to complete them as soon as possible; therefore, we have designed them to be short and user-friendly. Players will learn additional cool mechanics as they progress through each mission. If a player wants to learn a specific mechanic in detail or remind themselves about it, there will be a menu with visual and text descriptions of each mechanic.

The repair station tutorial comprises nine steps:

• Movement
  
• Headquarters interaction
  
• Spawning a tank
  
• Checking the tank's status
  
• Repairing the tank
  
• Using the crane to place the engine in the tank
  
• Using the wrench to fix broken parts
  
• Placing the missing part
  
• Starting the mission
  

The battle tutorial consists of eleven steps:

• Battle map menu
  
• Tank controls
  
• Tank movement
  
• Terrain surfaces
  
• Destructible environment
  
• Airstrikes
  
• Repairs in battle
  
• Shooting
  
• Conquering objectives
  
• Destroying objectives
  
• Calling artillery
  

Completing the tutorial will take around 10-15 minutes.

Thank you and have a good one!
DeGenerals

[h2]Dear Tankers,[/h2]

Welcome to our 47th Development Status. You can see what we were working on in two weeks!

[h3]PzKpfw IV Ausf. H[/h3]
This time, we are adding the PzKpfw IV Ausf. H to the rooster of playable vehicles. As always, our team worked hard to ensure that the PzKpfw IV Ausf. H is authentically recreated with detailed graphics.


[h3]Path Finding[/h3]
As we’re progressing with the game we are spotting more and more issues with various game modules. One such issue was found when the level design of the mission with codename C1M4. Tanks could not handle crossing narrow positions, blocked themselves, or tried to do impossible climbs on the trees/terrain around.
This week we’ve addressed this issue and the pathfinding works more stable and predictable. We want to have high performance system that will allow the AI to follow our orders or waypoints without bigger issues.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Level Design[/h3]
We’ve been continuing to work on the level of forest (C1M4). It is going to be level, where a player will face mostly close distance combat. Unlike other levels, this level is going to have quite dense fog and some rainy weather. Players’ tanks will have to move through muddy and narrow roads. A player will be threatened by traps set by soviet infantry. We’ve been reading some memories of german tank commanders and what has caught our attention were stories about battles on roads through forests, which sometimes were so narrow that a destroyed tank would block them. We wanted to recreate that experience. That also means a more intense battle condensed in one place. Looking around each corner and moving slowly will be the best strategy to leave the forest alive.

[h3]Environment[/h3]


[h3]SFX[/h3]
We’re also progressing with sound design, last two weeks were spent on voice over design and in-game notifications from the crew about various situations.
Instead of voices, we would like to showcase the sound design for an off-map artillery barrage.

When the game calls the artillery barrage:

1. There will be a radio notification about it (but only if the radio in your vehicle is mounted and works, as well as if the radioman is alive).
2. There will be a distinct sound of artillery salvo, different for allied and enemy artillery, in the far distance.
3. After a few seconds, the shells drop, taking into account the distance to the listener.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Thank you and have a good one!
DeGenerals

[h2]Dear Tankers,[/h2]

Welcome to our 46th Development Status. You can see what we were working on in two weeks!

[h2]X-Ray[/h2]

In Tank Squad we’re going for realistic armor penetration and ballistics. This creates a problem, that more arcade approach has an easy answer to: how to show damage done to the enemy if that enemy is far away?

Most of the time the easiest answer is to just make a huge explosion that is very distinct and visible from far. Additionally, the tank/vehicle turns its main material to burned/wrecked which also adds to the visual effect. The last effect is mostly dense black smoke.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Everything above is to tell the player that this enemy is no longer a threat. Without this effect or kill-feed, the player does not know if that target is knocked out or not (which is very realistic). Not until the crew bails out (if there is anyone alive to bail out) or the tank blows up/gets on fire as the effect of damage applied.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We’ve obtained a license to an X-Ray system that in real time shows the damage done to the enemy (hit-cam) and damage done to us, the player (kill-cam). This, connected with a few other visual and sound effects should end up in players staying in control over the battle chaos.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

You can see it on these videos above. We are working on to implement this system to the Tank Squad now.

[h2]KV-1[/h2]


Today we want to show You the final model of the KV-1 which will be part of the Soviet armored forces. As You can see our tanks will have a full interior including engines and gearboxes.



At this stage, the model is optimized with Level Of Detail to assure better CPU and GPU performance. It is a heavy tank so be prepared for tough and massive battles against those metal beasts.





[h2]Environment[/h2]
For the last 2 months we have been working hard on the environment in Tank Squad. At this moment we are finishing work on C1M3, which is a typical Russian steppe. What we missed in previous iterations is the reduced number of vegetation. Thanks to the fact that every piece of terrain is hand-crafted by our artists, each place on the map has its own unique touch. Each mission and scene is prepared individually, the terrain's colors and special features are meant to reflect as much as possible the spirit of realistic places where armored battles were fought.

Below you can see some pictures from the C1M1, C1M2 and C1M3 maps!



[h2]Next Fest June 2023[/h2]

We are thrilled to announce that Tank Squad will be taking part in the upcoming Next Fest on Steam, which will take place in June of this year. This is a significant milestone for us, and we couldn't be more excited to share our demo with the world!

In the Tank Squad demo, you can expect one battle scene and one repair scene to get the full experience of the logistical approach and the battle itself.

We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved so far, and we can't wait to showcase our game to the world. Next Fest is a fantastic opportunity for us to connect with our community, receive feedback, and make the final tweaks before the EA release.

Thank you and have a good one!
DeGenerals

[h2]Dear Tankers,[/h2]

Welcome to our 45th Development Status. You can see what we were working on in two weeks!

[h3]Animations[/h3]

Luger and M1895
Animation for German tank crew with Luger P08 sidearm and Nagant M1895 revolver. In the event of an evacuation from an inoperative tank, the crew will be equipped with sidearms or a submachine gun
[previewyoutube]https://youtu.be/fONRSIPj5PM[/previewyoutube]
[previewyoutube]https://youtu.be/TXboqeDhbg0[/previewyoutube]

MP40
Work in progress- First Person animations for the MP40 gun (without VFX or camera shake). In Tank Squad, the player's ability to use weapons is an additional element, the gameplay will mainly focus on tank battles.
[previewyoutube]https://youtu.be/N7_riwCTltQ[/previewyoutube]

[h3]Migration to Fusion[/h3]
We have spent the last 2 weeks on migration from Photon PUN 2 multiplayer system to Photon Fusion. The main aim of this whole operation is to use the new possibilities the Fusion has to offer. Better performance during gameplay, optimized number and size of packages sent during online gameplay, etc. It is a must have for our needs as the game is very complicated and requires a stable and high performance engine to work perfectly.

[h3]PzKpfw III Ausf. M[/h3]

Our objective was to ensure that this tank would be as true to the original tank that was used on the Eastern Front. To accomplish this, we have made a concerted effort to include as many additional and authentic details on the actual mesh and textures as we possibly could.

From the external armor plating to the internal mechanics and painting, we have spared no expense or effort in order to make this tank as accurate and realistic as possible. This was a challenging and time-consuming task, but we are confident that the result is a true representation of the tanks that were used on the Eastern Front during WWII.


[h3]Level Design[/h3]
For the last couple of weeks, members of our Design Department have been working on a new map, numerically designated as C1M3 - the third battlefield that you are going to fight on, during the Kursk Campaign. The inspirational fundament for this level was the steppes, an unending sea of grass stretching as far as the eye can see. What will you find, when your forces enter this open area, filled only with flora, small lakes, and blazing fire of enemy cannons? Keep on reading!
This map was probably the most challenging level that we’ve worked on so far; steppes are by definition a wide, empty terrain where there is not many cover or strategical objectives and therefore our options for the targets' design or blockout were highly limited. We’ve decided to work mainly with ground deformation, creating a mirage of bumps and smaller hills. To break the monotony, we placed a soppy, marsh-like region, that is running through the middle of the battlefield; the life-giving water provided space for various plants and trees, which will bring some diversity to the mostly empty area. Further to the north, you may also find some sparsely scattered farmhouses and mills whose inhabitants had to flee from the upcoming war.
This map will offer a decent amount of long-range shooting, forcing players to strategically choose their positioning - one false move and you may find yourself in the middle of open ground, having nothing but bushes to hide from a crossfire. Lines of trenches mark the ground here, trying to slow down the German advancement. The artillery has been positioned somewhere in a distant forest and its fury is falling on the aggressors, shredding their tanks with deadly shrapnel. Countless soldiers and armored units were thrown into this green desert in a desperate attempt to defend the Soviet land and thus prevent you from conquering the Kursk Arch.
Will you fight your way through enemy fortifications and escape the hell of emptiness? Or will you be flooded by waves of Russian forces and this grassy ocean becomes your tomb? Stay tuned for the upcoming Development Statuses and future early access to find out for yourself!

Thank you and have a good one!
DeGenerals

[h2]Dear Tankers,[/h2]

Welcome to our 44th Development Status. You can see what we were working on in two weeks!

[h3]PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. H1[/h3]

The last few weeks have seen a lot of intensive work in the art department, among other things. We have been fine-tuning the tanks, and this week we would like to show off the Tiger I model.

Below is a sample of how these tanks will look in the game. The color scheme as well as the camouflage or side numbers are just examples of what can be done and what can be given. Here is an example of a Tiger in dunkelgelb shade in camouflage with the number 231.

We are experimenting a bit with shaders, below is a shader/material showing the insides - x-ray. It can help showing damage or destruction inside a tank. The topic is interesting to explore in terms of design - we will try to cover this in more detail in future development statuses


[h3]Tutorial Design[/h3]
As we’re approaching more and more to the release, we need to add the tutorial to the game. Last week we’ve designed the whole process, divided into sections, to help and explain the basic game concepts, interactions, etc.

Section 1 of the tutorial is about repair station gameplay, explaining what to do and when, how to proceed with the campaign, and how to repair, rearm and refuel a vehicle.

Section 2 of the tutorial is explaining battle gameplay, how to control the vehicle, how to aim, how to change ammo, how to give orders, how to call off-map support, how to check objectives and win them etc.

This is a complex game and the tutorial will be extensive. Wait for the next statuses to see some screenshots from the tutorial :)

[h3]Second Contest Results[/h3]
As announced, we present the winners of the second contest for our community!

JaG kanpz Gomax6 Petja85k

Thank you all for participating! The creators of the above works can expect a message on our discord with a code for the WW2 Rebuilder game.

[h3]Field Hospital[/h3]
We’d like to invite you to take a look at the field hospital that we have created. To make it we had to create models of:

• Ambulance based on Opel Blitz
  
• Medical tents
  
• Medical equipment
  
• Medical boxes
  
• Medical stretches
  
• Characters with bandages

Paweł, our animator, has animated medics and wounded soldiers.


Thank you and have a good one!
DeGenerals