Tank Squad News

[h2]Dear Tankers,[/h2]

We would like to invite you for Steam Next Fest broadcast of Tank Squad, which will take place tomorrow (13.10.2023) at 10:00 AM (CEST) on our Steampage.

We can't wait to see you there!

Thank you and have a good one!
DeGenerals

[h2]Dear Tankers,[/h2]

[h2]The long-awaited Tank Squad demo is now available![/h2]



We decided to make it available a few days before Steam Next Fest. A tutorial, campaign and skirmish mode are available to you. You can see the full contents of the demo in the list below:

Game modes:

• Campaign (single player and cooperative)
  
• Skirmish missions (single player and in cooperative)
  

German Demo Campaign including, 3 missions:

• Battle of Steppes
  
• Outskirts of Morton
  
• Morton Defense
  

All these missions can be played as a campaign and skirmish scenarios in single player or can be hosted as a session and be played with your friends in cooperative mode.

Tutorial, 2 missions

• Repairs
  
• Battle
  

Vehicles

• PzKpfw VI Ausf. H1 "Tiger I"
  
• PzKpfw IV Ausf. H
  
• PzKpfw III Ausf. M
  
• KV-1 (only playable when you take it over after a battle in campaign mode)
  
• T34-76 (only playable when you take it over after a battle in campaign mode)
  

We look forward to your feedback. Check out our discord where you can share your suggestions and find other players willing to play co-op!

Link to the discord below

Thank you and have a good one!
DeGenerals

[h2]Dear Tankers,[/h2]

Welcome to our 58th Development Status. You can see what we were working on in three weeks!

[h3]Headquarters[/h3]


We are updating the UI for the Repair section of the game. The most important place to go is the HQ. This is where you start your next mission. You will be able to start the mission at any time*, but the game will remind you to prepare properly before the mission starts. So, repair what you can, choose appropriate ammo presets, etc.



*The only exception is when you do not have a single combat ready vehicle. This is the only mission blocker at this moment.


[h3]Quartermaster[/h3]


Next very important place is the Quartermaster. Here you can get new replacements for your lost vehicles or replenish infantry squads. This is the place to manage both owned and reserved force pool.

[h3]Force Pool[/h3]


For vehicles, this is the place on the Repair Station where you can spawn a vehicle. You can also use this menu to check which vehicles are ready and which need to be repaired. Captured and wrecked vehicles are also listed here.

[h3]Fries Kran 16t - crane controls[/h3]


The next screen is when we control the crane. A simple theme, several buttons telling you what pressing which one will do what.


[h3]Performance issues[/h3]


Performance and network issues have been the main focus of the last month. These are mainly for HDD users, as they only prevent the player from joining or creating a session the first time (in single player). SSD works fine. In order to play correctly, they simply need to close and restart the game.

We have started to trace the problem. It seems that at some point during loading, the game freezes for more than 10 seconds. 10 seconds is the maximum time that our multiplayer engine will allow to be disconnected from its cloud.

So this is a struggle to reduce load times and look for bottlenecks. So the freeze has to be spread out over more seconds of load time.

It is hard, but we have to solve these problems first. Even if we want to add more gameplay features or more vehicles. We simply cannot afford to ignore these issues.

[h3]Environment update on C1M2[/h3]


Work on the visual aspect of the map, which was divided into two missions, has been completed. The map has been carefully developed and designed to provide the player with a rich and realistic environment that captures the context of World War II on the Eastern Front.


The first mission focuses on capturing the fortified village of Luchki. The topography of the village, its defense system and key strategic points have been precisely mapped on the map, allowing the player to plan and strategize effectively.


The second mission focuses on moving tanks towards the airport in Luchki. The routes and obstacles on their way have been marked appropriately, and the mission target - the airport - is clearly marked on the map.



[h3]Notepad[/h3]


The last item to be swapped is the notebook, where we have handy access to information about units, vehicles and their crews. For example, we can use the notebook to order repairs at the repair station.


At this point, a new notebook model has been implemented in the game. The next stage is to design the interface visible on it - lettering, font, buttons. So that the whole thing is consistent with each other.


In the last picture the current state, don't get used to this layout, it will be different. If you have any ideas on how you would see it, let us know in the comments what you think, we'd love to read and get into a discussion.



Thank you and have a good one!
DeGenerals

[h2]Dear Tankers,[/h2]

Welcome to our 57th Development Status. You can see what we were working on in two weeks!

[h3]Devlog #4[/h3]
Feel free to checkout our last devlog covering new development updates.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Commander view on Tiger I[/h3]


We have added an additional camera view through the eyes of the in-game tank commander.


From this perspective, you can have access to binoculars. By adding this view, we want to enable players to better manage the battle situation.


For example, by giving visual orders or calling in air/artillery support to selected positions.

[h3]Repair station update[/h3]

At the Repair Station, there are several useful places around the station where you can manage your resources. For example, you can rearm ammunition or refuel your vehicles.


You can also manage other units such as infantry and scouts. These units can help you during missions.


The Repair Station, of course, allows you to manage your own vehicles and repair any wrecks you may have picked up after the battle. There are four cranes available to get the job done.


We have added hints to each position and other key locations such as the toolbox location. These hints will appear as the player approaches their zone. Of course, hints are entirely switchable.

[h3]Third mission from a campaign[/h3]


The third mission is a scenario in which the river plays first fiddle to the player. It is also the first mission in the campaign where the player is given two spawning points to choose from. This is due to the situation of the terrain. It is not possible to cross one of the river crossings with a heavy tank such as the Tiger I.


The left side will be reserved exclusively for light tanks, while on the right, medium and heavy vehicles will be able to appear. Each path will have its own separate side mission, but our goal is to design the progression of this scenario in a way that encourages units on both sides to provide mutual aid and collaboration.


The culmination of the entire scenario will be the capture of the railway bridge, enabling the merging of forces and the ultimate breakdown of the enemy's strength.


Thank you and have a good one!
DeGenerals

[h2]Dear Tankers,[/h2]

Welcome to our 56th Development Status. You can see what we were working on in two weeks!

[h3]Devlog #3[/h3]
Feel free to checkout our last devlog covering new development updates.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Gun sights & range adjustments[/h3]
We did a little research on the optics used on specific vehicles such as the Tiger I. In this case, a binocular telescope is the TZF 9 b. We have added an adjustable range sighting setting for AP (Pzgr. 39 APCBC) and HE (Sprgr. 45) controlled by pressing Left Alt + Mouse Scroll Wheel.

By default the field of view is set to 25 degrees as it is in real TZF 9 b. For the purposes of the game, at this point in Tiger I there is the possibility to change field of view by zoom adjustment from 25 to 5 degrees. Before the changes, the adjustment was from 60 to 5 degrees - not very realistic.

[h3]Vector aiming mode[/h3]
We have added an option to change the way of aiming. By default, the movement of the turret is possible by free movement of the mouse. The new mode allows you to control the turret only by pressing and holding the button - in this case Right Mouse Button and giving the direction of the vector visualized through an arrow.

The length of the line corresponds to a greater range of motion, while the arrowhead corresponds to the direction of motion. This way allows more accurate aiming. The choice of aiming method is available in the game options depending on what you like.

[h3]Injury & wounds effects[/h3]
This week we added wounds visible on characters after receiving injuries. Blood traces are visible on uniforms, equipment and body parts. In addition to this, after receiving a large amount of damage, for example, after being shot with HE, the character will fall to pieces.


[h3]T-70 interior update[/h3]
Recently, we have also started work on the interior of the Soviet T-70 light tank. Despite its smaller size compared to the size of KV-1 or T-34, it doesn’t mean that it’s less work :) The high-poly model is still in the modeling phase, so the renders show the current progress of the interior.


[h3]Update on first two missions from campaign[/h3]
We have completely redesigned the mission's design and environment regarding the defense/counterattack of a fortified farmstead. It closely resembles the Soviet fortifications of that time. The main challenge that arose while devising the concept was the terrain configuration for artillery units, which hindered their effective long-range artillery fire.

In comparison to missions set in open steppes, here, there are numerous houses, roads, fences, and forests, which, on one hand, diversify the map itself, and on the other, create obstacles that obscure enemies. As a result, all mobile units, such as infantry and tanks, will be more responsive to player actions and will attempt to surprise the player if they choose to maneuver between buildings.

Due to the large scale of the map, we endeavored to diversify the landscapes, making them stunning from every angle. From flower-filled fields to picturesque forests.


[h3]Radial menu (work in progress)[/h3]
A mockup is being created for the design of the circular menu available in the game. Currently, during missions we can call for air support (offmap support) in the form of artillery or close air support, e.g. JU-87 – if it is available, of course. For this purpose, the radial menu option is ideal. Below is an example of how it can look like. It is a work in progress so not yet the final version.

In addition to these uses, there are more, such as the ability to choose the style of formation in a squad or reporting messages to the rest of the units. What do you think, what other similar UI elements / mechanics would you see in the game?

Thank you and have a good one!
DeGenerals