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Bonaparte News

Update #2 - December 2024

Happy end of year celebrations!


[h3]On behalf of the whole Studio Imugi team, we would like to wish you the best end of year celebrations. This has been a particularly troubled period for the game industry, and as we reflect on these past few months, we realize that we have been lucky to withstand the storm when so many of our fellow game devs have been critically impacted by the numerous layoffs. We hope that this end of year break will allow them to enjoy quality time with friends and family, and for the new year to be full of opportunities and successes.[/h3]



[h3]As part of our development process, the whole team sat down to reflect on the past months and how the game has evolved since January. Here is a brief recap of our key 2024 milestones:[/h3]

GAME REVEAL:

Jongwoo, Etienne and Martin travelled all the way to Köln, Germany, to attend Gamescom and introduce Bonaparte to the gaming press. We had a pretty neat booth, and a fully packed agenda with over 80 individual meetings! Our passion for this project was definitely conveyed with many positive previews: PCGamesN defines Bonaparte as “a visionary mix of Civilization, Crusader Kings, and… Armored Core”. We couldn't agree more :3



If you haven't already, please consider wishlisting Bonaparte and don't miss out on future news & announcements.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2560340/Bonaparte__A_Mechanized_Revolution/



STEAM NEXT FEST:

We participated in the Steam Next Fest in October and crafted a custom demo for the occasion. If you haven't found the time to check it out yet, the demo is still available to play. Head over the steam page and hit that download button :)

Play the demo



INSIDER INITIATIVE:


After engaging early this year with a tight group of strategy veteran players, we have finally kickstarted our insider initiative in November. We strongly believe that engaging with players early in the development process can help our team craft the best game we can.

We now have monthly dev builds available to test, and dedicated Discord channels where insiders can voice their opinions, share feedback & ideas, directly with the team.

Join us & make your voice count!



ANNUAL DEVELOPMENT REVIEW:

The game has progressed A LOT this year, thanks to the amazing work of our (tiny) team. From visuals to gameplay features, bug fixes, balancing, narration, music & audio, here is a brief look at 2024 major developments:



  • We have completed the design and visuals of our strategic map. With the help of our Historian, we have invested a lot in making sure our late 18th century map of France was as authentic as possible. As shown below, it now includes the proper regions/départements segmentation, refined visuals, and many usability improvements (to better see the control of different factions, the population support, or the location of other squads & armies). Interactions on the strategic map have also been dramatically improved, from army movement to district management.



  • A lot of effort was also spent on improving our tactical battles. We have built and keep iterating on tools that allow us to create new battle arenas, and generally pushed visual quality across the board with better rendering, animations and particles, that make our arenas a lot livelier!



    Aside from the map, the visual quality has also been pushed on the units and the attack resolutions. The animations and textures for our 2D units as well as user interface elements have been drastically improved, and we started integrating special effects, and audio cues.



    Actual tactical features were also developed and implemented, such as the morale/heat system and the various unit abilities (such as the Colossi 'intimidation', or the cavalry 'trample' charge below).



  • We implemented new historical figures to the game, each with its own 2D portrait and particular political alignment, that player can interact with. As well as many new illustrations for the different game screens.



  • We expanded our political gameplay with the National Convention system that allows players to gain power, participating in elections and submitting reforms to be voted on. The game simulates population classes (the masses, bourgeoisie, and clergy) and player choices now directly impact political standing, and available options on the strategic map through negotiation, military actions, or propaganda.



  • And a ton of behind the scenes work to support development moving forward (such as an autosave feature, bug fixes, balancing, etc...).



The team will stay busy until we launch Bonaparte in Early Access later next year in 2025. And we have planned to add most of our narrative content, while improving our existing systems and implementing more content.

- the Studio Imugi team




Thanks for checking out our annual review! Our team is excited to launch Bonaparte in Early Access later next year in 2025. Until then, we'll be busy working on improvements to the National Convention, adding new battle biomes, as well as writing and integrating new narrative content for the campaign.

[h2]Happy holidays![/h2]

Update #1 - November 2024

[h2]Hello everyone :)[/h2]

[h3]Starting today, we are publishing monthly updates that recaps the announcements, news, and production milestones to keep you updated on the studio and the game.[/h3]

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WePlay Expo

We had the pleasure to selected by the Canadian delegation to be part of this year's Shanghai WePlay Expo! While the team wasn't on site, it was a great opportunity to have the game introduced to the Chinese audience. Did you attend the event and checked out Bonaparte? Let us know in the comment below :)

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Insider program

Our insider program is about to get back on tracks! After an initial "concept test" with a few players, we are about to reactivate our community initiative and deploy access to monthly dev builds. We are a small team, tackling an ambitious project, and we know that involving players in the game production goes a long way to help us create the best game we can! So make your voice count, and share your feedback and ideas with us.

If you want to learn more and apply to our insider program:
Join our Discord server

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eXplorminate podcast

A few weeks back, Jongwoo (Creative Director) and Martin (Executive producer) had the chance to meet with the legendary eXplorminate crew - led by Rob, Drexy and Ricky - for an exclusive interview about our studio, our team, and our vision for the game. The episode features almost an hour of insights, history bits, and fresh information on the game's features and scope.

Don't miss out, and listen to the podcast:
PODCAST - eXplorminate x Studio IMUGI

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SNF demo playthrough

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Check out our official developer playthrough hosted by Jongwoo & Martin with a ton of great historical bits & insights.

The demo we prepared for the previous Steam Next Fest is still available so if you missed it you still have time to check it out ːsteamthumbsupː This is a short demo (for a strategy game) that will take you through the storming of the Bastille, plus a few turns, which will help you get a good glimpse of what the game will offer.

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WePlay Expo 2024



We are super excited to announce that Bonaparte - A Mechanized Revolution is heading to Shanghai's WePlay Expo 2024, China's biggest indie game exhibition, as part of the Canadian delegation.

If you're attending, come & check out the game Hall H4 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, Nov. 16th & 17th!

Bonaparte: A Mechanized Revolution tosses mechs into the French Revolution, but doesn't toss out the history




apos;History but with mechs' is hardly a new premise (see Iron Harvest, for example), and for upcoming tactics game Bonaparte: A Mechanized Revolution, it's a pretty functional conceit: It lets the developers use big historical personalities as frontline warriors on a tactical grid without as much concern for their historical job, which was to stay a comfortable distance from flying bullets. The mechs are stand-ins for your hero characters, done and dusted...
Read more.

Steam Next Fest demo available now!

Get a taste of the 1789 French revolution!


The whole team at Studio IMUGI is super excited to publish a demo for Bonaparte - A Mechanized revolution, a little bit in advance of the upcoming Steam Next Fest! With the Early Access launch coming soon, we have assembled this carefully curated demo that will allow you to get a glimpse of what the full game will offer. 

[h3]This demo offers about 20 to 30 minutes of gameplay and focuses on the Bastille’s tactical assault and its strategic aftermath:[/h3]
  • Side with the masses and lead the Bastille’s assault.
  • Join Lafayette and the Moderates, or Robespierre and the Jacobins (the royalist faction is locked in the demo).
  • Recruit new battalions and officers to expand your territory and take control of the country.
  • Have fascinating political discussions with famous historical figures like Lafayette, Robespierre, Danton and more!
  • Witness the escalating tension between the King and the revolutionaries in story events heavily inspired by actual history.


[h3]The full game will include the following key features:[/h3]
  • All three major factions unlocked.
  • National convention (propose & pass laws to reform to political landscape)
  • Colossi factory (build new models to dominate the battlefield).
  • Full population simulation (develop support, influence the main demographic groups, and secure your seats in the next elections).
  • New battle arenas, building variations, historical events, and more to come!
  • Average time per playthrough is around 15-20 hours.


[h2]Wishlist the game now and join our Discord community to receive dev updates, and impact the game’s development by sharing your ideas and feedback with the team. Thank you for your support, we hope you enjoy this demo.[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2560340/Bonaparte__A_Mechanized_Revolution/