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Holdfast: Nations At War News

1st Series. Words From The Game Director



Greetings good fellows of our beloved community. First and foremost let me start by thanking every one of you lot for your most generous support and for being with us throughout this delightful journey. I can speak for everyone here in the team that it has been a great pleasure working on the game and seeing you enjoy the content we create.

Some of you might be asking the question of what’s the next big step for Holdfast and the team. I’ll be answering some of your questions in this decently sizeable post.

Anvil Game Studios is currently undergoing a major restructuring of its workflows, pipelines and schedules. We will be better defining the responsibilities and roles everyone in the team plays within the company based on each individual’s core strengths and aspirations. Why are we doing this? We want to ensure that our planned growth doesn’t come at the cost of lesser-quality releases or the sanity of everyone whom I have the greatest of pleasures working with.

Within the next year, we will be bringing new folks into the flock. As we have done so before, we will first look to recruit talented individuals within the confines of our community. The team will continue to grow as we embark on more ambitious updates for Holdfast and beyond.

Our sights are now set on a series of releases leading into 2023 that will bring Holdfast into the new age. Rather than continuing to pile on the many features that Holdfast sports, we will place the good majority of our development schedule focusing on improving existing content to deliver a smoother experience. We’re already doing this with Linebattle 2.0 by improving on performance, the fluidity of the game’s animations and its audio-scape.

To go hand in hand with the above-mentioned endeavour, we have been revisiting our planned update release strategy to ensure the longevity of Holdfast while keeping in mind the needs and wants of our community. We want you to be able to enjoy Holdfast and all that it has to offer for the years to come!

We will also be moving a few features from the previously released roadmap to future updates. But does this mean that the next foreseeable releases will be lacking in fresh new content? Most definitely not. We are committed to delivering improvements to existing content alongside new maps, a new… Austrian faction and more.

How will we be bringing Holdfast into the new age? Polishing the game’s existing animations.
Improving the first-person view.
More passes to redefine the role classes play on the battlefield.
Increase gratification for kills.
Expanding on the recently released progression mechanics.
Improving replayability and player retention (more maps, roleplay features etc).
Revisiting old props and game models.
Further improve our sound-scape.
Redesigning our dated user interface.
Dishing out more optimisations to the game.
Bug fixes and stability.

Our update release strategy has been fine-tuned with something big we have in store for Holdfast in 2023. This will ensure the longevity of the game for the years to come. We’ll be sure to bring you in on this as we reach closer to this huge release!

I’m sure you’d also be interested in knowing what we’re planning for near-future updates so without further notice, here’s what to expect. Be sure to join Discord if you’re looking at getting in touch with us or wanting to provide us with feedback.

What’s in store for Holdfast in the near future? Napoleonic Austria.
More additions to Holdfast’s soundscape.
Engine upgrade.
Feature allowing artisans to select the recently introduced new faces through the Holdfast SDK.
Festive content! We’ll be planning ahead for some lovely Fred lore additions this Halloween.

discord.gg/holdfastgame



If you haven’t checked out the Linebattle 2.0 update, we welcome you to do so!

We’ll be on Discord listening to feedback.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/589290/view/3301723568224735001
That’s all for my first TED talk. I look forward to sharing with you our goals, thoughts and direction in similar posts. You have my word that we will always stay true to our core values of promoting player-to-player interaction, encouraging roleplay and placing community at the forefront.

Until next time, I thank you once again and may good health be yours. ːrheartrː





- Andrew ‘Refleax’ Farrugia Game Director

On behalf of all the great folks at Anvil Game Studios.

Linebattle 2.0! Customisation & Progression



Fall into line and ready your musket with the release of the Linebattle 2.0 major update for Holdfast: Nations At War. Featuring player progression and customisation, the sergeant class, a rework of the game’s classes, new animations for all firearms, improved audio and much more.

Celebrating this anticipated release, we’re slashing the price of the game to 65% and all its respective cosmetic DLCs to 15-20%. Now’s a better time than ever to join the beloved Holdfast community! We hope to see you soon on the battlefield with us.


http://store.steampowered.com/app/589290

Before taking a read below of all that will come with this major update to the game, why not first check out the update’s cinematic release trailer?

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Grenadier Regiments DLC[/h2]

Releasing alongside this update is the Grenadier Regiments DLC. Stand side by side with your fellow elites in dashing new uniforms available now.

Content present in Holdfast’s DLCs is purely cosmetic. It doesn’t and never will impact gameplay. Your kind generosity will be put to good use and bring this genre of roleplay warfare games which all of us are fond of into the limelight.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2107250



[h2]Progression & Customisation[/h2]

Battle-hardened soldiers will now be able to cosmetically display their skill through Holdfast’s new player progression and customisation mechanics.

Customisation is per faction and per class while also being tied into your class level. After reaching certain class levels players will be able to select from 17 new unlockable heads in the game, equip other nations' muskets, and melee weaponry and specify the pitch of their character's voice for shouts and calls.



Cavalry classes will also be able to unlock and select different horses to ride on.



[h2]Sergeants & Rocketeers[/h2]

The sergeant arrives! This fearsome new class on the battlefield has the ability to order similar commands with buffs as the officer class to the rank and file and comes equipped with a long spontoon to face off any brave fellows who should dare challenge them.



Previously something only specific to the British Empire, the rocketeer class is now playable across all factions in Holdfast: Nations At War. Previous to this update this class served little to no gameplay purpose but it has been now redesigned to specifically excel at the use of rocket launchers.



[h2]Squads & Class Redesign[/h2]

A variety of classes featured in Holdfast: Nations At War throughout this update have undergone a
considerable rework to ensure classes not only have a place but also a purpose on the battlefield. This is the first version in a series of redesigns towards this effort.

Significantly reducing the amount of downtime and running spent on the game’s Napoleonic front, the flag forward position mechanic accessible to the officer class has now been redesigned to feature a squad system. Everyone apart of the squad including the officer himself will be able to spawn on this forward position making it easier to play the game in groups where the most fun is to be had. Additionally to this, more classes can now spawn on these forward positions.



Sappers now also have the ability to build ammo depots that can be strategically moved and placed around the battlefield to ensure everyone remains well equipped. Ammunition has been reduced across all weapons in balance with this.



Carpenters looking to deal some real up close and personal damage with their two-handed axe can now enter a berserk mode by pressing their ability button (default ‘Q‘) allowing them to swing their axe in additional directions while having a slight run speed increase.

There’s plenty more to this first version of the class redesign! The full extent of the class rework changes can be found within the class selection UI under the abilities and traits section and within the changelog of this blog post.



[h2]Animations & Audio[/h2]

As part of our ongoing efforts to improve Holdfast, this update brings with it brand new animations for all firearms across the game’s Napoleonic front (excluding melee weapons). Featuring new reload and firing animations for both the muskets and pistols, new bayonet attaching and detaching animations and new healing animations for the surgeons amongst other animation tweaks and improvements.



As a result of these new animations, surgeons healing and soldiers attaching or detaching their bayonets can now perform these actions while crouching.



Reloading and firing sounds for muskets and pistols have been completely reworked. A small collection of maps now also feature unique in-world ambience sounds to further develop the atmosphere of Holdfast’s battlefields.

In-world audio across all maps is an ongoing process, those wishing to get a taste of what is to come on the audio front of the game should head down to the docks on Port Nile or sit with a picnic under the great oak tree on Ravenstone.

[h2]5 New Battlefields[/h2]

In this release, we’re introducing 5 new linebattle-themed battle maps. Engage in heated volleys or glorious bayonet charges on Al Kimar Pyramids, Avignon, Pillerone Pass, Vanoise Heights or Hudree Marsh. Hop in, stand shoulder to shoulder and make your stand on these new battlefields!



[h2]Game Optimisations[/h2]

Efforts to optimise the game for low to high-end PCs have continued throughout the development of the Linebattle 2.0 update. Bringing Holdfast to a wider audience by making the game increasingly accessible will continue to be at the forefront of development to further aid in bringing this leading title in the roleplay shooter genre into the limelight.

Experiment with different graphic preset settings in the game to gather the performance to graphical fidelity balance that you desire. This will not be the last time you’ll be hearing from us working on optimisation-oriented updates.

Map loading is now also significantly faster.



[h2]Community Discord[/h2]

Whether you’re interested in modding, participating in community events or just wanting to get involved deeper within our great community, the Holdfast Discord is the place to be. It is your central hub for all things Holdfast and houses a plethora of channels dedicated to event and game announcements, regiment (clan) recruitment, game support, suggestions, history discussion and more.

discord.gg/holdfastgame







Changelog 81 - Game Version 2.7.8286.30379

Count 20 new features and improvements.
7 optimisations.
4 user interface additions.
41 bug fixes.
4 miscellaneous additions.

Click here for the full change log.


Due to the unfortunate event of the team catching a touch of that COVID that’s been going around, we had to delay the release of the Napoleonic howitzer to the next update - Don’t you worry, however, there’s still plenty to enjoy in this update!

Big thanks to Ed, Charles E. Jesus, Mattrobes, Skyold, Nitropunch and all those good fellows who joined us in the testing prior to this update’s release.

Stay tuned for more Holdfast soon. As always, may good health be yours. ːrheartrː





- Anvil Game Studios

Refleax, Rycon, Dreas, Wrexial, Walki, Jackson, Rejenorst, Harper, Storey, UberJuice, Stan & Winston (The Cat).

Prepare For Battle! Linebattle 2.0 Teaser



Order your sergeants to prepare the men for battle as the Linebattle 2.0 update will be released on September 8th 2022.

This major update to Holdfast will introduce the much-anticipated character customisation and progression mechanics, new animations for all firearms across the game’s Nations At War front, 5 new Napoleonic battlefields, the new sergeant class and plenty more new additions that will be detailed throughout the release blog post on September 8th.

It will be the first in a series of updates targeted at taking Holdfast into the new age while ensuring it stays true to its identity. While you await the release of this bountiful update take a look at the teaser trailer below for a glimpse at what is to come and be sure to get involved with the community on Discord.

https://discord.com/invite/holdfastgame

Check Out The Teaser Trailer!
https://youtu.be/GhbLHpqIsao

We’re most excited to share with you all this update has to offer. Stay tuned for what is to come later this year as we continue to develop and bring this new genre of Roleplay Shooters into the limelight. Until next time, may good health be yours. ːrheartrː





- Anvil Game Studios

Refleax, Rycon, Dreas, Wrexial, Walki, Jackson, Rejenorst, Harper, Storey, UberJuice, Stan & Winston (The Cat).

Summer Sale! 1.5x Increased XP



Kick the summer off with a bang as Holdfast goes on sale at an impressive 60% off! Running parallel with this sale all DLC’s are now available at upwards of 15% off on selected DLCs. Hop on Holdfast and check out the newly released Regiment Assemble update featuring 3 brand new maps and plenty of new additions to the game.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/589290

[h2]Limited Event! Increased 1.5 XP[/h2]

Increased experience event starting from June the 24th and running until July 7th.

Want to get a headstart on some of the unlocks that’ll present themselves with the introduction of character progression and customisation releasing with the next major update in August this year? Take the opportunity to progress your soldier’s rank during this limited-time event and prepare yourself!

The increased XP is now available on all Holdfast official servers. Simply join one via the server browser to take part in this special summer sale event.



[h2]Join Us! Community Discord[/h2]



discord.gg/holdfastgame

Whether you’re interested in modding Holdfast, hosting your own community events or just wanting to get involved deeper within our great community, the Holdfast official Discord server is the place to be. It is your central hub for all things Holdfast and houses a plethora of channels dedicated to event and game announcements, regiment recruitment, game support, suggestions, history discussion and more.




Take a read of the Linebattle 2.0 blog post here to find out about what else is coming in Holdfast's upcoming major update. Expect some additional content to also make it into the game - This is one of the largest updates that will be hitting Holdfast since the release of Frontlines!

Stay tuned for what is to come to Holdfast: Nations At War later this year as we continue to develop and bring this new genre of Roleplay Shooters into the limelight.

Until next time, may good health be yours. ːrheartrː





- Anvil Game Studios

Refleax, Rycon, Dreas, Wrexial, Walki, Jackson, Rejenorst, Harper, Storey, UberJuice, Stan & Winston (The Cat).

Regiments Assemble! 3 New Maps



Raise the banners and fall into rank with the release of the Regiments Assemble update. This update comes as precursor to the great ‘Linebattle 2.0’ update releasing to Holdfast in August. However, this update is rather plentiful in itself featuring 3 new maps, a new scoreboard, new medal designs and the introduction of new regiment registry features to the game.

So before you head to the frontline be sure to take a read below of all that is coming to Holdfast with this update. Be sure to join us on Discord for all things Holdfast!

discord.gg/holdfastgame

[h2]Registry Upgrade[/h2]

Regiment owners rejoice! Coming with this update are a plethora of new features and upgrades to the in-game regiment registry system.

Regiment owners will now be able to assign unique rank icons to each rank within their regiment that will then be displayed alongside player names and on the scoreboard in-game to showcase their position within the regiment.



Alongside this, promoting and assigning ranks has been streamlined to allow automated rank and tag assigning based upon a format defined by the regiment’s owner. When a regiment member is promoted their tags will now automatically update in their name, no longer will you need to hassle new recruits to ‘fix your tags!’, the in-game system will handle that all for you.

Players are given the option to opt out of this system via the naming options in the settings menu should they wish to temporarily merc with another clan. Regiment owners can also opt out of this system if they desire by simply leaving the tag formatting empty.



Those assigned as regiment moderators can now also kick and promote enlisted individuals. You will also no longer have to remove ranks to insert additional ones in between. Simply arrange their sorting ID and you’ll be good to go.

New custom regiment specific emblems have also been added into the regiment registry banner editor, these can all be found at the end of the symbol selection in the banner editor.



A big thank you to those who took the time to send over their custom icons, any regiments wishing to have their own icons included should reach out via discord to Harper#0410 to then be added in future updates.

[h2]A New Scoreboard[/h2]

To compliment the regiment rank icons and to make the scoreboard easier to comprehend at glance we have designed and implemented a new in-game scoreboard. Parallel to this we have also re-designed every single medal found within the game and introduced new designs for the leaderboard ranking medals.

Take a look at the new scoreboard and medals below.





We’ve also created unique icons to represent the many classes one can play as once they hop in Holdfast. Different classes are playable across the game’s Napoleonic and Great War fronts on both land and at sea.



[h2]3 New Maps! Freurlund Revisited[/h2]

The battle of the bridges! Featuring in this update are 3 new maps all of which have bridge crossings as a focus on their battlefields respectively. This update brings 2 new maps to Nations At War and 1 new medium sized map for Frontlines. Take a look at these maps in more detail below.

Ryhall Vale - Nation At War

A deep crevice carves its way through the vale of Ryhall with rickety wooden bridges spanning across its crest. Watch your footing as the battle rages on from one side of the deep expanse to the other because there’s nothing that will save you from the drop below.



Ravenstone - Nation At War

A peaceful river flows through the valley of the farmland of Ravenstone with stone walls offering opposing lines of defense. Trampling on crops and using haystacks as cover will be a common sight on this battlefield as players try to push across the river to victory and glory!



Lisart Valley - Frontlines

The once great train passage of Lisart has been ravaged by the great war. Take cover behind derailed train carriages from the rattling machine guns that overlook the central stone bridge and flank past the flowing waterfall that feeds the river below.



Freurlund Revisited - Frontlines

Alongside the introduction of these new maps we have also introduced an update to Freurlund which now allows it to be played on the invasion gamemode for Holdfast Frontlines. Heros Landing has also ungone some changes to ease the landing process for attacks on the initial phase of the map.



[h2]Linebattle 2.0 Major Update[/h2]

Coming in the following month/s is the greatly anticipated Linebattle 2.0 update, the team has been very hard at work preparing this next major update for the game.

One key element of the Linebattle 2.0 Update is a new focus on character progression and customisation. Players across all eras of Holdfast will now be able to customise and progress each individual soldier (class) found within the game.

Players will be able to select and unlock up to 15+ heads featuring impressive facial hair, accessories and scars by leveling up their class and completing certain tasks. You will also be able to set your character's voice pitch. We will be looking into expanding upon the customisation in the future as the game develops.

As mentioned in the Linebattle 2.0 announcement blog a new artillery type will be making its way to the Napoleonic side of the game. The Howitzer will feature a unique firing ability that allows you to set a fuse timer to explode the howitzer shot mid-air which will then rain down shrapnel upon those below.

Here’s an exclusive preview of this new artillery type in action.



Take a read of the Linebattle 2.0 blog post here to find out about what else is coming in that update. Expect some additional content to also make it into the game - This will be one of the largest updates to hit Holdfast since the release of Frontlines!

We’re extremely excited and we hope that you are as well.





Changelog 80 - Game Version v2.6.8208.20814

Regiment Registry

Regiments that haven’t submitted any score (by playing on official servers) for 10 consecutive days will be categorised as inactive. Those that are marked as inactive are not deleted, they remain static until a regiment member submits score again. Inactive regiments will not show in the #regiment-registry Discord channel.

The regiment registry is now much quicker. Have a go at opening one of the 150+ player regiments to see this for yourself.

Moderators can now kick enlisted. They are unable to kick other moderators and the regiment owner. The moderators will now also feature a unique stud icon in the registry.

You will no longer have to remove ranks to insert additional ones in between. Simply arrange their sorting ID and you’ll be good to go.

Regiment owners are now able to assign a rank icon within the regiment manager. These will show in game next to the enlistee’s name both in game and on the round scoreboard.

Promoting and assigning tags has been streamlined allowing you to now automatically assign regiment tags and ranks to your enlisted. The ‘Registry Name Formatter’ will allow owners to format their regiment’s tags as desired. By default players will use the given format of their regiment, however, at the enlistee’s discretion they will have the options to disable this feature from their name within the settings menu.


3 New Maps! Freurlund Revisited

Ryhall Vale is now playable in Holdfast. Join the Nations At War game type to check it out.

Ravenstone is now playable in Holdfast. Join the Nations At War game type to check it out.

Lisart Valley is now playable in Holdfast. Join the Frontlines gametype to check it out.

Introduced Invasion support for Freurlund. Join the Frontlines gametype to check it out.


A New Scoreboard

Made the scoreboard easier to comprehend at glance by giving a well deserved cleanup to this UI.

Re-designed every single medal found within the game and introduced new designs for the leaderboard ranking medals.


New Class Identification Icons

Created unique icons to represent the many classes in Holdfast.
» Classes on Holdfast’s Napoleonic army front.
» Classes on Holdfast's Napoleonic naval front.
» Classes on Holdfast’s WW1 front.


Holdfast SDK

Updated the script SDK DLL files to match the new Frontlines standard.

Solved an issue with local scope mod variables not working. Now local scope variables should be defined as mod_variable_local .

Solved an issue with the stonewall prop naming conventions.

Introduced several new props to the Holdfast SDK.
» Mountain cliff dark rock variants.
» Lettuce props.
» Carrot props.
» Gallipoli ivy.
» Gallipoli ferns and plans.
» Small train.
» Small lumber carriage.
» Small liquid carriage.
» Small train track set.
» Pre-destroyed brittany houses and variants.
» Pier with stands.


Server Administration

Players that get banned directly through the server’s file will now be immediately kicked from the server once the file is reloaded.


Gameplay Additions

Introduced spawn points for officer tables at the top of the destroyed church on Foxhole.

Removed a few MGs that covered the beachhead on Heroes Landing.

Moved the flag closer to the shoreline on Heroes Landing.

Changed a few tree sizes on Grassy Plains 5 to make them match ones pre the graphical additions with the Frontlines update.

Updated Ancient Plains to balance gameplay and reduce its size.

Port Nile is now playable on Army Conquest.

Introduced additional clime-able ladders to the back of Fort Salettes and a mortar for the attackers to make use of during the siege.


Optimisations

Performed several minor LOD-based optimisations on props.

Optimised several textures in game to reduce VRAM usage.

Optimised Freurlund.


Bug Fixes

Performed a few additions to prevent people from getting stuck on map load.

Solved an issue where custom uniforms could sometimes crash the server on load.

Solved an issue with mod prefabs not featuring flag poles for the Kingdom of Italy, Central and Allied Powers factions.

Solved an issue with one of the trees floating above ground on Fort Pierre.

Solved an issue that allowed field gun cannonballs to explode using the explosive properties of a mortar.

Solved an issue on Fort Pierre which disabled fire particles that killed players from showing if playing on the lower settings.

Solved an issue with occlusion on Wasteland.

Solved an issue with a few of the fence posts on Berkton Green not playing the correct audio and particle effects.

Replaced the old background trees on Fort Winston with new ones.

Solved an issue with incorrectly positioned water on Fort Winston.

Solved an issue with a tree floating above ground on Aunby Valley.

Solved an issue on Causeways which disabled fire particles that killed players from showing if playing on the lower settings.

Updated a few of the trees on Causeways to be in line with the graphical upgrade introduced during the Frontlines update.

Ensured that all ruin props on Tahir Desert are applied one uniform sandstone brick texture.

Solved an issue on Desert Plains (S) having twice the spawnable Carpenter classes available instead of the Sapper class.

Removed moonbows from showing.


Changelog 81 - Game Version v2.6.8210.20814

The scoreboard is now more transparent allowing for greater visibility when having this UI open.

Solved multiple layouting issues with the scoreboard.

Increased the speed at which players scroll down the scoreboard.

Solved an issue which restricted players to 25 character limit instead of 32 when inputting a custom name.

Solved an issue where the new symbols for banners in the regiment registry weren’t selectable.

Solved an issue with the 'Use Regiment Name' toggle not functioning as intended.

Solved a bug which prevented the class identification icons from showing in the spawn menu.


Do feel free to join us on our Discord for a chat. You’ll also find many regiments (game clans) on there willing to show you the ropes.

Once again, we thank you for your support and until next time, may good health be yours. ːrheartrː





- Anvil Game Studios

Refleax, Rycon, Dreas, Wrexial, Walki, Jackson, Rejenorst, Harper, Storey, UberJuice, Stan & Winston (The Cat).