Hey guys,
As you are probably aware we have announced a new, refreshed version of Warsaw called Warsaw: Homecoming, which is currently in development. Starting today, we will be posting monthly Development Updates detailing project progress and giving you a peek behind the curtain.
Before we get started, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bartek. I am one of the owners at Pixelated Milk, and the guy who oversees projects at the studio. You are likely familiar with me, since I am the person who usually writes these posts and answers on the forums (@barjed), but I'd like to introduce myself anyway. Fresh start and all that.
Now, let's dive in!
The Goal
There's no escaping the fact that Warsaw had issues at launch. Some of those issues were addressed in patches, but many still remain. Our goal with Homecoming is therefore to completely overhaul the game. We'll be adding new features, improving the old ones, and even including some new assets! Our hope is that the new product will satisfy the veterans of the game and also attract new fans. Please also remember that Warsaw: Homecoming will be free to the existing owners of Warsaw.
TL:DR;
Improvements: Battle System
Three main issues we will be addressing in the Battle System are battle pacing, skill ranges and ammunition.
Right now the battles feel way too slow and you often end up with a single enemy who cannot easily be targeted, which is very frustrating. Damage and health calculations will be re-calibrated across the board. Lethality will also increase, and with it, the general pacing of the battles will also improve.
The character positioning system will be upgraded dramatically. We want to preserve the tactical nature of character placement, but also feel the current iteration is needlessly confusing (two lanes) and leads to un-intuitive situations.
Finally, the importance of ammunition will be increased. We want to streamline the management of individual bullets, while retaining the signature feel of being low on expensive ammunition. This will also result in expensive skills feeling more impactful and powerful.
Improvements: The Narrative
A completely new storyline is coming to Warsaw, which will tie all of the existing content together in a neat and emotional narrative. Currently-limited stories and character arcs will be expanded, the events of the Uprising will be explained in greater detail, and the whole experience should be greatly improved.
The presentation of the story will also be refreshed with a brand new interface that will unify both the existing emergent events and the new critical path storyline.
Improvements: The Strategy Layer
While clearly inspired by XCOM, the strategy layer fell short in Warsaw, and will be reworked. Following feedback, the current "calendar" will be dropped completely (it was clunky and not very intuitive). Instead, we will mesh this layer with the newly added narrative. Your decisions will be tied with the historically unfolding events of the Uprising, and should be much more hard-hitting this time around. They will lead to branching outcomes. For example, by electing to aid a particular section of the Uprising, you will unlock a new character... at the cost of losing someone else.
Improvements: The Exploration
Without disrupting the general flow of the exploration sections of Warsaw, we feel we can improve them significantly to enhance gameplay.
Enemies will be much more threatening. They will gain the ability to move instead of just passively sitting there.
RNG will be dropped for Mission generation. Instead we will prepare a selection of handmade, high-quality missions with better placement for interesting objectives, secrets, and more.
New points of interest will be added to the maps.
Improvements: Theme
There is a lot of historical accuracy in Warsaw already. Authentic weapon types (including some rare ones like Błyskawica), characters based on reality (such as the Berling's Soldier), events dealing with historic occurences (Pasta's destruction, etc). The theme grows weaker in some parts of the game however - such as in the gameplay itself.
For this reason, we want to align the theme of the game more closely with the gameplay. You will see an Uprising even more similar to that of reality, with insurgents getting pushed back to the Śródmieście, and missions less about attacking and more about defending against the superior German forces.
Improvements: Soundtrack
One area we've focused on especially for improvement is the game's soundtrack. Our plan is to provide a new, immersive soundtrack for Homecoming of greater quality (and quantity). It will also be a great tool to illustrate the shifting tides and emotions of the new storyline of the game.
Improvements: A Shedload of Other New Stuff
As you can see, Homecoming focuses mostly on the fundamentals of the game, and that's our priority. However, we do want to expand the rest of the game too. You can expect new enemy types and items in addition to everything listed before.
-
So, that's all for today! Over the upcoming months we will discuss the individual sections outlined today in far greater detail. We are excited to see how we can improve the game, and we hope you will join us on this journey.
See you next month!