Welcome to this first FAQ post that will focus on questions about the release of the game.
When will Line War be released?
5 May 2022 at 09:00 AM PDT / 18:00 CEST / 16:00 GMT
How much will Line War cost?
The initial release price is $19.99 with a 25% discount during the first week. Regional pricing may result in slight price differences around the world. As we continue to develop Line War and add more features and content, the price will likely increase for new customers.
Is there a roadmap for Line War?
Yes, the roadmap is published on the official Line War website.
Does Line War have single-player modes?
There is an offline sandbox where you can toggle between two players and do a lot of testing and playing around to see how the command system works, how the units behave, and improve their skills. There are, however, no other forms of campaigns or AI skirmishes at this point. This may be the most common question we get and we understand the desire for single-player modes. Here is why any form of single-player modes have not yet been implemented:
- Line War is primarily designed to be a competitive multiplayer game - we jokingly often refer to the experience as being similar to a board game or a tennis match which is best enjoyed with someone to play against :)
- We are still adding features, such as technologies, to the game and we want to ensure that the game requires a minimal amount of changes before we add AI logic that can mimic the playing style of humans or story-driven campaigns.
- We do not want to implement a mediocre single-player mode that would disappoint players - we plan to implement it when the time is right and we can invest the necessary time and resources to do it properly.
- The current price point reflects that Line War has no other forms of single-player modes except the sandbox. When we implement the campaigns or other forms of single-player experiences, the price for new players will likely be raised as a consequence.
Can you play more than two players or team games?
Not yet. Due to popular demand in our feedback requests the single most requested feature to add next is team and FFA modes. Check out the Line War roadmap to find out more as we are working to add 2v2, 3v3, and FFA modes.
Do you have plans to add different factions with different buildings, units, or mechanics?
No, we currently have no such plans or ideas. Line War will instead focus on "in-game" customization of your army, primarily through the research of technologies. Technologies would add abilities to your existing units and/or structures so you can leverage different technologies depending on your playing style or circumstances in a match. We do have some thoughts for the future about unit customization both visually in terms of skins, and mechanically through in-game research in addition to the technologies. Nothing has been decided on this front and it would be carefully evaluated and described in the roadmap before implementation.
Why did you release Line War before it was fully finished, and why not Early Access?
We decided to release Line War as a "normal" release (instead of Early Access) because the multiplayer experience has been tested and more than 35000 matches have been played with strong indications that balancing, reliability, and match duration are according to our initial goals. We want to maximize Line War's chances of success by opening the doors to everyone who is looking for a multiplayer RTS and we hope that players can enjoy playing the game against each other as we continue to add features. The current price of Line War reflects that not all intended features have been implemented yet. The price will likely rise in the future as the level of content and features increases.
Can you save and view replays?
Yes, after a match you have the option to download a replay that you can load in an off-line mode at any point. When watching the replay you can toggle between player views, accelerate and decelerate time, and toggle fog-of-war.
Why are there no interactive tutorials in the game?
For the time being, we have decided to implement in-game video tutorials where we can add educational content from beginner to advanced levels. We understand that interactive tutorials are desirable, but being a multiplayer game - the current state of the game does not implement logic to draw up and replay scenarios, validate tutorial criteria, and the necessary UI capabilities to guide a player through an interactive experience. Many of the features that we need for interactive tutorials are shared with that of single-player modes so when most of the technologies and other game-mechanic changes have been implemented we should be able to build up interactive tutorials.
Will the game be available on mobile?
No. The input system and UI would not work on small displays, but iPad or other tablet-sized devices could be considered.
Will the game be released for Mac or Linux
We have the capability to compile the game for both Mac and Linux and we plan to officially add that support at a later stage. No date has been set for this yet.
How do the asymmetrical maps affect game balance?
Each match is started with what's called a "picking phase" where you get to pick the location where you would like to start. Your opponent has the same capability and if you both pick the same territory or a territory nearby, that region is banned and the picking phase continues until there is no conflict. It's an important part of the game to learn and understand good starting locations.
Where is the Line War Leaderboard?
The leaderboard is published on the official Line War website.
Why do I keep disconnecting from the server?
If you are experiencing a lot of "irrecoverable disconnects" that eventually time out, you might be able to recover by resetting your connection whilst leaving the game running.
You do this in Windows by:
- Disconnecting and reconnecting to the WiFi
- Disconnecting and reconnecting the network cable
- Disable/enable the network card in Windows settings
We are working hard to resolve this problem that seems to affect some players with non-fiber connections. Line War is able to recover from the most violent of disturbances on the network, such as shutting down the connection itself and when using network disturbance tools such as "Clumsy" to drop/corrupt/delay packets, and more.
We are taking action and migrating to Unity's new net code stack called "Unity Transport", which will hopefully resolve this issue. Our apologies for any inconvenience in the meantime!