Hello!
It is Oleksandr from Starni Games with the new Dev log entry. Today, I want to tell you more about how we approach the design of Skirmish and Multiplayer modes in Headquarters: World War II. I will explain our thinking process and highlight key decisions on the way from the first drafts to the final implementation.
The thinking process behind the Skirmish design
When we sat down to design the Skirmish and Multiplayer modes we thought of the key things we wanted to achieve. Those key ideas are:
Variability (The player has to have a flexible set of options and enjoy the freedom to decide how and what he wants to play)
Replayability (Based on variability, we want the player to have a unique experience every time he plays)
Competitiveness (We want the Multiplayer games to be suitable for fairly competitive matches - this means balanced and fair in terms of maps, units, and other aspects of the game)
But these principles are just empty words until you come up with very concrete in-game implementations for them.
Variability
In terms of variability, we created very flexible settings that include the following:
Choose the Victory objectives (You can play with any of the 4 objectives on any of the maps)
Choose the starting Prestige and its income rate. (You can decide what starting Prestige all players have, and set the income rate that also depends on the number of Flags you control)
Choose the teams - you can play 1x1, 1x1x1, 1x1x1x1, 2x2, etc.
Choose the starting level, heroes, and HQ skills.
Combine this with different maps and the ability to Generate a Random map or make one using the Editor tool - and you get yourself a very flexible environment to play with and adjust according to your vision.
Replayability
Our other focus was to allow different tactics and different strategies and approaches to play out during the actual gameplay - not just during the initial setup. That is why we created diverse units with their strengths and weaknesses that are more or less powerful depending on the map and the tactical situation. For example, tanks are very powerful and have a large attack range, but they could be taken out by hand-held AT weapons or AT grenades at close range by a much cheaper infantry (if the infantry has good cover or a hiding spot). This makes an all-out tank push into the enemy base a reckless tactic that would not work most of the time, especially against stronger opponents. You have to conduct proper recon, send in supporting units, provide fire support, and so on. That is why most units are useful depending on the situation and tactical layout of the map.
Another aspect of replayability is resource management. You gain extra Prestige points during the match by controlling key points. Every turn you can deploy new units if you have enough Prestige. This means you have to plan ahead and decide - do you want to save up for a more expensive Tiger tank and get it in a couple of turns, or get a couple of Infantry units right now and use them to reinforce your positions?
Competitiveness
From the initial stages of development, we wanted to make Skirmish a robust environment for both single-player and multiplayer experiences. We know that multiplayer is usually very competitive and we wanted to give everyone a fair playing field. This includes our map design - taking extra care to ensure maps are as balanced and fair for every player, as possible. Campaign maps can be irregular and are based on real locations, which is good for storytelling and reenacting historical events, but not made for balanced multiplayer. Skirmish maps on the contrary - first and foremost are balanced and only then embellished with good visuals and interesting locations.
Another thing we take into account is that we can run PBEM multiplayer tournaments as well, but more on that in the Multiplayer section below. We are also really looking forward to the players' community devising their own rule setups and organizing their own community-run events and battles.
Map creation process
Today, I will also lift the curtain a little bit as to how every map in the game looks when it is just the first draft and before it is customized in the editor. We begin by creating a map schematic that shows all tiles, their terrain types, objects on tiles’ edges, height map (elevation), and key locations. Then we review these schematics to see if everything is alright. For Campaign maps, we check the objectives and the general logic of the unfolding events, and consider many other things. For Skirmish maps, we ensure fair starting locations for every player with similar distances to all key points, to make sure it is fair. We, also, make sure that the map has enough opportunities for tactical moves.
Here are some examples of maps' first schematics and how they ended up after many stages of creation:
1x1 Skkrmish map
Another 1x1 Skirmish map
1x1x1 Skirmish map
The map creation process can be divided into the following stages:
Designing Schematics
Creating the empty map in the editor with proper settings
Uploading Schematics to read the gameplay data - terrain types etc.
Working with landscape
Working with terrain visuals
Working with buildings, gameplay objects, and foliage
Adding extra polish and decorative objects.
Of course, each step has lots of things to do and consider - this was just a very general overview.
Multiplayer
Now, I would like to finish today’s Dev log with the Multiplayer review. The core functionality and all the options are exactly the same as in Skirmish, with a bit of extra functionality - like an in-game chat - on top. The main difference is that you can play against real opponents in 3 different modes:
LIVE
PBEM
Hotseat
Also, you can play with 2 to 4 players, in various setups: 1x1, 1x1x1, 1x1x1x1, 2x2, 1x2, etc.
Now, let us look at all 3 modes in more detail.
Combat HQ Asynchronous Play - multiplayer mode
This turn-based play, formerly known at Slitherine as PBEM (Play by Email), is convenient for players who cannot play for a few hours straight. You can manage your time much more freely - come after a work day, play a turn in a couple of games, read something online, then play the next turns and go to sleep. You are in control of how much and how often you play, and can manage that by picking opponents who have similar schedules or playing any number of matches “at once”. So, this slower turn based gameplay mode holds a lot of merit.
Live multiplayer mode
Unlike Asynchronous Play, Live multiplayer is for those who do not like to have drawn-out games and prefer to have them “in one go”. You can get together with friends and play together for a couple of hours while chatting on Discord. In this mode, the game is still turn-based, so you have to wait for other players' turns, but you can see their moves as they make them if their units are spotted by your troops. So, once you engage the enemy you can follow this turn in real time - similar to how you would play in Campaign or in Skirmish vs AI.
Hotseat multiplayer mode
This mode is probably the most archaic, but it still has its uses - you can play with your friends on one PC. That could be fun if you are meeting in real life.
Tournaments
On top of that, we plan to run Tournaments through the Slitherine Combat HQ Asynchronous Play system, allowing you to compete at such events and figure out who has the best tactical mastery. Our team is really looking forward to seeing what cool tactics the community would come up with. We have been playing tournaments internally to test the system and it is great fun as the stakes seemed much higher than normal games.
With the release date coming up very soon - 11th April 2024 - I encourage you to make sure you wishlisted the game to be notified when it is finally out.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1840800/Headquarters_World_War_II/
See you next time!