A wooden chapel sits atop a hill overlooking a small village and a trading post in the far distance. This is the scene set for battle in the new Khutor map for the skirmish game mode to be released in Update 1.11.
The setting is based on Eastern European marshlands, something that not only provide for a fresh visual experience, the flat open areas and swamps will also affect your tactical decisions and the dynamics of battle.
The Khutor skirmish map has been a huge undertaking as it required design and development of a huge number of brand new elements like trees, bushes, grass and such. As well as creating a brand new set of buildings, assets and modules, such as the aforementioned chapel, to fit thematically with the new setting.
In the future the new Eastern European marshland setting will be the basis for more maps. Currently, as can be seen in the Development Overview, we are working on a new Encounter- and Assault map.
Designed for action
The original design intent for the Khutor skirmish map was to create a more action packed battle than you would experience on the current skirmish maps.
By placing the three capture points on a single line, the two factions in the battle would have equal opportunity to capture either one – creating a dynamic gameplay experience where each teams would switch focus depending on circumstances.
However, and this is meant in the best possible way, no plan ever survives contact with the enemy. And community feedback has helped shape the Khutor skirmish map.
New technology and new map-making pipeline
The Khutor map is the first map using our new pipeline and the first peek at the new graphics technology.
You will notice this if you, for example, stand close to painted surfaces on the chapel. There are a lot more details in the textures and there is a lot less tiling in the ground surfaces and better looking changes from one surface type to another, for instance on the edge of a road.
The crops in the field is also using new technology that looks better without hindering performance. And we are not done yet, there are still more to be added to the Eastern European setting. We will of course also make sure this technology is used in the existing settings to make them look just as good.
Formed by player feedback
We have had the latest version of the Khutor skirmish map on our prototype server since early June and we asked you, the players, to give us feedback on the gameplay of the new map.
You have provided us with input ranging from how terrain is used, amount of rocks in the riverbed and trees blocking line of sight to placement of cover in relation to angles attack. Even information on performance allowing us to track down and fix bugs. If you have followed the map on prototype you will also have seen how it became better and better with each iteration.
We really appreciate it all and we have made great use of the community feedback to shape the gameplay and dynamics of the Khutor map to be released in Update 1.11.
