Hello, this is Team Samoyed!
We plan to share our development progress for Teamfight Manager 2 through development logs released every 2-3 weeks. We ask for your continued interest and support.
Match Footage
Since the last devlog, we have continued to refine the match engine. The two videos below feature matches played using the latest version of the match engine.
We would like to discuss the match engine improvement process in more detail from a technical perspective. In the previous match engine, each player's AI operated across three main layers:
Tactical Decision: In the broader scope, this refers to the tactical action the player believes they should undertake. Examples include pushing the bottom lane, preparing to hunt Morgard, or attempting a gank on a specific lane.
Micro Decision: Based on the tactical decision, this refers to actions that need to be performed immediately within a short timeframe. These are small-scale, instantaneous actions such as chasing a nearby enemy, stepping back slightly, attacking an enemy, or dodging an attack.
Actual Execution: This is the actual input required to achieve the micro decision. This is the input stage, such as clicking specific coordinates to move for a "chase enemy" action, or using a skill to close the distance quickly.
This layer structure was previously mentioned in Devlog #10. Based on feedback from the demo version, which used this structure, the biggest issue identified was the lack of communication regarding tactical decisions. Since there was no process for players to share their intended tactics with teammates, they played with completely different ideas, leading to chaotic matches. For instance, one player might think they need to fight at the front or dive, while another teammate—completely unaware of this intention—stands idly in the back, watching the situation unfold as if it were none of their business.
To solve this, we introduced the player conversation feature in the last devlog and showed how it appears as chat. From the last devlog until now, we have been working on shifting the entire framework. Instead of individual players making isolated tactical decisions, they now share a "Team Macro/Operation Direction" based on player-to-player dialogue, and the AI operates based on this shared direction.
As you can see in the videos, all players now receive the team's operational goals through dialogue and play according to those goals. Essentially, a Team Operation Layer has been added on top of the existing three layers of the match engine, and the conversation function was added to facilitate sharing this operation.
The most critical infrastructure work for the match engine improvement is now largely complete, which is why we are revealing the match footage at this stage. We hope you feel that the gameplay has improved.
Future Improvements
Team Operation Consensus: As seen in the videos, currently, if one player suggests a goal, teammates follow it unconditionally without objection. We plan to add a process for "agreeing" on how to accept specific orders to create a more realistic team play experience. We intend for differences based on player stats (Ego, Aggression, etc.) to be revealed during this process.
Strategy Adjustment: Since there are many conflicts between the improved match engine and the existing startegy system, we are restructuring strategy entirely. We are considering ways to make strategy function as a tool that controls the overall flow of the match in conjunction with the team operation flow in the engine.
We believe the two elements above are the major parts of the match engine that need modification. While there are many other areas needing improvement, our goal is not to release a "perfect" match engine right away.
Our current goal is to achieve the minimum standard required for Early Access. In terms of gameplay sensation, this would be: "Although some elements feel lacking, my Ban & Pick and strategy feel generally well-reflected in the gameplay, reaching a level where I can be sufficiently immersed in watching the match."
Since we plan to continuously iterate on the match engine during Early Access, we are trying to avoid spending too much effort on perfecting it now, lest the development schedule be delayed indefinitely.
Please watch the match videos and feel free to leave your feedback on how it compares to your experience with the demo version.
That’s all for this devlog. Thank you for reading!