In about ten days, an update is planned which includes active pause, some new multiplayer and modding features, and an array of mechanics changes which were just tested in a beta patch this past weekend. I’m hoping they make some adjustments, but the big changes are allowing vehicles into hedgerows and forests (with an associated penalty to movement and weapon use), a reworked damage system placing a greater emphasis on critical hits (and less on everything being one-shot), and allowing supply units to repair critical hits. The beta allowed for small AT guns to be placed in buildings, but that needs to get nerfed really badly or removed entirely as it was completely broken.
Figured having an actual “time-stop” pause feature would allay a few concerns around these parts where “bullet time” wasn’t deemed slow enough.
Yeah, I did not get to do the beta but I have concerns about all the changes. Of course I come to SD as a person who wants the game to be more historical and less RTS.
Hedgerows/forests: In the game as is, the mechanic of not allowing vehicles in hedgerows/forest really makes for some interesting scenarios and allows infantry to be a factor. Historically only specialized vehicles could push through a hedgerow. Forests I could see, but depends on penalties applied.
Damage system: depends on implementation. I like the concept but want there to be some realism. If implemented to liberally could again help vehicles too much
AT guns in buildings: I like the concept, but yes heard the implementation allows very quick mounting/dismounting from a building. Again, historically it would take alot of time for a bunch of grunts to manhandle a gun into or out of a building.
I forget, but are any of the time features available in multiplayer? Or did they miss the boat again and insist that MP must be played at full speed at all times?
Patch is out. They pushed back the hedgerow/forest traversal for vehicles and the ability to garrison AT guns until they could touch them up (which is a Good Thing) and didn’t tweak plane vulnerability either. Mainly the damage rework, crit repairs and active pause.
No clue on what time features are available for multiplayer, honestly. I’ve never checked, but my guess is everyone plays at default speed.
Speaking of multiplayer, anyone who finishes a 2v2 on the new Breakthrough mode before 12/26 gets a free cosmetic ace, on the sole condition that you play with a Steam friend on your team. Anyone interested in stomping an AI real quick either tonight or tomorrow? I just want to grab it real quick while it’s available and figured I’d ask about any interest.
Edit: Managed to find someone, so that’s done. I’ll still help anyone who wants it so long as I’m available.
If you mean compared to the USA, yes it does. Is it good? no.
On the other hand, the French have a long history of social action. They will organise and strike far earlier than Americans would. This has led to some weird stuff, such as the benefits for government employees being insane and making getting such a job nigh-on impossible. It also means things that are deemed acceptable in the games industry such as hard crunch, unpaid overtime, non-existent job security just won’t fly with them.
This is similar in Spain. The benefit is that government employees are actually really qualified to do their jobs, since the checks and Confucian exams to get such a position makes it a pretty fair process overall,
But the French overtime laws and labor protections are a tad too strict, imho (just a tad, they are pretty good compared to anything else I’ve known and are overwhelmingly positive). But iirc, in the film industry they do have issues with how long shooting days can be, since it’s really difficult to even offer paid overtime, and that does impact international productions wanting to shoot in France. The lack of flexibility is damaging sometimes (specially when the flexibility is tied to well paid overtime and not exploitation), although in the case of the game industry it’s probably for the best.
Do they mean minimum wage, or do they mean “if you divide our salary by the number of hours worked during crunch, it was less than minimum wage”? Neither one is a good look obviously but I’m not familiar with French labor laws so the RPS article wasn’t entirely clear to me.
On one hand I love the wargame and Steel Division updates. Its become my go to strategy game series. On the other I think I will hold off the Back to Hell expansion purchase until the developers get back aligned with the staff.
After 7+ weeks the Eugen Systems employee strike is over. The striking employees did not win any gains. The strike was at a standstill and it seems the striking employees had to end the strike due to financial duress. An unfortunate conclusion in this industry.
yeah me too. on the other hand, they are french. they strike. but the horrible labor practices they struck against are found in every single games studio. so yeah. game dev unions need to hppen yesterday.
