Dev Log Update: Closing In On The Finish Line

My apologies for missing last week’s dev log. We’ve been hard at work on Version 0.4.0, and I’m happy to say we’re making incredible progress, knock on wood.

First, I want to say thank you to all of our supporters, from our Steam followers to our Patreon members. Your support motivates us and pushes us to deliver the most immersive and incredible American Revolution experience possible.

Now, let’s get to the dev log.

One of the biggest challenges we faced was transitioning to 2.5D hexes. Specifically, blending a 2D-style map with 2D sprites while making everything appear truly three-dimensional.

When our incredible artist, Sophia, completed the Trenton map conversion, we placed our existing units from the demo onto it… and our initial reaction was not great.

It immediately became clear that a significant amount of work was needed to make everything feel right.

Our programmer Ben and Sophia went to work, experimenting with different angles, unit positioning, and map adjustments. After many hours of iteration, we began to see progress and knew we were heading in the right direction.

However, new issues started to appear.

We noticed that units, especially leaders like George Washington. looked incorrectly angled. Even worse, they appeared as if they were sitting on top of terrain like forests rather than being part of the environment.

As we tested further by moving units into forests and buildings, the immersion broke down even more.

This wasn’t acceptable to us. It felt unfinished, and we didn’t want to settle for something that looked “good enough.” Our goal has always been to deliver both visual quality and historical immersion.

So the team pushed forward, working day and night to find the right solution.

After days of iteration, Ben & Sophia developed a system that allowed terrain occupied by units to become partially transparent. This creates the effect of units being within forests and structures, rather than floating above them.

Steam post imageThe result is a much more natural and immersive look.

We also refined the angles at which units occupy hexes, ensuring they align properly with the new 2.5D perspective. You’ll also notice John Sullivan, one of our new Division Leader units.

Steam post image*The leader unit GUI is not final, we are planning to add more content and move things around. As mentioned previously, Division Leaders will be introduced in our retail release and here they are. They will perform similar functions to the Army Commander, such as rallying troops, but with a more limited impact. After all, soldiers are always more inspired by the presence of their Commanding General.

Another challenge involved the buildings in Trenton.

The assets we were using initially did not import correctly and appeared completely black or bare white.

Once again, thanks to the team’s persistence, we resolved the issue and significantly improved their appearance.

We also implemented a system where buildings become transparent when occupied, allowing players to clearly identify enemy units inside.

In terms of scenarios, we currently have three maps prepared for our retail release. The first is a fully reworked version of the Trenton map, now utilizing our 2.5D engine.

You’ll notice several changes, as the map has been refined using more accurate historical sources. Our original version was based on a sketch from 1776–1777, but more recent research and publications have helped us better capture how the town actually appeared during the battle.

Here’s a look at the updated Trenton map, please note that it is still a work in progress:

Here's the old one for reference:

Big Difference isn't it. We hope you like it. And we would love to hear your feedback.

We also have the Princeton map fully completed and ready to go. The Order of Battle has been researched, including troop strength, weapons, ammunition, morale, organization, and unit positioning at the start of the battle.

We also have another unannounced map in development for a specialized scenario we’re preparing as a surprise. We think you’ll love it, especially if you enjoy last stand battles.

Another key element we are focusing on is the AI upgrade. James, our lead programmer, who has experience working with NASA, is leading this effort, and it is well on its way to completion. Our goal is to deliver an AI that can challenge even the most experienced strategy players.

We also have many other features currently in development, including a proper game menu. Right now, the demo boots directly into The Battle of Trenton, but in the retail release, we plan to include a full menu system. This will allow you to start a new scenario, continue from where you left off, load saved games, adjust options, and exit the application.

Here is a draft of what we plan to implement. This version was developed by me, but our talented 2D artist, Sophia, will be refining it further to enhance the overall visual presentation.

(And yes… if you look closely, you might spot a hint at one of our surprise scenarios.)

There are many additional improvements underway, including:

• Line-of-sight adjustments (preventing units from firing through friendly units)

• New units and sound effects

• Terrain elevation impacting combat

We have a lot in store, and with our release rapidly approaching, we’re incredibly excited to share more with you soon.