Beat to quarters! Run out the guns and make ready the broadsides as Holdfast: Nations At War embarks on a two-week long sale. Get the game at 50% off for the duration of this special Steam sale and participate in weekly organised events.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/589290
It would be great if you can help us spread the word around about the sale to bring this genre of Musket Warfare games that we all love in the limelight. We want to continue strengthening the following behind the game as it grows and develops.
Have a read of our blog post for a brief insight into what we’ve been up to.
Recent Major Release! Naval Warfront
Do check out our recent major update release if you haven’t done so already! It saw the inclusion of one of the largest vessels to date - the 50-Gun Frigate, coastal sieges, rocketboats, a ton of roleplay-oriented features, rowable rowboats, a complete redesign of the Naval Battlefield game mode along with various gameplay mechanics and so much more! All packed in one relatively-sizable update.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEDO0Ter31w
In Holdfast: Nations At War the fight takes place on multiple fronts. You’re sure to find plenty more to have a go at besides sailing vessels from the golden age of sail! March into battle at the sound of drums, fifes and pipes, lead men to victory or an inevitable death with the officer class and a whole slew of features unique to the army warfront.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jztiwMnY5gc
What’s To Come? Player Built Defenses
We’ll be heading back to developing game-play oriented features on drier pastures for the next major update. Well placed player-built defences will turn the tide of battle in your favour. If you’re wanting to gather insight on some of our plans for the upcoming update, check out the development roadmap.
Looking for a good bunch of fellows to play the game with? Do join our Discord! Linebattle events were players are encouraged to play in formations relevant to the Napoleonic era are hosted by the community through the week.
Discord is a great place to be to stay in touch with the game’s development. Feedback is always greatly welcomed. We look forward to seeing you there!
https://discordapp.com/invite/holdfastgame
We have plenty of great content lined up so be sure to stay tuned.
Thank you for your generous support and until next time, may good health be yours.
- Anvil Game Studios
Huge Update. Ahoy! Aboard The 50-Gun Frigate
Ahoy! Assemble the crew and sail the seven seas once more. As the relatively-sizable update hits the decks, it’s going bring with it a naval vessel that is truly a sight to behold. Being one of the largest vessels to date, the 50-Gun Frigate packs enough arsenal to make quick work of others at her broadsides.
Coastal sieges, rocketboats, a ton of roleplay-oriented features, rowable rowboats, a complete redesign of the Naval Battlefield game mode along with various gameplay mechanics and so much more! All packed in one relatively-sizable update.
Before you have a read of our lengthy blog post, do check out the trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEDO0Ter31w
A New Vessel! The 50-Gun Frigate
Complimented with a well-organised and trained crew the 50-Gun Frigate based on the ‘La Proserpine’ is quite the sight to behold! Her sheer size and firepower will make other vessels think twice before exchanging broadsides. Unique to the vessel, the frigate also features two chasers at both its stern and bow.
Captains aboard this vessel must carefully assess the direction of the wind and ensure a favourable position. Even though the frigate’s arsenal on her gundeck alone makes one wish they had their foot on drier pastures when facing its broadsides, it is relatively weaker elsewhere.
If you do have to make a turn, raise her square-rigged sails as this will improve your manoeuvrability. A new user interface present atop the mini-map will help you distinguish the sails to raise and lower. Be sure to stay windward!
More Naval Vessels! Rocketboats
Continuing to add upon an already great selection of vessels to sail the high seas, the Rocketboat sees an introduction to Holdfast: Nations At War. Rocketboats will also come in especially handy during the bombardment of coastal fortifications. Work your way through the enemies’ defences and create a breach before the landing parties do their deed.
Load, ignite and fire away!
Rowable Rowboats! Lay Your Oars
Row, row, row! If push comes to shove and you need to abandon ship, you’ll often end up in a rowboat searching for a nearby ship to crew or attempting to board an enemy vessel. Up to four players can assist the crewman steering the rowboat with rowing the boat increasing the speed at which it travels.
Naval Warfront! Combined Naval & Coast
Speaking of coastal fortifications, as we’re sure you’re already aware, the Coastal Siege game mode is making a comeback! Fend off naval vessels and marine-filled rowboats with chain, round and grape shot as they attempt to capture your fortified position. Muzzle-loaded firearms also see plenty of use in this game mode as the invaders close their distance to the shores.
The Naval Battlefield and Coastal Siege game modes will feature a combined front on the Naval Warfront official servers. Different scenarios will continue to iterate and provide for a unique experience.
Fort Imperial
Martello Tower
South Sea Castle
Harouti Islands
A New Coastal Siege Map. Balamor Bay
More coastal siege goodness! As the game mode is making a comeback, we thought it best to introduce a new scenario for our long-time followers and new ones alike to enjoy. A lighthouse on Balamor Bay overlooks the oncoming invasion as the garrison must make their stand in defence of the fortification until the timer runs out.
Bridges on either side of the fortification prevent ships from sailing through. However, both of these bridges are destructible and if boats manage to pass through and encircle the fortification, the defenders must organise and bring some men to the rear.
Balamor Bay
Naval Battlefield. Gamemode Redesign
Having this game mode solely factor in which faction sunk the most ships didn’t make for an interesting dynamic. We’ve also received frequent feedback that engagements on sea weren’t the best they could be as players found it difficult to find a ship to spawn on after theirs was sunk. Thus, we decided to embark on a complete redesign of the Naval Battlefield game mode.
Now, crews that have sunk an enemy faction’s ship will be rewarded a set number of points depending on which enemy vessel was sunk. The lower the ship’s rate and the more guns it carries on its deck, the more points are rewarded. Larger naval vessels such as the 50-Gun Frigate and 13-Gun Brig-Sloop will gather your faction greater score if sunk than a simple Gunboat or Rocketboat.
Here’s a look at all the naval vessels in Holdfast: Nations At War. The team which gathers the most score by sinking ships or killing enemy crewman will become the victor.
50-Gun Frigate - Faction Score: 300
13-Gun Brig-Sloop - Faction Score: 100
8-Gun Schooner - Faction Score: 50
2-Gun Schooner - Faction Score: 30
Gunboat - Faction Score: 10
Rocketboat - Faction Score: 10
Ships and boats will also respawn shortly after they’re sunk enabling the crew that lost their vessel to re-join the round. Having to wait for the next round to join in the battle is now a thing of the past.
Naval Mechanics. Changes & Additions
We’ve undergone multiple changes to existing naval mechanics all aimed towards improving naval engagements. There’ll also be new ones coming into the flock to provide players with more opportunity to perform strategic manoeuvres and overcome their adversaries.
Protect The Stern Be on the lookout for enemy vessels looking to gather a tactical advantage by manoeuvring behind your ship! Upwards to 30% damage of the overall ship’s health will be dealt if the stern is destroyed.
Fight With The Weather Gauge Fighting with the weather gauge is of the utmost importance. Ships that stay in favour of the wind will have the upper hand as they can more quickly manoeuvre in and out of a strategically disadvantageous position.
First and foremost, we have increased the size of the wind indicator present on the minimap to aid players better distinguish the wind’s direction. As we’ve mentioned earlier in our blog post, if you do find yourself in a situation where you must make a turn into the wind, raise your square-rigged sails by pressing the number keys shown on the new user interface present atop the minimap. This will improve your manoeuvrability.
Each and every naval vessel sails differently from one another. Learning your way through their strengths and weaknesses will significantly improve your chances of staying afloat.
Global Ship Health Pool Destroying destructible objects like various parts of a ship’s railing, cannon or masts is no longer the sole determining factor that decides when a ship is sunk. Before this update’s release, whenever players ended up hitting the ship’s hull or any non-destructible object with their shot, they didn’t deal any damage.
Ships are now assigned a global health pool that is unique for each and every naval vessel. Every shot that lands on an enemy ship will deal damage and contribute towards it meeting its end.
A new user interface designed to aid players better distinguish the remaining health of the ship they’re crewing will also serve the purpose of displaying various other ship statuses.
Round & Chain Shot Select your shot of choice to make quick work of an enemy vessel! Prior to this update, there was no difference between the shots and players could pick either to sink a ship. As a matter of fact, chain shot was slightly more effective than round shot due to the larger hitbox.
Chain shot is now your shot of choice if you’re looking at de-masting an enemy vessel. This shot will prove its use quite dearly when going against larger naval vessels as you want to reduce their manoeuvrability. It won’t be a pretty sight if you receive a full broadside.
Be sure to make your shots count however as chain shot deals much less damage than a round shot if it hits anywhere but the mast. Additional damage to the overall ship’s health will also be dealt when you demast a ship.
Bigger Guns. More Damage! As the title states, the bigger the gun, the greater the damage. Larger calibre guns like the relatively massive long gun present on the 2-Gun Schooner deals more than the 4-pounder aboard the 8-Gun Schooner.
Player Scoring. Captains & Crew No longer will one of the most important classes be at the very bottom of the scoreboard! Players that decide to take up the demanding role of the Captain class will now gather score when an enemy vessel is sunk. This score is calculated based on the damage dealt by crewman manning the guns so Captains will also be rewarded for assisting the sinking of an enemy vessel.
Crews that manage to successfully land shots through the use of various artillery pieces on deck will similarly gather score based on the damage that they have dealt to an enemy vessel.
Designated Rowboat Spawns Designated rowboat spawn positions will ensure that players will always find an available spawn point to join the round. You will find these spawns available on both the Naval Battlefield and Coastal Siege game modes.
Launching Rowboats As a preventive measure against the frequent launching of rowboats aboard bigger ships, we have now implemented a two minutes cooldown in between spawns. Don’t worry however, if your ship comes to an unfortunate end, the cooldown will be reduced to just 5 seconds so the entirety of the crew can still have its glorious last stand.
Battlefield Areas Borders placed around the map edge restrict naval engagements to a specific area. This will prevent players from endlessly sailing the seven seas making the fight at sea more engaging. Players that are close to going out of the battlefield area will receive a message informing them to make their way back.
Paint Schemes Yellow, red, black, green, blue and a combination of paint schemes for each and every naval vessel present within the game! Take a brief look at all the allied vessels before the engagement starts as this may help you better distinguish ally from foe.
Here’s a look at the 8-Gun Schooner in a black and yellow paint scheme. Prior to this update, this naval vessel only spawned with a black and red scheme.
Ringable Ship Bells Is it time for breakfast? Stuck in heavy fog with the rest of the fleet? Sound the ship’s bell!
Roleplay Scenarios. Weapon Racks & Overrides
Besides all the naval and coastal goodness, there’s plenty more to play around with in this update! Roleplay sits quietly in the corner of a game like this and seeing the popularity and daily occurrence of community-events, more functionality in support of this would indeed make for an excellent addition.
Providing solid groundwork for various roleplay scenarios to occur, hosts can now configure multiple server-side setting that will take Holdfast: Nations At War outside the confines of its usual gameplay experience. Configure limits for classes, define the allowed spawn-able classes per spawn point and the equipment they spawn with, spawn objects and various artillery pieces on a pre-defined location per map rotation, allow players to equip weapons from racks or even replenish ammunition and more.
To this effect, we’ve also setup up a wiki to centralise all the server-side configuration settings. The wiki is currently a work in progress. We’ll leave it to the good hands of the community to come up with new, interesting and creative ways to enjoy the game!
Prior to this update, servers hosting the Coastal Siege, Naval Battlefield and Naval Assault game modes idled at a 100% CPU usage due to several inefficiencies with how a third-party plugin functioned. Unfortunately, this resulted in renting servers running these game modes to be much costlier than their land-based counterparts.
Now that this is no longer the case, monthly costs for renting a coastal or naval server should be reduced by providers to almost match that of servers hosting army-based game modes. Coupled with the gameplay additions and changes mentioned above, it’ll certainly provide a solid base for crews to thrive and prosper.
What are you waiting for? Beat to quarters! Assemble the crew and prepare to partake in organised events on the naval front.
Community. Join The Discord!
Looking for a good bunch of fellows to play the game with? Do join our Discord! Linebattle events were players are encouraged to play in formations relevant to the Napoleonic era are hosted by the community through the week.
Discord is a great place to be to stay in touch with the game’s development. Feedback is always greatly welcomed. We look forward to seeing you there!
https://discordapp.com/invite/holdfastgame
Here’s the entire list of additional features, bug fixes, improvements and content that you’ll find in this update.
Ghangelog 32 - Game Version 0.30.7082.26288
Naval Gameplay Additions <*>The 50-Gun Frigate! Complimented with a well-organised and trained crew the 50-Gun Frigate based on the ‘La Proserpine’ is quite the sight to behold!
<*>Rocketboats! Rocketboats will come in especially handy during the bombardment of coastal fortifications. Work your way through the enemies’ defences and create a breach before the landing parties do their deed.
<*>Rowable Rowboats! Up to four players can assist the crewman steering the rowboat with rowing the boat increasing the speed at which it travels.
<*>Coastal Siege! A community-favourite game mode is now playable once more. Fend off naval vessels and marine-filled rowboats with chain, round and grape shot in an attempt to capture your fortified position.
<*>New Map. Balamor Bay! A lighthouse on the beachhead overlooks the oncoming invasion as the garrison must make their stand in defence of the fortification until the timer runs out.
» Input the following parameter to play this map on your community server: map_name balamorbay <*>Naval Battlefield. Redesigned! Pending on the type of vessel sunk, factions gather a score that will ultimately determine the victor. Sinking larger vessels contributes more score than smaller ones do.
» Ships and boats will also respawn shortly after they’re sunk enabling the crew that lost their vessel to join the round. Having to wait for the next round to join in the battle is now a thing of the past.
<*>Naval Assault. Redesigned! The Naval Assault game mode has been redesigned to factor in the ship’s sunk instead of the crewman killed as the condition that determines the victor. Ships don’t respawn in this game mode. By setting the commands below per map rotation, it is also possible to prevent players from respawning once they meet their end.
» allow_midround_spawning false » round_spawn_close_timer_seconds 120 <*>Naval Warfront! Combined Naval & Coast. The Naval Battlefield and Coastal Siege game modes will feature a combined front on the Naval Warfront official servers. Different scenarios will continue to iterate and provide for a unique experience.
Roleplay Gameplay Additions <*>Roleplay Scenarios. Providing solid groundwork for various roleplay scenarios to occur, hosts can now configure multiple server-side setting that will take Holdfast: Nations At War outside the confines of its usual gameplay experience. Take a look at our wiki for more information.
» Configure limits for classes.
» Define the allowed spawn-able classes per spawn point.
» Define the allowed spawn-able classes for every naval vessel.
» The weapons each and every class spawns with per faction.
» The ammunition each and every class spawns with per faction.
» Spawn objects and various artillery pieces by inputting coordinates per map rotation.
» Allow players to equip weapons from racks.
» Allow players to replenish firearm ammunition from ammoboxes.
» Configure the health points for every naval vessel.
» Define the selection of ships to spawn per map rotation. This can be unique for both factions.
<*>Causeways. Players can now play this map once more on their community server. Due to its sheer size, we thought it could prove useful for some roleplay scenarios.
» Input the following parameter to play this map on your community server: map_name causeways
Naval Mechanics <*>Protect The Stern. Be on the lookout for enemy vessels looking to gather a tactical advantage by manoeuvring behind your ship!
» Upwards to 30% damage of the overall ship’s health will be dealt if the stern is destroyed.
<*>Fight With The Weather Gauge. Raising your square-rigged sails is of much more importance now when sailing into the wind.
» Each and every naval vessel sails differently from one another. Learning your way through their strengths and weaknesses will significantly improve your chances of staying afloat.
<*>Global Ship Health Pool. Ships are now assigned a global health pool. Every shot irrespective if it hit a damageable object or not will deal damage.
<*>Round & Chain Shot. Chain shot is now your shot of choice if you’re looking at de-masting an enemy vessel. Be sure to make your shots count however as chain shot deals much less damage than round shot if it lands anywhere but the mast.
<*>Bigger Guns. More Damage! Larger calibre guns like the relatively massive long gun present on the 2-Gun Schooner deals more than the 4-pounder aboard the 8-Gun Schooner.
<*>Player Scoring. Captains. Players that decide to take up the demanding role of the Captain class will now gather score when an enemy vessel is sunk by their crewman.
» This score is calculated based on the damage dealt by crewman manning the guns so Captains will also be rewarded for assisting with sinking an enemy vessel.
<*>Player Scoring. Crewman. Crewman that manage to successfully land shots through the use of various artillery pieces on deck will similarly gather score based on the damage that they have dealt to an enemy vessel.
<*>Designated Rowboat Spawns. Designated rowboat spawn positions will ensure that players will always find an available spawn point to join the round.
<*>Launching Rowboats. As a preventive measure against the frequent launching of rowboats aboard bigger ships, we have now implemented a two minutes cooldown in between spawns.
» Cooldown will be reduced to just 5 seconds if the ship is sinking.
<*>Battlefield Areas. Borders placed around the map edge restrict naval engagements to a specific area. This will prevent players from endlessly sailing the seven seas making the fight at sea more engaging.
<*>Paint Schemes. Yellow, red, black, green blue and a combination of paint schemes for each and every naval vessel present within the game!
<*>Ringable Ship Bells. Is it time for breakfast? Stuck in heavy fog with the rest of the fleet? Sound the ship’s bell!
<*>Naval Announcer. You’ll now be notified when an allied or enemy vessel has been sunk. This announcement is also voice acted.
Gameplay Balance <*>Rocketeers are now able to carry ammo boxes.
<*>Players can now fire round shot from swivel guns on Gunboats.
<*>Performed multiple changes to better balance the Army Conquest game mode on plains maps.
User Interface <*>Increased the size of the wind indicator to make it more distinguishable.
<*>Players interacting with the Captain’s wheel or tiller will have a user interface displayed atop the minimap displaying the various sail groups they have raised or lowered.
» The numbers on the sail groups represent pressable hotkeys to raise or lower them. Once again, be sure to lower your square-rigged sails if you have no choice but to manoeuvre against the wind.
<*>Designed a new user interface to aid players to distinguish the remaining health of the ship they’re crewing amongst various other ship statuses.
<*>A user interface addition will now provide feedback to players when they successfully damage an enemy vessel or fortification with artillery pieces.
<*>Ships that have been sunk will have their re-spawn timer displayed in the spawn menu. You’ll also find scrollbars present next to the spawn and class selections.
<*>Included more varied ship names.
<*>The bar at the very top which aids players to identify the faction in the lead now correctly reflects the defender’s winning condition on the Coastal Siege game mode. In this mode, the defenders must survive until the timer runs out.
<*>Ships that get sunk are now displayed in the kill feed.
<*>Multiple interaction icons have been included to aid players to become familiar with various interaction points aboard a naval vessel. Launching rowboats, climbing the rigging and various others.
Graphical Additions <*>Several additions to the ocean system present on the Naval Battlefield, Naval Assault and Coastal Siege game modes to improve its looks.
<*>Players steering the rowboat now have their hands placed on the tiller.
<*>Improved trails for cannonballs.
<*>World objects now reflect in the water.
<*>Adjusted the musket and cannon water hit particle effects.
<*>Improved the animations for pennants atop a ship’s mast.
<*>Changed the map loading screen for Open Waters. We plan to do the same with other maps in the future so they reflect the update graphics.
Quality of Life <*>Cinematic Camera Mode. Players have the option to toggle cinematic view for the free-flight camera. Enabling this will smoothen your movement when turning in free-flight.
» Several setting to adjust the yaw and pitch speed, as well as sensitivity, can be found in the ‘Game’ options.
<*>You will now find artillery pieces to make use of on all the smaller variations of the plains maps.
<*>Players are now provided with the option to filter out ‘Private Servers’ from the server browser.
Optimisations <*>Servers no longer idle at a 100% CPU usage when hosting the Naval Battlefield, Naval Assault or Coastal siege game mode. Servers idle at maximum usage irrespective of the player count.
» This occurred due to several inefficiencies with how a third-party plugin functioned.
<*>Switching to a lower quality ocean setting will completely replace the ocean shaders to a much simpler one gathering more performance.
Server Configuration <*>Administrators can now reload the server configuration file during runtime without restarting the server. Be warned that performing changes to the override commands incorrectly may cause the server to shut down. The same can occur if the syntax is used incorrectly. Changes will occur on map reload.
» rc fileReloader serverConfigFile true <*>Administrators are now able to input rc commands in the server configuration file per map rotation. Once inputted, the command will be executed when that map rotation comes into play and will continue to persist through the rounds unless defined in a map rotation thereafter.
» Most of these commands are used for development proposes but can also prove useful for events or other roleplay scenarios.
<*>Administrators can now configure the time it takes for a ship to respawn by inputting the following command per map rotation.
» ships_respawn_time_seconds 120 <*>Administrators can now configure the required score that must be gathered by a specific faction in order to become the victor whilst playing the Naval Battlefield game mode. This should be done per map rotation.
» max_tickets 700 <*>Administrators can now adjust the wind strength. Wind strength impacts both the maximum knots at which a ship can travel and its manoeuvrability when sailing against the wind.
» wind_strength 1 <*>Administrators can adjust the cooldown timer for rowboats spawned aboard ships by inputting the following commands per map rotation.
» rowboat_cooldown_timer 120 » rowboat_cooldown_while_sinking_timer 5 <*>Be at the forefront of interplanetary travel! By inserting this command per map rotation, you can enable ships to fly. Press the ‘Space’ key to ascend and the ‘Shift’ key to descend.
» ships_spacemode true
Bug Fixes <*>Solved an issue which caused buoyancy on ships not to function.
<*>Solved an issue which sometimes causes the weapon used to kill another player to be displayed incorrectly in the kill feed.
<*>Solved an issue which caused ships to take flight when they hit the rocks on Harouti Islands or the shoreline on Coastal Siege maps.
<*>Solved an issue which sometimes caused cannonballs to become invisible when fired.
<*>Attempted fix at an issue which sometimes caused a player to spawn in the middle of the ocean.
<*>Solved an issue were sails in a damaged state remain visible on the ship even though the mast was destroyed.
<*>Solved an issue which sometimes caused ships to spawn on top of one another and flip. Same goes for when spawning a rowboat aboard a ship.
<*>Solved a bug which caused ships in the spawn menu not to retain their correct order from largest to smallest.
<*>Solved an issue with masts not floating correctly on the water when destroyed.
<*>Attempted fix towards an issue which caused the initial looking direction to not retain its original position when switching from 1st to 3rd person camera. This caused players to end up looking at another direction when switching between modes.
<*>Solved an issue that caused interaction icons to still remain visible when a ship is sinking.
<*>Solved an issue which sometimes caused ships to be pushed back when hit by an artillery shot.
<*>Solved an issue were sails belonging to a destroyed mast still followed the lead of the ship when being raised or lowered.
<*>Solved an issue which made interacting with ladder and rope positions aboard a ship to be quite tedious.
<*>Solved an issue with ladder positions on the rowboat being inverted causing players to frequently fall off the boat.
<*>Solved an issue that enabled players to interact with the guns aboard a ship’s deck when swimming.
<*>Solved an issue with the reflection probe not updating correctly causing the ocean to appear extremely bright.
<*>Solved an issue with normals on the Marine.
<*>Solved an issue which caused other players to appear jitter when moving in free-flight.
<*>Solved an issue with an ammo box giving the wrong ammunition on Fort Imperial.
<*>Solved an issue with server showing up as an empty black bar in the server browser if they are unable to correctly establish a connection with the lobby.
Even though there’s plenty to check out in this update’s release, do look forward to what’s to come! We’ll be heading back to developing game-play oriented features on drier pastures for the next major update. Well placed player-built defences will turn the tide of battle in your favour.
A big thanks to all of those good fellows who joined us in our testing! We do hope to see you once more on the seven seas.
Thank you for your generous support and until next time, may good health be yours. We’re working on the next update.
- Anvil Game Studios
Game Update. Prussian Grenadiers! Canyon Makes A Comeback
Holdfast: Nations At War has been updated! Charge with musket in hand as the Grenadier class makes its way to the Kingdom of Prussia. Representing the Duchy of Berg, you will find them playable on all Army Front game modes. Canyon, a community-favourite map has also made it back into the game.
There’s more to look out for before you set sail once more in the update next to come. You’re most welcome to check out the BETA if you’d like to have a go at it before the naval gameplay oriented updated sees a full release.
Grenadiers! Kingdom of Prussia
More men in uniform. Clad in red, white and blue, this one is certainly quite the sight to look at. You’ll now find the Grenadier class available to play as part of the Army based selection of units for the Kingdom of Prussia.
Canyon. Army Front Map
Canyon, a community-favourite map makes its way back into the game! Many last stands where had inside its church as reinforcements deplete. This has been made possible thanks to an addition we’ll be discussing next.
Quality of Life. Muting & More
Player Based Map Rotations To better tailor the experience on the official servers, smaller maps like Canyon will only come into play when the player count is not at its peak. While the largest of maps like the Grassy, Snowy or Desert Open Plains variants only rotate when the player count is sufficiently high.
Have a read of our changelog for a better understanding of how to make use of this new functionality on your community server. It can also be used to define a map in the rotation that an administrator can rotate to using the mapRotation command but the map itself doesn’t automatically rotate.
Easier Player VoIP Muting Scrolling through the entire list of players to look for that individual you wouldn’t like to hear from any longer can sometimes be quite the task. Based on community feedback, we came up with an addition to facilitate this.
Players that have most recently spoken through VoIP will now appear at the top of the list in the Round Players ‘P’ panel so you can more easily find the person you’re looking for. If you know the player’s name, you can also make use of the search bar in the same panel.
Mute A Player From Chat Not too keen on a particular fellow’s conversation in chat? You now have the option to mute specific individuals through the Round Players ‘P’ panel. Similar to how VoIP muting functions, muting a player through chat also persists through rounds.
Spectate A Specific Player When in spectate mode, you are now able to directly spectate a specific player of your own choosing as long as they are affiliated with your own faction. Clicking on the all-seeing eye icon present in the Round Players ‘P’ panel will allow you to do this.
What’s To Come? Naval Warfare
Keep your boots dry for a short while longer! It won’t be too long now before we take the relatively sizable naval update out of BETA. The 50-gun frigate based on the French vessel ‘La Proserpine’, rocket boats, a new coastal siege map, tools to provide a solid groundwork for various roleplay scenarios to occur and much much more.
Don’t forget to join us on Discord if you’re interested in participating in the BETAs.
Prussian Grenadiers. Clad in red, white and blue, this one is certainly quite the sight to look at. The Grenadier class available to play as part of the Army based selection of units for the Kingdom of Prussia.
Canyon makes its way back into the game.
Quality of Life
Player based map rotations. Smaller maps like Canyon, for instance, will only come into play when the player count is not at its peak. While the largest of maps like the Grassy, Snowy or Desert Open Plains variants only rotate when the player count is sufficiently high.
» Input the below commands as global configuration settings to define the minimum number of required players for the low, medium or high population settings.
- population_low_min_players 30
- population_medium_min_players 50
- population_high_min_players 100
» Input the below command per map rotation to define on which population setting a particular map should be played on. Setting all of the below values to false will prevent the map from rotating automatically but administrators can still access and rotate to that map using the mapRotation command.
- population_verylow_playable true or false
- population_low_playable true or false
- population_medium_playable true or false
- population_high_playable true or false
Players that have most recently spoken through VoIP will now appear at the top of the list in the Round Players ‘P’ panel so you can more easily find the person you’re looking for.
You now have the option to mute specific individuals from chat through the Round Players ‘P’ panel.
When in spectate mode, you are now able to directly spectate a specific player of your own choosing as long as they are affiliated with your own faction. You can do this by clicking on the eye icon in the Round Players ‘P’ panel.
Bug Fixes
Solved various issues with Canyon when played on Conquest.
Do look forward to what’s to come. You’re more than welcome to have a read of our development roadmap if you haven’t done so already.
Once again, thank you for your support and until next time, may good health be yours.
We're working on the next update.
- Anvil Game Studios
Public BETA V2. A New Coastal Siege Map!
We’ve been plenty busy this week getting the relatively sizeable naval update up to speed. Even though there’s more that needs doing, progress has been smooth-sailing. With the latest BETA release, you’ll find various iterations to existing naval-oriented mechanics, multiple bug fixes, and a new coastal siege map!
Have a read of our latest blog post to join us in our testing.
What’s New? Public BETA V2
Here’s a list of all the changes and additions that we have undergone during this update. The sooner we get the testing done, the faster our update release schedule goes so please do join us in the BETA! If you haven’t set sail on the 50-Gun Frigate yet, do take up the chance.
New Additions
Balamor Bay. A new coastal siege map!
Causeways makes it back into the game as it could prove useful for roleplay scenarios due to its size.
An indicator identifying the ship you’ve spawned on in the status top bar has been included.
Players will now receive a score for damaging or destroying fort walls and various other objects.
Ring-able bells. Because it’s now a thing.
A user interface to aid Captains better distinguish the sail groups they have risen or lowered.
» Be sure to take down square-rigged sails when going against the wind. It’ll improve the ship’s manoeuvrability.
Included more tips to inform players on various features within the game.
Server administrators can now configure the global health points for each and every vessel type by using override commands.
Server administrators can now define the classes spawned on ships and their limits by using override commands.
» We’ve also made it possible to allow army-based classes such as the Line Infantryman to spawn on ships if you so desire.
Game Balance & Changes
Redesigned the way cannon trajectory’s function when round or chain shot is fired from cannons aboard ships or along the coast. This was done so players don’t have to aim too high with a cannon in order to reach the maximum effective range providing better visibility when firing.
» Increased the range and velocity of the chain shot to match that of the round shot.
» The trajectory for artillery shots fired from Field Guns remains as is.
Slightly reduced the time it takes to reload a coastal artillery gun.
Increased the overall health points of the 50-Gun Frigate.
You can now sail for a longer distance before reaching the border in the Naval Battlefield game mode.
» Players aboard a ship will also receive the notification that they’re going out of battlefield much earlier.
» A sound queue to notify the player when the warning pops up has been included.
Coastal fortifications can now take more shots before they’re destroyed. This was done to make up for the fact that the 2-Gun Schooner’s gun now deals upwards to 150 damage per shot being one of the largest calibre guns present on ships.
Unique names for the British and French 50-Gun Frigates in the spawn menu have been included.
The same goes for French Gunboats and Rocketboats.
Lowered the volume of the naval announcer.
You will now find more lanterns on the 50-Gun Frigate.
Graphical
Adjusted the water splash particle effects on various ships.
Decreased the size of the captain’s wheel on the 50-Gun Frigate.
Improved the animation of the pennants atop a ship’s mast.
Improved the looks of the initial camera spawn location on South Sea Castle.
Solved an issue with textures on one of the sandbags present on Fort Christina.
New map loading screen for the Open Waters map.
Performance
Reflections no longer cast on low quality water. This was done to gather some additional performance.
Bug Fixes
Solved an issue that was causing players to get stuck on a black loading screen until the map is switched.
Solved an issue that was causing players not to receive any score when they damage other naval vessels.
Solved an instance which was causing an error to appear on the server when players spawn.
Solved an issue within the ocean shader that was causing errors to appear on the server.
Solved an exception that was being outputted when a player shot a cannon, rocket or mortar.
Solved an occurrence which was causing the rocket’s model to remain following a naval vessel after the rocket explodes.
Solved a bug that which was causing the audio played while the rocket is mid-flight to continue playing after the rocket hits the water.
Solved a bug which was causing rocket trails to immediately disappear after the rocket hits the water.
Solved a recurring error that was sometimes being outputted when a player interacts with one of the four rowing positions on the rowboat.
Solved an error that was sometimes causing names of damaged ships to not be displayed correctly.
Solved a bug which was limiting firearm aiming movement in both 1st and 3rd person views.
Solved an issue were players rowing the rowboat could be seen rowing the boat even if the rowboat wasn’t being rowed (Just a little bit of a tongue twister).
Enlarged the size of the wind direction indicator on the minimap to make it more prominent. Wind plays a huge role in naval scenarios!
Attempted fix towards an issue that causes other players to be seen slightly floating when interacting with one of the rowing positions on the rowboat.
Solved various issues with localisation on spawn-able interactable objects.
Solved an issue that caused various weapons inside the weapon rack model to spawn inside one another.
Solved an issue which caused one of the user interface assets to improperly appear when other players interacted with a weapon rack.
Solved an issue which caused the player to receive a false positive message that the spawn is obstructed if they double tap the ‘E’ button while trying to launch a rowboat.
Solved an issue with the naval map border shader when playing on the lower quality game modes.
Solved an issue which caused other players to vibrate significantly when standing to the very front of the 50-Gun Frigate.
Solved an issue which caused the player’s look direction to automatically change when aboard a naval vessel and switching between 1st and 3rd person views.
Solved an issue that caused players to fall to the lower deck on the 50-Gun Frigate when walking near one of the masts.
Solved an issue that caused some of the sails to remain in place when the foremast was destroyed on the 50-Gun Frigate.
Fixed the position of the main entrance door on South Sea Castle.
Solved an issue with a warning being outputted when hitting the shrine present on the Martello Tower map.
Participate In The BETA!
Would you like to have a go at what’s to come? Join us in the BETA! Hop in on our Community Discord to do so. You'll find all the details on the #announcements channel. It’s a great chance for you to provide us with feedback before the update sees a full release and help us make sure that everything is working as intended while you’re at it.
Everything present in this BETA is still a work in progress and bugs are to be expected.
https://discordapp.com/invite/holdfastgame
We’re also planning on releasing a little something next week before we head off with the release of the relatively sizable naval update. A big thanks to all those good fellows who joined us in our testing.
Once again, we thank you for your support and until next time, may good health be yours.
We’re working on the next update.
- Anvil Game Studios
Public BETA V1. Naval Warfare & More!
Prepare to set sail once more as the relatively sizable naval update has entered its BETA phase! We need all hands on deck as the new game-play additions will require plenty of testing to make sure everything is in order before the update sees a full release.
Have a read at our latest blog post for a brief look at what’s to come.
What To Expect? A Brief Rundown
Well, where to start? When we said that the update is relatively sizable, it is indeed relatively sizable.
Starting from the largest of additions, the 50-Gun Frigate based on the ‘La Proserpine’ is truly a sight to behold! She packs enough arsenal to make quick work of other vessels pending that its crew is sufficient to the task. Rocketboats will also come in especially handy during the bombardment of coastal fortifications. Work your way through the enemies’ defences and create a breach before the landing parties do their deed.
Speaking of coastal fortifications, the Coastal Siege game mode will also be making a comeback! We have done extensive development to ensure smoother server performance. Prior to this update, servers on both the Coastal Siege and Naval Battlefield game modes idled at a 100% CPU usage due to several inefficiencies with how a third-party plugin functioned.
Now that this is over and done with, monthly costs for renting a coastal or naval server can be reduced by providers to almost match that of servers hosting army-based game modes. We do certainly hope to see crews forming up and more events taking place on this front.
It’s going to be quite the task to consolidate all that was done into one ‘brief’ summary. Row-able rowboats, completely redesigned the Naval Battlefield game mode so it functions according to a score-based mechanic, a new interface detailing the ship’s current statuses, designated rowboat spawns ensuring that players always find an available spawn point to join the round irrespective if a particular ship has been sunk, players are now rewarded with personal score for contributing towards the primary objective of sinking enemy ships and a whole lot more.
If you’d stick with us for a while longer, we’d like to let you know of other game-play oriented features present in this BETA besides all the naval and coastal goodness. Roleplay sits quietly in the current of a game like this and seeing the popularity and daily occurrence of community-hosted events, more functionality in support of this would indeed make for a great addition.
Providing solid groundwork for various roleplay scenarios to occur, hosts can now configure limits for classes, define the allowed spawn-able classes per spawn point and the equipment they spawn with, spawn props on a pre-defined location per map rotation, allow players to equip weapons from racks or even replenish ammunition and the list continues. Guides detailing how hosts can make use of this new functionality will be provided for.
Be sure to check out our updated roadmap if you’re interested in knowing more about our plans for both the naval and coastal scenarios. A new coastal siege map currently in the works is planned for release with the same update.
Would you like to have a go at what’s to come? Join us in the BETA! Hop in on our Community Discord to do so. You'll find all the details on the #announcements channel. It’s a great chance for you to provide us with feedback before the update sees a full release and help us make sure that everything is working as intended while you’re at it.
Everything present in this BETA is still a work in progress and bugs are to be expected.
https://discordapp.com/invite/holdfastgame
Once again, thank you for your support and until next time, may good health be yours.
We're working on the next update.
- Anvil Game Studios
Holdfast: Nations At War. Development Roadmap!
Greetings ladies and gentleman. We have updated our development roadmap to keep you abreast with our progress. Go have a look at what’s to come! There are also a few sneak peeks to look out for showing some of the features most sought out by the community.
View The Roadmap
A link to the roadmap can be found to the top right of the game’s main menu scene. Alternatively, you can access it directly by going to the below link on our website. Be sure to keep an eye out on this as we’ll continue to update it as development progresses.
Expect the BETA for the upcoming major content update to hit the decks relatively soon! You're most welcome to join in the discussion on our Discord.
Once again, we cannot thank you enough for your support and until next time, may good health be yours.
- Anvil Game Studios
Game Update. 3 New Linebattle Maps
Holdfast: Nations At War has been updated! As we gear up for the release of the upcoming major content update, we’ll be releasing 3 new maps targeted towards organised play. We’re sure that all those fellows participating in community-hosted events will find this a welcoming addition.
Be sure to stay tuned as we have plenty of other game-play oriented content in the works! The roadmap we’ll be releasing in the next few weeks will also show off our progress on some of the most community requested features.
3 New Linebattle Maps
Here’s a look at all the linebattle maps. Ancient Plains, Snowy Plains 4 and Snowy Plains 5.
Ancient Plains
Snowy Plains 4
Snowy Plains 5
Community. Join The Discord!
Looking for a good bunch of fellows to play the game with? Do join our Discord! Linebattle events were players are encouraged to play in formations relevant to the Napoleonic era are hosted by the community through the week.
Discord is a great place to be to stay in touch with the game’s development. Feedback is always greatly welcomed. We look forward to seeing you there!
https://discordapp.com/invite/holdfastgame
You can have a read of this update’s changelog below.
Changelog 30 - Game Version 0.28.7053.30152
New Game Features
3 New Linebattle Maps! Ancient Plains, Snowy Plains 4 and Snowy Plains 5.
» Input the following parameters to play these map on your community server: map_name ancientplains, map_name snowyplainsiv or map_name snowyplainsv
Combat Changes
Solved an issue with changing attack directions while using a musket, pike or a flag. Right or left mouse movements are no longer taken into consideration when changing between up and down stabs.
Once again, we thank you for your support and may good health be yours.
We’re working on the next update.
- Anvil Game Studios
Game Update. Camp Salamanca! Combat Changes
Holdfast: Nations At War has been updated! There’s a new map to dive into for this week’s release. Situated atop hilly areas, you’ll find plenty of natural and man-made defensive positions to make your stand on Camp Salamanca. We’ll also be pushing forward changes to combat mechanics within this update.
Have a read of our latest blog post for more on what’s to come.
A New Map. Camp Salamanca!
Rich with natural resources, the garrison in the area made good use of all that is available to fortify one of the highest positions. Camp Salamanca sits overlooking a farmhouse close to its vicinity leading to a secluded church.
Expect plenty of combat to occur on this terrain as the attackers attempt to capture the fortified camp in a siege. Salamanca is playable on the Siege, Battlefield, Conquest and Deathmatch game modes. Hop in on one of the Army Front official servers to check it out.
Combat Changes
There are some changes to existing combat mechanics coming with this update. We redesigned the way damage is dealt to players when struck with a melee weapon, improved player to player collisions, blocking responsiveness and various other changes.
Damage Mechanics The mechanic which dictates the damage received by a player when struck by a melee weapon has been redesigned to favour consistency.
Bayonets When it comes to the use of bayonets, striking your opponent with this weapon on their upper body will guarantee a one-hit strike. The only exception to this rule is if you significantly drag your strike after you release your left-click. In this case, you must end your opponent by landing another strike.
When it comes to strikes that hit the lower body, you must land no more or less than two strikes to finish your opponent off.
Swords You are guaranteed to end a player in two strikes by landing a right or left swing on your opponent while having a sword equipped. The same goes for a lunge strike. Upswing strikes are still as deadly as they were before and your enemy will meet their end with a single strike.
Player To Player Collisions We have worked on improving player to player collisions to reduce instances of players clipping inside one another while staying up close and personal. A preventive measure to reduce instances where players clip inside one another while aiming downwards with a strike has also undergone development.
Blocking Responsiveness Blocking mechanics have undergone a few adjustments to improve their responsiveness. We have also slightly reduced the pace at which players can feint a strike to further aid with this.
Sword Strikes Right and left swings from sword strikes no longer collide with the terrain. This will further responsiveness when a player using this weapon is engaged in combat on uneven terrain.
Arena Game Mode Players are now able to switch classes as well as the faction they initially joined without disconnecting from the server. We’re sure that players actively playing this mode will find it a welcoming addition as teams can be balanced more easily.
What’s Next? Work In Progress
Prepare to set sail once more as there’s going to be a relatively sizable naval oriented update hitting the decks! The Coastal Siege game mode, a favourite amongst players on this warfront, will be making its way back into the game.
With the same update, multiple server configuration settings to make events more interesting will be introduced. They’ll pave the way ahead for engaging roleplay scenarios to occur. Those with an avid interest in organised events will indeed be delighted to hear that we have more plains maps in the works.
Pending that we won’t require shifting some of our development efforts on hotfixes for the most recent additions, we estimate that the BETA for the naval oriented update will kickstart in two weeks.
Holdfast NaW. Development Roadmap
During the coming weeks, we’ll be updating our development roadmap to keep you abreast on our progress. For all those good fellows reading our blog posts, by now you should already be aware that we have multiple developers working on different updates. Player-built defences, destruction and various other game-play oriented features much requested by the community.
Be sure to keep a look out for this!
Community. Join The Discord!
Looking for a good bunch of fellows to play the game with? Do join our Discord! Linebattle events were players are encouraged to play in formations relevant to the Napoleonic era are hosted by the community through the week.
Discord is a great place to be to stay in touch with the game’s development. Feedback is always greatly welcomed. We look forward to seeing you there!
https://discordapp.com/invite/holdfastgame
Here’s the entire list of additional features, bug fixes, improvements and content that you’ll find in this update.
Changelog 29 - Game Version 0.27.7046.36487
New Game Features & Additions
A New Map! Camp Salamanca. Join one of the Army Front servers to check it out.
» Input the following parameter to play this map on your community server: map_name campsalamanca
Revisited the rotation present on the Army Front official servers based on community feedback.
Players are now able to switch classes as well as the faction they initially joined on the Melee Arena game mode without disconnecting from the server.
Combat Changes
The mechanic which dictates the damage received by a player when struck by a melee weapon has been redesigned to favour consistency. Strikes will now deal a set amount of damage pending on if they land on the upper or lower body.
Player to player collisions have been improved to reduce instances of players clipping inside one another while staying up close and personal.
Introduced a preventive measure to reduce instances where players clip inside one another while aiming downwards with a strike.
Blocking mechanics have undergone a few adjustments to improve their responsiveness.
Slightly reduced the pace at which players can feint a strike to further aid with blocking responsiveness.
Right and left swings from sword strikes no longer collide with the terrain.
Increased the stun timer that disallows a player to commit to another strike after they get hit to favour blocking.
Game Balance
Reduced the rate of fire of rocket artillery by increasing the time it takes to load a rocket by 2 seconds.
Reduced the blast radius of the rocket.
Solved an issue which caused the cannon ball’s hitbox to be larger than that of the model itself.
Reduced the damage done in an area when a round shot hits the terrain or an object on the world map.
Game Core
Performed a minor game engine upgrade.
Optimisations
Client-side optimisations to improve framerate when a lot of players are on screen.
Server-side optimisations to reduce data throughput.
Lobby optimisations to reduce data throughput.
Bug Fixes
Solved an instance which caused the map to randomly switch to the first one in rotation in the middle of the match.
Solved an issue which caused the player’s ragdoll when killed by a grape shot to animate incorrectly.
Solved an error that was sometimes being outputted when playing on Tahir Desert.
Solved an error that was sometimes being outputted when shooting at a rocket launcher with a firearm.
Solved an issue on the Melee Arena game mode which caused a team to win rounds repeatedly if no players remain in the opposing team.
Solved an issue which caused a player to always strike upwards if they rotate to the left and strike.
Quality Of Life
Player name plates when having the ‘Show Player Names’ options enabled, will now continue to rotate with the player even if the player dies.
The ‘Show Player Names’ option no longer switches back to its default value after closing the game.
The ‘Escape’ menu no longer appears if you minimise the game while in freeflight or spectate mode.
Flattened out the terrain on Palisade Arena and removed the poles present on the map.
Removed the trees present on Watchtower Arena to improve visibility when playing.
Changelog 29 (Hotfix) - Game Version 0.27.7047.40095
Bug Fixes
Solved a server-side issue related to player movement.
Once again, we thank you for your support and may good health be yours.
We’re working on the next update.
- Anvil Game Studios
A New Class. Rocketeer! Scale The Walls
Holdfast: Nations At War has been updated. Rain fiery hell on allies and foes alike with the all-new rocket artillery! Carry ladders through the ongoing onslaught and scale those towering walls in an attempt to capture a fortification before the artillery makes its first breach.
There’s plenty more to look out for in this update! Exclusively available for the British Empire, the rocketeer class has been included in the empire’s army selection of classes. You’ll also find that round shot fired from field guns now bounces off the terrain.
Have a read at our latest blog post for all the details. Before you do so, take a quick look at the trailer for this gameplay-oriented update.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBOXGuneZsY
Artillery. Rocket Launchers!
Intended for long range bombardments, rockets can be relatively inaccurate. Fear not, however! You’ll be able to send rockets flying at a relatively fast pace and one of them is bound to hit your intended target.
We always place team-play at the forefront with the use of artillery pieces and the rocket launcher is not an exception to the rule. Well trained crews are sure to triumph over others.
Here are some of the steps a crew must go through to operate the rocket launcher. From moving it about on the field of battle to sending your very first rocket flying its way.
Carry The Rocket Launcher - Stage 0 Nearby the spawn location of either faction, you’ll find a rocket launcher present. These launchers can be moved around on the battlefield as you can already do so with cannons. Look at either end of the packed launcher and press ‘E’ to take control over the launcher.
Assist Carry The Rocket Launcher - Stage 0 A secondary player can interact with the launcher to assist with moving it around the field of battle at a faster pace. Look at the back of the launcher then press the ‘E’ key once to do so.
Unpacking & Packing The Rocket Launcher - Stage 1 Move the rocket launcher to your desired location then drop it by pressing the ‘E’ key once. While the launcher still retains its packed state, look at the box interaction icon and hold down the ‘E’ key to unpack it.
Unsure about the location you’ve placed your launcher at? Go ahead and pack the thing up to carry it once more. Hold ‘E’ while looking at the box interaction icon to pack the launcher.
Aiming The Rocket Launcher - Stage 2 Providing full control to the crew over the relative direction to send rockets flying towards, launchers can be aimed directly after they have been unpacked. Look at the back of the launcher where the crosshair interaction icon is present and press ‘E’ once to aim the launcher.
Selecting Your Rocket - Stage 3 Search for a rocket stack close to your vicinity then interact with it by pressing the ‘E’ key once and you’ll be presented with a user interface that’ll allow you to equip a shell rocket.
Similar to what can be done with an ammo box, rocket stacks can also be carried around by the rocketeer or cannoneer classes. Be sure to have one close to the launcher’s vicinity!
Loading Your Rocket - Stage 3 Load up the rocket launcher with an explosive shell rocket by looking at the right or left emplacement on the launcher and holding down the ‘E’ key. Maximise the launcher’s rate of fire by having two players load rockets on either emplacement at the same time.
Launchers loaded with rockets are also prone to explode if destroyed. It’s not a delightful experience if you’re on the receiving end of this so you better watch out.
Firing The Rocket - Stage 4 Ignite the rocket by looking at the rocket loaded on the emplacement by pressing the ‘E’ key once and wait until it fires away.
If you’re lucky enough to hit your target, you’ll send those poor fellows flying away with a hint of explosion.
A New Class. Rocketeer!
Rocketeers are the latest addition to the already growing selection of classes available in Holdfast: Nations At War! Staying true to their history, this class is exclusively reserved to the British Empire. They come equipped with a spyglass, a sword and a pistol. All of these tools will surely come in handy in your efforts to bombard targets at a distance.
Rocketeers also have priority over the use of rocket launchers followed by cannoneers.
Round Shot. Cannonball Bounce!
Round shot fired from field guns will now bounce off the terrain decimating through enemy lines. Once a shot loses its momentum, it will also continue rolling on the terrain giving you a better indication of where it has landed.
Carriable Ladders. Scale The Walls!
Be the first in line for the forlorn hope! Your chances of survival are slim but someone must perform the glorious deed. Carry ladders close to a fort’s wall then raise them up to create additional entry points for the assaulting allied infantryman. Here’s how it all works out.
Carry The Ladder - Stage 0 Nearby spawn locations you’ll find multiple ladders that can be carried around. Locate a ladder then press the ‘E’ key once to start moving it around.
Assist Carry The Ladder - Stage 0 A secondary player can assist with carrying the ladder. This will provide an additional boost in speed at which the ladder can be moved. This can also be done by pressing the ‘E’ key once while looking at the ladder.
Place The Ladder - Stage 1 White shaded ladders present next to various fortifications and other buildings mark down the location for where a ladder should be placed. Once you have moved nearby one of these markers while carrying a ladder, you will receive a notification informing you that the ladder can be placed by pressing the ‘E’ key.
Raise The Ladder - Stage 2 Raise the ladder by pressing the ‘E’ key.
Let the capturing of the fort’s walls ensue.
Community. Join The Discord!
Looking for a good bunch of fellows to play the game with? Do join our Discord! Linebattle events were players are encouraged to play in formations relevant to the Napoleonic era are hosted by the community through the week.
Discord is also a great place to be to stay in touch with the game’s development. Feedback is always greatly welcomed. We look forward to seeing you there!
https://discordapp.com/invite/holdfastgame
Here’s a detailed changelog containing all the new features, quality of life additions and fixes you’ll find in this update.
Changelog 28 - Game Version 0.26.7013.5330
New Game Features
Rocket Launchers! Intended for long range bombardments, rockets can be relatively inaccurate. Fear not, however, you’ll be able to send rockets flying at a relatively fast pace and one of them is bound to hit your intended target.
» Input the following command in your server configuration file to adjust the rocket launcher’s respawn time: artillery_rocketlauncher_respawn_timer 130 » Launchers can be found on most of the current maps including plains maps intended for organised play.
A New Class. Rocketeer! Staying true to their history, this class is exclusively reserved to the British Empire. They come equipped with a spyglass, a sword and a pistol. Rocketeers also have priority over the use of rocket launchers followed by cannoneers.
Cannonball Bounce! Round shot fired from field guns will now bounce off the terrain decimating through enemy lines.
Carriable Ladders! Carry ladders close to a fort’s wall then raise them up to create additional entry points for the assaulting allied infantryman. Carpenters have priority over the use of ladders.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue which caused players aiming a mortar to retain some of their player’s visuals obstructing the camera.
Fixed an instance were players would join their previously selected server is they pressed the ‘Enter’ key while searching for a server or changing their name.
Attempted fix towards an issue which resulted in the rain sounds cutting off.
Quality Of Life
You are now able to auto move rocket launchers, ladders and cannons by pressing the ‘NumLock’ key.
You are now able to separately control artillery related audio sounds through the ‘Artillery’ audio slider.
There’ll be more gameplay-oriented additions and improvements to existing core mechanics coming your way soon. Once again, we thank you for your support and until next time, may good health be yours.
We’re working on the next update.
- Anvil Game Studios
Public BETA V2. More On The Rocketeers
After the release of the first BETA featuring the rocketeers, we’ve been putting our efforts on bug fixes, polishing and various other additions based on community feedback. Check out our latest blog post for a detailed list on what we’ve been up to.
BETA V2. Fixes & Additions
Here’s a list of all the additions you’ll find in this BETA. We’d also like to extend our thanks to everyone for checking out the previous release. We’re actively listening to feedback on our Discord.
List of Fixes & Additions
Slightly reduced the audio for rockets when they’re flying or being ignited.
Players can now control sound related to artillery pieces through the ‘Audio’ slider from the game’s options.
Smoothened the rocket’s trajectory. They still retain their inaccuracy but look nicer while they’re raining hell down on friends and foes alike.
Made it easier to interact with the rocket stack.
Solved an issue where the white circle reload indicator got stuck on screen if the rocket artillery got destroyed while you’re loading it.
Solved an issue which caused the rocket launcher to clip inside the terrain when dropped on a slope.
Rocket launchers can now only be packed or unpacked by the Rocketeer or Cannoneer classes.
Improved the looks of the rocket trails.
Increased the rocket’s fuse timer to reduce the rocket’s rate of fire.
Solved an issue were the rocket launcher would snap when aimed downwards.
Solved an issue which prevented you from igniting rockets if you have a rocket equipped.
Fixed an error in the localisation which caused the unpacking interaction to state that you should press instead of hold ‘E’ to perform the action.
Fixed various exceptions being outputted on the client.
Removed multiple debug logs as we’re now preparing for the update’s release.
Solved an issue that caused the Cannoneers to have priority over Rocketeers when it comes to the use of rocket launchers.
Solved an issue which caused other players to appear to be sliding away when ramming, loading or aiming a cannon.
Improved the rocket and ladder collisions to prevent instances where they could clip inside buildings, underneath the terrain or other objects on the world map. If you face similar issues, kindly report them on our Discord.
Solved an issue which caused the carriable ladders to retain a white shaded colour after they have been raised.
You will now find more positions to raise carriable ladders on Fort Pierre.
Solved an exception that was being outputted on Fort Schwarz.
Solved an issue with the rocket launcher spawning slightly under the terrain on Tahir Desert.
Solved several instances where players got stuck in an animation after using the rocket launcher or ladder.
Adjusted the velocity of round shout fired from field guns.
Tweaked the bouncing mechanics of the round shot.
Known Issues <*> Players aren't receiving damage when an explosion from a rocket that has hit the terrain occurs.
<*> There's a specific instance that causes players to be unable to raise a ladder after it has been placed.
Participate In The BETA!
Would you like to have a go at what’s to come? Join us in the BETA! Hop in on our Community Discord to do so. You'll find all the details on the #announcements channel. It’s a great chance for you to provide us with feedback before the update sees a full release and help us make sure that everything is working as intended while you’re at it.
Everything present in this BETA is still a work in progress and bugs are to be expected.
https://discordapp.com/invite/holdfastgame
Once again, thank you for your support and until next time, may good health be yours.
