Home Wars
HOME WARS: BATTLEFIELD or HOME WARS: SURVIVORS???
It's a period in which I'm reviewing all my work projects, especially those involving toy soldiers.
I will definitely develop HW2 one day, but since it is practically 3 types of games in 1, the development time is immense and I can't afford it now.
However, not developing HW (for now) doesn't mean not developing toy soldier themed titles, given that you like them a lot.
The other day, I introduced you to HOME WARS: SURVIVORS.
If you want to know more, just read the post preceding this one.
Today, I want to offer you another title that you might like: HOME WARS: BATTLEFIELD!
The game would be a sort of classic single-player Battlefield, or if we want Ravenfield, which has toy soldiers as protagonists.
The genre would be a first-person shooter with the addition of a fun mode, which I won't reveal to you for now.
I'm not sure whether to use modern weapons and vehicles or those from WW2.
One thing that many will like would be, finally, the presence of naval units, including submarine ones!
Being part of the HW universe, I could also include insects as a faction, creating a sort of Starship Troopers.
In case you like the idea, in the future, I will ask you some questions to meet your wishes, for example (it would be great if you started answering these already):
1) Would you prefer the soldiers to have the usual pedestal or to run normally?
2) Would you like animations, such as loading or jumping, to be minimized so you can spend time adding more content?
3) Do you prefer WW2 weapons, modern ones, or a mix of both?
Obviously, I will have to personally decide which title to develop first, based on the development time and the needs I will have in the future, but, as always, I will take your opinion into great consideration! <3
If you want to support my work, I remind you of the latest games I released so that you can check them out:
- Age of Undead
- Gummy Dummy Battles
- Mercenaries of the Kingdom: First Blood
I'm eager to hear what you think about this possible HOME WARS: BATTLEFIELD!
See you in the comments!
HOME WARS SURVIVORS ???
Today I wanted to propose an idea to you.
Given that there are no longer "juicy" updates for HW in terms of actual content, and considering that the development of HW2 for a single developer like me requires at least 18 months of work (but unfortunately I don't have the possibility to dedicate that much time to it now), an idea came to mind.
Wandering around the Steam sales, I'm noticing how Vampire Survivors style games (2D/3D) are still selling well.
As a result, this thought came to me:
"Generally they are not long games to develop and are adaptable to almost all video game settings. I wonder if my friends would like to see a Home Wars version of Vampire Survivors?".
So I'm here to ask you: would you be interested in a 3D VS-style roguelike where a team of toy soldiers have to face hordes of insects?
The gameplay wouldn't have anything similar to HW1, but the setting and characters obviously would.
I'm pitching the same idea to Age of Undead players.
It's just a thought, I'll give you the floor :)
THE ONLY GOOD BUG IS A DEAD BUG!
SLOW RETURN TO NORMALITY
Since I published the news about the flood I suffered, I have received more interest (likes and comments) than any update made in recent years!
This made me extremely happy and made me understand that in addition to the developer-player bond, there is a bit of love <3
For this reason, I want to work even harder to make sure that in the future, when you open one of my games, you will feel it more fun, warmer, and with the feeling that it was developed by one of you!
FLOOD REPORT:
If you are interested in getting some images of what happened, search for "Campi Bisenzio flood 2023".
The situation has not yet returned to normal, but the water has receded from almost every area and most of the mud has been taken away to allow road transport, so the first conclusions of this disaster can be drawn.
Eight people have died, hundreds of families are currently homeless, and the damage is calculated in the order of hundreds of millions of euros.
HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
When storm Ciaran hit Tuscany on November 2, 2023, the rain began to fall with rare violence.
I remember I was out with my dog, and I was talking to my mother on my cell phone when the rain started hitting the umbrella with such force that we couldn't hear each other anymore, not even screaming.
Statistics say that two months' worth of rain fell in just two hours...
I honestly don't know if it's true, but I guarantee you that a lot... a lot... has fallen.
Many towns in the Florence-Prato-Pistoia plain were flooded simultaneously and by different rivers, a sign that the quantity of water on the ground was truly unmanageable.
In my town, Campi Bisenzio, the rivers have both burst their banks and overflowed.
Many areas were inundated with more than 150 cm of water.
In the case of my house, the water did not exceed 50 cm, but it was the most affected by the mud, as an old wall broke in at least 3 points, completely letting the water flow out.
In my street, we found ourselves having to shovel like 30 cm of mud everywhere in the house, garden and street.
I'm not a thin guy, but I guarantee you that wet mud weighs a lot, especially if you don't sleep at night and if the humidity gets into your bones, day after day.
WHAT DID I SEE THAT I DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE?
I saw a lot of solidarity.
Honestly, with the way the world is going, I didn't expect to see so many people willing to roll up their sleeves to help other people from nearby countries.
We received the help of thousands of volunteers of all ages, who made themselves available to shovel the mud, to bring basic necessities and to finance these operations.
I also saw absurdly comical scenes like a group of volunteers trying to clear out an underground garage with buckets... without realizing that the water came back under their feet every time :D
Unfortunately, there have also been many episodes that make you lose all hope for the human race, such as the fact that there have been looting actions, that there have been thefts of food items intended for flood victims and that cars have been stolen pretending to be emergency units.
EFFECTS ON THE BODY?
Talking with the other inhabitants of my area, I discovered these consequences, some obvious, others curious:
- common back pain due to moving weights.
- intense pain in hands and feet due to continuous contact with water; we are talking about at least 7 days.
- difficulty sleeping in the rain.
- feeling of nausea when you hear water flowing, whether it is a small stream or a high-pressure washer.
In my case, having been the only one able to clean the house for many days, I now find myself with a fixed backache. I have no strength in my hands, and as soon as it becomes evening, I get constant pain inside the bones of my hands and feet, so much so that it is impossible for me to return to sports for at least another week.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
I can finally go back to work most hours of the day now, even if it will take another week to finish the cleaning.
WHAT ARE THE ONGOING PROJECTS?
Just to summarize, in addition to updating the games already released, there are 2 projects I'm currently working on:
- "Mercenaries of the Kingdom: First Blood" has already been released but is still in Early Access. In particular, I must add the Story mode, which enriches the gameplay and justifies the battles.
- A Battlefield-style game, but single-player, with both first-person and tactical components, as in BF2 and BF4.
I tell Home Wars lovers to follow this latest title (not yet available) in the future because, among the factions present, there will also be insects and perhaps even dinosaurs! Both as enemies and as fully playable units!
Furthermore, I will need this game to test some dynamics that I would like to introduce in HW2, such as physics and first-person in the invertebrate units.
In reality, I have a thousand other ideas, but being a single developer, it's very difficult to manage everything, so I'm forced to nip some very cool ideas in the bud, perhaps hoping to realize them in the future.
DO YOU WANT TO SUPPORT ME?
Do you know those developers who managed to become millionaires with a single game (due to skill and luck)? ... well, it's not me! :D
If you want to support me, there are 3 ways:
- Check out my latest games and see if there's any you're interested in!
Please buy for your own pleasure and not out of compassion for what just happened to me. Ultimately, I received very little damage compared to other families affected by the flood.
- If you like one of my games, it would be great if you left a review to encourage other potential players to purchase!
- Good old word of mouth!
I certainly can't invest in advertising now, so good word of mouth would be very helpful to me at this moment <3
CONCLUSION:
What doesn't kill you strengthens you... but it tires you out a lot... :D
I REALLY thank you from the bottom of my heart for being close to me at this moment, and I promise that I will try to reciprocate this love with healthy fun in the months/years to come!
Talk to you in the next updates, my dear keyboard friends! <3
SAD NEWS ...
In just a few hours the rain managed to fill the rivers that descended from the nearby mountains; I have never seen so much water fall in such a short time (about 6 hours).
A riverbank near my house gave in to the force of the water and broke.
Unfortunately, there were victims and several people are still missing.
Many people risked drowning in their own homes.
I'm fine, but a lot of mud has entered my house (as well as those of my neighbors), so I have to roll up my sleeves and clean everything, saving what can be saved.
The hardware I work with is upstairs, so all my games are safe, but, as I imagine you will understand, all the development will have to come to a complete stop for a few days.
I will be able to continue to provide support in the Community Hub before bed.
When everything gets back to normal, I will be happy to resume the development of my games, including updates to already released ones.
I'm the first one to regret this temporary stop, sorry.
This planet probably no longer knows how to tell us that we must pollute it less and has resorted to the "hard ways".
I want to tell you this disaster hasn't affected my spirit as a game developer in the slightest, on the contrary, I've come up with some very "insane" ideas to include in games and maybe use this experience to make a game, who knows.
I greet you and see you when there is less mud around me :D
Update to version 1.035!
In this update, I focused on a unit that I see as underestimated (at least from videos and posts) but which is very powerful: the Observer!
CHANGES IN VERSION 1.035:
- Cruise missile travel time decreased, but its blast radius was slightly reduced.
- The Smoke Grenade has a shorter recharge time, thus increasing its tactical contribution.
- The Laser-Guided Bomb still has its small explosion radius, but now it deals even more damage.
- Artillery Volley has slightly increased the radius within which projectiles can fall, so it has less accuracy.
However, his strikes are a little more powerful.
God bless artillery!
- Even the Support Crate has a shorter charging time because these guys need to be supported!
- The Support Crate should now have fewer problems descending, as previously it could "disappear" by touching certain surfaces above its desired landing point.
NEWS:
My first pixel art game "Mercenaries of the Kingdom: First Blood" has just been released in Early Access.
I'd love it if you would take a look at it.
I hope you enjoy :)
Have a great Halloween, and see you in the next update, my friends!
THE ONLY GOOD BUG IS A DEAD BUG!
Home Wars update to version 1.034!
Sorry for the late update, I have concentrated my time on the game presented at the last Next Fest "Mercenaries of the Kingdom: First Blood", because I would like to have it out in the early autumn.
CHANGES IN VERSION 1.034:
- Fixed a bug that caused two enemy units to spawn instead of one in battle, in case of severe lag.
- Fixed a helicopter rotation issue in first/third person.
- Slightly changed the lift and descent force of helicopters.
- Fixed a bug that caused the units' autocannon to "jam" when the unit was abandoned by the 1st/3rd person.
- I started checking the campaign map colliders.
You should see fewer armies/enemies stuck in corners, resulting in a turn freeze.
I hope you are having a good summer!
We'll see you in the next update.
HOME WARS update to version 1.033!
Hello, Generals!!!
Sorry for the delay in the new update, but I had to finish the DEMO for my new game "Mercenaries of the Kingdom" which will participate in the Stem Next Fest in June.
Changes in this version:
- Many of the new users wrote me that the game didn't start.
I know that most of the time it's a graphical issue, so if the game is launched for the first time, it will start in a window and with a lower resolution so that it is suitable for all screens.
Give me some feedback if you have any problems, thanks bro!
- Fixed that annoying bug that made the end of battle/campaign music continue once you returned to the Main Menu.
- Improved some colliders of military units, especially terrestrial; tell me if you encounter any problems.
Maybe next time he'll check out the colliders of those 6-8 legged bastards too!
- Updated the list of new games on the Main Menu.
I took advantage of this moment to lighten the Main Menu from a graphical point of view, now it should load a little faster.
NEW:
I take this opportunity to tell me that the DEMO of "Mercenaries of the Kingdom" has just been released and you can play it for free without limits.I would be very glad if you give me some feedback about the gameplay, thank you very much!
IMPORTANT:
I take this opportunity again to tell you that I have also started working on the new game that I will need to better develop HOME WARS 2, a sort of Ravenfield, but wider, more tactical, without mods, with marine and submarine battles, intense dogfights and above all more units on screen!I'm going to add some insects too, especially spiders, so you can get a taste of HOME WARS 2 from an FPS point of view.
I haven't decided on the name yet.
Lots of new things are boiling in the pot and I can't wait to give you some more details as development goes on!
THE ONLY GOOD BUG IS A DAMNED DEAD BUG!!!
The toy soldiers in our childhood
As I mentioned in the last post, I'd like to exchange our childhood experiences related to the world of toy soldiers.
This is not an update, and it's not an advertisement for my new games, it's just a chat with friends.
I'll start and, if you like, tell your story <3
How did I start?
The first to buy me the packs of toy soldiers was my father, of course.
It was he who passed on to me this great passion for the military world, who explained to me the first tactics used by real Generals, and who told me anecdotes that still make me dream 30 years later.
I don't remember exactly which one was the first, but I remember the places where he gradually bought them for me; most often, it happened in the summer when we were on vacation by the sea.
Here in Italy, I don't know abroad, usually in every package there are two-colored soldiers: green and grey. The former represents the Americans and the latter the Germans, as they almost always represent World War 2.
Where did I play?
The place where I played it the most was undoubtedly my maternal grandmother's table! A huge table (looking at it now, it's not that huge :D ) where I put the gray soldiers on the left and the green ones on the right.
Usually, first I prepared the base of the gray ones, which I think also had a few more cannons, then the green ones, which instead had more variety of infantry ... typical things for children's games :D
Particular units?
I also remember that since there wasn't all the military variety I wanted, I used Lego to build planes, spaceships, and heavy tanks. I also seem to have used some GI Joe as a hero just to break through enemy lines.
For the air units, I used another package which, however, had small planes, absolutely not in scale with the toy soldiers, but which, together with the film Top Gun made me dream! The F-14 Tomcat remains my favorite aircraft and always will be!
I also had some unlikely underwater soldiers, but I never knew how to use them in battle :D so I ended up creating totally unrealistic underwater battles, haha, but somehow I had to use them.
I also had dinosaurs, but I don't think I ever used them in these battles. A childhood without dinosaurs is no childhood!
What tactics did I use?
Contrary to what you may think, I don't like complex strategies.
I've always liked breaking through enemy lines with brute force, maybe with artillery and tanks. It makes me smile that I still prefer this way of doing strategy games that I can play in my little free time.
Who did I win?
Since green is a more positive color than gray, I generally let them win, regardless of the nationality they represented, but it could happen that sometimes the gray soldiers massacred the green ones, and then the immediate revenge started! :D
Conclusions.
The years in which I have been able to play toy soldiers have been the best of my life so far, not only because of them of course, but because it is a period of life in which you mostly see the good in the world and ignore the bad.
That way of playing has developed a lot of imagination in me, a lot of passion for the military world, even though I reject war as an instrument of attack.
When I remember those moments, I also feel that plastic on my fingers (typically very low quality plastic!), the sensation of my grandmother's tablecloth which in the summer used to stick to my little chubby forearms :D and the smell of food I pour lunchtime came out of the kitchen.
This is kind of my story :)
I'd be curious to hear yours <3
How were the toy soldiers in your countries? what tactics did you use? How did you get interested in the military world?
See you soon, my friends!
About update to version 1.033
In version 1.033, there should be a further improvement in the optimization of the navigation or targeting system (I have to check the worse code) and then I wanted to try to set up a new way to start the program since many of the new users say they have problems.
I want to remind you to check out Age of Undead, my latest C&C3 style RTS.
Age of Undead is a huge game: 3 factions (Army, Infected, Survivors), tons of units, and different ways to take to the battlefield, some of which are new for an RTS, like the possibility to play as close air support.
There is also a turn-based campaign, quite an original feature for RTS-style games.
Unfortunately, even if the evaluation is very positive, due to some of my initial marketing errors (which I didn't know existed), AOU was heavily penalized in terms of visibility, but in my humble opinion (and many of you) it is a little hidden gem ... then, of course, tastes are tastes.
Since we are now a small but close-knit community, the next time we talk, I want to ask you a personal question about the world of toy soldiers, and I'll tell you my experience <3
If you have an extra minute available, I remind you of my future project: Mercenaries of the Kingdom!
It would be great if you could take a look at it and, if you like it, add it to your wishlist.
I love you, and I can't wait to tell you about my experience in the world of toy soldiers!
See you soon!
Mercenaries of the Kingdom
- 6 races: Humans, Orcs, Light Elves, Dark Elves, Dwarves, Goblins.
- 12 magical knowledge: Fire, Water, Earth, Ice, Electricity, Poison, Light, Darkness, Cosmos, Vampire, Demon, Hellfire!
- 210+ weapons, 650+ armor components, a great variety of magical items and 4 types of mounts (horse, boar, wolf, elk)!
- Hire a huge number of mercenaries in your group.
- You can create formations to deploy in battle.
- Customize the aesthetic and function of all the mercenaries: shape armored footmen, mages, heavy knights, horse archers, crossbowmen, musketeers, ninjas, and a thousand other variations.
- Tons of different enemies!
I already announced this game to you, but I didn't post the announcement with the MOTK cover.
Do you like the picture?
