Thought you might like to hear about some of the new features we've been working on, Frenzy mode, further Fear additions and a scrolling in game log for co-op and MP.
Frenzy
The Zulu player can get his warriors to go into a Frenzy, they begin with some shield thumping which puts the fear into the Brits and then they charge off to the target area assigned by the player. They have a more aggressive run plus they can take extra damage. Same applies to the player. Each Frenzy lasts for a short period.
Fear
You may recall from our announcement last month that we've added Fear. The Fear system is still being working on. We have new additions such as Frenzy and a close shave ... and as a reminder in case you prefer not to play with it on, most features and gameplay are configurable so you can choose to play with fear or not before starting a game (network games, host chooses).
Log
We've added for network games a scrolling log showing significant player events, such as kill/death and rewards (e.g. frenzy)
Anything Else?
Release I've had a few queries about release. As mentioned before the game will be released for EA (for the Rorkes Drift and Mbilini games) when development for gameplay and those maps are mostly complete and we feel its stable and playable.
We wont be date driven. Hopefully this means we can release an EA game that meets both yours and our expectations ... I mentioned late spring early summer previously however I think we need to push back a little but northern summer should be achievable.
Trailer Yes the current trailer is quite a bit out of date, yes this needs to be addressed and is on our task list.
Morale and Fear
A brief update on what we've been up to ...
Aside form the usual testing and fixing of issues we've starting development (it'll keep us busy over the short term) on fear and morale which kicks in and impacts the British player when the zulu approach en masse or if the zulu break into an intimidating chant.
The game assesses the British morale and may encourage the Zulu to chant. If the zulu player gets his warriors near and orders a chant he'll benefit.
To counter the British player has a means to restore or keep up morale for themselves and/or squad.
Config Turn On/Off
As usual there'll be a config so game hosts (MP or SP) can choose to turn it on/off prior to starting a game.
Swords, Clubs, Blood and Cattle
Thought an Easter Update might be welcome, therefore some of the more interesting things we've been working on include:
Swords, yes we finally have a sword as a weapon. Like all our weapons the hit damage can be adjusted to your preference prior to starting a game
We've also added a club for the Zulu player as well, hit damage can also be adjusted
Blood, we've now actually added blood (still basic but is undergoing further development) plus a config where you can choose to turn on blood or not. BTW, to clarify for a few of the eagle eyes out there, the trailer video does not show blood, it was a generic effect applied on any impact. Its just taken a while to get to it in the development cycle
Cattle, they have now been added to the Mbilini maps although they will require some animation adjustments. Cattle are used in the gameplay for this map as the Zulu must capture and escort them back to their territory or alternatively capture their location point (2 differing modes of play chosen at game start) and the British .... they must stop them of course
Swords, clubs and blood available in all games: SP, MP and co-op
Also in case its not readily understood, for network MP and co-op games, the host chooses the game config settings which are then applied to all players. The server browser currently indicates some of the config options but not all.
Men of Harlech
New month so it must be time for a brief update on progress:
Alot of time has been spent on the development of the Mbilini map, it is progressing well such preliminary testing will begin shortly
Men of Harlech which made for good entertainment in the movie Zulu has been added to the game. As the Zulu players receive a benefit from ordering their warriors to sound a chant at the British, conversely we've now given a means whereby the British player can restore their AI's tiredness through increased morale
Numerous tweaks and adjustments made to the Rorkes Drift map across the various game modes, alot of sound adjustments
Other Stuff
In terms of the overall game development some of you will be aware that we have maps and gameplay based off the battles at Isandlwana, Fugitives Drift, Hlobane and Intombe River.
No we don't have to develop those from scratch. Most of the work has already been done. The maps are at a position whereby we'll update them to include the tweaks, feedback and adjustments once we've bedded in and released Rorkes Drift and Mblini in EA.
Prince Mbilini Skirmish
Mbilini Map
First off this announcement is a little overdue so apologies.
For the eagle eyes who are aware that we have engagements planned for Rorkes Drift, Isandlwana, Fugitives Drift, Ntombe River and the Hlobane mountain top, we'd like to announce that there's a new map currently in the making which we hope to have ready when we enable EA release.
Prince Mbilini was the chief who orchestrated the successful attacks at Ntombe and Hlobane but was fatally wounded after a skirmish with the British whilst trying to grab some cattle.
Hence, we've created a new MP map based on this event.
If you'd like to have a bo peep, there's a few new images uploaded on the store page which do include this map.
Other Stuff
For those interested in development stuff we're currently:
Working on in game upgrades such as to Medic and engineer (your bots carry a shovel for a limited time)
Ability to choose to host your own games either by dedicated servers or p2p hosting with options to filter in the browser.
Adding new lighting and effects to enhance the landscape. The new map images show some of these
Some Repeated Questions
There's been a few repeated questions so I'll attempt to answer them here:
When will EA release happen Its our intention that the maps and gameplay we release for EA will be playable and as best free of bugs that we can see. We are not racing to meet some publishers deadline so we'll release when we think we've met those objectives. Late spring is an early guesstimate.
Can I play Person X Depends on the person but each player can choose from a combatant at the battle
Will there be Swords Its a weapon not currently coded but is a task on our rather large development list. Will it be there for EA launch .... :\
New Media etc
After adding some new post processing effects to enhance the graphic visuals we are looking to add some new videos. We'll keep you posted.
Thanks.
Zulu Response on Steam
Folks we're pleased to say that we have finally got our store page up on Steam. The game we expect to be available to purchase for Early Access in the spring of 2016.
Early Access will feature content from the 1879 war's most iconic battle at Rorkes Drift. We will release new content (other maps/battles) for Early Access once we are satisfied with the development of existing Early Access released content.
The Game
Experience realistic combat gameplay from 1879 as you take command of your own squad of AI British soldiers or Zulu warriors in single, multiplayer or co-op. Configure AI to adjust their abilities and adjust game settings to create games that suit you.
