devtrackers.gg
about 2 months
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Frost Giant Studios
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| 5s | [Music] |
|---|---|
| 20s | stormgate is directly inspired by the |
| 23s | legacy of Blizzard RTS games in |
| 25s | particular we have been inspired by |
| 27s | Warcraft and Starcraft and wanting to |
| 29s | extend and continue that Legacy in |
| 31s | stormgate we're really looking at that |
| 33s | core RTS experience we're really trying |
| 36s | to build off of the great RTS is from |
| 38s | blizzard and uh things that made those |
| 41s | games great we want to protect and make |
| 42s | sure that our game delivers this project |
| 45s | in a lot of ways is a love letter to the |
| 48s | history of real-time strategy and one of |
| 51s | the motivations for us starting Frost |
| 54s | Giant and and building stormgate was the |
| 56s | attachment that we feel to the genre but |
| 58s | also the attachment that we feel to |
| 60s | players of realtime strategy games but |
| 63s | we're looking to not just carry the |
| 66s | torch for what's coming before but to |
| 67s | also help move forward we are really |
| 70s | excited about bringing a lot of new |
| 72s | ideas into the genre we're taking |
| 74s | factions like the celestials and we're |
| 76s | really trying to push boundaries where |
| 78s | we can really explore new ideas |
| 81s | creatively for how the gameplay plays |
| 83s | out and for how the player experience of |
| 85s | going through a match really |
| 88s | unfolds with each action that we develop |
| 91s | we start with a core identity in terms |
| 93s | of narrative and core gameplay and we |
| 95s | make sure that they have their own |
| 97s | unique design space we want you to have |
| 99s | this asymmetric experience where playing |
| 102s | one faction or another faction really |
| 104s | feels almost like a different game |
| 106s | entirely the Vanguard by nature of being |
| 109s | our first faction was consciously meant |
| 112s | to feel familiar the vangard we have |
| 114s | this Plucky human resistance they're |
| 116s | about adaptability and survivability and |
| 119s | hanging on for dear life with the |
| 121s | infernals we really explored the idea of |
| 123s | a unit focused faction that could have a |
| 125s | different way of summoning their troops |
| 127s | into the battlefield in almost a |
| 128s | Relentless fashion now with celestials |
| 131s | we have gone the furthest to field we've |
| 133s | done something that is pure original |
| 136s | thinking from this team that is not |
| 139s | something that we've seen before in a |
| 140s | real-time strategy game when we set out |
| 143s | with the celestials we really wanted to |
| 145s | design both their units and their |
| 146s | structures to have a lot of exciting |
| 148s | ideas so we thought how can we make a |
| 151s | building focused faction and also a |
| 153s | faction that introduces map wide |
| 156s | mobility and uh a lot more flexibility |
| 162s | strategically this dying race is reliant |
| 165s | on technology their whole civilization |
| 167s | is reliant on these massive ships which |
| 170s | are carrying them through space and so |
| 172s | they are anchored by this idea that |
| 174s | they're descending into the atmosphere |
| 176s | from this Fleet above right the |
| 178s | celestial Armada they're not tied to a |
| 181s | home World someplace they move and |
| 183s | they're constantly in different |
| 184s | locations and so as we develop the |
| 186s | celestials we really latched onto a set |
| 188s | of exciting mechanical ideas for them |
| 190s | where your actual HQ building can move |
| 194s | from the very first sections of a match |
| 196s | and can project its power anywhere on |
| 198s | the map that you want to and so as you |
| 201s | move across the map you will then be |
| 203s | able to warp in structures into |
| 205s | different locations you can call down as |
| 208s | many structures as you want without the |
| 210s | need for an actual Builder unit to walk |
| 212s | over start constructing things in place |
| 215s | and so we were able to really separate |
| 218s | the building mechanics from the |
| 220s | harvesting mechanics and do something |
| 221s | really Innovative here you can take this |
| 224s | Ark ship and you might use it to um |
| 227s | break out of the normal expansion |
| 228s | process maybe you actually are going to |
| 230s | go expand to one of your opponents uh in |
| 233s | normal expansion locations it really |
| 236s | brings the whole map into play early on |
| 239s | and it gets players moving and building |
| 242s | and expanding in a free form way they |
| 244s | can do so in a different order than |
| 247s | maybe a normal build order for a normal |
| 249s | RTS race might go you don't have to go |
| 251s | to your natural next we looked at it and |
| 253s | said what can we do on the design side |
| 255s | to really build something new to break |
| 257s | the mold to have flying structures or to |
| 260s | have power grids that can change where |
| 262s | you're building things on a in a moment |
| 264s | to moment basis we have units that are |
| 266s | able to fly and to land and different |
| 268s | ways to mine resources and things like |
| 271s | that so players are having to learn how |
| 272s | to to change the way that they think |
| 274s | about playing RTS a little bit when they |
| 276s | use them we're really excited about |
| 278s | pursuing asymmetry to a greater degree |
| 280s | than other RTS games have in the past |
| 282s | the celestials don't have incremental |
| 285s | Supply the way that other factions do |
| 288s | you don't have to build a farm or a |
| 290s | Supply Depot or a habitat in order to |
| 292s | gain additional Supply to build more |
| 294s | troops they actually start with all of |
| 296s | the supply that they have in the fleet |
| 297s | overhead and they can just start |
| 299s | building as many troops as they want |
| 301s | where they are counterbalanced though is |
| 303s | that they have a special power mechanic |
| 306s | that they have to maintain in order to |
| 309s | have their bases and all these |
| 310s | structures that they're placing on the |
| 311s | map operate as powerful and as |
| 313s | efficiently as they possibly can and so |
| 316s | as you are fighting on the map yes I can |
| 319s | build almost anywhere but I also have to |
| 322s | pay attention to where is my Cascade |
| 324s | field what are my power levels and how |
| 326s | do I maintain these Dynamics and so |
| 328s | we've kind of shifted the focus on into |
| 330s | the buildings themselves pound-for-pound |
| 332s | the celestial units are not as cost |
| 335s | effective as the units for the other |
| 338s | factions but they become stronger when |
| 341s | they're augmented by their structures in |
| 343s | many ways it becomes this strategic |
| 345s | dance about where the conflict is |
| 347s | playing out on a map so there's going to |
| 349s | be a lot of emergent gameplay that |
| 351s | players will discover on their own that |
| 352s | we are not planning for and that's |
| 354s | actually what we want from the |
| 356s | celestials so we want to give players a |
| 358s | bunch of options a bunch of flexibility |
| 359s | and a bunch bunch of interesting toys to |
| 361s | play with and then see what comes out |
| 362s | the other side if you're the type of |
| 364s | player that really likes coming up with |
| 366s | your own strategy that really likes to |
| 369s | maybe come up with this Innovative way |
| 370s | to outsmart opponents or to head fake |
| 373s | them on the battlefield the celestial |
| 374s | faction is designed for |
| 377s | [Music] |
| 383s | you we really believe that even within a |
| 386s | blizzard style RTS there's a lot of room |
| 388s | to innovate and there's a lot of design |
| 390s | space to explore with this type of game |
| 392s | we're pushing boundaries on the |
| 393s | technology side in terms of snow play |
| 396s | and the the way that we're approaching |
| 398s | our net code to allow players around the |
| 400s | world to play this game with a maximum |
| 403s | level of responsiveness snowplay is what |
| 406s | we're calling the engine that we've |
| 408s | built for real-time strategy which sits |
| 410s | on top of the Unreal Engine so unreal is |
| 413s | doing all of the rendering playing all |
| 415s | the sounds taking the input but the game |
| 417s | play and the networking is being handled |
| 420s | by the snow play layer that we've built |
| 422s | our technology runs uh at a higher tick |
| 425s | rate than any realtime strategy game |
| 427s | that's ever come before and on top of |
| 428s | that we also support a system called |
| 430s | rollback which essentially allows us to |
| 432s | commit a player's action before it has |
| 435s | been received by other players in a |
| 436s | nutshell essentially what that means is |
| 438s | as a player the time between clicking |
| 440s | and seeing their actions take place is |
| 442s | faster than any other RTS game that's |
| 444s | really ever come out and that enables |
| 446s | players who are in higher latency |
| 449s | conditions in different part parts of |
| 450s | the world or even in rural parts of |
| 452s | America that don't necessarily have the |
| 455s | same high-speed connection they are |
| 457s | still able to have good games that don't |
| 460s | compromise the play experience for |
| 462s | themselves or for the remote player that |
| 464s | they're playing against and that in turn |
| 466s | has enabled us to support Global |
| 469s | matchmaking that we no longer have to |
| 471s | force players to match within a region |
| 474s | that is approximate to their location |
| 476s | with multiples of times more crisp and |
| 479s | faster to respond than a game like |
| 480s | Starcraft 2 which already felt great and |
| 482s | I think that's the difference that we've |
| 484s | been able to bring to the table with |
| 485s | more technology is to make that feel |
| 487s | even more precise as a player it just |
| 489s | feels really really good to |
| 495s | play one of the biggest design |
| 498s | challenges that we faced with stormgate |
| 500s | is creating a game that maintains the |
| 504s | high skill gameplay that has been the |
| 507s | heart of RTS for so long but still |
| 510s | provides an on-ramp for new players |
| 512s | coming in that doesn't scare them away |
| 514s | it's okay to be a high skill game it's |
| 516s | actually a good and appealing thing we |
| 518s | never want to water down that aspect of |
| 521s | RTS but we talk a lot about lowering the |
| 524s | skill floor which means making it more |
| 527s | approachable for new players coming in |
| 529s | without taking away the high skill |
| 531s | elements of the game that make RTS so |
| 534s | exciting our buddy butt feature lets the |
| 537s | player not have to think about some of |
| 540s | the macro aspects of the game it |
| 542s | automates it it's not as effective as an |
| 546s | experienced player can be but it gives |
| 549s | them an entry point that's going to feel |
| 551s | more familiar what if you had instead of |
| 553s | having to find that friend who was |
| 554s | already an expert in the game there was |
| 556s | something built in that you turned on |
| 558s | and it did the small things for you it |
| 560s | does reduce the amount of things you |
| 561s | have to be keeping an eye on and so it |
| 563s | becomes a perfectly reasonable play way |
| 565s | to play now is to focus Less on your |
| 567s | base and more on the action of your |
| 568s | units out on the field the buddy bot is |
| 570s | highly customizable so you can get as |
| 572s | much out of it or as little out of it as |
| 574s | you want what it's supposed to help with |
| 576s | is all of the things are like getting |
| 577s | APM tax that a player is supposed to do |
| 580s | such as maintain your worker saturation |
| 582s | building workers expanding making |
| 584s | production structures and then making |
| 585s | Army units out of those production |
| 587s | structures when we have a new race in |
| 589s | the game playing with buddy bot helps me |
| 591s | understand the basics of the race |
| 593s | because some of the complexity is being |
| 595s | handled by the AI and I'm able to kind |
| 597s | of dig into the other pieces of it we |
| 598s | give it goals and action to use while |
| 601s | participating with the player kind of |
| 603s | just like somebody who's got your |
| 607s | back if I had to distill our initial |
| 611s | vision for stormgate it's that there's |
| 613s | no one right way to play RTS we think |
| 616s | the future of RTS could bring in more |
| 618s | folks you know it's had this decades |
| 620s | long reputation of being Elite but I'm a |
| 623s | campaign player I've had a great time |
| 625s | really just playing you know the stories |
| 627s | not having to feel the sweaty palm of |
| 629s | competing against someone else our hope |
| 631s | is to draw a bigger audience of of |
| 633s | players that have maybe bounced off the |
| 635s | RTS genre in the past we're not trying |
| 637s | to do anything crazy to change up that 1 |
| 639s | V one experience for players but what we |
| 641s | are trying to do is add different modes |
| 643s | for players to come in and enjoy the RTS |
| 645s | experience that isn't just a competitive |
| 647s | smash your head against the wall until |
| 649s | you get better experience there are |
| 650s | changes that you can make that do make |
| 654s | the game more appealing to an audience |
| 655s | that hasn't tried it before um and some |
| 658s | of that's tutorial isation but some of |
| 659s | that's also supporting social gameplay |
| 662s | where more experienced players can help |
| 664s | onboard their less experienced friends |
| 666s | and that's been a big part of what's |
| 668s | behind our thinking with trying to |
| 670s | increase the level of social play for |
| 673s | stormgate um and that means that the |
| 676s | campaign mode will support up to three |
| 679s | players and we're going to have a three |
| 683s | player versus AI mode because it is |
| 686s | still multiplayer but multiplayer |
| 688s | working together the design behind it is |
| 690s | to let them win if they want to win they |
| 692s | can win they can come in and just have |
| 693s | fun and explore new strategies and have |
| 695s | a great time no matter what but then we |
| 697s | do have difficulties to the point where |
| 699s | some of the modes that we're trying to |
| 700s | build or some of the difficulties that |
| 701s | we're trying to build are things that we |
| 703s | can't even beat in house and so we're |
| 705s | giving it to the player base to say hey |
| 707s | good luck and then we're going to add a |
| 711s | three-player versus three player |
| 712s | competitive mode this is where we get |
| 714s | into the PVP side of the actual team |
| 717s | play but we're also looking at |
| 718s | potentially using |
| 720s | some Mobile Mechanics there as well so |
| 722s | we already have some Heroes we have some |
| 724s | units but we're looking at potentially |
| 726s | bringing in a main Fortress or a main |
| 728s | base this is your focus to kill where |
| 731s | all players will be able to play and all |
| 732s | players will be able to like actually |
| 734s | compete until the end of the game um and |
| 737s | that again will give players a chance to |
| 739s | come into the game get supported and |
| 742s | perhaps carried by their friends who are |
| 744s | much more experienced but have a chance |
| 746s | to learn in an actual gameplay |
| 750s | environment and it it sounds like um a |
| 753s | Nuance but but it's actually a really |
| 756s | significant thing when you think about |
| 757s | how traditional RTS has been focused on |
| 761s | one versus one competitive and solo |
| 763s | campaign like that opportunity to bring |
| 766s | your friends in through those modes just |
| 768s | didn't really exist before as developers |
| 772s | we really set out with stormgate to make |
| 774s | sure that no one aspect of the |
| 777s | experience would Trump the other aspects |
| 780s | of the experience with stormgate we want |
| 783s | all players of all skill level to be |
| 785s | able to enjoy what we love about this |
| 787s | RTS |
| 791s | [Music] |
| 796s | genre this is a team that is super super |
| 799s | passionate about realtime strategy |
| 801s | that's why we're all here for us our |
| 804s | whole family life history has been |
| 807s | realtime strategy game I have watched |
| 809s | most of the the leadership in the RTS |
| 812s | Community grow with this game have |
| 814s | careers around this game 20year careers |
| 816s | I was super fortunate at blizzard to |
| 819s | work with a lot of them on Starcraft 2 I |
| 821s | look back U wonderful years about 12 |
| 824s | years at blizzard I just loveed the the |
| 826s | people and I got to know Tim Morton |
| 827s | there and I really liked his leadership |
| 829s | and also you know the Starcraft two |
| 831s | teams dedication to the community and so |
| 834s | once I knew that Tim was starting his |
| 835s | own thing he reached out to see what I |
| 838s | was up to and I already knew like how he |
| 840s | was as a leader how he shows up for um |
| 842s | for players and for the community and I |
| 844s | was like I want to help him Starcraft 2 |
| 846s | had such a tremendous Community around |
| 850s | it Esports is a big part of that but |
| 852s | even the community that loves lore the |
| 854s | community that loves campaign cosplay |
| 857s | Community the mapmaking community |
| 858s | there's just a very robust group of |
| 861s | people around real-time strategy that |
| 863s | are passionate and it is that passion |
| 866s | that resonates with us as developers and |
| 869s | with us as players and so we wanted to |
| 872s | build something to service those players |
| 875s | in a way that hopefully they feel our |
| 878s | passion this is a game that is a passion |
| 880s | project for everyone that's working here |
| 882s | again we have a lot of experienced uh |
| 884s | developers that are working on the game |
| 885s | but it's it's the community that's |
| 887s | helped Drive the vision of it and |
| 889s | helping us make it better and we've been |
| 891s | that way from the very beginning we've |
| 892s | been listening to their forums we have a |
| 894s | Discord that we're constantly bringing |
| 896s | feedback into our slack channels and And |
| 898s | discussing and we believe we we agree |
| 899s | with you on this like how do we make |
| 901s | that change and how do we make the the |
| 902s | game better due to the feedback that's |
| 904s | coming in and I think um coming from my |
| 907s | past experiences where games are hush |
| 909s | hush and more of an ivory Tower of like |
| 911s | we know what is good and we'll give it |
| 912s | to you when it's ready uh compared to |
| 914s | the way that we're working at Frost |
| 915s | giant which is we as a collective and |
| 918s | that means the developers and the |
| 919s | community know what feels good at the |
| 921s | big companies is where you're one of |
| 923s | 5,000 or one of 10,000 you're just one |
| 926s | spoke in a very big wheel but here you |
| 929s | feel very engaged because you can add |
| 932s | input or bring research to the table or |
| 934s | or bring a feeling that could sway a |
| 936s | whole meeting and you know some of the |
| 938s | bigger companies there's just more |
| 940s | bureaucracy there's more people that |
| 942s | have to be involved with decisions we're |
| 944s | here you are empowered to make the |
| 946s | decisions you can do things in a more |
| 947s | Nimble way you can respond quickly and |
| 949s | be very in touch with your community I |
| 952s | firmly believe that game development and |
| 953s | Community Development are the same thing |
| 955s | they happen together and we're not going |
| 957s | to have all the right answers all the |
| 958s | time and so we look to them and we look |
| 960s | to everyone else to not only give us |
| 962s | ideas but to reinforce our current ideas |
| 964s | as well and I will tell you when we |
| 966s | decided to found this studio and see if |
| 968s | we could further the future of RTS one |
| 971s | of the first things we did was reach out |
| 973s | to that community of collaborators and |
| 976s | say guys you know we're going to all |
| 978s | leave safe jobs we're going to take a |
| 980s | big gamble we're going to found this |
| 982s | studio we need your help we need your |
| 984s | help designing the game um raising |
| 986s | funding because we're not going to be |
| 988s | with a big company anymore for and our |
| 990s | community and our content creators step |
| 993s | forward helped send a message to the |
| 995s | marketplace that realtime strategy was |
| 997s | not dead that it was their passion too |
| 999s | that was very much alive and that they |
| 1001s | had a vote of confidence in us and they |
| 1003s | really managed to secure the funding for |
| 1005s | the game for us the investors sat up and |
| 1008s | said wow you really do have passionate |
| 1010s | Community traction out there and they |
| 1012s | had continued to support us we when we |
| 1014s | um kind of whiteboard the game in the |
| 1017s | early days we brought in dozens and |
| 1020s | dozens of people I would say probably 40 |
| 1021s | or 50 people actively helped us make |
| 1024s | design decisions around the game and |
| 1027s | continue to support us today continue to |
| 1029s | reach out to us talk to us we actually |
| 1033s | have formal Summits every 6 months for |
| 1035s | several hundred people who are friends |
| 1037s | of the studio mostly content creators in |
| 1039s | which we say here's where we are here's |
| 1042s | where we are financially here's our road |
| 1043s | map we listen to them very very |
| 1045s | carefully and they've responded by being |
| 1048s | incredibly supp it's been wonderful to |
| 1051s | involve so many other people who have |
| 1053s | played a role in the history of realtime |
| 1055s | strategy from our friends at dream Haven |
| 1059s | who have advised us on the projects and |
| 1061s | many of them were involved in building |
| 1063s | Blizzard's first realtime strategy games |
| 1066s | and then there's a whole group of folks |
| 1068s | who are just passionate about real-time |
| 1070s | strategy games uh including simu that we |
| 1074s | had no idea and it was wonderful to |
| 1077s | discover that he shares our love of the |
| 1079s | genre |
| 1080s | simu of course uh was when he came in |
| 1082s | and visited was amazing it a we had so |
| 1085s | many pictures being taken and it just |
| 1087s | meeting a an actual Superstar is pretty |
| 1089s | cool uh he's very humble it was an |
| 1091s | amazing experience and we had fun but |
| 1093s | also being a scrappy Indie Studio like |
| 1096s | when we went to Gamescom last year it |
| 1097s | was someone from our community that |
| 1099s | helped us man the booths tno I mean he |
| 1102s | was there with us actually helping with |
| 1104s | press and uh being in our booth and we |
| 1107s | had someone from the community also |
| 1109s | wanted to help us with videos in his own |
| 1111s | time after his full-time job at work and |
| 1114s | you know we're a small marketing team if |
| 1116s | you can even call us that uh and we |
| 1118s | loved what he was doing and could see |
| 1119s | how much depth of knowledge he had about |
| 1121s | stormgate we hired that guy now he's |
| 1123s | actually part of the frost giant team |
| 1124s | that makes it feel much more like a |
| 1128s | community um taking a village we talk |
| 1131s | about rather than just a pursuit of of |
| 1134s | one group and one company uh and that we |
| 1137s | together really are able to craft |
| 1140s | something that feels collaborative and |
| 1142s | we hope that that same Spirit of |
| 1145s | collaboration will continue past the |
| 1147s | launch of stormgate um not just with |
| 1150s | those folks but everyone who is |
| 1152s | passionate about real-time strategy as a |
| 1154s | genre Early Access is much more about |
| 1157s | bringing the community along with us and |
| 1160s | benefiting from that feedback that the |
| 1162s | community provides us to really make the |
| 1164s | game what they tell us they want we're |
| 1168s | sharing in it at a much earlier stage |
| 1171s | than any game that we've worked on in |
| 1173s | the past but it is a better way to make |
| 1175s | games I believe that stormgate as it |
| 1178s | evolves will turn into something that is |
| 1181s | literally the best game that we've ever |
| 1182s | worked on as a |
| 1187s | result we hope you've enjoyed this |
| 1190s | exclusive first look at our Celestial |
| 1193s | faction stormgate free to play it's |
| 1196s | available to everyone and we'll be |
| 1197s | launching fully into Early Access access |
| 1199s | on August 13th but you can join us |
| 1202s | before then on July 30th by going to |
| 1204s | steam and picking up one of our bundles |
| 1206s | that's available today |