8-Bit Armies F.A.Q.

[RadiatingBlade]

Gameplay

• What is the pace of gameplay?
  "Definitely fast-paced. It shares a lot with C&C, but it's new and different too. We think it's a little faster-paced than some of the older stuff, but not so much that it feels like an arcade game. We designed it to be fun from the first second until the last - less "waiting" for things to happen." Source 1 Source 2
  
  
• How many factions will be in the game?
  "We are planning for 6+ factions. Our game design is a mashup of many of the most popular RTS games. The first faction is what we have previewed here, but we have some really fun ideas for the later factions you haven't seen yet. Each faction is planned to come with it's own campaign, and all factions are fully playable against each other." Source
  
  
• Will there be air or naval units in the game?
  "We have some light air support in the game (like transports), but no naval units yet. We would LOVE to get some of that into a future version and we have some of it already designed." Source
  
  
• What gameplay modes will be available at launch?
  "There will be 25 single-player missions, 10 two-player co-op missions, AI skirmish mode and a player-vs-player multiplayer mode on dedicated game servers. There are 10 multiplayer maps available and 3 multiplayer game modes, annihilation (destroy every enemy structure and unit), production online (destroy all production facilities) and destroy HQ (destroy HQ for instant win). All multiplayer modes can be played in free-for-all or in teams of any configuration up to a maximum number of 8 players." Source[www.8bitarmies.com]
  
  
• Will the game feature team-based matchmaking?
  "At launch we don't have this planned. The tech is already available for us to implement, but we're focused on getting the core game out first and then gauge what people are looking for (content or features). Our internal wishlist is HUGE and we want to do it all, but our fingers only work so fast, so we are looking to see what we add to the game based on player request and demand." Source
  
  
• What influence does the environment have on gameplay?
  "Some of our maps have environmental 'hazards' which you'll need to be careful of. There is also a tech upgrade building requirement to get some of the higher tier structures/units." Source

Pricing & Availability

• How much will the game cost?
  "The cost of 8-Bit Armies is only $14.95 in the United States and adjusted accordingly for other territories based on the exchange rate. After the initial launch discount, we aren't planning any discount for at least the first 6 months." Source[www.8bitarmies.com]
  
  
• When will the game become available?
  8-Bit Armies released April 22, 2016 on Steam and GOG.
  
  

  Game Design

• Why did you decide to go with a voxel art style?"
  "We experimented quite a bit with the look of the units and what we came to find out was that a clean art style was much easier for players to recognize at a glance. We're focused on removing any ambiguity from the game - a tank looks like a tank, a jeep, helicopter, etc. Our goal was to keep legibility high so there's less to ‘learn’ for new players." Source 1
  "Legibility was and is important - but we were also keeping an eye on making 8-Bit Armies playable on as broad a number of PCs as possible. A goal was to push the minspec down as far as we could without sacrificing gameplay. Plus (and this is very important) - we just really dig the art style and thought it was something that you would enjoy as much as we do! Using this art style, we can experiment with additional content quickly and get the new factions & campaigns launched - if the game gets the support we hope it does." Source 2
  
  
• Who composed the game soundtrack?
  "Frank [Klepacki] is back and he really nailed the feel of the game through the new soundtrack. Very retro vibe that really fits the look and style of the gameplay. There's a good mix of music styles. I think I'll see about releasing a track or two in advance of the game launch. The video has an example of one of the tracks, but it doesn't give you a good idea of the variety that Frank created for the game." Source 1 Source 2
  
  
• What game engine did you use to create the game?
  "To achieve the speed needed to track hundreds of units and thousands of map objects on the screen we decided to go with our core RTS engine. So far, game appears to be running very fast from what our internal stress-testing is showing." Source
  
  
• Given the voxel art style, how will damaged units appear?
  "We want to keep everything on the screen readable given the faster gameplay in 8-Bit. There was some experimentation with smoke effects, damaged skins, etc. - but it started to overcomplicate the look and make it difficult to discern exactly what was going on in bigger battles. We added a user-toggle for health bars on Wednesday [April 6, 2016] (on/off/damaged) which seems to hit the mark though. We'll keep playing with it." Source

Support

• Will the game support mods?
  "We have plans to release the tools sometime after launch. If the demand is there, we'll definitely provide them. We know how important it is to get players building and sharing content for the game. Right now, our focus is on a great core game first." Source
  
  
• What languages will the game support?
  "We need to get English out first, but additional languages [are] a no-brainer!" Source
  
  
• Will the game include an observer mode, replay feature, map editor or multiplayer ranking system?
  "Replays are great - but we have a relatively small team working on the project and bringing that technology into 8Bit requires more time and people. As with the map editor - if the demand is there we'll get it in! While we have 8-player support in multiplayer we are very focused on our co-op and single-player campaigns for this one. Not enough time (or programmers) to do everything we want all at once. But, that isn't to say that we won't get around to it. Our core GLYPHX engine already has support for leaderboards and quickmatching built-in." Source 1 Source 2

Would you like to see another F.A.Q. added to the list above? Please leave a comment below.

[Dave]

And now there's 2 threads that basically sum up what we know / FAQ answers. Mark my words, people will still create a new thread to ask about a release date or other basic question :P

Don't mean to rain on your work, but the thread "What we know so far" seemed a bit more meaty.

[RadiatingBlade]

I'm still working on this F.A.Q. I have 10 questions and answers with quotes from the community manager and I'm going to add more.

[Netput]

Best FAQ so far. Good job!

[Oompah]

great work

[76561198291790247]

Wow, really well written! Here's some additional info for ya...

Originally posted by rhrmn:

Game Design

• Why did you decide to go with a voxel art style?"
  "We experimented quite a bit with the look of the units and what we came to find out was that a clean art style was much easier for players to recognize at a glance. We're focused on removing any ambiguity from the game - a tank looks like a tank, a jeep, helicopter, etc. Our goal was to keep legibility high so there's less to ‘learn’ for new players." Source

Legibility was and is important - but we were also keeping an eye on making 8-Bit Armies playable on as broad a number of PCs as possible. A goal was to push the minspec down as far as we could without sacrificing gameplay.

Plus (and this is very important) - we just really dig the art style and thought it was something that you would enjoy as much as we do! Using this art style, we can experiment with additional content quickly and get the new factions & campaigns launched - if the game gets the support we hope it does.

-8Bit

[RadiatingBlade]

Originally posted by 8-Bit Armies:

Wow, really well written! Here's some additional info for ya...

Originally posted by rhrmn:

Game Design

• Why did you decide to go with a voxel art style?"
  "We experimented quite a bit with the look of the units and what we came to find out was that a clean art style was much easier for players to recognize at a glance. We're focused on removing any ambiguity from the game - a tank looks like a tank, a jeep, helicopter, etc. Our goal was to keep legibility high so there's less to ‘learn’ for new players." Source

Legibility was and is important - but we were also keeping an eye on making 8-Bit Armies playable on as broad a number of PCs as possible. A goal was to push the minspec down as far as we could without sacrificing gameplay.

Plus (and this is very important) - we just really dig the art style and thought it was something that you would enjoy as much as we do! Using this art style, we can experiment with additional content quickly and get the new factions & campaigns launched - if the game gets the support we hope it does.

-8Bit

Thanks for the kind words. I had some experience organizing and writing gameplay guides for Battle Battalions and that made putting together this F.A.Q. a fairly easy task. I hope the community finds it useful. I'll try my best to keep it up-to-date until the website launches with its own F.A.Q.

Thanks also for further explaining the art style for the game on this F.A.Q. thread and the update on the number of factions to the other F.A.Q. thread. I have incorporated both responses into this F.A.Q. :)

[ArchAngel]

So no focus on MP from start. That will kill the playerbase fast.
And like in other RTS players don't really come back later easily.. or at all. Company of Heroes 2 is only RTS like that came back from less than stellar release.

It would be better if this was released as Early Access first and then full release when expected MP features as well as more factions are added.

With low price and lots of factions and low computer requirements and well done MP this game could live for years, but not if the release is botched.

At least I hope you will not have locked regional MP fiasco like in Grey Goo.

[76561198291790247]

We completely understand the desire for lots of multiplayer features up-front at launch - we want them too, which is why they are near the top of our feature list for post-launch release.

After doing lots of research, we found that up to 90% of players only play the single-player content (on Steam). The reasons are mixed, but most often it's because these new players get annhilated when jumping into their first few PvP matches. The result is that they just don't come back to try again and the online player base shrinks - which is bad for everyone. The good news is that these same players do still enjoy playing cooperatively with friends when given the opportunity. Given that, we decided to put some extra effort into building a more challenging cooperative campaign and grow the fan base around lots of content people can play together.

At launch there's going to be plenty of PvP to play, and one of our engineers just made the server game results publicly accessible so that players can organize their own tournaments and ladders if they wish. Soon, hopefully, we'll get more of those features in post-launch and the player base will be larger because of our more inclusive content.

I hope this helps explains a little why we prioritized the game content this go-around. Your requests for more MP features are still valid though and we will work hard to address them soon after launch!

-8Bit

[Netput]

I fully understand that. People often forget that CnC games got so big because of the awesome single player. Key for this game is to attract as many people as possible. Hardcore multiplayer RTS gamers are just few people. It is a very niche market. If missions + coop + fiddling against the AI is the way to grow this game, so be it. If the casual gamers get bored with the AI, but are still addicted they will jump into regular multiplayer. This will only be a small percentage however, therefore we need as many casual players as possible! :)

Originally posted by 8-Bit Armies:

We completely understand the desire for lots of
At launch there's going to be plenty of PvP to play, and one of our engineers just made the server game results publicly accessible so that players can organize their own tournaments and ladders if they wish. Soon, hopefully, we'll get more of those features in post-launch and the

This is great! The fact that data was only available ingame when you played a steam game always annoyed me.

[ArchAngel]

We will see how great it is. I can already play Sc2 Co-op for free even. It is probably better than whatever this will have.

But I cannot play another RTS in MP player vs player that has a good playerbase interested in that. And I am afraid this will be another such game with these release plans.

But lets wait and see. I hope I am wrong.

[Oompah]

under gameplay I add a section that speaks to all of the game modes available: Single Player Campaigns, Coop Campaigns, Skirmish vs AI, PvP with support up to 8 players


something liek that, althoguh you talk about these things generally in various places, it would be nice to consolidate it and make it clear

[RadiatingBlade]

ICYMI, The 8-Bit Armies official website launched and it has more information about the game.

Oompah, I updated this F.A.Q. with information on the different gameplay modes. :)

[ArchAngel]

Originally posted by rhrmn:

ICYMI, The 8-Bit Armies official website launched and it has more information about the game.

Oompah, I updated this F.A.Q. with information on the different gameplay modes. :)

I just went to that page. Seems we only get one faction with only a few basic units.
What was left of my enthusiasm went dead. They were not kidding about making this baby's first steps RTS for new players.

This seems to be "RTS for dummies".

[Andre B]

Originally posted by ArchAngel:

Originally posted by rhrmn:

ICYMI, The 8-Bit Armies official website launched and it has more information about the game.

Oompah, I updated this F.A.Q. with information on the different gameplay modes. :)

I just went to that page. Seems we only get one faction with only a few basic units.
What was left of my enthusiasm went dead. They were not kidding about making this baby's first steps RTS for new players.

This seems to be "RTS for dummies".

At least it will be a great test to proove is the problem of RTS games is acessibility.

About the focus being on single player, all power to you go ahead and focus on singleplayer, just bare in mind that Ashes of the singularity did tried to focus on single player, and ive yet to see any significant playerbase on that game as well.

Just remenber that even Starcraft 2 Coop missions get repetitive and boring after awhile, without a map editor, modding support or constant content updates, or even DLC/expantions people will leave as fast as any other multiplayer focused RTS.

Having the experience of playing grey goo and older titles such as universe at war, i know that Petroglyph takes for ever to release any kind of Content for their games, including new maps or even simple balance changes.

I would really recommend having a way for people to develop their own missions and coop experiences.

Unless they are commited and dedicated to ramp up their post launch support schedjule, i forsee this game suffering quite a lot after a few weeks time.

[Beenz]

Originally posted by Andre B:

Originally posted by ArchAngel:

I just went to that page. Seems we only get one faction with only a few basic units.
What was left of my enthusiasm went dead. They were not kidding about making this baby's first steps RTS for new players.

This seems to be "RTS for dummies".

At least it will be a great test to proove is the problem of RTS games is acessibility.

About the focus being on single player, all power to you go ahead and focus on singleplayer, just bare in mind that Ashes of the singularity did tried to focus on single player, and ive yet to see any significant playerbase on that game as well.

Just remenber that even Starcraft 2 Coop missions get repetitive and boring after awhile, without a map editor, modding support or constant content updates, or even DLC/expantions people will leave as fast as any other multiplayer focused RTS.

Having the experience of playing grey goo and older titles such as universe at war, i know that Petroglyph takes for ever to release any kind of Content for their games, including new maps or even simple balance changes.

I would really recommend having a way for people to develop their own missions and coop experiences.

Unless they are commited and dedicated to ramp up their post launch support schedjule, i forsee this game suffering quite a lot after a few weeks time.

Agree with a lot of what you have said. In order for games to survive now they need to support the community in different ways and modding for an RTS is fairly important. SC2 is hugely popular on the Arcade mode with different mods and game types coming out and then going on to be stand alone games.

The price point of this RTS will be it's biggest benefit. It's cheap and by the looks of it, looks accessible to most PC configs so it should run on most people PC's.

Singleplayer campaign will only take an RTS so far and this seems to be multiplayer focused, we just need a Community focused Dev and players to help the game grow. I know some of us will be doing our best to help out if we enjoy the game just like we have done with Grey Goo.