Pupultas!

We are opening a contest for the best custom map! Send us yours — big or small, hard or not, with massive woods or sturdy rocks, we’ll look at all of them! There’s just one important thing your maps must contain, a shape present, a theme followed, which you can witness in our new video!

You can send Workshop links to your maps at kirilles@door407.com, or post them in our Discord[discord.gg]. Please, make sure to name it in English. Send your eggplant maps till October 24, and we will announce the winner on October 31.

Now to the fun part: rewards! The winner will receive a key to Fog of War DLC! Moreover, they will forever become a part of the game as a starting unit in one of the missions of the DLC’s campaign.

We’ll be waiting for your maps!
Yours, the Door 407 dev team

Pupultas!

September has ended and it’s time to look for a new map, made by you! This time we’ve tried a tough mission for our hardcore players — The Gates of Hell are Open and await challengers! Thank you RemeAUS for the map!

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3808368240

In The Gates of Hell are Open your objective is to destroy a number of buildings, and until you do that, you’ll have to survive the unrelenting onslaught of attacks. And not only from attacking waves, but also from the crazy amount of spawners, placed all around the map! Act fast to carve space for development and secure your castle as much as possible. Clear left and right flanks, defend from every direction and keep hiring more troops!

Keep in mind that the troops in this scenario are special: all of your usual Lord’s troops became supersoldiers, though the cost of producing them increased massively and includes not only gold, but also soul crystals. But until you can hire any of them, use Rebel and Sarranga troops — luckily, their cost hasn’t changed and there are plenty of resources around, and you can get even more by killing bugs.

This is it about The Gates of Hell are Open! But as usual, we’ll return with more news, so stay tuned. And don’t miss our new video!
Yours, the Door 407 dev team

Pupultas!

Today let us announce the Fog of War DLC release date. The story of Prince Connor and his adventures will become available on November 10th! And check out a new trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aVicaqGbno

Wishlist the DLC so you don’t miss it!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5075270/Diplomacy_is_Not_an_Option_Fog_of_War/

We are also releasing a new update with a number of fixes and an important improvement you’ve been asking for. Now you are able to change the cutscenes’ playback speed! We hope this change will make the experience of the campaign and the upcoming Fog of War DLC better! And as usual, for the full list of changes see under the cut.
Yours, the Door 407 dev team

[expand type=details]
Update 1.0.187_r

Improvements

• Added a button to increase the speed of cutscenes playback to x1.5 (you can find it in the bottom left corner);
  
• Improved the tutorial window in missions An Offer One Can’t Refuse and Ambush so it doesn’t overlap with the minimap;
  
• Some UI fixes and improvements.

• Fixed Twitch integration;
  
• Fixed an issue that caused some missions to end when a Stone spirit of Joy or a Stone spirit of Euphoria dies;
  
• Tutorial: fixed an issue that would make tutorial break after saving and loading;
  
• Fixed an issue with Sarranga and Rebel troops missing from Formations window in some missions;
  
• Fixed an issue with Lord’s Army troops appearing in Formations window instead of the Undead troops on Your Worst Nightmare difficulty in The Next Best Superstar mission of the Undead campaign branch;
  
• Fixed an issue that caused some wave icons to stay on the minimap despite the wave end;
  
• Some localisation fixes.

Pupultas!

It’s almost October, and it’s the time when some of our pupultas observe the Mid-Autumn Festival. We at Door 407 wish you a wonderful celebration! Let your Moon Festival be full of bright moons and even brighter jokes! May the moonlight guide your success and brighten your days!

P.S. And we’ve prepared a new video about the factions of the upcoming DLC — see it here!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5075270/Diplomacy_is_Not_an_Option_Fog_of_War/Yours, the Door 407 dev team

Pupultas!

Let’s discuss another side of the conflict happening in Fog of War: the Great Kingdom of Inverland! And don’t forget to wishlist the DLC — it really helps!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5075270/Diplomacy_is_Not_an_Option_Fog_of_War/

While a newcomer for Diplomacy is Not an Option, Inverland first debuted in the free prequel Shareware (try it out!). There players were helping the mighty pirate Duncan Ironbrow (Connor’s great-grandfather) on his quest to obtain gold — which coincidentally brought him in service of self-proclaimed Queen Sybil, who was waging a war for Samreignia’s independence from Inverland.

Years later, the relations between the two countries are no better. Inverland keeps attempting to conquer Samreignia, and Samreignia uses every possibility to sabotage anything Inverland does. So, no wonder that the conflict broke out the moment Samreignia found itself vulnerable.

The good news is, Inverland’s army hasn't changed much over the years. While Samreignia leans into the quality of their troops, Inverland gladly utilizes their numerical superiority. Which shouldn’t be taken lightly: their troops are great at wars of attrition. What tactic will Connor use to counter them — depends solely on you!

And don’t miss a new video about the faction!

While this is it for today about Inverland, it’s also time to conclude the results of the vote for the best map of Summer. And the winner is Head On by Ty_nugget! Congratulations! As usual, the author of the map will receive a named starting unit in one of the Challenges or Endless Mode maps in the next update.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3743061151Yours, the Door 407 dev team

Pupultas!

Today let’s talk about gorgothian long-ranged units. And don’t forget to wishlist the DLC — this helps a lot!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5075270/Diplomacy_is_Not_an_Option_Fog_of_War/

And see a new video where we show the new units!

Why waste resources on making arrows when all those stones lie around for free? That’s probably the logic behind still using slings when other countries have largely abandoned them. But don’t underestimate Slingers: launching stones at a speed comparable to an attacking falcon, these troops are numerous and deadly. Especially if they are behind impenetrable lines of melee warriors.

Slingers allow the Gorgoth Empire to afford selecting only the best archers for their Snipers corp. Archery tournaments of Gorgoth are well known and even draw in archers from Samreignia and Inverland. If they happen to show themselves well, gorgothian recruiters approach with a hefty sum of money and promises of a better life. Sometimes they even promise a happy marriage! Naturally, most of them agree. Such attention and constant flattery have a downside though — all Snipers tend to be extremely arrogant and love to fight for a kill, which leads to multiple snipers shooting the same enemy when it isn’t necessary. But that doesn’t seem to deter Gorgoth from their recruitment policy, so this issue persists to the dissatisfaction of gorgothian commanders and cheers of enemies.

A powerful siege machine, Sha’h-Qoo’-Loot is named after a giant worm from gorgothian myth, rumored to once consume entire cities. The reason for the name is obvious to anyone who is lucky to witness the sight of explosive barrels covering the sky from sidelines, or unlucky enough to be on the receiving end. Though maybe not as massive as Samreignian Terminator machines, they still pack enough destructive force to level walls and towers and are a primary target for any opposing army.

While Sha’h-Qoo-Loots are the bane of fortifications, Deathbringers are the bane of all living. The first known artillery piece to use grapeshot, Deathbringers rain hail on enemy troops, devastating their ranks before close combat units approach to deal with few discombobulated strugglers. Novelty and effectiveness of the invention are so staggering, it made other countries target the unknown engineer who made this moving war crime possible. Obviously, issuing kill lists isn’t going to stop Gorgoth from continuing manufacturing these machines with all production means available.

This concludes the series of articles dedicated to the Gorgoth Empire — but there’s more about the DLC we have to uncover, so stay tuned!
Yours, the Door 407 dev team

Pupultas!

A bit late this time since we had a lot of announcements, but the August edition of our monthly showcase is here!

Do you like Hulk Madness! Challenge map? Want to have more? Then try out Hulk Smash by Chewk!

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3692168150

The concept of the map doesn’t need an introduction: your castle is surrounded by lakes and cliffs. It is both a curse and a blessing — the rugged terrain limits the area available for building, and at the same time it makes defending easier. It provides plenty of resources, and fish can sustain your population for a while. Keep in mind that you only need to survive for 25 days, so plan accordingly!

As the name suggests, your main enemy here are hulks. Strong, sturdy and with splash attacks, they make short work of defenses and defenders. Make sure to get some hard-hitting units to counter them! Luckily for you, there are no enemies on the map, so your expansion isn’t blocked and early scouting is easy. And it is important to scout early to learn the paths attacking waves can come!

Try Hulk Smash out and tell us about your experience! Send us custom maps we should check too!

Also, this concludes our Summer map selection, and now it’s your turn to select your favourite of the three maps we’ve shown:

31 Day 4 Corner Chokepoints by Shrekt

Head On by Ty_nugget

Hulk Smash by Chewk

Leave your vote here![forms.gle] The results will be concluded on September 19th.
Yours, the Door 407 dev team

Pupultas!

We continue to look into the Gorgoth Empire — meanwhile, don’t forget to wishlist the DLC, this helps a lot!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5075270/Diplomacy_is_Not_an_Option_Fog_of_War/

As usual, we have a video prepared too — see the new units yourself!

Nothing describes a country better than its cavalry. It is especially true for Gorgoth: their mounts are so iconic they are a part of their coat of arms! Bulls are so common in the empire that they replaced horses in the army and are used for everything. The fact that famous gorgothian horses all belong to the Emperor and are sold at obscenely high prices doesn’t help when it comes to providing mounted troops with means of transportation. Despite that, gorgothian cavalry is not inferior to any other. Their bulls are no slower than any horse and the additional weight means the impact of their charge is even deadlier. And if you absolutely have to fight Bull Riders, you better not be wearing any red clothes.

Herds of wild buffalos travel all across the empire in search of pastures to graze on. Once a year, during the Coming-of-age festival, young boys from all around the country enter the wilderness to prove themselves and maybe catch their own buffalo. This isn’t necessary, of course — it is enough to come back alive. But those lucky enough to tame one get the Mark of the Buffalo. Only they can become Wild Buffalo Riders: the fearsome elite cavalry of the Gorgoth Empire.

No one knows who came up with the idea to put an archer on a horse, but Gorgoth was definitely the first to put an archer on a cow and give them explosive arrows. Why cows? It’s simple: cows tend to be more gentle and calm, which makes it easier for archers to aim and shoot without the risk of misfire accidents — which are way more dangerous when the payload can explode. But before Mounted Archers are issued actual explosives, they first must pass an exam: they must sit on a special machine that imitates an enraged bull thrashing and jumping around and still hit their targets. Only then they are accepted into the ranks.

Now you know more about the cavalry of the Gorgoth Empire. In the next article we’ll tell you more about their long-range units — don’t miss it!
Yours, the Door 407 dev team

Pupultas!

Today we begin a new series of articles to explore the features of the upcoming Fog of War DLC. And let’s start with warriors of the Gorgoth Empire you will have to fight against! As usual, we have a video prepared for you. Don’t forget to wishlist — it helps a lot!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5075270/Diplomacy_is_Not_an_Option_Fog_of_War/

The Empire isn’t famous as the main source of explosives for nothing. Their scholars keep perfecting their formulas, and results of these experiments are actively utilised by the Gorgoth. Lower quality products get sold to other countries, but the good stuff is used to create one of the most feared Gorgothian troops: the Burning Man. Some poor souls are unlucky to receive barrels full of strangely smelling substance. The next thing they hear is the order “Charge!”... and that’s the only order they’ll ever receive.

It’s also worth noting that the recipe of the concoction is strictly guarded. If the Empire suspects someone in trying to recreate the formula by themselves, those who attempt to undermine Gorgothian monopoly receive the full wrath of imperial might — both economical and military. Rumors say that such attempts are the reason for the recent falling out between the Gorgoth Empire and the Great Kingdom of Inverland.

The core of the Gorgothian Army. Legionnaires may seem like common infantry, but unlike similar troops of other countries, the Empire doesn’t provide them with gear — every single warrior buys their own sword and a set of armour. And if in Samreignia only wealthy knights can afford to spend such a fortune, the wealth of Gorgoth means there are way more swashbucklers who can potentially join the ranks of Legionnaires. And all of them have the same goal: a title, as this is the only way for commoners to climb the social ladder.

Empire’s elite. Carefully picked out from the most promising children, the future Invulnerable are subjected to the harshest training. Unlike Burning Men and Legionnaires, they are treated with extreme care and provided with the best gear the Empire can obtain. Even their diet is thoroughly controlled. Few people know what they feed the Invulnerable, but in the end the Emperor gets a group of highly skilled and incredibly loyal soldiers, capable of performing any combat task. But mostly they prefer swinging their giant halberds.

This is it for today, but in our next post we will uncover some more interesting facts about the Gorgoth! Stay tuned!
Yours, the Door 407 dev team

Pupultas!

Check out the map of the upcoming expansion’s campaign! In Fog of War DLC there are no branching choices, but you’ll be able to choose in what order you complete some of the 10 upcoming missions. You also don’t have to play the base game’s story — the DLC campaign will be available separately and won’t require knowing the previous events to enjoy it!

Two new enemy factions will confront your classic units: the Gorgoth Empire and the Great Kingdom of Inverland. We’ll show more of them in our future posts. The Undead will also return with a new terrifying boss fight and another legendary performance!

Get ready to follow Prince Connor, Shadow, Nayana and more new characters on their adventure, accompanied by your loyal advisor Snoot! Wishlist the DLC — it helps a lot!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5075270/Diplomacy_is_Not_an_Option_Fog_of_War/Yours, the Door 407 dev team