Wolfpack

[Asid]

February Development Update 2025
Fri, February 28, 2025



Hello everyone!

This month we have been working on the mission editor and fast travel system. The editor is coming along nicely - We can spawn units, and save and load the world state. The fast travel system has been completed.


Fast Travel
In the new version of Wolfpack, the game will not automatically update the player?s position on the map. The navigator will have to use real navigation tools to figure out where the u-boat is. The fast travel system is built around this concept.



When the u-boat is on the surface, and not in combat, the captain can open the fast travel menu in the map view, and enter a course and a distance to fast travel. The fast travel executes instantly, and the u-boat is now at the new location. If we try to fast travel through land or enemy units, the fast travel will be interrupted at the obstacle. The fast travel action will be automatically recorded in a log. It is now up to the navigator to update the u-boat?s location on the map, using a combination of terrestrial, celestial and radio navigation.


Technical implementation of the fast travel system
The world map is a height map consisting of ~17 billion pixels. We can not keep this whole map in memory at once, so the map is subdivided into smaller images that are streamed from the hard drive when we move around the world. We wanted fast travel to be instantaneous, so loading all of the images in the path of the fast travel track is out of question. To solve this we have implemented a quad tree. The quad tree allows us to make pixel perfect ray casts from any point in the world map. This makes it possible for us to have instant fast travel, without any loading time required.


Editor Development
The world editor uses the same map view as the world map, but with a different tool set. It allows the user to place units and groups of units using a drag and drop action. The units, and their state can then be saved and recalled. The same system will be used to handle save states during gameplay. These features are implemented, but the unit roster is incomplete. The editor also lacks an undo/redo feature, triggers, weather settings, mission logic, and a host of other functions that we want it to have in the future.




Future editor goals
The editor can also be run while playing the game. This allows us to use the editor as a real time debug tool. It also allows the host to do real time editing of the game state, spawning in and out units during gameplay, potentially controlling units like a real time strategy game.


What?s next?
Why are we focusing on the editor and world map? The systems that handle the map and editor are part of the new system core. They are foundational to the new open world gameplay, and thus need to be developed to a working state before we release something for the testers. When these core systems are in place, we can very easily add new content like new units and missions without making any (possibly game breaking) code changes. Thus, the plan remains the same: Wrap up the development of these core systems, release it to the testers, and then, after a period of bug fixing, release it to the public beta.

[Asid]

Development Update June 2025
Mon, 30 June 2025



Hello everyone!

This month we have focused on wrapping up the server side systems and the level editor. Next month we will be taking our summer vacations, and when we get back we will start working on the client side systems.

We are very excited to get started on the client side, as this will tie all of the work we have done together, so we can finally release the patch you?ve all been waiting for! We hope you all have a great summer!

[Asid]

Development Update August 2025
Fri, 29 August 2025



Hello everyone!  This month we have added the ability to build custom built ports in the level editor. We have also started texturing the corvette.

The harbour editor

We have built a custom editor for the world map that allows us to build custom harbours on the world map. This tool allows us to dig out canals and basins. We have also added a tool to add reference images that can be overlayed over the map. These tools will be made available to the players, as part of the level editor.










Texturing the corvette

Einar has begun texturing the interior of the corvette.






What?s next?

Despite our intention to start working on the client side, we have decided that the server and world still need a bit more work before we move on. We made this decision because we want to be able to start creating custom missions and hand built things in the world as soon as possible, and in order to do that all of the world systems and level editing tools must be completed. We hope that by the end of next month we will have started working on the client side implementation, and by then we might be able to show some screenshots from a first person perspective of all of the new things we have created.

[Asid]

Development update September 2025
Fri, 26 September 2025



Hello everyone!  This month we have upgraded to the latest version of Unity, and switched rendering pipelines from the old deferred rendered to Unity?s new HDRP renderer. We have started working on the client side systems while continuing to work on the corvette.


New render pipeline

The new render pipeline will allow us to use more realistic lighting and volumetric fog effects, as well as dedicated shaders for hair, eyes and cloth. This will improve visual fidelity significantly, and handle light in a much more realistic way.


Client side systems

We have added the ability to launch into any playable vessel in the game directly from the editor. This will make it very quick to test out the missions that we create. We have added the ability to walk around in first person inside the u-boat bunker, and other similar locations. The corvette is now playable, but has very limited functionality.


The corvette

The corvette?s wheelhouse is still under construction, and we are constantly adding more details. When all the essential equipment is finished, we?ll move on to developing the radio room, ASDIC hut and bridge.


What?s next?

We are currently working on terrain mesh generation. The system will stream new terrain as the player moves around, creating a seamless open world without loading screens. To achieve this, the new system uses a spherical earth model. When mesh generation works, we are moving on to making a curved, seamless, global ocean.

[Asid]

Development Update October 2025
Fri, 31 October 2025



Hello everyone! This month we have continued working on terrain mesh generation and water simulation for the client side. Work on the corvette continues.


Terrain and water

We have spent the better part of this month working on terrain mesh generation. The terrain is generated from real world data using a spherical earth model. The spherical earth means that we sadly can?t use Unity?s built in terrain system, which is based on flat heightmaps, so we have created our own terrain system. The water system has similar requirements, where the water function has to be deterministic and continuous across a spherical surface.


The corvette

The functional parts of the wheelhouse are now completed, and we are now making equipment for the radio room.


What?s next?

The terrain generation system is more or less complete, so now we are working on the ocean function. When this is completed, we should be able to seamlessly stream the world. At that point most of the work will be to tie systems together, to fix bugs and to update UI and menus to fit with all of the new things we have built.

[Asid]

End of year review 2025
Fri, 19 December 2025



2025 is coming to an end, and we?d like to give an overview of development during this year, and our plans for 2026.

Our development goal is to make Wolfpack into an open world game, where players can travel anywhere on earth. The game should have a career mode, where the players play through a campaign spanning the whole war. We want to implement fast travel and manual navigation. We also want to add a versus mode to Wolfpack.

To achieve these goals we have to add the following to the game:

  - Server side systems that support a global open world game with a spherical earth model.

  - A world editor, which allows us to place units, buildings and ports in the world.

  - New enemy units: Aircraft, Aircraft Carriers, Coastal artillery, Mine fields, u-boat nets and detector loops.

  - A mission editor to create missions and chapters for a campaign.

  - Dedicated server support, both for the open world mode and versus modes.

  - A playable corvette for the versus mode.

During this year, we have been creating the systems required to achieve these goals.

  - We have created the World editor and the server side systems that support it.

  - We have implemented all of the units in the list above.

  - We have created the server side infrastructure for the mission editor, but it still lacks a user interface.

  - We have rewritten the code to have a complete separation between server and client, which will make the implementation of dedicated servers simple.

  - We have modelled the playable corvette and we are now adding textures and interactive equipment to it.

  - We have updated the game to Unity 6 and the high definition rendering pipeline.


2026 The year of Wolfpack

Most of the work during the next few months will be integrating all of these new systems and updating the user interface. After this, all of the major system changes to Wolfpack will be completed. From this point on we will be able to release regular updates to the game on a monthly basis, with new content for the game and bug fixes.

Now we are leaving the office for the holidays, and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!