Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg

[Asid]

Cinematics in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
StartedTue, 24 March 2020

Episode 1. A work in progress


Screenshot 1: Admiral Doenitz explains the Kriegsmarine battle plans.

We are working hard to deliver you the best quality cinematics that will immerse you into the epochal events and make you an eyewitness of what was supposedly going on in the German high command at that time. Here are some screenshots from the cinematics we produce for the Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg.


Screenshot 2: A field headquarters during the occupation of France.

In case you are curious as to our working process, it is as follows:

•   Scriptwriting.
•   Motion capture (of all characters for all scenes) of both body and face.
•   Polishing of the captured animations.
•   Creating all the locations using UE4.
•   Modeling all the characters.
•   Modeling all clothing, awards, insignias, etc.
•   Voice over at the studio for all the characters fitting the lip sync.
•   Putting together locations, characters, clothing, animations, and sound using UE4 (Like creation a virtual shooting set). Then we place virtual cameras in the editor and “film” our cinematics like one would in real life.
•   Then we prerender all the scenes not to load your PC with this task when you play the game, and to make sure everything is done correctly.


Screenshot 3. Heinz Guderian looks at Rommel appraisingly.

We are constantly working on improving our technology and working process. We expect to produce significantly better results compared to our previous projects and will keep working on further improvements.


Screenshot 4. Erwin Rommel at the headquarters meeting.

As you know, the coronavirus lockdown disrupts many businesses and processes throughout the world. So far we have successfully switched to the remote work and are going at the same pace as before.

We wish you all good health. We will keep you informed about our progress and share more materials with you as the release date approaches. Stay safe and stay tuned.

With best regards
Starni Games development team

Please add the new upcoming title - Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg to your wishlist!


Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg

[Asid]

Historic personalities in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
Sat, 28 March 2020

Episode 4. Heinz Guderian


“There are no desperate situations, there are only desperate people.” (c) Heinz Guderian

“Heinz Wilhelm Guderian was a German general during World War II who, after the war, became a successful memoirist. An early pioneer and advocate of the "Blitzkrieg" approach, he played a central role in the development of the panzer division concept. In 1936, he became the Inspector of Motorized Troops.

At the beginning of the Second World War, Guderian led an armored corps in the Invasion of Poland. During the Invasion of France, he commanded the armored units that attacked through the Ardennes forest and overwhelmed the Allied defenses at the Battle of Sedan. He led the 2nd Panzer Army during Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. The campaign ended in failure after the German offensive Operation Typhoon failed to capture Moscow, after which Guderian was dismissed.”


“To imitate the ostrich in political matters has never been a satisfactory method of avoiding danger; yet this is what Hitler, as well as his more important political, economic and even military advisers, chose to do over and over again.” (c) Heinz Guderian

His dismissal was partially due to his outspoken manner (even in front of Hitler), and partially due to him disregarding the high command orders if he saw them unfit (usually he would ignore them to save his men from certain death, in case of his timely retreat during the Battle of Moscow, or to the contrary - he would carry on with the unauthorized attack to keep the initiative and momentum and thus minimize his units losses during the offensive).


“You hit somebody with your fist and not with your fingers spread.” (c) Heinz Guderian

Guderian was a prominent advocate of armored units and their offensive employment. In Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg tanks will also play a major role - being an ideal unit for swift offensives due to high movement points, tracked movement type, high defense/attack values, and the Overrun ability.

Unlike many other games, in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg almost all the tank models (except those having only small-caliber guns, like Panzer II) have an attack range of 2, allowing you much more tactical freedom - your panzers can attack from a distance with a range penalty, or perform a frontal assault depending on the situation.

Stay tuned for more information about new content and game development progress.


With best regards
Starni Games development team

[Asid]

New units in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
2 April 2020

Episode 5. Tiger and Königstiger




Tiger tanks entered the war in late 1942 as an answer to the powerful Soviet KV-1 and KV-2 heavy tanks as well as T-34 medium tanks, which were far superior to the German Panzer III and Panzer IV of that time in terms of both armor and armament.

In 1941 the Wehrmacht was unpleasantly surprised with the achievements of the Soviet tank building industry and was forces to look for the new tank models to counter the enemy’s heavier tanks with bigger caliber guns.

There were two main solutions: 1) upgrade the existing production lines for Panzer IV tanks to produce newer models with bigger guns and better armament. 2) Create fully new tank designs from scratch, which resulted in heavy Tiger tanks and medium Panther tanks.
Germany proceeded with both these solutions.

The downside was that the German industry lacked the resourced to mass-produce these new tanks in large enough quantities. Thus their deployment was in low numbers and quite sporadic, which dramatically lowered their potential impact on the overall course of the war.
In Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg you will be able to fit your tank troops with Tiger tanks right before the Battle of Stalingrad.



Tiger II (or Königstiger) was an even more powerful version of Tiger tanks that entered the war only in 1944 and in relatively small numbers. Thus we were unable to present them to you in our previous project - Panzer Strategy.

This time, however, the last operation will feature several Königstiger units. We are not happy that the players will only get to command these beasts for a short time but that is what making a historically accurate game means… Still, we hope that you will enjoy seeing and commanding this rare guest on the battlefield.

[Asid]

1 September 1939
Sat, 4 April 2020



This GIF* is just a quick glimpse at our future cinematics. This is an iconic moment of German troops crossing the Polish border, not knowing they are starting a horrific 6-years-long world war.

You can expect much more cinematic-related content in the coming weeks, as we are finalizing all the materials.



With best regards
Starni Games development team

*GIF images have a lower quality than the cinematics due to compression.

[Asid]

Major cities in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
Tue, 7 April 2020

In this update, we would like to share with you a couple of city maps screenshots.


Will your troops arrive in time to prevent the British troops’ evacuation from Dunkirk?



Will your troops be able to take Leningrad without a protracted siege?



Will your troops overcome the stubborn Soviet resistance and take the city of Stalin against all odds?

Let us know in the comments: which historic (or planned but canceled) operation of WW2 in Europe are you looking forward to playing the most?


With best regards
Starni Games development team

[Asid]

New units in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
Thu, 9 April 2020

Episode 6. V-1 Flying bomb


“The V-1 flying bomb (German: Vergeltungswaffe 1 "Vengeance Weapon 1") — also known to the Allies as the buzz bomb, or doodlebug, and in Germany as Kirschkern (cherry stone) or Maikäfer (maybug), as well as by its official RLM aircraft designation of Fi 103 — was an early cruise missile and the only production aircraft to use a pulsejet for power.”

First employed in 1944 this weapon was aimed at laying waste to the United Kingdom and forcing it to surrender. However, its combat potential was overestimated. A high percentage was destroyed by the anti-aircraft defense forces. According to Albert Speer’s memoirs, it was not more effective than the conventional bombers bombing runs, in fact even less so, in terms of payload.

Still, it was a new and revolutionary technology of the time. Many German scientists who worked on the V-1 and V-2 projects moved to the US after the war as part of Operation Paperclip. For example, Wernher von Braun. In 1960, his group was assimilated into NASA, where he served as director of the newly formed Marshall Space Flight Center and as the chief architect of the Saturn V super heavy-lift launch vehicle that propelled the Apollo spacecraft to the Moon. In 1967, von Braun was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering, and in 1975, he received the National Medal of Science.

In Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg this weapon is represented as a Headquarters ability to launch such missiles at a target. However, it becomes available only at the very end of the game for the last couple of battles. We hope that this will be an interesting new experience for the players.

With best regards
Starni Games development team

[Asid]

Historic personalities in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
11 April 2020

Episode 5. Erich von Manstein



“The will for victory which gives a commander the strength to see a grave crisis through is something very different from Hitler's will, which in the last analysis stemmed from a belief in his own 'mission'.” (c) Erich von Manstein, in “Lost Victories” memoirs.

Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein (24 November 1887 – 9 June 1973) was a German commander of the Wehrmacht. He attained the rank of field marshal.

One of the most prominent German strategists of the time. Adolf Hitler chose Manstein's strategy for the invasion of France in May 1940.


“But it is a well-known maxim of war that whoever tries to hold on to everything at once, finishes up by holding nothing at all.” (c) Erich von Manstein, in “Lost Victories” memoirs.

Germany's fortunes in the war had taken an unfavorable turn in December 1941, and in the following year during the catastrophic Battle of Stalingrad, Manstein commanded a failed relief effort ("Operation Winter Storm") in December.

Later known as the "backhand blow", Manstein's counteroffensive in the Third Battle of Kharkov (February–March 1943) regained substantial territory and resulted in the destruction of three Soviet armies and the retreat of three others.

He was one of the primary commanders at the Battle of Kursk (July–August 1943). His ongoing disagreements with Hitler over the conduct of the war led to his dismissal in March 1944. He never obtained another command and was taken prisoner by the British in August 1945, several months after Germany's defeat.


With best regards
Starni Games development team

[Asid]

Cinematics in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
StartedTue, 14 April 2020

Episode 2. Siege of Tobruk


A battery of 88-millimeter Flak guns firing direct fire at the enemy.

During the Africa campaign, German troops were facing British Matilda II heavy tanks, which posed a serious threat as their armor was too tough for the majority of anti-tank guns at the beginning of the war.


General Erwin Rommel, also known as “Desert Fox” commanding his troops at Tobruk.

However, Rommel knew how to deal with those Matilda tanks. During the invasion of France, his troops already faced such adversary and learned that the 88-military Anti-aircraft Flak guns proved to be very effective against heavily armored targets.


A battery of 88-millimeter Flak guns after the volley.

That combat experience gained during the French campaign turned out to be invaluable asset in the unrelenting battle in the Tobruk outskirts.


An 88-millimeter Flak gun firing direct fire at the enemy.

Such tactical moves were often what set apart victory and defeat.

In Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg you will be able to witness some of the iconic events of Wolrd War II. We keep working on our cinematics as well as on all other aspects of the game.


With best regards
Starni Games development team

[Asid]

Cloudy weather in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
Thu, 16 April 2020



Clouds over the Ardennes
A new addition to the visual effects of Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg - clouds moving across the skyline. This is a purely visual change - there is no mechanic tied to the movement of the clouds. Yet, they add a great deal of liveliness to the game.



Clouds over Denmark
We hope that you will enjoy this new addition to the graphics. What other visual effects you would like to see added to the game at some points? Let us know in the comments below.



Clouds over Tobruk during a moonlit night

[Asid]

New class in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg - Assault gun
Sat, 18 April 2020



We decided to create a separate class of units - Assult guns to underline the key features of this type of combat units. In Strategic mind Blitzkrieg Assault guns are self-propelled armored artillery units that are designed to provide frontline fire support and destroy the enemy fortifications and well-entrenched positions.



Assault guns have lower Gun range than ordinary Artillery but they are more mobile, have better protection and a number of special skills making them a great tool for storming cities and heavily fortified positions. Additionally, if there is an Infantry unit in the adjacent hex, Assault guns do not suffer Close quarters penalty for Armored units in difficult terrain - the Infantry protects them. Thus it is important to combine your troops properly to ensure quick and efficient storming of the enemy positions.

We hope that these changes will make adding Assault guns to your army a much more viable choice.

Do not forget to wishlist Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg to show us your interest in the project and stay tuned for more information about new content and game development progress.

Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
Releasing on Spring 2020
Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg is a turn-based strategy set in the period of WW2. It brings a modern look and new features to a good old wargame genre. You are to lead the German Armed forces overcoming unthinkable odds and claiming the ultimate bittersweet victory in Europe. Blitzkrieg is the way!
Simulation
Strategy
World War II
Turn-Based Strategy
Historical
Add to your Wishlist


With best regards
Starni Games development team

[Asid]

Cinematics in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
Tue, 21 April 2020


British firing position oversees German paratroopers and aircraft landing.
“The Battle of Crete was fought during the Second World War on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when German troops began an airborne invasion of Crete. Greek and other Allied forces, along with Cretan civilians, defended the island.”


British troops firing at the aircraft and paratroopers.
“After one day of fighting, the Germans had suffered heavy casualties and the Allied troops were confident that they would defeat the invasion.”
The casualities of the German paratroopers in this operation were really heavy.


German paratroopers massive landing near Maleme airfield.
“The next day, through communication failures, Allied tactical hesitation, and German offensive operations, Maleme airfield in western Crete fell, enabling the Germans to land reinforcements and overwhelm the defensive positions on the north of the island.”


German paratroopers got behind the defenders’ lines and are getting ready to throw hand granades.
“The German Air Ministry was shocked by the number of transport aircraft lost in the battle. General Student, reflecting on the casualties suffered by the paratroopers, concluded after the war that Crete was the death of the airborne force. Hitler, believing airborne forces to be a weapon of surprise which had now lost that advantage, concluded that the days of the airborne corps were over and directed that paratroopers should be employed as ground-based troops in subsequent operations in the Soviet Union.”

In Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg you will have the chance to go through these iconic events and make sure you keep using paratroopers in future battles, including the operations against USSR.


With best regards
Starni Games development team

[Asid]

Polish localization added for the Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
Thu, 23 April 2020




We are happy to announce that Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg will be available in the Polish language. We try to add as many localizations as we can and keep working in this direction.

Now there will be more people who can enjoy the game in their own language.

Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
Releasing on Spring 2020

[Asid]

Historic personalities in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg - Karl Dönitz
Sun, 26 April 2020




Screenshot1
I accept responsibility for U-boat warfare from 1933 onward, and of the entire navy from 1943 on, but to make me responsible for what happened to Jews in Germany, or Russian soldiers on the east front — it is so ridiculous all I can do is laugh. (c) Karl Dönitz

“Karl Dönitz was a German admiral who briefly succeeded Adolf Hitler as the German head of state in 1945. As Supreme Commander of the Navy since 1943, he played a major role in the naval history of World War II. The Nuremberg Trials court convicted him of war crimes in 1946.”




Screenshot2
Your American admiral said that he held me in the highest esteem, and thought that I conducted my defense perfectly. He said through his chief of staff that my conduct was beyond reproach and he had the greatest admiration for me. (c) Karl Dönitz

“He began his career in the Imperial German Navy before World War I. In 1918, he was commanding UB-68 when she was sunk by British forces. Dönitz was taken prisoner. While in a prisoner of war camp, he formulated what he later called Rudeltaktik ("pack tactic", commonly called "wolfpack").”
In Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg his expertise will help you in Naval battles, as you will get Headquarters skill Wolfpack for free from the start.




Screenshot3
I think that I have now said enough about the war, which is past now for over twenty-five years. I bow in reverence before the memory of the men who lost their lives in this war on both sides, and I think that we all hope that we never shall have such a war again. (c) Karl Dönitz

Naval battles in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg are not numerous, but play an important role in the overall campaign. They are combined with landing operations and to ensure the safe landing of your ground troops your fleet will have to keep the enemy ships at bay.




With best regards
Starni Games development team

[Asid]

Cinematics in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
Tue, 28 April 2020

Episode 3. Battle of France


German tanks on the offensive

Almost 80 years ago, on 10 May 1940, German and Italian troops started an offensive operation against France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg and British Expeditionary Force. The operation involved massive tank troops invasion through the Ardennes forests and difficult terrain - a course of action totally alien to the military thought of the time.



Victorious German troops in Paris

Despite significant losses among the German troops: over 1200 (out of 5600) aircraft and 800 (out of 2400) tanks lost, Allies’ resistance in France was crushed, with a swift and decisive victory. This was a dire blow to the Allies war effort.



Heinz Guderian with his victorious tank corps in Paris

The tank forces of Guderian went from the forest of Ardennes to the English Channel in under two weeks proving to the whole world that Blitzkrieg was the new reality of contemporary military art.

In Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg you will be able to go through these iconic events and see how well you would fare in place of the German high command.


With best regards
Starni Games development team

[Asid]

Operations in Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
Thu, 30 April 2020

The Spanish civil war


German troops approach Barcelona

The Germany’s first step in WW2 was definitely the invasion of Poland. However, it was not made without solid preparation and test of strength. Such a test was German volunteers and regular troops fighting on the side of Spanish Nationalists.



German troops approach Madrid

The civil war in Spain was a great opportunity for the German war machine to try their new aircraft and tanks in real combat, and allow their crews to get invaluable experience of modern warfare.



The first clash with Soviet tank forces

Germany was not the only one willing to participate in this conflict, as their Soviet counterparts supported the opposing side - Spanish Republicans. Thus, de facto Germany and USSR troops faced each other long before the fateful June 1941.



The battle against Soviet contingent is ongoing

In Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg you will be able to go fight alongside the Spanish Nationalists and even face the Soviet tank regiments fighting on the other side, only to become your allies during the subsequent invasion of Poland.


For those of you who worry about the Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg release - it will be in Spring 2020, as promised. Stay tuned as big announcements are coming really soon.



With best regards
Starni Games development team