Shieldwall

[Asid]

Stand closer. Hit harder.


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Single-player


Shieldwall - Announcement Trailer




About

Caesar needs you! Gaul won't be conquered by itself. Stand under the Eagle and lead the legion for the glory of Rome!

Shieldwall is a funny third-person tactical battle simulator with strategy elements. It allows you to feel like a squad leader right on the battlefield.


Features:

•   Control troops formation while playing as a single character
•   Enjoy extremely dynamic and fun-filled battles
•   Siege an enemy and defend your own castle in one match
•   Create your own strategy in a game of 2-4 teams
•   Feel the real Rome while passing the campaign based on real Caesar's battles

[Asid]

FAQ #1

Frequently Asked Questions + Roadmap

Hello there!

There are lots of your questions! Thank you for such feedback!

Q: Will there be a multiplayer?

A: At this moment I'm focused on single player mode. It should get more updates to become more interesting. When the main game is done, I'll start making a multiplayer.

Q: I can't play 4th mission. Is it a bug?

A: At this moment there are only 3 missions in the game. The 4th one is coming soon.

Q: Is there an official Discord channel?

A: I have not created it, but the community has, so I pinned it in the discussions. I've joined it.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1216320/discussions/0/1871749336526013726/

Q: How many people are working on the game?

A: I'm the creator of Shieldwall, so I work on it by myself mostly. There are the guy who helps me with 3D art and the other guy who creates music.

Q: How long have you been working on the game? How much time a week you spend working on the game?

A: I started project in May 2019. I work full time.

Q: I found a bug, could you fix it?

A: Please, report all the bugs in this discussion and I'll check it in the game as soon as possible.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1216320/discussions/0/1871749460499081315/

Q: When is the next update?

A: I'm working hard to make the game better. I plan the next update on Friday or Saturday.

Q: Will the game contain *something*?

A: I read all your feedback and note the things which are most often asked to add. I'm not sure that I can add everything you propose, but I want to make a good game with your help.

Q: I want bigger armies, could you increase the limit of units?

A: The limit of units affects many aspects of gameplay. I'm trying to create a good dynamics of battles and make all maps playable. The bigger limit of units could break these things. Maybe I will balance it in the future, but the limit will stay around 20-30 per team.

Q: The game is too hard for me! I've passed the first mission with 7 attempts. Could you make it easier?

A: I plan to add a system of special points, which will help you to pass a hard mission with additional gold, but in this case you'll get a silver sign on the map instead of a gold one. Also I plan to balance the missions according to your feedback.

Q: The game is too easy for me! Enemies logic is too poor, I know the winning strategy. Could you give me a challenge?

A: I plan to make the next missions harder step by step. Also I plan to improve enemies AI and balance the missions according to your feedback.

Q: Achievements? Cards?

A: I plan to add these features in the future. At this moment I'm focused on the gameplay improvements.

Q: There is no mini map! I do not know where to go. Could you add mini map?
Q: That guy asking for mini map isn't right! Romans did not have HUD and they were dealing with limited communication. Could you not to add mini map?
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1216320/discussions/0/2153224488981229768/

A: I think I might add the map, which could be opened by pressing "M". And this map will show you only locations of the flags. It will help you to navigate the map, but it won't be a cheat.

Q: Could you add key mapping, invertible Y-Axis and settable camera distance?

A: I plan to add these options soon.

Q: What factions do you plan to add?

A: There are Rome and Gual for now. I plan to add Greece, Egypt and Persia.

Q: I want to play as different factions. Also I want to switch off the limit of time and get unlimited gold. Could you add these features?

A: I plan to add a Custom Battle mode, where you can try any faction with your own match settings.

Q: The only thing I haven't figured out is how to make the move where you throw them over your back using your shield. Can do it when the enemy jump attacks you by blocking and hitting the attack button, but when in melee already, still haven't figured it out yet.

A: This is a 'Counterattack'. You're doing right. You should just know, the jump attack has bigger time window when it can be counterattacked. But there is the same mechanic.

Look at this old GIF: https://twitter.com/NezonProduction/status/1184871090226679808



Roadmap

I'm working on the 4th mission and bug fixes right now. I plan to launch it on Friday or Saturday. After this I plan to add the mission 5 and Custom Battle mode. This is a short plan.

The next step is Act 2 which is about Civil War, so there is a new type of maps with Roman cities.

Also I'll be improving UI, controls, options and other things like that.

Thank you so much for the feedback. I really appreciate your help. I hope we'll make a good game together during this Early Access.

Kind regards,

Maxim Eltsov
Nezon Production

[Asid]

Custom Battles Update
Sat, 11 April 2020


+ New Playable Factions

Hello there! Here is the list of changes of the new update.

•   Custom Battles. Now you can play a match with your own settings.
•   Gaul and Greece are playable in custom battles.
•   Each faction now has its own Standard effects. Roman Standard was rebalanced too.
•   Map of the area was added. Press 'M' during the match.
•   Additional loading screens were added.
•   Blood Paint effects were added. So you can see injured units.
•   Last minute alert was added.
•   Now you see which of your flags are under attack before they become neutral.
•   Permanent attack bug was fixed. Thanks to @LazyStaru for a good report.
•   Map 3 was fixed. Now there is no problem with intersection of flag zones.
•   Collisions of trees were improved.
•   Player's respawn logic was improved. Now it calculates navigation distance instead the straight one. So you will spawn on the nearest flag.
•   Testudo formation was fixed. Now your hero won't move back after successful hit, so your units do not step aside. It means Testudo works better during gate attack.


And a few words about the game. Most attentive of you found the back gates on the 4th map. It might help you to win the battle. Although the mission can be passed without this hack.

Also I should say about GPM aura of Standard. This is still a part of Aura which works in a radius of alive Standard. So it works for only one flag when the Standard is nearby this flag. The UI does not shows this clear, I'll fix it.

Thank you so much for your feedback! I keep working hard on the game, your help is very important for me. I plan to finish the first Act in the next update. Also I plan to add key mapping soon. I hope you'll enjoy the update!

Kind regards,

Maxim Eltsov
Nezon Production

[Asid]

Mission 5 Update
Fri, May 15, 2020

v. 0.8.3 - ALPHA 5

Hello there! New update is here.

List of changes:

•   Battle of Alesia - the last mission of the first Act in campaign
•   Enemy AI battle logic was improved
•   Defenders now choose a position better
•   Now you can hire defenders on any flag (not only in castles)
•   Gold Per Minute (GPM) of flags now are shown on the map
•   Team Upgrades were rebalanced
•   Auras of standards were rebalanced
•   Testudo bug was fixed (player was running while missile weapon is active instead of slow moving)
•   Another fix for "not ending" matches. The match does not end if there is one enemy unit stuck somewhere on the map. So there is a new system of finding and killing these bad units
•   Empty text alert was fixed


The important thing of this update is about hiring defenders on any flags (not only in castles). It affects AI logic and possible strategies for the player. So matches will become different.

I want to test this feature and decide if it is good for the game. So I need your feedback. What do you think about this change?

Kind regards,

Maxim Eltsov
Nezon Production

[Asid]

[Asid]

Mission 6 Update - The Act 2
Thu, 9 July 2020



v.0.8.6 - Brundisium

Hello there!

List of changes:
•   The Act 2 starts now. It has a different style which is based on lots of new visual content.
•   Mission 6 was added - Siege of Brundisium.
•   New AI logic called "Hard" was added. It improves AI tactical moves. Mission 6 uses this logic, also you can use it in custom battles.
•   Now each map begins from its own music track.
•   1 new music track was added for Siege of Brundisium.
•   Now the game calculates net worth of the teams. The UI is at the top right of the screen. The formula: current gold + cost of alive units + cost of made upgrades.
•   Previous missions were little balanced, mission 5 now has the time limit of 50 minutes.
•   Missions 5 and 6 (with many flags at start) now have a specific (not random) spawn point.
•   Little UI fixes.
•   Brown color now can be used in custom battles.
•   Sea sounds and effects were added to Mission 4 and 6.


Thank you so much for your support!

Kind regards,

Maxim Eltsov
Nezon Production

[Asid]

Match Statistics Update
Thu, 16 July 2020



v.0.8.7 - Statistics

Hello there! This little update fixes some issues and also brings match statistics and some other features.

The list of changes:

•   Match statistics was added. In addition to simple numbers you also see all the Standards with its auras. Just hover over "LVL X" to see it. Other info details works the same way.
•   Match statistics builds two plots. They show you the progress of the match.
•   Hover over points to see special match result for each player.
•   Flag's Healing Aura was changed. Now all flags have 0.5 HPS by default and you can upgrade it for 2.5 HPS.
•   Additional UI above health bar shows you the amount of your health, sum healing effect and the signs of special auras (flag's healing aura, flag's protection aura and aura of the standard)
•   Enemy AI has improved a little. Now it works better.
•   Map 6 was polished. Some navigation bugs, map border, flying barrel, shaking stairs, shallow sea area and more defects were fixed.
•   In-game Net Worth UI was removed from Campaign matches. You still can see it in custom battles.


Thank you for your support.

Kind regards,

Maxim Eltsov
Nezon Production

[Asid]

Spearmen - Update
Thu, 6 August 2020



v.0.8.8 - Spearmen
Hello there! This update doesn't contain a new map, but there are lots of other changes. The new map comes later because I need to test and fix the balance with new units. This is important for a quality of new mission.

The list of changes:

•   Key mapping. Now you can change controls in settings.
•   New units. Now each faction has spearmen. A spear is longer and slower than a sword, so a spearman tries to keep distance in a fight. Spearmen can be effectively used in some situations. Watch the video on YouTube.




•   AI fighting logic was improved. Now heroes and standards keep distance like spearmen, so they become more effective in battles.
•   AI hire logic was fully reworked. Now it takes into account global AI logic (Normal, Deffensive, etc.) and some special random decisions which is made once a match. For example, AI may decide to play with spearmen or swordsman as main force.
•   AI upgrades logic was reworked.


•   AI logic of upgrading of Standard was improved. Previously it was fully random, now it depends on global AI logic, faction and previously spent Standard points.
•   Effects of Standards was rebalanced.
•   Player's Standard now step aside if player use missile weapon. Now he will not block the view while player is throwing javelins.
•   The bug of disarm while throwing javelins was fixed, finally! There used to be a rare situation where your weapon went missing and you couldn't do anything.
•   Throwing animations and logic were reworked. Now it should work smoother.


•   "Look around" bug was fixed. Previously if you opened Team Upgrades menu while pressing Middle Mouse Button, Middle Mouse Button stuck. The same thing with attack button was fixed.
•   The map with a cart was fixed. I mean the logic of hiring on a cart. Now you are fully able to hire there if the cart is your last flag. Also there was a bug when AI opponent could hire defenders on the cart. It's fixed.
•   Brundisium map was polished. There were some places where units stuck.
•   Gates logic was reworked. It affects open/close logic and repait logic.
•   Upgrades related to the gate are no longer available on maps that do not have a gate.


•   Now if you press F1 to hide controls help, the game save your choise for future matches. Also this options is in game settings now.
•   Emerging hints now can be switched off in settings. It affects the hints appearing during the match like "press RMB to block".
•   New models of weapons were added. There are some spears, new gladius, additional gallic short sword, and a greek sword for Alexander.
•   Match Statistics was improved. Now it shows more details of kills and deaths, healing statistics and more details of gold income: now it shows the impact of Standard.
•   Leonidas is a spearman now


The update brings Spearmen, so the balance of the game has changed. So I really need your feedback about the new state of the game. Thank you for your support.

Kind regards,

Maxim Eltsov
Nezon Production

[Asid]

Missions 7 and 8 - Major Update
Thu, 22 October 2020



v. 0.8.9 - Civil War

Hello there! This update brings you two more missions and related content, also it affects other parts of the game. The full list of changes:

New maps:
•   Mission 7 brings new AI called "Wall Keeper", you can also try it in custom battles mode on any map.
•   Mission 8 brings catapults. Catapults have its own different types of logic, which can be switched in the settings of custom battle for the maps with catapults. Changing this logic completely changes the battle. Try it after passing the Mission 8 in Campaign mode.

New systems:
•   Extra Gold system for campaign battles helps you to pass hard missions. Press "K" during the battle to read more information. I want to balance this system more to make it really useful but not cheating, so I need your feedback on this topic.
•   Campaign badges now are two types. If you pass the mission before the timer expires AND do not use Extra Gold you will get a Gold badge. In other cases you will get a silver badge, of course if you win. This system will affect Steam achievements in future. *All the missions you passed before the update now are "silver".
•   Collectable Amphoras now work. Greek amphoras are hidden one per map in campaign mode only. If you destroy the amphora once, you will get a special badge on the Campaign map and also never see the amphora again on the map. These amphoras will be reflected in Steam achievements in future.

New features:
•   Restart button in pause menu was added.
•   Tease your enemy by pressing 'Z'.
•   Gates HP bar was added.
•   Charge command now works for the gates with no enemies.
•   Press 'F2' to remove more UI elements. This setting saves and shown up in options menu.

Bug fixes:
•   Control settings are not lost after exiting the game now.
•   Now enemies check vertical distance too. It removes some navigation issues.
•   The Horn sound stops after Standard is dead now.
•   The bug when your reinforcement uses your Horn was fixed.
•   The bug with the reason of victory text in unlimited time battles was fixed.
•   Net Worth live display in the top right corner of the screen in custom battles was removed to ease the UI.
•   The interaction of projectiles with the map edge wall was fixed.
•   AI reinforcements tactics bug was fixed. Previously they ignored their own tactics when choosing the flag, instead of that they used main hero's tactics. Now it works good. This change will affect Mission 5 mostly.


Thank you for your amazing feedback! I really hope you enjoy the update. Now I keep working on the next one.

Kind regards,

Maxim Eltsov
Nezon Production

[Asid]

Mission 8, 17:25, who's better?

[Asid]

Egypt Update + Roadmap
Thu, 14 January 2021



v. 0.9.0 - Egypt

Hello there, here is a big update and fresh roadmap. I've made lots of changes according to your feedback, so now I need your respond to direct the future development.

The list of changes:

•   Egypt faction with its own units, heroes, standard and AI features.
•   Missions 9 and 10. Mission 10 opens Act 3.
•   Lots of visual content in Egypt style.
•   5 new music tracks (1 track is for mission 9 and 4 other tracks are for the east maps theme).
•   Dead face for units (also female face and egypt face).
•   Difficulty levels. Now there are two: normal and easy. If you choose easy one and beat the mission, you'll be able to play next missions in the campaign, but you won't unlock the map for custom battles. Difficulty levels now affect campaign badges and comletely replace extra gold system which was not good enough.
•   Special flags. This is an improvement of the flag on the cart in Mission 3. You can't hire units on the special flags while you have at least one regular flag. This thing adds strategy difference. These flags are used in the new missions and marked with a red star on the map.
•   Damage of catapults was balanced. Direct shot damage was reduced, AOE damage now cannot be less than a certain value.
•   Missions 4, 5, 8 was little rebalanced. Also all the missions now have easy versions.
•   AI was improved.
•   Catapults targeting logic bug, missiles sound bug and some other issues were fixed.
•   Extra Gold system was removed. It was replaced with difficulty levels.
•   Menus Help option (F2) was removed. Now you can't switch it off.
•   Map list was added to custom battles lobby.

Roadmap

I plan to add new missions. In Act 3 there are one more mission in Egypt and two in Asia Minor. Act 4 will include one battle in Africa, one battle in Spain and the final battle.
Missions 12 and 13 will include new faction - Persia.
Also I hope to add some additional maps for custom battles.
I plan to provide full controller support, new hire interface with units description and other languages support.
And of course I want to add Multiplayer mode!

The order of these things is not exact and may be changed, and of course I will still react to your comments and reviews. Thank you very much for your feedback, and I want to see more to be sure I move in a right way.

Kind regards,

Maxim Eltsov
Nezon Production

[Asid]

[Asid]

Persia Update
Sat, 22 May 2021



v. 0.9.1 - Persia

Hello there! Three new missions and Persia with its own unique soldiers and heroes have come!

NEW FEATURES
•   Shieldwall moved from UE 4.21 to UE 4.26. Now it works on the latest version of the engine!
•   New 3 missions were added to the Campaign. The Act 3 is now comleted.
•   Persia faction with its own unique heroes, soldiers and Standard now is in the game. It takes part in Missions 12 and 13, and also it's available for custom battles.
•   Catapults accuracy was fixed according to your suggetions! Now it has two modes: accurate (previous one) and not accurate. Campaign missions use not accurate one, but you still can play with accurate mode in custom battles.
•   Spearmen fighting logic was improved. Spearmen are now more likely to hit from behind an ally, so they became more useful.
•   Hire UI was improved. Now you can see health and damage stats of each soldier, also the price of units will be shown correct even under Standard's aura effect.

•   The bug of hiring UI on the flag with red star was fixed. Now it's showing up properly.
•   The bug of falling through the gates was fixed.
•   Missions 4, 5, 9 and 10 were balanced.
•   Mission 6 was balanced only on Easy difficulty.
•   Now the victory on Easy unlocks the map for custom battles too.
•   Standards were little rebalanced.

•   The bug with water effect on the map of Alexandria was fixed.
•   Some navigation mesh bugs on different maps were fixed.
•   Difficulty level changing UI was improved.
•   All maps in the game now have a bottom, upon reaching which any character will be teleported to the nearest flag.
•   Now you can play with 1.5 GPM factor in custom battles. It's an addition to previous factors of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0.
•   The price of Tier 2 units now is 16 instead of 15.
•   Now the game's process has it's own icon (not UE4), finally!


Thank you for your feedback! Now I plan to focus on multiplayer.

Kind regards,

Maxim Eltsov
Nezon Production

[Asid]

[Asid]