Desert Stormfront - Real-Time Strategy (RTS)

Featured Games
#1

Hi, I have just released Desert Stormfront, a real-time strategy game inspired by the turn-based “Classic Empire” wargame by Walter Bright. Units and structures are modeled after the original following a rock-paper-scissors system. Unit movement is in real-time similar to the classic “Command & Conquer” albeit simplified aiming at a game that is easy to learn but difficult to master.

Desert Stormfront takes place in present-time Middle East. The player assumes command of the Western coalition and fights real-time battles for control of cities and oil fields in Iran, Iraq, Saudia Arabia and Afghanistan. Maps are based on real-world locations in the Middle East. The story is fictional (as of this writing). The game supports cross-platform multiplayer matches over LAN and internet including co-op multiplayer.

Features:

  • Real-Time Strategy (RTS) in the Middle East
  • Single Player and Multiplayer (over the LAN and Internet)
  • 30 Campaign Missions incl. Scoring/Rating
  • Random Map Generator + Skirmish Maps
  • Modes: Attack, Defense, Capture the Flag & Convoy Missions

Release Date: Sept. 26, 2012
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, Android & iOS
Available: via game’s website (PC, Mac, Linux) | Google Play (Android) | Apple iTunes (iOS)

UPDATE: ported to iOS via libgdx - in iTunes since Nov. 21, 2012!

Trailer:

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Screenshots:

1280×800 624 KB

1280×800 499 KB

1280×800 566 KB

#2

Nice.

#3

Looks very nice. Can you give us some insight/trials/tribulations in the development of this game?

#4

Stunning in-game artwork.

What graphics editing tools you use?

#5

OK, let me give you guys some insights. I just released the game, so some of my comments apply to the predecessor (Tropical Stormfront) I released about half a year ago. :slight_smile:

What Went Right

  1. On the technical side the game is implemented using libgdx & OpenGL ES 2.0. Using libgdx development was a breeze! I can highly recommend it.
  2. I use getdown for deployment on Desktop; I had some technical problems initially but managed to eventually fix them all. I can definitely recommend it over webstart!
  3. Development overall went well. Also, I had a great artist I worked with (Nick Lee) who did an excellent job; also provided some feedback regarding game-design (couldn’t have done it without him). Unfortunatley, he is planning to get a full-time job soon so… :confused:
  4. After I implemented the AI I actually enjoyed the game myself (I am aware I am biased). I believe I played the Hawaii invasion about 20x until I finally beat it - not because I had to but just because it was a challenge. Anyhow, I thought the AI turned out pretty well (biased again).
  5. The game got a great rating on Android (and generelly very mixed ratings for Desktop: either good or very bad).

What Went Wrong

  1. I guess the biggest mistake I made was to create an RTS game. It’s a lot of work, especially the real-time AI, balancing the units, animated graphics, real-time collision detection and movement, network-play (cross-platform), making it run at decent speeds on Android etc. I have been asked several times so far to make it a turn-based game. Also, I have been told several times how it wouldn’t compare to C&C (mostly from Desktop players). Should have made a turn-based game/platformer instead.
  2. Desktop sales (especially for Tropical Stormfront the predecessor) have been abmissal. I don’t except it much different for Desert Stormfront. Android sales haven’t been great either, but a lot better than desktop. At least on Android the players seem to generally enjoy the game.
  3. The name of the game. Also the scenery. Not sure if the Middle East was a wise choice.
  4. I should have played more RTS games beforehand. Things have change a lot since I played Red Alert.
  5. I should have done a lot more testing with especially Desktop players. I think I’ll try to find some testers for my next game a lot earlier on. Not just a few weeks before I am done with the game to get some insights into game controls, functionality etc. On the other hand it takes a lot of time to find willing individals for testing let alone getting useful feedback.

@appel re-gfx: I worked with “Nick Lee” (from London) - great artist. Also very responsive. I believe he used 3D Studio for the units/structures and rendered them out to 2D isometric. The tiles have been done by hand. I used Photoshop to grid them up etc.

#6

noblemaster,
Thankyou for the above post. I especially liked point 4) (in ‘What Went Right’) where the creation became fun for the creator, this is what makes it all worthwhile IMHO.

#7

mpressive production, played the demo, but fist mission is strange: do I destroy china bases ?

#8

very nice, good art, enjoyable and very polished.

FEATURED.

#9

@Gornova: You should take over the bases with the Humvee!

@kappa: Thanks for the feature ;D

#10

As of today the game has also been released on iOS. The games use the excellent libgdx framework which made porting from Desktop/Android to iOS a breeze. ;D

Store/Download Links:

Special Thanks:

- [url=https://twitter.com/badlogicgames]Mario Zechner ([/url][url=https://twitter.com/badlogicgames]@badlogicgames[/url][url=https://twitter.com/badlogicgames]) [/url]from [url=http://libgdx.badlogicgames.com/]libgdx. [/url]Also "Nate" and all the other libgdx contributors.[url=http://libgdx.badlogicgames.com/]

[/url]
- Michael Bayne (@samskivert) from PlayN with his IKVM MonoTouch port.
- Folks over at IKVM for providing an excellent tool for conversion from Java to C#.
- The Xamarin/MonoTouch team for making cross-platform development a breeze.
- many others

#11

Wow this game looks amazing! It reminds me so much of the first(and best) Red alert, which was one of the first games i ever played. i am totally buying this! but im broke :frowning: so it will probably be a while.

anyways, great work on this! :slight_smile:

-Roochie

#12

If you have Desura, I could send you a promo code for free!? Please message me if you like ;D

#13

that i so very kind! but yall did amazing work on this, so im just gonna pay for it and support yall! :slight_smile:

#14

Very impressive, and thanks for the rundown on what did/didn’t go well during development. Knowing is half the battle, and all that…

#15

hi

do you like sell it source code ?

#16

I’m not a mod but please don’t necro threads that are almost a year old.

Edit: 2 years old, sorry.

#17

hi

do you like sell it source code ?

#18

I’m not a mod but please don’t necro threads that are almost a year old.

Edit: 2 years old, sorry.