Wolfpack

Hello everyone! This month we have updated the beta version of the game, and we have added the Kriegsmarine grid to the map.Updating the beta versionAs many of you know, the main version of Wolfpack has not been updated in a very long time. We created many upgrades, such as the playable engine room, and Enigma machine, and released them on the beta branch. This version of the game had many critical issues, among them a network bug that made the game very unstable. To fix this, we decided to start from scratch and create a new network protocol. Since Wolfpack is a multiplayer game, the netcode touches pretty much the entire game, so this led to us pretty much reworking the game from scratch. During this time, the beta version remained broken, and the main branch never received any updates. This has led to people believing that the game is not being worked on, and has created a lot of frustration in the community. We are deeply sorry for this.Since the development of the new version of the game has taken far too long, we have decided to fix all of the bugs in the current beta version. Bug fixes for the beta will be rolled out continuously, and once all of the bugs are ironed out, we will move it to the main branch.Our most dedicated players have been playing on the current beta, and have used various workarounds to compensate for the bugs present. To avoid disrupting their gameplay, we have created a separate branch called legacy beta, where the old beta version will be preserved for redundancy. This does not mean we have abandoned the new open world version of the game. We are still working on it every week and making great progress.The kriegsmarine grid mapDuring the second world war, the German navy developed a new system for referencing a location on a map. The entire globe was divided into large square sectors, each with its unique two-letter designation (e.g. AE, AF, BA, BB, etc.) with each square, called a quadrant, 486 nautical miles to a side. Each quadrant w...

Hello everyone! This month we have focused on integrating the navigation system, and finished the first version of the u-boat bunker.Manual navigationIn the new version of Wolfpack, the position of the u-boat will not be visible on the map. To find their position, the players will have to navigate, using either terrestrial or celestial navigation.Celestial navigationWe have implemented a sextant, that is part of the new hand held equipment system. A sextant is an instrument that measures the angle between the horizon and a celestial body, such as the sun, moon or stars. To measure the height of the sun with the sextant in game, the player first equips the sextant, then sets the ND filters using the Q and E buttons, and then rotates the right hand image of the sextant using the scroll key, until the sun touches the horizon. Now that we know the sun’s angle, we can go to the map, and enable the sun’s zenith position in the map, and measure out a circle from this point. We now know that we are somewhere on this circle. The navigator then uses this line of position together with another observation, or uses the previous known position to calculate a running fix.Terrestrial navigationTerrestrial navigation is done by sighting one or more objects on land. By finding the bearing to the object and drawing a line from the object on the map along that bearing, we now know that we must be somewhere on this line. The navigator can then use this line of position together with another observation to get a fix, or with a previously known position to calculate a running fix.To make terrestrial navigation possible without occupying the attack periscope, we have added a telescopic bearing sight (Peildiopter in German) to the outside compasses.The bunkerIn the new version of Wolfpack, the players will start the game on foot in the bunker. This area is fully traversable by foot, and serves as a hub where players can meet and form crews. This month we’ve added interior structures and li...

Hello everyone! During February we have made a lot of progress, and we are rapidly approaching a testable version of the game. We are still working with system integration. This means that we have finished building all of the systems that are required for the open world mode to work, but some of the systems are not talking to each other correctly just yet. This is the last necessary step before we can release a test version for our internal testers. After the game reaches a relatively bug free state, it will replace the current beta version, and once that is completely bug free, it will replace the main version of the game. The new release will contain the following: An open world campaign mode, where players are free to travel anywhere on earth.Saved progression - The game is saved when the host quits.Manual navigation using celestial and terrestrial navigation techniques.A u-boat bunker that will serve as a hub where players can meet and form crews.A new rendering engine.New netcode.A sneak peak at the unfinished corvette.We have built the underlying systems required to support dedicated servers and a versus mode, but they will not be fully implemented by the release of the next patch. More content will be added to the world in later versions. Skirmish mode, as implemented in the game right now, will still be supported after this patch.We are really looking forward to releasing this patch, it will be the single largest update to Wolfpack ever! In a few months we will be able to show you the fruit of our labour.Good hunting!The Wolfpack Team