Spring:1944 - Contact

About The Game

Spring: 1944 is a game that is well aware of the saturation of the WWII RTS genre, and strives to create something unique and worth playing in the face of that. Our goal as developers is to create a game for all brands of RTS players to enjoy, from hardcore WWII wargamers to more casual players just looking for a fun, free RTS. For us, realism is a tool to help define unit interactions, not a 'written in stone' set of rules that lock down our design and game play. After all - who really wants to have a tank break down in the midst of battle because of foreign mud in the petrol? We aim to abstract away from the aspects of the war that would lead to a frustrating and unfun game, while retaining those that have drawn players and wargamers to the WWII setting for years.

Contact

Press & Media

We're always excited to help magazines, websites and other media outlets who wish to explore and write about S:44, so contact us at spring1944 (at) gmail.com for exclusive screenshots, statements and other information! The tag of "[Press]" or "[Media]" in your email will help us address it as priority.

Contributors

We're also always on the hunt for more people to help with this immense project. If you would like to help and are skilled in 2d game art (skinning/texturing), Lua coding, sound effects, voice acting, music, UVMapping, or creating 3d models, please let us know! An email to spring1944 (at) gmail.com with a subject tag with the area of your expertise ("[Music]", "[Skins]", "[Sound FX]" ect) with some examples of previous work and a good way to get in touch with you is the best way to get our attention and a quick response.

Others

The same address as above - spring1944 (at) gmail.com -- can be used by anyone to get in touch with the team for any purpose. Alternatively, the S:44 forums are a great place to find us.

The Team

Nemo - otherwise known as NemoNobody. He's a handsome chap, currently travelling and working on the balance internals of the next release. He's Formal Head, Lead Scripter & Balance Brigadier, with more than a few trick cards in his deck. American, has no play bias.

FLOZi - one of the classic members of the project and a definite heart beating behind the work. He's currently taking a break and gliding through virtualized space with M_26_7. Soul Director & 3D Artist, involved in scripting, lua scripting, 2D and 3D art, as well as balance. British, favours the U.S.

M_26_7 - otherwise known as SpikedHelmet, sometimes Zveroboy. He's a crazed man, currently taking a break and flying though the great void of space with FLOZi. Co-Art Director & Master Texturer, his attention to detail is an example to us all. Canadian, favours Germany.

Yuritch - a relatively new member of the project, nonetheless one of the most important. His immense knowledge of period equipment and seemingly effortless attention to detail in his work keep us all productive. Co-Art Director & Master Modeler, his pace of production forces us onward. Ukranian, favours the U.S.S.R.

Felix The Cat - another classic member of the project, currently taking a break while he addresses the options before him in real life. Webmaster & 3D Artist, his work is only outstripped in quality and parsimony by his infrequent play. American, favours Germany.

Neddie - otherwise known as Neddiedrow. Enchanted by the project and execution thereof, he became a member of the team in part due to a desire to spread this enchantment across the world. Public Relations Lead & 2D Artist. American, favours Great Britain.

Evil4Zerggin - previously unmentioned, another incredibly important member of the team. His technical skill is akin to that of Tobi, but focused in a complementary direction. Lua Lead Scripter, he makes the impossible possible and the possible feasible. American, favours the U.S.S.R.

Tobi - a quiet, unassuming man whose technical skill and applied creativity are sometimes daunting. AI Developer, he challenges the rest of the team even indirectly on the field of battle, encouraging us to redouble our respective efforts. Dutch, has no play bias.

History

Spring: 1944 is a game with a rather long history, as computer games go. Originally begun in 2002 as a single-unit modification for Total Annihilation called Axis & Allies TA, the game has since grown well beyond its original plans. The mod was completed in August of 2005, with the main dev at that point (M_26_7 / SpikedHelmet) deciding it was time to move on. Not long after, an early version of the Spring engine was released -- an engine designed to run content from Total Annihilation, and Axis & Allies TA was soon ported by a fan, and then by FLOZi in November of 2005. The port was then released in December 2006 with a few bits of new content (mostly infantry models) and updated game play elements.

Since that release, we have been rebuilding the game from scratch with new content and a new design philosophy. Our first release of the new build was the Lite Beta 0.2, which was unfortunately pulled back after discovering a crash bug that popped up with large team games. However, we are hard at work on the next version and hope to release a new (hopefully less crash-prone) build in the coming few months with lots of new features and units. Some of the things to look forward to include:

A fully implemented ammo system! Designed to create important, game-shifting targets on the battlefield, units now have a limited supply of ammo which must be replenished in order for them to fire. This refilling is accomplished by simply parking them within the radius of a supply depot, eliminating annoying micromanagement while maintaining the tactical importance and engaging game mechanics of limited ammo.
Heavy tanks! At long last we have Tigers, Tiger IIs, Churchills and IS-2s cruising our battlefields.
New explosion FX! Spiked managed to create some nifty new explosion effects, ranging from the small dirt-spray of a grenade or mortar, to the massive impact of a 132mm rocket.
Other nifty things which may be on the way (depending on how quickly things are completed: aircraft, new infantry animations, new infantry models, heavy tank destroyers, self-propelled guns, and more!