DISCLAIMER: All of the content below is heavily conceptual and may never be in the game. All images and text are stand-ins. Please read this before taking the images out of context!
Industrial Districts
Oh, hey guys, I’m back for a second week in a row. This week, we’re talking about Industrial Districts!
What are Industrial Districts you ask? Well, astute reader, they are essentially factory districts built into the five largest towns in the game. Each of Abandoned Ward, Saltbrook Channel, Jade Cove, Viper Pit and The Blemish have had parts of the layout reworked to fit this new theming. On top of that, Industrial Districts will feature a brand new type of Safe House as well as several new, unique garrisons.
Back when we added the Mass Production Factories to the game, we plopped down this large building without any supporting assets, and it just felt rather empty. At the time, we had planned a couple of supporting assets, and we got them in with early block-ins of the Mass Production Factory but turned out pretty flat. A couple of little supporting assets weren’t going to make it feel like a full-fledged factory district, no matter how hard I tried. So, we decided to delay the theming until the summer when we could put some real effort into making it feel more appropriate.
When conceptualizing these areas, we put a lot of effort into developing a unique look inside of Foxhole but built it off the backbone of our other logistics structures. To that end, we aimed for an evolution of that turn-of-the-century industrial revolution style. Here’s a look at some early mockups Anthony and I put together along with some references we used for inspiration.
Here's a look at some references and early production art.
A challenge of building out this kind of tileset for Foxhole is that our visual hierarchy doesn’t allow for tall buildings that clip up into the camera. One of our oldest rules of scale management was that we base our choices of structure height using the height of the Bulwark as a guide for how tall something will be perceived. You might know that these kinds of factory districts, in reality, are claustrophobic lanes of tall, enclosed buildings and walls. As a way to provide that same feeling, we used some compositional tricks to give the impression of being a little tighter and cramped, while still allowing logistics and urban combat scenarios room to breathe.
As you can see from the screenshots below, Industrial Districts add a new layer of complexity to our larger Caoivish towns. From a lore perspective, it was essential to ensure these areas look abandoned rather than non-functional. Everything from the soot and coal covered roads to the cold, metallic roofs should tell you a lot about how these spaces might have been utilized between battles.
As one of the more visually dense parts of Foxhole, I’m so proud of the work that went into conceptualizing, planning, and executing this new tileset. Like the Town Revamp, this was a genuine collaborative effort between different parts of Foxhole’s art team, and it shows. I can’t wait to see the havoc y’all wreak.
Stay Foxy.
Vehicle Variants Spotlight
If you have been following the development of the Summer Update, you'd know that we have a new modular vehicle system that will enable us to bring dozens if not hundreds of new vehicle types to Foxhole in the future.
In the Summer Update, there will be roughly 25 new vehicle variants coming, with more on their way in the months ahead. We showed off many of these variants in our last two Devstreams, but we wanted to highlight some of them here in more detail. Some of the variants you haven't seen yet, while others we felt were special enough that they deserved some extra attention. Enjoy!
00MS “Stinger”
Chassis: Motorcycle
Description: The cab of this Motorcycle is fitted with an LMG for fast-response hit and run assaults.
T12 “Actaeon” Tankette
Chassis: Armored Car
Description: This complete overhaul of the T3 Armoured Car is reinforced with tank armour. While these extra defenses lower the T12’s overall speed and handling, the addition of treads provide increased performance in less than ideal terrain.
HH-a “Javelin”
Chassis: Half-Track
Description: Designed for escort missions and to support infantry operations, the HH-a class “Javelin” Half-Track is an armoured, versatile all-terrain vehicle equipped with a mounted machinegun.
AB-11 “Doru”
Chassis: Landing APC
Description: With it’s mounted machinegun, the Doru is the perfect addition to any shoreline assault.
Lance-40 “Halberd”
Chassis: Battle Tank
Description: The “Halberd” Battle Tank is reinforced with sandbags and metallic treads, increasing overall damage resistance.
O’Brien v.121 Highlander
Chassis: Armoured Car
Description: Fitted with all-terrain treads, the Highlander brings significant all-terrain mobility and performs especially well in snowy and mountainous environments.
Drummond Spitfire 100d
Chassis: Light Utility Vehicle
Description: This LMG-mounted Light Utility Vehicle provides a heavy-duty weapons platform with superior speed. Perfectly suited for supporting flanking infantry or an armoured assault.
Niska Mk.2 Blinder
Chassis: Half-Track
Description: Fitted with a heavy-duty anti-tank gun, the Blinder is capable of punching through all but the most tempered of alloys.
Devitt Ironhide Mk. IV
Chassis: Light Tank
Description: The Ironhide Light Tank is similar to the Mk.III but reinforced with plates of heavy steel at the expense of speed and maneuverability.
Flood Ascension Mk. V
Chassis: Battle Tank
Description: The Ascension Mk.V Flood variant is fitted with a larger barrel and designed for long-range engagements.
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Our next devstream is still scheduled for next Tuesday at 2PM EST on our Twitch channel.
