Hey guys!
We would like to take a moment to reflect on the December playtest for Over The Top: WWI! Thanks to all of you, it was a huge success and an experience we won't soon forget.

In this post, we'll share what we learned, some exciting highlights, and what’s next for the game. Additionally, we would like to invite you to support Over The Top: WWI by voting for it in IndieDB’s Indie Game of the Year competition.

Numbers

First, let’s talk about the numbers! Over 17,000 unique players joined the battlefield during the playtest, smashing our record for concurrent users. The response was so overwhelming that we had to wake up in the middle of the night to spin up additional servers to keep up with demand. Thank you so much; you guys are amazing!

Performance

The playtest was also a valuable learning experience, and while we're proud of the strides we’ve made, there’s still work to do. Performance was one of the most significant challenges we noticed. With the game’s dynamic and chaotic nature, maintaining smooth FPS for all players is tricky. We’re focused on tackling these issues head-on to enhance the game’s performance for all players.

Spawn System and Balance

Another area that came to light was the Officer Spawn system. Right now, it’s a little to easy to spawn on officers. Teams could easily overwhelm opponents by constantly respawning at officers, providing a never ending flow of players. We're planning an overhaul for the next playtest to strike a better balance.

Map Balance was another major issue this playtest. For example, on Alpenflugplatz, we noticed players sneaking behind enemy defenses to camp capture points that weren’t even active yet. We are planning adjustments to keep the battles intense but fair.

And let’s talk about those flamethrowers! They’re undeniably powerful; we tried to adress this during the playtest by limiting the number of specialists per server; with limited success. In certain maps, they tipped the scales too much in favor of attackers. We’ve got some ideas to address this and will be testing adjustments next playtest.

Campaign Mode

On a more positive note, our new Campaign mode is shaping up nicely! Players enjoyed it, but the UI could do a better job explaining what’s happening during critical moments. We’ll also be fixing a bug that restricted voting options to just one choice in some cases. Expect a more polished experience in the next playtest.

Here are some screenshots showcasing the aftermath of the 3rd Battle at Nimy Bridge and Collineaux Hills. Remember, these two maps start out with NO destruction... The level of destruction is truly remarkable and highlights the intensity of the combat!

Armored Class

The new Armored class showed promising results during the playtest. It functioned as intended, introducing a new tactical layer to gameplay. Observing how players utilized this class gave us valuable insights, and we’re eager to see how it evolves with further refinements in future updates.

Thank you!

Of course, none of this would have been possible without YOU. Thank you for your participation, feedback, and enthusiasm. Seeing you engage with the game at such a massive scale is what keeps us pushing forward.

Lastly, we have one small favor to ask. Over The Top: WWI is competing in IndieDB’s Indie Game of the Year awards, and your vote could make all the difference! If you’ve enjoyed the game or are excited about where it’s headed, please take a moment to vote for us. It’s a great way to support our team and help spread the word about the game.

Thank you again for being part of this incredible journey. We’ll see you in the trenches (or on IndieDB)!
/Flying Squirrel Entertainment