Attention, Generals!
While I generally prefer the battlefield to the briefing room, it is time to discuss the upcoming features arriving in Thunder at Our Gates. Today, we are pulling back the curtain on two major additions: the implementation of Ship Captains and a comprehensive overhaul of our Division Designer, including the introduction of Regimental Support Companies.
Ship Captains
At their core, Ship Captains serve as a naval parallel to our existing Division Commanders. Individual vessels can now be assigned a captain, who gains experience through active service. To further refine their performance, you may decorate these captains with medals that bestow unique combat bonuses.
We have also modernized the ship details interface and introduced a robust history log. This log provides a comprehensive breakdown of a ship’s career, documenting its participation in engagements, confirmed sinkings, and assists.
To ensure you stay informed, subtle notifications will now appear adjacent to the ship icon whenever the history log updates or a new medal becomes available for assignment.
Medals function as you have come to expect, though they now offer specific naval modifiers when bestowed upon a captain. These modifiers are designed to be easily accessible for modding purposes.
Furthermore, we have introduced a new trait system to differentiate your captains. A captain specializing in destroyers, for instance, will naturally evolve into a more effective admiral for destroyer-heavy task forces.
The system is intuitive and offers a refined path toward cultivating the perfect admiral for your fleet’s needs.
Division Designer & Regimental Support
The Division Designer is receiving a universal, top-to-bottom renovation. The interface is now larger, bolder, and significantly more efficient.
We have maximized the usable space to fit comfortably on 720p displays while integrating vital new information. A dedicated row for primary statistics—including a combat width indicator directly within the grid—is now visible. By streamlining terrain statistics, we have also expanded the viewport for 3D models, ensuring your production costs and resource requirements are highlighted clearly.
What else has changed?
We have implemented convenient hotkeys, such as shift-clicking, to allow for the instant filling of battalions, drastically reducing micromanagement. Additionally, you will notice that support elements have been relocated to the right side of the interface. While this may require a brief adjustment period, we believe it will quickly become second nature.
Regimental Support Companies
This update introduces Regimental Support Companies for all players. Much like traditional divisional support, these companies allow you to augment your division’s capabilities without taxing your combat width.
We have moved away from our experimental scaling stats in favor of a binary requirement: your regiment must possess a sufficient number of line battalions to support the attachment of a regimental company.
We have also introduced a variety of new support companies to expand your tactical options. Note that certain restrictions apply; for example, specific infantry-based equipment cannot be attached to motorized or armored companies. This is intended to foster more deliberate, creative template designs.
Finally, we are adjusting the support weapons research tree. Previously an automatic upgrade, this research is now more closely tied to your nation’s industrial capacity and focused specifically on regimental support equipment.
That covers the essentials! We look forward to seeing the innovative division templates you develop with these new tools.