What Happened to Fire & Maneuver?

Unfortunately, we can not afford to continue working on Fire & Maneuver. We can not continue its development. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment.
Fire & Maneuver: store.steampow...
Master of Command (our next game): store.steampow...

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Unfortunately, we can not afford to continue working on Fire & Maneuver. We can not continue its development. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. Fire & Maneuver: store.steampowered.com/app/1679290/Fire__Maneuver/ Master of Command (our next game): store.steampowered.com/app/2878450/Master_of_Command_Seven_Years_War/

[@Anton2046gfkn]

Can you release it as is?

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

@@Anton2046gfkn The game is released and available on Steam store.steampowered.com/app/1679290/Fire__Maneuver/

[@TotalRozza]

Any chance you could release it on MacBook?

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

@@TotalRozza Around 1-2% of our wishlists came from people who are on IOS. It would take some active development to make a whole IOS port for a very small section of a potential playerbase. For us, it's just not worth doing unfortunately.

[@TotalRozza]

@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046 Fair enough

[@Dino_Stan]

Honestly its just nice to see people who like games making games again. I wish you and the team luck on your new game

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks dude. This is my ultimate passion, and I'm determined to get it right no matter how long it takes.

[@Duck_Man4]

Yooo Dino Stan is here

[@lukaswatts8422]

Dino stan the man himself

[@TheOneVoxel]

hey get back to total war big boy before i sack your little settlement

[@Yarnhub]

The best of luck and success to all your team in the next chapter of your game development

[@Orangethemartian]

surprised this comment isn’t as big as it is Also I agree

[@lamoking647]

dang

[@Tutelligno]

Hi yarnhub

[@arnodorian6192]

Honestly I loved the campaign system. I think your shortcoming was the battle system. It was very repititive, lacking much tactical approach. Nevertheless, Good luck. Edit: Woah 1k likes? Did I just represented the entire F&M Community?🫠

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks man, yeah the battle system suffered most from just not having a good enough AI to offer a meaningful challenge. We just didn't have the time we needed to spend on refining it.

[@petros5155]

Yeah I agree, the game was fun but repetitive

[@alvinbonny1562]

​@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046I think you Should get in the touch with the team behind "Ultimate General: Civil War". Their AI prove to be a real challenge to the point i have to learn about civil war tactics to win battles.

[@skyhistory6602]

​@@alvinbonny1562Yeah Ultimate General:Civil War is very great game, a lot of map and historical battle, and unit is also easy to understand but gameplay need depth to master, I love part that each unit isn't compose of a lot of sub-unite like total war dose because total war only fight with troop only around 1k-2k more than that you willl face performance problem but in this game troops can go up to 100k make it feel realistic

[@PhilosopherScholarPoet6272]

I agree issuing orders and commands was so painstaking that it made battles take forever which wasn’t that fun. if the battles were more RTS than turn based it might have worked better

[@Strat-Guides]

I had zero interest in MP and was a bit disappointed in the single player so I stopped following and playing. I've recently began consulting for gaming companies and I can tell you this was an amazing first attempt! It might seem like a failure now, but you basically just funded your own game dev school for 2 years and will pay dividends in the future. Hopefully your tuition wasn't too high lol good luck on the next one! I'm looking forward to trying it out.

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Hey dude, thanks for the comment. I completely agree with you, I've been telling people that this was basically an entire game development course worth of lessons. I feel so much more confident as a director and designer now. Would love for you to try out our next game, and I'll put your name on the list to reach out to once we've got something playable if you'd like! :)

[@nam430]

oh hey woppaaaaaaa

[@Strat-Guides]

@armchairhistoryinteractive2046 definitely, I'm interested! Looking forward to trying out the next one :D

[@markneuman8680]

I love fire and maneuver but I really do hope the next game is priced around the 10-20$ price range times are tough rn

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

@@markneuman8680 We're leaning on the launch price being $19.99, but I can't confirm yet. We will announce the price likely in January 2025.

[@GianniRivero]

It was a great experience developing Fire & Maneuver alongside the rest of the team! It's an honor to have gotten to be a part of making something so many of you enjoyed/still enjoy so much.

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thank you for all of your contributions on the game Geo, wouldn't have made it to the finish line without you dude.

[@F1reStartr]

its such a shame genuinly one of the most fun games ever while challenging, it always felt good to come back to shame its not getting worked on anymore.

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

I'm pretty devastated about it, but it's just best to move on and do better going forward. I appreciate the comment.

[@angeloluna529]

​@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046 you should do a sequel of the game, make notes on the problems of the last game and improve on it.

[@BunglebottomInc]

@@angeloluna529 I think Master of Command might act similiarly

[@1Orderchaos]

@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046 It was an okay first attempt at a game. You just need to take feedback about it seriously and you'll make a better one.

[@vandeheyeric]

@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046 I'd say it might be worth coming back to down the line if you can figure out more stable monetization, but first moving forward's important.

[@Yeet-yb8iu]

Ive downloaded f&m on its released. Thanks for all the fun ive had with it, i have almost 500 hours on it :)

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks so much dude! As much as I am sad about the outcome about the game, it makes me happy knowing that some people like yourself ended up getting so many hours out of it. It's also funny reading some of the negative reviews complaining about how much they dislike the game but they've got 100+ hours on it.

[@skylanders23]

@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046 I mean if anything, it adds more credibility to their criticisms. But best of luck with Master of Command, looking forward to its release.

[@datdude119]

@@skylanders23Not really, not recommending a product whilst clearly spending 100’s of hours on it proves that it’s worth investing time into.

[@astrotrek3534]

Having a finished product is so much more than 99% of people ever do. Hope you guys keep it up, there's alot of potential with the art and knowledge involved.

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks man, I appreciate it!

[@sarudon8412]

This video is so heartbreaking to me. I bought the DLC day one because I wanted to support you. You put you heart into it and it didnt pan out how you wanted to. It is inspiring in ways to see what you and your small team was able to accomplish. Videogames is not a business that is easy to understand or be successful at. Please continue the great work you have done!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thank you for the kind words and support Sarudon, means a lot. Video games development is incredibly hard, but we're committed to doing it right next time.

[@muse5722]

I just realized he couldn't diss the game he was talking about because it's probably war thunder or world of tanks which sponsor him lmao

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

I just don't want to diss any games in general, just not good practice. As far as sponsors go, I don't really mind- I'm likely not going to be doing KZbin full-time like I am now next year.

[@pempotfoy6206]

*cough cough, Enlisted, cough

[@WyoteCoyote]

As someone trying to get into game development/fiction writing, it’s awesome that you were able to just go make a game in the first place, because now you’ve learned a whole lot and you’re able to go into your next games with a lot more knowledge. I really respect how you aren’t afraid to get into new creative ventures and how you’re up front and honest about where things went wrong and want to head onto making something even better.

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

It was the most difficult thing I've ever done, and I had no experience! Haha. I think we all learned so much and I feel so much more confident moving forward with our next project.

[@sheipi2855]

Man I remember it being awesome, specially playing on a event. Well thank you for the experience and for making a special place in my heart for the Bersaglieri

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks for joining one of the events. Those were honestly so fun to do, having 100+ players sign up to all battle in a mass multiplayer campaign was an awesome experience to host. Thanks for playing man!

[@Danoid-1]

Seeing you reply to so many comments shows how commited you are. I'll be waiting patiently for your next game, genuinrly excited

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks dude! I'm excited to show you guys what we're working on too!

[@beastofwarfare1]

Huge props for making a video like this, most people would just take the L and keep their head down while they work on their next project. Hearing you detail what went wrong and how you are trying to improve only builds trust that you are learning and improving for your next game, which I just wishlisted after watching. Love you and your team, best of luck!

[@thecossackcrusaderofholybr8448]

Very sad😢 I hope the best for you guys!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

It's really a shame... but there's nothing I can do. Thanks for the support man.

[@carloshabsburgo]

12:00 Warthunder

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

😅

[@archimedesfromteamfortress2]

Didn't even try to hide it, but what you said is 100%true​@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046

[@funtecstudiovideos4102]

Every Gaijin game to be honest

[@MoiiE801]

fr

[@murkywateradminssions5219]

At least you get classified documents as a free addon!

[@MBHpower1]

Damn I really enjoyed it I hope your other projects find more success

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

I appreciate it Powers.

[@Jozoldy]

What a terrible shame. Though this is the first time that it was meant to be a WW2 game, but I'm so glad it wasn't. Despite being overextended, Fire and Maneuver had so much soul in my opinion. The time period, the vision, the ammount of detail and effort put into it, the references, the aesthetics, the music... dear God, the Music. F&M should be remembered for it's soundtrack alone and the idea behind it. It's a shame that it had to be your first game and a stepping stone on the road of improvement, but what's done is done, I suppose. With such a strong start, I'm certain Master and Command will a lot better and successful, even if the time period is a bit more saturated. I just hope that later, with more experience under your belt, you'll give the Victorian era the old junior college try again and realize the true potential of F&M.

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Great comment, I would love to return to the victorian period one day with a spiritual successor to Fire & Maneuver.

[@namenlosforever7129]

A fire and maneuver 2 where these mistakes are fixed would be so cool

[@thelocoshabab]

I'm sorry to hear how difficult the development was behind the scenes. I was playing it pretty much since you made your first announcement video about the early access, and even with all the bugs I honestly loved it. Even now, I recognize the shortcomings and some ways that it fell short, but I enjoy it for what it is. I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys can accomplish in the future, and I'm glad that you haven't given up on the desire to make awesome stuff! I'm holding out hope that maybe one day you guys could come back around and make a Fire and Maneuver 2 once you have that experience under your belt!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks for the support man, if our next game goes better I would love to do another victorian-themed strategy game.

[@SirArtanis7]

Surprisingly that first idea, I think that could be a good idea. I think there's a game that has a similar idea, only it's just tanks and vehicles. I think top down tanks would work, just needs to be hammered out as a single-player tank RTS.

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

It could've been pretty cool, but I just think the WW2 RTS genre is a bit oversaturated and I'm really not sure if there's much of a demand for a game like that.

[@ZKP314]

@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046 What about the interwar period (Russian Civil War-Spanish Civil War)?

[@comradepinko1155]

@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046 Ah, but there's not very many GOOD WWII RTS games as of late. Looking at that early test footage however it looks like the player had direct control over the vehicle & wasn't just commanding it like in a traditional RTS. So honestly, I think an even better hypothetical idea would be to try & tap into the starving tank game market (no Warthunder & WoT doesn't count) & make some kinda single player game where you are commanding/coordinating a small tank platoon while also controlling your own vehicle. Since we're talking platoon levels here, the scale can be rather small with the player only needing to babysit three or four vehicles at most, and because of the small size of your force the engagements would be fairly small, slower paced, and on a tactical level rather than strategic. As for what you'd be doing in terms of the gameplay loop, it can be pretty much whatever scenarios you could expect some tankers to be put in. Assist friendly infantry with an advance, destroy fortified enemy positions, hunting down a group of enemy armor etc. Simple challenging objective based gameplay. Then on top of all this, the game could have a proper campaign where your vehicles & their crews gain experience & get issued better equipment & vehicles over the course of the campaign, so as long as they actually survive & don't get murdered in 2.3 nanoseconds. This was kinda a mouth full but ey, I like spit balling sometimes. Main point being that that early little prototype definitely had potential in it.

[@HoH]

The WW2 tank game looks quite kickass to be fair (so does F&M).

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks man haha, yeah the WW2 game definitely had some charm.

[@FalkyRocket2222]

i quite enjoyed it too despite the shortcomings, good luck on the next one man it sounds like great fun

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks Falky, I appreciate it.

[@TheGonzanator96]

Respect for the transparency in this! I enjoyed the game for what it was, but appreciate a glimpse behind the curtain! Excited for the next adventure!

[@burdenofcommand2094]

Admirable, honest, insightful post-mortem. Any aspiring game developer or in process game developer can learn much here. Also its candor speaks volumes about Griffin's leadership. He took responsibility. And he learned. And he was upfront. Most impressive., Luke (lead for Burden of Command)

[@aaronthomas8190]

Thank you so much for your honesty here. I can tell you really cared about the project. Good to know you're working on something new, applying what you learned. I look forward to seeing the results. Keep your chin up!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks Aaron, means a lot dude.

[@generaldave7710]

For you first game it was outstanding and I enjoyed every moment of it, even my 60 year old father loved it. Well done and I can't wait to see what comes next!

[@GandalfIsLove]

I love fire and maneuver, it's always been a fun game to personally so I'm glad to see such a transparent game studio learn from their mistakes and start making an EVEN better game that's got a more realistic scope I'm very very excited for Master of command and you can be sure I'll be playing it as soon as as it's released!! =D

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks man!

[@Xysterr1]

Thanks for the video. I really loved, and still love, Fire and Maneuver. I believe I have about 150 hours on it, and it’s been really fun to revisit. Thanks for the effort into it, and good luck on Master of Command. I’ll be picking it up on launch day. Thanks again, and keep up the good work!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks man, I appreciate the kind words.

[@petermcquaid2489]

Before today I was like I will never play an armchair game again. But with a video like this you have won me back. I really like the open and honest approach. So I look forwar to seeing the new game.

[@koboldm]

I played a few matches of Fire&Maneuver with a friend and we had a fun time! I loved the aesthetic, music and just passion on the project, you can really feel it. Now it can seem like you fail and was a disaster, but you and your team got experience and understood what you want and don’t want in the next one. Can’t wait to follow the progress of Master of Command 🙌🏽

[@Henners1991]

On what you said about multiplayer - something I find interesting is how Ultimate General: Civil War's development went. The first game (Gettysburg) *had* multiplayer, but nobody used it. In UG:CW, the developer didn't include multiplayer and got a lot of salty feedback - but he was able to just retort with the stats on multiplayer usage and how much dev time it takes up to add it in. I'd say he won the argument!

[@bryangersbeck2010]

Wonderfully honest look at how you learn from your own mistakes. Not taking the pain out on yourself. And looking forward to a new project.

[@HistoryBoy]

I downloaded this fantastic game and the American Civil War mod one year ago. After experiencing bugs in the tutorial, I thought I would give the team some more time to develop it and work out some kinks. After coming back one year later, I was very pleased to find NO bugs and NO issues that have impacted my gameplay experience. After learning the controls and mechanics, with about four hours of playing time in, I recommended this to a friend, seeing it as a perfect way to experience the American Civil War in multiplayer format. The game has absolutely lived up to that vision. Another friend has now joined us on the field of battle, and I think it is safe to say that he is enjoying his journey very much. We are currently having a fantastic time battling each other through the war torn south; as he slowly cripples the confederacy and pushes my soldiers closer to Richmond, I am still having a fantastic time. We keep saying “We are so happy that we took a chance on this game.” All the time I ask “wasn’t that five bucks worth it?” It’s always met with a resounding “Yes.” One day into playing, I remarked “You really can’t tell if these indie games will be any good when you first buy them…” Once again, I am so happy that we took a chance on this one. I would encourage any of you who have a friend interested in History, or specially one that loves strategy games, to try out fire and maneuver. I truly do think that you will enjoy it. P.S - hope that we can see some player created mods and improvements in the future. And for the future: would love to see a full scale American Civil War game by you. As we’ve seen: that’s a pretty popular and profitable indie game genre!

[@elitely6748]

Played the game quite alot was very fun to play both watching the battles and enjoying the strategy. Shame that it won't be continued on but we still look forward to the future

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks for the comment, hope you'll give us another chance in the future!

[@dracohunter117]

I’m sad to see this game not continue, but I’ve worked on several Indy titles and I can attest to ALL of these issues for a small inexperienced team. I’m a big fan of the channel and really enjoyed the parts of the game that worked! I hope you guys learned the lessons you needed to make your next one a massive success! Good luck guys! 🎉

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks for the comment. We've definitely learned a lot of big lessons that we'll be taking forward to the next game.

[@Pak43lol]

ngl fire and maneuver was to simplistic to keep people playing it was great in concept but it did not have enough mechanics to keep people playing for more than a few games I got it for free so I cant complain

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

I think the mechanics were fine, it was just so buggy that the mechanics wouldn't work properly. And the singleplayer content/AI just wasn't worked on long enough to provide deep and meaningful gameplay.

[@Pak43lol]

@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046 I just remembered I haven't played it in 2 years so I should not be commenting on this

[@board-qu9iu]

@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046was the issue that the games took too long, weren’t replayable, and too simplistic As someone who plays Axis and Allies style board games I do think that simplicity isn’t an issue if the game has a lot of replay-ability. Sure it’s a board game, not a video game but still something to note

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

@@board-qu9iu I do agree, I really don't mind games with simple systems, as long as there's a lot you can do with those simple systems. Games like chess aren't overly complex, but have infinite strategies. In the case of our game, we just had a lot of bugs, and not enough focus on singleplayer.

[@deaghostyt2217]

​@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046maybe in the future you can rerelease it but as an arcade game ? Like same thing but maybe HUD or like more scripted,bidk

[@Techgnome21]

Seems like lessons well learned. thank you for being honest and shedding some light on the situation. I'm eagerly waiting for the new game!!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks man!

[@Mika_565]

It's a shame the game didn't work out, it was a really cool experience to work on it. Here's hoping lessons learned will make Master of Command even better!

[@alejandrochalco6893]

Ironically I´ve just bought fire and Maneuver a few weeks before this came out. I found the game through its OST on youtube and the boshin war DLC,I loved the idea, it got me to learn more about the victorian period and it has such a fun gameplay style, so I purchased and the Boshin war DLC, I been loving the game so far so Its very sad how it turned out. Your studio and ideas seem promising, but in all honesty I can´t say I´ll support or buy master of Command, I have little interest in the period or the setting and the grand scope and variety of FIre and Maneuver was precisely what caught my attention, so while I am sure it will allow your team to deliver a much more polished and well made product it dosen´t appeal to me as a costumer. I am planning on buying the American civil war DLC soon and I think I will do it at full prize so I can contribute a little to your studio´s future development, In any case I wish you a very fruitful journey and good luck, thanks for giving us fire and maneuver.

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks for the support man, I appreciate it. Glad you like the music, the composer worked super hard on it!

[@Nutty31313]

As someone who went through university to make games, I can relate to many of these lessons that I either learned during coursework projects or from friends/research into the development behind other games. When it comes to any creative activity everything is a lot harder once you start trying to do it, though especially so for something as involved and multi-faceted as game development. We all learn somehow, and unfortunately it's usually going to be because either you made the mistakes yourself, or you know someone who has. I'm currently working on my own game, and while there is so much I want to include in it I know to stay reasonable with my scope, especially as I am working on it by myself. It will take time, but I should be able to do everything besides the artwork myself, and for that I plan to try crowdfunding once the game is in a more playable state. If there's any advice you (or anyone else) can give, I'd greatly appreciate it!

[@alexanderdomschke9098]

You can be proud with what you achieved with F&M! Will absolutely buy Master of Command as soon as it´s finished, if there are other ways to support the studio please let us know. Good luck with the new project!

[@kaiserwilhelmii5393]

I enjoyed the game and bought all the DLC myself. Even though it is kinda sad how the game ended up, it was a valuable learning lesson. Will definitely be supporting your next game!

[@jakeparker9624]

A leader of a team saying "every one of my team did everything i asked them to, they were excellent and I mismanaged them" is a really surprising level of personal integrity for the industry

[@noobhero78]

No matter what you guys did, You did your best. Cant wait for the next project!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks man, I appreciate it.

[@Marylandbrony]

I actually think the setting is more than ripe for a sequel. Nice to see that despite how the 1st game went, you are growing as game developers.

[@vatiti9573]

As a Fire&Maneuver player myself, I'm not disappointed to see you working on something of a smaller scale. At all. To me, it shows that you had the wisdom to reckon you may have tried to hit something a bit too high for now, and it's okay, I can feel that you now aim for something more polished, more worked on, a more matured product when you speak about Master of Command, plus you gained experience while doing Fire&Maneuver you didn't have beforehand. I honestly look forward to Master of Command with faith.

[@markalan2829]

I appreciate this video. I feel like you've presented an honest explanation of what went on rather than spin. I still kind of like F&M. I was sad when you discontinued work on it but I understand more about the details now. I generally don't play multiplayer games so I'm glad to hear you're concentrating on the single player experience for the next game. I'm looking forward to the release of MoC and will definitely give it a try.

[@justforward9307]

Deciphering the problem opens wounds and fixing them makes many sprouts of fortune so much love to your next game and your entire team, patience and pursue this new game with experience is only awaiting a game the world never seen before ❤

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks dude, I appreciate the comment!

[@warhammer48]

This sounds like a good learning experience. I wish I could intern for my cs degree with yall just to get experience working like this.

[@chipcrispy]

I am super excited to see the next game! I'm glad that you've learned a lot about scheduling and such. Wishing the best!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks Chip, we learned a lot from F&M, we'll be putting our best foot forward for Master of Command.

[@chipcrispy]

@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046 Wonderful! Will F&M be discounted or free in the future? I apologize if this is not a good spot to ask.

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

@@chipcrispy I do enter F&M into discounts with each major Steam sale. The base game is only $9.99, and the sale usually brings it down to just a couple bucks. I won't be making it free again though.

[@chipcrispy]

@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046 Sounds good! Thank you so much for being active with your replies!

[@MaxIsEast]

one of the favorite videos ive ever made was on this game. It’s not a perfect game but it was damn fun to mess around with. Keep creating, I’m excited to see what comes

[@josecespedes9929]

Tbh never really played fire and maneuver, only at release really. This video made me respect you alot and tbh will be following your next project as this shows u have great passion for your projects

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks Jose, that means a lot dude.

[@aaronkautzky4848]

Even though this game is kind of a failure it still reached tons of communities I didn’t think they appealed to before. I’d love to see in the future a sort of remastered version of the game. I hope the best for your dev team. Also Jacob Gullion was a great pick for the soundtrack.

[@Failman-xy6ge]

Very sad, I didn’t play the game much but I downloaded it from launch, played the first Austro-Prussian war event in the discord, and bought the American Civil War DLC. So sad to see the game go, and amazing job with the work you managed to get done on your very first attempt. God bless my man.

[@thee_blupenguin4712]

It was an amazing experience, thank you for making it and I can't wait for your future projects!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks man, I appreciate it.

[@geometry-dash-guy]

master of command looks like such an amazing game, its looks like (from what footage you have given us) total war but with your mazing art style and i love what ive seen,i hope it turns out better than F and M and wish you well on your endeavours in gaming

[@matthewbeckham4076]

All I can say is thank you for including the Boshin War before closing up shop.

[@NomeDeArte]

To be honest, it's like making a movie, and there are so many things that could go wrong that it's kinda hard to believe you'll make it perfect the first time. Don't worry. If you find that you love making games, just keep doing it. This is not your last game; it's just your first, and it's obvious that you’ve all already learned so much. Just keep having fun, keep creating, and you'll all be okay. Best regards from Argentina!

[@sergodobro2569]

I just realised a dumb monetisation system: Using ammunition in the game, you produce some volume, but sometimes it is not enough because you spend it. Where to get more? On steam trading! Some players will sell ammunition there, some buy + Steam gets its cut! (You too, if you are willing to oversaturate the market)

[@raylopes9014]

All i hear is that you are a group of very creative and brave people... And the fact that you undestand your mistakes means the next project will be better

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks Ray, I appreciate the comment.

[@TimmacTR]

Thanks. Your game was ambitious, you failed while aiming high and trying to do something with heart and soul, which makes your endeavour worthy. This was also instructive for listeners.

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

It's definitely a cautionary tale for anyone considering getting into game development.

[@thevillager8339]

If you ever become a successful game developer, then you should probably come back to this. I really hope that one could make the multiplayer component work, that would be insanely great.

[@TheTrueAdept]

I'll be absolutely, positively honest with you. For a very first game, this is *_phenomenal_* compared to some of the trash first games I've played over the years.

[@thecynicallizardgarlock4121]

I personally enjoyed this game a lot, bought the early access support dlc since I believe it deserved my support, still have it downloaded (Currently doing a Ottoman Caucasus campaign!). I hope future projects go well and I completely understand the decisions you and your team have made. If I can make a suggestion, if uneducated on software liscencing, legality, and feasibility; would it be possible to make this game an open source project? So that others could pick up the torch.

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Hey, thanks for playing! As for for open-source or modding, I just don't think the infrastructure the game was built on is strong enough. It would honestly be better just to start fresh going forward.

[@thecynicallizardgarlock4121]

@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046 understandable, have a good day!

[@jasperoliger]

The best part of this game was the battle system! Id love to see it fletched out more in your next title! The blend of realtime and turn based strategy you achieved was outstanding!

[@JefftheEvilRombaSchmidt]

I tried it when it first came out and aesthetically I was very impressed, the music, the art, and the idea behind it were all really really cool. Kinda made me think of Warhammer and I liked that. But I had a lot of trouble figuring out how to make my troops do pretty much anything, other, the controls confused me. I think a simplification on future games would be beneficial. Overall though, it was a cool idea, understandable on its short comings. Your videos are some of the finest history content I've ever seen on KZbin, your awesome don't get discouraged. =)

[@AgrippaMaxentius]

I really enjoyed it for what it was, but I feel with this new title you're going to improve on an already excellent start.

[@darkmattergamesofficial]

Not many people ever get to the point in development of publishing something on Steam. That alone is an achievement. Massive learning curve. And I know, my first game, Impulse: Space Combat sold like 100 copies total. Didn't stop me from making Warlord: Britannia. I am sure your next project will take off! Looking forward to it!

[@Tarik360]

Man, game development sure is hard!

[@D3xt3rity]

Hey! As someone who works in the video game industry, I always thought fire and Manoeuvre was an incredible first game for a new studio. It looked visually stunning with a conducive art style, along with great performance and fresh ideas; these things are so difficult to get right (especially at new studios) however you and the team really did great work! Excluding some bugs, it felt like a very polished experience :) I’ve worked on many games with/at different sized companies, and my advice for your next game would be; 1) Game Design Documentts - These documents really lock down and solidify a vision for the the project, and really slowdown scope creep. They should be made near the beginning of a project, and show how a feature should work, and what the intention is (potentially with some UI mock-ups) 2) QA and Producers! - I see a lot of smaller studios not hiring QA/Producers as they feel the programmers can test a game to a needed standard. Although this may be true to some extent, having a dedicated QA team can provide more than just bugs. QA often catch things falling through the net, and highlight them. They’re a players greatest advocate, calling out features that perhaps aren’t working as intended, and providing feedback to make the game better! I would always recommend having QA on a project! Production keeps the wheels of game development churning; from looking at/triaging bugs found by QA, to planning sprints and work-back schedules. They work hand in glove with QA to ensure the project is stable, and all key project stakeholders have been communicated with. I understand you may have been the game director, but it’s a lot of work to be both a game director and producer, so I would always recommend getting 1 producer for every 10 employees! Again I want to emphasise this game was incredible, especially for a first game. You and the team have clearly worked very hard, and I’m amazed this was the first project. Keep up the incredible work and best of luck with your second game! Also, if you ever need any advice please reach out, game development is a big family :D

[@HellbirdIV]

I just want to say, "Fire & Maneuver" is a fucking awesome name for a 19th century-based RTS and I hope you keep using the name. The first game might not have ended up being what you'd hoped for - they so rarely are - but it's a title worthy of an ongoing series.

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Hey Hellbird! Yeah maybe for future games we can keep the title, I do quite like it as well- if anything it actually fits a more modern style game (hence the original WW2 origins of Fire & Maneuver).

[@HellbirdIV]

​@@armchairhistoryinteractive2046 It's a really solid choice I hope you find a way to utilize. Beyond that, I respect you guys for putting together this video to talk directly about the problems you ran into. It matters to your audience and it helps keep up some good will - I at least look forward to seeing what you guys do next, both with Master of Command, and beyond.

[@marcusmurray3273]

I really enjoy Fire and Manuver, it was really a unique take on the strategy genre, and honestly i dont feel like you failed. Yes youre moving on, yes some aspects of the game are clunky or rough. But you put a enjoyable game out there, it was a solid first project, everyone has to start somewhere and learn. Im confident your studio will do great things with your next title!

[@agentmillitaire4655]

Honnestly, even if the game didn't make the cut, I'm still happy you made it since I believe that it gave you a lot of experience. And after all, with great loss comes great reforms. Good luck, I'm looking forward to your new title!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

For sure man, we learned so much. Thanks for the support!

[@omskc_gb4728]

My thoughts on the game: I won't lie, I actually really enjoyed it thoroughly, put around 100 hours into it. The take on turn-based Total War worked surprisingly well and had rather engaging combat. Each of the factions were unique and good to use, not to mention the awesome OST. The campaigns, scenarios and custom battles were rather engaging. To be honest and upfront, the optimisation was ass, definitely one of the biggest detractors from a game with seemingly simplistic graphics. And AI for strategy games isn't known to be particularly good but the AI in this game is really easy to cheese and win against. Also yeah, it was very buggy. Sad to see it end, decent attempt for a first product. RIP Triple Alliance DLC tho

[@WayOutGaming]

I truly enjoyed it, and am honestly sad that development won't continue. Understandable, but I hope you can come back to the concept in the future!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks for the comment man, I appreciate the support.

[@cavalr1002]

I'm happy you made this video. I wish more game developers did what you did. Just give an explanation on why they are no longer working on a project. I have so many early access games on my Steam library that has been abandoned by developers. I just wish some of these developers could just take 5 minutes just to make a quick post saying we are sorry but we are no longer working on this project. Like just show a little bit of respect for the people who showed interest in your game. So yeah, thank you for this video and thank you for giving us a straight answer.

[@masterchief117u96]

Though I rarely play Fire and manuever now adays, I remember when I played at a ton a year ago or two. I loved the idea it was a strategy in no other game, on how the orders worked. and I love the idea. But i feel like the battles were repetive and etc.. etc.. im sure this is stuff you have heard before. BUT I love the artstyle and all that and Im really glad that the Armchair Historian is making video games and I think your ideas and uniqness in strategy and history gives it a chance to beat paradoxes games as you make more games in the future. And I cannot wait to play Master of Command even if it costs money.

[@apresmidi153]

I haven't played this yet but plan to pick it up at some point (hopefully what you have will stay on Steam). Making a game is hard and I think for a first project what you were able to do was very solid. I look forward to the seeing what happens with the next project!

[@bacongargoyle3576]

I loved this game man, I'm sad it's ending, but I'm excited for your next one!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks man, we're excited to work on something even better!

[@mikedeslauriers6130]

Thank you for this video. I appreciate you owning the decisions that limited this potentially great game. I hope these lessons are carried on to Master of Command. I’ll be purchase it to ensure they are. :)

[@fatherjones1239]

It takes a strong man to admit and take responsibility for the faults of his project. Massive respect Mr. Armchair

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks dude, I appreciate it.

[@Ignir]

Honestly I think Fire and Maneuver was a very courageous first title. I can completely confirm that networking always implodes into countless bugs, even when you properly account for it. Nothing is more valuable that our failings, and the lessons they teach. Good luck with Master of Command, keep striving forward and never surrender.

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

I appreciate it man. Rough around the edges, but there's definitely some charm in the game.

[@cindypoitras-farahani8027]

Fire & Maneuver was a great game. The bugs didn't take away from the gameplay that much. Best o luck on Master of Command I am excited to play it.

[@jicastano]

I work on tech projects myself, and your problems are all to common in the industry. For your next project I'd advise to slowly scale things. That doesn't mean to give up on your vision, but starting with something small that ventually grows into it. Take Rimworld, Prision Architect or Kerbal Space Program (1) as good examples of indie projects that came out in a quite modest state, and slowly and incrementally became great projects.

[@hangalooey6565]

I was one of the donators who got an early key. I stuck with the game, through and through. I hope you've truly learned and will do better on your next ventures.

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Guys like you who helped us out early on were the only way we even got to the finish line with this project. Thank you for your support, and we're going to do our best going forward to earn back our players' trust.

[@MrSkull101]

When i played i had a lot of fun there was some issues both me just being bad at the game and some bugs but honestly other than that i loved it the animation the way yall had it set up it wasn't the most confusing thing but at the same time it felt like i was watching your vid when i played this is yalls first game mistakes happen at least your fixing it and learning. Keep up all the good work with the games and your vidoes you and your team are truly something.

[@petergriffin2365]

Hi Armchair Hisrorian, thanks for the video I always like devs talking to the fans (it helps both undstand and learn) so thank you. I would say it did feel rushed as you mention and you went in as a novice and didnt know how to lunch and run the devlopment of the game. It may be worth trying to speak with other game devs and directors.I am sure you can email companies or message on social media and they may be willing to give advice! Having a good network and advice/mentors are always key for starting businesses. Hope the next games go well and good luck!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Hey Peter! Yeah I've actually been speaking with a lot of other devs, marketing experts, producers, etc and doing my homework this time. Feeling a lot more confident going forward, and I think you'll like our next project.

[@Sodomantis]

Wow. What a huge apple to bite down on for your first game. And its a networked game.. Jesus... Hats of to you sir.

[@rahabsuliman757]

Yeah I was really excited for this game to be honest and it’s really sad to see it go I was going to get it as soon as it came out but my computer couldn’t handle it I was especially interested in the many nations within the same nation like the Bavarian units in the Prussian army

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

We are DEFINITELY focusing on improving optimization for our next game. We started completely from scratch, we're really hoping that even a lot of the lower-end computers are going to be able to run it well.

[@leosiderop]

Don’t lose spirit! While F&M doesn’t compare to others it was still a fun game to me and I feel like you have learned a lot and will deliver this time!

[@matushka__]

It's steps man. Game development is all about learning, but you learned that the hard way. Take F&M as your proof of concept game. MoC will be your first fully fledged title, made from experience. And whatever comes next will likely be bigger in scope and higher in quality. Cheers!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

That's the way I see it too, I appreciate the comment man.

[@funtecstudiovideos4102]

Historical Accurate Battlefield from Armchair Historian when ?

[@smitty6119]

Very sad though ive never been able to play f&m its sad seeing it loose support hope u have better luck with master of command and any other game projects in the future

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks Smitty, I appreciate it.

[@generaltom6850]

Yah, I loved playing it. Although the bugs never really made such a big problem for me the lag made it almost unplayable for me especially cause I don’t have a very great Laptop

[@paladin4God]

Bottom line is it sounds like you learned and are applying that to your next project. Well done. I think some people are always going to feel like there was a 'rug pull' when it doesn't completely meet expectations, but the reality is you can't make *everyone* happy. Good luck, Griffin. I admit I abandoned F&M early (my gaming time is pretty limited nowadays) but I like forward to supporting your studio with a of purchase of MoC. Just make sure you're still enjoying it!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Hey Paladin! Thanks for the support dude, I appreciate the comment. Game development is incredibly tough, but I really love it. It's something I want to do full-time if I get the opportunity.

[@Logan-xu1mm]

Very impressed by your ability to admit your game has its faults and taking responsibility for how things played out. Understandably starting a new game from scratch is a huge undertaking but I don’t think you did anything wrong, you’ve only learned more about what works and does not. I think you have the right attitude to make excellent games. Trust in your team, set achievable goals and listen to your players and you will have Creative Assembly on the run in no time. Best of luck!

[@funinfunny9976]

Never played Fire & Maneuver. Only saw reviews and youtube videos. But for something this grand for the 1st time I think your team did a good job. Hopefully you can learn from your mistakes so your upcoming game is better. (I will buy it this time)

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Thanks man, I appreciate it.

[@Alexbruh566]

hey i instaled the game and i really had a lor of fun ngl my fav was the map part between france and prussia an di had a lottt of fun on it really u and ur team have talent and a good future just with the art style gamlpay etc anyway dont give up on this if making game make u happy do it and you will alway find a community

[@rexjaneway186]

Thanks for saying I discarded fire and maneuver and for almost the same reason disregarded seven years war but after this video surely I will try it

[@NuecKing]

Very random question (and possibly a stupid one, at that) but… if MoC sees great success (which I truly believe will happen) and is given the opportunity to increase in scope, would there ever be considerations for a multiplayer system? I apologize if parts of these questions were already answered in the video, but as a (maybe rare) enjoyer of multiplayer RTS games, I just had to ask. Thanks again for F&M, I still find enjoyment with it to this day. Best of luck with MoC!

[@armchairhistoryinteractive2046]

Hey Nuec, great question! So we are actually building MoC with multiplayer infrastructure, but we will not be launching with multiplayer. If the game really takes off, we could consider adding it, but I do believe that MoC will benefit from a focused singleplayer system and that multiplayer can be something worked on in a future title.