Steel Division 2
EUGEN SYSTEMS
JUNE - SEPTEMBER ‘22
INTERNSHIP
Eugen Systems has been active in the RTS market for 20 years, and continues to thrive thanks to its commitment to historically driven gameplay and authenticity. Steel Division 2 focuses on the heavy fighting that took place in Belarus and Poland in the summer of 1944.
During my time at Eugen I worked on two content packs, Death on the Vistula and Brest, which shipped in October 2019.
My responsibilities were varied:
Historical research - assist the team’s historian in researching accurate orders of battle, battle locations and outcomes.
Level design - design, implement and iterate on 2 new maps, Siedlce and Brest West.
Mission design - design, implement and QA test thematic scenarios to go with the new maps, based on historical battles in those locations.
Unit balancing - Assist in setting up and balancing new content pack units based on their historical counterparts.
Localization - Use my knowledge of English, French and German to help with translation.
Highlights
Map design
When designing a map for Steel Division 2, the first step was a rigorous analysis of period-appropriate military ordnance maps, to identify actual battlefields and topographical points of interest, that are both iconic and relevant for gameplay.
This location is then redrawn and refined to create a map as close as possible to the reality of the original ordnance map, while adjusting locations for improved gameplay balance, as appropriate. It is here that the unique challenge of Eugen’s creative process is most felt: integrating historical reality with a balanced experience.
Experience gained
During my time at Eugen, I learned to seamlessly integrate in an active production cycle. I helped ship several updates and two DLC packs, all while being mentored and able to practice lots of different assignments; from QA tests, to asset integration, localization, and UI improvements. All this in addition to my main responsibilities researching, designing and integrating maps and historically authentic units.
The variety and demanding nature of the tasks assigned to me required perseverance, rigor and effective communication, all of which I practiced on a daily basis.
It was a great opportunity, not just professionally, but a chance to contribute to a game I love to play.
