Meet the New Hog Models!

Unknown to the enemy, our troops have been receiving a major overhaul in design behind the scenes. Along with cleaning up our existing animation rig, each individual pig class and their subsequent ranks now have their own unique headwear, gear and accessories!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiBmQlVIf8U

To start with, we've taken on the Community's suggestion of fattening up our Hogs a little, with the Grunt appearing as the chunkiest of all! After all, it only makes sense that new recruits would be a little out of shape, no?

Promote into the Heavy Weapons Class however and you'll find plenty of pigs that need to be in shape to perform their critical tasks on the battlefield. Our inspiration for the updated Gunner and Bombardier designs stem from the beefy WW1 chaps that manned the Artillery units and Machine Gun posts in No-Mans-Land, with the Gunner carrying an ammo belt and the Bombardier with several shells on his back. There's a clear upgrade in both headwear and attire here too, with the early war hats being upgraded to more solid helmet protection, while the lighter breaches are replaced with the heavier 'Lobster' armour. As is common throughout Hogs - the influence from WW2 is not missed either, as the newer helmets, depending on the team used, are modelled around that time period.

The final Heavy rank of Pyrotechnic differs substantially from the other two, as his designs helps establish him into the fire wielding expert role. His protective suit and gloves, along with the canister on his back, allow him to bring the flamethrower heat to any who stand in his way, while the mask adds a touch of mystery, hiding the crazed hog within!

We've showcased the majority of the Espionage pig designs previously, as the only big changes here come in the form of the Spy. Once again, we've taken the Community's suggestions onboard and gone with what made him iconic in the first place, so for Singleplayer you'll see him without a hat, but he'll be maintaining the suave trenchcoat and shades. As you'll be seeing in future, we'll be repurposing some of the unused cosmetics from Singleplayer into Multiplayer!

So what about the most explosive of the base classes? Well, the Engineering pig designs stem from a more civilian background. During the First World War, miners were instrumental in getting underneath enemy positions and blowing them sky high. They weren't out to impress with any kind of fancy uniform, nor did they have the time to haul around any heavy protective equipment or attire, so this is something we've been keen to encapsulate in that link to civilian life. The civvy breaches, basic cap and shovel of the Sapper show his intention right off the bat, while the more upper class Engineer and Saboteur see a visual upgrade to both their accessories and cleanliness!

And finally we come to perhaps the most important role of all - The Medical Class. What's most apparent here, especially when compared to the original game's medical hog, is the heavier use of white/off white clothing alongside the usual team coloured uniform.

This has been an area our team debated for some time, given the need for ALL pigs types to be easily readable from a distance. Sure, white is easy to spot from far away, but one thing we've always had in the back of our minds has been - what about those player's who suffer from some form colour vision deficiency? How would having a class that uses such a neutral colour affect their ability to read and tell which team they belong to? Because of this, we've carefully ensured that each accessory, whether it be a hot water bottle, medical pouch or pack, is clearly shown in the necessary team colour, furthering the player's ability to identify them successfully while paired with the existing HUD text colouring.

But we're not done yet soldier! Stay tuned for our next devlog video that'll be showcasing our elite singleplayer classes of the Commando, Hero and Legend, not to mention the brand new Ace Class and the multiplayer pigs in future too. Exciting times ahead, but do remember not to tell the enemy this time, loose lips sinks ships!