This week’s development journal gives you an update from the tech team. First we have the status of the Mac/Linux port followed by the latest on the integration of Steamworks allowing easier user content sharing, and Cloud Saves.

Update on the Mac/Linux Port

Shortly after the release of Age of Wonders 3 we started porting the game to other platforms. First priority is this port is to give players the possibility to play this game on Mac and Linux platforms. However, this is easier said than done. There are a lot of systems that need to be ported: rendering, file systems, threading, network, input, and there is middleware compatibility to consider. We made some good progress. One of the biggest projects, the support for OpenGL rendering is now mostly complete.

Our MacBook can now reach the main menu, yay! But there are still loads of things to do before we can play a map. And once the ports are done there is still a lot of testing that needs to be done, (we might need your help with that!). We can’t commit to a date yet; if all goes well, the idea is to have Mac and Linux versions available together later this year. Once our engine supports these platforms, future games can hopefully be released simultaneously across these platforms.

Cloud Saves, User Content and Steam Workshop

Next we’ll look at the work we’ve been doing to integrate Steam workshop and Cloud Saving in the game. Most of the changes we have done will be only for those who own the Steam version of the Age of Wonders 3, but there are also a few additions for the GOG version of the game too.

Cloud Saving

Steam users will soon be able to save their games to the Steam Cloud, so you can easily access progress from multiple computers. You will be able to choose which files will be saved to the Cloud. This can be easily done in the save dialog, by checking the Steam Cloud checkbox. The Save and Load Screens will now also include a Cloud column, which shows which files are saved to the cloud and which are not. The GOG version will not have these changes.

Steam Workshop

We’ve also added support for the Steam Workshop, which will allow you to easily browse, download and upload your custom campaigns and scenarios. To make it easier to differentiate between our official content and the user created content, we’ve added the Official and Community tabs to the scenario and campaign screens. The list under the Community tab will also show the creator name, so it will be easy to sort your content by creator. These changes will also be included in the GOG version.

Package Manager

To easily upload and manage your custom content, we’ve also created the Package Manager. This tool can be opened from the level editor and allows you to create archive files so you can easily share your content with other users. The archives can include both Campaign and Scenario files, so it will be possible to create packages with a collection of content. The Package Manager will also allow you to save your settings, so you can easily update them later on or upload them to Steam at a later time.



The Package manager will be available for both the Steam and the GOG version of the game, but only the Steam version will allow you to upload your content to the Steam Workshop directly. The archive files are the same files for both the Steam and GOG users, so it will be possible to exchange these files between the different versions of the game. By putting the files in the new UserContent folder, the game will automatically unpack these files and add them to its User content list.

You will be able to choose the content you want to play with in the game’s launcher. It now includes an extra tab “User Content” in which you can enable and disable downloaded packages.

We’ll also be looking into releasing more example scenarios for map makers. These features will be made available for free and are likely released together with the first Expansion. If you have any questions or remarks please let us know in the comments / forums below!