We Get Creative

Old Glory Dispatches from 3 November 2024

Lewis Manalo
November 03, 2024

Happy Sunday, squad!

Old Glory Dispatches is where we give you updates on the studio and where we write about stuff we think you’d like.

We hope you had a happy Halloween. Personally, I got too many of those short, rock hard Twizzlers.

You’re reading the newsletter of Old Glory Studios, an indie game studio where combat veterans make combat games. If this was forwarded to you, hit the link and

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^{The sword has to be more than a simple weapon; it has to be an answer to life's questions.}

Miyamoto Musashi

^_SOPs

The Creative Directive

If you follow us on Youtube or Instagram, I hope you’ve been enjoying the clips from Project Cadiz’s pre-alpha playtests!

We want you to know that this game’s a different kind of shooter—it’s not just about reflexes. It rewards players who think on their feet and work together in real-time. You don’t have to be a sharpshooter to make an impact; every shot can suppress the enemy, giving teammates a chance to push forward and change the course of the match.

It’s not just about aiming and firing—you’re also building, adapting, and planning as you go. The weather and seasons shift from match to match, so every game feels fresh, and your strategies have to keep up.

In a world full of twitchy, fast-paced shooters, this one stands out by actually making teamwork and tactics matter. It’s about using your head just as much as your trigger finger.

We look forward to sharing more of Project Cadiz with you!

—Matt Patak, Creative Director

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Character Art

The gameplay clips that we’ve posted so far only feature temporary player skins. They work for now, but if we’re going to ask the nice gamers to play our game, we need some kick-ass character designs that help bring our original IP to life.

To get to that next step, we brought on illustrator Nik Virella.

Nik comes to us from the world of comics. She’s illustrated monthlies like Night of the Living Deadpool, 1872, and All-New Wolverine.

My friend, writer David Gallaher introduced me to Nik, and it’s obvious that she’s a great artist. What really convinced us that Nik would be perfect for Project Cadiz? Not only has she drawn for GI Joe, she’s done work for the Swedish power metal band Sabaton who are known for their songs about historical battles. (If you know, you know.)

Below are just a few in-process character sketches she’s done for Project Cadiz.

The rough sketches above turned into the rough colors below.

We’re not sure where we’re doing with this next guy, but I dig him.

None of these sketches are final, but we wanted you to get a peek at the direction we’re taking things.

You can see more of Nik’s work here, and you can read a bit more about her in this interview in Vogue Italia.

^{_{Old Glory Recommends}}

(This section contains no sponsors, just stuff we like.)

Drawing Blood

Sticking with comics for a beat, Old Glory recommends Drawing Blood.

From Image Comics:

“From the bestselling mind of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator KEVIN EASTMAN comes the totally fictional true story of comics creator SHANE BOOKS BOOKMAN, a cartoonist on the skids.”

For over 40 years, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been kicking Shredder’s butt. It’s hard to believe, but when the Ninja Turtles made their debut, not a whole lot of America knew what a ninja even was. Now, ninjas are everywhere. Eastman and Laird’s underground comic gave birth to a line of toys, several TV series, seven movies (with another on the way), and, of course, video games. Drawing Blood is the closest we’ll get to a look behind the curtain on one of the guys who created those martial artist amphibians.

Drawing Blood is not for kids. It’s like a comic book version of All That Jazz - complete with the sex, drugs, and Broadway - but with Lithuanian gangsters and Radically Rearranged Ronin Ragdolls tossed in.

Protagonist Shane Bookman’s life is not the life of the average creator, but being a creative professional sometimes feels just as crazy. I don’t personally hallucinate about sparring with my creations, but for creative professionals, Drawing Blood is a nice reminder that the hectic absurdity of your job is par for the course.

On Amazon US or your local comic book shop.

Thanks for reading! We’re a new studio trying to reach more people, and if you know someone who’d be interested in what we’re doing, we’d appreciate it if you share our newsletter with them.

Keep an eye out for us in your in-box! Big news is on the way!

—Lewis Manalo, Executive Producer

Stay dangerous!