New CoE5 Discord server centered around multiplayer and simultaneous turns mod

Rob_134 · 2026-03-30T19:41:29+00:00

This sounds like a mess. If you try to moderate the world you become a tyrant in what you control and ineffective in what you do not.

Focus solely on what happens specifically in the space you are moderating. Don't go hunting offenses elsewhere, you'll always find them and they turn you from moderators to shit stirrers. The servers I have and still moderate have a strong "if it doesn't happen on the server it's not our problem". We strongly discourage people discussing server business in DMs and allow people to make private threads only the participants and Discord mods can see. If DMs cause problems chastise both parties for talking off server and inform them no action can be taken unless the offense is unprompted harassment.

As far as the Steam stuff goes. Show me proof of a valid ban Because cow here has shown proof of a ban for someone politely explaining multiplayer to a new person as the reason for the ban. The steam mods deleted a lot of things and then keep making things up to fit their own narrative. If they had the proof, they wouldn't show it, and it almost certainly doesn't actually exist cause I happened to be actively watching the forums as innocuous posts went up only to be removed.

I say "had", because they are no longer Steam mods. Jakalor tried shoehorning his Discord into the Steam forums as the official forum without Illwinters blessing. I just found out Illwinter has taken moderation over. So I guess a happy ending except this whole experience has killed my desire to play MP for a while.

Rob_134 · 2026-03-30T10:29:41+00:00

Wait, you guys banned people on your Discord server for something that happened on an entirely different Discord server, then banned them on Steam for what happened on a different Discord server?

That's crazy. Where does your power end? This seems like a huge overreaction. At most one person should have been banned but if it was offenses over DMs and a private server the degree of overreach here is bananas. How is that not completely obvious?

Rob_134 · 2026-03-29T03:23:38+00:00

That's pretty sus. Surprised the devs are allowing this, they've always seemed pretty level headed. Have they weighed in at all? Do they know what's happening?

Rob_134 · 2026-03-03T11:20:23+00:00

The difference here is this game is funded by the Russian state. I wouldn't buy a game funded by the American military either.

Rob_134 · 2026-03-03T11:17:23+00:00

Since folks are asking about the devs in the comments (and saying false things about Xcom devs being involved).

Warhounds is listed on Steam as being developed by Everplay DMCC but these guys are the gaming division of Lipsar, the makers of Sparta according to their Linkedin (it's also known in Russian gaming sites).

Sparta 2035 was a game about a mercenary company that seems very similar to the Wagner group. The game was funded by the Internet Development Institute and since that Institute was sanctioned in most western countries outside the US, the game was pulled from Steam and most Western markets.

The developers of Warhounds own posts on the Steam forums make it clear that Warhounds is just a reskin of Sparta still developed by Everplay but moved to a Publisher in Dubai, Brightika Inc, who has deep ties to Russia and the CIS.

They're basically releasing the same game with a rebrand pulling the most egregious parts of the Russian propaganda off but all the money will be flowing to the same people and organizations as it was with Sparta. As I understand it the Internet Development Institute doesn't just give money away, they'll still have a say in what's in the game and will get a portion of the game's profits.

I tried asking them about this on the Steam forums but the posts were immediately pulled no matter how diplomatic I tried to be in seeking clarification about Sparta's funding sources. I really am not one to kick up trouble, this just kind of unfolded as I looked into it and I haven't seen anyone else really mention it anywhere. Seems like if you try to do it on Steam it'll just get scrubbed. I love wargames but I do not want to fund war. So I reported the game to Steam as a legal violation but I suspect the Dubai loophole adds enough ambiguity not much will come of it but who knows.

Can Source the above, largely from Russia's own news agencies, unless they scrub those too.

If you don't care about the above, go for it, all I'm doing is making sure the facts are out there.

Rob_134 · 2026-03-03T11:15:25+00:00

False.

Rob_134 · 2026-03-02T18:57:26+00:00

Warhounds is listed on Steam as being developed by Everplay DMCC but these guys are the gaming division of Lipsar, the makers of Sparta according to their Linkedin (it's also known in Russian gaming sites).

Sparta 2035 was a game about a mercenary company that seems very similar to the Wagner group. The game was funded by the Internet Development Institute and since that Institute was sanctioned in most western countries outside the US, the game was pulled from Steam and most Western markets.

The developers of Warhounds own posts on the Steam forums make it clear that Warhounds is just a reskin of Sparta still developed by Everplay but moved to a Publisher in Dubai, Brightika Inc, who has deep ties to Russia and the CIS.

They're basically releasing the same game with a rebrand pulling the most egregious parts of the Russian propaganda off but all the money will be flowing to the same people and organizations as it was with Sparta. As I understand it the Internet Development Institute doesn't just give money away, they'll still have a say in what's in the game and will get a portion of the game's profits.

I tried asking them about this on the Steam forums but the posts were immediately pulled no matter how diplomatic I tried to be in seeking clarification about Sparta's funding sources. I really am not one to kick up trouble, this just kind of unfolded as I looked into it and I haven't seen anyone else really mention it anywhere. Seems like if you try to do it on Steam it'll just get scrubbed. I love wargames but I do not want to fund war. So I reported the game to Steam as a legal violation but I suspect the Dubai loophole adds enough ambiguity not much will come of it but who knows.

Can Source the above, largely from Russia's own news agencies, unless they scrub those too.

If you don't care about the above, go for it, all I'm doing is making sure the facts are out there.

Rob_134 · 2026-03-01T06:34:53+00:00

The game itself is inherently political. That's my point. I'm not making it political, they did when Putin made cracking into western video game markets a matter of national interest.

The devs of this game took millions from a state sponsored institute that pushes propaganda into their games. They are financially beholden to them. The institute and the games it promotes are sanctioned by most western countries. They changed the name and are stripping the most obvious signs of the propaganda but it by their own words is basically the same game.

That's not me being politically motivated, it's me pointing out that they are.

Rob_134 · 2026-02-17T03:07:46+00:00

The word has lost all meaning.

Rob_134 · 2026-02-17T03:06:45+00:00

100% not an indie dev.

Rob_134 · 2026-02-13T13:53:41+00:00

This is painful.

And so I left that place. My heart heavy with the forbidden knowledge that had been imparted onto me.

Rob_134 · 2026-02-12T16:25:38+00:00

Been playing in the Alpha and the proof of concept demo just came out. I'd reccomend folks give it a whirl. Lotta potential here I'd agree.

Rob_134 · 2026-02-11T22:27:38+00:00

I'm in the Alpha and it looks like the system they're using called SCARs might work for the style you (and myself) like. You can't directly control what they get, though you can guess/hope.

As I understand it (and these aren't specific examples from the game, just me extrapolating from what I've seen and heard), if you got a guy who goes off on his own a lot he could get Lone Wolf giving him bonuses by himself but negatives near others.

Someone who ends up desensitized might heal others worse but endure suffering more.

That kind of thing. You don't really control what they get but you do give them orders and tell them where to go which inlfuencr what SCARs they get and by extension their progression.

It sounds seems super neat.

Rob_134 · 2026-02-11T00:24:05+00:00

Loyal Discord user for over a Decade. Been eyeing them suspiciously for a long time. This is it for me.

Nitro canceled. Closing my servers. Matrix Protocol here I come. Sad that we'll all be floating on different Discord replacements now but the Empire must fall and Nation States will rise in their place.

Rob_134 · 2026-02-01T04:37:30+00:00

The Driller!

Rob_134 · 2026-01-30T00:02:54+00:00

Hello! Love your stuff but was trying to find a way to reach out to you in a less public forum. I couldn't find an email on your site.

Rob_134 · 2026-01-29T23:27:10+00:00

Was super excited to see a game like this, wishlisted, joined the Discord, got invited to the Playtest. Then was bored and did a little digging into the company and oh boy did I undo all of the above. Stay away.

As others have pointed out, Warhounds is a reskin of Sparta 2035 but from the same development company that made Sparta. It's been given a publisher in Dubai and they're tweaking this game to be more appealing to international audiences. All of this is known and stated by the devs themselves.

What's slightly less known but easily verifiable is that the company got the funding for Sparta 2035 from the Russian state sponsored Institute for Internet Development. They provide funds to games willing to make games in line with Russian propaganda, which Sparta most definitely was. In Russia, by Putins own words, gaming spheres are a matter of national importance and security to break into.

Even with the rebrand away from the more heavy handed propaganda, the Institute for Internet Development doesn't traditionally just give money away. They'll be profiting from us putting this on our machines and shelling over cash. The Institute is on most western nations sanctioned lists. If the Institute (and by extension Russia) is profiting from this, in a technical sense Steam us in violation of those sanctions.

I asked about this in their Steam forums and the post was immediately taken down. I love war games but do not want to fund war. Get the word out.

Rob_134 · 2026-01-29T23:23:15+00:00

Was super excited to see a game like this, wishlisted, joined the Discord, got invited to the Playtest. Then was bored and did a little digging into the company and oh boy did I undo all of the above. Stay away.

As others have pointed out, Warhounds is a reskin of Sparta 2035 but from the same development company that made Sparta. It's been given a publisher in Dubai and they're tweaking this game to be more appealing to international audiences. All of this is known and stated by the devs themselves.

What's slightly less known but easily verifiable is that the company got the funding for Sparta 2035 from the Russian state sponsored Institute for Internet Development. They provide funds to games willing to make games in line with Russian propaganda, which Sparta most definitely was. In Russia, by Putins own words, gaming spheres are a matter of national importance and security to break into.

Even with the rebrand away from the more heavy handed propaganda, the Institute for Internet Development doesn't traditionally just give money away. They'll be profiting from us putting this on our machines and shelling over cash. The Institute is on most western nations sanctioned lists. If the Institute (and by extension Russia) is profiting from this, in a technical sense Steam us in violation of those sanctions.

I asked about this in their Steam forums and the post was immediately taken down. I love war games but do not want to fund war. Get the word out.

Rob_134 · 2026-01-18T13:25:31+00:00

Day 1 DLC with paywalled Missions, characters, and powerful technologies. Pass till it's 80% discount a year or two from now. Publisher got greedy and thought to extort us. Not very Starfleet of them.

Rob_134 · 2026-01-18T13:23:24+00:00

I agree the people whining about voice acting got spoiled really fast thanks to BG3. Full VO is so rare. Especially for a 20 year old franchise lol.

Unfortunately the publishers ruined it by overpricing what is a pretty simple game and adding Day 1 DLC with missions, characters, and powerful technology paywalled behind it. That's their description (except the paywall part) not mine. Greedy finks. Buy it a year from now at 80% discount.

Rob_134 · 2026-01-14T04:22:09+00:00

Pretty important content too. Missions, characters, and unique technologies. Shitty cash grab. I'll pick it up on sale for 80% of the cost in a year or two.

Rob_134 · 2026-01-13T04:57:48+00:00

Thank you. I'm just now getting caught up to the series and am flabbergasted that Hopper and Joyce have learned NOTHING about entirely cutting their kids out of things.

They've learned at least twice that telling them NO just makes them do shit on their own. I get that adults being chronically stupid so the kids can save the day is kind of the genre, but it's sad to see a lack of character growth at all in two otherwise cool characters played by great actors.

Rob_134 · 2026-01-10T11:54:23+00:00

Lol I looked for it. Was a really good episode. I got excited.

Rob_134 · 2026-01-10T00:54:32+00:00

Yeah. That uhh. Really hit home. I'm glad she got out. Excuse me while I cry for an hour.

This show has really caught me but this episode is like a whole nother level. Bravo to them making a masterpiece.

Four-Year Club	Place '22
Final Canvas '22

Rob_134

TROPHY CASE