First Play Studios.
THE PEOPLE MAKING THINGS / @todd

From Todd’s
workbench.

Four projects. A lot of learning.
Here’s what we’re making, what already works, and what we’re figuring out next.

Todd @toddMaker & First Play Studios owner
01
CREATIVE SOFTWARE / MAP MAKING

Farm Sim Map Helper

A clearer way to shape a farming world.

A practical tool for planning, grading and checking Farming Simulator 25 maps before returning to the editor and the game.

The goal is to make a large map easier to reason about. Plan roads, fields, building pads, water and woodland against the terrain, keep a working project, and prepare a separate candidate to review. It grew alongside our own map-building work, where a good-looking plan still has to survive real vehicle and gameplay checks.

What we’re working on.

The current work focuses on a more dependable handoff: preflight checks catch missing resources, problematic native assets and placeable paths before packaging. Editor review, road guidance and repeatable in-game checks help us find the problems that a terrain preview cannot.

The next useful steps.

  1. 01Keep testing candidate maps in GIANTS Editor and FS25.
  2. 02Improve the feedback when resources, roads or placements need attention.
  3. 03Use actual map-building findings to guide the next helper improvements.
START HERE / A SMALL FIRST TRY

Your first map experiment.

Windows beta · Check the release’s current requirements and instructions before installing. The helper remains free.

  1. Open the published v0.1.0 beta release below. Read its requirements and download the Windows package from the release assets; development notes may describe a newer local build.
  2. Work on a copy of your map or a disposable test template. Keep the original files and a separate backup before changing terrain.
  3. Open the helper and inspect the map before editing. Try one small terrain change, compare the result, and check the undo behavior.
  4. Export to a separate candidate folder. Inspect and test that candidate in the appropriate game/editor before replacing anything you use.
  5. If something goes wrong, report the exact helper version, game/editor version, expected result and the steps that produced it. Do not attach private save data.
WHERE IT STANDS

The local development build is ahead of the published 0.1.0 beta. The helper does not replace GIANTS Editor or prove collisions, vehicle access or gameplay. All Farm Sim-related work stays free; optional support does not unlock features.

View the free published betaExternal release page · Windows x64 · v0.1.0-beta. Check its instructions and checksum; it has fewer features than the current development build.
Report a problemSuggest an idea
Discuss Farm Sim Map Helper Read development updates
02
ORIGINAL GAME / CRIME STRATEGY

Mob Dominion

Build a crew. Make your move. Hold the city.

A mafia-inspired strategy game set in the fictional harbor city of Port Vesper, with an original 1930s direction, crew progression and shared clan territory.

Build up businesses, choose and equip leaders, and take a crew through story-led tactical operations. A separate shared world adds clans, city contests and cooperation. The personal story and the shared territory game have their own rules, so one system does not quietly take over the other.

What we’re working on.

We are refining the 1930s characters, outfits, vehicles and street scenes, making the first useful decisions clearer, and preparing broader human testing of clan play. Battle close-ups illustrate server-confirmed strategic orders; the animations are not a separate bullet-by-bullet combat simulation.

The next useful steps.

  1. 01Test the first session and clan cooperation with real players.
  2. 02Refine readability, character motion, cover and phone camera behavior.
  3. 03Develop fuller clan construction, research and moderation tools.
START HERE / A SMALL FIRST TRY

Your first visit to the harbor.

Browser prototype · Playtest progress may be temporary. Payments are disabled; public mobile performance and an app-store release have not been established.

  1. Open the browser prototype below and read its current playtest notice. That page gives the current availability and account requirements.
  2. If the game asks you to sign in, use your own account and choose a public callsign. Your First Play Studios forum account is separate from the game’s progress.
  3. Read the introduction and current objectives. Try one small crew, investment or territory decision and observe how the city responds.
  4. Tell us what was clear, what confused you, and what you tried. Include your browser, device and any exact error text in a private report.
WHERE IT STANDS

This is a browser prototype, not an App Store or Google Play release. Playtest access is time-limited and tester progress is temporary. The game shows its current access rules and deadline. Checkout is disabled in the disposable playtest; sustained performance on physical phones still needs testing.

Open the game & check accessSeparate game site · Sign in with your own account. The game’s current playtest notice governs access and temporary progress.
Report a problemSuggest an idea
Discuss Mob Dominion Read development updates
03
ORIGINAL GAME / LOGISTICS RTS

The Long Advance

The front line only moves when the supplies do.

A World War II strategy prototype where ammunition, fuel and materials must physically reach the units that need them.

The first playable scenario puts USA and Germany around a contested village. Infantry, tanks, engineers and support vehicles depend on a real supply chain: factories produce, trucks carry, forward depots hold stock, and losses have consequences. Protecting and repositioning that chain is part of the tactical problem.

What we’re working on.

The latest checkpoint works on fuel and ammunition recovery after convoy losses, especially for tanks far from base. We are comparing behavior across maps and both factions while preserving real local stocks, paid construction and the player’s orders. A delivery has to happen in the world; it cannot appear out of a global resource pool.

The next useful steps.

  1. 01Close the remaining ammunition gaps and late depot deployments.
  2. 02Continue broader balance, usability and player acceptance work.
  3. 03Measure representative performance and stability during normal play.
WHERE IT STANDS

Checkpoint 0.01-dev.34 is a development build. The full 0.01 completion checklist is still open, and controlled supply tests do not prove uninterrupted resupply or final balance. No public download or Steam release is offered here.

Development previewA public release link will be added when there is a build ready to share.
Report a problemSuggest an idea
Discuss The Long Advance Read development updates
04
GAME MOD / HEARTS OF IRON IV

Field Marshal — Campaign Coach

Understand the next decision, and why it matters.

An in-game advisor for Hearts of Iron IV that explains campaign priorities, tradeoffs and ways to check the result, starting with historical Germany in 1936.

Open the advisor from the map to review research, construction, production, recruitment, national focuses, supply and military organization. Nineteen guided questions explain useful choices and their costs. Priorities react to the national situation and campaign stage; the player stays in control of the game.

What we’re working on.

The current detailed route runs from Germany’s buildup through Poland, western preparation and the Soviet campaign, including winter planning reminders. We are checking that the briefings change at the right time and explain the difference between a projected benefit and something the game has actually delivered.

The next useful steps.

  1. 01Broaden player testing of the advice and its explanations.
  2. 02Review more countries, DLC combinations and interface sizes.
  3. 03Prepare publication after the remaining compatibility and release work.
WHERE IT STANDS

The mod is prepared locally and has not been uploaded to Steam Workshop. Testing used HOI4 1.19.5.0 and the installed DLC at 1920 × 1080; other setups need checks. It changes the checksum and provides predefined guidance, not typed AI chat or automatic game orders. A successful test does not guarantee a campaign win.

Development previewA public release link will be added when there is a build ready to share.
Report a problemSuggest an idea
Discuss Field Marshal — Campaign Coach Read development updates
LET’S COMPARE NOTES

Making something of your own?

Ask about a project, share an idea, or tell us about one small thing you’re building. The forum is free to read and join.

Visit the workshop forum

Farm Sim Map Helper and Field Marshal are independent community projects. Farming Simulator and Hearts of Iron IV belong to their respective owners. First Play Studios is not affiliated with GIANTS Software or Paradox Interactive.