Hello there everyone! With February's Next Fest right around the corner, you'll finally get a chance to play Battle Cry of Freedom for the first time.
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Battle Cry of Freedom will be taking part in the Steam Next Fest February 2022. Starting from tomorrow the 21st February 2022 at 10:00 PST (19:00 CET - 13:00 EST) you will be able to download and play a Free Demo of Battle Cry of Freedom. The Demo will last until February 28th at 10:00 PST. We will be hosting a number of Servers and Linebattle events that anyone is welcome to participate in.
Although the Demo will be limited in content and only include a select number of features, classes, maps, and game modes, it should still give you a good indication of how the game plays. We will be rotating the game modes throughout the week. Here is the Demo schedule:
February 21st - 23rd: Commander Battle + Siege February 23rd - 25th: Commander Battle + Conquest February 25th - 28th: Commander Battle + Siege
For those interested in participating in a Linebattle, please join our Discord Server. Signups will be done there. Once you joined, please request the "Regiment Leader" role, so that you gain access to the relevant channels for event signups. After signing up, we ask that you or a Regiment Rep join our Discord Server at minimum 20 minutes prior to the event so that we can figure out numbers and team balance in a timely manner.
February 21st @8pm EST Linebattle February 26th @8pm CET Linebattle February 26th @8pm EST Linebattle
We hope to see you on the battlefield soon! /Flying Squirrel Entertainment
Hello there! Welcome to another Developer Blog for Battle Cry of Freedom. This week we will be talking about something that is very near to our hearts: modding support.
Modding Introduction
As many of you are probably aware, Flying Squirrel Entertainment was originally formed from the team behind the "Mount & Musket" modification for Mount & Blade: Warband, to make the official expansion for the same game: “Napoleonic Wars”.
All of us are former (and active) modders, having created mods for a number of games, such as Mount & Blade, Arma, Holdfast, the Total War Series and more. Modding is very important to us and we would like to provide our players with the ability to modify as much of the core games content as possible.
Our goal is to hopefully achieve a fully moddable experience within the next year. To achieve part of this goal we have already created a fully functioning in-game Scene Editor, that runs both offline and also in real-time while playing on a server. You can read more about our Scene Editor in this: Blog post.
Uniform Modding
One of our newest features is the ability for players to modify and create their own uniform and character models. The new system allows modders to modify all the existing models included in Battle Cry of Freedom, such as hats, backpacks, leatherworks etc..
For this purpose, we will be providing modders with access to ALL of the uniform and character models currently included in the game, with future game updates adding more. At release modders therefore will have access to 5041 uniform models to play around with. In addition, the system also allows players to create their own character models, for example creating aliens, astronauts or other full conversion modifications.
To evaluate the moddability and feasibility of the current system we worked together with several modders to create the first full conversion mod for Battle Cry of Freedom. Christopher Mauro provided us with a set of awesome-looking WW1 German and British Character models. We then asked popular Holdfast modder ApexPhantom to prepare the models for animations and optimize their textures by combining them into one large texture Atlas.
Suffice to say, they did a wonderful job, as the characters look fantastic.
To complement their work, we then took 3 days out of our busy schedule to create several WW1 themed assets. This also served as a good opportunity for us to evaluate the current modularity of the code back-end; an important step towards full moddability by modders who do not have access to the source-code of the game.
Feature Showcase: First World War
In the short timeframe from Friday till Monday, we were able to create a large number of new features and assets. As a thanks to our community, all of these features will be included in the base game at launch for free. Since some of these features are quite unique, we thought it would be good to cover them in a little bit more detail.
Renault FT-17
One of the most advanced Tanks in the war, with a turret that could rotate 360 degrees, and an engine compartment at the back, the Renault FT-17 was a small but maneuverable 2-man Tank that saw active service during the first World War.
In the game, the Tank has two crew spots, one for the gunner, and one for the Driver. Although slow, the Tank provides excellent protection against all kinds of small arms fire and even heavy machine guns. It requires 5 rifle grenades, or two High Explosive Shells from the QF 13 Pounder to destroy the tank.
The Renault FT-17 can drive over small trees and will destroy any fences or small destructible objects in its path. It can even crush through walls! Players should watch out, because getting under one of those Tank tracks can be deadly.
The Tank is equipped with a French Hotchkiss machine gun that can fire accurately up to several hundred meters. The Scope in the gunner's turret helps align the shots.
Ordnance QF 13-pounder
The Ordnance QF 13-pounder was a small and light British Artillery Piece that could be quickly moved in and out of position. Although obsolete by the end of the First World War, the QF 13-pounder remained in service as an infantry support weapon.
In the game, the QF 13-pounder can fire Shrapnel Shells, High-Explosive Shells, Chlorine Gas Shells and White Phosphorus to cover the advance of friendly infantry.
Players who find themselves in a cloud of Chlorine gas will slowly suffocate, unless they are wearing a Gas Mask, which only special Classes can equip. Chlorine Gas is heavier than the air, which means that it will sink down into enemy entrenchments. However, it also travels with the wind, so gunners need to make sure that the wind is not going to carry the gas towards their own entrenchments.
Maschinengewehr 08
The Maschinengewehr 08 was the standard heavy Machine Gun of the German Imperial Army during WW1 and was based on the original design of Hiram Maxim.
In the game, the gun can be picked up by players and transported elsewhere. Ammo boxes are 250 shots, and players can choose between both regular and tracer ammunition.
240mm Mortar
Mortar design leading up to and during the First World War changed drastically. Previously only used for Sieges, the nature of Trench Warfare required all new mortar designs.
The mortar featured in the game is of Russian design, and basically identical to modern day mortars. It will be able to fire massive 240mm High Explosive Shells, Chlorine Gas Shells, White Phosphorus Shells and Illumination Flares.
And lastly, here is a full list of the new features.
List of new Features
Artillery and Tanks - Usable 13 Pound QF Gun - Usable 240mm Mortar - Usable Heavy Machine Gun - Usable Renault FT-17 Tank - Shrapnell, High Explosive, Illumination, White Phosphorus and Chlorine Gas Shells - Regular and Tracer ammunition for MG Infantry Weapons and Ammunition - Gewehr 98 and Bayonet + Sniper variant with scope - Lee-Enfield Mk3 and Bayonet + Sniper variant with scope - C96 with and without attached stock - Webley Revolver - Bergmann MP-18 - WW1 German “Goerz” Binoculars - Trench Shovel - 8 Different Trench Knives and 6 Trench Clubs - Lee-Enfield Rifle Grenades New Features - Drivable Tanks with Turret and Drivers - Chlorine Gas and White Phosphorus Shells - Breech-loading Quick Fire Guns - Machine Guns - Illumination Flares - Gas Masks - Sniper and Artillery Scopes - Rifle Grenades - Submachine and Semi-Auto Guns - Bolt-Action Rifles - Barbed Wire - Custom Shouts and Trench Whistle support Other - Corrugated Metal and Barbed Wire Scene Props - Decca Trench Gramophone with 11 Songs. - 4 Community-made Trench maps by Wilfried, Hoot, Toxic Shadow and Links.
Stay tuned for future updates here or on our Social media, as we have a lot more content coming in the near future. We look forward to seeing you on the battlefield very soon!
Prepare For War. Battle Cry of Freedom Rallies Its Next Fest Troops!
Join us for your second chance to see Battle Cry of Freedom during February's Next Fest!
The livestream play session of the game and its battles will be held on Saturday, February 26th at 8:00pm EST / 5:00pm PST
[previewyoutube="LL_ua9tTqCs;full"] Battle Cry of Freedom brings brutal real-time first and third-person combat set in the 19th Century America, presenting players with the opportunity to re-fight the American Civil War as either the Union or the Confederates.
As ever, the development team will be waiting on the battlefield to answer your questions and fire cannons in your general direction.
With February's Next Fest right around the corner, you'll finally get a chance to play Battle Cry of Freedom for the first time.
[previewyoutube="LL_ua9tTqCs;full"] Battle Cry of Freedom brings brutal real-time first and third-person combat set in the 19th Century America, presenting players with the opportunity to re-fight the American Civil War as either the Union or the Confederates.
The livestream play session of the game and its epic battles will be held on Monday, February 21st at 7:00pm CET / 6:00pm BST
The development team will be on hand to answer your questions, and give you an insight into the game and its ten years of development.
Prepare your cannons! We'll see you on the battlefield!
Hello there and welcome back! We are happy to announce that Battle Cry of Freedom will be released to Steam on March 1st, 2022 for $19.99 (€19.99). Fight as either the Union or the Confederacy and experience the brutal real-time first and third-person combat firsthand with an exclusive free demo during Steam Next Fest on February 21st - 28th, 2022.
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Load the cannons, prepare to aim, aaannnddd fire! Choose your side and play across unique maps inspired by key battle locations across the American frontier. Customize your soldier's uniform with historically accurate details, right down to the thread and button count. Become an Infantryman, Engineer, Artillerist, or even a Fiffer to turn the tide of battle in your favor!
Steam Next Fest
If you are interested in the game and would like to try it out before the game officially releases on March 1st, then don’t worry, for we have got you covered! You can try out Battle Cry of Freedom with an exclusive demo during Steam Next Fest on February 21st - 28th, 2022. The Demo for Battle Cry of Freedom will be entirely free and will allow you to experience several game modes, maps and a number of core gameplay features, such as Artillery, Engineers and Infantry.
500 player Battles
We would also like to announce that Battle Cry of Freedom now has support for up to 500 players simultaneously fighting on the same server! As mentioned in one of our previous Developer Blogs, only minor performance improvements were necessary to bump the officially supported player limit from 400 to 500 players.
Battle Cry of Freedom can be wishlisted now on Steam, and you can step onto the battlefield on March 1st, 2022 for $19.99 (€19.99). If you are interested to learn more about the game, be sure to check out the many Developer Blogs on Steam, to learn more about Battle Cry of Freedoms unique game modes and uniform customization!
Stay tuned for future updates here or on our Social media, as we have a lot more content coming in the near future. We look forward to seeing you on the battlefield very soon!
Flying Squirrel Entertainment
The Baxter's Fire Zouaves
Hello and welcome back to another Developer blog for Battle Cry of Freedom. This week we will introduce you to one of the unique Regiments in Battle Cry of Freedom, the 72nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Most famous for their participation in the Battle of Antietam and Gettysburg, the so-called "Baxter's Fire Zouaves" will also be represented in the game.
The 72nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment was organized in summer of 1861 by Colonel Clinton Baxter and drew its volunteers mostly from the ranks of the Philadelphia Fire Department. Although raised in Philadelphia, at the start of the war the 72nd PVI went under the name of the Third California Volunteer Infantry Regiment, a special request by the Californian government to credit their participation in the war.
72nd PVI Uniforms
The Baxter's Fire Zouaves wore a modified zouave uniform, complete with vest, kepi, trousers and 6 button cotton-canvas gaiters. Although towards the end of the war, many men were clad with regular Union attire, the 72nd PVI was one of the few regiments to retain their zouave uniform throughout most of the war. This fact is represented in the game, with the 72nd PVI enlisted having the ability to use both zouave and regular union trousers as well as regular forage caps.
On their back, the Baxter's Fire Zouaves wore regular double-bag knapsacks. A blanket roll was commonly attached to the top of it. It is not known what type of blanket the 72nd PVI was issued with, as such we have decided to give them access to both emergency and regular Union blankets. Rations and other food were generally carried in the U.S. regulation haversack, which the soldier wears on his side. The 72nd PVI was issued with regular metal canteens, which were covered with cloth in various colors and patterns or simply worn as they were.
Further, the average soldier was equipped with a .58cal cartridge box, usually worn from a shoulder cartridge belt with a round decorative plate affixed. The soldier’s waist belt was decorated with an oval belt buckle made of brass, or in the case of a sergeant, often with a square buckle of more intricate design. Attached to the waistbelt were a cap pouch and a bayonet scabbard.
Officer Uniforms
Being commissioned, officers had more freedom in regards to what and how they wore their equipment. Although the average Union Officer would have likely worn a Federal Officer's Frock Coat, many officers in the 72nd PVI opted to wear their zouave garb instead. Trousers and shoes might have been privately purchased or issued, but there is no telling what the average officer would have worn. As such, officers in the game will be able to pick from a number of trousers, ranging from regular sky or navy blue trousers to zouave trousers with gaiters.
Officers generally would have worn regular 72nd PVI kepis or privately purchased forage caps. Officers would have worn a leather waist belt with a square plate and might have attached a pistol holster and cartridge box. Officers likely wore officers' haversacks and a metal or wooden canteen, often with a protective cloth cover.
Weaponry
Supplied by the City of Philadelphia, the 72nd PVI was issued with a number of different guns, with calibers ranging from .58 all the way up to .72. By the time of the civil war, some of the weapons used by the 72nd PVI were more than 50 years old, with the oldest gun being the Model 1809 Potsdam Musket.
Although converted from their original flintlock configuration to percussion, the M1809 Potsdam was neither very accurate nor very light, being one of the longest and heaviest muskets produced. Other guns the 72nd PVI carried included the 1861 Springfield Rifle, the 1855 Springfield Rifle, the 1853 Enfield Rifle, and the Fusil d'Infanterie Modele 1842.
All officers would have been issued with the Model 1850 Army Staff and Field Officers Sword or a privately purchased sword of some kind. Many of them would also have carried a sidearm of some kind, most likely the Colt 1860 and 1848 Army or a number of other, privately purchased or issued revolvers such as the Josyln Army Revolver. (Pictures do not represent all of the available weaponry)
Stay tuned for future updates here or on our Social media, as we have a lot more content coming in the near future. We look forward to seeing you on the battlefield very soon!
Flying Squirrel Entertainment
New BCoF Blog: 800+ Soldier Battles
Read it here: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1358710/view/3128313422580557705
800+ Soldier Battles in Battle Cry of Freedom
Hello there! Welcome to another Developer blog for Battle Cry of Freedom. This week we will introduce you to “Commander Battles” one of the many game modes included in Battle Cry of Freedom. Here is a small teaser that we have put together in a day, recorded from real Commander Battles that our testers have had.
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Commander Battles
Best described as the perfect mix of Total War and Mount & Blade, Commander Battles allow a small number of players to experience a full scale battle without the requirements of organizing and hosting massive player events. Depending on the Server Settings, players will be able to take part in battles with up to 1024 bots, with each player taking command of up to 130 soldiers at once.
Instead of choosing a rank and a unit to play as, in Commander Battles, players choose a Regiment and a Company. Upon spawning, they will then assume command over a company of AI-Controlled soldiers. Using the F1-F7 keys, players can give orders to their company. There are over 20 different orders in the game, which can be given via the F1-F7 keys. Orders include various formation orders, such as the column or the line, different fire commands, weapon commands, movement orders and more. In addition, players and bots are able to perform a number of roleplay animations, such as present arms, order arms etc.
Commander Battles has full support for all troop types and army branches included in the game. Each company, depending on what troop type the player has selected, has its own troop composition and skills. For example, Sharpshooters are in general more accurate than line infantry and have the ability to spread out in skirmish formation, while Line Infantry is better in melee, but does not have the ability to skirmish. Players playing as Artillery will also be supported by their soldiers, helping with the ammunition chests, hauling artillery and more.
Commander Battle gameplay
Below are a few videos of live Commander Battle gameplay, recorded by our Alpha and Beta Testers. Please note that everything you are about to see is still work in progress and subject to change.
Pixelated Apollo [previewyoutube="dMarOuOEx6Q;full"] Resonant [previewyoutube="crIHQ36WHu4;full"] General Cody HD [previewyoutube="KFSaAO7zuSc;full"] Saris [previewyoutube="ztZsmiGYxJ4;full"] Captain Fracas [previewyoutube="1Vla7CAyy5Y;full"] The French Monk
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Stay tuned for future updates here or on our Social media, as we have a lot more content coming in the near future. We look forward to seeing you on the battlefield very soon! Thanks to "Hound" for letting us use his awesome screenshots!
Flying Squirrel Entertainment
The Virginia Military Institute
Hello and welcome back to another Developer blog for Battle Cry of Freedom. This week we will introduce you to one of the unique Regiments in Battle Cry of Freedom, the Virginia Military Institute.
Most famous for their participation in the Battle of New Market - where cadets from the Virginia Military Institute captured a Union Artillery Battery and secured victory for the Confederate States, the Virginia Military Institute will also be represented in the game.
Regimental Structure
Due to the nature of the Virginia Military Institute being a military college, the regimental structure in-game will be quite different to that of any other regiment included in Battle Cry of Freedom.
Historically, companies within the V.M.I. were almost entirely made from cadets, with the Captain, the Sergeants and the Corporals chosen from the cadets. The only non-cadet member of the company would have been a “Tactical Advisor”, a commissioned officer from the Confederate Engineer Corp. Although actually a Captain, the Tactical Advisor acted as 2nd Lieutenant and was tasked to advise and supervise the cadets.
Similarly, most other ranks within the battalion were filled by cadets. Overall command over the battalion; and the Virginia Military Institute as a whole, was held by a Lieutenant-Colonel from the Confederate Engineer Corp.
Cadet Uniforms
V.M.I. Uniforms were strictly regulated in terms of cut, but due to cloth shortages in the Confederate States, cadets had to bring their own cloth from home. Trousers had to match coats in color. As many of you may be aware, during their famous charge at New Market, many of the cadets got stuck in mud and lost their shoes. To represent this, we have decided to add the option to go barefoot. Regulated V.M.I. headgear was a blue kepi or forage cap, with the brass letters V.M.I. attached.
The V.M.I. carried no knapsacks and instead opted to pack their personal belongings rolled up inside their blankets, which were also brought from home. In addition to the blanket, cadets would have worn a white canvas haversack and a metallic or wooden canteen, sometimes inscribed with their initials.
As the cadets left their parade uniforms at the institute when going on campaign, V.M.I. cadets had no special insignia marking their rank, other than trouser piping. The largest difference between an Enlisted and a Captain would have been a different set of leatherworks, as a Captain would be required to carry a sword. Talking about leatherworks, cadets carried a mix of American Leather and many of the cadets carried Austrian bayonet scabbards. Cartridge boxes often featured brass plates with “V.M.I.” stamped into them and all cartridge boxes were directly attached to the waist belt instead of being hung from a sling.
Tactical Advisor Uniforms
All Tactical Advisors at the Virginia Military Institute were from the Confederate Engineer Corps, and being commissioned officers, they had more freedom in regards to what and how they wore their equipment. However, the average Tactical Advisor would have likely worn a Confederate Officer's Frock Coat, with or without buff collar and cuffs (The color of the Engineer Corps), and likely would have kept their rank insignia on their Uniform. Trousers and shoes might have been privately purchased or issued, but there is no telling what the average officer would have worn.
The headgear would have either been a regular V.M.I. kepi or a leftover hat from the Engineer Corp, likely with buff piping or bottom. Tactical Advisors would have worn a leather waist belt with a Virginia plate, and might have attached a pistol holster and cartridge box. Tactical Advisors probably wore officers' haversacks and a metal or wooden canteen, often with a protective cloth cover.
Cadet Weaponry
Historically, by 1863 all cadets were issued with the Austrian .54 cal. Lorenz Rifle and bayonet. However, it is not impossible that some cadets were issued with the Model 1851 Cadet Musket. This musket was specifically made for the Virginia Military Institute and technically was a downscaled Model 1842 Springfield, reducing the length and weight of the musket by shrinking it from .69 cal to .54.
While smoothbore, and therefore inherently more inaccurate than the Lorenz Rifle, the Cadet Musket has the advantage that it is able to load buckshot as well as buck and ball, making it a good choice for close-quarter engagements. As such, we have decided to offer players the choice between the Lorenz Rifle and the Cadet Musket.
Additionally, all cadets acting as captain or sergeant would also have been issued with the Model 1841 noncommissioned Officers Sword. Historically, none of the cadet captains would have been issued with any other sidearms, but it is feasible that at least some of them might have carried a pocket revolver. As all other officers in the game have access to revolvers or pistols, we decided to give cadet captains access to a couple of pocket revolvers. (Pictures do not represent all of the available weaponry)
Tactical Advisor Weaponry
Tactical Advisors are technically no different to other officers in other regiments or branches of the military and as such do not have access to any special weaponry. They will have access to an officer's sword as well as a selection of revolvers. (Pictures do not represent all of the available weaponry)
Stay tuned for future updates here or on our Social media, as we have a lot more content coming in the near future. We look forward to seeing you on the battlefield very soon!
Flying Squirrel Entertainment
Level Editor in Battle Cry of Freedom
Happy New Year everyone! We hope your New Year is off to a good start and that you had a wonderful time with your friends and family.
Like many other small Indie Studios, Flying Squirrel Entertainment traces its origins back to the modding community. With the release of Battle Cry of Freedom, we want to provide you with the tools to create your own Modifications for Battle Cry of Freedom.
Scene Editor
As such, Battle Cry of Freedom will include a Built-in Scene Editor. The editor can be directly accessed through the Main Menu of the game and provides creators with a set of tools to design and create maps. We tried to create an editor that is both user-friendly and easy to get into, but also powerful enough to let creators design anything they can imagine.
Scene Editor Key Features:
Powerful, but easy-to-use Scene Editor directly accessible via the main menu.
More than 4200 Props to choose from and hundreds of modular walls, roofs and ornaments to create custom buildings with.
Allows placement, rotation and scale modification of all props.
Variation IDs for special prop functions such as teleporters, damage zones, sounds etc.
Snapping and alignment to the terrain or walls for easy and quick creation of custom buildings.
Randomized rotation and scale setting, per axis or on all 3 axis, for quick population of forests or other scenery.
Allows saving groups of props as combined "Prop Group" which allows re-use by other creators or on other Scenes.
Terrain tools for editing height, such as raising, lowering, leveling or smoothing terrain.
Terrain tools for editing textures and large selection of different brushes and sensitivity and automatic terrain texture generation if wanted.
Randomized Terrain and Flora generation for quick population of Scenes if wanted.
Heightmap and Splatmap import/export for advanced users.
Automatic support for all seasons and weather types.
No additional setup needed, Scenes are automatically configured to work with destruction.
Automatic grass population across the entire terrain.
Automatically generates an AI-Navigation mesh. Even updates while editing maps on the Server.
Ability to place water at different elevations on the map, creating lakes in a mountain, rivers flowing downhill, waterfalls etc.
Scene settings, such as season, wind, weather, time, geo-coordinates, outer terrain, size, game modes and more.
Replacement tool to quickly replace large number of props with other props, such as walls, trees or fences.
Automatically optimized Scene geometry for maximum FPS.
Real-time editing of maps on Server, even with several people at the same time. Syncs to all players in real-time.
Scenes can be added to the server while it is running and require no restart, players will automatically download the map when joining server.
Extremely small Scene file size; on average less than 10mb.
Custom Scene Showcase
Below you will find a few screenshots of some of the incredible custom Scenes that our Beta testers have created. This will give you a good indication of what creators are able to achieve with Battle Cry of Freedoms Scene Editor.
"Fort Walter" and "Plantation" by Aztir
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"Fort Macon" and "Plum Run" by Wilfried
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"The Alamo" and "Hinkelsburg" by Saris
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"Dunkers Church" and "Maryland, my Maryland" by Raider
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"Fort Sanders" and "Cold Harbor" by Hoot
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Speed Level Design
Here is a video of a Scene we made using the in-game Scene Editor. We recorded almost all (Sue me, I forgot to record a good chunk in the beginning) of the map creation process and sped up the video by quite a bit. It covers pretty much every aspect of creating a relatively large scale map: Sculpting the terrain, texturing, placing flora and fences, creating the buildings and finally filling the buildings with details as well as placing spawnpoints.
Warning! Due to being sped up so much, this video might be quite disorienting at times, especially in the beginning. Go to 26:10 to see a short preview of the finished map.
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Stay tuned for future updates here or on our Social media, as we have a lot more content coming in the near future. We look forward to seeing you on the battlefield very soon!
