We have a new update for you today! Check out the full changelog on the forums, but here are some highlights:
Douaumont barracks: fixed spawn in wall and getting stuck in bunk bed room
Argonne: removed gap in terrain between inner and outer areas
Fixed Flanders dugout out of bounds issue, fixed a border to include outpost
Redesigned 'Extreme Head Hunter' Achievement: "In a Frontlines match headshot 5 enemies in a row without dying"
Redesigned 'Do you even die' Achievement: "Survive a full Frontlines match without dying"
Health regeneration adjustments:
Health no longer regenerates while sprinting
Health regeneration is spread out over time now
Medium and Heavier damage require additional time to fully heal
Various performance optimizations
Verdun and Tannenberg split into two separate .exes. This will enable separate updating and reduce update time, as well as resolving some issues including achievements and voice chat when switching fronts from in-game
Fixed a bug where you could unbalance the game by swapping squad to the opposite faction
Fixed a case where you were able to join larger team when joining a game
Game will add new squad to opposite faction rather than revert to imbalanced team where possible
The Voice Commands menu can now be navigated with the keyboard numbers like before
We now save XP when a disconnect kicks you
New settings and functionality for controllers (14 changes, complete list in full changelog)
Tannenberg new map
[previewyoutube="d-EY1Jib1kA;full"] A new free map is released today for Tannenberg! Ukraine is a battlefield of distinctive wattle trenches, open plains, and shell craters. The terrain lends itself well to heavy machine guns, which have good lines of sight. Stick to the trenches, or utilize smoke barrages and grenades.
Even if you don't own Tannenberg yet, you might in interested in seeing some of the reference photos we used in creating the new map, and reading a little about our mapping process.
Dev stream Developer Leo will be streaming a battle on the Ukraine map tonight via Steam broadcast, bringing more details on the development of the map and perhaps answering other questions you might have about Tannenberg. Make sure to join us in battle or in the Steam broadcast chat around 9 PM CEST!
We hope to see you on the battlefield!
FRONTLINE NEWS: A bundle of news reports!
Console update is coming!
We are putting our updates through console certification now. Assuming everything goes smoothly, we'll be able to give you all a more precise date to expect the updates.
It's taken us a little longer than we hoped because we were trying to push larger player counts. We had hoped to expand game sizes to 64 players, but the performance cost was too great. Therefore total player count in game will remain at 32 with a maximum of 24 bots.
Console players are on course to be able to enjoy the new interface, new maps, revamped sound effects, the full collection of bug fixes and updates, all the new squads, and battles with bots before the end of the year!
This screenshot by player Procrod was too good to pass up. The caption? 'Welcome to the trench club.'
A pair of community events!
There are two exciting events coming up, one for Verdun and one for Tannenberg.
Verdun, Sunday October 20th - First Battle of the Marne 1914 Poilus will battle Landser squads in this organized event. There will be grand charges, valiant defenses, and more organized fighting than you'll get in a public game! You’ll need to let the organizer Ranjid know you’d like to attend, and be willing to follow a few basic rules on weapon usage and taking orders. Rules include no grenades, LMGs or melee weapons - it’s all about the rifles, bayonets, and artillery from commanders. Oh, and check your targets - friendly fire will be on!
Tannenberg, Saturday October 26th - All vs. All Join a thrilling free for all battle featuring every rifle option in Tannenberg. Enemies could be anywhere so you’ll need to stay sharp. Choose your weapon, customize it with elements like scopes, bayonets, or stripper clips, and get ready to fight for your life. It’s a WW1 rifle deathmatch!
Fight over the Ukraine in Tannenberg, next week Thursday 17th!
The new Ukraine map for Tannenberg will be released next week! We took a lot of reference photos into account when crafting the map, and below you can see how a few scenes were translated into Tannenberg.
A gun battery in a real life reference photo, and how it looks in-game!
We'll see you again with another Frontline News. Until then, good luck in the trenches!
FRONTLINE NEWS: Visit the Ukraine soon in Tannenberg!
First, a reminder…
Don’t forget that Verdun is still 65% off just a few more hours, along with everything else in the M2H publisher sale! That includes Verdun, so if you’ve got some friends who haven’t experienced a WW1 artillery barrage yet, now would be a fine time to offer them a little gift.
Ukraine in Tannenberg
The new map is known as Ukraine, and represents Ukrainian territory of the WW1 period. It is inspired by a key section of the Eastern Front which saw heavy fighting during the Brusilov Offensive, Kerensky Offensive, major counter-attacks by the Central Powers, and more. Often referred to as the ‘breadbasket of the Empire’, Ukraine was not an independent country when the First World War broke out. Instead the territory was partially owned by Russia, and partly by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Nationalist sentiment was growing, but when the war began there were Ukrainians on both sides of the conflict. Some 250,000 Ukrainians fought for Austria-Hungary, but far more fought for the Russian Empire – 3.5 million.
Have a look at one of our reference images and how it came out in-game.
In-game you’ll find Ukraine to be a largely open map, with the open plains broken up by the distinctive wattle trenches, a few bunkers, and shell craters. Heavy machineguns are particularly well positioned with good lines of sight, so you’ll want to remember that all NCOs can call in smoke barrages, regardless of squad type.
Cheers!
Tannenberg free weekend and 65% off all M2H games!
If you haven't tried out our Eastern Front offering, Tannenberg is free to try this weekend here on Steam! Invite all your friends who haven't tried the game yet, or just hop online to join the action.
In short: <*> Tannenberg (and Verdun), join our popular historical WW1 multiplayer FPS games. <*> Marooners, where you can outsmart your friends in this constantly switching set of mini-games. It’s one big party! <*> Crash Drive 2, indulge yourself with wild stunt driving and collect some sweet rides!
Everything is 65% off!
You can join the devs in Tannberg this weekend at:
Thursday 8pm
Friday 5pm
Saturday 8pm
Sunday 3pm
Don't delay! Join the battle now...
FRONTLINE NEWS: Screenshots from the front
We've been busy getting the console update for Verdun all shiny and ready for release! But that doesn't mean that the battlefields of Verdun have been silent. We have a few player screenshots below which caught our eye, and for those of you who own Tannenberg as well, there is a community event and a new map teaser.
First Battle of the Marne 1914 (20th October 2019)
Epic bayonet charges, leaving trenches on command, artillery preparations before an attack, execution rules and more await you at this Tannenberg event! Russian Frontoviks will face off against German Infanterie squads.
If you're looking for something a little more organized than your regular match, these community run re-enactment events are the way to go!
A team shot of some of the players from a previous event!
And now, on to the screenshots!
Let us know which are your favorites in the comments ;)
A well tailored (and clean!) uniform, taken by Jukebox.
A sniper finds his target in this screenshot by pedros11...
A soldier rests his legs for a moment, by Dr_muctache.
Meanwhile...
...a new map is on the way for Tannenberg!
Squad levelling changes, plus free Latvian expansion for Tannenberg!
https://youtu.be/WsfSaPbK5QQ
Squad levelling overhaul, Unity update and more...
Today’s update significantly changes how squad levelling works. The system we had in place did not feel right as it was unclear why/how your level increased and for some users it was difficult to reach and maintain a high level. To counter these issues we have chosen to overhaul the system and replace it with something that is more clear and rewarding.
Previously, you earned co-op squad XP with each squad member which resulted in the final squad level. In the new system, every player has an individual squad level for each type of squad. The level of a squad in-game is simply the combined squad levels of each player in the squad - so a Tommies squad with two players who have a Tommy squad level of 10 and two players who have a Tommy squad level of 15 would have a total level of 10+10+15+15 = 50.
This also means that you can reach a level 100 squad playing by yourself, and if there is any player within your squad who has level 100, the squad will be level 100.
For those who have worked hard to reach a high level in the legacy system, fear not! We also ensured that the stats of the legacy system still function as well - anybody who reached a level 100 squad with their friends under the previous system will still see a level 100 squad when they play with those same friends, even if their squad level under the new system would be lower! The legacy system kicks in after a legacy squad level of 10+. It is however no longer possible to level via the legacy system.
The update also brings an update to the latest version of Unity (2019.1) plus some smaller tweaks and fixes. These include:
<*> Fixed wave number for Squad Defense at the top starting at 2 when joining a game that hasn't started yet.
<*> Weapon stats sorting (i.e. kills, minutes played, etc.).
<*> Added settings option to make some UI text elements larger (i.e. in-game text chat).
<*> Optimized spawning of bots, especially for the player that's controlling them.
<*> NCO abilities are now displayed in a new icon to other squad mates.
Read all the full changelog on our Steam forums.
The Latvian update is live in Tannenberg right now!
Fight alongside the Latvian Riflemen as they defend their homeland on the new Baltic map, or attempt to break through the swamps and sand dunes.
New Squad! The Latvian Riflemen are a support squad mostly equipped with the Type 30 and Type 38 Japanese import rifles and older repeating Winchesters, with plenty of grenades for close quarters action. Some of their members carry US M1911 pistols! Their NCO ability can remove weapon sway for 30 seconds, allowing perfect shots by skilled players in the squad at key moments in battle.
Special Grenades! Other weapons added to the game include the Russian M1917 Chemical grenade and the German N Nebelbombe smoke grenade - these two allow players to deploy small local clouds of gas or smoke without the need to call in artillery for the first time!
New Map! The new Baltic map is covered with pools of swampy water, navigable via duckboard walkways and pontoon bridges. Make the most of the sandbag positions and wooden fortifications as you advance across the map - there aren’t a lot of height differences or areas of natural cover to offer protection.
The expansion is free, but if you don’t own Tannenberg yet it’s on 50% sale to celebrate the release! Get it on the Steam store!
Today’s update adds full controller support, expanded custom match options, a team balance change, and various map fixes. If you like playing with a controller, let us know what you think! Some of the highlights:
<*>Full controller support!
<*>New custom match options: set the year, Entente squad, Central squad, ability cooldown duration, friendly fire and friendly fire penalty.
<*>Players can't join the larger team, max player count difference is set to 2.
<*> Fixed Douaumont dugouts being difficult to enter.
<*> Fixed players spawning inside of Douaumont bunk bed.
<*> Fixed collision for bridge in St Mihiel.
<*> Fixed Flanders bunker entrance being difficult to enter.
You can read the full changelog on our Steam forums.
FRONTLINE NEWS: Summer Sale and the Somme
Steam Summer Sale!
Verdun is 60% off right now in the Steam Summer Sale, and Tannenberg is 50% off! Perfect time for you or your friends to complete the set if you don't already own both games ;)
The Battle of the Somme
A fortnight ago, the Verdun x64 group ran a special defensive battle event. Player controlled Landsers faced endless waves of attacking Tommies. It sounded like people had a good time, and some interesting feedback and comments were posted. A few screenshots below from one of the organizers, SovietDoge:
Guides Update
We updated our official guides for Verdun! This includes updated map and weapon lists, as well as a range of smaller tweaks to the other docs. If you spot anything we missed, let us know on our Discord channel!
That's all for now!
FRONTLINE NEWS - Verdun Free Weekend & 80% Sale!
Free weekend!
Verdun is on sale for 80% off AND free to play on Steam this weekend - tell your family, friends, and pets! If you already own the game, come join the fun.
Updates
We have released a few smaller updates following the release of the new UI. The big console update is also progressing nicely, though we can’t give an exact date for when we expect to release it just yet.
Screenshots
It’s always a pleasure to browse through the screenshots section of the Steam hub, with images which can be anything from funny to impressive to just plain pretty. Here’s four that we liked from recent submissions:
Troops preparing for an attack. Taken by Tom Grump.
’an der Front mit Ulrich’ by Rupert.
The attack is halted at the wire in this shot by Wolfblu.
Reaching through the fog of war in this screenshot by Yuithgf.
See you on the battlefield!
Game Update - Hi UI!
The New UI is live!
It’s been a long time coming, but the new UI is here. Thank you so much to everyone who tested it out on the open beta branch and gave feedback.
The new UI is here!
It comes with a suite of customization options for your in-game HUD, allowing you to control how much information you get while fighting!
Just some of the new HUD options available.
Tutorials
We have also implemented a series of tutorials which will help new players learn how the game works. They will appear in the menus and in battles themselves to illustrate key game mechanics, how squads work, and how NCOs can use their abilities.
A tutorial in battle.
Along with the new system, we have also updated the Frontlines tutorial video:
https://youtu.be/tIeGf5JF2ZQ
Custom Match Settings
To make life easier on folks setting up custom matches, we have now added menu UI for some gameplay options which were previously only available via console commands, including bot difficulty!
Other Updates
This update also brings some other tweaks and fixes. A few key features from the full changelog: <*> Death animations are enabled again.
<*> Update to Vauquois fixing sector outlines.
<*> Fixed melee lock-on getting stuck when switching weapons during melee.
<*> Fixed full match filtering.
Console update on the way
Reminder that there is also a big update on the way for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of Verdun. This will implement all the new content that has been added to the PC version recently, as well as bringing in the new UI and a raft of other improvements to gameplay and performance. As a nice bonus, we are also close to having full controller support in the Steam version of Verdun.
