Greetings Commanders,
We are about halfway through the first ever Multiplayer Tech Test of Men of War II, so we thought it a good opportunity to say a few words to our community.
We have been experiencing some server-side issues that were causing problems with match-making, not deleting abandoned lobbies and generally making it more problematic to start playing. These have been fixed, so if you've experienced these problems and couldn't play before, please, try again - we are sorry for the inconvenience, but ironing out these kinks is the primary reason for holding a tech test like this.
And a big thank you for everyone who has taken part so far, and extra huge thanks to everyone who took their time to come to the discussions or our Men of War II Discord to share their feedback with us. Rest assured, all your voices are heard, we read all the posts and messages - keep them coming.
There have also been many recurring questions and comments, and since we feel that many others might have these without voicing them as well, we have compiled a short FAQ, we hope it helps. But in any case, if you have any questions of feedback, please feel free to reach out via Steam discussions or our Men of War II Discord.
Thank you, and we hope to see you in the game soon!
Q: Who is developer of the game?
- Ukrainian studio Best Way — the original creators of the Men of War series (founded in 1991 in Sievierodonetsk, Ukraine). They released the first game in the series, Soldiers: Heroes of World War II in 2004, Faces of War in 2006, and then the first Men of War game in 2009. Despite the war in their homeland, they continue to work on the game to show players the depth and variety of gameplay and dedication to historical accuracy that will make it the most immersive depiction of World War II battles in franchise history.
Q: I completed the in-game tutorial, but I would like to know more about the mechanics and features of the game. Where can I learn more?
- If you would like to dive deeper, or are looking for more of a "reference guide" style help, there is a rather extensive guide available about the Tech Test features and content, please check it out here.
Q: I see “premium” units in the Tech Test, will there be microtransactions in the game?
- There will be no microtransactions, in-game purchases, or pay-to-win mechanics in Men of War II. Some in-game achievements (such as completing a particular mission) will reward players by unlocking new units they can add to their battalions. There is also an in-game currency called "Bonds" which can only be earned in-game, not purchased for money, and can be used to unlock "premium" units too. These are in no way "ultimate" units that would give anyone an unfair advantage; however, they serve to acknowledge and reward player progress.
Q: Is the balance in the game final or will it change?
- The game is still in development, and this test version does not fully reflect the quality of the final release. Your participation will allow us to prepare for launch by testing many of the game's features and the gameplay balance as well. We carefully check all feedback and will make appropriate changes to the balance before the full game launch.
Q: Will the game support mods?
- Modding support is a core feature of the Men of War franchise and it will be implemented in Men of War II as well. We are already working with several creators of mods for previous installments to help them bring some of the fan favorites to Men of War II at launch, or soon after, and the new Gem RTS engine the game is developed in is even more modding-friendly than previous games in the franchise.
Q: I expected something different, is it even a Men of War game?
- Please understand that we are only showing a small part of the PvP experience, which in turn is only a small part of the full game. The single-player campaigns that are planned offer more historical accuracy (in terms of what units and armies can face each other on the battlefield, for example) and use different mechanics (such as scripted reinforcements instead of the echelon system), and can also be played in co-op multiplayer. There will also be more game modes offering a different take even on PvP gameplay. The Tech Test is not meant to provide a complete Men of War experience, as it is not a complete game. It is quite possible that the features or mechanics you feel are missing are planned for the full release, but please, definitely let us know what it is you'd like added or changed.
Q: Why do vehicles have health bars?
- The HP/damage system with hitpoints has always been there in previous games (just not displayed), the health bar is simply meant as a visual representation of the state of the unit, how close it is to being destroyed, to make it easier for players to understand the situation and make proper tactical decisions. Vehicles still have different parts that can be individually targeted and damaged/destroyed, which will affect the performance and abilities of the unit, and the health bar also does not mean that a small caliber weapon can destroy a heavy tank if it just keeps shooting it long enough, weapon penetration mechanics are still at the core of the damage system.
Q: How do I repair units?
- If a part of a vehicle gets damages (such as it's engine, gun, tank tracks, etc.), you can order its crew to repair it in the field (when you have the unit selected, mouse over the vehicle and the cursor will change to a spanner, just right-click to order repairs). That will not repair the overall state of its armor, you need to use the "Retreat to reserve" command. If your unit successfully retreats, it will go on a cooldown timer during which it will be repaired and restocked with fuel and ammo, and ready to be called in again.
Q: Can I play PvE during the playtest?
- There are no explicitly PvE game modes available during the Multiplayer Tech Test, however, if you create a lobby, you can assign AI bots and select their battalions to the individual player slots (click on the 3 dots next to an open slot to see this option). The difficulty level in lobby settings determines how tough the AI will be.
Q: How do I report a bug I found during Tech Multiplayer Test? Where should I leave my feedback?
- We greatly appreciate all your help in finding and reporting bugs and other issues so that we can continue improving Men of War II. You can leave a bug report or share your feedback on the Men of War II Discord server or the Steam discussions - we appreciate it!