Huge thank you to Polygon Blacksmith for his incredible work on the French Forces! This would not have been possible without his efforts! Give it up for Polygon Blacksmith!!
Hello everyone!
Vive La France!
The French Forces join the battlefields in Brass Brigade! They bring with them a host of new and interesting weapons, a new light-tank, and will make their debut on a new map - "The Battle for France". The French Forces are armed with many stayover weapons from the Great War. Bolt action rifles are the primary weapon type backing the French infantry - Lebel and Berthier rifles will be a common sight in the hands of French soldiers. Newer armaments for French soldiers include the Mas38 sub-machinegun and Hotchkiss light-machinegun. Perhaps the most notable weapon the French troops bring to battle is the Boys Anti-Tank Rifle. The Boys AT rifle was reasonably effective against early German tanks until armor was thickened to better counter-act the AT rifle threat - be sure to look out for the massive Boys AT rifle & its thunderous report.
The full weapon list...
- Lebel 1886 Rifle (and scoped variant)
- FM 24/29
- Boys AT Rifle
- Chauchat
- Mas38
- Mas36
- Hotchkiss
- Berthier
- Ruby Automatic
The Battle for France
In the Spring of 1940, the Battle of France commenced. The rolling countrysides were ideal grounds of tank combat, with infantry skirmishes taking place in the towns that dot the landscape. The Battle for France in Brass Brigade takes place near the town of Arras and its adjacent farmlands. French forces attempt to counter-attack a wide-spread German offensive. With wide flanks on either side of the town, Allied forces will be hard pressed to root out the Axis threat without succumbing to Axis armor.
This map is deliberately skewed against the allies a bit. When playing as the French, players will need to enlist the help of the Troop Command System to rally together a squad when attempting to capture points. Otherwise, the French will find themselves retreating to their rear-lines and a defeat is sure to follow.
Early War French Armor...
The French get a new tank in Brass Brigade. The FT17 makes its return to the battlefield, back from fighting in the Great War. This tank design, though out-dated by 1940s standards, boasts a small profile, making it more difficult to target at range by other tanks. However, its small design and weak armor make it less than ideal for traversing rough terrain and attacking targets head on. Its advantage comes from its ability to fit through smaller passage-ways in the environment and to conceal itself easier. Be sneaky when piloting this tank, otherwise, a single well-placed Tiger round will put you into an early grave.
Other New Features & Improvements
The Panzer IV gets a makeover to look much more historically correct.
- New AI sampling load distribution strategy. This new AI load balancing system grants more CPU time to bots that are nearer to the player. Bots that are far away (and not as visible) use less CPU time. I have seen more consistent performance on some lower end machines using this new method; please drop some feedback if any significant performance gains/loses are felt by you.
- New UI elements on screen that denote the keybindings for certain controls, such as Grenade, Special Ability, Camera Mode, and the Troop Command System. I noticed new players were unaware of these systems, so these on screen elements should clue them into trying them.
- Early German team selection choice only includes the Panzer IV to distinguish them further from Late War variants.
- Panzer IV treads rebuilt to look more correct
- Bots no longer continuously swap weapons when reloading.
- Bots pause for ~5 seconds at the start of a game, giving the player some time to pick a class and spawn in.
- New main menu background scene
- Weapons now have an empty click sound when they are out of ammo (sorry this took so long!)
What's Next?
My current plans are to develop a few more maps in the future, possibly for the French, American, and/or Russian forces, though I haven't solidified anything yet. My mind currently wants to have a Carentan-esque map, a Berlin type map, and/or a Maginot Line themed map. Let me know your thoughts! I have also been experimenting with other special abilities for the troops (ex. deployable sandbags) with varying degrees of success. I think I will take some time to build out a new map or 2 and pursuit some ideas I've had for special abilities. As always, feel free to swing by the Steam Discussion forums to drop me a line. Alternatively, our Discord is always open to newcomers. If you're enjoying the game, please leave a review - they really help keep the game visible.
Until next time (and again, thank you Polygon Blacksmith),
Henry Kucab