Hello Commander,
In last week’s DevBlog, we lifted the veil on some solo play content, the tactical OPERATIONS. Today, we will bring you some news about the long-awaited ARMY GENERAL mode.
In earlier DevBlogs, we already gave you a sneak peek of the two huge maps which will be the setting for our various scenarios: one centered on the Fulda-Frankfurt axis, the other on the Kassel-Paderborn axis. What have we been up to since then? Why the delay? Don’t worry, we haven’t been idle, far from it.
What is Army General?
Let’s get back to basics for those among you who might have joined our community recently.
Army General mode will feature turn-based wargame campaigns, playable in single-player, versus, or cooperatively. You’ll play on massive maps with a host of different formations and units, simulating a particular offensive or large-scale operation. We used the historical order of battles, with each division portrayed as they were in 1989, including corps or army assets. These orders of battle (formational structures) will be realistic and accurate down to the platoon level. In comparison, Steel Division 2 only went down to the company level.
How many campaigns? We’ve planned four, but are considering more by creating smaller additional scenarios focusing on a specific theater, timeframe or units of the battlefield. See those as “Army General snapshots” with more specific, intermediary objectives.
But where is it?
As of now, we’ve got a functioning campaign featuring the early stage of the Soviet assault on Fulda and through the Kinzig valley, based on Steel Division 2‘s Army General mode. Although it works well as it is, we do not consider it satisfactory enough to be released, because we want more than just porting SD2’s AG mode to WARNO. We want to improve it. We want to offer a new experience, as well as explore new movement and combat mechanics. Right now, starting over again, is when we can try new stuff.
Battle Plan
One of the main improvement from SD2 lies with the Battle Plan phase, that is once a combat is engaged when each player selects which of his battalions will take part in it.
In SD2, we initially allowed only three battalions to take part in a combat, which we felt were too few, then increased it to five … which some considered too much. In WARNO, the Battle Plan will be split between several roles, meaning all battalions won’t be competing for the same slots as in SD2.
Battle slots will be divided 4 categories:
- COMBAT BATTALIONS will be given two slots for either/both armor and infantry
- ARTILLERY SUPPORT can only be filled with one artillery battalion
- AIR SUPPORT can only be filled with one close air support squadron
- AUXILIARY SUPPORT will get one slot to be filled with either recon, engineer, HQ, … or any battalion not included in the previous one
Therefore, most battle should be fought with 3-4 battalions, while only the biggest one will field 5 when all types of units are represented. And that way, the often shunned “auxiliary” battalions from SD2 will get a bigger role since they won’t be competing for the same slots with more powerful “combat” battalions.
Air Support
Another improvement we’re bringing concerns the management of air assets.
Unlike ground (or hovering) units, air squadron will only be featuring a fragment of their real strength … but they will retain it throughout the campaign, the balance of force representing planes in reserve or in short repair to replenish it. Squadrons won’t be assigned permanently either: at the start of every turn, each side will be assigned a number of available air missions depending of their level of air superiority. You can use them in your phase or keep them for the enemy one, but they’ll be removed anyway at the end of the turn, giving way to others the next turn.
Strategical choices
We also want the player to be more involved in devising the campaign’s strategy.
While in SD2, players would acquire reinforcements with Action Points; in WARNO reinforcements will be fixed, arriving according to schedule.
Some reinforcements though, can only be accessed through strategical decisions, and thus not all at once. For example, as a NATO commander planning a counter-attack against the tip of the Soviet offensive, will you rather be granted the entire 82nd Airborne Division to be dropped behind enemy lines, or the powerful 12. Panzerdivision to strike its Southern flank?
Other such choices will be given, some involving the use of technological (satellite, spy plane, SINGIT, …) or human (sabotage, special forces, …) assets, all with immediate effect on the strategic level.
See you on the battlefield
All right! That’s the first batch of Operations done. We are still working on the next series; it might take some time before we can shine a light on these. Regardless, we are looking forward to hearing what you think!
Don’t forget to join the passionate WARNO community. Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.
See you on the battlefield, commander!
