Hello all,
We hope you are well. Let’s get cracking with today’s DevBlog. It will feature an assortment of tidbits about a variety of things, including a sneak peek at Army General tutorials, an update on Destruction mode maps and an Abrams unit model rework.
Let’s get to it.
Army General Tutorials
First things first: Army General. Yes, we know you are all passionately waiting for this major new mode - just hold on a bit longer!
What we can share in today’s DevBlog are more details on the Army General tutorials. Much like the current tutorials in WARNO, the Army General tutorials will be four fully scripted missions.
These missions will cover the first hours of our World War III scenario as it unfolds around the Fulda Gap, much like the game tutorials that are already present. The Army General tutorials will showcase operational strategy as experienced through the eyes of 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment based in Fulda.
Roger Dodger, over and under!
All the tutorials’ dialogues will be translated and dubbed in various languages for easy understanding. The different Army General mechanics will be explained and illustrated in detail, from simple to complex. These include such things as the interface, attacking and defending, formation composition (the pawns), combat and auxiliary battalions, unit fatigue, terrain modifiers, air attacks and interception, encirclement strategy, and so on.
We felt that delivering the Army General in your lap with no explanation might overwhelm players. Army General works on a strategic level, with the new mode combining that with the tactical battles we all know and love by heart. We made an additional effort to make the interface between the two fun and engaging, and while complex, not incomprehensible. Hence the new tutorials!
Now, some delays encountered with Army General have to do with production. Everything needs to be designed, voiced, tested, balanced, and written. Any major update to overall balance or game mechanics along the way have an effect on the mission (and the dialogue), meaning more changes. There is no ill will behind it, just the realities of game development for a small, independent studio.
An Update on Destruction
Leading us to Destruction mode and upcoming maps. During WARNO’s Early Access, we have noted that the Skirmish and Conquest modes have been particularly well-liked by the community. This is why we decided to prioritize the development of this mode, including new map delivery.
However, we understand that many of you eagerly await more Destruction versions of existing maps. And the time has come to refocus our efforts on the swift production and delivery of new Destruction variants of existing maps. So, for all you Destruction fans out there, get ready!
Abrams Rework
The Abrams main battle tank resulted from decades of middling programs by the United States combined with the threat of high-tech armored Soviet doomstacks in East Germany. After the catastrophic failure of the MBT-70 and XM803 programs, with some conceptual wandering through the M60A2 Starship, the United States decided to pull out all the stops and create a new tank “to end all tanks.”
Technology was pushed to the limits of what was possible in the era and used to design a main battle tank with unparalleled mobility, excellent protection, and a cutting-edge fire control system. Room for future modifications and upgrades was built in, allowing the Abrams to really get stronger and stronger with each new iteration.
This takes us to the M1(A0) Abrams, one of the earliest variants of this American main battle tank.
The visual highlights for the uninitiated include the 105mm M68 gun, mantlet peculiarities, and “shorter” turret compared to later variants (the M1IP and M1A1). Furthermore, 105mm-armed M1s had an unusual three-piece blow-out cover over the bustle. Early M1s lacked the turret basket as well. Finally, the sprockets were also different.
Camouflage
Camouflage of U.S. vehicles stationed in Europe entered a tumultuous period in 1989. Tanks could be seen in MERDC Forest Green single-color, MERDC Winter Verdant pattern, or, more popular, three-color CARC camouflage patterns. We opted for Forest Green for the M1(A0).
The historical markings on U.S. tanks were kept relatively simple. Let’s take the following as an example:
As you can see, we are dealing with a vehicle of the 8th Division, 5th Battalion of the 77th Armored Regiment, Alpha Company, 1st Platoon, 3rd tank. Not too tricky, right?
Another marking is the military load classification in Europe. Many quaint and rickety bridges on the old continent do not handle the latest generation of armored vehicles well, not to speak of an entire armored division equipped with heavy tanks rolling over one. NATO implemented the Military Load Classification system to avoid collapsing bridges left and right. Each vehicle had to present its combat weight, but to avoid confusing the average American servicemen, this weight was in imperial short tons. No wonder France almost left NATO in disgust.
Until next week
That’s all for this week’s DevBlog. Let us know what you think.
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.
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