Hello!
It is Oleksandr from Starni Games with the new Dev log entry. This time we will look at how our team worked on changing the game look from the Normandy summer to the Ardennes winter.

NEW LOOK

Despite the Battle of the Bulge starting in mid-December, the weather was actually snowless in the first few days of the German offensive - so, it looked like a very late autumn rather than winter. You can see that in the first few maps of the German campaign, so do not be confused, as we based the weather in those missions on the historical accounts of the German advance.

After the first few days though, a heavy snow started, completely transforming the battlefields. We reflected that in the later portion of the German campaign and the entire US campaign (as it starts later). We now have houses, cars, terrain, you name it, all covered in snow.

Such changes in weather call for changes in uniform, camouflage, and tactics. The vehicles and infantry need to blend in with the snowy terrain, while the winter uniforms help the soldiers keep themselves warm.

NEW TERRAIN TYPES - MUD, DEEP SNOW and ICE

Ardennes DLC features new terrain types, namely - mud, deep snow, and ice. The mud comes in the mid-December portion of the campaign, where there was no snow historically, and it was closer to late autumn in terms of weather, so you can see muddy roads slowing your advance.

Yet, once the snow came it was aplenty. Now, there is deep snow that makes it hard to move both infantry units and vehicles, but at the same time offers some extra cover and camouflage. It also looks mesmerising when vehicles move through it, have a look:

The rivers are half-frozen, and you can find some places where the ice on the river is strong enough to allow your troops to make an improvised river crossing.

WINTER UNIFORMS

We have to keep the infantry warm in the frosty winter, so we also created a new set of models for all infantry units to accurately replicate the winter uniforms and equipment.

Here are some of the US troops:

And here are some of the Germans:

WINTER CAMOUFLAGE

Last but not least, there are new camouflage patterns and presets incoming to allow you to customize your units’ camo for the winter battles to come:

Stay tuned to learn more about all the new unit models that will be available in the Ardennes DLC.

P.S. We are actively working on AI improvements and Multiplayer stability, and we invite you to join the open beta branch of Headquarters: World War II on Steam if you want to be the first to check out all the newest updates even before they are delivered to the general audience. Right now, we are delivering the first in a series of updates aimed at improving the AI in skirmish and multiplayer battles.
We listen to your feedback and we are working on improving the game according to it. We will keep you updated on our progress.

How to join (No password required):

• Open your Steam Library.
• Right-click the game and select "Properties".
• Go to the "Betas" tab.
• Select the "beta - Open Beta" branch from the dropdown menu.
• Update the game and start testing

See you next time!

WISHLIST NOW:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3295310/Headquarters_World_War_II__Ardennes/