Hello!
It is Oleksandr from Starni Games with the new Dev log entry. Today, I will tell you about the different unit types you can deploy in Headquarters: World War II. I will also explain how we designed various units and balanced their parameters taking into account all the real-life data. If you would like to know more - please follow the link below to access the full Dev log article.
How do we choose which units to have in Headquarters: World War II?
There are several things we kept in mind when making a list of units that are available in the game. First of all, the events of the game cover Operation Overlord (6 June – 30 August 1944), so we have to look for the models that were more or less widely used on the European front during that period. Secondly, we look at how well they fit together and what role every unit could fulfill.
It is quite complicated, because many units that would have been very useful become available later during the war and so on.
How do we set the parameters for each unit?
First and foremost, we do in-depth research of all the real data on unit parameters - which is often not as easy a task as it could seem at first glance. That is because many sources of information provide different data on the same parameters, and some parameters are very hard to find. So, in-depth research is required to make sense of all the different and often contradictory sources.
Doing the correct research and its educated interpretation is only the beginning though. We cannot just throw all the historical data into the game and make it work. We have to choose which parameters the in-game units will have and how real-life parameters translate into the in-game values. That is very tricky since we want the game to be both historical and balanced, while most units were not truly balanced historically.
This is where it becomes more art than science, but we follow one simple rule at all times: if A is better than B in real life, then A is better than B in the game. So, if a gun has a better armour penetration historically, it will have a higher AP attack value in the game. If unit A had better frontal armour in real life than unit B - it will have a higher front armour value in the game, and so on.
A couple of examples to see why estimating real-life parameters is hard: you can easily look up the data on armour thickness, but there is also the armoring angle that plays a crucial role. Additionally, there could be different materials and casting used at different times/models. So, in the end, it is really hard to take all of that into account.
Another example would be the guns, which have two key parameters used to determine their armour penetration capabilities - the caliber (76mm) and the barrel length in calibers (L40). That is not the end though, as you have to check the armour penetration values from the real tests at different distances using different types of ammo, and so on. That is the only way to see how guns truly compare to each other.
What types of units do we have in the game?
All units are split into categories (or classes), and since life is complicated we ended up having a lot of them. So, here is how we grouped the units:
Infantry:
Regular
Scout
Paratrooper
Elite
Sniper
Flamethrower
Machine gun
Anti-tank unit
Mortar
Towed guns:
Towed AT gun
Towed AA gun
Towed Artillery
Vehicles:
Armored car
Light tank
Medium tank
Heavy tank
Assault gun
Self-propelled AT gun
Self-propelled AA gun
Self-propelled Artillery
Armored Personnel Carriers
Trucks
What countries do we have in the game?
Currently, we have three major factions playable in both campaign and multiplayer - US, UK, and Germany. Additionally, we have smaller unit lineups for Polish and Canadian troops, which occasionally appear in the campaigns.
Where can I see the full list of units?
I will share with you all the unit models currently in the game in the next Dev logs where we will have a closer look at how different countries compare in terms of units in various categories. The next one will be dedicated to tank units across all nations. So, please, stay tuned.
See you next time!