Community members! We have been very busy, as you may have noticed; work on the next DLCs is progressing well. Besides the things you may already know about, such as the work on the British faction, we’re also preparing an update that will appear very soon. In this episode, we’ll have a closer look, as promised in our previous blog.
Two automated reviving methods for medics
This is undoubtedly one of the most requested changes, obviously intended to reduce the need for micro-managing in-game.
We have developed two separate mechanics for reviving, offering the player a choice of ways to ensure the medic acts just the way you want and revives fallen soldiers without needing to instruct them. This automation will be centered either around the medic or on a specific map area.
The first mechanic allows you to set a radius around the medic as the area in which wounded soldiers will be revived automatically, provided the medic has sufficient inventory to do so, of course.
The radius moves with the medic, which means you can order your medic around as you wish. The automatic reviving starts whenever the medic stops moving and detects a wounded soldier.
https://youtu.be/GW-8XqPIrR0
The second mechanic allows you to set a specific area on the map and thus to keep the medic in the same area, scanning for any wounded soldiers and reviving them when they need to be.
That means you can station a medic to oversee a trench, bunker, emplacement, or any other designated area, and the medic will not leave the area unless ordered to do so. The medic will detect the need for action in this area and act accordingly.
Both methods of automation receive their own button in the UI. Clicking on either one will allow you to drag a radius around the medic or onto the map.
These buttons can be used at any time to set, move, or remove the auto-healing radius. This allows you to switch between methods during play and adapt to the changing needs of the moment.
Those players who want to use the classic way the medic works can still choose to do so.
Will you be using automated healing in battle, or will you stick to classic microing? Let us know in the comments!
Key binds
Another change that was requested many times will be included; we have added key assignment options for various existing actions, including engine toggle, suppression fire, mines, de-mining, planting explosives, medic tent, various emplacements, fortifications, and foxholes.
Mod creators will be happy to see that we have added the 'Key' keyword to interface actions, which updates when the corresponding key is set in /profiles/ and changed in-game options. This allows for key assignments to be created for custom actions.
Open Beta
We will be releasing this 55th free update as soon as possible. This might be during the next few days, provided we are happy about the open beta by then. This beta will run for a couple of days.
To join the beta, you only need to switch your game to the beta version. Later, when the beta becomes the live version, you won’t need to do anything to reverse the process.
If you want to participate, go to your Steam library, right-click on the game, select properties - betas - open beta. You can switch back to the current version at any time, using the same process.
Other news
Work on the British faction is progressing nicely. In parallel, we’re working on the trailer, which will reveal the name for this DLC while also marking the official announcement.
The amount of work on this DLC is phenomenal! We’ll keep revealing bits of the DLC on the official CtA - GoH Discord server, where we’re running our 5th metagame, which reveals more every Sunday.
We have mentioned that there will be another smaller DLC coming soon. This will be one for the community, celebrating 10 years of community support for Barbedwire Studios! It took us six years to develop and release Call to Arms - Gates of Hell, our very first game.
To those six years, add four years after release - we think it’s time to celebrate!
We’ll be more specific about the contents of the jubilee update in one of our next blogs.
That’s it for now; enjoy the beta, and don’t forget to join our Discord server by clicking below.
Change Log
Highlights
- Added Medic Auto-revive action to heal soldiers close to the medic (radius value moddable)
- Added Medic Auto-revive action that can be placed by player as a fixed point on ground with scalable radius via mouse click and drag (100m max)
- Added key assignment options for many existing actions: engine toggle, suppression fire, mines, de-mining, plant explosives, medic tent, various emplacements, fortifications, and foxholes
- Added damage reports for vehicles to show in UI (left side of screen) when unit is selected or in direct control
- Added new weapon parameter (FiringTimeoutDistanceFactor) for small arms that modifies firing timeout based on distance (humans only)
- Updated small arms with new weapon parameter and their burst amounts/timings
- Updated model and design of soldier foxhole so only provide cover points inside the hole, and have better hit boxes to provide more consistency when attempting to destroy the foxhole
- Updated / heavily reworked USA Liberation Campaign missions: "Day of Days" and "Hedgerow Hell"
Conquest
- Updated conquest with a new system for music: - Music is based on the player's nation and to some extent the enemy nation - Improved system to determine if action music should play (more dynamic) - Increased the number of possible music tracks that can be played - Added rare/special event for heroic music to play
- Added Bot difficulty parameter data into/used by mission scripts
- Added randomized deletion of enemy flag defenders is now based on bot difficulty setting[User is attacking]. On normal and easy are unchanged. Hard and heroic fewer enemy defenders are removed at random
- Added option of lower altitude air attack if the map landscape/buildings allow it
- Fixed enemy airstrike where the plane would not attack after making an initial fly by. (large altitude differences & landscape below z)
- Fixed missing heightmap polygons and broken ground textures on DCG Dubovka
- Fixed broken textures on DCG Puhoksen
- Fixed house textures on DCG Ranes
- Fixed MGs in tobruk_mgun entities on DCG Crisbecq Battery map being unable to reload
- Fixed missing "no_scavenge" tag to mgun_ring and h39_turret so map entities cannot be captured in Conquest
- Fixed soviet pilot (blue man)
Single Player
- Updated / heavily reworked USA Liberation Campaign missions: "Day of Days" and "Hedgerow Hell"
- Fixed in RUS mission: Winter Storm - all pz3 & pz4 that have passengers to disembark in action
- Fixed in GER mission: The Ace of Swords - intro if player doesn't skip before pz3 hits mines
- Fixed in GER mission: Among the Heavens - 2nd part, reinf elite sniper to use early breed as to have kar98 instead of gwr43scoped
- Fixed in GER mission: The Siege of Sevastopol - default doctrine(all around) not working for users in coop.[bad mission_option name as the default]
- Fixed in GER mission: Downfall [Skirmish] - purchased vehicles having the wrong 'fire mode'
- Fixed in GER mission: Berlin [Skirmish] - icon used for volkssturm infantry buy units
- Fixed in GER mission: Kharkov [Skirmish] - MG and MG assistant having mismatched ammo for MG weapon
- Fixed in USA mission: Crimson Ridge - convoy vehicles so that if the player repairs/mans them, their movement is not limited to slow speed and no reverse
- Fixed in USA mission: Battle of the Bulge [Skirmish] - arriving intro troops missing winter clothes
- The Cold Supper (rus 02) - Fixed bug where in coop, the soldier who "poisons" the German barracks kitchen is never returned to the user/autoassign properly, thus if it's a commissar, the mission was not possible to complete in coop at that point[mission breaker in coop] - Same fix as above for "sabotage fuel with sugar" task - Fixed one mortar having German humans as inactive - Fixed another mortar missing tags for when it's meant to be operational - poisoning kitchen/sabotage fuel with sugar makes sure the player user is not linked or inactive(in vehicles) for when taking control of the scenario - Fixed coop crash if the player doing kitchen "poisoning" was in direct control.[actor state ai and able select off before changing player# !] - Fixed map broken polygons.
- Operation Bustard Hunt (rus 03) - Fixed various issues with part 2 tasks and trucks that can result in being unable to progress - Fixed part2 enemy inf reinforcements loop, which worked if enemy tanks were operable, even if it was by the player - Fixed various enemy planes in part 1, resulting in circling forever - Fixed case where it was impossible to capture part2/tasks/task06/capture_line - Fixed soldier inventory miss-tagged as entities meant for cloning - Fixed f-22 at gun being blocked in part2 by obstacles - Fixed order of operations, resulting in some part2_hidden allied units not becoming active - Fixed so that automatic miners are using placement with only inactive mines as a source when cloning - Fixed convoys to only attempt to clone proper and inactive trucks - Fixed some map bugs
- Unbroken (rus 05) - Fixed spotters are assigned to the player upon completion of task 4 if any are still alive - Fixed map issues
- Closing the Pocket (rus 09) - Enabled entity_manager right away to prevent issues in coop, as it has a large amount of units present on the map. - Removed outdated(old!!) AI logics that had a chance to cause serious issues. - Deleted obsolete entries.
- The Koenigsberg Cauldron (rus 10) - Fixed assignment issues during task3 & part3 allied/player units and their assignments - Fixed coop issue related to part3_# scenarios, avoid using trigger on next, use event and both next/skip - Fixed various enemy soldiers being in bad building positions(possibly due to building entities changes)
- Carpathian Turmoil (ger 09) - Added autosaves - Fixed the wrong game loss message used - Fixed extra supply truck cloned and saved on the map - Fixed officer often not looking through binoculars at the area discussed in the intro - Fixed russian assault reinforcements calls, further, no need to use shuffle when selecting 1 out of the pool - Fixed northmost assault area spawn for russian units, as they would telefrag/stuck - Fixed pathing near bridgethe that often gets damaged by allied bombing, thus making supply trucks flip
- Through Ice and Fire (fin 01) - Fixed and cleaned up all 3 parts where units are set and assigned to the player(was possible to have squads of soldiers from all over the place) - Fixed missing texmods for russian vehicles for winter - map fixes(bunker being mid air up close)
- Escaping the Pocket (ger west 03) - Fixed usa mortars in part 3 of the mission looking at the player but never firing - Fixed hidden tags on weapons of some part3 soldiers who were also linked to cannons - map fixes
- Wacht Am Rhein (ger west 04) - Changed to call Usa counter 2[timer itself] *early* instead of 10 minutes delay IF player somehow managed to accomplish task 03 or 04 before timer showing counter 2 arrival(prevent player from not knowing what's going on) - Prevent game fail possibility after task4 completion is triggered but not yet shown(due to scenario/talks) - Clean up of task 03 & 04 completion conditions to prevent inactive units from blocking(progress block) - Clean up of both usa counterattacks on how tanks and units are spawned - Use seconds values in timers as minutes entries do not show up in certain cases(counter attack timers) - Use non safe teleport(waypoint) for reinforcements of usa counters as the hybrid stamp snow_embankment* entities completely mess up "safe" teleport - Map fixes for both usa and germany reinforcements spawns
Multiplayer
- Updated Bot "ai/ai_untow" logic script so that the Bot vehicle that is towing cannons will additionally unlink the towed vehicle if all the crew on the towed vehicle died
- Updated command point cost consistency of mid and late usa cav crews
- Updated Fronlines game mode so that if defending team recaptures the sub-flags (not main frontline flag) that spawns will shift back for both teams to position before the flag was captured by the Attacker
- Increased sdkfz251d "wurfrahmen" doctrine point cost from 105 to 110
- Increased reload time for 280mm BR-5 from 120s to 150s
- Decreased Jagpanther doctrine point cost from 100 to 95
- Decreased reload time of Soviet 100mm guns by 1s - 1.5s
- Decreased magazine capacity for Finnish DS-39/VTK from 250 to 200 and updated its name/description
- Decreased usa cav_driver and cav_gunner CP cost to be like artillerymen and mg crew in other vehicles
- Decreased reload time for the following rocket artillery: - 15cm Nebelwerfer 41 from 140s to 120s - 82mm BM-8-24 from 140s to 120s - 15cm Panzerwerfer 42 from 180s to 170s - 21cm Nebelwerfer 42 from 220s to 200s
- Fixed Soviet Earlier war 45mm AT gun DP buy having 2 tankman crewing tow truck instead of 1 rifleman
- Fixed Finnish MG assistant in late war sometimes not spawning with helmet
- Fixed USA Mid war 155mm Schneider crew count
- Fixed 1v1 Holzbach terrain types
- Fixed 1v1 Valley broken polygon on
- Fixed 3v3 Voronezh battlezone flagpole placement
- Fixed 3v3 Voronezh floating rubbles
- Fixed 4v4 Dubovka broken landscape polygons & missing road terrain
- Fixed 4v4 Olkhovatkaone house floating and pathing issue
- Fixed reported issues on Frontlines maps
- Fixed missing small icons in multiplayer after-action report
Everything Else
- Added key assignment options for many existing actions: engine toggle, suppression fire, mines, de-mining, plant explosives, medic tent, various emplacements, fortification,s and foxholes
- Added 'Key' keyword to interface actions, updates when the corresponding key is set in /profiles/, and changed in-game options. Allows for key assignments to be created for custom actions
- Added Medic Auto-revive action to heal soldiers close to the medic (radius value moddable)
- Added Medic Auto-revive action that can be placed by player as a fixed point on ground with scalable radius via mouse click and drag (100m max)
- Added scope view to fg42_scope and stg44_scope weapons
- Added new K98k bolting sounds
- Added new grasses and flower bushes
- Added some balcan ground textures
- Added double precision skeleton matrices and IK, primarily useful for aiming and shooting
- Added volumes to snow_embankment3 series so that they generate cover for infantry while still allowing pathing over/through (Liberation winter maps)
- Added damage reports for vehicles to show in UI (left side of screen) when unit is selected or in direct control
- Added new weapon parameter (FiringTimeoutDistanceFactor) for small arms that modifies firing timeout based on distance (humans only)
- Updated small arms with new weapon parameters and their burst amounts/timings: SMGs - Bursts at short range now have fewer shots (from +10 to 4-8) - The time between bursts is now reduced as enemies get closer Rifles - no longer fires "double shots" at shorter ranges - The time between bursts is now reduced as enemies get closer Semi-auto rifles - no longer fires "double shots" at shorter ranges - The time between bursts is now reduced as enemies get closer Battle rifles (BAR,FG42,AVT40) - Bursts at short range now have fewer shots - The time between bursts is now reduced as enemies get closer - FG42 will now fire rapid single-fire shots at longer ranges - AVT40 will now shoot single-fire shots at longer ranges, similar to SVT40, and bursts at short range Assault rifles (STG44) - Bursts at short range now have fewer shots - The time between bursts is now reduced as enemies get closer - will now fire rapid single-fire shots at longer ranges AT Rifles - Bursts at short range now have fewer shots - The time between bursts is now reduced as enemies get closer MGs - slightly longer time between bursts at long range - Bursts at short range now have fewer shots - more shots per burst at long range for fast-firing MGs - The time between bursts is now reduced as enemies get closer Pistols - Bursts at short range now have fewer shots - The time between bursts is now reduced as enemies get closer
- Updated model and design of soldier foxhole so only provide cover points inside the hole, and have better hit boxes to provide more consistency when attempting to destroy the foxhole
- Updated demine decal around minesweeper to show only for allies and not enemy players
- Updated LVT-4 with 4 additional passenger seats, 12 in total
- Updated rock_group01-04 entities to be destructible by "crushing". They are the same as buildings and only crushable by medium and heavy tanks
- Updated some ostfront ground textures
- Updated vehicle view for universal carrier mk2
- Updated vehicle views for USA vehicles
- Updated Panther series tanks by increasing off-road speed slightly and max speed in turn
- Updated soviet marines human model with more ammo belts
- Updated Heer Artillerymen to have tunics instead of shirts
- Updated some AT-Grenade sizes in inventory to be more in line with other grenade sizes - Reduced size of RPG40 from 3x2 to 2x1 - Reduced size of No73 from 3x2 to 3x1 - Extended the length of molotovs and pwm_l by 1 cell
- Removed weapon burst modifier for MP and Heroic difficulties
- Removed DSHK mount/weapon from Finnish captured ISU152 (seems it did not have it historically)
- Removed Jumpsuits from Midwar Paratroopers, as they did not use jumpsuits at that point, and randomized paratrooper headwear
- Fixed [inventory] exchange getting bugged when doing fast rifle transfers in both directions
- Fixed crash: remove assert, just close dlg instead (users are reaching unreachable states)
- Fixed a server crash
- Fixed suspension, animations, wrong x and xx (being completely different models), and various other aspects for panzer3e and panzer3f
- Fixed suspension and missing track break animation for panzer2c
- Fixed missing track break animation for panzer35t
- Fixed track break animations for panzer3m
- Fixed track break animation for panzer2l
- Fixed Soviet BT-7A wheelr2 and wheell2
- Fixed Finnish BT-42 wheelr2 and wheell2
- Fixed obsolete winter texmod names used in missions/maps for t26_33 & stalinetz60 (w -> winter and winter1 where applicable)
- Fixed USA 105mm M2A1 sometimes not aiming properly
- Fixed missing animation track break for bison (Sturmpanzer I)
- Fixed suspension for bison (Sturmpanzer I)
- Fixed wrong track texture on bison_x (Sturmpanzer I)
- Fixed incorrect gun file being used for Jagdtiger
- Fixed and added the suspension system to opel blitz
- Fixed m3 lee wrong tracks skin modifier setting
- Fixed super pershing hole volume on spaced armor extending too far into the armor plate
- Fixed "RAM" Volumes for isu152, isu152_fin, citroen_7_civ, citroen_7_ger, schwimmwagen, ford_gpa, m6_gmc, gaz67, gaz67b
- Fixed angle of the lower hull plate of Tiger 2H
- Fixed ammo volume locations in Sherman5c (Firefly)
- Fixed dshk normal textures
- Fixed 15cm SiG 33 cannon having the incorrect detect settings, causing it to not appear in fog of war correctly
- Fixed the towing link bone position for 40mm ITK38b
- Fixed timing of breach closing on 5cm Pak 38 cannons during reload
- Fixed M13 and M16 MGMC halftracks turret component hitboxes
- Fixed missing "volume" tag for hole volumes on several vehicles
- Fixed tiger2h righttrack animation skin problem
- Fixed t26_33_fin and vickers6t mantlet x texture swapping problem at breaking
- Fixed bt5 tracks break animation problem
- Fixed missing winter textures for t27 and bt2 variants and their tracks
- Fixed naming of winter textures for T-26 M1933
- Fixed volume on 50mm_kwk39_platform
- Fixed Finnish 5cm Pstk38 to use the same vehicle view as German 5cm Pak38
- Fixed halftracks with mortars to be able to shoot better when the vehicle is on uneven terrain
- Fixed T-60 missing break animations, replaced existing animations, improved suspension, and updated x models
- Fixed missing x texture on broken wheels and missing back polygons on wheels and fenders of 20mm flak30
- Fixed building_part_wood from generating wood fx on contact by light vehicles that couldn't crush it
- Fixed sandbag_heap_straight and sandbag_structured_straight volumes and fixed them being slightly crooked when placed
- Fixed texture references for dutch_house01 and large_store01
- Fixed missing x model (destruction) to finnish_storage_shed1
- Fixed foundation volumes of sov_2st_build1 to provide cover points for infantry
- Fixed obstacleID (pathing profile) for sj4_fort_poppius and sj5_millionaire bunkers (4v4 Mannerheim Line)
- Fixed some walls missing obstacles and parts of 2nd floor not hiding when inside for germany_house_02
- Fixed roof not hiding properly for french_house_07
- Fixed euro_plank1-5 causing mortars not to shoot when set on top of them
- Fixed anm8 smoke grenade missing smoke fx bone
- Fixed Bren gun and mag now only takes 28 bullets
- Fixed 280mm and 300mm rockets from not exploding when hitting thin objects like wood fences by removing {detonationThickness 0.5} from the respective ammo files
- Fixed artillery flare from disappearing when hitting specific locations of 2 trench models
- Fixed weighting issues on Soviet pants
- Fixed several soldiers that could spawn without a helmet due to too much other gear in their inventory
- Fixed human models for German Late war volksg_sl and volksg_sl_asst
- Fixed the bolt sound playing when bolt-action rifles reload
- Fixed mismatch for 1st person Shot sounds and reloads in several tank gun files
- Fixed some voice lines for soviet actor 8 being in the incorrect folder/directory
- Fixed more situations where sound fx would be cut unintendedly by making adjustments to fade distances, volumes, priorities, and buffer allocations
- Fixed able "emit_passengers_on_enemy" to "emit_passangers_on_enemy" in vehicle files and script command calls
- Fixed various localization issues
r792-1623