Headquarters: World War II

[Asid]

Ardennes DLC is coming soon
7 Nov 2024



The second DLC for Headquarters: World War II is landing soon

Get ready for the ultimate winter warfare experience with the second DLC for Headquarters: World War II ? "Ardennes". This exciting expansion takes players into the heart of one of WWII?s most intense and pivotal battles, offering new campaigns, fresh units, and enhanced tactical depth.

Experience two brand-new campaigns
Prepare for the clash of titans with two gripping new campaigns ? one for Germany and one for the United States. Battle through 16 thrilling encounters set against the backdrop of the icy Ardennes forest, where every decision could make the difference between victory and defeat.

Play as both sides in a thrilling narrative
Take command of both German and US forces as the narrative switches perspectives, giving you the chance to experience the Battle of the Bulge from both sides. First, lead the German offensive through the harsh, snow-covered Ardennes, and then shift gears to orchestrate the Allied counteroffensive. Relive key historical moments in this dramatic retelling of one of WWII?s most brutal confrontations.

Prepare for an unforgettable winter campaign, where your battlefield tactics are just as important as your army management skills.
Headquarters: World War II ? Ardennes will be available soon.

[Asid]

Headquarters: World War II - New Open Beta
Wed, 11 December 2024



Attention, Commanders!
We?re excited to announce that, starting today, you can opt into our open beta.

We have dedicated our efforts to refining this update, with a strong focus on enhancing AI capabilities and multiplayer games stability.
We?re particularly interested in feedback on any areas you find unclear and hear your thoughts.
Thank you for your support and engagement.

Version 1.01.02

AI improvements:
    - Introduced a new AI purchasing algorithm in skirmish and multiplayer. Now AI should be more efficient in the way it selects new units to acquire.
    - AI now moves all units before deploying new ones. This way it cannot block its own units? movement with the newly deployed units that cannot move this turn.

Fixes:
    - Fixed a very common crash in PBEM multiplayer. UE4Editor_UEBA!TBattlefieldScreenForm::OnStateChangedUpdateSelectedObject() [c:\home\baroot\battleacademy\view\tbattlefieldscreenform.cpp:658]
    - Fixed the animation lags during the AI turn.
    - Fixed crash with unit customization that happened if you delete the Preset you are using and then press the ?Change preset? button.
    - Fixed crash that occurred when selecting the lowest save file in the list using Gamepad controls
    - Fixed crash when that could occur when skipping unit animations using Gamepad controls.
    - Fixed issue with user-created maps that have the same map name - they will all have the same minimap from the first map with that map name. Now, the minimaps are correct.
    - Fixed localization for the version control notifications.
    - Fixed a rare bug that allowed AI to deploy a unit on the player?s HQ flag once after the player captured the AI player?s HQ flag playing with the same countries.

[Asid]

Dev log #1 - Winter warfare is coming in Ardennes DLC
Fri, 13 December 2024



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!