Beyond The Wire News

The most recent community feedback survey was sent out last week and the results are in! Covering the main aspects of the update from gameplay changes to map performance we wanted to get a decent idea of how new additions and changes were viewed. We are committed to being as transparent as possible so we present the results of the survey so you can see exactly how the community feels about our most recent update.

[h2]General[/h2]
As usual our first point to address was how the community received the update in it's entirety. The first question gave us a good idea of the time players had invested in the game up to now. With 44% having less than 50 hours in the game, the majority of submissions have more than 50 hours, meaning most of the respondents have a good understanding of the game.


Question two cut right to the chase to see how you rated our most recent update. Thankfully - the overwhelming majority rated this expansion highly, as over 75% of responses stating the update was good or excellent. While there is a number who are undecided or haven't enjoyed the update, our later questions allowed us to get a better understanding of why these players felt this way and gives us an idea of areas to improve in the future.


Out of interest we asked how many hours the players had accumulated in game since Operation III release. With the intention to gauge the longevity of the content and changes recently made we can see that a large majority had players more than 5 hours in the passed two weeks. 31% had just under 5 hours, with many stating reasons such as low player numbers or personal commitments preventing them from investing more time.


An important metric for the development team is seeing if players experience in-game has improved with the update, and the responses fed-back that the direction the game was moving is in the right direction. 74% of respondents stated their experience has been better with this update, reinforcing the team's confidence that Beyond The Wire is improving with each update.


[h2]Gameplay[/h2]

The next section of the survey sought to drill down on some specific gameplay changes that were made with Operation III. The first item to address was the refactor of rally points, now called Spawn Points. These changes prompted a new interaction from players in order to disable enemy spawn points. We have been glad to see that this change is a welcome one, with 70% saying this system was better, with just 5.4% stating they preferred the old system, and 24.6% needing more time to decide.


Question two broached the subject of Main Spawn points which have been reverted to an older system where they would remain static rather than moving up with each sector won. With this change having such an impact on gameplay flow many players (35.7%) understandably need more time to decide if this was an improvement, while a larger share (36.4%) responded the previous system was better. Finally 27.9% said this was a better way to spawn. With the consensus being divided in such a way it shows the system needs more time to bed in before making any more major changes.


A topic that has been debated across the community was the inclusion of a delicate lighting effect on player silhouette's which has gone through several revisions up to now. Aiming to help target acquisition on night layers the effect has been tweaked and is now at a point where a majority find the effect to help, with just 22% finding the glow to be too bright. This shows that there may be room for more tweaking to strike the right balance.


Another hot topic has been the on-going changes to weapon handling, and specifically sway values. After recently revising the values back to an earlier build most players responded that we're in a good spot. While 35% of players said they hadn't noticed these changed, 40% prefer it while 24% preferred the old sway values. Again some changes and tweaks should be expected in order to find the right spot for the majority.


A side effect of the weapon handling changes will be the engagement distances players experience in-game. Fortunately the changes in Operation III have had the desired effect and the distances players have been engaging is closer than before. An overwhelming 81.5% of responses stated the distances had been closer since Op III release which is reassuring for the game design team and the direction of the game.


A follow-up to the engagement distances sought to survey player's usage of our melee system. As the melee system continues to be a core pillar of the game we have been encouraged to see the majority of players using their clubs, knives and bayonets. 34.2% of responses stated they use melee all the time, 54.8% said they use it sometimes while 11.1% rarely or never get into melee combat.


Another change that was introduced with Operation III was a new layout design for objectives in the Assault game mode. 59.5% of players said the changes were enjoyable while 12.5% stated they were not enjoying them. The final 28.1% said they hadn't noticed the changes to the gamemode.



[h2]Maps[/h2]

Next up we looked at the new maps as well as take another poll on the community's favourite map. Vimy Ridge and Vieil Armand were the new maps introduced with this update and we wanted to see how their performance had been. An almost even split of 51%/49% showed that each map had their own issues and would need equal attention in coming updates for optimization and improvements.


An interesting poll which we try to include with each survey is the community's sentiment towards our library of maps. The intention here is to see which Fields of Battle are favoured, meaning our level design and environment art departments can expand on the good and extrapolate certain features to new and existing maps.

1. Zonnebeke 21.8%
2. Vimy Ridge 17.7%
3. Chateau-Thierry 14.1%
4. Poelcappelle 9.9%
5. Vieil Armand 9.1%
6. Ansoncourt 8.3%
7. Frise 5.8%
8. Cantigny 5.5%
9. Sechault 4.7%
10. Combles 3%


[h2]Performance[/h2]

Lastly the topic of performance was addressed as effort towards optimization, stability and general performance are on-going. While 24.7% had noticed a decrease in performance listing issues such as game crashes and Easy Anti-Cheat errors, 33.9% had noticed an improvement while 41.4% noted the game performed the same which is somewhat reassuring given the introduction of new content and systems.



As always we are thankful for everyone who took the time to complete this survey as it gives our development team the best idea to how the community responds to all the changes and additions that are being made. With more updates and expansions on the way we will continue to survey the community sentiment on the game's direction and overall experience. See you in the trenches Soldier!

Our development recap is back for November and has some interesting items to reveal! The team have been busy establishing the foundations for upcoming updates as we cast our gaze towards the December update and Operation IV.


[h2]Team Restructure[/h2]
The design team have been looking at the evolution of armies during WW1 and how their infantry battalions changed during the conflict. Exploring more distinctions between factions and year, players can expect to see different section options across the board. We have been exploring how over time the section size and responsibilities changed, with section roles differing depending on which faction and year you’re deployed to. These new team options are extensive and we’ll be breaking these down in a following developer blog but you can look forward to new section types such as the Hand bomber, Pioniertruppen, Specialist and Voltigeur Sections.


[h2]MG 08/15[/h2]
This new German machine gun has been through the animation department and is now being put through the paces in testing. Taking the dangerous MG08 platform and turning it into a lighter, smaller unit which will give German Infantry sections an advantage of maneuverability with heavy firepower. First utilized during April of 1917 the MG08/15 would go on to be the most common machine gun used by the German Empire during WW1. Stay posted for the full reveal in following articles presenting updates to the Arsenal.


[h2]Gewehr 1888/05 & Karabiner 88[/h2]
The main frontline rifle used by the German Empire up until 1915, the G88 was widely used by all units until it was eventually phased out in favour of the newer and much improved Gewehr 98. However the Gewehr 88 remained in service throughout the war for the allies of the German Empire as well as their own second line and reserve units. You can also expect to see the carbine version of the Gewehr 88 arriving Beyond The Wire soon. Utilised by Imperial Cavalry units as well as other second line troops the carbine had a shorter barrel and saw use during the early years of the war.


[h2]Skoparette Optic[/h2]
Our latest roadmap revealed more planned factions and the Landwehr will arrive next year. The recon sections of the German nation forces will be using the Skoparette optic on sniper rifles when they deploy Beyond The Wire.


[h2]Suffocant Mle 1914, 1915 & 1916[/h2]
Tear gas grenades are on the way with the French deployment of the Suffocant Mle that was utilised throughout the war in many forms. On impact these grenades will cause pacifying blurriness to enemies caught in the radius, forcing them to deploy gas masks and vacate the area.


[h2]Passchendaele[/h2]
This new field of battle is currently in the blocking stage as our environment and level design teams look at sources and imagery from the third battle of Ypres. With aerial photography giving an idea of area we’re looking to explore, the team have also sourced references from ground level so we can ensure the field is authentic to the time. Aiming to replicate the muddy conditions and sunken trenchlines reinforced with large concrete bunkers, the level design team are aiming to create the most brutal trench warfare seen in Beyond The Wire yet.


[h2]UI[/h2]
The overhaul of the UI is still in progress and there’s changes coming to the deployment screen. Aiming for a more polished menu for section and role selection will help bring the interface together. Along with the redesign of the UI there’s been a focus on improving accessibility with spawn selection and tooltips giving you a better experience.


[h2]Player customization[/h2]
Still working on plethora of options for players to customize their soldier the art team have been working on various parts of uniform and equipment items that will give personal touches to your character in game. With spectacles, masks, pistol holsters and other tertiary items being options to customize we’re ensuring that we can offer fun choices that remain historically authentic.


The development team are continuing to work hard to deliver more content and further changes that mould your experience in-game. With an update on the horizon and our next expansion under way we'll be revealing more work before the end of the year.

The Steam Autumn Sale has kicked off and Beyond The Wire is taking part with a huge discount! Running from November 24 through December 1 Beyond The Wire will be 50% off in the store. This latest offer comes after Operation III release that brought the CEF, two new maps, a host of weapons and more sub-factions for the German and British Empire's. Pick up the game now ready for our December update where we'll be building on the most recent updates in preparation for a big year of content in 2022. For the next week Beyond The Wire will be available for $17.49 / £ 13.89 / E14.99, what are you waiting for - join the fight for the Western Front now!

Operation III released recently and with this update came our first implementation of year-based loadouts and faction uniforms. As the Great War saw advances in technologies, the armies of the time had to develop better protective equipment and more effective weapons that had a direct impact on the factions involved. From changing colours for camouflaging to redesigned weapons, the soldiers of WW1 saw one of the largest and wide spreading advancements of war.

With a priority to deliver experiences from multiple years from the war it was important we established foundations to deliver these differences and variety. From the early engagements in our 1914 gameplay layers to the massive late war advances on the Meuse-Argonne, players will be deploying with differing equipment loadouts and weapons.

For update 0.13 we have worked to have initial early uniforms for all factions which will be revised and improved upon with coming updates. Early war models for the French showcase the famous red and blue uniform with kepi hats with the Adrian helmets not being issued till the middle of the conflict. Improvements were also made to backpacks and webbing allowing the soldiers on the frontline to carry more and be better equipped for the long months on the front.

The German Empire deployed with the iconic gaede and picklehaube helmets in early war, with full helmet and cloth cover alternatives available. The famous M14 tunic with red piping is still to be crafted, but the distinguishing features of the uniform are taking shape.

Each faction has their own differences, with the divisions of the British Empire picking up the Brodie helmet over time as well. In addition to uniform changes factions saw updates to their weapons as well. With the lethality of modern combat demanding better firearms, and the environment demanding reliability rifles such as the Ross Mk III were eventually replaced by the SMLE during the conflict and our new year designations reflect these changes.

Development will continue work to accurately represent the evolution of armies over time with authentic character models present across the years of the Great War. With the new customization and progression system breaking down factions by year this work to introduce early and late war variants will stand the development team in good stead for the updates and expansions ahead.

We're continuing to survey the community mood with each Operation release and the latest feedback form is now open. Please follow the link below to submit your feedback on certain changes and additions in our latest expansion. This form will be closing on Sunday, 28 November 2021.

After closing the form we will be publishing the feedback in a public format so everyone can see the results.

Thanks once again for your help and support with the development on Beyond The Wire. See the link to the survey below!

Operation III Community Feedback Survey