Beyond The Wire News

With a new faction arriving and other weapons coming to completion, Operation III resupplies the arsenal with more iconic weaponry . This next update brings Canadian firearms and heavy weaponry for the French that have been waiting to be deployed and are now ready to be introduced. Check out the list of incoming weapons below!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Ross Rifle Mk III[/h2]

Before the Canadian Army adopted the British SMLE MK III* they were largely armed with the Ross rifle. The straight-pull action of the bolt allowed Soldiers to lay down a greater volume of fire for less effort. However due to concerns regarding its reliability in the trenches, it was eventually phased out in favour of the mass produced SMLE, Late war maps will still see the Ross in use as reconnaissance sections utilise it’s great accuracy, while early war maps will see the CEF deployed with the Ross as the main battle rifle.

[h2]2nd Model "Hand Ejector" Revolver[/h2]

A six-round, double-action revolver used by the CEF as a primary weapon for Officers. Similar in design to its American and British counterparts, the revolver was chambered in .455 Webley to simplify logistics for the forces of the British Empire. A sturdy weapon with a decent fire rate, it saw its fair share of action in the trenches of the Western Front.

[h2]Berthier 1907/15[/h2]

The most common service rifle of the Harlem Hellfighters - the French-made Berthier M1907/15 is fed by a relatively small 3-round en-bloc clip. Still accurate and reliable but with a quicker reload than its older Lebel cousin, the berthier is more than capable enough to serve in the battlefields of France.

[h2]M1918 B.A.R[/h2]

One of the most popular automatic rifle designs during the 20th century is heading out Beyond The Wire. The M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle came into service in the final months of the First World War but made a lasting impression. The BAR was well-received for its modest weight and reliability, though the lack of a bipod has a noticeable effect on its accuracy.

[h2]Canon de 75 modèle 1897[/h2]

French Artillery crews will soon be deploying with their own field canons, replacing the placeholder QF-13. This 75mm field cannon was primarily used by the French Republic, but also supplied in large numbers to the AEF, who nicknamed it the French 75. Though the flat trajectory of field guns challenged their utility in the static conditions of trench warfare, the 75 was one of the best of its class, with great range and rate of fire, and earned a bit of fame for its actions during the 1st Battle of the Marne.

[h2]Hotchkiss M1914[/h2]

The second heavy weapon arriving with Op III is the The main heavy machine gun of the French Republic, this is a heavy, air-cooled weapon that feeds from a 24-round metal strip. It was primarily used as an emplaced weapon in the trenches but also was adopted for use in vehicles. It entered service to replace the older and less-reliable St. Étienne and Puteaux machine guns, with production increasing as the war progressed.

[h2]M1895 “Potato Digger” [/h2]

This air-cooled heavy machine gun got its nickname for reportedly digging up dirt during operation due to its firing mechanism. Relatively lightweight and reliable, the Canadian forces landing in France fought with these weapons until they could phase them out for the Vickers heavy machine guns, after which the majority of them were given to the Belgian army.

Keep one eye on the horizon Soldier as more news on Operation III arrives. See you in the trenches!

Our latest instalment of Development Recaps showcases the newest versions of Frise and Ansoncourt, coming with Operation III. Taking some time and attention to our previously released maps, the Level Design and Environment Art departments have been updating old assets and raising the standard of original maps to match our newer, soon to be released levels. We've broken down some of these changes in this article, read all about it below!

Part of the on-going work in bringing the older maps up to standard is the upgrading of general level art. Aiming for a consistent and unique look for the maps in Beyond The Wire the teams have been ensuring that our older maps are aligned with our latest content. Identifying areas for improvement, level designers have introduced new shading techniques for landscapes, specifically areas of wetness such as puddles and soaked grounds. In addition to these shaders, new landscape tiling has been added to help smooth out patchy and repetitive ground textures.

Old assets have been removed or updated giving performance benefits as well as polishing visuals. Other small problems like collisions causing players to get stuck have been fixed, which have also helped the flow of the map which had previously been affected.

Further work has been done to clear up paths and revise areas of cover to improve movement for players. This work has been done as part of general design work to create more interesting gameplay spaces including where assets are placed in relation to each other.

A main priority for these reworks have been to increase performance through optimization work. Taking the intention to all aspects the level design team have made significant improvements via reductions in triangles and draw call count which gives consistent performance across the library of maps for Beyond The Wire.

Ansoncourt in particular has had extensive work done with areas being re-sculpted to create more variety in combat spaces along with new Points of Interest aimed at helping players navigate around the map. This field of battle from the Meuse-Argonne offensive now has more realistic ground textures, rock formations and wet textures presenting new ways for players to advance.

One focus has been a rework of the trench network layout on Ansoncourt, which should lead to more intense close quarter action in the trenches. No mans land has been updated, utilising the new wetness shader has added more realism to the scene, with a slow transition into the dense forest. Progression through the map is more evident as the change in biomes is striking as you advance deeper into the trees.

The new wetness shader we have implemented will hopefully give the players a much better feel of the mud that the soldiers had to endure during the war, and will give a new and more authentic look to our maps, especially in the heavy bombarded maps like Zonnebeke and Vimy Ridge. We will continue to implement this new shader on all our maps and aim to improve it more over time.

Given the slightly disorientating nature of the forest the team have added a trench rail line that stretches from east to west, and gives the player a visible guide after in the thick of the forest, while also adding more interesting POIs along its track. The train finished up in a small station to the north and inadvertently makes for some interesting combat spaces!

Taking this time to improve original maps means they meet the same level of polish and artistic standard as upcoming releases, ensuring our Fields of Battle deliver an authentic WW1 experience. As always - stay posted for further articles and updates as we move through development. See you in the trenches!

Summer is drawing to a close and we have an update on the development of Beyond The Wire’s Operation III: Canada’s 100 days and it’s associated release window. Operation III had initially been ear-marked for release towards the end of Summer, which would include a brand new progression and customization system that will be a major part of Beyond The Wire going forward. The team is also hard at work on a new faction and all-new maps. Development of this significant content update has taken more time than we had anticipated, and as such we have made the necessary decision to delay the release of Operation III. Our desire to ensure a successful and smooth release for our players requires additional development and testing.

The team will be taking full advantage of this extra time to iterate on existing maps, tune gameplay, conduct further testing, and coordinate marketing efforts.

Delaying this third operation was not an easy choice - we have seen the excitement brewing across the community. We can’t wait to see you on the fields of Vimy Ridge and Vieil Armand, and look forward to delivering a rewarding gameplay experience that lives up to your expectations! We will be announcing the release date in due time so stay posted as we continue to preview the major content pieces of this expansion over the coming weeks.

As always, the Redstone Interactive team deeply appreciates your support and love for Beyond the Wire!

Our second preview for Operation III is here and we are excited to showcase Vieil Armand. Inspired by the conflict for Hartmannswillerkopf peak this map will introduce a brand new biome filled with snowy hills, rocky outcrops and stone structures. Throughout World War 1 the French and German armies clashed on the mountain attempting to gain control of the vantage point, with both sides winning battles and taking control for a time.

Deploying into a new field of battle unlike anything seen yet, Vieil Armand delivers new terrain with an emphasis on verticality, with varying elevations and engagement distances adding a fresh experience to Beyond The Wire.

As Vieil Armand had been contested frequently during the conflict a large effort has been made to secure the mountain peak. A fort-like establishment has been built, with tough defences and ideal firing positions.

Taking advantage of the natural environment the German forces have built bunkers in the rock, covering approaches to the top. Shell holes litter the ground around this position, forcing attackers to overcome the undulating terrain and the shallow trenches to advance.

Infantry units looking to reposition can follow old mountain paths that provide some safety when seeking to surprise the enemy. Defending teams will want to lockdown avenues of approach with help from fire support sections to block vulnerable flanks.

Supplies are ferried to the base through a cart-and-pulley system and single railway line, which both arrive on the North side of the ridge. Giving quick access both up and down the mountain, teams that control this point will have success in progressing through the field.

Short stretches have been bored out of the rock, opening up quicker ways across the peak. Soldiers will find many entrances in the area leading into the mountain, with one revealing an elevator shaft complete with loading platform, used to lift men, equipment and supplies.

Such an environment makes entrenchment difficult. Where possible, short, shallow trench routes lead up and down the hillside with stone-reinforced walls. Parts of the network have metal and netting covers in an attempt to obscure soldiers movements.

Ensuring use of the position is maximised, engineers have erected strong watchtowers which have allowed better sight lines down to the lands below. Further defences encircle the tower allowing defenders to repel infantry attacks.

Operation III: Canada's 100 days is on the horizon so stay posted for more previews of the new content and features coming with the update. See you in the trenches Soldier!

Command have sent down another order directing the next assault on Vimy Ridge!

Join us tomorrow as we fight over the formidable ridge line to test the latest changes and fixes on the map

Up to 100 players will be able to join us for a few hours testing. This will help us greatly in identifying bugs and issues as well as collect your feedback.
Most of the crashes have been resolved, but your attendance will help us isolate any additional crashes and bugs that only appear in highly populated servers.

The test server will be live at 10 AM PST / 6 PM BST / 7 PM CEST on Friday, September 3rd.
https://everytimezone.com/?t=61301400,99c

In order to access the playtest on Friday we will ask you to download a test build through Steam's beta branch. Standby for an announcement in our official discord for the information on how to download.

Please join the official Beyond The Wire discord for instant communications on upcoming playtests and updates from the development team