Beyond The Wire News

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During April of 1917 the four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force fought together for the first time to claim their most celebrated military victory. In a combined assault from the Allied forces during the spring of 1917, the Battle for Arras saw the Canadian forces strike Vimy Ridge, a major strongpoint for the Germans, hoping to divert attention away from the French assault happening at the Aisne river to the south.

Despite several attempts by the French forces to claim the ridge line, the German Empire had remained in control since the start of the war, establishing strong defences of trench networks, underground chambers and machine gun bunkers ensuring their grip on the area remained strong.

The artillery barrages that preceded the assault have laid waste to the ground around Vimy Ridge with ruins and flooded shell holes making the advance harsh. No-man's-land is rife with barbed-wire and thick hedgerows that block paths ahead. Soldiers will need to ensure they analyse the ground before making the charge.

Tunnels have been dug throughout Vimy, often between large fortified positions, providing quick routes across the line. Seeking protection from the elevated position to the East, safety for the entente comes from deeply entrenched positions saving them from the enemy's sight.

Converting huge craters into fortified positions, engineers have helped establish staging areas across the front. Taking advantage of these shell holes not only allows armies to form up before the charge, but also find quick routes into immediate trenches leading onwards.

We’ve ensured our representation of Vimy recreates the sheer difficulty of attacking Pimple Hill, which has been reinforced with heavily defended positions. These areas have been well established by the German Empire, with intimidating bunker positions crowning the hill. Assaulting these positions will take coordination from all parts of the army, with the push undoubtedly requiring several attempts.

Breaking out of the other side of the ridge reveals the support system for the German frontline. The same effort has been applied here as the rest of the front - trench lines connect strategic positions that have been reinforced and prepared to repel infantry advances.

The artillery pit lies further back and provides a fortress-like defence. With bunkers overlooking the approach and a deep concrete basin, attacking forces will find it difficult trying to claim the area. A tunnel leads underneath the ridge and into the artillery pit, offering a shorter and safer route to attack if the open ground is too costly.

To the south is the Officer's Headquarters situated atop a hill, complete with bunker and lookout posts. Soldiers exploring the hilltop will find the entry points to the officer's living quarters with further supplies and equipment.

A path leads further back and down towards the field kitchen, erected to cater for the men positioned on the sector. Guarded by a watch tower the cooks prepare meals here for everyone, with soup trolleys ready to be taken to the men in the trenches.

Vimy village is the logistical base for the area, with improvised barricades and supply crates dotted around the buildings. A road and railway provided the routes of resupply, but an ambushed convoy and destroyed railway line be seen leading back to the frontline. Armies forced back to this position will have a desperate time trying to halt an advance and will need to find refuge anywhere they can.


Our level design team are extremely excited to see you join the battle for Vimy, with many on the team suggesting it could emerge as a new favourite within the community. Stay posted for upcoming news and announcements for Operation III: Canada's 100 days. See you in the trenches Soldier!

We have a new type of developer blog to share with you which will be taking a deep dive into certain areas and departments of development. With the standards on the project ever increasing the development team will be taking time out to explain some of the new techniques and creative direction that’s being explored for Beyond The Wire.

For this first instalment we’re going to focus on level design. The new maps coming in Operation III mark a visible progression in our level design process, resulting in maps that are not only more visually impressive but also deliver a better gameplay experience for players.

Our level designers have experimented with some new visual effects to add life to the Operation III maps. With the landscape of Vimy having suffered heavy barrages in the moments leading up to the advance, new types of burning trees can be seen where the recent explosions have ignited nature. While fire effects have been used on previous maps adding variety in these areas further cements the diversity seen across our maps.
Vimy Ridge Fire VFX
Vieil Armand also has some new effects present to add a cold edge to the atmosphere of the level. The breeze over the mountain brushes light snow from the cliff edges, immersing you into the chilly air of this snowy battlefield. Adding bits of polish such as this can help bring the map together and contribute more to the immersive environments.
Vieil Armand Snow VFX

Attempting to recreate the difficult and hazardous environment of the Western Front when certain paths were simply impassable, the team have introduced rows of thick, charred wooden stumps. With an aim to create some structure into the routes that armies use to advance, these thick branches have allowed us to create pathways that funnel infantry units into tight combat zones.

With Operation III opening up different areas of the war, various styles of trench systems are needed. Introducing new trench walls, depth variation and strong points, these unique visuals and combat spaces will add fresh experiences as well as building upon the intense trench warfare already seen on many of our maps.

In addition to new trench assets work has been done to bring life to the houses and farm lands that still stand. Adding decoration to the interior of civilian buildings helps bring history to the area, with furniture and table arrangements hinting at times before the war, while supplies and sleeping areas for armies can be found in barracks and under bunkers.



Finally, we wanted to close out with a word from our Creative Director!

Hello everyone,

Here at Redstone Interactive, we are all hard at work adding content, new features, and polishing systems on Beyond The Wire to make it the greatest World War 1 First Person Shooter ever made. It's not an easy task, but our team is passionate and full of talent and I have no doubt we will get to that goal.

This new format of development updates — that digs a bit deeper into the concept of each element we're adding or changing — will help share our vision with the World more clearly and with more transparency, and I'm happy we're able to do that! 

As we look forward to releasing Operation III, even if there's still much to be done, we're getting to a point where all parts of that vision are coming together and turning our ideas into something we can experience inside of the world of Beyond The Wire. 

These two new maps — Vimy Ridge and Vieil Armand — are the most beautiful, immersive and interesting levels we've done so far. This is the result of uncountable hours of sweat and hard work, and it really shows on the level design and flow, and also on the visuals and atmospheric feel. I'm proud of everyone in our team working on these maps, be it boots on the ground on Level Design and Art, or Programmers fixing bugs and implementing features, or Quality Assurance finding new bugs for us to fix and improving the experience! These new battle fields are a testament to how amazing our artists and level designers are, and also a great homage to the men who fought these battles in real life.




So strap on your boots and get ready, things are about to get muddy. The warscapes of Vimy Ridge and Vieil Armand await you, and Soldiers let me tell you, they won't go easy on you.

See you in the trenches!


- Bruno

Today’s public playtest of Vimy Ridge is taking place in just under two hours!

The test server will be live at 10 AM PST / 6 PM BST / 7 PM CEST today.

You will get access to UNFINISHED content that contains BUGS and can lead to CRASHES.
The content you see is not representative of the version that will be released.

In order to access the test you will need to download the [public-testing] beta branch on the Beyond The Wire app through steam. Follow the instructions below to download the build. The test server will be on the regular Server Browser, please join at the start of the test.

Beta branch: public-testing
Download size: 3.6 GB

1. Open the steam app and open your game library. Right click on the Beyond The Wire app and select properties
2. Select the Beta menu
3. Check the dropdown box for the public-testing branch. Select this and close the menu, steam will begin to download the update.
4. Once the download is done, verify the file integrity of your game.

P.S.: If the test goes well we might take you all on a visit to Vieil Armand

See you in a short while!

Attention Soldiers -We're organising another assault on Vimy tomorrow! We have found the root of the issue causing crashes and internal testing has shown some stability so we're opening up the public playtest again. Up to 100 players will be able to join us for a total of two hours starting at 10 AM PST.

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

The test server will be live at 10 AM PST / 6 PM BST / 7 PM CEST on Friday, August 13th.

https://everytimezone.com/?t=61146480,99c

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

The months aren’t showing any signs of slowing and neither is the development for Beyond The Wire. There have been some inspired pieces of work done this month, with some changes coming that we’re looking forward to seeing in-game. Check out the latest detail from the dev team!

[h2]Cinematic Staging Sequence[/h2]

Always seeking to improve the atmosphere in-game, the level design team have tried introducing cinematic events to immerse players as the battle begins. Seen here for Vimy Ridge a large barrage of artillery strikes the hillside while tanks engage around you. We’re looking to have sequences of this nature on all maps, so keep an eye out for more!
Vimy Ridge Staging Sequence Video

[h2]Rifle Bolting[/h2]

Still aiming to improve the gunplay our animation department has opened up the ability to cycle the rifle bolt while running - currently players have their movement speed restricted when racking the bolt after a shot. Removing this restriction means you will soon be able to rack the bolt at full movement speed, adding a dynamic flow to the gunplay which we expect you’re going to enjoy!
New Bolting Mechanic Video

[h2]Vieil Armand[/h2]

This snowy, mountain top map fortress is coming together, now filled with ambient sounds and new assets such as these stone barracks. Once deployed players will enter a unique biome that is unlike anything we've offered up to now.

With trenches carving their way through the rocky hills, players will have plenty of options to move through the mountain. However infantry units will need to overcome environmental obstacles and hazardous wooden bridges to advance.

An old railway line snakes through the mountain offering a different path through the rocks. Armies will have to battle over the railway and bridges in order to lockdown any potential routes for the enemy.


[h2]Vimy Ridge[/h2]

This Field of Battle has undergone more work since our last recap and is getting near to completion. Scenes of the conflict can be seen all around Vimy as you advance, burning tree's and falling ash add character and story to the battle.

Another priority for this stage of development is the expansion on the level's atmosphere. Lighting, shadows and set dressing add the finishing touches. Vimy testing has been underway for a while now internally, but we recently opened the map to the public to do some large scale testing and collect feedback from the players in preparation for Operation III release. We'll be looking to host more public playtest in the future so be sure to stay posted on when they will be happening!


[h2]Pickelhaube[/h2]

Confirmed - the pickelhaube is on the way and our model is close to completion. Staying true to our promise of historical accuracy, soldiers seen on the battlefield will be wearing the period-appropriate uniform, meaning our early war maps will see the German Empire deploying with this iconic helmet. In addition to the helmet itself the art team have worked to offer the Covered version as well. A "hook-on" cloth cover was used to stop the helmet reflecting, which would often reveal the movements of the German Army to the enemy.


[h2]M1884 Kepi[/h2]

Recently modelled and ready for texturing, this kepi was standard-issue for the French Army as WW1 started. Eventually replaced by the adrian helmet, this iconic hat will be seen on our pre-1915 maps.


[h2]M1915 Gaede Helmet[/h2]

Another option for players will be this obscure early war Stahlkappe when playing as the German Empire. This metal covering for head protection was used for a short time before the Stahlhelm was introduced. This helmet will be available on pre-1916 maps.


[h2]Eye Patch[/h2]

The customization system arriving in Operation III will have plenty of choices for players to mix-up how their character looks in-game. Our art team is having some fun seeking different options for players to add their personal touch without breaking historical accuracy. One option seen here is the eye patch, covering the injured eye, presumably suffered during deployment. There will be both left and right eye patch options.


[h2]Commander Telephone[/h2]

We’ve heard the feedback from our regular Commander players, and the design team have been looking into fixed telephone points for Commander’s to access their Command Menu. The devs have been searching through references of WW1 field telephones to come up with a model that suits and here is the initial idea. Brainstorming options that are historically accurate, the model needs to be easily identifiable in the heat of battle. This model is a first version so expect changes, but eventually they will be found within the HQ spawns of each sector. Stay posted for updates and when these new commander tools are expected to be introduced!


[h2]Animations[/h2]

A couple of weapons we recently previewed have been run through the animation department and here you can see the smith & wesson hand ejector shooting and reloading animations. This Canadian pistol has a beautiful reload animation which the team are really proud of!
Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector Reload Video
Also the iron sight Ross MkIII has it’s reload animation completed. The straight pull of the bolt is really satisfying and we’re sure this rifle will be a favourite when it arrives!
Ross Mk.III Reload Video

[h2]Vote Kick System[/h2]

Work has been done this month to implement the first version of a "Vote to Kick" system which will allow teams to remove problem players if the vote meets the threshold. Currently requiring 5 votes to kick, players will be prompted by a UI pop up asking to cast a vote. This new system has recently started development so expect some more information down the line when we can share more detail!


Stay tuned for our upcoming Operation III preview blogs where we will be drilling down into the detail of these new additions and changes. See you in the trenches Soldier!