Men of War II News

Greetings, Commanders!
The time has come and Men of War II is back with the third and final time to get hands on with the game, prior to its release. But giving you the opportunity to enjoy the game is not the only reason we are running the Beta - we need to learn what you think of the latest changes, so we can polish and tweak the game before its full launch.

We cannot stress this enough - your feedback from the first Multiplayer Tech Test in March and the subsequent Open Beta in May has been absolutely invaluable, and in this Final Open Beta, we would especially like to learn what you think about the two big features developers prepared solely based on your suggestions and comments - a new Match Setup Mode, called "Classic", and a new setting, dubbed "Realism".

We read all your feedback and each and every single player can have an impact on the final version of the game. We hope the changes implemented throughout the 3 playtests have proven our dedication to making Men of War II as enjoyable for our fans as possible.

Therefore we implore you, please, once you have played the Beta, share your thoughts with us here in the comments or Steam discussions, or come join the official Men of War II Discord server where you can not only chat with our team and other fans of the game, but also find team-mates for multiplayer matches or try to take on the Fulqrum Publishing team throughout the Final Beta.

And now, without further ado, let us introduce the biggest new features this Beta brings - both available through the custom lobby:


The "Match Setup Mode" is used to switch between "PvP" (the standard Men of War II playstyle, where you can choose from a wide selection of battalions), "Combined Arms" (which we introduced in the previous Open Beta, where each nation has a single battalion you can heavily customize) and now, "Classic" - which has been highly requested by the community and is reminiscent of the previous Men of War games.

Match Setup Mode selection in the Lobby Settings menu

When starting a "Classic" match, you will not be asked to select a battalion, just the nation whose army you want to play. This is similar to Combined Arms, however, there is nothing to customize before the match starts here. Once in the game, you will have all units from your nation's army available through a selection menu on the right-hand side of the screen.



You are not limited by timed echelons in calling in units either, however, each unit type has its own individual timer (so you cannot call in heavy tanks right from the start of the match, for example), and you cannot call in units without any limitations, as each of them costs a certain amount of "Manpower", which you regenerate at different paces throughout the match.

[h2]Important note about the "Classic" Match Setup[/h2]
A crucial fact to remember about the "Classic" setup - the main reason for this Final Beta is for us to get your feedback on it. Developers will be changing its balancing before the final release based on your comments and suggestions. In fact, there are already 2 versions prepared and will be switched on Saturday (we will inform you here and on Discord ahead of time). It would be extremely appreciated if you played both and share your opinion with us using this form - filling it out won't take long and it will help us immensely!



We have introduced a whole new category in the Lobby, and that is "Game Settings" - which can now be switched between "Competitive" (the experience you are familiar with from previous Men of War II playtests) and the newly added setting called "Realism".

Game Settings selection in the Lobby Settings menu

This affects many gameplay features, some noticeable outright (such as different indicators on units), some more subtle (such as the inability to see if your unit has been fully detected after firing), and some major changes such as each unit having a different maximum firing range. When playing with the Realism setting turned on, even heavy artillery has to move closer to the front and will not be able to fire across the whole map.

The full list of effects when switching to the "Realism" setting:

• Removed health bars for vehicles.
  
• Changes in weapon settings - changed damage and range, higher chance of critical hits.
  
• New vehicle destruction system.
  
• Increased unit repair time.
  
• Added a more realistic vision system for units, allowing them to physically hide behind objects.
  
• The average range of vision has been increased.
  
• Removed some indicators and tooltips in the interface.
  
• Adjusted dynamic characteristics of all vehicles.
  

And last but not least, even though we have previously said there will be no new content available in the Final Beta besides these two features, we decided to give you a little bit extra anyway - one more map has been made available, so everyone, feel free to visit the Suburb!



Join the test now by clicking “Request Access” on Men of War II Steam page and the "Men of War II Playtest" will be added to your library, which you can install and run immediately. If you have already participated in the Multiplayer Tech Test and/or the Open Beta, you already have it in your library and can simply install (or update) it and play.

To sum up, here is the full list of content available in the Final Beta:

[h2]Final Beta Content:[/h2]
[h3]2x Game Settings[/h3]

• Competitive
  
• Realism
  

[h3]3x PvP Match Setup Mode[/h3]

• PvP (typical Men of War II experience using the battalion system)
  
• Combined Arms (single customizable battalion for each nation)
  
• Classic (all units from the player’s nation available in a match)
  

[h3]4x PvP Game Mode[/h3]

• Front Line
  
• Assault Zones
  
• Combat
  
• Incursion - only available in PvP match setup (“Battalions”)
  

[h3]1x PvE Game Mode[/h3]

• Line Defense (listed in the lobby menu as "Special Battle Mode")
  

[h3]8x Maps[/h3]

• Airfield
  
• Bazerville
  
• Borovaya River
  
• Carpathians
  
• The Coast
  
• Farmland
  
• Winter March
  
• Suburb
  

[h3]3x Single Player / Co-op Missions[/h3]

• Ambush
  
• Battle of Coisson
  
• Towards Freedom
  

[h2]Changes & Fixes:[/h2]

• A new enhanced lighting engine with new skyboxes and better quality of existing content.
  
• Bunkers, pillboxes and observation towers can now be built as defensive structures on all maps.
  
• Additional match settings in the lobby: players can choose the weather and time of day for each battle.
  
• Added medical transport for each nation and a Soviet self-propelled heavy howitzer SU-152.
  
• New animations for various units and situations, such as artillery reloading and infantry dying in water.
  
• New buildings added to maps, including a supply depot, infirmary, fuel station, etc.
  
• New models for artillery shells, grenades and bombs.
  
• Various new sound effects.
  
• Improved pathfinding for vehicles.
  
• Balancing and refinement to single-player missions and multiplayer modes.
  
• Performance improvements.
  
• Bug fixes, general polish and small tweaks.
  

Make sure you wishlist the game, and we look forward to seeing you on the battlefield, commanders!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1128860/Men_of_War_II/

Greetings, Commanders!

We are proud to announce that there will be one more chance for you to try out Men of War II before its release on September 20th, 2023 - the Final Beta weekend for the game will begin on Thursday, August 10, and conclude on Monday, August 14.

This Final Open Beta is based on feedback from the thousands of our fans who have already played, tested, and provided their thoughts on the previous two public tests on everything from unit balance to optimization improvements. The version in this Beta will closely mirror the full release experience, but bear in mind: further features, lots of content, and other modes are still to be added at launch.

While the content in terms of maps, missions, and types of matches will be the same as in the previous Open Beta, you will be able to experience it in two brand-new ways, the Classic Mode, and the Realism Mode, from the multiplayer lobby.

The Classic Modes is a highly-requested feature from the community, which will take players back to the multiplayer experience of previous Men of War games. You will be able to simply select which nation you want to play as, and will immediately have access to all that nation’s units in each match. There are no battalions and echelons, and you simply call in your forces based on a combination of each unit’s individual timer, as well as your own pool of resources. The Classic Mode will be available in variants for Assault Zones, Combat, and Front Line match types.

The Realism Mode is a brand-new way to enjoy Men of War II. It offers a higher chance of disabling and capturing enemy vehicles, fewer visual cues concerning the visibility and health of your units, a more limited range of fire for weapons, and many more gameplay changes. It is applicable to all match types, and can even be combined with the Classic Mode!

We will share even more details about these new features, along with instructions on how to access them, closer to the start of the Final Beta.

But please keep in mind, the developers will continue to work on polishing and balancing based on fresh community feedback from this Beta. So, we will be grateful if you share it with us on official Men of War II Discord server, official Fulqrum Publishing Discord server, Fulqrum Publishing social media accounts or Steam Discussions! Players' progress and saves in this open beta test will not carry over to release.

[h3]Men of War II - Open Beta Content:[/h3]

4x PvP Competitive Multiplayer Modes

• Assault Zones
  
• Combat
  
• Front Line
  
• Incursion

1x PvP Competitive Battle Mode

• Combined Arms

1x PvE Mode

• Line Defense

7x Maps

• Airfield
  
• Bazerville
  
• Borovaya River
  
• Carpathians
  
• The Coast
  
• Farmland
  
• Winter March

3x Single Player / Co-op Missions

• Ambush
  
• Battle of Coisson
  
• Towards Freedom

Men of War II - Changes & Fixes:

• Bunkers, pillboxes, and observation towers can now be built as defensive structures on all maps.
  
• New animations for various units and situations, such as artillery reloading and infantry dying in the water.
  
• New buildings added to maps, including a supply depot, infirmary and a fuel station.
  
• New models for artillery shells, grenades, and bombs.
  
• Various new sound effects.
  
• Improved pathfinding for vehicles.
  
• Balancing and refinement to single-player missions.
  
• Performance improvements.
  
• Bug fixes, general polish, and small tweaks.

The Final Beta will be available for free here on Steam. Enlisting in it is simple:

• You need to head over to the Men of War II Steam store page where you will have the option to ‘Request Access’ for a ‘Men of War II Playtest’ - you can do so right now and get an e-mail notification once the beta goes live. Otherwise, clicking the button anytime during the beta will grant you instant access.
  
• If you have already taken part in the previous tests, you do not need to sign up again, the ‘Men of War II Playtest’ will simply become available to install/play in your Steam Library once the beta starts.
  
• Wait and jump into the action on Thursday, August 10.

We would like to thank everyone who took their time to play the previous tests, and we hope you will take part in the Final Open Beta as well.

Make sure you wishlist the game, and we look forward to seeing you on the battlefield, commanders!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1128860/Men_of_War_II/

Greetings Commanders,

Not so long ago we showed you a first little sample of the modding scene already forming around Men of War II (Mods in Men of War II – Lost Eagles Sneak Peek), and we would like to continue this series today by introducing another classic mod for the game’s launch this September. "Born in the Fire: America" – the famous modification about events of wars of the XVIII-XIX centuries, both in the American and European theaters is in the process of being remade for Men of War II. Big emphasis in its story is put on the colonization of North America, War of Independence, American Civil War and the era of the Wild West. The mod features historically accurate soldier equipment, weapons, cannons and ships, as well as horses and carts.

This version of the ‘Born in the Fire: America’, made and ported for Men of War II by ALC Team, consists of 6 missions about various events such as battle of Bunker-Hill, defense of Jamestown and the last battle of Colonel Custer. All levels have been reworked with the new resources of Men of War II and have received an updated visual style.


“We started our path into modding with the GEM engine and to this day we’re doing it here, this engine is very simple and most accessible tool for us to implement our ideas, interesting little features, plots and to create unique content. Men of War II continues this trend by expanding modding possibilities with its toolset. For us, port of the Born in the Fire is just the beginning.” – ChrisTaylor and Sea-Knight from ALC Team told us. If you’re interested in their projects, you can join their Discord channel.

Stay tuned, we will have even more news to share with you soon! And if you are a modder with a great idea for new content, or have an already existing mod you would like to convert to Men of War II, contact us at [email protected] - we cannot promise everyone who asks will get early access to the modding tools however, since the game is still in development.

Don’t forget to wishlist Men of War II, join its Discord and follow Fulqrum Publishing on social media, so you don’t miss any of our announcements!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1128860/Men_of_War_II/

Greetings Commanders,

As you probably know, Men of War II will feature full mod support at launch. What you might not be aware of, even though we teased it some time ago, is the fact that we have already provided several modding teams early access to the tools they need to bring their creations to life. It is now our absolute pleasure to bring you a first sneak peek of one of the upcoming mods, which will be available to play at least in part right at launch, on September 20!

And it is none other than a remake of the "Lost Eagles" modification, which tells the story of an alternate outcome of Operation Overlord, where the Allied invasion of Normandy completely failed. Surviving paratroopers, led by Lieutenant Jason Baker, discover a shelter in an abandoned equipment service station where they struggle to survive, assist the local guerrilla militia in their war of partisanship, and search for surviving soldiers.

A nonlinear story campaign is complimented by full studio-quality voice acting for all dialogues and characters and the high quality of the missions, their gameplay variety, and the excellently transferred dark atmosphere introduce exceptional depth and intensity to the gameplay.

To get a better idea of the atmosphere awaiting you in Lost Eagles, its creator, Skilletti, has already prepared a short teaser and a couple of screenshots, enjoy!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

This is what Skilletti had to say about working with the Men of War II modding toolkit:

"For me the GEM engine is in a kind of a sandbox, where you can implement any player's fantasies, gameplay concepts and realize your creative ideas without having much technical knowledge in game dev. Huge possibilities of the editor allow to reproduce absolutely any plot regardless of the setting."

Stay tuned, we will have even more news to share with you soon, including unveilings and sneak peeks into other mods that are already in production! And if you are a modder with a great idea for new Men of War II content, or have an already existing mod you would like to convert to Men of War II, contact us at [email protected] - we cannot promise everyone who asks will get early access to the modding tools however, since the game is still in development.

Don’t forget to wishlist Men of War II, join its Discord and follow Fulqrum Publishing on social media, so you don’t miss any of our announcements!

And if you like what you saw of the Lost Eagles mod, why not join their dedicated Discord server too?

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1128860/Men_of_War_II/

Greetings Commanders,

Today is the day you have been waiting for – we are excited to announce that Men of War II will be available on September 20, 2023!

And to celebrate this momentous occasion, we have prepared a new trailer, showcasing the full scope of the game:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We also believe it is now the right time to dive a little deeper into the different content available at launch, and officially unveil brand-new features, campaigns and game modes we have not talked about before:

[h3]Three Epic Narrative Campaigns[/h3]
At launch, the game will feature three single-player narrative campaigns, which will guide you through explosive fictional stories set against a historically accurate background. Featuring plotlines from three global powers - the Americans, Soviets, and Germans - you will have to utilize military strategy to lay waste to your adversaries and fulfill various tactical objectives.

• The American campaign, ‘The Falaise Pocket’, will see you take on the role of Allied troops facing the task of eliminating German forces west of the Seine.
  
• ‘Thwarted Blitzkrieg’ is the Soviet campaign, and follows an almost hopeless situation for the USSR, as they struggle to slow the encroaching German tank forces.
  
• In the German campaign, ‘On Their Own Soil’, you will act as an old soldier amidst the collapse of the Third Reich, following the difficult road of retreat and loss, in a war that was never truly his own.
  

[h3]Historical Campaigns [/h3]
In addition to the narrative campaigns, you will be given the ability to dive deeper into true historical operations with American ‘Operation Overlord’, the Allied operation into Western Europe, and Soviet ‘Operation Bagration’, a large-scale Soviet offensive against Nazi Germany, through a series of related missions. These historical campaigns offer more dynamic choices regarding the battalions and units you choose to defeat the enemy threat.

[h3]Raids and Conquest[/h3]
Two further campaign modes will offer even more variety. The first is Raids, which are a series of 16 randomly generated battles, where you progress by conquering your opponents and upgrading your battalions.

Conquest offers a truly dynamic campaign in which you are free to choose a path for your army in an attempt to conquer territory on a dedicated map. These attempts are challenged by AI battalions, who will be consistently counter-attacking in an intense fight to capture it back.

[h3]Multiplayer Mobilised[/h3]
Men of War II will also showcase more than 20 hand-crafted multiplayer maps, 5 dedicated PVE game modes, and 13 game modes for PVP. 5-player co-op will also be implemented for all narrative and historical campaigns, as well as individual missions.

[h3]Robust Mod Support[/h3]
The action never stops thanks to a significantly redesigned and modified GEM RTS engine. With a comprehensive editor and full mod support at launch, Men of War II is primed to keep growing with community-created content, and we can't wait to see what amazing new battlefields, units, or whole armies our fans will come up with!

We wholeheartedly appreciate the support and constructive criticism from you, our community. While we have unveiled most of the launch content for Men of War II now, we still have a few surprises the dev team is working on, which we believe will please especially the franchise veterans. We will be sharing more details about that and more information about the campaigns and game modes we already teased today, before the release.

Make sure you wishlist the game to not miss any new announcements, and we will also be happy to see you on the official Men of War II Discord server!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1128860/Men_of_War_II/