Greetings, commanders! Today we will explain the mechanics of the battalions and reserves system in Men of War II - how you can create and customize your own personal army, ready for any battle.
As we wrote in the
previous dev diary, the main goal we set for ourselves with Men of War II is to bring a fresh installment to the series by implementing new gameplay features — the battalions and reserves systems are precisely that, a way for us to give players the opportunity to try out all the different types of vehicles and troops and have them perform the same task on the playing field as they do in reality (we call this approach “role-playing realism”).
First of all, let's discuss the battalions and echelons, what they are, and why we chose this particular scheme for managing your personal army. In all the “custom” multiplayer and singleplayer game modes (meaning all modes besides the scripted missions that form the narrative singleplayer campaigns), there are three “echelons” in a battle. These divide the battle into three stages, each beginning simultaneously for both teams, after a set amount of time runs out. With each subsequent echelon, the level of available units and the amount of resources for their call-in increases, and the intensity and dynamic of the battle can change drastically with the opening of each echelon.
The pool of units you can call in in each echelon is further divided into slots (the number of slots in each echelon can vary slightly between different battalions). Each slot contains a specific unit, and the combination of all the units in the three Echelons form the whole Battalion. The units are displayed in the combat interface during the battle and in the Battalion editor in the game menu.
Each battalion has its unique specialization - a list of available vehicles and modifiers, balanced to make each battalion unique and to allow and encourage players to try out different playing styles and roles on the battlefield, and find their favorite way to enjoy the game.
Some modifiers significantly affect the way a battalion plays. For example, infantry in a tank or artillery battalion costs more than the same infantry unit in a specialized infantry battalion. This is because the battalion modifier increases the “battle rank” of the infantry. There can be many such modifiers, and all of them are different for each battalion, which makes each of them unique; even though two different battalions might be both classified as “artillery” the one specializing in howitzers will fulfill a very different role from the one specializing in anti-tank guns, for example.
Furthermore, a battalion is not a static, predetermined thing. While each has a default composition, every player can edit the selection of units to form their battalion and make it truly unique. There are several ways to access the battalions editor, the easiest one is to select a matchmaking game mode (player vs. player, for example), after which a list of available nations and their battalions will appear on your screen. Сhoose the battalion you are interested in, and on the right, under its name, there will be a button saying “Edit regiment”. At first, the selection of battalions will be very limited (a new player starts with access to only the 1st Infantry, 1st Artillery and 1st Tank battalions of each nation), but will unlock the others by playing the game.
In the battalion build section, you can see that each slot is only suitable for certain types of units with a limit on the unit level. For example, you can put infantry or a fire support unit in one slot. Besides the modifiers we mentioned before, the set of different slots in each echelon is what creates the biggest difference between battalions.
Click on any slot and on the right side of the screen (the “barrack”), you will see pictures representing the different units that can be put in the selected slot.
Each echelon has its own “capacity” in the form of what we call the total “Battle Rank” (or BR) of the echelon, and each slot has a maximum number of “copies” of the unit in it (the number of times the unit can be called into battle). This means that it is impossible to fill each echelon with the maximum numbers of the heaviest units - as each unit has its own BR cost, choices have to be made and players have to think about which units and playing style they favor.
For example, a single copy of the 10.5 cm leFH 18M, available for the first echelon, costs 41 BR.
The BR limit in the first echelon is 200 units, and as using 3 copies of this gun costs a total of 123 BR, it is clear that you would have to make sacrifices in selecting the rest of the units for the echelon. You can even choose to leave some of the slots completely empty if you wish.
This combination of modifiers, different slots and limitations of Echelon BR and max copies per slot presents players with a plethora of strategic options. Consider the 21st Howitzer Regiment for example: this battalion has a unique advantage in the first echelon in that it can include the LeFH howitzer 18M, which is missing from the 1st Artillery Battalion. Having such a heavy gun early in the battle is a powerful bonus, but since it is balanced out by its high BR cost, it does not guarantee victory, since in total, we can take only a maximum of 3 howitzers to the first echelon, and even then only if we sacrifice the rest of the units, as was explained in the example above. And this is a Men of War game - if an opposing player is skilled enough and/or you don’t play well with your teammates to protect your howitzers (or use
the new Fog of War mechanics to keep them hidden), you can lose the advantage faster than you can say “artillery barrage”.
Moving the mouse over a slot with a unit will show how many of these units we can take into the slot.
Most of the units in the game are immediately available to include in your battalions, but some units with a yellow background in their icon can only be used in exchange for "supplies", signified by a crate icon.
The player receives “supplies” as a reward for completing in-game multiplayer tasks, achievements, completing singleplayer missions, etc.
SUPPLIES CAN ONLY BE OBTAINED BY INGAME ACTIONS, AND WILL NEVER BE MONETIZED WITH MICROTRANSACTIONS.We have implemented this system to give players long-term goals, reward them for playing the game and incentivize the thorough exploration of all Men of War II has to offer. These “collectible” units do not give any unfair advantage either, they are limited by BR costs and slot capacity, same as any other unit.
All the above makes sure that each player can assemble their preferred battalion to meet their playstyle, and reform the default battalions beyond recognition.
Here is an example of the 21st Howitzer regiment assembling based on a very long game time, accumulated experience, and the individual style of the author of this diary. The total number of units, mobility of tanks and ability of infantry to push the Front Line has been sacrificed in order to use heavy howitzers and provide fire support to teammates.
And now let's talk about the reserve system in Men of War II. Many players of the previous games in the series have faced a situation when a summoned unit becomes unnecessary in battle, too damaged to be of use anymore, or even is called in by accident. Such a unit takes up the resources necessary for victory, but it is impossible to recall it to free up those resources; unless you devise some use for the unnecessary unit or intentionally send it to be destroyed by the enemy. We wanted to change this and came up with the “reserve” system.
The reserve can be thought of as an army’s “rear”, located beyond the map boundaries. The player can freely order any unit to go to the reserve or return from the rear to the heat of battle. Just select the unit and click the "retreat to reserve" icon to recall it from the battlefield.
After that, the unit will independently turn around and leave for the edge of the map and enter the reserve. Some time after issuing the order, the player loses control over the unit. A diamond with an exclamation mark will be displayed above the unit, informing the player and their teammates that it is retreating.
After the unit leaves the map, an additional button with gears will appear in the combat interface in the middle right, under the echelons, showing which units are currently in reserve. At the same time, the command points taken up by the unit are freed up and you can use them to call in a different unit from your battalion, or another unit already in the reserve.
Thus, a unit that has lost its utility or has been called in by mistake can be simply removed from the battlefield in exchange for its resource cost. But that is not the whole purpose of the system, as a unit in the reserve will also (after some time, indicated on its icon in the reserve pool) be repaired and fully restocked with ammunition, and can be called back, good as new. Furthermore, the reserve system allows you to change the composition of units on the battlefield based on the current situation and state of a battle.
For example, in the beginning, we can summon a BT-7 light tank. Before opening the second echelon with more powerful tanks, our BT-7 faithfully crushes our enemies and survives, but receives heavy damage. As soon as the second echelon opens and the enemy gets new, heavier units on the battlefield, in all likelihood, the BT-7 will get destroyed quickly and will be unable to cause any more damage in return. Therefore, we send it to the reserve and continue the battle with new equipment; fortunately, we now have more resources no longer occupied by an inefficient unit. However, by the end of the fight, all players have lost almost all units and worn out their resources. This situation is a lucky moment for the BT-7, which has replenished all its fuel and ammunition and has been fully repaired while in the reserve. The formerly obsolete unit now becomes an ace up your sleeve, capable of sweeping up the battered, depleted units of the enemy and bringing you victory.
We want to make Men of War II more than just a fast-paced reaction game. Not all players are good at micromanaging many units at the same time - with the battalion system, everyone will find their preferred role, as each battalion gives a player unique gameplay options and different dynamics of combat operations. Specialization and customization of battalions make it possible to emphasize the individual style and abilities of the player.
At the same time, we are aware that other players prefer a different style of gameplay. More units to control, combining different roles on the battlefield into one larger army; and we want these players to have fun in Men of War II as well! Therefore, with the Open Beta, we are presenting another mode, which we call ‘Combined Arms’. The underlying Battalions system remains in place, but instead of having to choose from different, specialized battalions, each nation presents a regiment with twelve slots per echelon, much higher BR limits and increased CP pool in battle. Slots for all units from a nation’s arsenal are present in Combined Arms, and it is solely up to each player whether they want to play a more generalized role, or customize the roster in a more specialized way.
The gameplay in this mode is closer to what players might be familiar with from the previous installments in the series, while keeping the unique feel and identity of Men of War II. A classic, but with a new, unique twist!
So, today we have learned a little more about battalions and reserves in Men of War II. We hope you understand the design decisions we have made better, and we can’t wait for you to try out all the content and different game modes we have prepared!
Stay tuned for more news, and soon we will tell you even more about important and exciting innovations in the game, but before that, you can check the new mechanics in the upcoming Open Beta — May 11-15. The process 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 at anytime during the beta will grant you instant access.
- If you have already taken part in the Multiplayer Tech Test, 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, May 11.
The open beta will feature a varied selection of multiplayer maps and modes, and implement a number of gameplay changes based on community feedback from March’s multiplayer tech test. But please understand, it is
still not a finished game, and even more polish and tweaks will be implemented before release.
The open beta will feature a varied selection of multiplayer maps and modes, and implement a number of gameplay changes based on community feedback from March’s multiplayer tech test. But please understand, it is still not a finished game, and even more polish, tweaks and much more content will be implemented before release.
Men of War II will be available in 2023. Remember to add the game to your wishlists!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1128860/Men_of_War_II/
And if you want to stay up to date on all news about Men of War II, join the game's
official Discord server, and follow
Fulqrum Publishing on social media!
There they are, and we not only see the enemy gun perfectly but also get a bonus to aiming our artillery thanks to the Spotters’ special ability. All that's left is to take the shot…
