Darkest Hour: Europe '44-'45 News

[p]Out of nowhere, a brand new eastern front map, Yaryshivka Advance! [/p][p][/p][p]Set in August 1943, this is a map depicting a clash between the German 6th Army and the Soviet 44th Army during the Donbas Strategic Offensive.[/p][p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p]
Keen-eyed readers may recognize the name of this map from somewhere before; this was the name of an armored map released some time ago that hasn't really seen much action since its release. Our intrepid mapping machine SoulSeek decided that instead of a minor facelift, it needed to be remade from scratch![/p][p][/p][p]We are looking forward to seeing how it plays with the new combined arms gameplay.[/p][p][/p][p]As with all our maps, we'll adjust balance and fix bugs following the first weekend of play on the map with full servers.[/p][p][/p][p]See you on the battlefield,[/p][p]Darklight Games 🕷️[/p]

[p][/p][p]Continuing the trend of boosting existing content up to a higher standard of quality, the long suffering Hetzer has been completely remade, along with new skin variants such as the Berlin variant seen below.[/p][p]In addition, the machine-gunner's third-person animation is fully animated. This is a first of it's kind, and the tech will set the stage for stationary machine-guns hopefullycoming later this year.[/p][p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p]

• [p]Fixed M36 Jackson internal hit point positioning.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Command voice channel being broken in non-English localization.[/p]
• [p]Vehicle icons are now drawn on top of ammo icons on the map.[/p]

• [p]White phosphorous rounds can now be resupplied.[/p]
• [p]The M1 Carbine and M1 T17 Carbine has had its recoil slightly reduced.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Cheneux Advance[/h2]

• [p]Changed Allied reinforcement interval from 20 seconds to 15.[/p]
• [p]Slightly tweaked map border minefields to be less restrictive.[/p]
• [p]Changed M36 Jackson spawns gained by capturing the town from 1 to 2.[/p]
• [p]Increased setup phase time from 120 to 180 seconds.[/p]
• [p]Increased Allied and Axis ticket modifiers by +2.[/p]
• [p]Increased respawn timer on Sd.Kfz. 10/5 from 120 to 180 seconds (2 can be spawned simultaneously, so the previous respawn timer meant there was almost perpetually a halftrack active).[/p]
• [p]Added 180 second timer before Sd.Kfz. 251 can be spawned at the start of rounds.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Rabenheck Advance[/h2]

• [p]StuG 3G has been replaced by the Hetzer.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Godolloi Advance[/h2]

• [p]Fixed issue where mortars could hit the "ceiling".[/p]

[p][/p][p]See you on the battlefield,[/p][p]Darklight Games[/p]

[p]We're back again! This time with the first batch of anti-tank gun remakes, the addition of full German localization and some minor tweaking![/p][p][/p][p]Continuing on our journey to upgrade ancient content to a modern standard, we're releasing our first batch of anti-tank gun remakes. The following guns have been completely remade with new models, animations and skin variants:[/p]

• [p]PaK 38 5,0cm[/p]
• [p]Pak 40 7,5cm[/p]
• [p]Pak 43 8,8cm[/p]
• [p]ZiS-2 57mm[/p]
• [p]ZiS-3 76mm[/p]

[p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p]We've also added the light PaK 36 3,7cm. In addition to the standard 37mm AP rounds, it also has a unique HEAT shell which can penetrate virtually any enemy armor, but has dismal range, accuracy and ammunition availability. Good luck![/p][carousel][/carousel][p]Last but not least, the game has been completely localized to German! Waidmannsheil![/p][p][/p]

• [p]Command Posts that are stranded in enemy territory will now be automatically destroyed.[/p]
• [p]Fixed camera clipping issue on KV1-S.[/p]
• [p]Fixed bug where the Opel Blitz would disappear as soon as it was destroyed.[/p]
• [p]Minor balancing changes and fixes to Gorlitz Defence and Armored Gran.[/p]
• [p]Removed a number of HUD options that were either defunct or should always be on (e.g., rally point HUD elements)[/p]
• [p]Removed the packet loss indicator (i.e. the "puzzle piece") since it is just visual noise and was too sensitive to minor packet loss. The packet loss is still displayed on the scoreboard.[/p]

[p][/p][p]See you on the battlefield,[/p][p]Darklight Games[/p]

[p]As promised, the content train keeps chugging along![/p][p]This time, we're *finally* replacing one of the oldest and most outdated pieces of kit in the game, the trusty Opel Blitz![/p][p]With the addition of the new model, we've also added many additional different skin variants. Have a look below![/p][carousel][/carousel][p]This is another step in our long quest to upgrade the quality of all the content in the game to a higher standard.[/p]

• [p]Updated Opel Blitz assets.[/p]
• [p]Players can no longer fire guns (anti-tank guns, tank guns etc.) when the barrel is obstructed by solid geometry. This will stop exploits where AT guns with long barrels could shoot through solid walls.[/p]
• [p]Downscaled and compressed a large number of textures that were needlessly large. This should reduce the incidence of VRAM related crashes that have been reported on the new Italy maps.[/p]
• [p]Squad member numbers are now displayed next to the name of squadmates using using microphones.[/p]
• [p]The local player's squad member number now overlays on the player's "self" icon on the map.[/p]
• [p]Renamed "Dynamic Fog Distance" to "Dynamic View Distance" to improve clarity.[/p]
• [p]Carentan Causeway has been reclassified as a "small" map. This should prevent it from being voted in on a full server.[/p]

• [p]Fixed incorrect map icons for some guns and vehicles.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a typo in the name of the Effetto Pronto shell name.[/p]
• [p]Fixed missing localization for Soviet "Sniper" role name.[/p]
• [p]Fixed camera clipping issues on some vehicles.[/p]

[p]We've also been cooking up a new *counter-battery* system to add more depth to the on-map artillery (i.e., mortars, howitzers) system that will give more of an advantage to smart placement and use of mobile guns.[/p][p]The technology to triangulate enemy heavy gun fire was developed during World War 1 and further improved in World War 2 with the use of networked listening stations. We considered adding listening stations as constructions that could increase the accuracy of counter-battery marks, but ultimately decided aginst it to keep things streamlined, since builders already have a lot on their plate.[/p][p]The system is inspired by RTT games like Nival Interactive's Blitzkrieg series. When an enemy artillery gun fires, a *counter-battery mark* will indicate an approximate area that the gun fired from, with the accuracy of the mark dependent on the size of the gun (i.e., the larger the gun, the more accurate the mark).[/p][p]If the enemy gun is stationary and fires enough rounds, a keen-eyed observer can develop an estimation of the gun's location and then mark it for counter-battery fire. This makes things like clumped-up mortar and howitzer batteries especially susceptible to counter-battery fire, especially when out-ranged by larger guns.[/p][p]This should give more of an advantage to spreading out artillery guns and keeping them mobile when possible![/p][p]We will continue to refine and test the system, and will aim to roll it out later this month.
[/p][p]See you on the battlefield,[/p][p]Darklight Games 🕷️[/p]

[p]We have been overwhelmed by the positive response to the Italy Expansion![/p][p]The release trailer has garnered tens of thousands of views, and on release day we hit the highest player counts in over a decade![/p][p]To all our new players, welcome to the family! And to all our veteran players, please help our new recruits feel at home.[/p][p]We're striking while the iron is hot, and as promised, we are coming in hot with another big update! Here's the TL;DR, with the full change log below:[/p]

• [p] 🚗 Added Sd.Kfz. 124 "Wespe".[/p]
• [p]🇪🇸 Added Spanish localization.[/p]
• [p]🪲 Numerous minor bug fixes.[/p]
• [p]🗺️ Map balancing pass.[/p]

[p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p]The German 105mm "Wespe" was a self-propelled howitzer built on the Panzer II chassis and was one of the most successful self-propelled gun designs fielded by any side. At last, the Germans now have an answer to the M7 Priest![/p][p]You can find the Wespe on the following maps:[/p]

• [p]Armored Balaton Advance[/p]
• [p]Armored Freyneux Advance[/p]
• [p]Armored Fruhlingserwachen Clash[/p]
• [p]Armored Raid to Bastogne[/p]
• [p]Armored Suedwind Advance[/p]
• [p]Barashka Advance[/p]
• [p]Bridgehead Advance[/p]
• [p]Butovo Advance[/p]
• [p]Jurques Advance[/p]
• [p]Kommerscheidt Advance[/p]
• [p]Les Champs de Losque Advance[/p]
• [p]Putot en Bessin Advance[/p]
• [p]Valko Advance[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]The game has been completely localized to Spanish![/p][p]In order to use the Spanish localization, set your Steam Client Language to "Spanish".[/p][p]Please note that "Latin American Spanish" is not yet recognized by the game, so please use "Spanish" in the meantime until we can come up with a way for the game to recognize Steam's "Latin American Spanish" setting.
[/p]

• [p]Mortars are now automatically levelled after being rotated.[/p]
• [p]Prompt interactions (e.g., team kill forgive prompt) no longer overlap.[/p]
• [p]Autocaretta OM32 and OM36(OP) now use the appropriate truck icons on the map.[/p]
• [p]The "need to bolt" state of weapons is now preserved when dropping and picking them up.[/p]

• [p]Fixed numerous Wz.35 issues where the player could interrupt reloads & bolting.[/p]
• [p]Fix for inconsistent fonts on various menu elements.[/p]
• [p]Fixed rendering issues on some vegetation on Sicily maps.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where handheld mortars had an incorrect map icon.[/p]
• [p]Carcanos now correctly load 6 bullets from the stripper clip instead of 5.[/p]
• [p]Added missing resupply attachment on the DUKW.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a crash that could occur when switching seats in the CV-33.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Italian and Polish radio voice lines not working in multiplayer.[/p]
• [p]Fixed missing ammo pouch attachments on some Italian roles.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Miscellaneous[/h3]

• [p]Mortar and gun limits have been adjusted on a number of maps.[/p]
• [p]Renamed German Village to Renthem.[/p]

[h3]Gela[/h3]

• [p]Fixed boat blocking volumes blocking DUKWs.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Higgins and DUKWs on spawn menu being initially active. They now activate when setup phase ends.[/p]

[h3]Gorlitz[/h3]

• [p]Decreased amount of Pakwagen spawns from 2 to 1.[/p]
• [p]Added a Jagdpanzer IV for Axis.[/p]
• [p]Added two new objectives and changed the location of others.[/p]
• [p]Added several new areas and opened up several buildings in and around the objectives.[/p]
• [p]Further tightened Axis logistics allowance.[/p]
• [p]Added no build zone to the fields at last objective.[/p]
• [p]Removed PaK 43 from last objective.[/p]
• [p]Added more cover around the map.[/p]
• [p]Replaced some older barricade statics with more aesthetic versions.[/p]
• [p]Ticket increases for both teams.[/p]
• [p]Changed Panzer IV model to a later version with side skirts.[/p]

[h3]San Valentino[/h3]

• [p]Improved Axis main spawn protection.[/p]
• [p]Increased Axis tickets slightly.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Allied spawn locations being too far away from the first objective spawns.[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where spawn protection minefields would not be deactivated correctly.[/p]

[h3]
Niscemi Outskirts[/h3]

• [p] Increased Axis tickets slightly.
  [/p]

[h3]Ponte Olivo Airfield[/h3]

• [p]Increased Axis tickets.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where players could hear water sloshing noises at random locations across the map.[/p]

[p][/p][p]See you on the battlefield,[/p][p]Darklight Games 🕷️[/p]