Isonzo News

[h2]Marksman[/h2]
Assist your team by eliminating high value enemy targets from a distance, or breaking up enemy attacks with lethally accurate short range fire.

Bersaglieri
The Kingdom of Italy’s Marksmen are the Bersaglieri, who have a storied history going all the way back to 1836. Originally formed to serve in the Royal Sardinian Army as mobile infantry in place of expensive cavalry, they are renowned for their running - they continue to run today during parades and when on barracks duty! Combined with high standards for marksmanship, they served well as skirmishers and shock troops as required. Back in the 1800s the bersaglieri were envisioned as being mountain troops in addition to their other roles, and so the formation of the Alpini Corps in 1872 led to quite a rivalry between the two elite groups.

A bersaglieri sharpshooter, with the distinctive feathered hat named the moretto da bersagliere or “vaira” in honor of Giuseppe Vayra.

The distinctive black capercaillie feathers in their hats and helmets were traditionally worn in combat - originally to provide camouflage and keep the sun out of the eyes when shooting. During WW1 there were many different bersaglieri formations raised, including cyclist units.

Kaiserschützen Kaiserschützen in their natural habitat, note the characteristic “Spielhahnstoß” feather on their “feldkappe” caps.

The Kaiserschützen originated in a very different form back in 1511, which required the state of Tyrol to be able to muster 20,000 volunteer troops on request to defend their home. These Landesschützen became known as excellent soldiers. The transformation of the Austrian Empire into the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867 shook up the organization of the military, and in 1890 the troops of the Landesschützen-Kaiserschützen became part of the Austrian national army (the Imperial-Royal Landwehr), and ceased to be drawn exclusively from Tyrol, with men being drawn from Salzburg, Austria, and Vienna among other places. They maintained their excellent standards, however.

A grizzled Kaiserschützen.

There is often confusion between the Kaiserschützen and the Kaiserjäger - who will be in Isonzo as the Austro-Hungarian mountaineer, already featured in a previous dev blog. We chose the Kaiserschützen to fill the marksman role since they were the more elite of the two units, and both were effectively mountain units even if the Kaiserjäger didn’t receive an official designation as such.

Although they were territorial forces (generally meaning reservists intended for local service) the Kaiserschützen were called to fight on the Eastern Front in Galicia, against the Serbians, and of course on the Italian Front closer to their homes. They were highly decorated and fought well.

[h2]Marksman Equipment and Perks[/h2]
The Marksman can choose from a variety of rifles, either with scope or with bayonets. While the Marksman fills the ‘sniper’ role, we explicitly chose to name them differently because they aren’t always most effective when hanging back at long range and thus not all marksmen have access to scoped rifles. Sometimes you need a sharpshooter to get into the thick of it as well, especially when on the attacking team!

Closeup on the moretto da bersagliere “Vaira”, without its canvas cover.

To this end Marksmen can also choose from a few different sidearms, from a revolver to semi-automatic pistols. In close combat, accurate pistol fire can be the difference between victory and defeat for your team. And the Marksman is especially well placed for this because of their perks, which apply to their sidearms as much as their primary weapons.

[h2]Marksman Perks[/h2]
The default perk allows spotting through a sniper scope, ideal for when you have a commanding view of objective areas and can identify foes for your allies closer to the action. But Specialist and Elite Marksman are perks which increase your potential accuracy by removing weapon sway when crouched or prone and by allowing unlimited aiming focus respectively. Having no weapon sway when crouched by an objective with a pistol makes you a lethal threat to anyone trying to get close, and will often have a much bigger impact than if you’re half the map away picking off the odd enemy soldier who comes into view.

Sniper gameplay.

The Stalker perk can be used multiple ways - it makes you unspottable, and while the first thing that comes to mind might be using it to hide out safely away from the action, you can also use it to sneak into trenches and buildings and ambush opponents who thought their recon flight had spotted everyone nearby. Last but not least, body armor reduces damage from explosions and suppression from bullets - both very useful when sitting on an objective, allowing you to keep fighting even under artillery bombardment or heavy fire. It also slows your movement a little.

Body armor is something you have to put on in-game and which visually appears on your character.

Body armor is tied into the customization system and you can see when friends and foes are wearing armor. They were a notable feature of the war on the Italian Front, being very useful for sentry and sniper duties while offering protection from the deadly rock fragments thrown out by shelling. For example, the Italians use the famous farina body armor worn by the Company of Death.

So don’t be afraid to really get stuck in as a Marksman! There are times where sniping officers, engineers and heavy weapon gunners at range is invaluable, but also times where having a cold blooded sharpshooter holding the objective is exactly what the doctor ordered.

An armored marksman using a firing slot in a stone wall. The armor will help protect him against grenades and artillery.

[h2]Steyr-Mannlicher M95 with C.Reichert Scope[/h2]
This is the workhorse Austro-Hungarian rifle fitted with Viennese made optics by C. Reichert - a company who also made microscopes.

The Steyr-Mannlicher M95 was a very effective rifle with an unusual straight-pull bolt action, meaning the user would pull it back then push it straight forward again, saving two motions compared to more typical bolt actions where the user had to go up-back-forward-down. This gave the M95 a very solid 20-25 rounds per minute rate of fire. Austro-Hungarian soldiers nicknamed it the ‘Ruck-Zuck’ rifle (meaning ‘back and forth’ rifle).

M95 with scope.

[h2]So ends another Isonzo Intel[/h2]
There’s plenty more to come, don’t worry! Our Isonzo closed beta tests are still ongoing as well, and we’re open for more applicants! If you’re interested, you can sign up here.

You can wishlist Isonzo on Steam already!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/

Welcome back to our reveal of the Gorizia map, including the complete flyover video! Our last blog left off at the river - now it’s time to force a crossing.

[h2]Crossing the Isonzo[/h2]
The final two objectives are both on the far side of the river: a capture point in the train station and a sabotage objective in the town square. However, this final part of the Gorizia map is a large combat area, so the construction and destruction of forward spawn points will be a top priority for both sides!

The Isonzo river (now commonly known as the Soča river) was shallow where it ran past Gorizia, and much like in the final stages of Monte Sabotino it is easy to ford it. But just because it’s easy to move across doesn’t mean it’s safe to do so! Both cover and concealment are limited on the water, and both banks of the river have buildings or defensive positions prepared.

The Austro-Hungarian trenches on the city side of the river. There are spots for both an Austro-Hungarian and an Italian forward spawning point, so expect heavy fighting here.

The attackers and defenders alike will find themselves crossing the river - the Austro-Hungarians first, as they try to counterattack and prevent the Italians establishing a foothold near the factory. Assuming they fail to do so, the Italians will then need to force a crossing on their way to the final objectives of the map - the railway station and a courtyard full of supplies.

A dugout alongside (and underneath) the railway line. In-game the Italians can build a forward spawn point here.

Historically there wasn’t a great deal of resistance at this point, with most of the fighting taking place on the Monte Calvario beforehand (covered in last week’s dev blog). Austro-Hungarian commander Svetozar Boroević - a skilled senior officer who was nicknamed ‘the Lion of the Isonzo’ for his defensive operations in the theater - did want to try and hold a line along the river, but simply didn’t have the troops or equipment to do it. In Isonzo you can expect to face firm resistance when playing as the Italians!

Attacking into the park that houses one of the final objectives.

[h2]City Streets[/h2]
If they make it across the river and can establish their forward spawn points, the Italians will be well positioned to continue to the objective zones. The sabotage objective is a gun position in a park, and to reach it the Italians will need to attack across a courtyard from the train station, or navigate ruined buildings and battle scarred city streets. This was an interesting change of scene for us, being the first urban environment to be featured in the WW1 Game Series.

A comparison of our in-game city to historical photographs.

As always we made plentiful use of references to make sure everything is as authentic as possible. We have recreated parts of the fortresses of Douaumont and Przemyśl before, as well as Russian village buildings, but these are the first larger civilian buildings outside of churches to be in-game. The painted walls combined with the bright greens of the park come together to form a very different environment to most First World War battlefields. It’s certainly no less dangerous, however. The attackers will have to decide if they want to concentrate on destroying the heavy guns in the park first, or if they want to try to take and hold the train station first…

A view over the city park and courtyard towards the train station. The sabotage objective is in the park.

[h2]The Train Station[/h2]
Another route forward is via the railway yard instead of through the streets. This leads up to the railway station where Second Lieutenant Aurelio Baruzzi would raise his flag. The station is designed for a large flow of people in peacetime, and as such has multiple entrances on all sides, as well as plenty of windows which now serve as extra entryways. Inside there is an Austro-Hungarian command post and sandbags which provide cover from enemies outside the building, but also can hide ambushers.

The train yard and station interior.

As one of the rare structures with the roof still intact, you won’t be able to bomb out the train station defenders. More work for grenades and bayonets! That isn’t to say that supporting artillery or gas won’t be useful in deterring counter-attacks and reinforcements. Stay alert and be prepared for attacks from any direction.

Comparison of the in-game train station to historical photo.

As you can see, these final two objectives will not be easy ones for the Italians. Success will hinge on securing the forward spawn points across the river, and then making use of the multiple routes forward to keep the Austro-Hungarian defenders off balance so that they cannot simply camp out and fortify one or two paths. For the Austro-Hungarians, it’s always worth trying to raid and destroy the Italian forward spawn points, but especially the gun pit should be well defended - the train station can be recaptured if lost, but once that dynamite goes off the guns are gone for good.

Attacking the station through the train yard.

[h3]We’ll close off with the complete Gorizia flyover video! Enjoy, and we’ll see you next time for another class deep dive…[/h3]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Verdun Free Weekend![/h2]
Today is Verdun’s seventh year anniversary (it was launched into Early Access back in 2013!) and to celebrate the game is free to play on Steam this weekend and highly discounted to buy and keep. Check it out, invite your friends who haven’t experienced the mud and blood of trench warfare, and stay sharp out there!



And talking about sharp, you can win yourself some great goodies by testing how sharp your Verdun knowledge is, by taking this quiz.

Enjoy the weekend and don’t forget you can wishlist Isonzo on Steam already!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/

[h2]Prepare for battle this summer![/h2]
Before we jump into this week’s dev blog, we would like to announce that Isonzo will be released this Summer, 2022! We needed a bit more time to ensure a great experience on all devices. As always, we’ll give you a more precise date as soon as we have it. Now, onto…

[h2]Gorizia[/h2]
Gorizia is the third map in the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo Offensive - as we explained back in our very first dev blog, battles will be fought on Monte San Michele and Monte Sabotino first, and if the Italians win those battles they will enjoy more reinforcements when fighting on Gorizia. We’ve relaxed the original plan where the Italians would need to win at least one of the preceding battles before being able to attack Gorizia. Here’s Robin, one of our developers, discussing Gorizia:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
The battle for Gorizia begins with Mount Calvario just outside the city, considered for more than a year as a stronghold that could not be overcome by Italian troops - however, it fell during the night between the 7th and 8th of August, shortly after the Italian conquest of Sabotino. Austro-Hungarian counterattacks, even after the arrival of the first reinforcements on 11th August, did not change the course of this battle.

Monte Calvario - as you can see, the Italian facing side is heavily damaged and fortified, while the city facing side still has bushes and trees.

It was August 8th, 1916 when the Italians began their attack on Gorizia itself. Austro-Hungarian commander Svetozar Boroević wanted to mount a strong defense at the river, but his reserves were exhausted from attempting to contain earlier attacks at Monte San Michele and Monte Sabotino. They did the best they could, but ultimately had to withdraw in the night.

The first stage of the Gorizia attack is to crest Monte Calvario outside the city. The Austro-Hungarians have dug-in heavily on the slopes, and unlike the rockier mountains of Sabotino and San Michele there is plentiful greenery to offer concealment to defenders and attackers alike… at least once you get through the area which has been strung with barbed wire and heavily shelled. Historically this was some of the toughest fighting the Italians faced in the push for Gorizia.

The fortified slope facing away from the city - the first obstacle the Italians must defeat.

Next is reaching the city itself. Once they have control of the hill, the Italians will be able to construct heavy machine guns of their own overlooking the next objectives, and this fire support will be much appreciated because the ground is somewhat exposed. A lumberyard and graveyard offer cover, but wide streets separate these from the hill and then from the paper factory that sits on the bank of the river.

The elevated view over the factory and city beyond, compared to a historical image. You can see the lumber yard and the graveyard.

A closer look at the graveyard in-game.

There is a railway underpass near the city named after the first Italian soldier to enter - 19 year old Second Lieutenant Aurelio Baruzzi. The developer video at the start of this Isonzo Intel tells Baruzzi’s story, and it’s a fascinating one. Not only did Baruzzi and his comrades capture hundreds of Austro-Hungarian soldiers in the tunnel along with artillery pieces, but he was also the one to raise the Italian flag over the train station - that’s an important objective that we’ll get to in next week’s dev blog…

Aurelio Baruzzi.

In Baruzzi’s own words: “I have sworn to my flag that it will fly over the houses of Gorizia. Now the flag helps me for the second time. I unfurl it and shake it open. Our gunners see it and lengthen their fire. We run across the field to the station…[Soon after], the flag is flying from the highest roof-beam under the hot August sun.”

The next capture points are in and adjacent to the paper factory on the banks of the Soča river (also known as the Isonzo). Getting to the factory is only step one, and securing it may prove challenging.

The entrance to the factory, in Isonzo and as it was.

The factory is a series of buildings connected by large courtyards, where everything from machinery and collapsed ceilings to discarded shells and ammo crates provides cover and hiding places. You should be ready for close quarters action, and bayonets, pistols and melee weapons will likely prove very useful here. Just outside the factory is another objective location: the gun position between the factory and the railway line.

The riverbank gun position outside the factory.

There are abandoned Austro-Hungarian guns here, but the Italians can construct a functional mountain gun to bombard the opposite bank. The river is shallow, and doesn’t pose much of an obstacle so you can expect Austro-Hungarian counterattacks across the water. Another key terrain feature is the railway bridge you can see in the GIF above. It offers an alternate route across the river, while providing a view (and firing lines) down over the riverbank gun position.

[h2]Play Isonzo at PAX East, or join the beta![/h2]
We are at PAX East this year until April 24. Isonzo is playable there too - come find us at booth 10050! Be sure to stop by, fight on the Italian front and have a chat!



If you aren't attending PAX, the Isonzo closed beta tests are still ongoing, and we’re looking for more participants! If you’re interested, you can sign up via this link on our Discord.

There’s no guarantee that everyone who signs up will get a chance to be part of the closed beta, since we pick people based on various criteria from hardware and server region to playtime. But given that we’re keen for more people to try the game, the odds are good. Don’t forget to wishlist Isonzo as well!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/

[h2]Crossing the river[/h2]
Join us next time as we enter the city proper - the city streets, the train station where Baruzzi would raise his flag, and the full flyover video of the map! We’ll close out with a video comparison of our in-game Baruzzi tunnel, and drone footage of how it looks today. See you next time!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Hello soldiers!

More exciting news! Isonzo will be playable at Pax East! Pax East will take place in Boston from April 21 - April 24! This will be the first time that the WW1 Game Series will be showcased in America!



Similar to our showcase at W.A.S.D in London last week, you'll be able to play Isonzo! We can't wait to see what our American soldiers think about our upcoming game. You can find us at booth 10050! Be sure to stop by, fight on the Italian front and have a chat with us!

You can purchase your PAX tickets by clicking here

[h2]Isonzo Intel[/h2]
Be sure to keep up to date with Isonzo by reading our Isonzo Intel dev blogs! Our latest one focuses on quite some different aspects, Sabotino, Gorizia, weapons and more! You can read it here

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/5444297870578959738



[h3]We hope to see you there![/h3]

WW1 Game Series

Today is another map focused dev blog, with a longer Sabotino video and a teaser for Gorizia. However, we also found time to include one of the new weapons for gun fans (those sharp-eyed folks who spotted the Mannlicher–Schönauer previously).

Here’s another view of the slope the Italians need to descend to reach the Sabotino bridge. Steep!

The maps in Isonzo have so much going on that it’s hard to fit it all in within a single Isonzo Intel. We’re going to be revealing Gorizia very soon, and that will definitely be split across two posts - the finale to the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo is an incredible piece of work from our mappers and artists.

Until then, our blog about Monte Sabotino covered a lot of the highlights, but there’s so much more to discover on the map. Nothing beats getting your boots dirty on the ground of course - until then we have the complete flyover video for you!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
See what details you can spot! Everything from the rocks to the trenches have been recreated based on photographs, museum exhibits, and our own films and photographs.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]Footage from our trip to the trenches of Monte Sabotino.

An interior view of one of the Sabotino houses. A nice place, were it not for the war.

We also wanted to take you back to the start of the map to show off another look at the barbed wire lines you’ll need to break through as the Italians. You can see in the comparison image below just how bare the ground was. We said it before, but we’ll say it again - smoke barrages might be vital! It’s easy to forget how important concealment and breaking lines of sight can be during combat when playing video games, and smoke can often feel like a waste when you could be dropping explosive shells on people - but well placed smoke can protect a broad advance in a much cheaper way than using artillery to try and suppress an entire enemy trench line.



A comparison image and a closer look at those thick lines of wire that form the first hurdle for Italian attackers on Sabotino.

[h3]Let us know if you like the flyover video - we might look into making a few more![/h3]

[h2]Mannlicher–Schönauer Model 1903[/h2]
The fury of war always consumes a huge amount of material and equipment, and certainly during the First World War no army had an easy time finding enough of anything, even basic items like rifles for their troops. This led to situations like Mannlicher–Schönauer rifles built for the Greek army being pressed into service with Austro-Hungarian forces.

Introduced at the World Fair available in either military or sport versions, only the Greek army showed interest in the Mannlicher–Schönauer. It was a very well made and reliable weapon, but that made it expensive to produce. The 6.5mm cartridges were an unusual choice which may also have made it less appealing.

A conventional looking rifle hiding an unusual magazine…

Nonetheless, production went ahead for the Greeks, with more than 100,000 supplied. They served well in the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, would see use during WW2 by the army and resistance fighters, and were part of the Greek Civil War. More rifles had been ordered in 1914, but those were diverted to the Austro-Hungarian armed forces.

Mannlicher–Schönauer in use assaulting the Solkan church.

The Mannlicher–Schönauer had one other interesting feature - a rotating spool magazine. This part was designed by Schönauer, hence the name of the rifle. While the rifle was fed by stripper clips, inside was a rotating system, as you can see in the diagram below. While uncommon, rotating spool magazines are still in use with some weapons today!

Diagram showing the rotating spool magazine.

[h2]Next time, the final stage of the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo…[/h2]
You’ve seen Monte Sabotino and Monte San Michele, the first two maps in the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo Offensive. Assuming the Italians successfully complete at least one of those, they will be able to try and complete the offensive on the third map: the city of Gorizia.

And that’s where we’ll be heading next time on the dev blog! Enjoy this teaser clip moving into the city from the trenches on the outskirts…



[h2]Play Isonzo at PAX East, or join the beta![/h2]
We will be coming to PAX East this year, from April 21-24. Isonzo will be playable there. If you can’t make it to PAX, there’s still a way to play Isonzo before release, if you’re willing to help us with feedback. The Isonzo closed beta tests are still ongoing, and we’re looking for more participants! If you’re interested, you can sign up here.

There’s no guarantee that everyone who signs up will get a chance to be part of the closed beta, since we pick people based on various criteria from hardware and server region to playtime. But given that we’re keen for more people to try the game, the odds are good!

[h3]We’ll see you for a tour of Gorizia next week![/h3]