Operations First Look
Hello commander!
We hope you are well. In today’s DevBlog, we’ll look at an exciting new mode for WARNO: single-player, narrative-driven Operations.
Operations are playable as one-off missions and can be imagined as sitting in-between Tutorials and the strategic Army General campaigns, in terms of length, depth, and their place in our fictional World War III.
Each Operation focuses on a specific battle or combat event set in West Germany during our conflict, highlighting actions from both sides. Today, we can detail the first five (not necessarily in chronological order).
[h2]What are Operations?[/h2]
As you know, the base game of WARNO is focused on CENTAG’s area of operations, including the Fulda Gap. While our Army General campaign will give you the ability to experience a n operational level of the conflict, the Operations zoom in on specific battles which occur across a two-week period in the latter part of June 1989.
Whereas the Tutorials can be little vignettes of the very beginning of the war, with different (but at times recurring) call signs, locations, units, and characters, Operations take a wider (but still detailed) perspective. Army General, on the other hand, will give a bird’s-eye view of various large-scale attacks and counter-offensives which occur in our fictional timeline.
[h2]Some considerations[/h2]
A major difference with predecessor’s Steel Division 2 Historical Battles is that WARNO’s Operations will only be playable by one or the other side, not both. Why?
In Steel Division 2, we ran into developmental roadblocks when balancing Historical Battles to be playable for both sides, made worse if we increased the number of players, be it AI or humans, single-player or online. Instead, we wanted to focus on creating the best experience as much as possible, really polishing and making each Operation shine.
That’s why each of the missions only focuses on one side of a battle. On the other hand, it means most Operations have unique mechanics, battlegroup compositions, and other special features.
[h2]What can you expect?[/h2]
We currently aim to have X Operations in WARNO at its official launch out of Early Access. We can reveal details of the first five of them. Note that the Operations are still work-in-progress! The list is roughly in chronological order:
The Kitzingen Ruse
In this exciting operation, you take command of the VDV’s 900th Air Assault Battalion, part of the Soviet 8th Guards Army, in a surprise strike against the city of Würzburg in one of the very first actions of the war. Your mission will be to establish a bridgehead on the river Main and hold it against a mass of counter-attacking NATO forces, chiefly West German but also American, as you wait for reinforcements.
Will it be a “bridge too far,” or are you going to “bring everlasting glory to VDV and USSR”? It all depends on how you execute a hard-to-realize defense in depth, prioritizing which command zones to hold, which reinforcements to drop, and more.
Black Horse’s Last Stand
So, we all know that the American 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, with the 1st Squadron being based in Fulda, was predicted to receive the brunt of any Warsaw Pact offensive into CENTAG. Well, we made that happen… and then some. Fulda was pretty much lost after a day, but the 11th ACR was not completely annihilated. As a matter of fact, some, including the 1-11th, performed heroic defensive actions, stemming the enemy invasion for as long as possible.
One of these, the so-called Black Horse’s Last Stand, occurred in the Kinzing Valley, near Bad Orb. You won’t have much time as you have to defend against the overwhelming Soviet steamroller pushing through the valley. Still, with some German territorial reinforcements and helpful A-10 air support, you might have a chance to hold back the enemy long enough.
Red Juggernaut
Comrade commander, you’ll lead your heroic tankmen in the Red Juggernaut operation all the way to the gates of Frankfurt. Foolish NATO thinks they can make a new defensive line near Hanau, but the might of the Soviet 79th Guards Tank Division will surely prove to be too much.
Red Juggernaut is one of maneuver and attack, and to keep going, even against stiffening resistance. You’ll have a sizable force at your disposal, but the command zones to be captured increase with distance, meaning the toughest battles will be at the end of the operation.
Götterdammerung
We focus on the Nationale Volksarmee, specifically the East German 11. Mot.-Schützendivision as it is defending the southern flank of the offensive into West Germany. Blocking NATO counter-attacks, the East Germans must perform a successful rearguard action to preserve their forces on the outskirts of Bamberg.
Like Black Horse’s Last Stand, this is a defense-in-depth operation but with some special mechanics. You can deploy in Defense Zones across a large valley floor, but they cannot be recaptured once lost. And trust us, with all the fighting that’s going to happen, you will be pushed back to the crucial hill pass you and your Genossen need to defend.
Backhand Blow
An operation that focuses on a NATO counter-offensive north of Hanau aimed at breaking the mass of Soviet armor threatening Frankfurt. This mission will see the 3rd Armored Division perform a lightning strike, with lots of tanks, against the Soviets.
Once again, the map is big, and the command zones need to be taken very quickly if you want a chance of success. Furthermore, the Soviets’ deployment zones are closer than yours, meaning they have the advantage of positioning. Let’s see if NATO’s superior firepower and mobility can inflict a devastating defeat on Ivan.
[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
All right! That’s the first batch of Operations done. We are still working on the next series; it might take some time before we can shine a light on these. Regardless, we are looking forward to hearing what you think!
Don’t forget to join the passionate WARNO community. Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.
See you on the battlefield, commander!
We hope you are well. In today’s DevBlog, we’ll look at an exciting new mode for WARNO: single-player, narrative-driven Operations.
Operations are playable as one-off missions and can be imagined as sitting in-between Tutorials and the strategic Army General campaigns, in terms of length, depth, and their place in our fictional World War III.
Each Operation focuses on a specific battle or combat event set in West Germany during our conflict, highlighting actions from both sides. Today, we can detail the first five (not necessarily in chronological order).
[h2]What are Operations?[/h2]
As you know, the base game of WARNO is focused on CENTAG’s area of operations, including the Fulda Gap. While our Army General campaign will give you the ability to experience a n operational level of the conflict, the Operations zoom in on specific battles which occur across a two-week period in the latter part of June 1989.
Whereas the Tutorials can be little vignettes of the very beginning of the war, with different (but at times recurring) call signs, locations, units, and characters, Operations take a wider (but still detailed) perspective. Army General, on the other hand, will give a bird’s-eye view of various large-scale attacks and counter-offensives which occur in our fictional timeline.
[h2]Some considerations[/h2]
A major difference with predecessor’s Steel Division 2 Historical Battles is that WARNO’s Operations will only be playable by one or the other side, not both. Why?
In Steel Division 2, we ran into developmental roadblocks when balancing Historical Battles to be playable for both sides, made worse if we increased the number of players, be it AI or humans, single-player or online. Instead, we wanted to focus on creating the best experience as much as possible, really polishing and making each Operation shine.
That’s why each of the missions only focuses on one side of a battle. On the other hand, it means most Operations have unique mechanics, battlegroup compositions, and other special features.
[h2]What can you expect?[/h2]
We currently aim to have X Operations in WARNO at its official launch out of Early Access. We can reveal details of the first five of them. Note that the Operations are still work-in-progress! The list is roughly in chronological order:
The Kitzingen Ruse
In this exciting operation, you take command of the VDV’s 900th Air Assault Battalion, part of the Soviet 8th Guards Army, in a surprise strike against the city of Würzburg in one of the very first actions of the war. Your mission will be to establish a bridgehead on the river Main and hold it against a mass of counter-attacking NATO forces, chiefly West German but also American, as you wait for reinforcements.
Will it be a “bridge too far,” or are you going to “bring everlasting glory to VDV and USSR”? It all depends on how you execute a hard-to-realize defense in depth, prioritizing which command zones to hold, which reinforcements to drop, and more.
Black Horse’s Last Stand
So, we all know that the American 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, with the 1st Squadron being based in Fulda, was predicted to receive the brunt of any Warsaw Pact offensive into CENTAG. Well, we made that happen… and then some. Fulda was pretty much lost after a day, but the 11th ACR was not completely annihilated. As a matter of fact, some, including the 1-11th, performed heroic defensive actions, stemming the enemy invasion for as long as possible.
One of these, the so-called Black Horse’s Last Stand, occurred in the Kinzing Valley, near Bad Orb. You won’t have much time as you have to defend against the overwhelming Soviet steamroller pushing through the valley. Still, with some German territorial reinforcements and helpful A-10 air support, you might have a chance to hold back the enemy long enough.
Red Juggernaut
Comrade commander, you’ll lead your heroic tankmen in the Red Juggernaut operation all the way to the gates of Frankfurt. Foolish NATO thinks they can make a new defensive line near Hanau, but the might of the Soviet 79th Guards Tank Division will surely prove to be too much.
Red Juggernaut is one of maneuver and attack, and to keep going, even against stiffening resistance. You’ll have a sizable force at your disposal, but the command zones to be captured increase with distance, meaning the toughest battles will be at the end of the operation.
Götterdammerung
We focus on the Nationale Volksarmee, specifically the East German 11. Mot.-Schützendivision as it is defending the southern flank of the offensive into West Germany. Blocking NATO counter-attacks, the East Germans must perform a successful rearguard action to preserve their forces on the outskirts of Bamberg.
Like Black Horse’s Last Stand, this is a defense-in-depth operation but with some special mechanics. You can deploy in Defense Zones across a large valley floor, but they cannot be recaptured once lost. And trust us, with all the fighting that’s going to happen, you will be pushed back to the crucial hill pass you and your Genossen need to defend.
Backhand Blow
An operation that focuses on a NATO counter-offensive north of Hanau aimed at breaking the mass of Soviet armor threatening Frankfurt. This mission will see the 3rd Armored Division perform a lightning strike, with lots of tanks, against the Soviets.
Once again, the map is big, and the command zones need to be taken very quickly if you want a chance of success. Furthermore, the Soviets’ deployment zones are closer than yours, meaning they have the advantage of positioning. Let’s see if NATO’s superior firepower and mobility can inflict a devastating defeat on Ivan.
[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
All right! That’s the first batch of Operations done. We are still working on the next series; it might take some time before we can shine a light on these. Regardless, we are looking forward to hearing what you think!
Don’t forget to join the passionate WARNO community. Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.
See you on the battlefield, commander!