1. WARNO
  2. News

WARNO News

Tutorials & Operations Preview

Hello there!

We hope you are well. After some great feedback and comments in last week’s WARNO Army General preview, we are back with some more exciting insights into big new features of WARNO.

This week, we’ll continue our single-player focus by looking at two major features coming to WARNO: the Tutorial and Operations. Let’s detail both of these much-awaited modes.

[h2]Tutorials[/h2]
So, first up, the Tutorials - every game should have one, right? Truth be told, a complex real-time strategy as WARNO needs a comprehensive tutorial or training missions, something the Eugen team is more than aware of. As a matter of fact, the rather cruel lack of tutorials in our titles has been brought up by the community in the past. An injustice we amend with WARNO!

With WARNO, we went full out to ease new and beginning players, and veterans from our other titles, into our game. We currently have around fifteen tutorial missions lined up, each detailing an important gameplay mechanic, unit type, or experience. But we wanted to go further, beyond teaching basic mechanics; we want to make sure everyone will feel comfortable playing WARNO, both solo or online, after finishing our Tutorial missions. There are many details to WARNO easily overlooked, even for experienced players.



WARNO features an in-game manual (accessible through the pause menu when in tactical combat). The new Tutorial missions are loosely based on the layout of this manual. We have designed very short missions that will teach you, step-by-step, everything you need to know for each specific feature or type of tactical combat. Most of the tutorials don’t last longer than 5 minutes, and not one exceeds 10 minutes.

[h2]Everything has a beginning[/h2]
We decided to make each tutorial more enticing by focusing on small scenarios and vignettes of potential real-life combat situations and events. These are envisioned as happening around Fulda, West Germany, during the opening stages of the World War III conflict between NATO and the Warsaw Pact.

The Tutorials showcases each event, such as tank combat or capturing command zones, in the most instructive way possible. The Tutorials themselves will be playable through the Solo (single-player) menu, and will be displayed in a specific order. You can always switch things around or replay certain missions. And, of course, a small reward awaits those who complete the tutorials: Steam achievements!

[h2]Operations[/h2]
Let’s look at the second new WARNO mode: Operations. These are scripted tactical battles, placing the player in the boots of a battlegroup during a World War III scenario. These are akin to Steel Division 2’s Historical Battles, which in WARNO’s case are clearly ahistorical, but based on reality. There is another major difference: while Historical Battles could be played from both sides, Operations will be playable with one side only and versus the AI.

The reason why we made this change is that in Steel Division 2’s Historical Battle’s case, by balancing them, they ended up being too close to regular Skirmish battles. With just one side, in WARNO’s Operations, we have much more freedom, flexibility, and creativity to create unique combat scenarios. This will make them more intense and realistic. Think of an “Alamo” situation, with one side needing to delay the enemy for a set amount of time or inflict crippling losses in order to win.



[h2]Exciting real-life battle scenarios[/h2]
Each Operation starts with its historical setting, briefing, and specific objective(s). The player takes charge of a fixed battlegroup (so they will not make their own division). With these units, a player will have to complete the objectives, which can vary from keeping a command unit alive to holding a designated command zone or accumulating enough command points. The same goes for the opposing side, with the AI also being assigned fixed battlegroups. Operations will use existing maps, but with each battlefield featuring tailored command zones, economy, deployment points, etc.

There will be between fifteen to twenty Operations planned for WARNO, ranging from the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment’s desperate rearguard actions around Fulda, to escorting supply columns en route to the front, to the Soviet VDV capturing and holding key bridges deep beyond enemy lines. More details and information to come in the future!



[h2]Armory rework[/h2]
We have also made some changes to the Armory, specifically how units are displayed. The hangar has been reworked with:

  • Lightning modifications.
  • New FX & 3D assets added.
  • An updated atmosphere, making it more lively.


Additional Armory enhancements are planned.

[h2]WARNO League Zero[/h2]
Before we leave, a message about the WARNO’s competitive online play. This 4th of November, we have the 3rd Friday Night WARNO 2v2 Tournament coming up. The League’s organizer, Protosszocker will join the competition. If you want to hear more about WARNO’s development, as well as see some nice team games, be sure to tune in! More info can be found by following this link.

There is more. WARNO League Season ZERO will also begin and see 32 of the best 1v1 players, including some well-known names such as VulcanHD and karma duke it out to be crowned the very first ever WARNO League Champion. The Group Stage will start on the 24th of October. The Group Reveal and Pre-League Show will be on the 23rd of October at 5 pm GMT+2. More info can be viewed here.

Please note that the tournament is not organized by Eugen. We support it by sharing the message and putting Eugen’s stamp of approval for guaranteed fun - but that’s it!

[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
That’s it for this week. Join the passionate WARNO community. Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get to together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Army General Preview

Hello commander!

We are back again! In today’s DevBlog, we are going to take a good look at an eagerly awaited major feature of WARNO: the strategic turn-based Army General mode!

Keep reading to find out more about WARNO’s hypothetical World War III scenario, focused on the battlefields of West Germany’s CENTAG theatre.

[h2]A new kind of warfare[/h2]
Before we continue with our Army General preview, please keep in mind that all the following is still very much work in progress. Our new strategic campaign mode, especially some visuals, is not final and subject to change. Don’t forget this when commenting or interacting with other players - as some of you can do so well and passionately. More details will come in the future!

Now, what is this new-fangled Army General campaign? Steel Division 2 fans should be knowledgeable of this strategic mode, but for you unaware, here are some basics.



Army General contains various turn-based wargame campaigns, playable in single-player, versus, or cooperatively. You’ll play on massive maps with a host of different formations and units, simulating a particular offensive or large-scale operation. We used the historical order of battles, with each division portrayed as they were in 1989, including corps or army assets. These orders of battle (formational structures) will be realistic and accurate down to the platoon level. In comparison, Steel Division 2 only went down to the company level.



Each Army General map will range from 75 square kilometers to 150 square kilometers, covering real-life areas of Cold War-era Germany. The maximum size will be the same as the biggest map featured in Steel Division 2, but WARNO’s maps will actually be 33% bigger thanks to the level of detail and playable hexes. Each “pawn” on the map will either be a battalion or battalion-strength battlegroup. The stats of each pawn depends on its type, so think armored, mechanized, or motorized infantry, airborne, helicopter, artillery, recon, etc., and of course, considering their historical table of organization and equipment.

[h2]Army General in action[/h2]
How does a turn-based Army General campaign work? Each turn can represent half a day or a period of time; within a turn, you can move your pawns, attack the enemy, order artillery bombardments, air strikes, and reinforcements.

Each pawn has several action points they spend on movement and combat. Depending on the terrain (semi-urban, plain, forest, etc.), you spend more or less action points. Of course, you should also consider what kind of unit the pawn is; a helicopter group might not need to worry about a dense forest, while an armored unit would need to spend more time and effort crossing the trees.



If two opposing pawns come into battle, you can either auto-resolve it (saving you time) or go tactical. The latter option will start a random map, with a selection of nearby battalions able to join in, depending on the combat parameters such as distance, remaining action points, and status. When you choose to resolve the battle tactically as its commander, you can also assign the AI to control some or the majority of the battalions.

The result (and losses) of the battle will be permanent. Of course, there will be fresh battalions that can be brought in as reinforcements, but you need to conserve your forces over multiple turns.



[h2]WARNO and Army General mode[/h2] Warno will ship with four separate Army General campaigns at release, detailing various aspects of our World War III war scenario. We can’t go into too much detail yet, but one of them will feature the commonly held and frequently discussed hypothetical Fulda gap offensive. This campaign will see the Soviet 8th Guards’ spearhead breaking through the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment’s defensive lines, with the latter holding on for as long as possible as NATO reserves assemble in the rear.



To reiterate, each Army General campaign will be playable on both sides, NATO and Warsaw Pact. Each campaign will also be playable versus the AI (single-player), cooperatively against the AI, or versus (online multiplayer). Each campaign will cover a specific sector or war scenario, with its own briefing, intro video, setting, units, and formations, etc.

[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
That’s all for today. We’ll be back next week. Until then, we bid you adieu.

Join the passionate WARNO community. Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get to together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.

And as always: see you on the battlefield, commander!

v.82436 : SUCHET Hotfix

CODE FIXES:
  • fixed some ATGM units being virtually unkillable while in some buildings


DATA FIXES:
  • removed the buildings that were spawned in the trees on the Black Forest map


GENERIC:
  • fixed some errors in how the supply cost were calculated. This implies plane reloading time is back to normal. This fix also affected the supply cost of some other weapons : some AP/HE canons, some AA canons, most aircraft rockets, some artillery rockets. We are still working on improving our system for the supply cost so it will most likely change all over someday.

Maps preview : Dark Stream & Rock

Hello commander,

How you rockin’ with WARNO’s latest milestone SUCHET? A ton of new toys to play with, many updates, and two new divisions, the French 11e Division Parachutiste and British 2nd Infantry Division. Let us know what you think!

Development for WARNO continues at pace. Two new maps are in the works, and today’s DevBlog takes a closer look at both: Rock and Dark Stream.

[h2]Between a Rock and a hard place[/h2] Rock is our new 83km² map, playable in 3vs3 by default, and features many plateaux bringing a distinctive verticality to this battlefield. A river runs along the length of this map. This waterway serves to channel a number of choke points in the area. Each player’s army will be able to cover the whole battlefield lengthwise without having to cross the river. However, to control Rock is to control the bridges - much like real-life - which makes these infrastructure elements important (but not the main gameplay element).



We also took care to place the command zones carefully on the map. For instance, we avoided generating too many “marked” corridors. The current layout on Rock necessitates a commander to move their forces on various axes, not only on a single straight line. We also left part of the level with no command zones. To control these sectors will be the player’s choice; our aim is to let the commander’s tactical creativity run free as they try to win the battlefield. Be sure to make good use of recon units - it might mean the difference between victory or defeat.



[h2]A Dark Stream meanders[/h2]
Our second new map is Dark Stream, aimed at 4vs4 games. It is specifically designed for units with amphibious capabilities. A 72km² map, one of the main features is the huge river that winds across the entire battlefield. The location of the command zones on Dark Stream is deliberate; most of them include river or estuary zones. Make good use of amphibious units if you want to control these sectors. The remaining terrain of the map alternates between defensive positions and open areas.



We are very much looking forward to hearing what you think. Dark Stream features a new type of gameplay with a new type of amphibious unit functionality. We will adapt future maps, currently in production, based on your feedback!



[h2]More good stuff[/h2]
The Eugen team is also busy testing and polishing up some other new features currently in the works:

  • Laser-Guided Bombs (LGB). We are reworking Laser-Guided Bomb mechanics. This will apply to both existing LGB-equipped planes (F-111F, Mirage F1-CT, etc.) and new load-outs, which will be introduced with the milestone (F-16C, and MiG-27K).
  • Amphibious units. The new functionality to cross water for some units is working, but we want to make sure the new feature is optimized in all aspects (visual, sound) and that it doesn’t affect the game’s performance.
  • HMG teams.The new type of unit, the Heavy Machine Gun team, works well. They are still being tested and balanced as we speak, however. In this developmental process, we are reconsidering all machine guns as a whole (infantry, vehicles, helicopter, etc.). Some weapons feature too disparate settings, having been worked on at different times in WARNO’s development. Now, while we are at it, we are balancing all.




[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
That’s it for this week. Let us know what you think. Can’t wait to hear your feedback on SUCHET.

Join the passionate WARNO community. Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get to together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, or our Instagram.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

v.82202 : SUCHET milestone

Hello commander,
The last two weeks, we revealed the British 2nd Infantry Division and the 11ème Division Parachutiste. They are now available in WARNO. With them come many other improvements, from bug fixes to quality of life features and of course some balancing. You can read the whole list of changes below...



PATCHLOG:


FEATURES:
  • new division : 11e Division Parachutiste (FR)
  • new division: 2nd Infantry Division (UK)
  • new infantry cards for better readibility: backgrounds are now featuring the infantry unit's role, not main transport
  • introducing new UPK-23-250 twin 23mm gun pods for Soviet helos & planes
  • new FX for bombs, MLRS and rockets
  • FX optimization
  • improved readability of hints
  • new display of the Rules of Engagement in the unit selection panel
  • new layout of the rules of engagement panel
  • new layout of the unit orders display
  • improved battlegroup UI
  • improved score alerts
  • ATGM team can now enter buildings (paving the way for the upcoming introduction of HMG infantry)
  • added two new cameras, Wargame and Fixed Angle..
  • improved minimap : we now display the command zones and their owner on the minimap. We are reworking all the minimap background to improve the readability
  • advanced deployment radius now shown in the unit info panel
  • all command units now reveal the influence in command zone.
  • Vertigo is available in ranked


CODE FIXES:
  • improvement on FXs, both more detailed AND less CPU-intensive
  • fixed helicopters going underground when landing
  • fixed units getting stuck while getting out of building at the exact time it's destroyed.
  • AI AA aircrafts will now correctly target helicopters.
  • unit info panel will now correctly displayed stats when a weapon is present multiple times (example: M240 x2)


DATA FIXES:
  • fixed 2S9 NONA gun's caliber from 122mm to 120mm (display issue only)
  • fixed the L7A2 (British MAG)'s model
  • fixed the missing SUSAT scope on L85 model
  • fixed some veterancy levels' divider
  • fix ATGM minimal range to 350m (dragon, dragon 2, Metis M)


MORTARS REWORK:
  • shoot on position will now fire two salvos.
  • aim time is now 10 seconds for all mortars
  • time between shots : 80mm = 3s / 100mm = 4s / 120mm = 5s
  • time between salvos : 80mm = 6s / 100mm = 8s / 120mm = 10s
  • HE damage nerf : 80mm = 0.8 / 100mm = 1 / 120mm = 1.2
  • Projectile time increased by +50%
  • Mrs. 120mm Tampella salvo length set to 4 (on par with others 120mm mortars)
  • VASILEK indirect fire : now same aim time, HE damage, splash as other 81mm mortars
  • VASILEK direct fire nerf : -25% damage / -50% splash / 5s aim time


GENERIC:
  • set all infantry RCL team's ammo at 8, and jeep-borne ones at 15
  • improved rocket delivery from planes: no rocket planes require more than two passes to empty all its payload
  • reworked supply costs


ECM ON HELICOPTERS:
The following helicopters now have some ECM capacities:
  • added CH-47 CHINOOK (all) 10% ECM
  • added CH-53 (all) 10% ECM
  • added Mi-24P (all) 10% ECM
  • added Mi-9 (all) 20% ECM
  • added Mi-24VP 20% ECM
  • added Mi-26 20% ECM
  • added KA-50 (all) 20% ECM
  • added PUMA PC 20% ECM
  • added UH-60A C.O. 20% ECM
  • added APACHE (all) 20% ECM


NATO:
  • decreased British infantry ammo loadout on par with other nations
  • increased transport UH-1 (German & US) and LYNX's MG ammo
  • decreased FERRET & FOX's HP from 10 to 8, on par with similar wheeled light armor
  • decreased LUCHS' HP from 10 to 8, on par with similar wheeled light armor
  • decreased AMX-30B's AP from 17 to 15
  • decreased AMX-30B's price from 95 to 85
  • decreased AMX-30B2's AP from 17 to 16 (but not the Brennus)
  • decreased AMX-10 RC's AP from 17 to 16 (but not the RCR)
  • increased AMX-10 RCR's AP from 17 to 18 (same Gulf War's DU rounds as Brennus)
  • increased AMX-10 RCR's price from 90 to 100
  • increased AMX-30B2 BRENNUS's price from 160 to 175
  • decreased ARM. RIFLES' price from 50 to 45
  • decreased ASSAULT PIONIERS (CarlG)'s price from 55 to 50
  • increased ASSAULT PIONIERS (CarlG)'s availability from 6 to 9
  • increased M67 RCL's accuracy from 35 to 40
  • increased transport LYNX's speed from 190 to 270km/h
  • replaced the AGM-65B on US (not German) planes with AGM-65D (accuracy 40% --> 50%)
  • increased F16C [AT]'s price from 245 to 275
  • increased A-10 [AT]'s price from 195 to 225
  • increased SAS PATROL's M72 LAW ammos from 4 to 6
  • increased all Cobra's M197 (nose canon)'s range from 1025m to 1200m
  • decreased SAPEURS PARAS (FLAM.)'s availability from 9 to 6
  • decreased TRM-2000 LOG's supply loadout from 1750 to 800, price from 60 to 30 and availability increased from 3 to 9
  • increased MILAN 1's accuracy from 40 to 45%
  • increased JAVELIN's accuracy from 45 to 50%
  • increased JAVELIN LML's accuracy from 45 to 55%
  • decreased CHIEFTAIN Mk.9's price from 180 to 170
  • decreased CHIEFTAIN Mk.11's price from 200 to 190 (and CV accordingly)
  • added FV432 its smoke launchers
  • added FV432 MORTAR its smoke launchers
  • added FV432 COMMAND its smoke launchers
  • added FV433 ABBOT its smoke launchers
  • added FV510 WARRIOR its smoke launchers
  • added M109A2 its smoke launchers
  • added FV721 FOX its smoke launchers
  • added FERRET Mk2 its smoke launchers
  • added CENTURION AVRE its smoke launchers
  • added GREEN ARCHER its smoke launchers
  • increased MIG-31M's price from 260 to 265
  • increased MIRAGE III E's price from 145 to 155
  • decreased TORNADO F.3 [AA]'s price from 260 to 245
  • decreased TORNADO GR.1 [CLU]'s price from 325 to 305
  • decreased LUCHS' availability per card from 6 to 4
  • decreased AMX-10P VOA's price from 55 to 40
  • increased (recon/transport) VLRA .50's price from 20 to 25
  • increased (recon/transport) M1025 HUMVEE M2HB's price from 20 to 25
  • increased (recon/transport) M151A2 M2HB's price from 20 to 25
  • decreased (Belgian) ECLAIREURS' price from 45 to 40
  • decreased (British) SCOUTS' price from 55 to 50
  • decreased (US) SCOUTS' price from 40 to 35
  • decreased VBL RECO's price from 50 to 45
  • decreased French 20mm M621 & M693 guns' range from 1750m to 1575m
  • added all AMX-30B's coaxial M621 some AP rounds
  • (5eDB) decreased ROLAND 3's veterancy by one level, on par with German ones
  • (1stArm) decreased LYNX HELARM Mk.7 veterancy by one level, on par with other LYNX HELARM
  • (82AB) removed M109A2 from battlegroup
  • (82AB) removed MECH. RIFLES (and LDR.) from battlegroup


PACT:
  • all T-72 variants get +1 front armor value
  • changed the (reco) Mi24K's full rocket loadout to mixed rocket/UPK-23-250 (twin 23mm gun pods)
  • added an unarmed transport Mi-8MT variant to all Soviet & DDR division having allowed armed ones. The latter is renamed Mi-8MT [RKT1]
  • increased T-55A's accuracy/stabs from 30/10 to 45/25
  • increased T-55AM2's accuracy/stabs from 50/15 to 55/45
  • increased T-72M & M1's accuracy/stabs from 50/35 to 55/40
  • increased MOT.SCHÜTZEN (BTR)'s availability per card from 6 to 9
  • increased T-55AM2's availability per card from 6 to 9
  • increased T-55AM2B's availability per card from 4 to 6
  • increased T-72's availability per card from 6 to 9
  • increased T-72M's availability per card from 6 to 9
  • increased T-72M1's availability per card from 6 to 9
  • increased FAGOT & KONKURS missiles' accuracy from 45 to 50
  • increased SPG-9 RCL's accuracy from 35 to 40
  • increased all variants of Mi-24D's availability per card from 1 to 2
  • increased all towed AT guns & howitzer's HP from 5 to 8
  • increased T-62M's availability per card from 6 to 9
  • increased T-62M1's availability per card from 8 to 12
  • increased T-62MV's availability per card from 4 to 6
  • increased T-62MK's availability per card from 2 to 3
  • renamed RAZVEDKA (hvy) into MOT. RAZVEDKA
  • renamed AUFKLÄRER (hvy) into MOT. AUFKLÄRER
  • increased MOT. AUFKLÄRER's price from 60 to 70
  • added MOT. RAZVEDKA an RPG-22 + price increased from 45 to 70
  • decreased all Mi-24V & Mi-24V's Yak-B (nose MG)'s range from 1200m to 1025m
  • decreased all Mi-24V & Mi-24V's price by -10
  • increased Mi-24VP's Gsh-23L (ose canon)'s range from 1025m to 1200m
  • split SPETSNAZ (non-reco) into 12-man assault SPETSNAZ squad and 4-man SPETSNAZ (O.P.) fire support team.
  • both SPETSNAZ squads above are available to both K.d.A & 35GvDShB battlegroups
  • both SPETSNAZ squads above get the Forward Deployment trait, but therefore lose access to helicopter transports. SPETSNAZ KOM. remain unchanged
  • changed DESANT. SAPERI's RPG for Satchel charges
  • increased (DDR) Fs.-JÄGER (s.MG)'s price from 55 to 60, on par with their Soviet counterpart
  • increased (recon/transport) UAZ-469 KPV's price from 20 to 25
  • increased (recon/transport) UAZ-3151 KPV's price from 20 to 25
  • increased FLA-SFL 57-2's price from 55 to 75
  • increased (DDR) Mi-24D [AA]'s availability per card increased from 1 to 2, number of card decreased from 2 to 1
  • (7Pz) decreased Mi-24D [AT]'s number of cards from 3 to 2
  • (39GvMSD) decreased SU-25 [RKT]'s number of cards from 2 to 1
  • (79GvTD) decreased SU-25 [RKT]'s number of cards from 2 to 1
  • (35GvDShB) added one 1-pt HELI slot
  • (35GvDShB) changed one 3-pt AIR slot into 2-pt one
  • (35GvDShB) removed the one card of T-80B from the division
  • (35GvDShB) added one card each of T-64B, T-64BV & T-64BVK (command variant)
  • (35GvDShB) added one card of new ZSU-23-4M2 SHILKA AFGHANSKII, a cheaper battlefield conversion for fire-support without radar, but still able to fire on sight on choppers