WARNO News

WARNO - Milestone DAVOUT release

Rejoice, commander!

Make way for the DAVOUT update coming hot to WARNO, bringing you two new nations (Cold War-divided Germany on either side of the coin), two new divisions, and a brand-spanking new map, Geisa!

We know you have been eagerly awaiting this moment. So while waiting for downloads and updates, keep reading for a recap of all the good stuff coming in hot with DAVOUT!

[h2]DAVOUT Recap[/h2]
First things first: as we previously explained, one reason for the DAVOUT milestone coming a little later than excepted was because of a large chunk of modeling that had to be done. All the Bundeswehr’s units needed to be readied within a very short amount of time.

All done and dusted, what can you expect? Of course, the Germans have arrived in full force. Some individual units were teased in our previous NEY milestone, but DAVOUT features the first complete pair of German divisions, armored no less, from both NATO’s Bundeswehr and Warsaw Pact’s Nationale Volksarmee.

The West German 5. Panzerdivision brings a host of new units, from the Leopard 1A5 to the powerful Leopard 2A3 MBT, Marder IFV, Panzergrenadier infantry, Alouette II recon helicopters, Unimog trucks, Marder Roland SAM and Gepard 1A1 SPAAG amongst other. The Luftwaffe deploys its share of airplanes, including the F-104G fighter and the state-of-the-art Tornado IDS strike aircraft.
The East German 7. Panzerdivision is well-trained but uses slightly older equipment, including “vanilla” T-72 and T-72M, as well as T-55 variants such as the modernized T-55AM2 and T-55AM2B. Other units are ZSU-23-4 Shilka SPAAG, Czech-made RM-70 MLRS and T813 supply trucks. Air support is provided by Su-22M-4, MiG-21PFM and MiG-23MF.

The West German M113GA1 currently uses the American counterpart model. We are aware and will fix this as soon as possible; the specific model is still being worked on. Another known omission is the WarPac Mi-2 helicopter: this model is currently not ready. In the meantime, it is being replaced by an armed Mi-8 in the transport role.

Mind you, the German dialogue and acknowledgments are currently not fully integrated. However, this is planned to happen soon!

[h2]A small disclaimer[/h2] Please note: the national squad leader's names are presently placeholder and will remain so until WARNO’s official release. We will open recruitment lists for each nation at a specified time in the future.

If you are unfamiliar with this practice: the recruitment list is a nice little Eugen tradition harking back to the Wargame series and which we continued with Steel Division 2. It means that players can provide their name suggestions - with some caveats and only if they are authentic to the requested nation. It also means you get to have your own name in the game! When the recruitment drive spins up, we’ll let you know!

[h2]New Geisa Map[/h2] DAVOUT update also brings a new battlefield for you to play in. The new Geisa map is featured in 4v4 only for now, but we are testing it in 10v10 too. We'll keep you updated. We previewed WARNO’s 6th map previously in this blog post here.

Geisa is massive, it being 12 kilometers wide and 9 kilometers deep (Loop 10v10 is 6 km deep in comparison). It is relatively plain, but with three elevated locations in the center. We designed the map to give you plenty of different tactical options depending on the topology: from mountains to forests and some small lakes. Don’t be lulled by the swooning late summer atmosphere (and lightning) - some brutal battles are bound to happen.

[h2]DAVOUT patchnotes[/h2]
Check out DAVOUT’s patchnotes here!

MAPS:

New map Geisa available in 4v4.

FEATURES:

Changed the icon of command points in the zone to match the one at the top of the screen.
Added more audio cues in the menus.

FIXES:

Fixed unit labels being invisible when multiple units are in the same building and when using the "Diplay unit names only" option. Note: right now we're displaying the icons. We're working on displaying the names instead.
Fixed some units not stopping to fire on targets when in Hunt mode and when Smart Hold Fire was enabled.
Fixed helicopters not taking into account their altitude to determine their line of sight.
Fixed "Short" on-foot pathfind being the fastest route instead of the shortest. Infantry will now follow straighter paths instead of avoiding forests.
Fixed pinning a unit in the Armory not working as intended.
Fixed most cases of helicopters flying through forests. It will still happen on short distances (
Fixed a rare bug that would make it impossible to select units.
Fixed disappearing decks at first launch after an update when a used unit had some changes (for instance, Veteran XP not available anymore to a unit). Now only the affected unit will be deleted from the deck.
Fixed the Mi-24V [RKT]'s rocket loadout from 10 to 20 (as fitting the model) plus price changed from 130 to 160 accordingly.
Fixed Su-25 [RKT]'s 80mm lodaout from a wrong 64 to the proper 80 rockets plus price increased from 95 to 115 accordingly.
Fixed the MG-3 gunner's manner of holding the gun.

GENERIC:

Normalization pass on units' optics.
Normalization pass on supply vehicles' load, in order to even it across al unit cards plus some price changes.
Overall adjustements on helicopter prices.
Decreased all F-111/Su-24/Tornado tactical bombers (HE, cluster, napalm) max card per deck to 1.

[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
Enough reading, time for some much-wanted action! Get ready to deploy, commander. Let us know what you think of DAVOUT. We can’t wait to hear your feedback and comments.

Join the awesome (and passionate) ever-growing WARNO community. Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get to together with other players on the excellent Discord server, https://www.reddit.com/r/warno/Reddit page, or Instagram.

See you on the battlefield, commander. Over and out!

Cold War RTS game Warno gets two new maps in today's update

Early Access RTS game Warno has an update out today that adds two brand new maps to the map pool. Patch Six introduces Mount River and Two Lakes, as well as a new single-player mode for the Death Row map. The update also includes a welcome list of tweaks and fixes, so let's get down to business.

Mount River is a new 3v3 map that developer Eugen Systems says is 83 square kilometres. Its varied terrain features plateaus, forests, and towns, but its central area is shaped by three lakes that create a series of defensible chokepoints. However, should one battlegroup gain a solid foothold there, the western corridor of the map is prime for flanking manoeuvres, so there's no chance for anyone to get too complacent.

Two Lakes, on the other hand, is a narrower 2v2 map that features central fields surrounding two towns. Adjoining this is a U-shaped forest, which can allow a player to regain some of the initiative if their opponent swiftly captures the towns.

Read the rest of the story...

Patch 6 and New Maps

Hello!

This week's DevBlog is delivered to you quite earlier than usual, but we thought you wouldn't want to wait for Friday to get it ... ;)

Get ready for fresh battlefields for WARNO! A new patch is coming in hot today, delivering a bunch of new content, first and foremost two new maps (and an update to an existing one): Mount River and Two Lakes, with a new single-player version of Death Row.

There is more, of course. Be sure to check out the patch notes below, as the new maps are not the only thing being brought to WARNO.

Let’s take a closer look at the new environments and their defining features.

[h2]Mount River[/h2]
Number one on our list is Mount River with its 83 square km² designed specifically for intense 3vs3 player combat encounters. The battlefield features a kill zone with three lakes in the center of the map. These bodies of water create several chokepoints, which need to be securely controlled by any battlegroup if they wish to advance.

Mount River has quite a bit of varied terrain, including plateaus, forests, a smattering of urban areas scattered throughout. If you want to dominate the opponent, take time and care to investigate the topology to see which ones can be used to gain an advantage over the enemy.

Lastly, the western part of the map is favorable to a flanking maneuver, allowing you to bypass the frontline in one fell swoop. Following this strategy might be risky, though it can drastically tilt the battle in your favor if executed well.

[h2]Two Lakes[/h2]
Next up is the new Two Lakes, which is a default 2vs2 map. Narrower compared to Mount River, it has two towns in the center, surrounded by fields, which can be turned into easily defendable points. Around this central area, dense woodlands are to be found, which turns everything into a giant kill zone. You have to control this wooded “U” shape properly if you want to keep the initiative on this part of the map.

It might not come as a surprise that each side needs to secure the town closest to the central kill zone as quickly as possible, and hold on to block any enemy advance.

[h2]Single Player Death Row[/h2]
We have also updated one of the existing maps with a new single-player variant: Death Row. This was hotly requested by the community. The version is specifically designed to be played in 1vs1 mode (against AI). The actual playable area of Death Row has been shrunk, delivering a more intense and focused battlefield.

One of the major advantages of WARNO’s Early Access is that we can quickly iterate on our player's feedback, which allows for more experimental and varied gameplay. The game keeps not only growing but also evolving. Keep sharing those comments and let us know what you think of Death Row’s new playing area and 1v1 map variant!

[h2]DAVOUT Update[/h2]
As you know, the next milestone - DAVOUT - is coming soon. It is nearly ready, and its content will be delivered to the Strike team before the end of the week. They will perform the very necessary crash testing, before we will ship it to you (likely next week).

[h2]Patch notes[/h2] FEATURES:

finalized the transport selection interface in the deck editor
transports can now use the smart orders of the units they transport. For instance, an unarmed transport can Seize a location if it transports infantry
added a time limit option to lobbys : 20, 30, 40, 60 minutes or "No time limit"
added an option "[Tactic] Minimalist Target Infos" that allows to reduce the quantity of informations displayed on the targeting cursor. The option is turned off by default.
added the number of the identical weapons in the unit info panel. For instance, M1 Abrams displays "M240 x2" instead of "M240".
added "Reveal influence" in the unit info panel. It indicates which units can reveal the influence of commanders in the commandement zones.
stun effect doesn't prevent from moving anymore

FIXES:

various localization fixes
fixed the doublon M113 transport for 8ID's Fire Teams.
fixed Rangers' optics.
fixed some M151's price/HP which had been ommitted in the previous truck/jeep generic changes.
fixed some helicopters' anti-plane (gun!) range.
fixed a bug where a missile would go through the target without damaging it, occuring when the distance between shooter and target was too short
fixed a bug occuring when giving a right-click attack order on bombers
fixed winchester evacuation not working as intended for some planes
fixed units getting stuck in "Leaving District" state if the building got destroyed during their exit
fixed infantry being visible in destroyed transports
fixed AA unnecessarily moving when targeting helicopters
fixed a rare case where a command unit could leave a zone without losing ownership if it stayed very close from the border of the zone for a long time before leaving
fixed being able to use a smart order through the shortcut even though it wasn't available for the selected unit
fixed missiles sometimes going through their target when they were fired too close
fixed being able to spawn helicopters in forests. This also fix the permanent furtivity bonus they would gain from a forest spawn.
fixed in-game player list not compatible with 10v10
fixed bombers being able to bomb flying helicopters
fixed ECM not being applied properly. Previously : 20% of ECM against a 50% accuracy missile would reduce its accuracy to 50%-20%=30%. Now : 20% of ECM against a 50% accuracy missile will reduce its accuracy by 20% to (100%-20%)*50%=40%
fixed manual orders sometimes being ignored because of Rules of Engagement. Manual orders should now always work independently of RoE settings.
fixed destroyed buildings having a black outline
fixed not being able to use the advanced deployment of recon units when in transports
fixed a performance issue that would get worse the longer the game goes when AI (or smart orders of a real player) tried to unload an helicopter. Note that AI still can't unload helicopters : this will be fixed in a later patch.
fixed infantry commanders being able to capture command zone from inside their transports. They now need to unload before capturing.
UI performance slighlty improved

GENERIC:

decreased 107/120mm mortars' RoF
standardized CV units' optics.
standardized helicopters' optics.
repricing of transport helicopters over the board (Mi-8, UH-60, UH-1, ...)
infantry AT weapons (RPG/bazookas) now are more efficient (no AP changes, but damage calculation same as WRD)
MMG & HMG can now engage helicopters

WARPAC:

renamed Su-24M [CLU]'s RBK 500 into RBK 250 bombs (which stats/price they already had)
renamed Su-25 [CLU]'s RBK 500 into RBK 250 bombs (which stats/price they already had)
standardized Grom/SPG-9 at 1500m range, 35 ACC & 14 HEAT
renamed "Konkon-M" into "Kokon"
Mi-8T (transport) can't be refunded (just like Bradleys)

NATO:

added HE round to M67 RCL
replaced the M113 ACAV's M6 RCL with the proper M40A1 fitting its model
increased M1 ABRAMS's price from 140 to 150
increased M1 ABRAMS CMD's price from 240 to 250
decreased REDEYE's price from 25 to 20

[h2]See you on the battlefield![/h2]
We are very hard at work on our upcoming updates, including DAVOUT and MURAT, but as we explained previously, we just need a little bit more time to get everything in tip-top shape.

Join the awesome (and passionate) growing WARNO community. You can check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Join the excellent Discord server, the new Reddit page and Instagram.

See you on the (new) battlefield!

DAVOUT update, roadmap & upcoming patch

Hello commander,

Today, some updates on Milestone DAVOUT’s progress, what will come after it, and an upcoming patch.

[h2]Update on Milestone DAVOUT[/h2]
We had planned to release DAVOUT this week, but we rather delay it a bit because we are still missing a few models. And especially an iconic one: the Leopard 2. Hence why you haven’t seen it in screenshots before, nor will in this DevBlog.

But we’re almost there: most units are done, with their German paintjob, their picture, … as you can see below:

The NVA isn’t forgotten, of course:

[h2]What’s next?[/h2] Milestone DAVOUT might be delayed a bit, it doesn’t mean we aren’t trying to stick to our 2-milestone per month schedule. While our 3D artists are working hard to deliver the missing 5. Panzerdivision’s models, some of us have already started working on the next step. Steps even.

Here is our planned scheduled for the weeks and months to come:

The next milestone after DAVOUT will be Milestone MURAT, still focusing on German divisions … and some friends. If you don’t know about Napoléon's dashing cavalry commander already, you’ve got only a few weeks left to address that unforgivable shortcoming. ;)

DAVOUT was a hard nut to crack, for it meant modeling (almost) ALL the Bundeswehr’s units in two weeks. MURAT will be different, for it will make use of many of the same equipment, which should give our overworked 3D artists a respite. As planned, we will use this opportunity to introduce towed & crew-served weapons, not only for the new divisions, but for all of them.
Divisions from release and NEY & DAVOUT milestones will also see their ranks beefed up with mortars, field guns, anti-tank or anti-aircraft guns, … Missile weapon systems might take a bit longer though.

[h2]Upcoming patch[/h2]
But much closer from us, we have been working on a major patch, currently being tested by the strike team ... and which should be delivered to you very soon™.
Among other things, it fixes dozens of bugs reported by the community, but also brings the following changes & features:

3 new maps ... which we'll showcase to you soon.
Time limit options in the multiplayer lobby.
Increased infantry HEAT weapon’s efficiency (similar to WRD’s calculation).
ECM rework.
Decreased mortars’ RoF.
Repricing of transport helicopters.
MMG & HMG can now engage helicopters.
New Soviet SEAD plane.
…

[h2]See you on the battlefield![/h2]
That’s all for this week!
Join the awesome (and passionate) growing WARNO community. You can check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Join the excellent Discord server, the new Reddit page and Instagram.

See you, commander!

Milestone DAVOUT Preview: 5. Panzer (BRD)

Hello commander,

Last week, we had a sneak preview at the NVA’s 7. Panzerdivision, the first of the two new divisions soon to be featured in the upcoming German-focused Milestone DAVOUT.

This week, let’s have a look at its NATO counterpart, the Bundeswehr’s 5. Panzerdivision.

[h2]Bundeswehr[/h2]
Just like its Eastern counterpart, West-Germany was forbidden to possess armed forces since the Wehrmacht had been dissolved in 1945. Although a new German state, the Federal Republic of Germany, had been founded in 1949, it was still officially completely demilitarized and dependent on NATO for its defense. Yet, an embryo of army existed since 1951 as the Bundesgrenzschutz (meaning Federal Border Guard), a 10.000-strong paramilitary force patrolling the German Inner Border.

Due to increasing tensions with the Eastern bloc in the early 1950, the USA, UK & France decided to rearm Germany, which they couldn’t hope to defend against a Soviet offensive without the Germans themselves. France was particularly reluctant to agree to the rearmament of a neighbor with which it had been at war three times in the past 80 years, but finally accepted.
The Bundeswehr (meaning Federal Defence, a name coined by WW2 veteran general Hasso von Manteuffel) was officially created on November 12th, 1955, the 200th birthday of general Gerhard von Scharnhorst. He was the man who rebuilt the Prussian army into a modern military machine after its crushing defeat at the hands of Napoléon (and especially Davout! 😉) in 1806. The Bundeswehr was to be a new military force, without ties with the Wehrmacht: instead, it looked toward the military reformers of 1806-1813 and the military resistance against Hitler for models & traditions.

Over the ensuing Cold War years, the Bundeswehr expanded to three corps, each of three divisions, plus three other independents divisions and several smaller units. Being stationed on their own soil, Germany, which was considered to be the most probable WW3 battlefield, the Bundeswehr was the backbone of NATO’s defense plans: with the few combat-ready US or British divisions, it would have to bear the brunt of a WarPac offensive while its NATO allies mobilized and built up their forces.

[h2]5. Panzerdivision[/h2]
Like the US 3rd Armored Division, 5. Panzerdivision isn’t new to Eugen Systems’ games’ veterans, being also featured in Steel Division 2. Yet, there is no connection between Bundeswehr units and their Wehrmacht predecessors.

The new 5. Panzer was created in Grafenwöhr (Bavaria) in 1956, as part as Heeresstruktur 1, the first iteration of the newly created Bundeswehr. It was initially structured around three Kampfgruppen (battlegroups), on the model of the US Army at the time. In 1959, a first reorganization converted the three Kampfgruppen into Panzerbrigade 14 & 15 and Panzergrenadier 13, a structure it will retain, despite some transfer or renaming, for the rest of the Cold War.

The Bundeswehr during the Cold War was organized around three army corps: I. Korps with NORTHAG, controlling 1. & 7. Panzerdivision and 11. Panzergrenadier-Division ; II. Korps in the South (de facto with CENTAG, but would have passed under SOUTHAG control shall the later be revived) with 10. Panzerdivision, 1. Gebirgsjäger-Division and 4. Panzergrenadier-Division ; III. Korps finally, with 5. & 12. Panzerdivision and 2. Panzergrenadier-Division.
5. Panzer & 2. Panzergrenadier were CENTAG’s northernmost divisions, liking it to NORTHAG. They were also the two German division closest to the Fulda Gap and trained to operate in close cooperation with the US V. Corps.

[h2]What to expect ingame?[/h2]
Germany’s Bundeswehr was smaller than some other NATO members, but it was very well equipped. Besides, save for a few M113-based vehicles, most of its equipment is either indigenous or European, making it quite distinct from the US Army.

5.PzD will feature the trademark German Leopard tanks, and more precisely the Leopard 1A5 (Panzergrenadier-Brigade 13) & Leopard 2A3 (Panzerbrigade 14 & 15). There are also a few older Leopard 1A1A1 with Panzeraufklärungsbataillon 5. Finally, the Panzerpionier held on to a few obsolete M48A2CGA1 (M48 Patton with 90mm gun!).

Infantry weapons are mostly G3A4 rifles, MG-3 machine-guns & Panzerfaust 44 RPGs, as featured currently with 8th Infantry Division’s Jäger, but other less widespread ones include MP-2 (= license-built Uzi) & MP-5 SMG, Carl Gustav & Armbrust bazooka, HK-21 LMG or even the weird Handflammpatrone, a disposable flame-shotgun.
The division’s infantry rely not on Jäger (although still present in small numbers) but on Panzergrenadier, riding into battle in either IFV or APC. IFV squads are down to 5 or 6 men, just like American Bradley infantry, to fit these vehicles’ space ; while APC-borne ones are up to 9 men. The Bundeswehr famous IFV is the Marder, coming here as either Marder 1A2 or up armored Marder 1A3, both with and without MILAN missiles. APC infantry comes with the ubiquitous MTW M113. Engineers & scouts come either in soft-skin vehicles, or the fast but lightly armored Fuchs wheeled APC.
A German Panzerdivision fields less tank & foot soldiers than a US one, hence a bit less and/or more costly INF & TANK slots. On the other hand, W-German units bring a LOT of divisional artillery in comparison: Panzermörser 120mm (= M113-borne mortar), FH-155-1 field gun (= FH-70 howitzer, to be added later), M109A3GA1 155mm & M110A2G 203mm SPG, LARS 2 & MARS (= M270) MLRS. Lots of choices, lots of slots …

On the other hand, 5.PzD, as any other German division and unlike American ones, has no helicopter squadron of its own, save for a few Alouette II unarmed recon ones. We’ve attached a few Bo-105 PAH-1 (HOT 1) & Bo-105 PAH-1A1 (HOT 2) from III. Korps's organic Heeresflieger-Rgt. 36. But slots are few and expensive!
Air defense is provided by the already featured (and outdated) Redeye MANPADS, but also the much heavier & effective Gepard B2L SPAAG & Marder Roland SAM.
Finally, the Luftwaffe provides cover and support with three different planes: the infamous F-104G fighter, the modernized F-4F Phantom II multirole & brand-new Tornado IDS strike aircraft. The latter will feature its trademark MW-1 cluster dispenser.

Other indigenous vehicles include Iltis jeep, Unimog truck, Jaguar 1 (HOT) & Jaguar 2 tank destroyers, Luchs armored scout car, …
Currently missing units, but to be added later: MILAN infantry, FH-155-1 field gun, FK 20 20mm light AA gun, ...

[h2]See you on the battlefield![/h2]
That’s all for this week!

Join the awesome (and passionate) growing WARNO community. You can check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Join the excellent Discord server, the new Reddit page and Instagram.

See you, commander!